Joined Weight Watchers now regretting it
gooz71
Posts: 97 Member
I joined WW a month ago and had been losing weight. Last week however, they changed their whole program and I am so disappointed. It's left me feeling hopeless. I am wondering if anyone on here has had better success with MFP than WW after having done both?
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Replies
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Loads of people have had success with MFP and it's free.
read this
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10257474/starting-out-restarting-basics-inside/p10 -
The biggest recurring issue I see with weight watchers and people who then use mfp is the free fruit and veg.
People not logging their fruit and veg and wondering why they aren't losing on mfp.
Log everything with calories and create a deficit and lose weight.0 -
Hey, I'm a former long, long time WWer and I quit after they kept stuffing around with the program. I've had over 70lbs of success with MFP now!0
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What have they changed now?0
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Apparently, low points will be assigned to low fat meat to encourage folks to eat less fatty meat. Sugar and Saturated fat are more points. More emphasis on fitness and motivation.0
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cos you can't sell that as a product
WW points were developed when calorie counting involved notepads and little look-up books - it was designed to simplify - now it just complicates IMO
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My Mum - also a relatively new WW member (though she has been a member on and off for around 30 years!) has just recently cancelled her membership due to the restrictive Smart Points system. In my honest opinion, it is utterly ridiculous, totally unsustainable and a real shame. Weight Watchers used to be such a positive and straight-forward approach to losing weight but is needlessly over complicating things.
MFP (again in my honest opinion) is the absolute ultimate tool in losing weight. Counting calories and being realistic whilst STILL being able to live like a normal human being and on top of all that, it's free.0 -
If weight watchers found the perfect formula for losing weight they would still have to continue to change it to make money. And they also have to keep it complicated so you think you cannot do it on your own.0
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I joined WW a couple of years ago, dead simple: Daily points + Weekly points, eat what you like (encouraged to make healthier choices) = 3stone weight loss. I've put all of it back on (but thats not WW fault
) Is it a lot more complicated now? 0 -
Can you cancel your membership or are you locked in for a certain time period?0
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I lost every week on the flex program than without warning my account was changed to that stupid points plus, I gained back half what I lost trying to figure out what to do. They should let people choose what they want to do, I paid for flex I want the flex.0
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The biggest recurring issue I see with weight watchers and people who then use mfp is the free fruit and veg.
People not logging their fruit and veg and wondering why they aren't losing on mfp.
Log everything with calories and create a deficit and lose weight.
This is a good point. if you DO go with MFP, log your fruits and vegetables. Eat them, definitely, but log them.0 -
The new program is called "smart points" and IMO it's now "low carb" which isn't sustainable to me. They lowered the points allowed each day and have raised the points on most foods unless it's lean protein and/or very low in sugar. For example, a bowl of oatmeal that used to be 4 points, is now 7. I totally get that they are trying to get people to eat healthier, but what I liked about WW before was you could have what you want and still lose weight. Now they are pretty much forcing you to eat low carb so it's much harder to adhere to (for me).0
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The new program is called "smart points" and IMO it's now "low carb" which isn't sustainable to me. They lowered the points allowed each day and have raised the points on most foods unless it's lean protein and/or very low in sugar. For example, a bowl of oatmeal that used to be 4 points, is now 7. I totally get that they are trying to get people to eat healthier, but what I liked about WW before was you could have what you want and still lose weight. Now they are pretty much forcing you to eat low carb so it's much harder to adhere to (for me).
That bites
Calorie counting
it's free
and you're in control0 -
As others have said - it's smoke and mirrors. If the system was easy to follow/replicate outside of WW they wouldn't be needed - and wouldn't get your money. CICO is free, easy to follow and works for life. The sheer number of people you see on the boards saying they've done WW many times speaks for itself really.0
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cos you can't sell that as a product
WW points were developed when calorie counting involved notepads and little look-up books - it was designed to simplify - now it just complicates IMO
Agreed. I belonged to WW in the 90s and it was helpful then but not something I'd pay for now that there is MFP. A good group and leader could be worthwhile, but overall, I don't think it's worth the fee.
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kshama2001 wrote: »
cos you can't sell that as a product
WW points were developed when calorie counting involved notepads and little look-up books - it was designed to simplify - now it just complicates IMO
Agreed. I belonged to WW in the 90s and it was helpful then but not something I'd pay for now that there is MFP. A good group and leader could be worthwhile, but overall, I don't think it's worth the fee.
If someone wants group support and accountability I would suggest looking into TOPS instead of WW. That way they could follow their own program and pay a lot less (TOPS is $5 a month plus a yearly $20 fee). I don't think I would want to pay $40 a month to have someone weigh me in and get materials & listen to meeting topics that don't necessarily apply to what I am doing.0 -
WW has to continually ramp up there "system" to make it look complicated; that's how they get to charge money for something your poor little, average intellect can't figure out.
You can't make people spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars chasing their weight loss dreams by telling them 'here's the numbers, follow a simple CICO rule and... yeah, that's basically it'.
The diet industry is five billion plus a year for a reason.
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WW has to continually ramp up there "system" to make it look complicated; that's how they get to charge money for something your poor little, average intellect can't figure out.
You can't make people spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars chasing their weight loss dreams by telling them 'here's the numbers, follow a simple CICO rule and... yeah, that's basically it'.
The diet industry is five billion plus a year for a reason.
Spot on!0 -
I use both and have had a lot of success (almost 100 pounds). I track religiously with MFP. I track on the weight watchers app as well, but only when I hit a tough point in my weight loss. For me, the double tracking helps me stay focused. I mainly use weight watchers for the weekly meetings and weigh in. I've found an AMAZING leader (who has lost 150 pounds and kept it off almost years) and meetings full of terrific people who are willing to give you what you need, whether it's support, a hug, motivation or a kick in the pants.
I was one of those that wasn't a fan of the new change. This last week, I gave the new "smart points" a try. It wasn't really that much different for most of the foods I eat on a regular basis. The ones that changed were the unhealthier ones... ones with lots of refined sugar and saturated fat. Those foods went up in points, which didn't make me a happy camper.
But, if I'm going to be really honest with myself, I'm trying to not just lose weight. I am trying to teach myself to eat healthier and make better food choices. So maybe, for me, if a treat food now more expensive point wise than it was before, I'll think twice before eating it. After all, I can still eat what ever I want, I just have to fit it into my budget.
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Apparently, low points will be assigned to low fat meat to encourage folks to eat less fatty meat. Sugar and Saturated fat are more points. More emphasis on fitness and motivation.
I don't understand changing points around for things that are supposed to be healthier. A calorie is a calorie no matter where it comes from, and CICO is a requirement for weight loss, so if they lower the points they need to decrease the serving size too. If this is this case, then what's the point of trying to get people to eat less fattier meats? If you're paying attention to macros, it's all about how they round out at the end of the day.0 -
The new program is called "smart points" and IMO it's now "low carb" which isn't sustainable to me. They lowered the points allowed each day and have raised the points on most foods unless it's lean protein and/or very low in sugar. For example, a bowl of oatmeal that used to be 4 points, is now 7. I totally get that they are trying to get people to eat healthier, but what I liked about WW before was you could have what you want and still lose weight. Now they are pretty much forcing you to eat low carb so it's much harder to adhere to (for me).
So the way my leader explained it -
Under the old system points plus system - you had a daily budget of points, plus activity points you could earn, plus a weekly bank of 49 points.
Under the new smart points system - you have a daily budget of points, plus activity points you can earn plus a weekly bank of points. The points you get depend on your gender, age and weight. Which, once I thought about it, make sense. I am a 5'2" mid 40's woman. I don't need the same number of bonus points that say a 6 foot 20 year old man needs.
The reality is, it doesn't matter what program you follow. To lose weight, you have to reduce your caloric intake by 3500 calories/pound. So to lose a pound a week, you have to eat 500 calories less than you burn. (Create a deficit.) Some people find counting calories easier, some people find counting points easier.
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I left MFP for WW in September. I had excellent success with WW because I didn't have to track down to the calorie - it was an easier mindgame for me. However, I'm leaving WW now. I don't agree with the idea that 200 calories of bacon is worth more points than 200 calories of ham. It makes me angry. I don't do well with low-carb anything, so yeah. It's no longer worth $20/month.
I'm switching back to here. I'm hoping that I won't lose motivation and I'll be "ok" dealing with thing.0 -
They make the "bad" foods more expensive points-wise and the "good" foods less expensive or free to steer people toward what they feel is a healthy overall way to eat. The actual point value is arbitrary. If they feel too many people can work the "bad" foods into what they eat, they just bump up how many points need to be spent for them.
I don't understand changing points around for things that are supposed to be healthier. A calorie is a calorie no matter where it comes from, and CICO is a requirement for weight loss, so if they lower the points they need to decrease the serving size too. If this is this case, then what's the point of trying to get people to eat less fattier meats? If you're paying attention to macros, it's all about how they round out at the end of the day.Apparently, low points will be assigned to low fat meat to encourage folks to eat less fatty meat. Sugar and Saturated fat are more points. More emphasis on fitness and motivation.
Like all diets, it has to have an overall calorie deficit in order to lose weight.
Weight Watchers is hoping to steer people away from the calorie-dense "treat" foods and encourage lean protein and fruits/veggies to fill people up so that they end up with a calorie deficit.0 -
I almost re-joined (after a couple of years of MFP) and decided to wait to see what the new program was all about and now I am glad I didn't join. I understand the concept of steering people towards healthier food choices BUT the one thing WW had going for it was the ability to have treats and still reasonably stick to your points. Now I have heard that a piece of cake is 24 points - which is a whole day of points - and I think that people are going to find that super restrictive. I predict WW will lose a lot of people to MFP, which is free and it gives you the freedom to have a piece of cake once in a while and not feel like that is all you can eat that day.0
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This year lost 50 lbs within 6-7 months and not a single penny on WW. All I did was log what I ate and stayed within 1800=2000 cals. For 5 of those months I didn't even have a food scale. I guessed and I guessed right.
I was always baffled about how these companies were generating billions in revenue. Still am.0 -
Before I found mfp and I was clueless about nutrition and calories in vs out, I thought I would have no choice but to pay for WW. Thank goodness I never wasted my money, counting calories and counting points its the same thing. If you can do basic math, you can lose weight. It's really that simple, and the point system just seems to me to make it more complicated. I've lost 122lbs by logging my food on mfp, and during the process I've learned how to eat in a sustainable way that I can use for the rest of my life, for free.0
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I like the new Smart Points. My daily food is more like what my doctor recommended. It's not low carb though. I suppose it depends on what type of food you choose to eat and the amounts.
I don't eat cake with frosting on a daily basis so that fact that it is now 24 points means it stays in the special occasion area. Not only that but I wont bother with the bakery cakes that have terrible frosting; I'd rather have a cake with real buttercream frosting.
I count points on paper and calories on here because I like seeing both numbers. My health insurance is helping pay for 6 months of weight watchers meetings. I don't get the online tools but I can attend meetings, weigh in, and get all the paper documentation.0 -
Nope sticking with MFP. It's free.0
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