Came from Weight Watchers

hallycat

LeslieB042812 wrote: »

I lost 35 pounds on WW old, old program (Points) and I maintained that loss for several years as a lifetime member. On this program, points were pretty easy to estimate (you could do it yourself) and were based only on fat (penalized), calories (penalized), and fiber (rewarded). Most times, the points/calories ratio ended up about 35-70 calories per point, but you could be quite successful assuming about 50 calories/point. I also tested it with calorie counting and averaged about 1,100-1,200 calories/day (plus exercise), plus a couple of slightly higher splurge days. This is the same range that I stick to with MFP now. I didn't like the over-emphasis on fiber and that protein wasn't accounted for. They definitely ended up pushing folks into a high carb, low fat diet--very 80's!

However, I left WW when they switched to the Points+ program. I tried that for a couple of months and gained weight! I found I had to be super vigilant (to the point of really not following the program anymore) with that program to avoid gaining, because of the "free" fruits and vegetables and because the foods I tend to sort towards naturally are lower point value foods. So, my calories were at the higher end of their estimated minimum daily range, while as a 5'2" woman, I should have been at the lower end.

After leaving WW and coming to MFP, I appreciate that I can find the macro balance that satisfies me, which happens to be higher fat and protein (explaining why I'm way less hangry now than I was then!). Also, I have more control with my daily and weekly calories, since they aren't masked by obscure points systems. Finally, as others have mentioned, it's free! Even though I didn't have to regularly pay as a lifetime member, I had to take the time to go to meetings or I would have to start paying. With a convenient location/time, really good leader and group of friends in the group (which I had while losing), that was fine, but it got too inconvenient to keep going after that group stopped.

Overall, it does help some people who really have no nutritional knowledge, but for those who get it, I think MFP is better.

For me too, the meeting dynamic has changed. I am not really enjoying the group anymore. I am torn between seeing if I can make lifetime or just cancelling now. I don't even weigh there anymore. I have a scale, it's accurate and I get on it in the morning after using the toilet and with no clothes on or food or drink in my body. I don't like worrying about what I have on, what I've eaten. I don't see this changing when I get to lifetime. I would need to be under my goal to meet my weight with clothes.

jgaffney86

I heard also they changed like the way in method? Do you only weigh in once a month or something like that now? Or is it still once a week and then they look at it per month?

wizzybeth

I thought regular members weigh in 1x a week, but lifetime members only have to weigh in 1x a month...

stickkop

I used WW to lose approx. 70 pounds 10 years ago. I have gained and lost 20 or so back and forth over the last 10 years. I finally cancelled WW last week after finding MFP. I find the website, mobile app, and database of MFP to be much better and I am not shelling out a load of cash for WW. I wanted to find a tool to manage my weight long term and could not see paying WW over 20 bucks a month to manage my maintenance.

jgaffney86

I felt the exact same wat stickkop...

Thats true wizzybth, I was asking regarding the new program. I think they have changed they frequency of the weigh ins....not sure though and was just wondering.

xtina315

I'm doing points plus right now in conjunction with mfp. I wanted to see how many calories I was eating with ww. I noticed I was only eating 1000-1200 tops, so I started adding in calories on here, because I'm a heavy woman and I could not function with so little calories.

pinkteapot3

I used WW for a year when it was Pro Points, then switched to MFP when I realised it was the same, but free!

When I switched, I stuck to exactly the same daily diet. That diet used up my WW points, and it used up my MFP cals. Why was I paying £10 per month?

I only did WW Online (not meetings). This was a few years ago and the community was decent. I suspect WW Online is being hit hard by MFP and that may be why the community is getting quieter.

hallycat

They still want you to weigh once a week. But they don't push it so heavily, they suggest at least once a month.

melissa6771

LeslieB042812 wrote: »

Nachise wrote: »

I did WW a little over 20 years ago, and hit goal weight. Due to a chronic illness, I gained all my weight back and more. I had been doing WW at work when I hit goal, and started going to WW meetings elsewhere, but I found it very frustrating. The meetings were crowded, and if you weren't first in line to get weighed in, the wait to get weighed would last almost all the way through the meeting. I quit. I did try the WW free version several years ago, but quit that, too.

Then I walked into the nutrition department at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, and found that they had a similar program, and the nutritionists coordinating the program used MFP as their food and fitness tracker. I found after a couple of years that weighing in every week created a lot of anxiety for me, and I do much better weighing in once a month.

Yes! I had a similar experience with the difference between "at work" (when it did work for me) and the regular ones (not as good). Also, I think the weekly weigh ins would end up encouraging a lot of unhealthy habits to try to make weigh in, like starving the day before and trying to shed water weight as if we were boxers (I'm ashamed to admit that I actually spent more than one weigh in day morning spitting into a cup.....and it worked! ).

Another former weight watcher here. Although in more recent years, Body for Life/Bill Phillips plan. The comment about spitting in the cup literally made me LOL. Priceless!

FitPhillygirl

Weight Watchers is just fine for me. I'm a lifetime member, way below my goal weight so I never pay anything. I simply go in once a month and get my free eTools card. I think WW online site is ok but I only use it to keep track of my weight and nothing else. I haven't tracked my food intake in awhile.