Weight Watchers and MFP

tryett

A few years back I did but even then I was doing more low carb than their program. I had thought about doing it again but didn't like what I was hearing about the new program. Plus I like watching not only the calories but watching my macros since I have issues with carbs. I like eating what I want.

newereveryday

From personal experience, I think Weight Watchers is dangerous. I was successful with it once years ago and thought I'd replicate those eating habits now that I'm trying again to lose weight. What I learned when logging those meals in MFP was that for a year, I was barely eating 600 calories a day, even though I hit my WW Points target all the time. Maybe their newer programs are less hazardous, but I'm forever suspicious of "formulas" now.

typeitdaily

newereveryday wrote: »

From personal experience, I think Weight Watchers is dangerous. I was successful with it once years ago and thought I'd replicate those eating habits now that I'm trying again to lose weight. What I learned when logging those meals in MFP was that for a year, I was barely eating 600 calories a day, even though I hit my WW Points target all the time. Maybe their newer programs are less hazardous, but I'm forever suspicious of "formulas" now.

Their newer program is worse! I was starving and started binge eating. Hence I left and have been on MFP and it is so much better!

typeitdaily

tryett wrote: »

A few years back I did but even then I was doing more low carb than their program. I had thought about doing it again but didn't like what I was hearing about the new program. Plus I like watching not only the calories but watching my macros since I have issues with carbs. I like eating what I want.

I left after a month on the new program. I was so hungry as points for things were almost doublrd sometimes.

typeitdaily

OdditiesAbound wrote: »

I actually started using WW in January 2013 right after college graduation as my first attempt at serious weight loss, and had pretty good success with it. I never went to meetings and just used the online tools/phone app.

In 4 months I dropped about 25 lbs and didn't feel deprived. Then in May I finally landed a "real" job in my degree, and got busy and stressed and had to move and fell off the wagon and gained it all back, which is my fault because I stopped logging my points.

Back late last year in about September, I saw the numbers on the scale and my eyes bulged a little bit, and I decided to get BACK on the wagon, because I had gained it all back and then some. I rejoined the online WW, had some success... then the new points system rolled out.

I hated it. The old system I could eat what I wanted and just portion control/make smart choices, and walk a lot to earn spare "points" to help the days with less-than-smart choices.

The new system discourages "eating' your activity points, and the points are no longer a 1:1 ratio for the points you eat, so you have to opt into a system that converts them to points that the website actively discourages you from activating (I got little "WW highly recommends you do NOT eat back these points, are you sure?" type messages).

Things high in fat skyrocked in points, even small treats I didn't eat frequently. Eating what I usually ate either led to me having to portion control to the point of being really hungry every day, or stuffing myself with "free" stuff fruit and veggies, which I know isn't "really" free and I was generally miserable and my weight loss slowed way down because of my increase in fruit/veggie consumption to try and not get so hungry that I'd feel the need to overeat something bad for me.

I mean, a little 80 calorie cheese stick I'd eat as a snack at work jumped from 2 weight watch points to 5. I love me some cheese so when EVERY bit of cheese I ate jumped up and doubled or more in points, it really put a damper on things for me.

I got fed up and cancelled in February and just kind of fumbled around for a few months until April, then I was recommended MFP by my doctor after I complained about WW not being a good option for me to track my food anymore.

Been on here since mid-April and have lost almost 20 lbs, and have been consistently at the 2 lb a week mark (after the initial, cut out sodas/whatever big drop the first week or two) and I feel like I did on old-WW, where I'm not deprived of food I like, or overly hungry all day, and have the OPTION to eat back my exercise calories if I choose to do so (even though I usually only eat back half or less of them, it's nice that I can feel like I'm "banking" them if I go a little over on going out to eat with family/friends/coworkers, etc.) but it's FREE instead of 19-ish dollars a month.

TL;DR- I liked old WW, hated new WW, and love MFP because it feels like "old WW" but it's free. AND I CAN EAT CHEESE WITHOUT BEING PENALIZED =P

I totally agree and have pretty much all the same time lines as you do when I started and stopped WW both times and started MFP and I have lost almlst 15 pounds and eating my cheese and foods I like!

typeitdaily

Zella_11 wrote: »

Anabug81 wrote: »

Was thinking about doing Weight Watchers and MFP together? Anyone else doing and done this?

OP --five years ago I lost 55 lbs using WW. Was great...until I tried to maintain my weight. Couldn't afford the monthly expense of WW, so I just tried to keep eating my daily "points." I was unsuccessful at maintaining bc I learned how to see food as "points." I didn't learn about portions, macros, or calories. Now I'm here...trying to lose 50 lbs again. This time though, it is free and I'm learning lifelong tools for success. Just my experience...not saying WW doesn't work...just wasn't a long term solution for me.

Note: My daily WW "points" turned out to be 1200 calories per day. I was hungry often. Using MFP, my daily limit is 1460, and I eat 50% of my exercise calories back--consistently losing 1 lb per week--not hungry--feel great. Again, just my experience. You can lose weight FOR FREE--no WW membership required. Whatever your choice--wishing you great health and healthy losses!

ETA: Aside from not learning any useful skills through WW, I regained nearly all of the weight because I felt so deprived, for so long, on the 1200 calories a day, that I started eating and couldn't stop. I gained weight because I was at a calorie surplus, and I'm losing now because I'm at a calorie deficit.

Agreed!

KPelrah

Anabug81 wrote: »

Was thinking about doing Weight Watchers and MFP together? Anyone else doing and done this?

So Ive lost 40 lbs over the last 14 months on WW. I was successful with mfp in the past but joined ww with my mom and sister. MFP has a much better mobil app from what i can tell over the last two days. However, i like the "connect" community feature and really like my meeting group so i will double track through the end of the year.

I started mfp again because i suspect im overeating fruits and some veggies since they are zero points. I think for me being more contious if the serving sizes of free foods will help me lost the next 40.

karahm78

WW has been crap since Flex Points changed over to Points Plus. I was a huge WW fan and lost baby weight after both babies, but Points Plus was so bad I walked away forever.

TnZMom

I joined WW for the meetings and accountability, but for food tracking, just counted calories. Worked great. Except for gaining back the weight...

coli1128

I recently transitioned from WW to MFP. I absolutely agree that the new system is too restrictive. Many foods have doubled in points - even WW foods. I was very disappointed when I went to the grocery store and bought their mixed berry smoothie. The package said 3 pp but on the new program it's actually 5 sp. Foods that are healthy and good for you like yogurt or granola have very high smart point values. Recently I read an article that Oprah now owns part of WW and lost 27M due to a decline in sales. She's only lost 15 lbs because apparently she eats bread everyday. Lol! MFP is free and it works. I've been logging in for 3 days and I've already lost a pound. Save your $ and log in with the rest of us!

dizzieblondeuk

The thing with WW (and Slimming World in the UK) is that, before websites like MFP, it was almost brain-meltingly difficult to log your intake and work out the calories consumed, not even considering how on earth you calculated out protein, carb and fat intake. So these systems were shortcuts, and ways of being able to easily monitor how much you ate, by everything being converted to easy points systems.

Now though, it's as much effort to count points on these systems as it is to log your calories on MFP - and MFP doesn't charge anyone for doing this! For me, it's a no-brainer, but WW et al keep trying to push their products, trying to 'add value' with their own brand meals etc, or sticking celebrity faces on their brand to try and entice people to use a payed method, instead of any one of the multitude of free apps now available. I'm not surprised WW has declining sales - it's going to become something that people wonder why it's still going in the not-too distant future.

The one, single, advantage these groups have over online communities is the face-to-face accountability, and the physical presence of other people going through the same thing. At the start of my weight loss journey, I was lucky enough to find a free (NHS-funded) weight loss group, that had qualified nutritionists doing education sessions each week, weighing everyone and then doing a short (30 minute) exercise session to finish. It wasn't for me, long term, but for a few months, it was nice to see people every week, talk to them and celebrate everyone's loss with each other. But the forums here are a decent substitute, for me going forward. That physical group thing may be more important to other people, and it would be the one reason I'd suggest people choose these weight loss groups over doing it the free way! But, if you have money concerns, and are looking for ways to save cash, don't pay for weight loss groups, when you can do it for free.

megomerrett

You're already on here. It's FREE. If it's not working, you're not doing it right.

Only obvious thing WW has over MFP on its own is the meetings. Can be good for people who prefer real life human interaction and accountability. I found the weekly meetings a bit of a bind when I did it in 2003-4. I lost weight, it helped teach me portion control and how many gazillions of calories I was taking on in just alcohol but I also started running. And kept it up. So stayed lighter.

wizzybeth

karahm78 wrote: »

WW has been crap since Flex Points changed over to Points Plus. I was a huge WW fan and lost baby weight after both babies, but Points Plus was so bad I walked away forever.

I totally agree. ...Flex Points was really good.

beckajw

I've done both in the past and am currently doing both. I've never been a successful calorie counter. For some reason trying to hit exactly 1300 calories causes me anxiety and if I eat 1301, it feels like a failure. I can eat 30 points though. Unlike others, I'm not eating dangerously low levels. The only reason that happens is if you are eating a lot of sugars and saturated fats, and not enough fruits and vegetables. My calories have consistently been between 1200 and 1500 since I started WW in January. Now, with the Momentum Plan, which I did in the past, I was definitely eating at a much lower calorie level (generally around 900). My eating has gotten increasingly healthier since January. I rarely eat processed foods anymore and I feel amazing. However, with that said, I wouldn't pay for WW, if I could successfully calorie count (I know it's just a mental block, but I've got to do whats good for me). I also wouldn't use MFP with WW except that I'm diabetic and need to count carbs. Also, the new WW app and website crash a lot and are really frustrating.