Weight watchers vs mfp

mumblemagic

PAV8888 wrote: »

I am confused.

WW converts calories to points and assigns you a number of points based on the underlying calories they are really assigning to you.

Then they push you towards making "better" food choices by assigning relatively less or more points than their caloric value would warrant to items they consider desirable as opposed to items they consider less desirable. Veggies are "free". WW frozen food is always a good point value. Desserts are maybe an extra point than what strict calories would warrant. Or what have you when the system needs re-vamping to meet market conditions.

MFP shows you the calories and macros for everything you eat and you get to decide on the mix that satiates you with no value "distortions".

For me it is self evident which method has the potential to be more accurate.

However there is certainly a market segment that considers counting 3 points easier than logging 409 Cal for 357g of food x.

While I consider weekly public weigh ins extremely bad measurement practice, other people consider daily private weight ins at a consistent location tracked via a weight trend application to be overkill and anxiety generating.

I would rather read stuff on my own and ask questions in a forum than deal with a 1:1 group that I meet in person. Other people feel more accountable by reporting to a group leader.

I use MFP... other people use WW.

In theory, yes. In practise they do not assign a set number of calories a points value. They give their products lower points value per calorie than other products, and there are "free" foods that "you can eat as much of as you want" which nevertheless have calories.

"Accuracy" is about being able to measure something with a degree of confidence. The most accurate way of measuring something is directly, i.e. by counting calories, rather than indirectly, i.e. by using WW points which are only loosely correlated to calories.

"Precision" is being about to measure something on a very granular level. Again, calorie counting wins.

Most people here asking about "accuracy" are really asking what is "effective", to which the answer is both to a greater or lesser degree, depending on how well a person sticks to the method, how much that person abuses loop holes such as free foods (although I can't think of a loop hole in IIFYM), and how much they are able to continue to stick to the programme in the long term.

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