weight watchers and mfp
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@kt3677 when you say that weight watchers is more restrictive what do u mean? MFP seems more of a diet to mw then WW. I do eat a nice amount of veggies and ony 2 fruits a day.
on the new smart points program my frozen yogurt which is 200 calories is now 11 points...
are you still on both? i think it is hard to track on both, I dont want to obsess but counting fibrous veggies seems crazy to me lol
I had to give up foods like fat free Greek yogurt and low fat cottage cheese because they were 5 or 6 points. When you have 30pts for the day that's a BIG chunk of your day. It just seemed like an insane amount of points for a healthy, 150 calorie snack with a lot of protein. Several other healthy foods I relied on with their old system doubled in points and it really made me question their methods.
I'm definitely not doing both anymore, it was just a two week experiment to see how straight calorie counting compared to WW. My 30pt days were coming in at 1000-1250 calories which is not enough for me to feel satisfied. Having a glass of wine, a treat, or a meal out was simply out of the question on the new WW Smart Points plan (Points Plus was much better and I maintained after that for several years). I usually aim for 1300-1450 (which is 37-42 pts) and I lose 0.5-1 lb a week. Im 5'6" and 136 lbs so the weight isn't going to fly off like it did when I had 30 lbs to lose. I'll be sticking with MFP until I'm at my goal and for maintenance.1 -
This is just my opinion, but if you've been on a strict no treats eating plan, and you finally cave and have that frozen yogurt, there's going to be a lot more guilt involved in 11 points than 200 calories. In my (personal) experience, guilt is a huge factor in derailing a weight loss effort.4
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Hey I haven't read through all the responses so sorry if I'm repeating someone but I'm wondering if, since you train hard with heavy weights, you might get some help posting this on the exercise board or flagging it looking for answers from some MFP members who are weight lifting focused. Maybe some of the responders are already people who are knowledgeable about it. I just mention it because it sounds like you are really low cal for someone who is heavy lifting. I've read that can add a lot of stress to your body and impact weight loss. (I'm not Into heavy lifting so I'm no expert - just have been reading up on it a bit lately and remember many comments along these lines )0
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Look_Its_Kriss wrote: »...all it says to me is weight watchers wants people to have a less likely success rate and eat the way THEY want them too.. with whole foods.. and while there is nothing wrong with whole foods, i think it should be more of a choice of the person and i think making people feel negative against treats and stuff only sets a lot of users up to fail because how many months can they go without eating something they love like ice cream before they finally crack.
Weight watchers doesn't *really* want people eating whole foods. Once upon a time, maybe they did. But today's business model is to push their own brand of frozen dinners, etc. - because that's where the money is. Membership fees are a drop in the bucket compared to the money they can make selling food.
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Hey I haven't read through all the responses so sorry if I'm repeating someone but I'm wondering if, since you train hard with heavy weights, you might get some help posting this on the exercise board or flagging it looking for answers from some MFP members who are weight lifting focused. Maybe some of the responders are already people who are knowledgeable about it. I just mention it because it sounds like you are really low cal for someone who is heavy lifting. I've read that can add a lot of stress to your body and impact weight loss. (I'm not Into heavy lifting so I'm no expert - just have been reading up on it a bit lately and remember many comments along these lines )Hey I haven't read through all the responses so sorry if I'm repeating someone but I'm wondering if, since you train hard with heavy weights, you might get some help posting this on the exercise board or flagging it looking for answers from some MFP members who are weight lifting focused. Maybe some of the responders are already people who are knowledgeable about it. I just mention it because it sounds like you are really low cal for someone who is heavy lifting. I've read that can add a lot of stress to your body and impact weight loss. (I'm not Into heavy lifting so I'm no expert - just have been reading up on it a bit lately and remember many comments along these lines )
I'm going to try that thank you!0 -
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i used to love it but two tbsp of peanut butter is 6 points1
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@KT6377 How has your weight loss been since switching? And how do you find being on MFP a pose to weight watchers.
It been a little slower than on WW, but I'm eating more calories and I'm okay with that. I'm also at a very healthy weight for my height. If I want it to lose faster I can add in some more work outs, I'm just not going to starve myself to drop another 5 lbs. the loss is also not linear- I jump around about three lbs throughout the week. There are several reasons why this happening but I just weigh myself every day and use the average for the week to figure out what my loss is. I'm much more prone to holding water weight than I was when I was younger so I try not to dwell on a couple of pounds because it will come off eventually.0 -
also, should I expect to see a drop in weight in the first week or I should give it a few weeks before getting on the scale?0
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I would weigh after a week - but first week does not always show a loss (well, any given week does not always, weight loss is not linear)
I would diligently weigh and log everything for 3 weeks - and after 3 weeks I wouldexpect you to have lost some weight.
If you havent, rrport back here with an open diary and be willing to accept advice.1 -
how many calories are you eating? @kt6377
I've been back tracking on MFP for 8 weeks now and my weekly calorie averages are between 1287 and 1468. My average weight loss is 0.72lb per week. There is zero correlation between how many calories I eat and how much I lose in a week, and the weight loss is not linear. On the 1287 calorie wk I lost 0.44 lbs, on a 1382 calorie week I lost 1.5 (and I strained my hip flexor that week and was not exercising).
Like @paperpudding said, track for a few weeks and you should see something happen. If you want the most accurate picture of what you are losing, weigh yourself every day at the same time and use the average weight for the week to calculate your loss. If you only weight on Wednesdays, and you don't see a loss that week, you might just be having a bad day when you actually had a loss. For example on 1/31/17 I weighed 137.2 and 1 week later on 2/7/17 I still weighed 137.2 but I had actually lost 1.5 lbs that week (based on my average weight for the week). You don't need weigh every day forever but if you do it for a couple months it can help you see the big picture.
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Look_Its_Kriss wrote: »SusanMFindlay wrote: »Look_Its_Kriss wrote: »...all it says to me is weight watchers wants people to have a less likely success rate and eat the way THEY want them too.. with whole foods.. and while there is nothing wrong with whole foods, i think it should be more of a choice of the person and i think making people feel negative against treats and stuff only sets a lot of users up to fail because how many months can they go without eating something they love like ice cream before they finally crack.
Weight watchers doesn't *really* want people eating whole foods. Once upon a time, maybe they did. But today's business model is to push their own brand of frozen dinners, etc. - because that's where the money is. Membership fees are a drop in the bucket compared to the money they can make selling food.
I thought that was the whole platform of their newly remodeled system? Isnt that what oprahs all gung ho about?
The WW program completely based on eating whole foods and cooking your own meals. Most of the WW frozen meals actually went up in points when they launched the Smart Points program last year which makes them harder to fit into your goals. As a matter of fact ALL pre-packaged foods went up in points, including the ones they sell. One of my favorite go to's when I was in an emergency situation went from 8 to 11 points (for a 300 calorie meal). You simply cannot rely on pre-packaged foods on WW anymore. The problem with the new WW program is that they got too restrictive when factoring for carbs/protein/fat, which is leaving people hungry. There is simply no reason that a 5.3oz fat free strawberry greek yogurt at 120 calories, and a 6 oz chicken breast at 277 calories should both be 4 points. It's ridiculous.2 -
i totally agree!0
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I left WW in January 2016 after many years as an online member and came to MFP. I have lost 72 pounds here and really never lost more than 10 or so on the newer WW plans. Part of the issue with WW for me was exactly what has been discussed here. It became more and more restrictive. I wanted to find a weight loss program I could do for life. The latest WW program tried too hard to force you into eating "their" way. Over time and with progress I was motivated on my own to improve the way I eat. In the beginning I just had to get used to less calories and I needed to make changes one step at a time. Don't get me wrong, there was a time when I thought the program had merit but it has gone too far in my opinion. If it works for others then they should continue; it just wasn't working for me.1
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OP if you've made the decision to break away from WW, then I think it is best to stop trying to put MFP calories/goals into terms of what you experienced when tracking WW points. The two systems are not set up the same - in that on MFP you track everything, even things which may have been "free" on WW. Besides, from what I understand, with WW changing their approach recently too - it's just not possible to do an apples to apples comparison.
Spend some time reading the stickied Most Helpful Forum Posts at the top of each forum section - particularly Getting Started. The answers to many of your questions are there from people who have been successful using MFP and taken the time to share their experience.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10300331/most-helpful-posts-getting-started-must-reads#latest
This is also a great collection of posts about a number of different topics:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10260499/i-like-old-posts-and-i-cannot-lie/p1
Also - to some of the frustration you've expressed in this thread... You are right that it's important that you eat enough calories to fuel your lifestyle and your fitness routine. However, the reason you aren't losing isn't because you aren't eating enough calories. It just doesn't work like that. It is likely that you are underestimating your calorie intake and inadvertently eating at maintenance calories. Start to consistently use MFP as it was designed, logging everything you eat as accurately and honestly as possible, ideally using a food scale - and giving it a solid 4-6 weeks - I believe you will start to see results.
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WinoGelato wrote: »OP if you've made the decision to break away from WW, then I think it is best to stop trying to put MFP calories/goals into terms of what you experienced when tracking WW points. The two systems are not set up the same - in that on MFP you track everything, even things which may have been "free" on WW. Besides, from what I understand, with WW changing their approach recently too - it's just not possible to do an apples to apples comparison.
Spend some time reading the stickied Most Helpful Forum Posts at the top of each forum section - particularly Getting Started. The answers to many of your questions are there from people who have been successful using MFP and taken the time to share their experience.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10300331/most-helpful-posts-getting-started-must-reads#latest
This is also a great collection of posts about a number of different topics:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10260499/i-like-old-posts-and-i-cannot-lie/p1
Also - to some of the frustration you've expressed in this thread... You are right that it's important that you eat enough calories to fuel your lifestyle and your fitness routine. However, the reason you aren't losing isn't because you aren't eating enough calories. It just doesn't work like that. It is likely that you are underestimating your calorie intake and inadvertently eating at maintenance calories. Start to consistently use MFP as it was designed, logging everything you eat as accurately and honestly as possible, ideally using a food scale - and giving it a solid 4-6 weeks - I believe you will start to see results.
Thank you! me too0 -
i only ate 2 fruit a day on ww and I did eat veggies. I didn't start my fitness pal yet. I logged all my info and 1660 is what it said, My bmr is 1450, so it makes sense to be eating 1660. I train hard. 6 days a week, very heavy weight lifting 4 days a week and cardio 3 times an hour each session. I dont think I'd measure lettuce and fiborous veggies, only starchy ones. But I would measurw fruit.
People are asking if your 1100-1400 WW calorie estimate from your first post included or excluded the fruit and veg? Since WW doesn't use calories at all, we're wondering how you added up your calories on WW and what they included.
Example of why this matters: My apple today was 120 calories. My carrots were 70 calories (for a total of 190 calories already). And that doesn't include any veggies or fruits I plan to have with my meals yet.
Lettuce and fibrous veggies can still have a lot of calories (since some people tend to eat a lot of them when losing weight), so you do need to count them if you're using MFP.0 -
i only ate 2 fruit a day on ww and I did eat veggies. I didn't start my fitness pal yet. I logged all my info and 1660 is what it said, My bmr is 1450, so it makes sense to be eating 1660. I train hard. 6 days a week, very heavy weight lifting 4 days a week and cardio 3 times an hour each session. I dont think I'd measure lettuce and fiborous veggies, only starchy ones. But I would measurw fruit.
People are asking if your 1100-1400 WW calorie estimate from your first post included or excluded the fruit and veg? Since WW doesn't use calories at all, we're wondering how you added up your calories on WW and what they included.
Example of why this matters: My apple to day was 120 calories. My carrots were 70 calories (for a total of 190 calories already). And that doesn't include any veggies or fruits I plan to have with my meals yet.
Lettuce and fibrous veggies can still have a lot of calories, so you do need to count them if you're using MFP.
when I added my calories on weight watchers they came to about 1440 including fruits, NOT including any veggies and i are A LOT of veggies, my caloric intake with the veggies might have been 1700 because veggies are free, and i believe that is definitely the reason for my 20 month from he'll non exsistant weight loss.0 -
I did WW a few years ago, I think it was the 1st Smart Points plan, and on their message boards I remember someone asking about trying to do WW and Atkins at the same time. The general answer was to do one or the other, don't combine them, because they rely on different factors. I think the same advice would apply to this situation as well.0
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i totally agree!
And 1 Lindor Milk Chocolate truffle (my daily treat) is 70 calories at 3pt! WTH?!?! I feel that they started assigning a moral judgement to every food. I get that they want to 'help' people learn to eat healthier foods but forcing it without a clear picture of why something is deemed 'healthier' doesn't set people up for success. At least with MFP every food is measured by the same criteria and I can chose my foods based on an apples to apples comparison without having to factor in a subjective moral value on top of everything else.1 -
Look_Its_Kriss wrote: »weight watchers gives people very low calories so they are hungry because they want to encourage people to eat the "free" foods.. the points for treats are doubled because their now mixing their own personal views into the mix and forcing others to conform to it.. no ones gonna spend 11 points on something if they only have 28 for the day.. by demonizing foods in this way, all it says to me is weight watchers wants people to have a less likely success rate and eat the way THEY want them too.. with whole foods.. and while there is nothing wrong with whole foods, i think it should be more of a choice of the person and i think making people feel negative against treats and stuff only sets a lot of users up to fail because how many months can they go without eating something they love like ice cream before they finally crack.
Honestly I found WW to be a very doable plan. It was really educational, and I learned a ton about portions and nutrition, and how few calories the body really does need to perform - at least for me. (The "2000 calories a day" standard that is on many food labels is such a cruel joke!
) I learned to eat so many new foods, and I never was starving. But I never joined the program, never spent a cent on their meals or anything, other than the materials that I bought from eBay to use. That was many years ago, and I know their program has changed a great deal - I have heard that many of the "oldschoolers" like me have not been happy with the newer programs. 0 -
i only ate 2 fruit a day on ww and I did eat veggies. I didn't start my fitness pal yet. I logged all my info and 1660 is what it said, My bmr is 1450, so it makes sense to be eating 1660. I train hard. 6 days a week, very heavy weight lifting 4 days a week and cardio 3 times an hour each session. I dont think I'd measure lettuce and fiborous veggies, only starchy ones. But I would measurw fruit.
People are asking if your 1100-1400 WW calorie estimate from your first post included or excluded the fruit and veg? Since WW doesn't use calories at all, we're wondering how you added up your calories on WW and what they included.
Example of why this matters: My apple to day was 120 calories. My carrots were 70 calories (for a total of 190 calories already). And that doesn't include any veggies or fruits I plan to have with my meals yet.
Lettuce and fibrous veggies can still have a lot of calories, so you do need to count them if you're using MFP.
when I added my calories on weight watchers they came to about 1440 including fruits, NOT including any veggies and i are A LOT of veggies, my caloric intake with the veggies might have been 1700 because veggies are free, and i believe that is definitely the reason for my 20 month from he'll non exsistant weight loss.
That could be it then.
When did WW change from points to calories? Or does it do both now?
I've seen some estimates that a point is roughly 45 cals (or whatever) but that's actually not accurate. So that's why I'm curious! I used to use Weight Watchers too but it didn't have calorie info at all at the time (Points Plus).0 -
I had to give up foods like fat free Greek yogurt and low fat cottage cheese because they were 5 or 6 points. When you have 30pts for the day that's a BIG chunk of your day. It just seemed like an insane amount of points for a healthy, 150 calorie snack with a lot of protein. Several other healthy foods I relied on with their old system doubled in points and it really made me question their methods.
You must be using a different point system. I just checked the old "winning points" calculator, and the FF Greek yogurt that I eat many mornings is only 2 points.0 -
i only ate 2 fruit a day on ww and I did eat veggies. I didn't start my fitness pal yet. I logged all my info and 1660 is what it said, My bmr is 1450, so it makes sense to be eating 1660. I train hard. 6 days a week, very heavy weight lifting 4 days a week and cardio 3 times an hour each session. I dont think I'd measure lettuce and fiborous veggies, only starchy ones. But I would measurw fruit.
People are asking if your 1100-1400 WW calorie estimate from your first post included or excluded the fruit and veg? Since WW doesn't use calories at all, we're wondering how you added up your calories on WW and what they included.
Example of why this matters: My apple to day was 120 calories. My carrots were 70 calories (for a total of 190 calories already). And that doesn't include any veggies or fruits I plan to have with my meals yet.
Lettuce and fibrous veggies can still have a lot of calories, so you do need to count them if you're using MFP.
when I added my calories on weight watchers they came to about 1440 including fruits, NOT including any veggies and i are A LOT of veggies, my caloric intake with the veggies might have been 1700 because veggies are free, and i believe that is definitely the reason for my 20 month from he'll non exsistant weight loss.
That could be it then.
When did WW change from points to calories? Or does it do both now?
I've seen some estimates that a point is roughly 45 cals (or whatever) but that's actually not accurate. So that's why I'm curious! I used to use Weight Watchers too but it didn't have calorie info at all at the time (Points Plus).
I loved points plus, it worked for awhile and then stopped...but since it stopped working I haven't been able to lose weight. it was like my body stayed where it was nd that's it.0 -
I've seen some estimates that a point is roughly 45 cals (or whatever) but that's actually not accurate. So that's why I'm curious! I used to use Weight Watchers too but it didn't have calorie info at all at the time (Points Plus).
Back when I did WW, I counted my calories as well, just so I would know. I found that as an average over time, each point worked out to about 50 calories.
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it's definitely different with their new program0
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fitmom4lifemfp wrote: »I had to give up foods like fat free Greek yogurt and low fat cottage cheese because they were 5 or 6 points. When you have 30pts for the day that's a BIG chunk of your day. It just seemed like an insane amount of points for a healthy, 150 calorie snack with a lot of protein. Several other healthy foods I relied on with their old system doubled in points and it really made me question their methods.
You must be using a different point system. I just checked the old "winning points" calculator, and the FF Greek yogurt that I eat many mornings is only 2 points.
These points are based on the current Smart Points system that was rolled out January 2016. Prior to that was Point Plus, and prior to that is the program you are referencing. Each roll out had major changes, but this last one was the worst and their business is struggling as a result.1 -
fitmom4lifemfp wrote: »I had to give up foods like fat free Greek yogurt and low fat cottage cheese because they were 5 or 6 points. When you have 30pts for the day that's a BIG chunk of your day. It just seemed like an insane amount of points for a healthy, 150 calorie snack with a lot of protein. Several other healthy foods I relied on with their old system doubled in points and it really made me question their methods.
You must be using a different point system. I just checked the old "winning points" calculator, and the FF Greek yogurt that I eat many mornings is only 2 points.
These points are based on the current Smart Points system that was rolled out January 2016. Prior to that was Point Plus, and prior to that is the program you are referencing. Each roll out had major changes, but this last one was the worst and their business is struggling as a result.
it ia definitely their worst plan...i feel like it's not weight watchers anymore.0
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