To Weight Watchers or not WW?
Schila64
Posts: 240 Member
Hello~
I was a WW customer a few years ago. WW really worked for me and I lost the Lbs I needed to loose. I've read here that the Point System has changed. I guess is called now Smart Points. When I was a customer, WW would assigned certain amount of points daily and you would just use them depending on the food consumption. Then you would decide if to use your exercises points or not. In my case when I didn't use my Exercise Points I would loose more. What is the difference between the old Points System to this new one? I would like to join again but need to understand how does the new system work. Thanks...................
I was a WW customer a few years ago. WW really worked for me and I lost the Lbs I needed to loose. I've read here that the Point System has changed. I guess is called now Smart Points. When I was a customer, WW would assigned certain amount of points daily and you would just use them depending on the food consumption. Then you would decide if to use your exercises points or not. In my case when I didn't use my Exercise Points I would loose more. What is the difference between the old Points System to this new one? I would like to join again but need to understand how does the new system work. Thanks...................
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Replies
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Your on MFP...a free site that accomplishes the exact same thing while also teaching you how to eat long term. The fact that your here asking this now tells me weight watchers wasnt long term for you. So question for you, Why go back? Learn to eat what you want within your calories. Why make it any harder? Beter yet, Why pay to make it harder? ALL you need is to eat at a calorie defecit.18
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I personally say no to WW. My mom and I had both done WW in the past, we'd lose some weight but then decide it was too expensive so we'd cancel our membership and eventually just go back to eating like we did before WW and gain the weight back. I've lost 50 lbs using MFP. My mom was recently talking about joining WW again because she really wants to lose weight and keep it off like I have. I convinced her to save her money and just join MFP. She loves it and wishes she done it sooner. She can't get over how much easier it is to just count calories instead of having to figure out Points for everything.10
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I did WW back in 2013 when I first started but tbh it's no different than MFP other than instead of counting points the points have a value here, and it's free.2
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It worked for me in the past too but I agree with everyone above. Why pay when this site is free ?1
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I agree with both replies. I've done WW in the past, and it has always helped me lose weight when I follow the program. However, they keep changing the program every year and making you buy all the new "stuff" you need to track it, on top of their very expensive weekly/monthly fees. I love the program, but feel it isn't worth the money any longer. I've had success with MFP, too, when I track food intake carefully and have a calorie deficit. I'd stick with MFP!2
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There is an ap called ultimate food diary that lets you count ww points for free. It's nice to use if you want to count points but are not interested in ww additional features. I like it because I can stay on points plus- I didn't like the smart points program.2
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I'm going by what I've read on these boards in other threads; I haven't tried the latest WW program myself.
When I did WW a few years ago, the points had some connection to reality. High fat foods might have a slightly higher point value. High fibre foods had a slightly lower one. But, in general, if you guesstimated 1 point=40-50 calories, you weren't too far off. The latest program makes it very costly to have foods that they deem "unhealthy", even if they have the same number of calories as something they consider "healthy". Check other threads for concrete examples, but I think it came down to a donut having more than twice the point cost of a piece of chicken with the same number of calories. Again, check this in threads from people who have tried the new program. By divorcing point values from calorie values, it's hard for people to figure out how to eat sustainably. (Imagine that, while on WW you passed up dessert in general, because the point cost was too high. Now you've lost the weight. You're on maintenance. But you don't know what to eat in a given day to maintain your weight. Can you have a piece of cake AND a bowl of ice cream at a party and stay the same? How can you know when, on the current program, that might cost you more than half your daily points, when it should only be about 1/4 of your 'budget'? But eating it makes you (or rather me!) feel guilty about having such a 'high-cost' treat. And if you're anything like me—and I'm not saying you are, but I tend to be a stress eater, a boredom eater, and an emotional eater—that's when the guilt comes in and I decide to start piling my plate, which makes me miserable as I finish it, which sends me back to the table for more, which.... Yeah, I don't think this will work for me.
WW considers most fruits and vegetables to have zero points and be unlimited. Over time, those calories add up and can result in weight stabilization, or even weight gain.
If you do the WW program and don't eat enough/any 'zero point' foods, someone estimated that your daily points allotment would have you eating 900-1100 calories/day in most cases. For the majority of the population, this is too low. 1200/day for women and 1500/day for men are generally considered the minimums for healthy weight-loss.
That being said, I'm sure that there are people who are on the new program and doing well. They're probably not posting here; they're doing what's working for them. But from what I've been reading, I doubt I'd be one of them. And since I'm not working at the moment, the fact that WW costs and MFP doesn't is one more thing that's keeping me here. (That... and MFP is working for me.)5 -
I was on Weight Watchers and lost weight, but quit when they introduced the current program, Smart Points. Because Smart Points assigns a very high points value to foods with sugar, it felt way too restrictive for me. I'm doing the older program, Points Plus, using an app called iTrackBites, and I am also logging here.
Usually I can see a correlation between points and calories, but this week I was way over my points budget but within my calorie allotment. I lost 1.5 pounds this week.
The bottom line -- healthy eating, portion control and exercise will help you lose weight.2 -
IMO, I love MFP. I've tried WW's years ago but didn't have time for meetings and lost a few pounds before I gave it up. MFP works for me because it's convenient since I always have my phone and can easily log whatever I eat or calories I burn. It's a no brainier for me but you need to evaluate your own situation.2
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I also did WW in the past and lost the weight that I needed too. Life happened and I gained some back. Looked into WW and did not like the changes. Was told about this site that is free and I love it.1
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Thanks for the comments . I've been on MFP for almost 1.5 years . I believe this logging in your food intake works as long as you are true to yourself . I know that sometimes I eyeball the weigh on some foods and maybe I'm getting more that what I'm really tracking . Food labels are deceiving . I have found out that is better to weigh by the grams that the portion size tells you instead of the cup amount . Cup takes more than weight.1
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I am a current WW dropout. And a former dropout also. Since I eat mostly vegan and the fruits and vegetables were free, it didn't work for me. I really need to count calories.
MFP is working well as long as I track. Same goes for WW but MFP is FREE.2 -
I did WW back in 2013 when I first started but tbh it's no different than MFP other than instead of counting points the points have a value here, and it's free.
This USED to be a true statement. Points used to = calories.
OP - the new points system will penalize you for "bad" food choices. Chocolate or potato chips can still be your menu but these foods will cost you a larger number of points now. If I want chocolate then the price is I have to under eat.....not looking to increase lean muscle mass loss (over 50).
You will need help figuring out how to use your exercise calories at WW too.
If going to meetings and weekly weigh-ins help you stay accountable then you actually get something for your money.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/holistic-or-horrifying-not-everyone-loves-weight-watchers-new-program/2015/12/24/ce96cf38-a97f-11e5-8058-480b572b4aae_story.html?utm_term=.d144f2c21dcb
MFP is a diary for food & exercise. You get a deficit up front (before exercise)......so moving more is always rewarded. MFP exercise calorie burns are rough estimates....most people eat back 50-75%.
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I did WW back in 2013 when I first started but tbh it's no different than MFP other than instead of counting points the points have a value here, and it's free.
This USED to be a true statement. Points used to = calories.
OP - the new points system will penalize you for "bad" food choices. Chocolate or potato chips can still be your menu but these foods will cost you a larger number of points now. If I want chocolate then the price is I have to under eat.....not looking to increase lean muscle mass loss (over 50).
You will need help figuring out how to use your exercise calories at WW too.
If going to meetings and weekly weigh-ins help you stay accountable then you actually get something for your money.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/holistic-or-horrifying-not-everyone-loves-weight-watchers-new-program/2015/12/24/ce96cf38-a97f-11e5-8058-480b572b4aae_story.html?utm_term=.d144f2c21dcb
MFP is a diary for food & exercise. You get a deficit up front (before exercise)......so moving more is always rewarded. MFP exercise calorie burns are rough estimates....most people eat back 50-75%.
Penalized for bad foods now?! Yikes. It was bad enough when they put me on the equivalent of 1200 calories as a 200lb woman back then but damn!0 -
So, if you are on WW and decide to have a chocolate bar, doesn't that mean you compensate by eating less of the nutrition you need? And, because they bump up the points for the chocolate bar as a "bad" item, the penalty in reduced "good" foods may lead you to a nutritional deficit?
Am I missing something or does this make WW really unhealthy?9 -
Tacklewasher wrote: »So, if you are on WW and decide to have a chocolate bar, doesn't that mean you compensate by eating less of the nutrition you need? And, because they bump up the points for the chocolate bar as a "bad" item, the penalty in reduced "good" foods may lead you to a nutritional deficit?
Am I missing something or does this make WW really unhealthy?
What a great way to give people eating disorders. Penalize yourself for a certain type of food even if you're well within your budget of calories. Brilliant.0 -
Tacklewasher wrote: »So, if you are on WW and decide to have a chocolate bar, doesn't that mean you compensate by eating less of the nutrition you need? And, because they bump up the points for the chocolate bar as a "bad" item, the penalty in reduced "good" foods may lead you to a nutritional deficit?
Am I missing something or does this make WW really unhealthy?
It makes it a bit ridiculous. Example: I had a 'sharing size' pack of peanut m&m's on Friday...~450 calories, but if I were tracking on WW the point value is 22! At my stats I would get 30 points total a day on WW. So if I wanted that bag of m&m's the rest of my day would have to be 'free' fruits and vegetables and I could maybe fit in some lean protein. For the day I'd either be way under my calorie and nutrition goals or I'd have to go way over my weekly points goal.4 -
Hello~
I was a WW customer a few years ago. WW really worked for me and I lost the Lbs I needed to loose. I've read here that the Point System has changed. I guess is called now Smart Points. When I was a customer, WW would assigned certain amount of points daily and you would just use them depending on the food consumption. Then you would decide if to use your exercises points or not. In my case when I didn't use my Exercise Points I would loose more. What is the difference between the old Points System to this new one? I would like to join again but need to understand how does the new system work. Thanks...................
I'm with the "Why?" people. If you get something out of the support network (ie meetings and stuff), then that might be worth it. As for 'Points', everything already has a clearly (and freely) available calorie content and protein/carb/fat/fiber content, so why learn (and pay to learn) some weird arbitrary system of assigning points to food?2 -
Hello~
I was a WW customer a few years ago. WW really worked for me and I lost the Lbs I needed to loose. I've read here that the Point System has changed. I guess is called now Smart Points. When I was a customer, WW would assigned certain amount of points daily and you would just use them depending on the food consumption. Then you would decide if to use your exercises points or not. In my case when I didn't use my Exercise Points I would loose more. What is the difference between the old Points System to this new one? I would like to join again but need to understand how does the new system work. Thanks...................
I'm with the "Why?" people. If you get something out of the support network (ie meetings and stuff), then that might be worth it. As for 'Points', everything already has a clearly (and freely) available calorie content and protein/carb/fat/fiber content, so why learn (and pay to learn) some weird arbitrary system of assigning points to food?
.....and after you have learned the points, they are just going to change them again.4 -
From what I can understand of the new point system , you are allotted 30 points a day , each point is approx. 50 calories worth of food , but some foods which are high in fat or sugar have higher point values. Fruits and vegetables have 0 point value, so you can fill up on them.(seems like a whole lot of sugar to me) You really have no idea of how many calories you take in per day nor macros , for that reason I say No WW1
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JaydedMiss wrote: »Your on MFP...a free site that accomplishes the exact same thing while also teaching you how to eat long term. The fact that your here asking this now tells me weight watchers wasnt long term for you. So question for you, Why go back? Learn to eat what you want within your calories. Why make it any harder? Beter yet, Why pay to make it harder? ALL you need is to eat at a calorie defecit.
Pretty much this.
I also want to mention that I did WW awhile back, and it didn't do very much for me because I wasn't motivated to stick with the program. MFP has worked much better for me, and I am learning to eat better since I have a breakdown of nutritional goals for each day.0 -
The "why" of a points program is to steer you towards the more nutritionally dense foods, to make it easier to eat a healthy diet. You'll snack on an orange -- zero points -- rather than a chocolate bar.
It doesn't always work, though, does it? Some of us have to be able to eat that chocolate bar occasionally to stay sane and on program.1 -
songbird13291 wrote: »The "why" of a points program is to steer you towards the more nutritionally dense foods, to make it easier to eat a healthy diet. You'll snack on an orange -- zero points -- rather than a chocolate bar.
It doesn't always work, though, does it? Some of us have to be able to eat that chocolate bar occasionally to stay sane and on program.
I think that's what they tried to do with the free vegetables from long ago, but it seems they're doing everything in their power to NOT teach you about the energy balance. The old way left people frustrated when they didn't lose weight after over eating vegetables and this way they form a disgusting relationship with food because they're penalized for autonomy in food choices. Weight Watchers is a joke.5 -
I think the free fruit thing is likely to backfire (so many calories from so much sugar) - you're gonna wind up with some people getting fatter on that plan (but I guess they will at least be getting their fiber).0
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If you want an extremely strict diet where you are penalized for eating pretty much anything other than chicken and veggies then WW is a good choice. If you want to be able to enjoy your food, have an occasional treat, and easily track how much you can eat on a daily basis I recommend MFP. I couldn't even begin to do the latest WW program - I've had great success in the past but not with the latest version. Much more successful with MFP!5
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Hello~
I was a WW customer a few years ago. WW really worked for me and I lost the Lbs I needed to loose. I've read here that the Point System has changed. I guess is called now Smart Points. When I was a customer, WW would assigned certain amount of points daily and you would just use them depending on the food consumption. Then you would decide if to use your exercises points or not. In my case when I didn't use my Exercise Points I would loose more. What is the difference between the old Points System to this new one? I would like to join again but need to understand how does the new system work. Thanks...................
I did WW last year and it jump started my weight loss for sure but I quit when I found MFP because it's free. But I lose slower when I do MFP alone so I use WW along with MFP again now. I just signed up at WW last week and still getting used to it but it's still the points system. There are some differences between the two though. I like that I can enter my fruit and veggies here and it shows actual sodium, sugar, fat, calories but WW just flat out doesn't count the majority of them.1 -
Ready2Rock206 wrote: »If you want an extremely strict diet where you are penalized for eating pretty much anything other than chicken and veggies then WW is a good choice. If you want to be able to enjoy your food, have an occasional treat, and easily track how much you can eat on a daily basis I recommend MFP. I couldn't even begin to do the latest WW program - I've had great success in the past but not with the latest version. Much more successful with MFP!
Actually that's not truly true. I eat what I want on WW. They do expect you to get in various things throughout the day but I mainly just try to stay within the allotted points they give me just like I do here with my set goal per day. I don't eat fast food or a lot of high sodium foods but that would be the same no matter what plan or site I chose to use.
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perkymommy wrote: »Ready2Rock206 wrote: »If you want an extremely strict diet where you are penalized for eating pretty much anything other than chicken and veggies then WW is a good choice. If you want to be able to enjoy your food, have an occasional treat, and easily track how much you can eat on a daily basis I recommend MFP. I couldn't even begin to do the latest WW program - I've had great success in the past but not with the latest version. Much more successful with MFP!
Actually that's not truly true. I eat what I want on WW. They do expect you to get in various things throughout the day but I mainly just try to stay within the allotted points they give me just like I do here with my set goal per day. I don't eat fast food or a lot of high sodium foods but that would be the same no matter what plan or site I chose to use.
You must have a lot more points than I did then. Or like a bland diet. Everyone has their own opinion. It is MY opinion that the new program demonizes too many foods that don't need to be.2 -
I tried WW in the past and did not have much success. I do know some people who have done it successfully, but I also know quite a few who have failed to use it successfully, like myself. Let me clarify that I define success as dropping weight and keeping it off. If you follow the points system you will lose weight, but trying to keep it off is not as easy. Part of the problem lies with the fact that not everything is so simple to guess at its point value. So it is easy to underestimate.
I find MFP easier. Yes, it is a little more work on your part to input foods and count calories, but it offers so much perspective on how much one is actually consuming. In the long run I think MFP helps to teach you better how to eat and to keep weight off, because you are learning the true nutritional value of food.0 -
So I'm with WW right now but my losses are disappointing so I am looking with interest at this thread, with MFP does everyone weigh their vegetables and salad? Basically do you weight every single morsel that goes past your lips?0
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