Why I left Weight Watchers new "Freestyle" Program

ata1anta

I guess I'm a dual MFP and WW person. I did awesome on Smart Points, lost 50 lb in my first 6 mos. Then came Freestyle and I freestyled myself to a stall. A year later and I've only lost another 30 lbs (I know, I know). I signed up with MFP end of September when a fitness coach suggested I should probably add more protein to my diet. I needed the stats to track my macros and see where I was.

Since then, I've upped my protein intake (a regular snack is now 3oz FF yogurt and a scoop of protein powder - it makes a paste about the consistency of cookie dough. I don't like protein shakes) and can see better where the points/calories are going.

I don't plan on leaving WW, I really like the leader and the group I'm in. They're really welcoming and make a point of trying to make new people welcome. A very large gentleman joined and we all welcomed him. Our leader doesn't talk about recipes or cooking methods (she doesn't cook) so we focus on other things. I like the accountability of someone ELSE recording my weight (though I do have a bluetooth scale at home that links to MFP so "technically" I can have accountability there) and the "rah rah" when a milestone is hit.

My BF does most of the cooking and after listening to me say how many points thus and so is, talks about food in points terms.

WillowRunning

Mouse_Potato wrote: »

So far today I've eaten over 300 calories in "free foods." And it's only lunchtime. Yeah, I don't see this working out very well.

Exactly what I found! While I ate what WW was telling me were "zero point foods" and I ate things like brown rice, a ton of fruit, corn, peas, etc., I wasn't losing any weight. When I switched to MFP and started looking at the calorie counts and skipping a lot of the "zeros" and replacing them with protein, I started dropping pounds.

dgrano55

I lost 35 lbs on weight watchers 4 years ago but unfortunately the weight crept back on so decided to join WW again. I do not like freestyle and I have gained 2 lbs in 2 weeks. I only joined the online for 3 months and I will not be renewing.

Alliesmom08

I have been doing MFP for a week and have lost more on here than I did on WW in 2 months. The problem with WW is I could eat 2 bananas and count it at zero points...but those are still calories. I was eating a crap ton of “zero point” foods and losing no weight. I already eat pretty healthy, but I tend to eat ALOT of healthy foods...which were all zero points. Example: I made a fruit salad the other day that was 200 calories, but on WW that would have been 0 points. I don’t know if I ever really had a deficit on WW. Plus I got so tired of eating the same foods ALL the time. I had a 400 cal breakfast this morning that was delicious...but would have been 21 points in WW...and I only got 27 a day!! All because WW counts anything with sugar as an astronomically high points food. Im happy here and am already seeing good results.

coolcoolman1980

I have done WW recently too & I do lose on it but I find it too restricting .. they say you can eat what you like & use the points .. but I always end up back on MFP . My only danger with mfp is that bad foods creep back in because I can eat them as part of calories ... really trying to eat more fruit & have more sensible dinners though.

estherdragonbat

What are these "bad" foods you speak of?

Alliesmom08

I just know I ate some normal Yoplait Light Strawberry yogurt for the first time in awhile. On WW I would eat fat free plain yogurt and sweeten it myself to save points. I haven’t had flavored yogurt in forever.