What is your opinion of Weight Watchers?

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  • azironasun
    azironasun Posts: 137 Member
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    I tried Weight Watchers many years ago and lost weight. That being said, I was always hungry. My appetite was never satisfied. I eventually gained it back.
    In figuring out what worked for me with food, the WW program was way too high in carbohydrates. Upon analysis, a diet higher in protein and fat is what leaves me feeling satisfied, and curbs my appetite. Since MFP lets me tailor my macros to what works for my body, WW is out.
    Also, the meetings often turned into members venting about emotional issues, which didn't sit well with me.
    If you know nothing about food and nutrition, WW is an OK place to start, but once you understand CICO and what works for YOUR body, the training wheels come off and you start really cruising.
    If you're at that point, stick with MFP and never look back.
  • jessetfan
    jessetfan Posts: 373 Member
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    I had some success on WW a few years ago. I found that the weekly points and weekly exercise points actually made it harder for me. Rather than distributing those points throughout the week I tended to go out for one meal after my weigh-in that used up all the weekly points and exercise points. I much prefer using MFP and going by a daily goal rather than having additional calories to play with during the week. If I exercise I sometimes eat my calories back and other days I don't.

    I liked my leader; he had had a lot of success with WW, but I found that going to meetings isn't really for me, and the I didn't like paying for the tools in order to count points. I think WW also lets you under eat without pushing you to eat all your points.
  • lillyblack1982
    lillyblack1982 Posts: 61 Member
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    I went on Weight Watchers twice. The first time, in 2010, I was successful— within 4 months I had lost 21 pounds and was 3 pounds from my goal weight. It was great consistently seeing a loss every week and made the deprivation (no other word for it) worth it. Then they changed the program. I hung in there for two more months but never lost the last 3 pounds. Frustrated, I gave up.

    Joined again last winter and lost about 15 pounds over the course of 10 months, but it was slow going. Then I just stalled there. I found it more difficult to stick to the program when results were so slow. Then they changed the program, yet again! And I couldn’t justify continuing to pay for it if I wasn’t losing weight.

    The one concept I really liked about WW that is different from MFP is the idea of “weekly points”. I have a hard time sticking with the plan if I go way over my points (already messed up, why not go really crazy?), so the weeklies were like a safety net, and they made me feel like I hadn’t failed, just used a built-in feature. I don’t think this one feature is worth paying for WW.

    The one concept I like about MFP is when you complete your diary and it tells you what you’d weigh in 5 weeks based on your calories that day. It works both as motivation and as a wake-up call! You can also adjust your own settings to lose faster or slower. If you feel uncomfortably hungry, go for a slower rate of loss. You’ll still get there eventually as long as you stay in the game.
  • genghis54
    genghis54 Posts: 123 Member
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    do not waste your money, it is a business, they make money !
  • iamabeetle
    iamabeetle Posts: 52 Member
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    I've done WW several times. I found that it was too expensive for what it was. It was great to have support and recipes etc... but I did it in the days before the internet was not as accessible and there weren't amazing communities such as this with healthy recipes at your finger tips! At the end of the day, it's what works for you.
  • Sladams07
    Sladams07 Posts: 2 Member
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    I did WW back in 2003 and lost almost 20lbs but didn't keep it off. Regardless of which method you choose you have to be ready to make a permanent change to your eating habits. To me it's easier to keep wait off in the long run by watching portions and staying within calorie limits than trying to count mythological points.
  • musicfan68
    musicfan68 Posts: 1,124 Member
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    MrsMagnificent1029 wrote: »
    TL;DR: I was undereating because of being a vegetarian on WW. It's been a week of tracking macros on MFP and I already feel so much better.

    I joined WW online in March or April of last year because I got married in October and wanted to shed a few pounds. I've been active for a number of years but was pretty relaxed with my diet and, well, I guess it took a wedding to really want to lose 20 pounds. I got pretty close and lost 15, then relaxed for a month after the wedding. Then I got back on board, when all of a sudden WW Freestyle rolled out. I hate Freestyle. My weight loss completely stalled. I started going to WW meetings thinking I just needed some extra motivation. I finally left last week's meeting super pissed off that the scale wasn't budging--I tracked, stayed within my measly 23 points, denied many treats, and stuck to my normal HIIT schedule. Frustrated, I decided to compare points I've been "eating" to calories consumed. It's no wonder I've been stuck...I was only eating 800-1000 calories a day, while burning up to 600 calories during my workouts on some of those days. I had all but destroyed my metabolism by under eating when it felt so hard to stay within 23 points. It's been a week of double tracking on both WW and MFP and my first weigh in using both is tomorrow. I will continue to go to weight ins because for me they are motivating when they do go well, but I am definitely not a fan of this new points system. I'm vegetarian so for me alot of the highly praised "0 point foods" are irrelevant. A woman can only eat so much darn beans, eggs, tofu, fruits and vegetables. There are no healthy fats in those foods, except maybe eggs, but again...not a huge fan of too many eggs. I was bloated all the time, and hungry. I can't stand that I can't eat my Teddie natural peanut butter without feeling like I'm being punished for it--a serving of peanut butter takes up 6 precious points. We will see how tomorrow's weigh in is, but I am already feeling more comfortable in my skin and in my clothes from following MFP instead of WW. I also like how MFP takes daily exercise into account of calories to consume for that day. On WW you earn weekly Fitpoints, but it's less clear whether or not you "should" use them.

    Even if the scale doesn't show a loss tomorrow, I will still continue to follow MFP because I feel better than I've felt in two months of undereating. I have more energy for workouts and my busy daily life. I feel more flexible and like my skinny jeans are fitting better. I don't feel bloated nearly as often.

    To the bolded - That's not how it works. If you truly were only eating 800 - 1000 calories, weight would have been falling off of you. It doesn't destroy your metabolism. I'm guessing that if you are a vegetarian and eating a ton of 0 point foods, you are eating more calories than you think you are. All foods have calories, which is why the zero point system is so stupid with WW. Are you weighing your portions with a food scale and measuring liquids with measuring spoons/cups? If not, again you are probably eating more than you think. But eating less does not stall weight loss.
  • babybuddha06
    babybuddha06 Posts: 28 Member
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    taluch75 wrote: »
    They don't teach you how to eat in a long term.....just about the money$

    ^^^This. Have you thought about macro counting with the assistance of MFP? It takes into account your age, height, goal, fitness level, and body shape and creates a set of macros fit just for you. You decide how you meet them.

  • dressagerider1020
    dressagerider1020 Posts: 106 Member
    edited February 2018
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    gearhead is right. Thing is, I need more support which is why I tried WW and why I come to MFP.

    It always worked for me, because (for me) it's mostly about portion control and support with the meetings.

    When Oprah invested $43,000,000 in WW in 2016, it seems to me that took it to a whole new money making level. I haven't done it with the Freestyle, but I don't think I would like it. I follow several people on IG who use it and love it, and it's working for them. I use the recipes they post but I track calories here, not smart points.
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
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    The innovative part of WW was the meetings + logging, everything else is a gimmick.

    MFP is a cheaper alternative than WW online, but if you are a sociable person, the meetings and weigh ins could be very beneficial.
  • acorsaut89
    acorsaut89 Posts: 1,147 Member
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    I haven't been on WW, but a few friends of mine have and here's my arm's length opinion of it.

    Based on your post, you seem to recognize that being active and mobile was a huge component in you losing the weight you previously lost. And you're also making the connection that being in a desk job, where you aren't nearly as active, makes it difficult to keep the weight off.

    So your experience plus my opinion: you had a job that was pretty active, and had a physical component to it, and it sounds like you changed your eating habits during that time. Was this change because of WW? Is this a change you could do on your own? WW, to me, is a glorified and expensive MFP. It works for some people, because accountability is huge. But really, you get a specific number of points (you get a specific number of calories per day, too) and if you go over you gain weight. You get extra points for activity (you'll get extra calories for exercise) that you can eat daily. I think if you like the aspect of accountability, weekly weigh ins and chat sessions you can find that in a friend, or even on here. I don't think you need WW especially when you have the basics yourself. Being active after you've been at work all day can be an effort, but you don't need to exercise to lose you just have to eat within your calories.

    And about feeling hungry: you might for a couple days because previously with your job you were able to eat a little more since you burned more calories during the day. This will adjust over time and you won't feel hungry on your amount of food. I'd give it like a week, or so.

    All in all, you sound like you have a great foundation and could get back on track with a little focus and effort so I don't think WW would be a benefit to you that you couldn't do on your own. Save the money ;)
  • wendypoloway
    wendypoloway Posts: 11 Member
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    I enjoy Weight Watchers, especially the meeting component. I have lost weight using MFP alone, and on WW....WW is better for me because the meetings make me more accountable. I found it too easy to fall off of an online only program like MFP. This is my opinion only. There is no denying that WW is expensive, for me it is worth it. WW teaches you a lifestyle plan that is easy to follow for the rest of your life...it isn't a diet, it shows you how to be mindful of what and how much you are eating. It is a great option for those who need a little peer pressure to stay on track.
  • dressagerider1020
    dressagerider1020 Posts: 106 Member
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    taluch75 wrote: »
    They don't teach you how to eat in a long term.....just about the money$

    Respectfully disagree with this. They do teach you how to eat long term, by weighing your food and learning portion control, what a real portion should be. Realizing that if you eat like you always have - which must be too much - you won't lose weight. If you're used to eating an 8 oz steak with a baked potato smothered in butter and sour cream, and not much veggies - that's not a portion that will allow weight loss. But - you can still have the steak, baked potato, butter & sour cream, just smaller amounts.

    That said, it is a business. It works for some, not for others. I don't like the idea of the freestyle, but I'm following several people on IG who are working the program and seeing success.
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,967 Member
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    I personally don’t Understand why you would consider it when you can use mfp which is free
  • alicebhsia
    alicebhsia Posts: 179 Member
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    i've never tried weight watchers groups and i don't know what the new program is like, but i've tried using their old diet method and found it recommended too many salty soups. i ended up with high blood pressure and i think that was a contributing factor. so if you try it go easy on the salt. but i do remember having a friend who lost like 60 pounds with them.
  • RachellaJ
    RachellaJ Posts: 58 Member
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    I first tried WW in maybe 2002 or 3 and I lost 63 lbs. I didn’t know much about healthy eating or portion control and it helped me be successful at learning that. The weekly weigh-in motivated me. But the group was massive and the leader was uninspiring, so I eventually quit.

    I decided to try again in 2010 after I had my son, and I loved the people at the meeting and the group leader was fantastic. I lost quite a bit of weight, but suddenly they switched to points plus (I think that’s what it was) and after a while I stopped going. I realized that I didn’t need to be paying all that money to make smart choices about my health. I had the knowledge by that time to be successful on my own.

    Since then I have realized that it is a money making business, and a bit of a scam. I feel like they change things to set people up for failure so they have to keep coming back. The way the program is now makes no sense to me. I recently read that fruit is calorie free? How does that make sense?

    I liked the community aspect of the meetings, but now I have that on MFP, and it’s free! No more weight watchers for me.

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