Thinking of doing freestyle WW instead of counting calories
nataliew12
Posts: 32 Member
I don't know which would be easier? I'm just tired of counting calories!
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Replies
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From what I've heard in another thread about WW Freestyle, it works if you can "eat to satisfaction" their free foods. I think if your issue is making unsustainable food choices more than overeating, it should work as a program. For me, I need to log, as I'll overeat anything and portion size has been my problem.18
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nataliew12 wrote: »I don't know which would be easier? I'm just tired of counting calories!
Can you trust yourself to keep actual serving sizes -- 3 oz of protein, a small serving of carbs, etc. -- and only to satisfaction and not to fullness?7 -
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Ok thank you for your replys! I have been watching freestyle youtube videos and they make it look so easy haha I will prob stick with counting calories.4
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nataliew12 wrote: »Ok thank you for your replys! I have been watching freestyle youtube videos and they make it look so easy haha I will prob stick with counting calories.
Is counting calories really so hard?14 -
Weight Watchers is a good program if you are willing to be restricted by what you eat. But Freestyle still requires counting points instead of calories. If you are truly tired of counting calories their Simply Filling plan might be good for you. In the end it still boils down to calories. But Simply Filling restricts your menu more and allows less tracking.
I personally like the nutrition info provided on myfitnesspal and my budget does not allow a monthly fee for WW. I incorporate many recipes that look interesting to me from WW or low carb sites. I just count calories for them.8 -
I found WW to have value in the 90s, when tools like MFP were not available. It's no longer a good fit for me.
Also, in order to have a service people will pay for, WW needs to add a layer of complexity, and this complexity is unnecessary for the goal of losing weight.11 -
I gained on Freestyle (I did it with a friend at the start of this year when I chose to lose the final pounds to goal). Not much, about 2kg over the course of a month and a half. Chicken is free. I can easily overeat grilled chicken. I ate lots of grilled chicken with free vegetables. Yet, I was gaining. Constantly under points, too. Then I would have a small serving of, say, cake and that would blow that day's points and some of the next day's too, so what I ended up feeling was penalized for having indulged in something tasty I wanted to eat. The amount of points allotted for the same amount of calories is very disparate depending on what food it is.
What boiled it down for me was: I was eating what WW wanted me to eat. I was penalized when I ate what I wanted to eat. I would never sustain changes if I let someone/something else make the decision for me of what I wanted to eat.
So I went back to MFP (it had worked gloriously when I lost the bulk of the weight). Immediately, I noticed a difference. For me, I was happier. I could have potatoes without guilt. I could have carbs without guilt and sugars. I could eat what I wanted and I was happy. That's important to me -- sustainable changes that turn into building blocks for a future I will not only be able to hold to, but enjoy.15 -
Just an FYI - WW is discontinuing their Simply Filling Plan. Freestyle is the only plan on WW.2
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Just an FYI - WW is discontinuing their Simply Filling Plan. Freestyle is the only plan on WW.
That’s sad to hear. I think it’s a good tool for when you are weary of tracking and need some guidelines to help keep you within a calorie deficit.
For what it’s worth those little colored containers for Beach Body are basically the same eating plan as the Healthy Guidelines that WE uses. And the recommended servings closely align with DASH for those following a diet for high blood pressure.
I do think it’s interesting to look at different approaches to achieve a calorie deficit. Many strategies have merit.6 -
emmamcgarity wrote: »
That’s sad to hear. I think it’s a good tool for when you are weary of tracking and need some guidelines to help keep you within a calorie deficit.
Back in 2010 when I started on my weight loss journey I started with WW online. I didn't need the meetings but it was a way to track what I ate and helped guide me to better choices. After I'd lost 30 lbs with it I plateaued and started to look into more detailed tracking methods. I also found I wanted more awareness of the nutrients I was getting and how they impacted the way I felt. I tried a couple before settling in with MFP which I've been using for over 7 years now. It helped me lose the last bit that I wanted to and has been invaluable to me for maintenance.
I don't think I could have start with it though. I think I would have found it all overwhelming and given up. WW was an easy way to keep track of what I ate, encouraged exercise, and it worked well enough for a while that I was able to turn it into a habit. After months of that I was ready to take on learning a more detailed and precise approach and sought that out, but I did find it very useful for a while.
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Meetings and an in person weigh in really help me. I am not a fan of paying 45 a month but the benefits seem to outweigh the cost for me. People on Mfp are very against WW but you need to do you.4
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emmamcgarity wrote: »Weight Watchers is a good program if you are willing to be restricted by what you eat. But Freestyle still requires counting points instead of calories. If you are truly tired of counting calories their Simply Filling plan might be good for you. In the end it still boils down to calories. But Simply Filling restricts your menu more and allows less tracking.
I personally like the nutrition info provided on myfitnesspal and my budget does not allow a monthly fee for WW. I incorporate many recipes that look interesting to me from WW or low carb sites. I just count calories for them.
I'll have to look into the simply filling plan, thanks!1 -
WillingtoLose1001984 wrote: »Meetings and an in person weigh in really help me. I am not a fan of paying 45 a month but the benefits seem to outweigh the cost for me. People on Mfp are very against WW but you need to do you.
I was going to try it on my own without going to the meetings .I'll have to look into it more. thanks!0 -
Thats what i was going to try was the freestyle. So many great youtube videos.emmamcgarity wrote: »Just an FYI - WW is discontinuing their Simply Filling Plan. Freestyle is the only plan on WW.
That’s sad to hear. I think it’s a good tool for when you are weary of tracking and need some guidelines to help keep you within a calorie deficit.
For what it’s worth those little colored containers for Beach Body are basically the same eating plan as the Healthy Guidelines that WE uses. And the recommended servings closely align with DASH for those following a diet for high blood pressure.
I do think it’s interesting to look at different approaches to achieve a calorie deficit. Many strategies have merit.0 -
Points are harder to count than calories. You have to take the fat, carbs, and protein (3 things) and then convert them with a calculator into points... why not just enter calories directly. It's one thing. And no calculations.5
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Weight Watchers just uses points, which is far less accurate or sustainable that counting calories, but you do what you need to do.0
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Both work but for me psychologically MFP is easier to deal with. I can have a little more indulgent treat or choice without feeling like I blew it, which often resulted in a binge, or having nothing but tuna and salad for the rest of the day. Just understand that zero is not free. Everything has calories. Salmon and corn are zero, but certainly have calories.3
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WillingtoLose1001984 wrote: »Meetings and an in person weigh in really help me. I am not a fan of paying 45 a month but the benefits seem to outweigh the cost for me. People on Mfp are very against WW but you need to do you.
People will, understandably, tend to support what they've found works for them.
I think that the biggest push back about WW on MFP is that you're paying, still counting, AND you're committing to a system that is designed to influence your decisions as to what is good/appropriate food and what isn't.
Some people use MFP in conjunction with named diets or food eating plans, and for these people WW would be a potentially interesting alternative if the costs in question and choices they're forced into align with their lifestyles and preferences.
Many other people, myself included, have found freedom in knowing exactly what they're eating and being aware off and able to make their own trade-offs as to what is appropriate for them at any particular point of time.
For them WW just introduces cost, confusion, friction, and imprecision, thus we often opine that it is NOT necessary.
Plus public weigh ins (and shamming) which given how water weight fluctuates end up forcing people into larger deficits in order to consistently see results on a week to week basis when larger deficits are not always the most appropriate option.
If you're losing a half lb a week, 2-3lbs a month, you're almost guaranteed to have a higher week to week weigh in at some point of time within any random 30 day span. Given that most women fluctuate 2-3lbs (some as much as 10lbs) based on time of the month, this is even more true for women than for men.
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I guess what I don't get about WW or other point systems is the ambiguity and needless complexity.
It's as if I told you to start a financial budget, but instead of giving you $100 to spend on clothing. I told you to buy a shirt, which could range anywhere from $20-200.
I get using WW prior to smart phones, but after? Other than the social aspect I don't see the draw.5 -
Hi I'm doing freestyle with my sister, we started in August, her at the beginning of the month and I at the end of the month. She is down 18lbs and I am down 12Ibs. I joined MFP back in 2006 and loved it and stayed with the plan a few years and made lots of good friends and learned good tools and lost 45 lbs💃.
I since have gained back all the weight and then some😒 and took advantage of seeing my sister have great results and talk of the ease of realizing certain foods are free and to only eat in moderation blah blah blah....it was a three month deal and I'll cancel at the end of November,, but at the time it was worth it because it worked and I needed something easy to get me back on track....and now I'm back kinda overlapping both plans until I stick with MFP.
Bottom line is, as others have said, do what will work for you, you are the one who will figure out what will work best for you. If that changes, then so be it...evolve baby!😎 As long as it motivates, works, and keeps you healthy and happy....who cares how you work your journey right!?
Hope my rambles help and if you need some feed back on freestyle just hit me up girl🙋...good luck all!
Ali🌸4 -
I've done WW before and I did like it, but that was back when everything was straight points and you did get to eat whatever you wanted as long as you were within your allotted points. I also went to the meetings which is what helped me the most. I tried the new plan a while back (just online) and I didn't like it as much. Honestly if you are not planning on going to the meetings I don't think it's much different than MFP, just another way to track what you eat.3
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I understand that counting calories is tedious but counting points sounds like it would be even more time-consuming, plus there's more room for error. You could be under your points but over your calories by eating more "Free" foods than you should. so I personally don't see a reason why someone would switch, but that is just my opinion.3
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Points are harder to count than calories. You have to take the fat, carbs, and protein (3 things) and then convert them with a calculator into points... why not just enter calories directly. It's one thing. And no calculations.
Nope! WW has moved into this century and has an awesome app that makes counting points just as easy as counting calories. It's actually easier because you don't really have to track 0 point foods unless you want to.
I've been on WW since January 2017 and love the plan and the idea behind the plan. However, for a person who has food issues not counting 0 point foods makes losing weight hard. I joined MFP in July and have been back to consistency losing because of I now double track. It's a pain, but I just do it like I have to just do a lot of things in my life.
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TeresaW1020 wrote: »Points are harder to count than calories. You have to take the fat, carbs, and protein (3 things) and then convert them with a calculator into points... why not just enter calories directly. It's one thing. And no calculations.
Nope! WW has moved into this century and has an awesome app that makes counting points just as easy as counting calories. It's actually easier because you don't really have to track 0 point foods unless you want to.
I've been on WW since January 2017 and love the plan and the idea behind the plan. However, for a person who has food issues not counting 0 point foods makes losing weight hard. I joined MFP in July and have been back to consistency losing because of I now double track. It's a pain, but I just do it like I have to just do a lot of things in my life.
Sometimes I will add something as a recipe and tweek it so it has points - like beans (pinto, navy, kidney...). Carbs like to stick around.
I double track too. A lot of the time I’ll track here and then WW track later.2 -
dhiammarath wrote: »I gained on Freestyle (I did it with a friend at the start of this year when I chose to lose the final pounds to goal). Not much, about 2kg over the course of a month and a half. Chicken is free. I can easily overeat grilled chicken. I ate lots of grilled chicken with free vegetables. Yet, I was gaining. Constantly under points, too. Then I would have a small serving of, say, cake and that would blow that day's points and some of the next day's too, so what I ended up feeling was penalized for having indulged in something tasty I wanted to eat. The amount of points allotted for the same amount of calories is very disparate depending on what food it is.
What boiled it down for me was: I was eating what WW wanted me to eat. I was penalized when I ate what I wanted to eat. I would never sustain changes if I let someone/something else make the decision for me of what I wanted to eat.
So I went back to MFP (it had worked gloriously when I lost the bulk of the weight). Immediately, I noticed a difference. For me, I was happier. I could have potatoes without guilt. I could have carbs without guilt and sugars. I could eat what I wanted and I was happy. That's important to me -- sustainable changes that turn into building blocks for a future I will not only be able to hold to, but enjoy.
YES! THIS!
Exactly how I felt about their program.
If the meetings and accountability of paying help you then I say go for it but otherwise MFP just makes more sense nutritionally.
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I endorse all the posts here. Also one minus of ww that affected me in a most undesirable way (for all the reasons so ably mentioned by dhiammarath) is that they will change the points formula every few years, whereas mfp will ( I hope) ( or some calorie based database) will be available and consistent.1
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I had success with the previous Points Plus system but I feel like it's a good way to get started before you really do eventually have to count more precisely. I can't imagine it working well for someone close to goal.
Also you don't have to have a calculator or convert or figure out anything, they have an app and have done for years.
One of the reasons I drifted away from it eventually was that in trying to guide towards "better" foods it over-demonizes others. Eventually when your allowance is tight enough you're gonna want to be able to make your own decisions based on reality and not their opinions, well-intended as they may be.8 -
I guess what I don't get about WW or other point systems is the ambiguity and needless complexity.
It's as if I told you to start a financial budget, but instead of giving you $100 to spend on clothing. I told you to buy a shirt, which could range anywhere from $20-200.
I get using WW prior to smart phones, but after? Other than the social aspect I don't see the draw.
I like WW. It was the plan I used when I lost weight most successfully. I’ve been within 5 pounds of my maintenance goal weight since having lost the weight in 2009. Although I found the meetings a bit silly overall, I did go for many years both because it was a couple of half hours per month I could set aside to focus on/ponder my weight management needs and tactics and because every so often I would hear something from another participant that really resonated with me. Because even during maintenance there are times when it’s a struggle.
Having said that, I’d also say that the program has changed quite a bit over the years. While it’s true the program is nothing more than an ‘overlay’ to calorie counting, it has always incentivized the better choice. Which usually means the more filling, healthier choice. So, there were no real ‘penalties’ for naughty foods (although there were mild penalties for fatty and low-fiber choices) but the program did help me learn portion expectations and how to start making better food decisions. But they really were decisions. There were also components that really helped me think through.and understand how to ‘work’ weight management when conditions weren’t perfect (like eating out, etc.). I never liked Simply Filling although I tried it several times because it did feel very diet-y. So while you could stop counting your simply filling foods restrictions on the ‘naughty’ foods was way too inflexible for me. And, yes, you still had to track and weigh, so to me it was the worst of both worlds.
The plan has evolved over time to a system that I find way too diet-y. True, there are more foods on the 0 points list, but the penalty for non ‘free’ foods has become much more severe. So, it takes the portion learning out of the equation, never forces you to really make decisions about a better choice versus one that’s not (the penalties are so severe now for naughty foods, you’re pretty much forced to abandon most of them and if you don’t really understand the caloric implications of the 0 point foods you’re in real trouble).
So, if you have a really good understanding of what composes a portion and are ready to go ‘full bore’ on eating right, it could be a great solution for you. If you bridle at restrictive eating plans, you may find it not helpful.
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I’m a WW Lifetimer, meaning I’m on the program for free, as long as I stay within my WW goal and I attend one meeting a month. It’s a good program... ‘was’ a good program until Freestyle (for me, that is). I did lose 30# while on the previous program, SmartPoints. Once they changed it to Freestyle, incorporating zero point foods, I started struggling. One day, I tallied the calories on the zero point foods I ate and they came out to 661 calories. That’s a lot for zero points!! I decided to ‘chat’ online with one of their coaches and she disconnected me, when I brought this to her/their attention. I’m doing much better tracking on MFP. I think calories from fruits, veggies and protein should be counted. Again though, that’s what works for me. Good luck on your weight loss journey!8
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