Weight Watchers/My Fitness Pal

pgoodt1994

What is the difference between counting points with Weight Watchers and counting calories with My Fitness Pal besides the obvious, you have to pay for WW and MFP is free?

sammidelvecchio

I'm sure there are a lot of differences, but the biggest one I noticed is that WW has "free" foods or i've seen them called zero-point foods which don't have any impact on how much more you can eat that day, whereas on MFP you are supposed to count every calorie you eat and you would reach your daily calorie allotment much faster than if you were on WW eating a lot of "free foods." I hope I worded that correctly.

khsh08

Well, I stopped doing WW because I wasn't losing and when I put in how many calories I was eating each day by following their program, I was eating more than 2,000 calories a day. Just wasn't working for me. Counting calories and using MFP for free I've lost over 80 pounds. That's with 1200 calories a day and walking.

Suuzanne37

I’ve been on weight watchers so I know the point system.

What stands out is with the introduction of zero point foods; you have to also be aware of proper portion sizes; and with other foods, use a scale to properly calculate the points.

Also different foods are given a higher point value to steer you towards healthier options.

I use to attend meetings and at that time; it fit with my personality and worked for me. I learnt a lot about portion control also.

Forward a couple of years; the “Leader”; now “Coach” changed and it was not the right fit anymore. Fitnesspal was the better fit.

With Fitnesspal you have to record all intake (at least at the beginning of your journey) and use a food scale.

If $$ is not a factor try:

1. Meeting + Digital - WW
2. Meeting or Digital - WW
3. Fitnesspal

Then decide.......

puffbrat

I only tried WW briefly, but the two things I didn't like were:

1. Free foods - your body still counts those calories and you can still eat too many. WW supposedly takes those into consideration when calculating points but I still prefer to just account for everything and not worry about that.
2. It is so much easier for me to just pick up a package and read the label or look something up on the USDA database to figure out how it fits into my day than try to calculate the WW points. I found the points system particularly difficult when I traveled to places with poor/limited/non-existent internet access and I was purchasing food at restaurants. I'm sure other people would say to just use data but not all of those locations even have cell service and I don't want to pay for a large data plan or use up all of my data for those instances.

bobsburgersfan

I did WW for quite a while before switching to MFP a few years ago. WW points are calculated as a combination of different variables. When I first joined, it was a combination of calories, fat, and fiber, and then by the time I left it was carbs, fat, and sugar. (They kept changing it; I'm honestly not sure what it is now.)

I think WW can work very well for some people. I think most people who haven't been doing anything about their weight will do well on it, at least for a while, because it makes you change the way you eat and forces you toward lower-calorie foods. It can work well if you genuinely like to eat a more low-carb, whole foods type diet. It can work very well if you aren't a big volume eater and don't care about sweets.

The tipping point for me was when they really emphasized sugar as a part of their formula, and it felt like I was being punished for eating anything sweet. I'm trying not to be too negative about WW, because it did work for me way back when I started, but counting calories just works better for me.

rossbaker2_sc

I like WW because

1. I would get maniacal about tracking calories burnt and eaten and get really disappointed when the outcome on the scale didn't match my expectations based on the math. The point system has helped me ease out of the anxiety I personally would get from counting calories.
2. There is an added accountability of checking in with the meeting every week.
3. The meetings helped me deal with a lot of the emotional/mental issues that were causing me to self-sabotage my efforts in the past

As far as the point system is concerned, they say on average a point equals about 50 calories but the program with zero point foods and the smart point system allows you to eat more so long as it is high protein and high fiber so long as it is lower relatively in saturated fats and added sugars.

That flexibility is nice for me because it allows me to feel like I'm on track even on days where I'm hungrier and feel like I need more to be satisfied. It helps with the mental battle. They also have a ton of awesome resources for recipes that my wife and I have tried and we've really enjoyed cooking and trying new things so doing it for the past 8 months has really given us something to enjoy together.

I've lost 126.2 in 8 months and she's lost somewhere around 55 to 60.

It might not be for everyone but it's definitely worked well for us and we don't plan to stop, even when we get to maintenance.

DickCress

I use MFP and have for many years it is just a newer version of the old WW Fat and Fiber Plan. I attend meetings every Tuesday and have for 25 years and I weigh in every week. By combining the two I have been able to develop a system that allows me to maintain the same weight for many weeks. I am at aleast 10 weeks of maintaining my weight the same. Weight Watchers is what has kept me inspired and motivated. I was supposed to die in 1995 and owe the new me and my life since then to my Weight Watchers Group. Don't sell them short their help and support go FAR BEYOND Zero Points Foods.

jean133mjg

I used WW back in the late 70s/early 80s, lost weight on it and liked it then. What you ate was written down and boxes were checked for each meal according to how many proteins, fats, veggies, bread, etc. (for instance, each box for protein was based on 1 oz. per box) until all your food was recorded and each box checked until you ran out of boxes, indicating you had all that you were allowed for the day. I hope I'm explaining it in a way that is understandable. When they went to points/flex points and all their other renditions, I hated it.
MyFitnessPal has worked great for me. I like the recording, weighing and all of that stuff anyway. I like graphs, charts, etc. MyFitnessPal and the old, old, WW both had that. Whatever works for someone is the one they should use. Thank God we have choices to pick from.

diamondrn8

I am a Weight Watchers member and I love the plan. I am diabetic so tracking carbs is essential. I am starting back tracking this through my premium membership on MFP today to keep my carbs balanced. The zero point foods and fruits can put me over my limit if I don't track them as carbs & not points. But I love the freedom of WW. I hate the first three letters of DIE-t and WW is a lifestyle change that allows me to LIVE and eat sensibly. I am a registered nurse and I have seen the risks of fad dieting that significantly cut carbs and replace them with high protein (risk: kidneys) and/or fats (risk: heart disease).

liz0269

I did WW for a month and didn't like it. I was allowed 23 points per day. A candy bar in 16 points. That was just ridiculous. It's 200 calories. Plus that, I exercise a lot and I would earn Fit Points so I eat more. But eating those meant I couldn't earn the little blue dot for sticking to the plan. It was just a big mind game and I didn't like it.

I much prefer counting calories. I adjust my calorie burn from exercise down to a more realistic number. I track weekly so I have the flexibility to eat more on the weekends. I always have calories left at the end of the week and I can have a stinking candy bar once in awhile.

saramelie77

I'm just switching now from WW to calories counting. I think WW is a good program, but it doesn't work for me. As a binge eater, I can go crazy on the zero points food and it still add-up (1 apple, 2 bananas, 1 cup of 0% greek yogurt, etc All zero points, still calories). I have 100 pounds to lose to be in a healthy range, and I don't want this to take forever. So for me calories counting is better, more accurate, and definitely easier than imputing grams of fat, sugar and proteins in a WW calculator. The other thing I don't like about WW is that even tho they really stepped-uo their game about nutrition, they are still focused on low fat food for less points, ehuch contradict my personal opinion on the matter. I prefer to eat *real food* in lesser quantity.