Weight Watchers: yes or no?

RestoringRyan

I’m about 60lbs overweight and considering WW (formerly weight watchers.) But I’m concerned it may not be practical or sustainable. Anyone have an argument for or against the program? I could really use some advice. Thank you

lauragreenbaum

I have tried WW many times over the years. It tends to work for the first few weeks, but for me only if I go to the meetings. The pay off comes when you get on the scale and see that you've lost weight since the week before. The person weighing you tracks it, so it's really about public accountability. The tracking seems easier than actually counting calories, but at the end of the day it's the same thing.

My advice is to save your money. Log your food on MFP and have an accountability friend who can see your diary. You and this person keep each other accountable. Good luck!

puffbrat

I tried it several years ago. It wasn't sustainable for me. I found it difficult to take foods with labels showing calories and macros and convert those into points, especially in places where I didn't have internet access and do mental or paper tracking. Also, the free foods I think really set me back, because those still have calories that my body counts and I can still eat too many of them, especially when on a diet and feeling hungry/restricted.

estherdragonbat

I've done earlier iterations of the program, when points were less divorced from calories and there were fewer "free" foods. These days, I find the cost a bit high and from what I've gleaned about the net, they seem to be penalizing too many foods that I consider dietary staples with points values disproportionate to their calories.

For me, at this time, their current program isn't a good fit.

Suuzanne37

I was with WW for a couple of years; I lost 40lbs and learnt a lot about logging and proper nutrition and received support from the meetings.

If you can afford the membership and like meetings, then go for it. If the option is online; it’s better to stick to MyFitnessPal.

BuddhaBunnyFTW

I just eat vegan with no processed foods, and hit my calorie target everyday. I follow Dr. Greger's Daily Dozen and I'm never hungry. Often times I can't eat all of the fruit, veggies, whole grains, etc. because it's too much food.

LyndaBSS

There are a lot of WW folks here. If you do a search for WW, you'll find many threads.

MikePTY

The issue I have with the new weight watchers program is it makes too many value judgements about foods. "Bad" foods are penalized with high point totals, and "good" foods are made free. I understand some of the logic behind it, which is they think if you eat more "good" foods, you'll naturally eat lower calorie. But I don't think that works for a lot of us. For weight loss, a calorie is a calorie, and a calorie from a free food counts just as much as one with points. So it is possible on the new weight watchers program to either over eat or under eat depending on the type of foods you eat and how they are rated.

MFP is free, and can provide you with a lot of the same tools as WW. It is certainly not a perfect app by any means, but a lot of us have used it successfully to lose weight without needing to use an outside program.

33gail33

I joined weight watchers in 2009 and lost 37 lbs in 3 months. I only counted points and went to meetings for the first couple of weeks though, and by then I had learned the portions control and habits that I needed and the weight kept coming off until I intentionally stopped losing.
I kept it off for about 6 years until menopause and injuries derailed my exercise and eating habits. So yeah it worked for me really well. I found it easy to lose with it. It is harder for me now for whatever reason.

Watch_me_burnem

Just cancelled my WW membership yesterday when I signed up for a year of premium here

CSARdiver

Weight Watchers has the advantage of formal meetings and real physical connection, so if this is a motivator for you it is something worth looking at. MyFitnessPal has the advantage of being free (premium is always available).

MFP holds a distinct advantage of accuracy as it tracks the listed calories as opposed to a point system. This also holds an advantage as MFP takes into account your activity.

JeBeBu

Suuzanne37 wrote: »

I was with WW for a couple of years; I lost 40lbs and learnt a lot about logging and proper nutrition and received support from the meetings.

If you can afford the membership and like meetings, then go for it. If the option is online; it’s better to stick to MyFitnessPal.

I am not being "judgy", honestly questioning why this would be flagged? I want to make sure that I am understanding the rules!

Terytha

I must qualify my response with this info: I was 16 when I joined WW, and I'm in my 30's now.

I learned nothing useful. In order to hit my points target I stopped eating bread, cheese and pasta, lost the weight, quit WW, started eating bread etc again, eventually hit nearly 300 lbs in my 20's. Trying to do what I did as a teen never worked for me again because they never taught us how to eat, just how to calculate points, and that system keeps changing.

I've learned more in four months on MFP than I learned in two years of WW, and I'm much happier not having to cut out foods I love.

deetails26

In my personal experience: I did it for about 6 months and lost 30 lbs, fell off the wagon a bit, and wanted to try it again but decided to both count my points and my calories and came to find out I was averaging eating around 800 calories/day if I followed their point system. I decided to come to MFP and count my calories and have since lost 20 more and I'm a lot happier eating more food and saving money.

thatsitgethealthynow

It’s not for me. The app is user friendly and I find it to be idiot proof, but I don’t like the points system and I found it harder when going out and what not. Most menus these days have calories listed and I found it easier to track later than WW.

Vanessa1166

I did WW back in 2007. I lost 100 pounds and made Lifetime. That was back when everything had a point value. I just can't get on board with all the zero point foods. Food has calories and should be counted. I am such an all or nothing person. Don't tell me something is zero points..i lose all control but that's my problem. I know a few people that love the plan and have no problem sticking to it.

Sunshine_And_Sand

I did weight watcher after my first was born. This was back when you could choose between core and flex points. I found it easy and sustainable on the flex points system. Back them there weren’t nearly as many zero point foods, and points for treats weren’t over inflated compared to the calories in them.
I haven’t really liked any system they’ve had since flex points though. Nothing since that has been sustainable for me. They used to do one free meeting to let you get an idea if you’d like it or not, so maybe see if that’s still a thing and check it out. This would give you an idea of what foods are high points and if it would make you feel like you are being punished for the foods you like.
Also, WW is expensive so I wouldn’t commit to anything without at least finding out a little about it first.

cheryldumais

I'm almost 63 and can share a few thoughts about WW past and present. I used to have a very high opinion of the program back in the late 70's and early 80's. As the years have gone by it seems like it has become more and more gimicky. I have to be honest and tell you that I never reached goal with WW even when the program seemed good.

At the age of 59 I decided it was worth another try to lose. I quit WW online, found MFP and got the same support I had with WW (actually it's better) and have been able to build a program I can live with. None of this cost me a penny. I finally reached my goal a couple of years ago here at MFP. I am maintaining. What I have learned is that you need to build a food style that you can live with while you are losing and that you can remain on for the rest of your life with a slightly higher calorie intake.

What works for one person may not work for you. Be wary of any food program that says you can eat as much of anything that you want. All food has calories - even lettuce although it would take alot of that to make you fat, lol. Some folks may lose on programs with free food but most of us will just overeat those foods. Do what works for you but forget about a magic diet that you go on, lose weight then go back to eating the way you used to. You have to make a permanent change in your eating habits to lose weight and keep it off.

There are many of us who lost weight and kept it off here. Several have lost 100 pounds or more. Use the forums and find the eating style you can live with for the rest of your life. If I can lose weight at 59 after a lifetime of being obese anyone can.

jeannette7156

Love this

NovusDies

I suspect if you are committed to change you can make WW work. If you are not committed to change nothing will work. You can easily get on MFP and game your calories with generous eyeballed portions and bad database entries and get nowhere.

I have done both and I like the precision that calorie counting provides. It is just easier for me to relax when I know I am in a calorie deficit. I like that I can customize my own plan as long as I eat the correct number of calories each week.

I also do not require extrinsic motivation so WW has nothing to offer me.

MelanieCN77

I think if you're at the start of losing a good amount of weight and you don't overthink it, WW works well. It's down the line it can start to be a bit too restrictive. It guides choices with its free foods, which could be helpful in developing a palate for what we might call "healthy" foods if you've got into some kind of habit or rut. At some point though you're probably going to want more direct control.

150poundsofme

For me, I do not care for WW's food allowances - with all their "free" foods, you can eat too much of them. I would rather have had a plan that said "eat two fruits, 3 veggies etc. Better guidelines. I do not really care for the leaders that I have had. They do not understand or accept that some people have an eating disorder and they have one set discussion each week with no help for the binger etc. They can be pushy with you buying their snacks (which I do not deem healthy). When you weigh in - if you think you gained and want a free pass, they will give it to you and then hand you another one. Then I feel you are not being honest or accountable with yourself. Oh, and be careful, if you want to quit, you need to do so I believe at least a month before you want to quit because otherwise they will just keep charging you your monthly bill. Ok, so I am not a fan.
On the plus side, the last time I joined it was just so I could get weighed weekly. So depends what you want out of it. You get weighed, a plan, maybe make some friends in a similar boat. It may be just the think you need for motivation. Oh and sometimes there are specials but they don't share this - like if you already know someone in WW, they can invite you on their phone - they would get a free month and so would you.
Even with all my negative points, I would still say to you to give it a try. For you, it would be new, exciting and motivating. You can give yourself a month or two. Sometimes they have a 3 month sign up special.
Good luck

thelandkraken

I tried it for a while a year or two ago, and I didn't get along with it.

I hated how two things similar in calories (e.g. chicken breast, and skinless chicken thigh) were vastly different in points for the same amount (something like 0 for breast and 5 for thigh). Also, having 0 points foods really screwed with me, because I can easily overeat all of those things. So I could theoretically have 4 plates of plain chicken breast with veggies and it would cost me no points - but it would sure as hell cost me in calories.

I followed it rigidly, ate within my points or free foods, and I put on weight with WW. Shifted to MFP and I'm slowly losing weight now, because everything has a value so everything has to fit in my goal.

megamom

I do WW and MFP and have for almost a year. I had never done WW before so can't say if this program is better but I hear they are more focused on healthy eating habits. I did on line only the first 9 months and just joined so I could do the meetings about 3 weeks ago since I am about 5 pounds to goal and when you make goal you get lifetime and free. I find the meetings have helped since I know I will have to go weigh in, accountability helps since getting this last 5 pounds off has been a bear. I had to tweak WW a little because I found I was working out so much but had zero energy when I was strictly on plan. I had to add some carbs and fats in to get my energy back. For me it is working doing both. I seriously think I would slowly go back to old habits without WW since it keeps me so aware. When I do reach lifetime I will probably do it for the rest of my life where as here I have quit and started several times over the years because really, who knew and who cared, right!. Do what works for you.

kshama2001

JeBeBu wrote: »

Suuzanne37 wrote: »

I was with WW for a couple of years; I lost 40lbs and learnt a lot about logging and proper nutrition and received support from the meetings.

If you can afford the membership and like meetings, then go for it. If the option is online; it’s better to stick to MyFitnessPal.

I am not being "judgy", honestly questioning why this would be flagged? I want to make sure that I am understanding the rules!

@JeBeBu per https://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/en/portal/articles/1697770-how-do-i-report-inappropriate-forum-posts-or-spam- it shouldn't have been flagged for Spam as that flag is only for bots and that was clearly written by a human.

Per https://www.myfitnesspal.com/community-guidelines it's not Advertising either.

If whoever misflagged reads this they can unflag by reflagging.

If anyone wants the flag cleared, they can Flag > Report > Other and note that it was "Misflagged for Spam."

kshama2001

RestoringRyan wrote: »

I’m about 60lbs overweight and considering WW (formerly weight watchers.) But I’m concerned it may not be practical or sustainable. Anyone have an argument for or against the program? I could really use some advice. Thank you

I did WW back in the 90's. I had an in-person meeting at my workplace, and a nice discount from my employer. I liked all that, plus the public accountability. I found the psychological/behavioral parts helpful.

In 2012 I thought I would sign up again, and when complaining to my sister about how expensive it was, she told me about MFP, which I vastly prefer. It's free and no one is making value judgments about what I eat (arbitrarily awarding foods higher or lower points based on whatever the current point scheme happens to be).

I think WW had its place before there were free tools like MFP, and now, in the hope of staying relevant, they need to continually change their program, which would annoy the heck out of me.

walkingfit2016

Freestyle the current program works if you have a lot of weight to lose and you are willing to pay attention to portion sizes even on the 0 point foods.If a person thinks of them as all you can eat foods it's not going to work.

idioblast

I did WW back in 2005 and it worked for me. I didn't really know anything about calories at the time and as I learned more going through the program, I switched over to MFP because it was free and I liked seeing the actual calories versus points. I did WW a few times over the last 5 years through work (although I still logged in MFP for the accuracy), but quit altogether when the new WW plan was announced. I'm pretty moderate carb and most of my normal snack choices (which I can eat and lose weight fine when logging in MFP) now have a crazy point value on WW because they really penalize carb heavy foods.

For example, the other day my co-worker (who is currently doing WW) was hungry and I offered her a Larabar. She scanned it for WW and it was 8 points. EIGHT POINTS and her daily allowance is 24 points. She is the same height and about the same weight as me (maybe a little more). If I was doing WW and I ate 3 Larabars in one day (which I sometimes do because I like them), it would be my entire point allowance but only about 660 calories. Craziness!

So yeah, I guess I'm no longer a fan of WW or think it is helpful in any way.

rheddmobile

My mom used to be an instructor for Weight Watchers. My mom is also obese and has yo yo dieted her entire life.

I have two issues with Weight Watchers: first, the food selection and diet plan is very silly. If you like fish and fruit you can easily become obese eating “free” food. Not to mention, if you are diabetic, it can very nearly kill you - as happened to a diabetic member here who found his blood sugar shot way up from following their diet of “free” fruits and vegetables.

And second, there’s the social aspect of it. It sounds great to have accountability buddies and support, but what you are getting is actually the input of other fat people and their bad habits. One of the strongest predictors of whether someone will become obese is whether or not their friends are obese. You don’t need the comfort and support of people who think it’s normal to be obese, you need the comfort and support of people who think it’s normal to run 5k, or go rock climbing, or play tennis. I’m probably going to get dissed for this opinion, but it’s based on watching my mother and her friends the entire time I was growing up, all telling each other it was “hard” to lose weight and “normal” to backslide. It’s not that hard to lose weight and it isn’t inevitable to gain it back. And I say that having lost 125 lbs and kept it off for two years so far.

amusedmonkey

No for me, possibly yes for someone who wants some structure and accountability and likes the kind of structure WW provides. I'm known to overdo "free" foods, and I dislike the high point cost of some foods that I can easily fit into my diet when I'm calorie counting. I also don't like that the same point count can vary in calories so there is a lot of uncertainty. I like numbers and accurate data, and I like that calories are easy to calculate. No convoluted point conversions.

chavala24

Hi, I wanted to comment from a slightly different perspective, as someone who isn't actively using MFP but is currently using WW. I like to track data, but found calorie counting to be stressful, time consuming, and obsessive. It was depressing to only get 1,200 calories every day, and I struggled to accurately track calories. When I set out lose weight this time, I knew I wouldn't stick with counting calories, but I also knew that tracking helped me, so I gave WW a try. It's working for me for exactly the reasons that calorie counting didn't -- it's less exacting so I can stay on track by making a reasonable estimate when needed. It's forgiving, so if I have the pizza and beer I can track it and know the point system will provide the guide rails for making up for it over the next few days. It lets me eat anything but steers me toward vegetables and fish and reminds me to cut back on cheese and sugar. I don't have a problem with the zero point foods system because I know that I can't gorge on healthy foods and expect to lose weight. Instead, I find it a helpful prod to snack on vegetables if I'm hungry between meals. I find it easier to remember how many points my favorite foods have than calories, so I can quickly estimate how much of something I can eat and stay within my points. And while a free program sounds better than one you pay for, I'm actually more likely to be committed and accountable if I have to pay (I pay ~$13/month). I don't go to meetings or eat WW foods, just use the app.

As a couple of others have said here, I think it just depends on what works best for you, which is why I wanted to share why WW works for me when MFP didn't. In general, I find the types of programs where you keep track of what you eat (WW, MFP) to be more effective for me than the kind where you eliminate food categories from your diet (low carb, keto, etc). So, in comparing WW or MFP it seems to simply boil down to how precise you like to be in tracking your food intake.