Calorie Counting Vs. Point Counting

countrylove3

I'm VERY new to MFP and I just got a FitBit as well. I have been on the weight watchers plan for years - but barely ever following it the "right" way. About 4 years ago I lost 20 lbs on WW, and then I gained 10 back, and have been teetering between those 10 ever since. I'm really stuck with deciding what to do as far as following WW or following counting calories. Doing both will drive me crazy and the only thing on WW that doesn't make any sense to me is the zero point fruit & vegetables. I was never really told how that truly works and if we think, a calorie is a calorie, doesn't it not make sense to not count fruit & vegetables when we put them in our mouth? Especially when they are considered carbs?

I'm just really confused on what would be better for me - if I cancel my WW subscription and want to go back to it, it will cost me a lot more to sign back up. However, I'm thinking that because I'm so familiar with WW, maybe I'm just scared to let go of it. I don't know...just looking for some sound advice and opinions on calorie counting vs. point counting.

Also, I have read Chris Powell's book cover to cover for some insight and inspiration. He allows "cheat" meals and/or days. I'm wondering if MFP allows a day for extra calories like Chris says, and some other plans allow.

Thanks in advance for any input/advice/answers you can give!

navyrigger46

Counting calories is free, and regardless of whether you count points or calories, fruits and veggies do in fact have calories. Don't get me wrong, WW is not a bad system, and it works in the short term for a lot of folks who are less than dedicated, but counting calories is better in my opinion. Keep in mind though, it's only worth the effort you put in.

Rigger

CindyMarcuzAdams

I have done ww in the past, lost 50 lbs. Got pregnant and blew up from there. Points are easy but mfp is accurate.
All food has calories. NOTHING is free. Mfp has an amazing data base of foods and drinks, brand names and homemade.
Give it a real try for a few weeks and see how it goes. I bet you will love it.
Read this, its got some instructions and great advise.


http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

WalkingAlong

You can download a script that makes your MFP log calc WW points.

The way 'free fruit' works is your points target assumes you're going to eat 5-8 servings of fruit and vegetables a day and so it's low. You just eat those servings without counting because they're in effect 'pre-counted'. It keeps people from choosing an Oreo instead of an apple.

sleepytexan

Former WW leader here.

WW is designed for people who don't really exercise.

WW is designed to make money for WW.

WW is designed to promote low calorie, but not necessarily high quality food (I wouldn't eat ANY of their foods--garbage chemicals).

Counting calories is easy.

MFP makes it even easier, and it's FREE.

YOU MUST EXERCISE and YOU MUST FUEL YOUR BODY ADEQUATELY to keep it strong and healthy.

Just as an example, WW points for me equal about 1200 calories. WW does not allow enough exercise points for me. What that does is make me run on too severe of a deficit, and the result is I'm tired, cranky and I plateau.

Instead, I just eat about 1700 cals per day, DO SOME KIND OF EXERCISE every day and it works much better.

blessings.

michelleepotter

You can download a script that makes your MFP log calc WW points.

The way 'free fruit' works is your points target assumes you're going to eat 5-8 servings of fruit and vegetables a day and so it's low. You just eat those servings without counting because they're in effect 'pre-counted'. It keeps people from choosing an Oreo instead of an apple.

That's actually really clever.

WalkingAlong

WW points for me equal about 1200 calories. WW does not allow enough exercise points for me. What that does is make me run on too severe of a deficit, and the result is I'm tired, cranky and I plateau.

That was true of older plans but the new ones are higher calorie levels and the 'free fruit' takes care of the people who aren't satisfied on even the higher levels. The lowest points target is 26, which is around 1040 calories on average, plus you get 49 weeklies, so another 280 calories a day, plus your free produce so figure 300-600 maybe for a hungrier person, plus your activity points, which I don't think are limited still. That alone has you at 1620-1920 calories a day, without any activity points eaten.

I'm not a big fan of the company but may as well describe the current plans.

jkal1979

Track on here for a few weeks along with tracking on the WW site. It will give you a good idea of what to expect on here along with getting familiar with the site. Even if you decide to stick with WW I highly recommend sticking around for the forums. I have learned a lot on here about general fitness that I never would have known if I would have just stuck with the WW site.

Last year I did WW for about six months. I started getting curious about macros and decided to track on here for a month. I kept two food journals (one on here, the other on their site) and was quite surprised about how much my calories could fluctuate. There were a lot of days were I would meet my points goal but be under my calorie goal.

After that month I decided to switch to here permanently. It wasn't just because of that though. Their online tracking system was in need of a serious update. I couldn't even find their own products in there a majority of the time. It didn't seem logical to pay for it when I could get a better food database here.

ETA: The good thing about MFP is that it does allow you the freedom to follow whatever plan you want. If you want a cheat day or a cheat meal you can do that.

kalyrichmond

I used WW and it worked great for me. I tried counting calories on here and kept track of my points to for a while, it was the same either way. If I was under on my points I was under on my calories. They were just about even so if you're scared to let WW go, try tracking both for a couple of weeks to get comfortable with tracking calories then make your decision at that time to either stay/leave WW.

girldownsouth

I was on ww for about a year and a half before I came on here. When it worked it worked, and I was a big fan at first, but when things happened that put me off track I found it harder and harder to get back on and I spent a lot of time losing and gaining the same pounds. At my ww lowest I'd lost about 30lb, but in Jan when I came here I was back to about 20lb lost. I decided to try both together, but only lasted about 2 days before I decided I was sticking with this. Look at my ticker, about 20lb of that is from that year and a half on ww, the rest is on here since January. I think that speaks for itself...

RodaRose

I'm VERY new to MFP and I just got a FitBit as well. I have been on the weight watchers plan for years - but barely ever following it the "right" way. About 4 years ago I lost 20 lbs on WW, and then I gained 10 back, and have been teetering between those 10 ever since. I'm really stuck with deciding what to do as far as following WW or following counting calories. Doing both will drive me crazy and the only thing on WW that doesn't make any sense to me is the zero point fruit & vegetables. I was never really told how that truly works and if we think, a calorie is a calorie, doesn't it not make sense to not count fruit & vegetables when we put them in our mouth? Especially when they are considered carbs?

I'm just really confused on what would be better for me - if I cancel my WW subscription and want to go back to it, it will cost me a lot more to sign back up. However, I'm thinking that because I'm so familiar with WW, maybe I'm just scared to let go of it. I don't know...just looking for some sound advice and opinions on calorie counting vs. point counting.

Also, I have read Chris Powell's book cover to cover for some insight and inspiration. He allows "cheat" meals and/or days. I'm wondering if MFP allows a day for extra calories like Chris says, and some other plans allow.

Thanks in advance for any input/advice/answers you can give!

I left WW because their website totally majorly stinks.

sleepytexan

WW points for me equal about 1200 calories. WW does not allow enough exercise points for me. What that does is make me run on too severe of a deficit, and the result is I'm tired, cranky and I plateau.

That was true of older plans but the new ones are higher calorie levels and the 'free fruit' takes care of the people who aren't satisfied on even the higher levels. The lowest points target is 26, which is around 1040 calories on average, plus you get 49 weeklies, so another 280 calories a day, plus your free produce so figure 300-600 maybe for a hungrier person, plus your activity points, which I don't think are limited still. That alone has you at 1620-1920 calories a day, without any activity points eaten.

I'm not a big fan of the company but may as well describe the current plans.

Thanks for the clarification. The biggest problem with such a plan remains . . . "weeklies". WW does not educate people about fueling for exercise. If you didn't take your weeklies on a day you worked out and you only ate 1040 calories, saving your weeklies for another day, or not at all (the larger the person, the more likely they are not to eat their weeklies and exercise points), you are immediately set up for low energy, crashing, fatigue, frustration . . . . and . . . . the dreaded scale upswing after a week of too low calories and a "cheat day" full of salt and sugar. (Not that everyone does that, but a whole hella lotta people do).

countrylove3

So...because I'm so new to this, may I ask...do you have any "cheat" meals or "days". If you do, how do you follow that with MFP?

sleepytexan

This may sound confusing bc you're new, sorry... I customize my goals on MFP. Rather than use MFP's default numbers and add exercise calories, I use my TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) average, and subtract a deficit of 20%. (You can read about this most accurate method here: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/).

This method gives me 1658 calories a day. I log my exercise as 1 calorie burned. I eat AROUND 1658 a day whether I have cycled 4 hours, or whether I have done absolutely nothing in terms of exercise. I don't worry about being a bit over or a bit under, but I'm careful not to go WAY under.

You can search the boards for TDEE to get a better idea, if you are so inclined, but it is really a great way to manage calories without thinking in terms of having to be good, or getting to cheat.

I think of logging as habit, and good for me. I log my dinner ahead oftentimes, so I know what treats I can fit in. If I go away for a weekend I do not stress about what calories I'm consuming, but I do make the best choices possible when eating at restaurants.

ETA: this method works really well, but truly I think you need the discipline of MEASURING (WEIGHING) and logging to make any method work. I did get away from MFP in the past year due to a family crisis, and during that year without logging I gained back my 12 lbs. I've been back on for 6 weeks and down 6 lbs. eating 1658/day at 5'4 and 46 years old. I weigh 136 today, which is pretty ok with me (photo above is me at 137 last October, and all my photos range from 129-142 lbs). I have my goal set to 130, but in all honesty since I started heavy lifting 3 years ago my weight went up but shape improved, so 133-135 is great for me. Feel free to look at my diary.

blessings.

countrylove3

It is a little confusing but I get the idea. I'm using myfitnesspal with my fitbit because I like having them linked together so putting in my activity as 1 calorie wouldn't work for me (obviously unless I unlinked them) but I'd definitely like to look into the way you're following counting calories more. Maybe once I understand it better I can start to try it.
Thanks for your input and help!

Janette3x4

You can do a cheat day, or a cheat meal, whatever. You just log it ALL in and then you can look at your weekly average. Logging all food has made me very aware of how many calories I eat, and so I have not allowed myself a real cheat day, although I have ahd a few days where I ate rather cheat-type foods.