Weight Watchers VS Calorie Counting

Reinventi0n

I have been a member of Weight Watchers on and off for several years now. On my most recent attempt, I have lost about 40 pounds with WW. I still have about 20 pounds to go. I have been on MFP on and off as well. Right now I have somewhat stalled in losing weight and I am wondering if I should convert to strictly calorie counting or continue with WW.

Each program has it's pros and cons. For WW, I truly enjoy going to the weekly meetings and the accountability that the weight ins provide. However, I have grown tired of the points plus system and find it tedious to have to calculate a points value for each food, especially when it comes to eating out. With MFP, I like the tracking aspects; I feel that counting calories much simpler than points and gives me a better idea of how much I am eating.

I am wondering if there is anyone that has tried both plans and might be able to give me some insight into which plan I should stick with or if I should try following both plans for the time being. I'm interested in any input you may have. Thanks!

Veil5577

I prefer MFP... because it's free.

BeautyFromWithin

I was a WW member and lost 61lbs while I was still in high school as a heavy teenager. Between high school and college I had stopped going to meetings and gained more than half of what I lost back, because I wasn't tracking everything according to point values. I was trying to just do it in my head.

So, when I heard of MFP, I decided to try it and I LOVE it. I believe its been 3 years or so for me on here and I have maintained (pretty much give or take 10lbs) my goal weight. I love that it is free and that it has a food diary and app that I can use from my smart phone to hold me accountable. It got me through college. Also, in place of meetings - the forums (here!) are a great place for answers to questions and support! It's just a bigger support group.

I much better prefer MFP because I feel like its much more of a lifestyle change than a diet.

PennyHartz

I used WW years ago, but I did it online, so I can't speak to the level of motivation one receives from meetings. Strictly in terms of the apps/ program, MFP wins out big time. First of all, it is so much easier to find the nutritional information you need on MFP because their database (due to users sharing info) is so much more comprehensive than WW. I felt like with WW, I would get frustrated when I couldn't figure out the points value of a food, so I would just scrap the whole day. I have never had a difficult time tracking with MFP; my husband and I went to a food festival recently and were able to find at least one similar entry for every single thing we ate. Second of all, MFP makes it simple, which is what it should be. I felt like WW was always changing their program and introducing "the next big thing", which they have to do to keep people coming back. Third, MFP is free.

Kalikel

You should stick with what you like and what makes you happiest.

Some people weigh every bit of food and do math calculations to set a number they eat up or down to. Some skip that.

Some eat McDonald's. Some eat healthy.

Some eat all day, others want one big meal.

Some eat when their hungry and stop when they're full.

It's all about what works for YOU. You know you best...What do you want to do? (Do that.)

WalkingAlong

Like you said, there are good things and bad things about both. It's just up to you.

Do you have MFP set up to calc Points? That might help you do both for a while or flip flop back and forth between the two.

dayone987

I like that MFP gives macros (protein, fat and carb) as well as calories.

jbates62

I like MFP because I tend to eat junk on WW bc I don't see my graph of fats, protein and carbs! I like the results better with this.

krennie8

I think if you ask here people will say calorie counting and if you ask there they'll say weight watchers.

I'm a math person. Calories make sense to me in a way their points system does not. In the end you'd hope they do a similar job.

My roommate is on WW and she does like it a lot. And when I complain about 100 calories for an apple or for a glass of orange juice she proudly states, "this is why I love WW". Now that's fine, but I don't like that so-called "unhealthy" food is penalized and "healthy" food given a free pass. None of it's calorie free and I don't believe that for me it would allow me to make good choices in the future if that line of thinking became ingrained in me.

Edit: i have not tried WW, only looked at it b/c my roommate was trying to convince me to start it.

dandelyon

Maybe you can get your accountability/socializing fix here on the forums or by adding some friends. Otherwise, why not do both? Attend meetings and log food in a way that makes sense to you.

hill8570

Either approach will work if you take it seriously (i.e., you can cheat either system). Only you know if you're the type of person would needs / likes the meeting thing. My wife like the meetings, and does weight watchers. Meetings bore me, so I do MFP. We're both losing weight.

RodaRose

You could do both for a little while. You could go back and form (OK to quit WW and pick it up again later.)
I love the points system and WW teaches people to eat nutrient dense foods but MFP is better for someone who is looking for exactness. And MFP has a better website.

RodaRose

..

Bananafish06

*Oops, replied to wrong post

szkodzt

Here is my two cents:

I used WW for many years (not continuously) and lost weight several times with the program. I liked that it worked and I feel that it is a really good program for people who know nothing about hunger cues, portion sizes, etc. However, for me, it felt way to "diet-y." I didn't like how it centered so much around the scale and really didn't push the fitness side at all (this may just have been my experience and meetings). Both times I lost significant amounts of weight but I didn't feel "healthy."

When I got to my highest weight ever after having my third child, I thought back to all my various journeys and realized that I was in the best shape of my life when I was just eating heathier things in smaller portions and working out and lifting weights (not following any program). I decided to stop weighing myself and start working out. I am counting calories because I really think I have ruined myself with hunger cues, etc, so I need that to stay on track. A month and a half in I am down a couple of dress sizes and feeling great.

MFP feels like something I could do forever (I don't feel like I am DOING anything, just living healthy). WW felt like a diet.

Bananafish06

"Do you have MFP set up to calc Points?"

How do you do this?

afortunatedragon

At the end it is the same thing.
It doesn't make any difference if you count calories or points.
You will not go to meetings anymore and save some money.

chutaro

WW did not work for me because I overeat EVERYTHING including fruits and vegetables. WW awards zero points for fruits and vegetables. I was eating WAY too many calories in fruit and vegetables so I ended up gaining on WW. I am losing with MFP. I think it depends on your eating patterns. My friends are losing weight on WW but they will eat 5 mini peppers at a time and I will eat 18 for 150 calories and that is just the beginning of my over indulgence. Good luck to you!

joepage612

Hi I never used WW but when you say you enjoy the meetings I totaly get that and have maybe a suggestion for you.
you can go to over-eaters anonymous (OE) meetings for FREE and then use MFP for FREE.
Even if you don't consider yourself an over-eater the meetings are there for us free of charge and you can get the type of meetings you like.

Sora4ever

I used to use WW before they upgraded to the point plus system (and honestly it worked just fine). My mom used to do it, and when she stopped, she gave me her stuff so I could do it on my own. So it was free for me. About 5 years ago, I was able to lose 25 pounds in a few short months, and I've still kept that weight off. MFP tracks calories, while WW calculates points based off of calories, carbs, fat, protein and fiber (if I remember correctly - it's been 5 years). I remember WW being really easy to use. I had a slider that would give me the point value, and I would write everything down in a notebook and it really worked. Unfortunately, I've yet to lose much weight by only tracking calories, but of course I'll keep giving MFP a chance.

BiancaMariaBerg

I used to do WW as well and lost 30 pounds back on their old program. Now after being pregnant and gaining 52 pounds I gave it a shot again and it did not work for me at all.. apparently WW changed their program. Logging onto here and writing down what I was eating on WW I was shocked to discover that on some days I ate only 900-1000 cals a day but went over my points on WW big time. WW gives a higher amount of points for foods they consider as 'not as optimal/healthy'. I am on a paleo diet with focuses on lot's of veggies, fruits, proteins and fats. The problem is that fats and protein gives a lot of WW points. To make a long story short my body held onto the weight on WW and I ended up gaining weight. I dropped WW and only use MFP now

Beccas_Life

I've used WW off and on for years and am now trying MFP... honestly, I prefer MFP ~ the food database is a lot better, it's free, and the people on here have been very supportive. With that said, maybe you should try both simultaneously to see which one you prefer It's all about your comfort level.

jkal1979

I was on WW last year (meetings and online) and after six months I switched to here after deciding to log onto this account and track my macros. I tracked on both for about a month and within a few weeks I decided to cancel my WW membership. The thing that really sold me on it was how much better this site is. The food database is bigger and items are easier to find and on top of that it's free. WW's outdated website and food database was always a pain.

Another thing that I like about MFP is that their forums are a lot more active and not restricted like the one on the WW website. At least here people can share links.

One more thing that really stood out was that after I started reading the forums on MFP was the lack of emphasis on fitness with WW. The only time it was really promoted was when their Active Link was on sale. It just made more sense for me to switch to a better product that I didn't even have to pay for.

silencioesoro

I loved WW - it was the first thing that clicked for me when I was young. I lost 92 pounds with it, but the problem was that it got so costly. Also, I had a different sense of accountability.

Now, I use MFP only because I can use what I learned from WW and apply it to my meals. Both ways worked for me. It's about what makes sense to you.

WalkingAlong

"Do you have MFP set up to calc Points?"

How do you do this?

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/822197-how-to-track-weight-watchers-points-on-mfp?hl=weight+watchers+points&page=19#posts-20300387

jkal- I totally agree.

Bianca- It's not the protein the Points calc penalizes, it's just the fat. They encourage protein and fiber. Alcohol now has a big penalty, too.

verptwerp

***** "However, I have grown tired of the points plus system and find it tedious to have to calculate a points value for each food, especially when it comes to eating out. With MFP" ******

Uh-oh ...... not a good thing to see/hear the words "tired" and "tedious" ........ when we start to feel that way, then it's time to change things up a bit ....... kick it up a notch, as Emeril says !

But no matter what we do, we NEVER give up, we keep on truckin' !

Best of luck to you :drinker:

lstkchri

If you can afford WW, there is nothing wrong with using that for the meetings and support that you get, while using MFP for your tracking of calories. No one has to know that you are not using the points system. This way, you can get what you need from each - having a personal program that suits your needs. Good luck!

WW_Jude_V2

Weight Watchers worked miracles for me. I didn't consider it expensive as I stopped putting out extra money for crappy food and instead directed that cash towards my monthly WW cost.

Once I lost all my excess weight and was able to maintain, Weight Watchers was free to attend.

I don't know too much about the new Point Plus system as I was a member in the old days where fruit had points attached, and most, but not all, veggies were 0.

I did Point tracking and MFP together for the first couple of weeks here but discovered that MFP was quite a bit easier and I could monitor my specific intake a lot better. I learned how to eat what I considered quality foods on WW and MFP helped me see that I'm on the right track.

I think pretty much anything will work as long as you're eating what your body needs and it doesn't feel like a burden to keep it up.

rivka_m

I prefer WW but it's really individual preference. I find points easier to deal with than calories. I know I have 10 points left for the rest of the day and I know what my usual foods are, point-wise. Plus it encourages me to eat fruits and veggies, and I need that encouragement. I'm not one to overindulge on produce - if I were, WW would not be for me.

I do like MFP for keeping track of protein. And the fact that it's free. But WW works better for me.

jdhcm2006

I used WW to kick start my weight loss and I did enjoy it. It was simple, I didn't have to shell out excess cash for their food (I did JC back in college - and lost with them as well).

I decided to start using MFP when my plan with WW was coming to an end, and found that I liked it better. But do whatever works best for you, I did WW online, so I never went to a meeting. I'm not someone who needs extra encouragement, but when I do, I come here or my Insanity FB workout group.

You can do both, like others have suggested. You wouldn't be putting out any excess cash bc MFP is free.

fishingwoman

I prefer MFP... because it's free


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