Should stay with Weight Watchers or Leave for MFP

Booksandbeaches

I prefer MFP.

I have used WW to lose weight (under 20 pounds), but couldn't keep it off. With MFP, I have done far better. The support and great friendships I've made here keep me going. MFP is free and I love a good bargain.

brandigyrl81

I tried WW at the beginning of this year (2014). It started off okay but after a while, I couldn't figure out why I stopped losing. Eventually I realized I was eating too much sodium, which was causing me to retain water. WW was not allowing me to track all of my macros & nutrients (sodium, cholesterol, etc.) so I was over-consuming in those areas. Here's an example: according to WW, 1 dill pickle is 1 point. If WW, tracked sodium, then that pickle would probably be more like 10 points.

MFP is way better in that it allows me to track everything. My advice: don't spend any more of your money on WW.

LosingLaurensWay

The one good thing WW can offer is the close, physical community. You can find the same one on MFP but it takes much more effort. Otherwise MFP wins hands down every time.

unapologetically_crystal

i tried weight watchers ALONE many years ago. i lost a few pounds. not very much.. and i was CONSTANTLY starving. i felt so deprived. the points just werent ever enough. so then i gave up.

MFP, is amazing and i owe EVERYTHING to this website. it is the only thing that has EVER worked for me.. and i surpassed any inkling of a goal that i never knew could even happen!

figure out what you like best. the weight watcher community is more in person and that might be more beneficial to you. but there is also a great support system here too.

best of luck with your decision.

bainsworth1a

I joined and quit weight watchers many many times. I joined MFP over a year ago and also quit for a while. I am back to MFP now and really doing good. The main thing is no matter which program you are on you have to track what you are eating. I am finally willing to do that and doing it every single day. I track everything to the best of my ability. If I go over the calorie limit for the day I do not beat myself up but I know where I need to make better choices.
I never liked weighing at ww and now I just weigh myself. If I go up I know it but no one else knows. I always felt bad even if the ww leader was the only one who knew if I gained.

If you are concerned about losing the group support you have at ww just take a look at the number of comments you have.
We all support each other.

You have to see what works best for you
Good LUCK welcome aboard:flowerforyou:

bainsworth1a

i want to add one more thing about ww. I did buy their food scale a few years ago and I love it. It is so easy to measure the food I am eating on MFP using that scale. many of the nutrient counts on MFP are in ounces and some in kg. the ww scale will measure either one.

mommamisty823

I've done both, but before I had kids. Now I can't see taking time out of my day to go to meetings, and the database at MFP seems a lot more extensive. I lost 40 lbs on WW and had my first child, then lost all that weight (half of it on WW and then half on MFP after I quit WW), now after my second child I'm on the journey again. To me I can find so many better ways to spend my money.

cyalbert

I have never used WW primarily due to the cost and it is a for profit company. However, I have been a member of TOPS for years and like their approach. They are non-profit and contribute money to weight loss research. I like having to face the scales weekly and everyone is in my boat. You can count calories, count WW points whatever you want. They provide good support for keeping the weight off. Whatever you decide to do, do it for yourself and make a plan, journal your progress, how you feel, what you eat, what exercise you are doing.

SerendipitySkye

I have done both. MFP is a much better way to go for me especially now that I am doing Paleo/Primal eating.

The people I have met here are awesome......it is priceless to me!!

maoribadger

I've done WW online and MFP (plus about a million others, more of a serial dieter than a cereal dieter though I did that once too)

MFP is free to 11.95 pm for WW
MFP database is better
WW has the weekly points but tbh I just accept it if I go over my goal a day a week on MFP instead
Ive kinda fallen into the forum and I am learning LOADS on MFP
I can buy something knowing its value in calories without having to convert to points
I didnt like the fact WW didnt do half points so would have 10 points left and end up eating 11
Ca adjust my allowance depending on how quick I want to lose instead of having an ever decreasing amount of points

MFP for the win

bingo_jenn

I prefer the WW points system, but the MFP forums...

Even though it's gimmicky, I find the free fruits and vegetables take away the stress of counting. If I have a salad, I can enter in the points of all the extras, then just do a quick add for the lettuce and other veggies at 0. I don't have to worry about 3 cups of lettuce, 12 cherry tomatoes, etc.

I just do online. After a while of going to meetings, I found it was the same old thing every few weeks and I just I got tired of it.

shireeniebeanie

The WW system is an over-complicated system of calorie counting. Calories are already universal and don't require any further calculations to add up.

WW sets calories far too low, setting people up to feel hungry. "Free" foods can set people up to overeat calories.

WW's eTools site and app are slow and difficult to navigate, whereas the free tools available through MFP are more nimble and superior overall.

Plus, it’s a strange a conflict of interest when you’re teaching people to eat healthily and eat fewer processed foods, but you also sell them your line of processed foods at every meeting.

SLLRunner

I have been a Weight Watcher for a very long time and it seems like I have lodt snd gailed the same amount of weight. Wgeb I first started with weight Watchers I was excited, and then the honeymoon was over and I realized that counting points started to get a liitle troublesome for me. Especially when your points target would drop as you lost weight. I was always hungry and my mind always stayed on food. A friend told me about MFP and here I am. I have tracked on MFP and I am really enjoying it. I am now trying to decide if I am going to keep the WW membership or do MFP exclusively. Are there any people that have tried WW and if so what is your insight on the program? Thanks in advance for your words of wisdom or beliefs.

Which one works best for you? Which one is sustainable?

That's the one to choose.

fontenotR

I have had success with both WW and MFP and am currently tracking both. I have a question for those of you that have done both in regards to exercise points and exercise calories.

For example, when I eat back ALL exercise calories using MFP it exceeds (almost by double) the amount of activity points that I earned. So, personally, I cant get over the fact that I feel like I am overeatting on MFP? Does anyone else have this issue?

Archerychickge

I just can't see spending the crap-ton of money that Weight Watchers charges when I can, and did, get the same or better results with MFP for free. Plus there isn't the paid public humiliation of weekly weigh-ins like there is with WW. MFP is a workable plan that you can adapt to fit your personal needs and food preferences, whereas WW is alot more restrictive (ie their prepackaged junk).

Like the old adage says... Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?

Archerychickge

The WW system is an over-complicated system of calorie counting. Calories are already universal and don't require any further calculations to add up.

WW sets calories far too low, setting people up to feel hungry. "Free" foods can set people up to overeat calories.

WW's eTools site and app are slow and difficult to navigate, whereas the free tools available through MFP are more nimble and superior overall.

Plus, it’s a strange a conflict of interest when you’re teaching people to eat healthily and eat fewer processed foods, but you also sell them your line of processed foods at every meeting.

THIS X 1,000,000,000,000,000,000

Francl27

WW: Costs money for the meetings and other services.

MFP: Completely free.

No-brainer for me.

+1

Weightwatcher72

I'm doing WW AND MFP simultaneously, not to mention the little goal app that comes with fitbit lol

I find the meetings help a great deal and keep up the motivation for weight watchers, are you attending their meetings?

I also like the pro points as I can discard something on accept something based on the worked out points, omg no that's like 3 points for a tiny little thing or yes that's 0 points, at the same time I also input food into MFP as free foods do add up, bananas for instance are over 100 cals each but free on WW

Deannas69

I lost weight on WW and did it all online, but after I left my job I had to stop WW because of the price. I had way more success with WW then I have with MFP and find that the information that I have gotten and the habits that I created with WW has helped me to continue to lose weight. I come here for the free tracking with is the key to helping everyone lose weight. It will all come down to what you think is going to be the best for you.

purplelilac123

I downloaded an app called Points Plus Diary which was $2 on my android phone. It has a database and allows me to scan or manually calculate points. I could also do the old method but prefer the PP. I admit I do go back and forth with WW and MFP program. No matter which program i follow I get comments that I look like I lost weight. When I use WW tracking I strive to get extra activity points and eat those before my weekly points. This method feels similar to MFP. The only real difference for me is that I do eat more fruit on WW which may be healthier. I guess whichever works for you or whichever you prefer.

carolina822

I prefer the WW points system, but the MFP forums...

Even though it's gimmicky, I find the free fruits and vegetables take away the stress of counting. If I have a salad, I can enter in the points of all the extras, then just do a quick add for the lettuce and other veggies at 0. I don't have to worry about 3 cups of lettuce, 12 cherry tomatoes, etc.

I just do online. After a while of going to meetings, I found it was the same old thing every few weeks and I just I got tired of it.

This is how I feel about it too. Also I'm doing the simple start ( or whatever it's called now) and don't have to count unless it's not on the list. And it's working beautifully so far. I need to count something to stay on track but tracking everything tended to make me say forget it, plus I feel like the range in a point no less accurate than counting 15 (not 14 or 16) calories for a grape since it should more or less balance out eventually.

I have also stumbled across THE BEST leader and she is really helping motivate me to stay on track.

I do enjoy these forums though. Whatever you find that works for you is best.

Flookbird

I lost 5 stone on WW and can't speak highly enough of it. The more recent change of having daily points plus 49 weekly points has particularly struck a chord with me, in that I can 'spend' more points at weekends but gave to be 'good' the rest of the week to make up for it! That's been a really valuable lesson to me and taught me something which I hope I can sustain.

I have recently (2 months ago?) started tracking here as well as on the WW app, as I have hit my 'goal' weight with WW and wanted to try something a little easier for maintenance. I don't think I'd have done as well if I'd only used MFP since the start though and here's why:

1. The support, both online and at meetings, is not as personal here.
2. MFP is far less strict. Going under/over by 200 cals on here never feels too bad, but going under/over 'points' always felt like a big deal!
3. I feel there's too much margin for error activity-wise on here. If I'd eaten back the cals given on here due to exercise/my fitbit I'd have reduced my weight-loss dramatically! You basically have to burn 70 cals in exercise on WW to earn 40 cals of food. Here it's almost the opposite it seems?!

As a maintenance tool though, I'm finding MFP much easier, and to be honest, I'm not maintaining yet - I'm losing and have been for weeks. But I've been eating at WW 'maintenance points'.

Hope that's help to someone. I think all of this is very personal and only you can know what works best for you at a particular time in your life!