Counting Vs. WW

Browneyedgirl4

Looking for some advice. I have been on MFP for a little over three weeks and have lost 7lbs. I am very pleased about it too! I was wondering if anyone here is on Weight watchers or has ever tried it? How does it compare to counting calories? Which seems to have the best results? I am really trying to eat better. Trying my best to eat five fruit and veggies a day. I get frustrarted because I go over my calories for the day and for my snacks I have strawberries or a banana. Any and all advice is great appreciated!!!

Mateo1985

I'm all for counting calories. It's almost like math. You know what you eat and you see you lose pounds right away. This way keeps me motivating my self like crazy.

FaithandFitness

I have done both, and personally I prefer MFP. First of all it is free, but beyond that . . . I prefer knowing at the end of the day what my actual calories were, I like tracking sodium, fats, carbs and protein. I like the trends from the progress reports. I never had time to do WW meetings. I was successful when I followed WW, but I so prefer MFP for what I have already stated, plus the exercise and fitness advice. I think I am in love with this site!

Carolyn29204

I have done WW in the past and found that while I always stayed within my points allowance, I was not always making wise food choices. Using this site seems to make me pay attention to the quality of the types of food I am eating by making wiser food choices.

Boz1625

I have belonged to WW in the past, and at one time when I was very motivated I lost 40 lbs. The program works as long as you follow the guidelines. I quit because I wasn't committed to it any longer, and gained every pound plus some back.

The reason why I think WW is really great for anyone is that it teaches you to make healthier choices. Like you said, you are trying to get your 5 fruits and vegetables in each day, and if I had never been a WW member I would have never found the importance in this.

I believe that some of my success at MFP and counting calories is due to my participation in WW and learning the healthy guidelines. That background has helped me choose better food for my body, helps me choose food lower in calories, etc. I also learned portion control and I weigh and measure everything, just like you have to do as a WW member in order for the plan to work.

I think that WW is a great program, and I know that a lot of people use MFP simultaneously. For me, I just didn't see any point in tracking points and calories, and didn't want to pay for a membership any longer.

As for going over your calories, some of the things that you learn in WW really helps you stay on track. I plan my meals out as best I can the day before. Sometimes my schedule changes or I decide to go out with friends or family, but I can usually pick something when dining out that has about the same amount of calories as the meal I had planned. If it appears that I am going to go over my calories for the day, I just plan a little more time a the gym.

Planning ahead is really what saves me from self-sabotage as well.

I hope this helps. I'm a big supporter of WW, especially for people who are new to weight loss and changing the way they view food. Remember, it's not a diet, it's a lifestyle change.

Also remember, a serving of fruit/vegetable is only a 1/2 cup.

sbwood888

I have done both MFP and WW. MFP is better because it is FREE, also it is available to you 24 / 7. Anytime I need a boost, I can log on. There are people who understand right there for me all the time. Counting is counting. Whether it is points or calories, counting is counting. I will never leave MFP. I did lose 40 pounds on WW. It DOES work, don't get me wrong. But I LOVE MFP. I just TOLERATED WW. Good luck.

ATBC

I participated in WW twice in my lifetime. Overall, WW was good for me, I found that I was not committed to the program and it became a financial henderance when I began to plateau with my weight. When I started to gain the weight back, I choose to discontinue to program. I suggest that you do all you can that works for you. I have been watching my weight since I was in high school and learned that being on just one program has not kept me committed because I would always gain the weight back or I will gain more weight before I started. This time, I'm changing my LIFESTYLE because I'm ready to change me for the better.

Kutty1101

I have been a Weight Watcher member for the last 10 years. I hate to admit this, but I think I've lost and gained the same 30 lbs more than I care to admit. I joined MFP a month ago, and am really impressed. I stopped my WW membership and made the switch completely to here. I am a Cardiac RN, and I LOVE being able to see the full nutrirional value daily count. I think it helps me to eat so much healthier than WW. If I'm low in one vitamin or nutrient, I balence my food choices to compensate. Also, if I'm going over in sodium or carbs, I adjust. With the WW points, I KNOW I didn't eat quite as healthy and seemed to always choose higher sodium, higher carb foods! I'm just a MFP newbie, but like what I see! No gimmics....just the honest truth about what you put in your mouth!

mommacool

I have done WW in the past and found that while I always stayed within my points allowance, I was not always making wise food choices. Using this site seems to make me pay attention to the quality of the types of food I am eating by making wiser food choices.

I totally agree... Weight Watcher's meetings always seemed to focus on how to feed your bad habits without going over points.... low cal, fat free, and sugar free, and not always healthy. I love MFP and have had much greater success already than the same amount of time on WW last year, and this is FREE!

Sarahr73

I did weight watchers, sort of. I just bought the books and didn't pay for the plan. I found it hard to calculate everything since it wasn't all in the books whereas most of the food is on MFP. I also like that I can see my calories, carbs, protein, iron, sodium, and fat. It helps me make wiser decisions all around and I feel better lately than I have in the last year. I support counting, not ww.

veggiemuncher12

I'm doing WW right now; I need the meetings. While I like them both, I prefer MFP. :flowerforyou:

Anniepoo04

I lot 85 lbs doing WW but have put 14 pounds back on their new program does not go by calorie right now it is based more on protein and I have read a lot of the WW message boards and people are really struggling with the new program. For the most part everyone gets the same amount of points. I really like this website and it is just like WW with counting and message boards. I prefer to count calories because it seems more acurate to me.