Weight Watchers-OMG!!!!

mandykasase

Back in sept, i decided i needed to lose weight and lead a healthier lifestyle so i started my journey by joining the university gym (which was very cheap) and worked out 2-3 times a week. Then in oct i got a personal plan to help me lose the weight and i have been dropping a comfortable 1lb a week and i have lost 14lbs so far (i put on a little over xmas)
Were am i going with this? well i booked a holiday in spain for April with my sister and that kept me going. I hit a wall a month ago and wasn't losing much so during my Body MOT at the doctors i mentioned i was trying to lose weight but i had plataued. She suggested i might benefit from a weight loss program so curtesy of the wonderfull NHS, i sighned up with weight watchers on a 12 week programme. I went for my first meeting yesterdays and (here it comes) OH MY GOD, it's so much hard work with their points and calculating and weekly points. The only way i can keep up with it is if i just ate weight watchers products. I broke a sweat just reading the material. How do people do this long term. I only have about 6 weeks till my holiday and i just want a few more pounds off so i can comfortably wear a swimsuit and enjoy the beach without Greenpeace trying to throw me back in as good deed for the day.
i fully intend on continueing with MFP as it is better and easier to do and losing 1lb a week means in a year i could lose 4 stone wich is my goal.
How do WW members do this s**t without filling up on ready meals or simply having 0 point fruit or veg for 6 weeks?

1113cw

I personally never really understood the whole WW points crap and what's free and what's not and how many points I was allotted, etc, etc. I joined last fall and abruptly quit for the same reasons you describe; it was just way too complicated. I like this site much better, much easier... I have a calorie goal each day and have to stay under it no matter what I decide to eat. And let's face it, bonus that MFP is also free!

EmmaRankmore

Yep I totally agree - I understand that the WW programs work for some people who need the absolute discipline and focus that points counting provides, but it confuses the complete crap outta me and makes me too frustrated lol :P

I much prefer a calorie goal - I know that I have a goal to stick to, and if I go over, I need to work it off. Much more simple and gives me a lot more freedom. I feel as though I would resent the program completely if it didnt allow me to eat certain things, so I'm sticking to MFP instead and just watching my calorie count. Have lost 11lbs this way so far, so it must be working lol

catcrazy

There was a lady who posted on here recently, she had been doing WW and lost nothing, found MFP so tried to run the 2 together, entered her food that she was allowed with her 29 points and discovered she was eating way more calories than MFP recommended to maintain.

Some things are free...but really only water should be free because I can quite happily tuck away 300+ calories in veg away. If I ate 1200 calories but then ate another 300 in veg I would not be losing weight!

anna_b1

While so many have been successful on WW (my sister has lost over 60 pds on it and swears by it still even though she's stalled), I agree that it seems almost illogical to join when there are places like MFP around. I think what attracts people to WW is the fact that weigh-ins make them accountable to themselves and to their leaders and that seems to keep them on track. For me personally, I've always found that I feel accountable to myself and to MFP friends anyway, but that's me. Then there are others who like the meeting part of WWs. They feel they need to connect "live" with people also trying to lose weight. For me though, I really do feel a connection to my friends on here even if they aren't my friends "in real life". We've built a true kinship along the way.

Ultimately, I still think MFP does it right when it comes to losing weight. It's calories in, calories out that determines our weight loss, gain or maintenance. It's foolish to think vegetables or fruit can ever be "free" when an apple I ate could be worth about 90 calories. I can't help but feel that this new program that WW has started is a way to prevent people from doing it for free on their own. After all, the previous Points calculators were readily availabe online. I'm not suggesting this is the only reason WW revamped their program, but I think it's at least partially responsible.

In the end, however, each person must choose for themselves. This is what works for me, but if others need WW and it works for them, that's cool. As long as we're working towards looking and feeling better, it's all good.

kajunsarah

I did WW from April 2010 to Nov 2010 and that was their old point program where you counted you fruits with points and I lost 30 lbs but when they started their new Point Plus program and fruits were free I started to gain weight. Since then my daughter introduced me to this site and I am back on track with loosing weight. I have lost 5 lbs so far! I agree I can pack away fruits and that will also pack calories. And counting points was kind of confusing at times.

jodazary

i personally could not do the points thing with weight watchers but my daughter in law did it 2 summers ago lost 45lbs and she looks wonderful she has managed to keep it off and i guess the points system clicked with her because she continues to eat by it although she does go over every now and then but this is much easier and i can eat what i want as long as i keep it under my calories with my job im on my feet running around all day so usually i still have around 800 cal to go when i head to bed at night

grneyety

The points become second nature after a while. Also it's similar to this site in that it offers support. I tried doing the new Points Plus in conjunction with this site but it was too time consuming for me. The idea behind making veggies and fruit 0 points is that a lot of people when faced with a 2 point deficit they need to fill will pick up a less than nutritious choice. I understand where you're coming from, everyone is different. Hope you enjoy this site and get the results you're looking for.

julie4760

MFP is so much better and if you have to use mainly ww products let me tell you it's all processed and bad for you, watched a programme recently on what they put into some products and it turned my stomach especially as one of them is in effect wallpaper paste yuck

susiewusie

I did slimming world ,vouchers from docs ,stuck to it and was up and down like a yo yo ,so decided to come back here ,I thought I would put a days worth of sw food in my diary omg :frown: no wonder I couldnt lose weight all theose "free" foods really add up to a lot !
Yet some people seem to lose tons of weight on it and I just dont know how they do it .

mandykasase

plus i don't get how they just give members a blanket figure regardless of their age or lifestyle. There were four of use who joined and we all got the same points allocation, i am 35, one lady was in her late fifties and another was in her twenties and quite big. Surely we should have different point allocated to us. I'll give it a try from monday but i'm not under any misgiuded notion that this will work longterm. At least it's only for 6weeks and i still have MFP.

coxy1968

I did slimming world ,vouchers from docs ,stuck to it and was up and down like a yo yo ,so decided to come back here ,I thought I would put a days worth of sw food in my diary omg :frown: no wonder I couldnt lose weight all theose "free" foods really add up to a lot !
Yet some people seem to lose tons of weight on it and I just dont know how they do it .
Hi I also did slimming world and lost 10 pounds over 5 months which is not a lot at all, i kept maintaining and gaining here and there and I have to say hand on heart I was following the plan to the letter..My sis in law to be introduced me to this site and in 4 weeks i have lost 12 lbs and I am over the moon with that.

I will alsways count calories now as my preferred weightloss method and I guess i will have to up my calorie intake to maintain once I am at goal.

DenShort

WW online is quite like MFP but obviously not free. different things work for different people though hey!?

I can't belive that you had your WW subscription paid for by the NHS, I think that is outrageous to be honest! Sorry, things like that really irritate me!

loupammac

I found the old system really easy to use but different strokes for different folks. I much prefer MFP The community is great and I love the exercise log as well. Hope you have fun on your holiday!!

mandykasase

WW online is quite like MFP but obviously not free. different things work for different people though hey!?

I can't belive that you had your WW subscription paid for by the NHS, I think that is outrageous to be honest! Sorry, things like that really irritate me!

well i have paid taxes and NI since i was 16 so i am not mooching off anyone, but just so you know, They only offer the scheme if your bmi is over 30 as in the longterm it is cheaper than treating heart disease and diabetes. And it's not long term it is for 12 weeks and by then you should know how to keep it off youself.

mamareese

I did WW before I got pregnant with my 1st kiddo. I found it very helpful and lost 15lbs. It was a system that I did with a couple of family members so it became second nature. However, I do prefer MFP. Not that both don't require ALOT of tracking. Either way you go your either looking points values up for WW or getting on the computer to input what you ate to log your calories. But had I known about MFP when I started WW - I probably would have given this ago because it is Free and there is such a broad community. I always felt uncomfortable because I was the youngest person there and couldn't relate to alot of the topics the ladies talked about - they were wonderful ladies - we were just on different tracks!

cabbie461

"The only way i can keep up with it is if i just ate weight watchers products".
Which are very high in sugars and sodium as are most packaged products.
Will work for some but not others.
Regarding fruits paste the following into your browser and read on:

http://www.howmuchsugar.com/

http://www.howmuchsugar.com/resources/Documents/A Teaspoon Guide to Fruits and Berries.pdf

From David Guillespies site on the dangers of fructose.

MLG010105

It's really not that hard at all. WW has an online tracker just like MFP. You type in the name of the food you ate (or are planning to eat), and it gives you the points value and adds it to your tracker/diary for you.

I'm on WW, and I've been on plan for twelve weeks without ever eating a single pre-packaged or WW item. It's only as hard as you make it.

Good luck with your weightloss!

Jasmine_Moonstone

It's really not that hard at all. WW has an online tracker just like MFP. You type in the name of the food you ate (or are planning to eat), and it gives you the points value and adds it to your tracker/diary for you.

I'm on WW, and I've been on plan for twelve weeks without ever eating a single pre-packaged or WW item. It's only as hard as you make it.

Good luck with your weightloss!

I agree with this. I am also on Weight Watcher's. I am not paying for it either. I am however using the old system. I have done it in the past & know how it works. I have bought a few Weight Watchers products, but 99.9% of what I have & am eating is regular food. I found/find it very helpful to buy the set of books & calculator. Also after being on it for so long I remember alot of things points value, like a banana is 2 points, a small or medium apple is 1 point, large apple is 2 points.

It does take a little time to get used to counting the points, but after a couple of weeks, it just becomes second nature. I have also lost 17.8lbs since January 1st. I can not afford to pay for the meetings, so I do not. I use this site to track my weight loss & my excercize.

I think that just like MFP you just have to get used to it. It really is easy after a week or 2. Good Luck!

mandykasase

unfortunately i don't have the luxury of the online tracker on my scheme and so i have to write things down and i have to calculate my meals manually because unlike MFP were i log my meals according to how much or what i eat, it's not that easy with WW as i have to look in the little book to see how many points something is before i eat it. but i guess i'll have to get used to it somehow. I figured if i measure and cook all my meals in advance i can keep on top of things. I guess i'm just a bit slow or thick! but with MFP it just came naturaly. for eg. i have 40g of bran flakes or 80g of oat porridge for breakfast but i have to change my measurements for WW.

mandykasase

It's really not that hard at all. WW has an online tracker just like MFP. You type in the name of the food you ate (or are planning to eat), and it gives you the points value and adds it to your tracker/diary for you.

I'm on WW, and I've been on plan for twelve weeks without ever eating a single pre-packaged or WW item. It's only as hard as you make it.

Good luck with your weightloss!

I agree with this. I am also on Weight Watcher's. I am not paying for it either. I am however using the old system. I have done it in the past & know how it works. I have bought a few Weight Watchers products, but 99.9% of what I have & am eating is regular food. I found/find it very helpful to buy the set of books & calculator. Also after being on it for so long I remember alot of things points value, like a banana is 2 points, a small or medium apple is 1 point, large apple is 2 points.

It does take a little time to get used to counting the points, but after a couple of weeks, it just becomes second nature. I have also lost 17.8lbs since January 1st. I can not afford to pay for the meetings, so I do not. I use this site to track my weight loss & my excercize.

I think that just like MFP you just have to get used to it. It really is easy after a week or 2. Good Luck!

fresh fruit and most veg is 0 points now so i have to remember that they still have calories so the idea that i can as much as i want id a bit misleading.