Review of MFP v. WW apps/websites

nerdieprofessor

Since I have been a long time user of WeightWatchers.com and of the WW iPhone app, I thought some would find a comparison of the WW and MFP apps useful. One of my MFP friends asked me to write about it, so here it is.

I was pretty used to the WW system after many years of using the website and a year of using the iPhone app. The MFP app took me some time to learn completely. However, having used the MFP app and the MFP website for 10 solid days straight now, I can truthfully say that I like the MFP app (and website) better than WW. I'm amazed I'm saying that, really, as I've been using WW on and off for a very long time.

If one is used to the MFP website, the app might takes some practice since it works a bit differently than the website (as most apps should because of screen size and such so as to be mobile friendly). It took me some time to figure out how to do a few things that I was doing easily on the website (like looking up nutritional info before I eat). However, now I've pretty much become efficient at using the MFP app.

The best thing about MFP versus WW is the MFP website (and app) seems to have so many more detailed food entries. I have looked up so many foods, including odd brands and restaurants (fast food and regular mid-range chain restaurants) and movie theater snacks, and found almost every item I was looking for. I have checked the accuracy of quite a few food items nutritional information and found only two errors so far (both of which I corrected). It's so easy to track ALL of my food, even on a bad day with eating out too much, I can still see the calorie (and other variables) totals and adjust my other meals accordingly.

The other thing I like better about MFP's website is the way the friends function works, which is very similar to using Facebook. I was invited here by an online friend and now have a network of MFP friends, many of whom I know from a professional networking website. Since these folks have other things in common with me, beyond weightloss/fitness goals, it's more compelling to come here, at least for me, than it was for me to go to weightwatchers.com.

I don't believe WW's website has a friends-type function, unless they've added it very recently. MFP is more like social networking with the fitness/weightloss flavor, than weightloss/fitness only (WW).

Adjusting to the calories and such sort of calculations of MFP took some getting used to since I'd been using the WW points systems for many years, but now I think I like it better. At the very least, I'm now comfortable with it.Of course, WW updates how the points system works every few years, which temporarily confuses me. MFP is using calories and such, which have no need to be changed to a new system. Standardization is good.

Additionally, the MFP app seems very stable. I have had occasional trouble with the WW app crashing on the iPhone. The MFP synchronization process (so that what's on your MFP iPhone app will be the same as what's on your MFP account at the website) seems to be quick and seamless as well.

Of course, MFP is free and the WW app/website are $12.95 a month, or something like that (if you aren't also going to meetings, which I am not).

I hope some folks find this useful.

hunni70

Thanks for that really useful information! :flowerforyou:

nerdieprofessor

You are welcome, Hunni! :bigsmile:

Ptarmigan74

Appreciate it!

I think I prefer WW points, but now that I've discovered the social networking aspect of this, I can't let it go. For me, points kind of makes it into a fun fantasy game rather than being as dry and plain as calorie-counting is, but when I do both, they don't layer well mentally even though they're actually pretty compatible. I was also loving the free fruit on WW - I hope I can keep up my fruit habit if I switch.

justimogen

Thank you so much for taking the time to document that!

nerdieprofessor

Appreciate it!

I think I prefer WW points, but now that I've discovered the social networking aspect of this, I can't let it go. For me, points kind of makes it into a fun fantasy game rather than being as dry and plain as calorie-counting is, but when I do both, they don't layer well mentally even though they're actually pretty compatible. I was also loving the free fruit on WW - I hope I can keep up my fruit habit if I switch.

I thought I enjoyed WW points best, as well. But, after 10 days of using MFP religiously, I like calories (and the other things I can measure here) better.

I may try to document the technical differences better between the two apps, perhaps, though.