How Can Fruit be "Free" on Weight Watchers

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bjalter
bjalter Posts: 43
in Health and Weight Loss
After 6 successful weeks on MFP (21 pounds), I cannot grasp how WW can treat fruit as point-free. On an average day, I'll eat 200-300 calories in fruit, and I count every one of those calories. I can't imagine that this is built into your points total, because there are surely many WW members who don't eat any fruit at all -- and get the same number of points. When they switched to this new version of the plan, the leaders made it a point to reassure everybody that "yes, even bananas are free".... If WW is just another, albeit patented, method of counting calories, this just doesn't compute.
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Replies

  • ChantalGG
    ChantalGG Posts: 2,404 Member
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    They will change it when it fails.
  • amw8675309
    amw8675309 Posts: 95 Member
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    from what i've heard, it's not unlimited free. you are able to have x number of servings that are "free" which really means it's built into the equation for you, you just don't count it

    they changed everything around to make it seem like you are eating more food--they tried to build in veggies and fruits as being "free" so that peole didnt game teh system and hoard their points to eat junk while skipping out on fruits and vegetables
  • spinurbuttoff
    spinurbuttoff Posts: 74
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    That one of the reasons WW didn't work for me...I ate WAY too much fruit. I figured why not...it's free. Nothing is free.
  • kao708
    kao708 Posts: 813 Member
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    Yeah, I think it's basically to get people to eat more fruits and veggies. If you feel like you don't have to "waste" points on fruit, you might be prone to eat more...at least I think that is what their thought process was. Who knows if it will work or not...time will tell!
  • Crooks0204
    Crooks0204 Posts: 189
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    My husband and I both tried the new WW points plus system and neither one of us had any good results with it! So came came back to MFP.............shoulda never left:huh:
  • bjalter
    bjalter Posts: 43
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    No, that's not how it works. They just tell you to not eat till you're stuffed, but otherwise fruit really is points-plus-free...
  • hazelnutflav
    hazelnutflav Posts: 391 Member
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    the key is moderation,fresh fruit is 100% all natural not a processed food so its considered free, also my thinking is most people dont over eat fruit like they do other "junk"foods so it should not be a problem eat as much as you want, which im sure will be very little:/
  • agleckle
    agleckle Posts: 235 Member
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    Well before, when I was signed up under the old system of weight watchers, fruit was super point-y and it made you want to limit your fruit. Now under their new system, I think they are trying to encourage people to eat fruits by making it point-free while trying to bank on the fact that people won't go crazy and eat too much fruit (since people generally binge on junk food rather than healthy things like fruit). I personally dont see how it will work if people actually take advantage of it and eat a ton of fruit along with their regular calories each day, either.
  • VeganGal84
    VeganGal84 Posts: 938 Member
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    It wasn't a free-for-all with the fruit on WW. It's only until satisfied, just like zero-points veggies. Not permission to binge-eat on bananas.

    I lost just fine on the PointsPlus program, eating 2 or 3 pieces of fruit daily on average.
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
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    My friend is a ww couselor and said the "free" is really substantially aimed at people who don't eat fruits and veggies at all to get them into the habit of eating them. I don't know how successful free fruit really is, because I eat a lot of calories in fruit, but I definitely see it as one of the limitations in ww. I can ride the veggie train, there are so few calories in most veggies, but fruit I just don't agree with.
  • swinginchandra
    swinginchandra Posts: 418 Member
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    the key is moderation,fresh fruit is 100% all natural not a processed food so its considered free, also my thinking is most people dont over eat fruit like they do other "junk"foods so it should not be a problem eat as much as you want, which im sure will be very little:/
    hahah, wow, how different I am from most people... I could easily eat 3k calories in fruit a day. Have before, I'm sure. Whole bags of cherries, cartons of strawberries... love love love me some fruit. If it wasn't so expensive, I'd probably eat nothing else.
  • amw8675309
    amw8675309 Posts: 95 Member
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    No, that's not how it works. They just tell you to not eat till you're stuffed, but otherwise fruit really is points-plus-free...

    "stuffed" and satisfied are 2 different things. i guaruntee weight watchers is not advocating eatching fruit until you are "stuffed" i've done the proram a number of times and they always advocate eating until satisfied, but no further than that.

    also, as i mentioend before, i am sure they are factoring in people will eat an average of xxx calories in fruits/veggies a day and adjusting points targets accordingly so that you are still essentially eating teh same amount. yes, some people will over do it and not lose weight... but that could be said for any diet
  • EdensMummy
    EdensMummy Posts: 106 Member
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    It's free on Slimming World too, always has been.
  • amberc1982
    amberc1982 Posts: 468 Member
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    When I did weight watchers it would acutally start adding points if you went over a serving of certain fruits and veggies in one day. Like I would eat Birds Eye steamfresh corn and it would add a point if I ate over the standard serving amount. It also stats on the site that they only recommend you eat so many zero point items.
  • Tracysteele
    Tracysteele Posts: 7 Member
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    just joined mfp: we have same start and goal within a couple pounds--163 towards 133. I love your trackers.
  • voluptas63
    voluptas63 Posts: 602 Member
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    I lost 45lbs on WW and I never counted a single fruit or vegetable (unless it was a starchy veg like corn or potato). It just worked for me:)
  • VickiMitkins
    VickiMitkins Posts: 249 Member
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    IMO its just another marketing ploy to get people to buy more program materials.... Sorry so negative, but really why in the world would you count points instead of calories? It's actually more confusing. It's a formula based on calories, fat and fiber. By making it complicated people need to purchase materials (or pay for web access) so they will be able to follow what is supposed to be a super simple plan. And, why would WW license food manufacturers to say how many points WW gives each of its foods. Believe me, those manufaturers pay for the right to say WW Point total 3. It's big time marketing. I don't even have a degree in marketing. It's just that obvious.
  • sarah829522
    sarah829522 Posts: 139
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    co-workers on WW eat kitkats after their baggies of grapes. i just sigh silently and agree fruit shouldn't be totally "free"
  • bjalter
    bjalter Posts: 43
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    IMO its just another marketing ploy to get people to buy more program materials.... Sorry so negative, but really why in the world would you count points instead of calories? It's actually more confusing. It's a formula based on calories, fat and fiber. By making it complicated people need to purchase materials (or pay for web access) so they will be able to follow what is supposed to be a super simple plan. And, why would WW license food manufacturers to say how many points WW gives each of its foods. Believe me, those manufaturers pay for the right to say WW Point total 3. It's big time marketing. I don't even have a degree in marketing. It's just that obvious.
  • bjalter
    bjalter Posts: 43
    Options
    IMO its just another marketing ploy to get people to buy more program materials.... Sorry so negative, but really why in the world would you count points instead of calories? It's actually more confusing. It's a formula based on calories, fat and fiber. By making it complicated people need to purchase materials (or pay for web access) so they will be able to follow what is supposed to be a super simple plan. And, why would WW license food manufacturers to say how many points WW gives each of its foods. Believe me, those manufaturers pay for the right to say WW Point total 3. It's big time marketing. I don't even have a degree in marketing. It's just that obvious.

    Big time marketing indeed. Have you seen how they push all those unhealthy candy bars on their members, and at ridiculous prices too. There are so many cheaper, healthier snack options (many involving chocolate) out there (e.g., Luna bars, Kashi bars, Clif bars, Balance bars, etc.)

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