Why Weight Watchers doesn’t work? 5 reasons

ProTFitness

I knew this article would get some peoples panties in a bunch. I manage to do that from time to time.

All I am promoitng is Lifestlye not gimmics. Eating Good Clean healthy foods and workingout/ active life style is the way to go. NOt to depend on gimmics or short term solutions for long term results.

CraftyGirl4

Weight Watchers works. If it doesn't it must have been my imagination that is was just voted one of the top weight loss plans... Weight Watchers helps you learn to eat less high calorie, high fat foods and more nutrient dense, lower calorie foods by assigning more points to the higher calorie foods and fewer points to the lower calorie foods. And their entire system is based on moderation. Moderation is key in ANY lifestyle. Forgive me if I want to have pizza once in awhile or a doughnut. I have a damn degree in Nutrition. I know it's not the best food in the world for me, but you know what, I'm going to it and I'm not going to feel bad about it or make anyone else feel bad about their doughnut. Food is not the enemy. It's one part of a larger, healthy lifestyle. And Weight Watchers helps many people realize that they can indulge in something they want, but it's not going to be an everyday thing.

KHaverstick

All I am promoitng is Lifestlye not gimmics. Eating Good Clean healthy foods and workingout/ active life style is the way to go. NOt to depend on gimmics or short term solutions for long term results.

Yep. Same things that WW promotes.

I made the switch to MFP from WW Online for a few reasons: the mobile app was better, it was FREE, and you can better track other nutrients, such as fiber and calcium intake. Otherwise, nothing else is different...I still exercise, make the right nutritional choices, etc. MFP just uses calories, where WW uses points (which are based on calories/fat/fiber, rather than just calories). That's the ONLY difference.

ckmama

I knew this article would get some peoples panties in a bunch. I manage to do that from time to time.

All I am promoitng is Lifestlye not gimmics. Eating Good Clean healthy foods and workingout/ active life style is the way to go. NOt to depend on gimmics or short term solutions for long term results.

First let me say, i'm not a fan of WW b/c I think it is a "middle man". But I can tell from my own personal experience that it isn't a gimmick. It is based on calories in and calories out. Had you ever been to a meeting you would know they promote clean eating in all of their introduction materials, and encourage members to choose the right foods.

The only difference between WW and MFP is that WW has turned calories into points using a calculation. See a middle man. How people use it or abuse it is up to them, the same way MFP or any weight loss system is.

otr12

Only 37.2% kept within 5lb of their goal weight after 5 years.

This seems like a good success rate after 5 years to me. I'd like to know how many people decide to change to a healthy diet and regular exercise and are still keeping it up 5 years later. How many people keep within 5lbs of their goal weight 5 years after surgeries like lap bands and stomach stapling? I don't know what the number is but I'm certain that if you take all the people that join a gym for the first time, and check back 5 years later, significantly less than 37.2% are still attending.

I don't know much about WW but using the above quoted statistic to argue that it doesn't work is a poor choice. This article also has significant redundancies and throws around a lot of unsupported "facts" that the reader is expected to accept as common knowledge. True or not, this is a poorly formed argument. Believing things like this, and distributing them for others to believe, is contributing to the ignorance of our society.

Qarol

hmm, I don't trust articles that deal in absolutes. Weight Watchers can and does work for some. (And my diet isn't even close to what would be allowed on WW.) It doesn't do all these things in this article for all people. There is no one best way for everyone. I, personally, don't care for personal trainers. I'm sure there are some good ones out there, but I've had bad ones.

You need to figure out what works best for you. That's not always easy to do. But trying WW first is not a bad idea for some.

fbmandy55

Excuse me,but weight watches does work. When I was with weightwatches I lost 80lbs in 7months. I exercised daily and watched what I ate. I have friends currently on weightwatchers and it is working perfectly for them.

I'm doing P90X and eating very well and I have seen great results, so the article that you found, must have been a hater from the weightwatchers program.

i think you might have missed the point of the article. the original poster is saying if you simply follow (albeit with some manipulation) the basic guidelines or thesis behind weightwatchers (so many "points" per day) you aren't necessarily becoming healthier even though you may indeed be losing weight. it's essentially the same concept as counting calories alone without regard to carbs/sugars/protein/etc. it may work short-term, but it is far from a true lifestyle change, which is essential to maintaining any sort of weight loss.
and then there was an argument about lean muscle vs fat loss, but that's an entirely new conversation.

MOST IMPORTANTLY- WW charges you. How many posters on here have you seen that spend hundreds of dollars on WW and then asked why they didn't find MFP earlier? I'm so happy the creator of MFP just wanted people to be healthy and not make money off it.

ivansmomma

All I am promoitng is Lifestlye not gimmics. Eating Good Clean healthy foods and workingout/ active life style is the way to go. NOt to depend on gimmics or short term solutions for long term results.

Yep. Same things that WW promotes.

I made the switch to MFP from WW Online for a few reasons: the mobile app was better, it was FREE, and you can better track other nutrients, such as fiber and calcium intake. Otherwise, nothing else is different...I still exercise, make the right nutritional choices, etc. MFP just uses calories, where WW uses points (which are based on calories/fat/fiber, rather than just calories). That's the ONLY difference.

I also did WW online and changed to MFP because of the (non) cost and I know exactly what calories, fiber, sodium, etc. I am eating. I trust the WW points, but I want to see for myself what is going in my mouth. It is a good healthy lifestyle, not a gimmick!

Ocarina

"I have heard stories from attendees who said that they and their fellow ‘watchers’ would queue up outside the toilet before their weekly weigh-in so the scales would tell them they’d lost that little bit extra. Then – and I’m sure this isn’t uncommon – they’d go and get a takeaway to treat themselves for their loss."



I had to laugh at this just personally because my mom was notorious for this. Before we would walk into a TOPS meeting she would make us go pee and then we would weigh in. I think the program is wonderful as it gives people a place to start, I think without it we would have way more overweight people around. I do not think it is the end all solution to anyone's lifestyle change but it is definitely getting people in the right direction.

KHaverstick

"I have heard stories from attendees who said that they and their fellow ‘watchers’ would queue up outside the toilet before their weekly weigh-in so the scales would tell them they’d lost that little bit extra. Then – and I’m sure this isn’t uncommon – they’d go and get a takeaway to treat themselves for their loss."



I had to laugh at this just personally because my mom was notorious for this. Before we would walk into a TOPS meeting she would make us go pee and then we would weigh in.

LOL...my mom did that, too, when she went to WW meetings in the 80's. I have also heard of WW members who would actually undress (mostly) before weighing.

BUT, before you judge, consider this: I just looked at a thread here on MFP that asked when & how you weigh in. Nearly everyone said AFTER they pee, and while naked. Go figure.

bmpal

First let me say, i'm not a fan of WW b/c I think it is a "middle man". But I can tell from my own personal experience that it isn't a gimmick. It is based on calories in and calories out. Had you ever been to a meeting you would know they promote clean eating in all of their introduction materials, and encourage members to choose the right foods.

The only difference between WW and MFP is that WW has turned calories into points using a calculation. See a middle man. How people use it or abuse it is up to them, the same way MFP or any weight loss system is.

Agreed. Although I do think the point system helps some people get over the fear and anxiety of calorie counting. It seems to make it easier for some to grasp.

amymeenieminymo

I've never used weight watchers, but from what I know of it, it's the same concept as MFP except it costs money and they use points instead of calories.

My biggest issue with that article was saying that you just have to stay within your points, you can eat pizza and coke and it doesn't promote healthy living. Welllll, you can do the same thing here basically. I get 1550 calories a day....if I chose to, I could spend that entire allottment on eating fast food....

My opinion is that WW and MFP are the same in that you get out what you put in....if you just come here, eat whatever you want while logging, yes you might lose weight but you'll still be unhealthy, or you can be proative, learn a little something and use both programs to their fullest.

divediva2

Weight loss is a multi billion dollar business in this world. And while we are not paying for the use of this site, the advertising is paying for it.

WW, TOPS, Jenny Craig, Fitness trainers, Dieticians.... I could go on. All are there to show you a way to lose weight. And they all want to make a living while doing it!

Here it is,the magic formula for losing weight!!! calories in versus calories out, simple math. You have to run a calorie deficit in order to lose weight. Not rocket science and you already know this. It is not a deep dark secret hidden away. You can do it in a healthy way by eating healthy nutritious foods, exercising to build muscle or you can eat a fad diet and not exercise at all or you can do anywhere in between. We all get to make the choice.

I personally feel that WW does promote a healthy lifestyle while telling it's members that they can have their cake and eat it too! The author of the above article misses this point for some reason only known to him. He is entitled to his opinion. I loved the old WW program, but am not a fan of the new one. I am no longer a member after many years with the program. One thing I am grateful to WW for is teaching me to read labels, understand healthy eating habits and encouraging me to make wise choices.

Ocarina

"I have heard stories from attendees who said that they and their fellow ‘watchers’ would queue up outside the toilet before their weekly weigh-in so the scales would tell them they’d lost that little bit extra. Then – and I’m sure this isn’t uncommon – they’d go and get a takeaway to treat themselves for their loss."



I had to laugh at this just personally because my mom was notorious for this. Before we would walk into a TOPS meeting she would make us go pee and then we would weigh in.

LOL...my mom did that, too, when she went to WW meetings in the 80's. I have also heard of WW members who would actually undress (mostly) before weighing.

BUT, before you judge, consider this: I just looked at a thread here on MFP that asked when & how you weigh in. Nearly everyone said AFTER they pee, and while naked. Go figure.

LOL yeah I totally am guilty of it. I feel the optimal time is on Weigh day in the morning before I eat anything. I guess it makes me feel better if I weigh in the middle of the week and I'm up a pound as I know its just water weight or food passing through. Pretty funny what we do to see that number drop!

Qarol

MOST IMPORTANTLY- WW charges you. How many posters on here have you seen that spend hundreds of dollars on WW and then asked why they didn't find MFP earlier? I'm so happy the creator of MFP just wanted people to be healthy and not make money off it.

Exactly! And personal trainers charge you, too. IMO, an obscene amount. But I don't like spending money when there's a ton of research I can do and knowledge to be found for free.
That being said, I don't knock people who choose to pay for help in their weight loss, whether it's WW or personal trainers. But I don't like paying for it.

caretheaton

Like others have stated, whether WW works or not isn't an issue with the program, but with the person following the program. WW doesn't market themselves as a "diet." They aim to help people make a lifestyle change to lead a healthy life. I followed WW for many years and attribute it to saving me from obesity. It taught me that I could eat some of the foods that I love (cake, pizza, margaritas), but they were to be saved for special occasions and not part of my daily intake. It's a pretty simple concept: The more processed, fatty, and generally unhealthy food = higher in points. The more natural, lean, and nutrionally balanced food = lower in points. If you can do simple math, you learn pretty quickly that choosing the heathier food means you can eat more and avoid hunger.

As with any diet program, it can be misued. Of course it is possible that someone could eat nothing but pop and pizza on WW. What it teaches you is that if you use all your points to eat 3 slices of pizza and a half a liter of pop in one meal, you will be hungry for the rest of the day. But if you eat oatmeal for breakfast, a turkey sandwich for lunch, grilled chicken salad for dinner, plus all the fresh fruits and vegetables you want whenever you get hungry, you will be consuming the same amount of points as the pizza meal but be satisfied and full of energy all day. The person who is going to choose the pizza meal every time isn't someone who is ready for a serious life change, and would not be successful at losing weight and keeping it off on any program.

CowGrllJane

I think it is strange that out of all the programs out there that this author chose to target Weight Watchers. It is much more affordable and sensible then many programs out there. I have a chronic/lifelong struggle with obesity but lost alot of weight on WW and kept most (not all) of it off. I didn't get to goal but it helped me tremendously and I learned alot about portion control and the way to eat better.

I personally got burned out on it and want to do something different now, but it is a very good sensible program. If you follow the guidelines (it ISN'T just points, there are healhty eating and activity guidelines) you are not likely to be hungry and you lose weight at a moderate, safe pace.

Maybe because I had so much to lose, I didn't get too wrapped up in weigh in shenanigans. I mean, in the end, it doesn't matter too much if you pee first and weigh 0.1 pound less at the weigh in....

Onesnap

I also want to point out that WW does not just teach you to eat their pre-packaged foods. I have a friend that tried Jenny Craig for years. She said she did not like that program because it just taught her to eat THEIR food.

slimmerchick

bump for later

Without reading it will just say that I started out on ww a year ago and got to goal 23/11/10, I am currently 3 lb lighter than that goal weight


and much happier with myself than I was a year ago!

Frankie3333

I have done WW on and off for about the last 8 years. At my thinnest, I lose 25 lbs, then quickly gained it back in 1 summer. It made me so obsessed with food that I became bulimic (this is not WW's fault, I was dealing with some personal issues too). I have taken the last 2 off because I wasn't using it in a healthy way anymore. I loved the meetings and found so much support there. Unfortunately, I don't think it is realistic to follow for life and gets very expensive.

I think this program is much better than the fad diets out there (atkins, cookie diet, master cleanse). I would much rather see a friend doing WW than any of those.