My Fitness Pal / Weight Watchers

mjdempster

I have been a lifetime member of Weight Watchers for several years, but over the past two years, I have put on some unwanted pounds, partly related to medication I was put on for chronic tension headaches. I have decided to try My Fitness Pal. Has anyone else tried WW and how would you compare it to MFP?

mmartiandt

I quit weight watchers when I found MFP. I discovered that will all the "free" foods, I was eating way too many calories on WW, even though I wasn't eating all my points. Before the plan changes from a year ago, I really felt WW worked. Now, I think the plan changes just aren't helpful, and for people like me who love fruits and can easily eat too many, it is not a good idea to have them "free". MFP also has a much better database, and gives much more information than WW ever thought about giving, and I won't be going back.

almc170

I did WW a few years ago, and lost about 25lbs with it (which I've since regained, unfortunately). I think it was fine for losing weight, but I got tired of messing with the points all the time. It also annoyed me that they seemed to frequently change the methods for calculating points, and the fitness emphasis was somewhat lacking. Overall, MFP is better suited to my lifestyle and I find it easier to manage.

Sidesteal

MFP has Contrarian, which makes it a better program arbitrarily.

infamousmk

I did WW waaaaay back in the day and lost like 40 pounds. It was nice at the time, but (obviously) I didn't stick to counting, and now the program has changed. I have found counting calories and focusing on being active (exercise) has done way more for my mind AND body than WW ever did. Oh, and it's free.

Elizabeth_C34

WW was expensive and overly complicated. I found MFP and never looked back. It's free, works, and has a wonderful community of folks to support you.

Debbe2

Agree that MFP is the better program however whatever works to help someone reach their personal goals is what's important.

Nopedotjpeg

Anything healthy can work if you make it work.

omma_to_3

I too had trouble with WW. When my sugar free fudgesicle is 0 points because of the added fiber...well, even though I'd limit myself to 1, I was eating calories that weren't being accounted for in my points.

And then they switched to the new program that was a way for them to prevent people from easily following the plan without paying and I just said goodbye. I was tired of paying a boatload of money each month and not using the program. I found MFP and have had more success with it than anything else. Granted I've been more motivated too. WW will definitely work if you do the program smartly, but hey, this works well too and is FREE LOL.

TheChangingMan

WW is OK but is of course a business.

They keep finessing their diet and as others have said "free" fruit can soon mount up.

I prefer MFP.

kennethmgreen

MFP has Contrarian, which makes it a better program arbitrarily.

Actually, there are published studies in peer-reviewed journals that back this claim. I will search for the links and post them.

I think Weight Watchers can be frustrating for some people because of the "free foods" which, as someone stated, can push you over in calories without realizing it. But of all the well-known highly-advertised diet solutions, WW seems to me the most credible. Their points system is basically a version of the calories in/calories out equation, and IIRC, an interpretation/adjustment on fiber.

It can be convenient for people that eat a lot of packaged foods because so many foods have the WW points printed on the package (though MFP has a bar code scanner and a database with tons of food in it, so that might even out).

To me, MFP just seems more direct. I like the idea of net calories - that if I don't exercise today, I should consume fewer calories to stay under my goal. It makes sense to me. MFP has changed my thinking - instead of feeling like an utter failure for having a cupcake one day at work, I log it and commit to burning off the calories that evening.

Jeneba

I quit weight watchers when I found MFP. I discovered that will all the "free" foods, I was eating way too many calories on WW, even though I wasn't eating all my points. Before the plan changes from a year ago, I really felt WW worked. Now, I think the plan changes just aren't helpful, and for people like me who love fruits and can easily eat too many, it is not a good idea to have them "free". MFP also has a much better database, and gives much more information than WW ever thought about giving, and I won't be going back.

I agree! I had terrific success on the "old" WW plan and really resented all those useless changes. I never minded paying the fee when the plan was working, but once the changes took place, I was getting nothing but frustration for my money. I also found that many of the people on the boards were just mean, catty, & ignorant. There wasn't a whole range of people on WW the way there is on MFP. I never feel "here" that I have to apologize because I don't have that much weight to lose. On WW, there was a pack of very nasty women who decided (based upon their own unprofessional diagnosis) that I have an eating disorder! I really really really don't - you will just have to trust me on that! All in all, I am soooooo much happier "here" and have made some wonderful MFP friends as well.

billsica

I did WW with my wife. We had a slide rule that she had to use and I couldn't be bothered to figure out their majik formula. MFP just rocks and Mike is awesome sauce.
Also WW everyone was so serious.

tageekly

WW was expensive and overly complicated. I found MFP and never looked back. It's free, works, and has a wonderful community of folks to support you.

This. I stuck with WW for about three months and got tired of worrying about points and meetings and paying for it! It took awhile but I finally found MFP and this has worked much better for me and I've been more successful with it - and it's free!

meglep

I joined WW last January... and have lost approx 50 pounds..... i love it! I use MFP for extra support and motiviation

Faseret

I initially lost 25 pounds on WW in 2005. In 2007, after having my son, I lost 80 pounds and was skinnier than I ever have been. But, after having my second child in 2008 I went back and the system had changed. I consequently have been battling the same 25 pounds for the last three years.

I find MFP very refershing, not just because it's free (a big bonus after how expensive WW is!) but because it seems much more realistic to me. Like many others have said, I was shocked by how many extra calories (and sugars) I was adding to my daily intake with the 5-7 "free" fruits and veggies I was adding to my diet. It's very easy to figure out what the caloric total to everything is, and I find myself using it the same way I used to use my tracker - to keep me honest.

Hope that helps!

LalaMicha1

I also was a WW Lifetimer, but when they switched to Points Plus, and continue to change their plan every year, it just became impossible to keep re-learning their points. Too much work, a calorie is a calorie after all. Shouldn't have to convert a calorie into points just so WW can take your money. Plus this place is 24 hour support, even though there may be many wackos who love to argue on here.

sylvuz323

I was successful with WW, lost 63 lbs and still owe my weight loss to them. Of course now that I've learned portion control and can make better food choices, I love that I can now save my money. Money saved means new clothes for me!

JDRBT

Tried both and here's why I choose myfitnesspal -
1) IT'S FREE!
2) It uses REAL WORLD, READILY AVAILABLE nutritional information. I don't need to eat at certain places that have WW points listed on their menu and I don't have to carry around calculator to find the "point" value of what I'm eating.
3) YOU CAN'T GAME THIS SYSTEM! I was great at using the loopholes in the WW programs (such as "zero point" foods). Calories are calories, whether they come from a cucumber (zero points in WW) or a steak.
4) Myfitnesspal helped me understand the difference between numbers, and nutrients. WW fails at this IMHO. Especially the online-only folks. If you go to meetings, you may gain some more information, but I can track how much sodium, iron, protein, fiber, etc through MFP. Not just the "points" through WW.
5) DID I MENTION IT'S FREE?!

makaiya

I love MFP. It's Weight Watchers without the fees, point watching and um, fat people. I say that 1. because I am one, so I can , 2. I get tired of my own whining, why do I want to hear someone else's? I'd rather read a few posts and be done with it.

karenwill2

I loved WW till I found MFP. Figuring out points and etc is too much work to have to pay for the program. I pledge my allegiance to MFP that has helped me so much. I never could have lost the weight I have and hit the milestones without it.

bcampbell54

I have never belonged, but my wife used it in the past.
She has gone back to WW, and has had better success with it than MFP alone.
It works better for her. I say go for it!

crrc78

I quit weight watchers when I found MFP. I discovered that will all the "free" foods, I was eating way too many calories on WW, even though I wasn't eating all my points. Before the plan changes from a year ago, I really felt WW worked. Now, I think the plan changes just aren't helpful, and for people like me who love fruits and can easily eat too many, it is not a good idea to have them "free". MFP also has a much better database, and gives much more information than WW ever thought about giving, and I won't be going back.

DItto. Even though I haven't lost a ton of weight with MFP, I find it much easier to stick with, and there's no gimmick - it's just numbers.

shadowkitty22

Well for me it was really simple. I live overseas and so the only way I could have done WW would be to pay for it online. So if all I'm going to do is log my food and exercise online on a website, why PAY for it when I can get it for free on MFP?

ninamm3

I have done WW and MFP in my 45 pound weight loss journey.

WW is great for scale accountability, for people who don't know how to eat balanced, and to gain face to face support/ideas from week to week.

WW is not so good because it teaches you THEIR values of food (which even they continually change) not REAL values of food.

MFP makes logging simple if used on a phone and can even scan bar codes for auto input. There is also support 24/7
You learn REAL food values and get to see ALL of the nutrition information to review which can allow you to see exactly how you spend your calories. You may be surprised where you lack or over indulge.

MFP IS FREE.

cherryb75

I loved the old Points plan. It was my go-to when I needed to drop a few pounds and it always worked. I could use it with minimal effort--I could look at a nutrition label and know approximately how many Points something was without even looking it up. I guess I still could, if it came to that, but since there's MFP, there's little point (heh).

Ever since WW changed their plan, I HATE it. My mom keeps trying to get me into it but I don't think it's going to happen. I'll just stick with MFP.

lisajnz

I lost most of my weight via WW and think its a great programme - I got frustrated with it when I started doing a lot more exercise, it just didn't seem to cater, or have the answers for someone who was burning a lot of calories. I'm pretty new to MFP, but what I'm liking is that I can change and alter it to what is going to work for me (still working on that - but am getting there!).

Coco_Puff

I came here after trying their pts. plus program. I wasn't losing weight, but gaining. When I started MFP I started losing alot of inches along with some weight. I think this site really worked better for me cause it pushes me to work out and understand that healthy eating and exercise go hand and hand. I know WW sends the same message, but It became so much clearer here at MFP. I will say I have more and more people ask me what's my secret. I give all the credit to this site. I feel wonderful, clothes fit, and I've learned a lfestyle change, not just another diet.