Weight Watchers...Whats Your experiences?

hopelessdieter2012

After visiting my GP for advice and help on sustainable weight loss ideas, she mentioned the NHS weight plan of choice is Weight Watchers.

I'm just posting to see if anyone has lost their weight with this method or have tried it in the past.

x.x.x

DoBetterDrea

WW worked for me before the plan was changed to make most fruits and veggies 0 points. I lost about 30 lbs the first go around. Then I quit because I plateaued. Then, I went back while it was the new Points Plus system and I lost maybe 8 pounds and then leveled out. Fruits and veggies have never been a problem for me so I was eating a ton of fruits and veggies (mainly fruit) which was a bunch of calories but no points. Plus I was eating my regular points. When I did the math, comparing it to MFP, WW just had me eating waaaaaaaaaaay too many calories. I've done a lot better with MFP

PitBullMom_Liz

I lost 40 lbs on it and wasn't ever hungry. However, for some reason I stopped, put 30 of the lbs back on, and haven't been able to get back on track. Once you get going it's super easy.

delilah47

In the 90s when I first started having to watch my weight, I lost 35 pounds fairly easily and pretty fast with WW. I attained Life-Time Membership status and maintained my weight for about 6 years. At that time, I injured my back and have slowly gained then lost then gained and now I am here. I am 100% behind WW, because it really does work. I went to the meetings which, I think, helps a lot. Pretty much you go weigh in, then there's a little motivational speech, then Q&A and idea exchange. If it's an option for you, I would definitely go for it!

PS I tried their website and, to me, it's not user friendly so I cancelled that after about a month, then I found MFP, which works very well with the WW concept. It's pretty much the same.

Good luck!

Edit: I was on WW when they had "Quick Start" but I used the WW Exchanges. Also, recently on CBS news they had a blurb where their resident doctor agreed with the study that said WW was the best out of all the popular diet plans. That was because they teach you to make your own healthy meals and live the lifestyle after you reach your goal.

zzzzia

I have lost weight with WW in the past but gained it back.
I tried again last Fall. I succeeded in losing 25 lbs, did not gain it back, but did not lose more.
I started running at this point and read many sport nutrition books/articles. The point system was not enough for me. I want to see my protein intake each day and my carbs. So I switched to MFP. I love it.
I am losing slowly but I'm still adjusting my calorie intake. I think I finally found my working number. We shall see.

Good luck !

jwobbly57

I lost 9stone with weight watchers 27 years ago but the old style one not with the new programme,I personally like and have had success with slimming world.

I incorporate my eating plan with slimming world on here because the calories are worked out for you on here.

It's just a matter of choice and what works best for individuals.

Jenni m
xxx

xSophia19

Summer 2010, i decided to join weight watchers as i ballooned out to a massive size 18-20 UK... I only went for a weeek, I got weighed and everything, and my points were 29 a day. To me this is alot of points!! And i tried to eat that many points a day and i just couldnt do it! I tracked my calories, aswell as counting points and my calories were like over 2000 each day =/... Its mad that with weight watchers, the more you weigh the more points you get to eat! Bin weight watchers, and do your calorie counting x

usedasbrandnew

I lost about 30 pounds on weight watchers, then I plateaued. Did this twice actually, gained it back both time, plus some... I had been going with my mom and aunt, but they started before me and had less to lose... so when they no longer went to meetings, I no longer went... I'm a little anxious in groups of people I don't know. So I prefer MFP, because I can have support EVERY DAY! And I can have it while sitting in my own living room. Plus the app is Great! When I did WW, Smartphones weren't crazy popular yet... 4 years ago. lol

BeckyProctor

I did WW about 5 yrs ago and lost 60 lbs. The meetings and the support really helped me. I chose to do MFP this time around because I don't have time for the meetings and I am doing pretty good so far.

manda1002

I did weight watchers like 10 years ago and lost a good amount of weight. Then I got sick and such and just could not get back into it. I was recently reconsidering joining again, but everyone told me that MFP is much better than the new points system, and way free'er than WW haha, and so far I do like MFP a lot more. To each their own though.

pukekolive

I am only 5 foot 2 and did WW many years ago - however it did not suit me and I was always given the 3rd degree and felt named and shamed if I did not lose at the rate of everyone else - I left because I used to dread the meetings ..

10acity

I tried it once and just wasn't able to get on board. My main problem : "points" aren't real things. The way my brain works, it just doesn't compute for me. However, I have a good friend who lost over 100 lbs on WW, so I know it really works for some people.

StephanieDJL

I've tried WW twice, old & new plan, as well as Slimming World several times. In my experience they're a waste of money.

The WW plan is more realistic to carry on long term as it's the basic principle of eating healthy, exercise & portion control. The meetings and accountability are good for those who have little weight to lose whereas, in my experience, the classes were just a way for people to socialise and make excuses for any weight gain. Whilst I realise losing weight is a journey, finding any reason (bank holidays, birthdays, work dos, vacation, Christmas, Easter, weddings, christenings, trips, functions etc) to excessively deviate from the plan became tiring & I was sick of listening to 'hilarious' anecdotes about how people months into the plan still had lost minimum weight. Also, the ready meals & 'diet' foods are unhealthy in every other way.

I honestly think MFP is the best way to lose weight, people on here are motivated, inspiring and hold you accountable. The money spent on going to a WW class would be better spent joining a gym or going swimming/to an exercise class.

hhester143

Possiby the best "diet" I have ever done!! It is a great way to beable to learn healthy eating with a normal lifestyle!!

StephanieDJL

On the flip side, my friend Lauren has lost a substantial amount of weight on WW & loves it, you can read her blog here: http://alittlelessoflauren.blogspot.co.uk/

Nicola0000

Was on WW, but lost more weight on here. Its free, and loads of nice people. Now I wonder why I ever bothered with WW!

kobiemom

I lost 30 lbs. on ww then they changed the plan. I gained and lost the same five pounds over and over. The new points plus plan didn't work for me. They changed it again only a year later, but that one doesn't work for me either. That's why I'm here. The database is much larger and with more info on MFP. Your doctor is working off of old info.

tevokish

I left weight waters when I found MFP. I did not like the new plan that they have. It felt like I was eating a ton of food, I wasn't eating all of my points, because it was too much. I also wasn't losing after a couple weeks. Since I've been on mfp I've lost about 2 lbs a week, plus it's free!

kakoelzer

Tried it once and lost. When I stopped losing I felt ashamed and embarrassed so that made me not want to continue. Plus, I didn't understand why their new pointsplus allowed for fruits and veggies for free when they weren't free prior. That really messed with my head and I left. I think the new system is not allowing you to lose pounds fast and therefore keeping you in the program longer. Just my opinion. I like MFP and how it calculates the calories. Very simple and real life. No points! No cost!
Good Luck.:happy:

bcampbell54

My wife and I worked MFP for awhile, but she stalled out and went back to WW, with which she had some success a few years back.
She is doing great with it. It is very simple, but I think it adds in a lot of "points"on fat calories.
I'm more of a nerd and a tinkerer, so I love MFP. She (and lots of others) do great counting points. It really is easy.

skinnylion

I lost about 70 pounds with Weight Watchers last year (during the whole 12 months). It really helped me to learn portions and is a good rule of thumb.

However, I switched to myfitnesspal because to me it's a lot more effective. Last summer I lost a lot of hair and felt lethargic most days because I wasn't eating enough fat or protein. I feel like the Points system doesn't teach you how to eat a balanced diet, only encourages highly processed high-carb foods. Eating a healthy diet with balanced carbs/fat/protein is much more important and easier to manage if you track your calories and macronutrients.

So... I guess my advice would be to try it, if you need help with portions or a support system. (I was never actually a member, but my mom was in the past.) Go for it if you would like, but this site is free and I think it's more helpful. I feel like I have more success on myfitnesspal and less guilt for going over my "limit", because I can easily determine how many calories I should exercise to make it balance out whereas with Points it's more of a guessing game.

My two cents!

jenbooks

One time with weight watchers I lost 50 pounds - the point system really does work. I don't know why I quit going [2], but I slowly gained all of it back. Luckily, the "bonus" was a very small one.

I tried again a year or two ago, but quit fairly quickly. The problem with WW is the points are easy to game - you can look for the most processed crap to be able to stay within your ranges. I also found that in the meetings I went to there was a lot of inaccurate info given out about nutrition and weight loss.

On a personal preference level, the motivational style of the meetings I went to was not a good fit for me. In the first place, high pitched shrieky women's voices grate on my last nerve - which is what most of the leaders had. Plus, in my area they apparently phased out the "mommy and me" and "50+" meeting types - which meant there were often babies and toddlers interrupting the meetings in the first case, and in the second, the motivational leaders had lost a whopping 20 pounds, which was just annoying. [1]

So yeah, WW wasn't really for me. I like this place though - I can find the right people for motivation and the tracking tools are the best I've found of *many* sites.




[1] Don't string me up, I'm not dissing losing 20 pounds of course - losing and keeping it off is a fantastic accomplishment. It's just that for motivation I need to be able to look at someone who's lost a metric buttload of weight, not something I haul around in my backpack all day.

[2] Now that I think about it, it was probably not being able to relate to the rah rah rah mentality of the meetings. Sometimes I don't play well with others. :laugh:

Bergiere

I'm a member and find that when I stick to the plan it works. Not having to count my fruits and veggies is awesone and I love the support the meetings offer to me. :happy:

anglyn97

I started on WW Online before I signed up for MFP. Someone on their forum suggested that we double track using a calorie site if we wanted check how many calories we were eating. I find that the sites are pretty similar actually. Which kind of annoys me that I like this one better and i paid $50 for 3 months of their online program. I started losing a lot of weight when I started using MFP to track vs the WW program. I think once my three month membership is up, I will not renew with WW and continue with MFP instead. Their database is really limited and I find it annoying to have to add every single thing I eat. Where as MFP has pretty much everything I eat in the database. Anyways, its about the same. The only thing is you don't count the fruit and veggie calories on WW and this site is free not $18 a month.

gwenlindsay

I agree with all comments. I've lost 25 pounds on ww before points plus. Since the plan changed, I have not lost. any weight. I think every thing you eat should be accountable. With WW Points Plus, you don't count your intake of fruit and veggies. This is my first week on MFP and I looking forward t to weighing myslef in a few days. I think I've already lose weight because my clothes are lose. Stay with MFP before moving on to WW.

JustKat2020

I'm old enough to have done WW pre-computers when each week we weighed and picked up a little booklet and checked off the boxes. The point system never worked for me. I liked the old fashioned paper method (and I like my rotary phone too).

Whether it's WW or MFP the success is as simple as tracking food consumed and stopping when one has reached their limits. That stopping part seems to be the catch.

No matter what the program one must make a commitment to positive lifestyle changes to ensure long term success.

cmayfield3

Weight Watchers worked for me a few years ago when the points calculation was simpler. It used to be that you just needed the calories, fat and fiber and you could do the calculation on a slide rule that they gave you. Now there are four variables so you can't use a slide rule; you have to use an electronic calculator or a smartphone app.

I think they shot themselves in the foot with that update. If I'm going to use a smartphone app it may as well be MFP's, which is free! Points are just a proxy for calorie counting anyway. It used to be that they were a simpler way to count calories, when everyone used pen and paper, but now that apps like MFP have made direct calorie counting so easy, points are an extra unnecessary step. So I'd rather go the direct route and count calories exactly, since MFP's app makes it so easy.

I do think in-person meetings are valuable, but MFP has such great support (forums, friends) that I don't even see the need for those really.

Gordie580

WW worked for me once, but you need to pay for it all the time. You can't figure out point system anymore by ur self, and to hard to track. And the mobile app is crap. I like MFP a ton better.

beckajw

WW worked for me before the plan was changed to make most fruits and veggies 0 points. I lost about 30 lbs the first go around. Then I quit because I plateaued. Then, I went back while it was the new Points Plus system and I lost maybe 8 pounds and then leveled out. Fruits and veggies have never been a problem for me so I was eating a ton of fruits and veggies (mainly fruit) which was a bunch of calories but no points. Plus I was eating my regular points. When I did the math, comparing it to MFP, WW just had me eating waaaaaaaaaaay too many calories. I've done a lot better with MFP

This is what happened to me too. However, in the newest version, they lowered the lowest points and I have started losing again. It could be the lower points, but I think it also has to do with the fact that I double count (I use WW and MFP). MFP's calories make me think before having that 3rd, 4th, etc. piece of fruit.

Kaleonar

I have done WW twice (old & new plan). I have had success both times but plateau quickly (20ish pounds). I think many of the concepts are the same--record food, get support from friends, etc. I think MFP pushes exercise more, which is crucial and MFP is free and easier to do, in my opinion.

shelbyfrootcake

Never tried any Weight Watchers plans. They do a tasty Belgian chocolate slice though.