Weight Watchers vs MyFitnessPal

smilebhappy

I've never done WW but curious to read discussion......bump to read later

seanrgallagher

love it, good post

kwest_4_fitness

I love WW. However, I'm on the old points (Flex) plan, using MFP to log food and exercise and for the sweet peeps. I've lost 73 lbs so far, but I don't pay for meetings any more. I use the free online calculators and the books I bought the first time around. I quit WW previously because I wasn't committed to weight loss or getting fit and I refused to quit smoking. Quitting smoking and getting focused allowed the plan to work for me. But it certainly may not be a good fit for everyone that tries it. Do what works for you and be happy!

family_girl2626

I have seen people who take part in WW and it can work for them. I feel that anything that is going to motivate another person to lose weight so they can become healthier isn't a waste of time, however I didn't do WW for the same reasons. I don't want to spend the money that they ask us to pay. I don't want to have to buy their food (although I do know that isn't all it is about unlike other diet plans). MFP is not a diet plan but it is a life plan. Last but not least I don't want to go weigh in with a group of people to be told I have or haven't lost weight. I can do that in the privacy of my own home. I have been taking on this challenge with some wonderful people here on MFP and I have access to them everyday, anytime I want to say hello. Awesome work to all of you and keep up the great success.

jsapninz

First of all, just because WW doesn't work for your mother doesn't mean it doesn't work for ALOT of people. Actually, I have read articles saying that WW is the MOST effective popular weight loss program for long term weight loss because it focuses on educated its people (just like MFP). My heart goes out to you know because I know you are mostly just frustrated that your momma is having such a hard time.

That being said, you hit my one big beef with WW on the head:

2. One difference is they don't want you to count fruits and vegetables as points. Okay, that can make up the deficit in points. I just thought you were supposed to track everything that you eat. Heck, 2 bananas is 300 calories! Fruit or not, its calories and calories is the weight loss factor...am I wrong?

My girlfriend says now that she is on WW she "eats fruits like they are going out of style because they are NO points." Translation: she is ingesting HUNDREDS of "free" calories a day (mostly sugars, no less) and sabatoging her own weight loss, all with the blessing of WW.

While WW will probably teach people to eat healthier, I don't think it is the most scientific approach to weight loss, especially fo those that aren't really overweight and are more trying to lose vanity pounds.

However, it is all about what works for you. Some people NEED the meetings and group weigh ins and stuff at WW to stay motivated. I personally don't think it is worth paying money for something you can get for free....but it's all about what works for you.

But I think MFP IS THE BEST!!! :flowerforyou:

cassblue21

I skimmed through a lot of this topic and a lot of people do have success with WW... BUT it does get expensive. I have done it myself a couple of times and I had success. But it does get tedious and repetitive since every I think its 11 weeks you start over with the books? Anyways, I really need to push of having to go and weigh in with a group and since I cannot afford WW I found something even better! I am in TOPS(TAKE OFF POUNDS SENSIBLY) It is a weekly weigh in, but no specific plan. Just a support group and you get great programs and tons of support. I am doing MFP as well as TOPS since I need the extra push to have a specific weigh in. It is a whopping $28 A.YEAR. I have been doing MFP for a year and TOPS for 17 months. I love it. The combination of the two is what works for me.

icarol71

I tried weight watchers as well. Spent roughly $112 to join(group discount through work) i had a lot of points that i could never meet due to wieght, height, exercise. I lost 5 pounds. I know others who have lost more but once they quit counting points they put it right back on. Since starting MFP I have lost a total of 22 pounds. Keeping a diary of the calories and exercise seems to make me more accountable for what i eat and when i eat. I also have started looking at the healthier choices in foods, doesnt mean i completely give up my ice cream or my pizza i just eat a smaller portion of it. But for the record MFP works well for me right now.

164pounds

thank you so much for your opinon .i discovered mfp about a week ago .and i love it.i'm only just looking into losing weight as it was never an issue before i had my little girl.my best friend has just started going to weight watchers so i've researched it a bit but she has lost 9 ilb in a week! i need some surport as i end up eating to much and think i can't put all that in .i never usually reply or get into community group so hope to find some moral surport this way:indifferent:

hatrammell

Very true. I have had friends of weight watchers. It is expensive and myfitnesspal is amazing! It's great for motivation too! WW is a huge waste of money!

BAtobe

I totally agree!! WW is a waste of money. I want to call Jennifer Hudson and tell her to try MFP. She will be singing then!!!

Jennifer Hudson looks fantastic - she does not need MFP - everyone should use whatever program works for them and do not go knocking anyone that uses something other than what you think works.

This! I have done WW. Lost 43lbs and then 65lbs. I actually really like it. But I hit a plateau and I got sick of the points and the diary and all the extra work I was putting in. And looking back, I think I was eating too little as well. I LOVE MFP and wouldn't go back to WW either but I still think it's a great starting place for many people. BTW I never paid a dime, I bought my material on Ebay and did it free by myself.
Edit: I did not switch to points plus, I lost that weight following Momentum.

jmatney79

Jennifer Hudson does look amazing!! Certainly and inspiration for all of us!! I am not, by any means, saying that she didn't work hard and battled every day like we all do, but lets keep in mind that she is a celebrity and has a lot of money to spend on what ever she needs (perhaps a personal chef that can make tofu taste great...lol), and a personal trainer.
Truth be told, even if we were to use any diet, have personal trainers, personal chefs, and other people to help us it would make it a lot easier. Us “regular” folks don’t have that advantage.

NELSAL

I have tried WW and also Nutrisystem and had some success but guess what... the weight came back! This time I am doing MFP and also trying the Beyond diet where I am slowly eliminating all processed foods and sugar. I feel so much better it is unbelievable. I don't have stomach or gastric problems like I did with Nutrisystem.

jmatney79

I have tried WW and also Nutrisystem and had some success but guess what... the weight came back! This time I am doing MFP and also trying the Beyond diet where I am slowly eliminating all processed foods and sugar. I feel so much better it is unbelievable. I don't have stomach or gastric problems like I did with Nutrisystem.

Beyond diet? Never hear of it! Sounds interesting!! Processed foods are so not good for you. I think I'll look into it!

Bearb2532

I did WW for over a year.... online. I did lose about 20 lbs but it was a hard struggle. I prefer MFP because I can use it on my phone... at the time WW only had the app for Apple users. Logging everything I ate at the end of the day when I got home just wasn't working. For a long while I only kept my subscription for the recipes :-p
Now, my Husband has health issues' and desperately needs to lose weight, although he doesn't want to admit it, his Dr.'s are just about SCREAMING at him about it, but instead he just keeps gaining. I think WW could be helpful for him... the accountability of the meetings and weigh in's, the encouragement of real people. The advice and recipe swaps (he's the cook in our house), but unless HE wants to loose weight, nothing I can do, say or pay for will help. I pray every day The Lord will motivate my Husband to finally WANT to loose the weight and LIVE!!! Until then, I'll focus on what I can control... myself and I'll keep going with MFP :-)

daddiod

We left WW also. Worked well for about 3 months then pretty much nothing. Our leader got very boring and keep telling us the number meant nothing but how the clothes fit. Well to me it was the number.. Also the points do not show the surgar and salt you are eating. Fruit is not 0 points to my body. It began to be to commercialized too. We were not allowed to talk about any products but theirs too. Lost 11 lbs here in about 6 weeks and saving 40.00 a month.

LTGPSA

I totally agree!! WW is a waste of money. I want to call Jennifer Hudson and tell her to try MFP. She will be singing then!!!

Love this ^^

JanetLM73

I've done both and lost more on here and it's free!

KitchenKutie78

I think some of you are a little harsh on Weight Watchers. Like many of you I have done both. I lost 70 lbs on Weight Watchers and found it quite easy to do. I found the support great and loved the meetings.

There was a statement that someone was only eating 800-900 calories a day (not including fruit). Fruit /veggies were only 'free' for your needed servings (example 3-5 day) and all starchy vegetables were counted, then you counted everything after in your tracker. Also, the reader did not mention the large amount of 'extra' points you got to help you out.

I have switched to myfitnesspal.com because I have not been working and can't not afford WW. FREE is obviously a great feature. I feel that both program are great.

The point: be responsible. Document your foods, make good choices, exercise.

InnerFatGirl

I don't think I'd ever join WW simply because I don't wanna waste £10 per week. £40 per month, wtf? Why does it cost so much?! Then there's the points and having to get to weekly meetings and blah blah blah. I'll just enjoy their food when I see it in the supermarket, enjoy the freeness of MFP, and enjoy the simplicity of calories

alp1990

Weight watchers is a good program. My mother lost around 6 stone in a year with it.

Rozlynmac

I have a co-worker friend who has tried WW in the past. I got her to join MFP and she says she likes it so much better. Easier to follow, easier recipe area and best thing its FREE. A few other co-workers have tried to talk her into joing WW again and she refuses. Tells them that MFP is so much better!

I am totally addicted to this site! I can't get enough of it. I find myself coming on here so many times during the day to see how my MFPFriends are doing on their exercise and food.. And I LOVE the forums! They are great!

Easier Recipe area? Where's that? I've never been able to find any recipes except when people stick one in a thread or blog post.

priescm

I also did WW for a bit.
The biggest reason I am not a huge fan is because WW is not a realistic lifestyle approach to me. You have to continuously calculate points values for what you are eating...and sure, you get to know how many points your common foods are, but homemade meals just aren't realistic.
At least with MFP, I can always calculate calories without needing a special calculator. I agree that it really is a waste of money.

LTGPSA

I've done both. I became a Lifetime WW member back in the 80's - my first time around - and then thru the following years went back at least 4x - point being it didn't work for me as far as keeping the weight off. The biggest thing with me regarding WW is they (the last times I went there) are focused around "fat free" and I am not. To each their own, but MFP has been an easy tool to use with great success! Best of luck to all of you on whatever healthy journey you choose to take. :flowerforyou:

cramernh

Well said...I agree 100% and I've done both!

Im not a fan of WW because it lacks the ability to track things for people with dietary restriction (medical issues). I 'get' how they calculate things but... they are so late in the game for configuring carbohydrates into the daily intake.. Its almost become like a fad "based on the low glycemic index" that WW now calculates carbs into the formula...

Just give me MFP: Massive Food Porn

NELSAL

I have tried WW and also Nutrisystem and had some success but guess what... the weight came back! This time I am doing MFP and also trying the Beyond diet where I am slowly eliminating all processed foods and sugar. I feel so much better it is unbelievable. I don't have stomach or gastric problems like I did with Nutrisystem.

Beyond diet? Never hear of it! Sounds interesting!! Processed foods are so not good for you. I think I'll look into it!

NELSAL

When you first look at Beyond diet you think "I can't do that" but once I got started I was amazed how easy I fell into eating healthy and staying away from the processed foods and the processed sugar. You can have Stevia and honey for sweeteners but nothing else and amazingly I don't miss it at all and I was a real sugar monster!

HellsBells61

The only time WW ever worked for me was when I was attending meetings. I'd tried the At Home & Online versions but going to a weekly meeting was a great incentive and gave me nowhere to hide when it came to weighing-in. I thought it expensive at the time but it was working so I did it for a year. BUT they closed my meeting down and moved it to a time & place that wasn't convenient for me anymore. I went back to the online version, lost all motivation and interest and piled the weight back on (and then some!). When I was on it I found myself obessing over points values and counting, it affected how I approached each day and not always in a good way. I also didn't like the way that WW change the plan about once a year so that after spending months getting your head around it you almost need to start again. Cynically I view that as WW trying to justify the cost.

I'm a very recent convert to MFP (i.e. joined a week ago!) and I already love it. As someone else said I come on here several times a day and finding it very easy. Now all I need to do when choosing food is look at the calorie content!

MFP kicks WW butt any day! :bigsmile:

glpennington

I did weight watchers when my company offered to sponsor it. I can say that it works well for some people. Some people need that accountability to get results. However, there appears to be some stigma still about men joining the program. Some of the activities definitely made guys feel uncomfortable.
Your mother probably got a bad coach. It is a commonly known fact that if one reduces calories too much that their metabolism can slow down. It causes the body to conserve fat for survival. This makes it even harder to lose body fat. The coach should have offered a diet analysis. This would highlight foods that are killing her efforts. Sugary yogurts, salty cheese, insulin spiking fruits without fiber and other "hidden" attributes of processed foods can easily sabotage the best of efforts. Even excessive consumption of good fruits and vegetables can create a calorie surplus which will turn to fat in a slow metabolism.
Weight watchers focuses too much on weight and less on a balanced approach to slimming down. One can lose weight fast by stripping muscle but that yields an even slower metabolism. It takes controlled diet, exercise, proper rest and water consumption to change one's shape permanently.
One must change their mentality about food. I heard so many people talk about diet recipes that just replicated bad foods. I wanted to scream every time a person got up to share and started with the statement "You take a box of cake mix and a can of diet soda…". Can you guess what they returned to when they finally dropped out of Weight Watchers?
I did weight watchers when my company offered to sponsor it. I can say that it works well for some people. Some people need that accountability to get results. However, there appears to be some stigma still about men joining the program. Some of the activities definitely made guys feel uncomfortable.
Your mother probably got a bad coach. It is a commonly known fact that if one reduces calories too much that their metabolism can slow down. It causes the body to conserve fat for survival. This makes it even harder to lose body fat. The coach should have offered a diet analysis. This would highlight foods that are killing her efforts. Sugary yogurts, salty cheese, insulin spiking fruits without fiber and other "hidden" attributes of processed foods can easily sabotage the best of efforts. Even excessive consumption of good fruits and vegetables can create a calorie surplus which will turn to fat in a slow metabolism.
Weight watchers focuses too much on weight and less on a balanced approach to slimming down. One can lose weight fast by stripping muscle but that yields an even slower metabolism. It takes controlled diet, exercise, proper rest and water consumption to change one's shape permanently.
One must change their mentality about food. I heard so many people talk about diet recipes that just replicated bad foods. I wanted to scream every time a person got up to share and started with the statement "You take a box of cake mix and a can of diet soda…". Can you guess what they returned to when they finally dropped out of Weight Watchers?

LaDauphine

I was thinking about joining WW online again then I remembered I was a subscriber to MFP! I think both are similar but MFP is FREE which is a plus. I also gave up on the WW system early and lost money. I'm going to challenge myself to log on to MFP every day and go from there.

I probably would have joined WW if there was a meeting closer to me, but I know myself and know that I wouldn't keep up with driving 30 minutes to go to a meeting. I will have to use this virtual community as a source of inspiration!

Jmollster1

bump