MyFitnessPal vs WeightWatchers?

marycmeadows

I started on weight watchers on 1/1/11 - switched to mfp like in june of 2011. I liked ww, but there were two reasons I switched. i was paying for ww and the app kept giving me issues. AND how pracitcal is it to convert everything to points for forever?!

I am very happy with just mfp - and I think it's much better than ww....

hpynh2o

I've used WW, CalorieKing and MFP.

CK and MFP are by far, more flexible and easier to follow. It's free. Plus, I found the MFP mobile app makes keeping up your diary (which is key) much easier. In any case, it you stick to what ever plan you choose, you'll find success.

Good luck!

debb1010

What I have observed with ww is those people who have stopped doing the program end up gaining some if not all of the weight back.. I'm not sure if it is because they lose the support when they stop paying for it or it's because everything is done in terms of points instead of learning what is in the food you are eating that could be impacting your weight. MFP is free and if you use it regularly it is a great way to track yourself and find some great support.

I've thought about everyone who starts a diet, loses weight then gains it back again and I hear negativity surrounding that certain plan because of that happening. But when I see people who dont necessarily adhere to any certain "diet" after they've lost they weight and they are successful at keeping it off.....its because they are monitoring themselves. When they start putting the weight back on, they start working to get it back off or they've learned to eat in moderation so they dont gain the weight back. I'm no rocket scientist here but I'm thinking its not the "diet" that fails us...but we fail ourselves by expecting a "diet" to fix the problem when the real problem is our elbow!! Every time it bends, our mouth opens and we shove something in it!

anawhatsme

i have point plus material so i follow weight watchers on my own.
i really like weight watchers and points plus - especially free fruit and veggies!!
i never got much out of weight watcher meetings though.

tcunbeliever

I did WW for a long time and received my lifetime membership. Then I started lifting weights and they wanted a Dr note to adjust my goal up even though I was dropping clothing sizes and wanted to adjust to an amount within their ideal weight range. I decided it was too much trouble and ended up here. I think MFP does a better job adjusting food intake for activity. WW only allowed me to gain a max of 4 pts per day regardless of activity level and that was not enough food for me when I'm exercising 3x a day. Mind you, it's been years, and they came out with some new flex plan, so they may have fixed that. I find that online accountability is enough for me, if you need to have more personal support, then WW is really good for that. If I remember right the points calculation is cal/50 + fat/4 - fiber/5 and you can only get a max of 1 pt. off for fiber in any given food. It's pretty easy to confinue following the WW food rules without going to the meetings, once you have all the initial information then the meetings primary purpose is to provide support, new recipes, food ideas, etc. I like MFP better...less math...

JamCubeChi

Having done both, I prefer MFP. If you need a setting with face to face support, you may want to check out TOPS (take off pounds sensibly) You can google them for a location close to where you live & for more information about he program. It is a non-profit program-similar to WW where you pay I beleive it's $28 for the year and then either $4 or $5 monthly for membership dues/local chapter dues-you go every week and weigh in like WW and they provide instruction in proper eating, support, etc. -Though I've never joined TOPS, I did look into it recenlty and am still considering maybe attending a free meeting to see what its all about. Good luck to you and your wife!

rml_16

I agree with Tricia, with WW, you eat a lot of their branded food, with MFP, you learn what you normally eat translates into calories and adjust portion sizes to reflect and generally eat more healthy and once you realise this is where you went wrong its can be easier to maintain.

I've done WW on and off for five years. I never once ate a WW branded food. In fact, when I switched to MFP (for cost, mostly), I just continued eating the same REAL foods I ate on WW.

Mell00546

I also did both when I first started using myfitnesspal but quickly got rid of WW. WW has worked for me in the past but for some reason it just wasnt clicking this last time. Plus I want to loss weight, be healthy, and not gain the weight back ever again!

I feel like myfitnesspal actually teaches me how to be healthy. I can look at a piece of cake and know its 400 calories and fruit is 100 per 1/2 cup. On WW I could never make those mental decisions because I would have to look up how many points it was and see how many points I had left. Plus WW does not advocate eating back your exercise points like myfitnesspal does.

I am more than happy with my progress here and happy I left WW (my opinion)

anawhatsme

I agree with Tricia, with WW, you eat a lot of their branded food, with MFP, you learn what you normally eat translates into calories and adjust portion sizes to reflect and generally eat more healthy and once you realise this is where you went wrong its can be easier to maintain.

this isn't true.
i have never eaten a weight watcher brand food.
you must be thinking of jenny craig.
weight watchers is very real, and very similar to counting calories.
it's just a different formula that takes carbs, fat, protein, and fibre into consideration, rather than just calories.

NittanyLion95

I started WW on Jan 12th and have done really well with it. I heard about MFP a few weeks later (end of Jan) and added it into the mix. I was using WW for the points and the accountability of weighing in...I NEVER stayed for the meetings, I didn't need it. MFP was great for tracking and I love the mobile app. I am two weeks away from attaining my Lifetime WW membership which means that I won't need to pay for weigh-ins any longer. I have moved away from doing points and just do cals now with MFP...however, I am eating more veggies and fruits because that's what WW does (no points for most), it improves food choices. I can eat 100 cals of crap on MFP, but it would be better to eat strawberries, apples, etc (no points).

For me, I like the healthier lifestyle WW has encouraged (salads taste wonderful now)...but it was stressful tracking points...figure out what works best for you. It may not be the same as your wife. MFP will be my tool for maintaining my new weight.

PedmomJill

I made the switch successfully. I did WW from 12/10-08/11 and lost about 50 pounds. I lost another 16 between 08/11 and 12/11 with just MFP. I love the MFP app on my iPhone. And like others have said it's free. I also agree with those that say the support here is better. I didn't click with anyone at WW at all, but here I have lots of contacts that I actually consider real friends.

PedmomJill

Also, I wanted to say that I think you did this the right way. I also did both for a few weeks. It was a pain entering food into two systems, but worth it since it gave me an idea of how much I was eating on those "points"

missxlaur

As someone who had been on MFP for a while, and who's now come back, I agree that the support here in unparalleled. That being said, I am one of those people who can't quite seem to figure out what my caloric intake needs to be in order to lose weight. WW is giving me a more structured environment and telling me exactly how much I can/can't eat in order to lose. I'm tracking in both systems right now, and once I find out what works for me calorically I'll probably just switch back to MFP exclusively.

mstrohbusch

We wre on WW for our first month and switched to MFP after we found the site. I'm down 52 pounds in the past 10 months and my wife is down 36. Go for it!

senge

I find My Fitness Pal to be equally as effective as Weight Watchers. For the most part, it's all about garbage in, garbage out. The fact that you have chosen to keep track is what is key....Congratulations!.....we should all have such great tools that are free! The best part about Fitness Pal is that after you get to your goal, maintenance is relatively easier.

Good Luck!

formersec

I agree with Tricia, with WW, you eat a lot of their branded food, with MFP, you learn what you normally eat translates into calories and adjust portion sizes to reflect and generally eat more healthy and once you realise this is where you went wrong its can be easier to maintain.

I've done WW on and off for five years. I never once ate a WW branded food. In fact, when I switched to MFP (for cost, mostly), I just continued eating the same REAL foods I ate on WW.

Same here. No one forces you to eat Weight Watchers foods. In fact, a steady diet of those foods, particularly the frozen meals, is not healthy. Low in nutrition, high in sodium and mystery ingredients. They are meant for convenience, but should not be used every day.

ladynica

I was on weight watchers for about 4 months and didn't have much success at all. The plan was good, but a bit frustrating to me and I would always be discouraged when I went in to weight every week and saw little to no difference. MFP has given me much more success, freedom and convenience. I like the people here too.

DEGiltz

I'm a Lifetime WW member, but a true convert to MFP. WW did teach me a lot about eating healthier, reading labels and fitness. I used to go to meetings, but I've found much more support from the MFP community. I've learned so much more on this site about nutrition and fueling my body ... there is more to understand than just adding up points, as I'm sure you'll agree.

The thing I love most is my MFP friends! I have an awesome group of MFP friends who are really like minded; they're dedicated, strong and not looking to make excuses. I never could find folks to connect with in this manner at the WW meetings.

If you are serious about your fitness and health, this is the place to take you to the next level!

Best wishes!

mrseelmerfudd

i did sw last year and lost the same amount of weight ive lost on MFP... however, i have been going down faster with MFP than SW. SW it took me from Nov 10 to Apr 11 to lose a stone and a half. Its taken me from February to lose the same amount of weight on here. It also is free, and if i need any support, i simply post a status or come onto the forum.

WWDIVA4LIFE

Remember, not the same thing works for each person. We are all different. I dont have much success on here but I do using WW. I use the both combined and I'm doing better and feeling better. I hate when people say negative things about something they really were not dedicated to or have not tried. (not to the OP, not talking about you) but I dont' like to pay the monthly WW fee, but I find that it works for me so I am worth the 42 bucks at the least. I stopped getting my nails done and use it for my health instead. good luck to you and your wife, I hope she finds something that works for her.