How does Weight Watcher points convert into calories?

IsMollyReallyHungry

50 calories was the old plan, prior to 2011.

It's now 40 calories, per point.

Thanks! Are you a lifetime WW person now and are you still counting calories and points or just on maintenance?

Did you use WW points when losing or counted your calories here with MFP?

rfordh1

I've done MFP and WW. I find that the setup of the ww plan is easy to follow especially for people who are trying to change some really bad habits. The extra 49 points a week is awesome. I can splurge for a day or eat a little extra if I'm still hungry throughout the week. I do agree that the MFP database is more extensive than the ww one, but in general it's a lot easier to remember that one food is 3 points or another is 2 rather than 150 calories or 135. If I forget to log my food it's a lot easier to add up my points for the day in my head than all the calories. Plus I love most fruits and vegetables are zero points. I know everyone says you should count everything that goes into your mouth, but WW has built in room for those extras in the points of other foods. All it really does is trick you into eating more fruits and vegetables. Not many people are going to binge on fruits and veggies. It's the bag of salty chips or cookies that you're more likely to attack. Lastly the support you get with WW is what really helps me. I need to be held accountable and I get a little more of that with WW. MFP is definitely a great tool for weight loss, but I think there's a reason to shell out the money every month for WW if you need more guidance and ease of following the diet.

IsMollyReallyHungry

I agree about no one binging on fruits and veggies! Thanks for you reply! I am ready to start tomorrow!! But for now I am going to keep counting calories.

IsMollyReallyHungry

Well I have been using the 40 cal per point and lost 2.4 pounds 1st week and had a bad weekend and still lost!! I will keep you posted. This week should be better for sure, no plans this weekend!

Tig_

Well I have been using the 40 cal per point and lost 2.4 pounds 1st week and had a bad weekend and still lost!! I will keep you posted. This week should be better for sure, no plans this weekend!

That's awesome, well done! & thank you for linking me to this thread, it's been a really interesting read.

IsMollyReallyHungry

Well I have been using the 40 cal per point and lost 2.4 pounds 1st week and had a bad weekend and still lost!! I will keep you posted. This week should be better for sure, no plans this weekend!

That's awesome, well done! & thank you for linking me to this thread, it's been a really interesting read.

Thanks! and your welcome!

skbarton

Under the old points system with 1 point equalling 50 calories, the rule of thumb was 100 exercise calories equalled 1 activity point. If I'm thinking right (and that is questionable sometimes LOL), if you ate your activity points, then it would be like eating back half of your exerise calories (burn 100, eat 50). Under the newer PP plan implemented a couple of years ago, rumors had it that activity points were between 60 and 80 calories.

I agree with a previous poster that was encouraging using the 49 extra points and at least some of the AP's. I didn't use all my bonus points and never the AP's and my weight loss came to a screeching halt. If weight loss stalls, do consider whether you are eating enough...

IsMollyReallyHungry

Under the old points system with 1 point equalling 50 calories, the rule of thumb was 100 exercise calories equalled 1 activity point. If I'm thinking right (and that is questionable sometimes LOL), if you ate your activity points, then it would be like eating back half of your exerise calories (burn 100, eat 50). Under the newer PP plan implemented a couple of years ago, rumors had it that activity points were between 60 and 80 calories.

I agree with a previous poster that was encouraging using the 49 extra points and at least some of the AP's. I didn't use all my bonus points and never the AP's and my weight loss came to a screeching halt. If weight loss stalls, do consider whether you are eating enough...

Thanks! AP's???

Amethysta79

I've started on 26 points & I found out that it sometimes works out to only 1,000 calories (ish) on here & I've heard that the points drop the more weight you lose.

I don't eat back my Activity Points, & occasionally delve into my weekly allowance.

Some days I'm hungry & some days I'm not.

I'm aware that I probably don't use my points in the right way though, & as I hate fruit & veggies I'm not eating much free food which would bump up the calories on here.

sargessexyone

I did WW for 2 1/2 years and lost 70 lbs. I got stuck last July and since then have pretty much just maintained. I started MFP just 3 weeks ago. WWs is an awesome program for SOME people. MFP is an awesome program for SOME people. You just have to find which one works best for you.

Like another poster said it is easier to count WW points in your head than calories but I do find myself eating differently then when I was on WW. I eat more foods now that I didn't before because I didn't feel it was worth the points. Although I still eat a lot of veggies, I don't eat as much fruit because now they are worth calories whereas before they were free.

I look at it like this points/calories, whichever you count, is like money in the bank. You just gotta decide what you want to spend it on.

IsMollyReallyHungry

I look at it like this points/calories, whichever you count, is like money in the bank. You just gotta decide what you want to spend it on.

Thanks for sharing and I absolutely love your analogy to the bank too!!!

IsMollyReallyHungry

Well I have been using the 40 cal per point and lost 2.4 pounds 1st week and had a bad weekend and still lost!! I will keep you posted. This week should be better for sure, no plans this weekend!

I lost another 2.2 pounds this week for a total of 4.6 pounds!! :happy:

skbarton

Under the old points system with 1 point equalling 50 calories, the rule of thumb was 100 exercise calories equalled 1 activity point. If I'm thinking right (and that is questionable sometimes LOL), if you ate your activity points, then it would be like eating back half of your exerise calories (burn 100, eat 50). Under the newer PP plan implemented a couple of years ago, rumors had it that activity points were between 60 and 80 calories.

I agree with a previous poster that was encouraging using the 49 extra points and at least some of the AP's. I didn't use all my bonus points and never the AP's and my weight loss came to a screeching halt. If weight loss stalls, do consider whether you are eating enough...

Thanks! AP's???

Activity Points

rbrockman1963

for all you people doing WW plan it is good and you have to remember they give you fruit and veggies free. On fitnesspal they count as calories. So WW calories may be less but you have to figure in the fruit and veggie. They just made it easy to count your points and not to worry about fruit and veggie. They are pushing you to make better choices and that is the veggie and fruit. They fuel your body and give it the energy it needs to run.

wozkaa

I lost 60lb using WW back in 2009-2010, old points plan.
After working a lot and then having babies, I gained it all back by just being slack with my nutrition.
I was thinking about rejoining WW Online (which i did last time) but can't afford it, so was looking here and found this link:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/822197-how-to-track-weight-watchers-points-on-mfp

It has helped me reconcile the calories vs points debate in my head, and has helped me transition to using MFP (my poor brain was stuck on WW)

You can choose which system (old or ProPoints) to follow, and gives you the links to install the scripts to be able to view the WW points for your foods in your MFP diary.

jeanwalters5268

I have done weight watchers. Went to Dr. Sudderth in Vicksburg. Adepex helped me lose 30 pounds since mid August last year. I was not able to exercise because of knee problems, but I went from size 14 to size 6. Used MFP to keep us with carbs and protein.

michellemeyers2

I was allowed 18 points on WW- I was SO hungry! It was terrible.

CMaksmowski

What did you mean by change the code to show your ww points??

WalkingAlong

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/822197-how-to-track-weight-watchers-points-on-mfp

You can probably just read the last few pages. It does calc points for produce so you may want to change your categories so you have one at the bottom (like under breakfast, lunch, dinner) for zero point items, in case you don't want to skip tracking them completely. Then it's easier to subtract out their points from the points total, at least.

dakotacabn

This all really helped. I wanted to know how many calories I was eating. I didn't want to pay for weight watchers so I am going on my own.