Weight Watchers.... I can't really gasp my mind around it

mandy_lee86

So, about the time I started my weight loss journey, someone in our office started Weight Watchers. I don't know exactly how the points work, but I think the first number of your weight determines how many points you would get? I weight 220 so I would get 20-something points. Anyways, we were talking the other day and I asked her what kind of stuff she is allowed to eat on her Weight Watchers' diet. She tells me that she is allowed to eat anything she wants. She said she's had fried chicken, big boxes from KFC, and she is always eating chocolate. She says that Weight Watchers is all about moderation and that if you eat half of a candy bar for 3 points then you're okay. I don't understand how you can be on a "diet" and put the same fatty foods into your body that you were before. Is Weight Watchers really only about moderation? Also, she has all of these "extra weekly points" that she can use on anything she wants... which sounds ridicilous to me. Also, she gets to eat back her exercise calories. How is this moderation when you're able to get all of these free points AND eat back your exercise calories. Doesn't that basically put you back where you started? Has anyone been on weight watches that can explain to me how it is supposed to work?

Ejwelton

Is she loosing weight?

mandy_lee86

BTW - she gets over 40 points a day. She has been doing it since February and has lost about 8-10 lbs

AlyRoseNYC

It's really not that different from MFP at it's core. They give you a certain number of points to eat which is based on the calories, fat, and fiber in each food. When I did WW, I found that for most of the foods I ate, 1 point = 50ish calories.

It is all about moderation and portion control. I eat candy bars and junk food too, but I don't do it often and make sure it fits into my daily goals. My mom does WW, and she does not eat at all like your friend. She eats very claen. Since there are no restrictions on WW, you can customize it to what you like, just like MFP.

The main difference with WW is the exercise factor. They don't put much focus on working out at all. It's more of an afterthought IMO.

Does this help?

clovr24

Just like counting calories, you can eat whatever you want within your range...granted, it's probably not best to just eat candy bars all day but if it provides a deficit a person could still lose doing it.

The extra points are because on their own, the daily points add up to only around 1000 calories.

BurtHuttz

It's a game. I'll give you a thousand points.

Each point is worth two calories.

*shrugs*

Shayztar

I don't know about Weight Watchers, but I've seen people on MFP who lose weight eating 1200 calories of junk food. Just because you can doesn't mean you should. It's about making a change that is going to sustain you for life. If you eat 40 points of garbage, then when you stop watching points, you're just eating garbage. If you eat 40 points of healthy food with the occasional indulgence, then when you stop counting points, maybe you've learned how to eat better. Maybe not. It's still a good idea to learn portion and moderation. But I imagine all she is learning to do is eat less, not eat better.

Kerri_is_so_very

I could never stick with ww, but some people can do it and have success. To me it was too commecial, always peddling their foods etc. Unless you are eating healthy to begin with, eating less of the same junk isn't going to change you long term. I am so not impressed with ww, but it may work for some. I think whatever you have success with and can stick to is a good thing, but the drive really has to come from within...there are so many components to weight loss that focusing on just one aspect is probably not going to lead to success in most cases.

DelilahCat0212

Weight Watchers also has the health guidelines (I forget what they are called) where you're supposed to have so many servings of dairy, fruits and veggies, healthy fat, etc. By the time I got in my protein, fats, fruits, veggies and dairy, I had no points left for snacks or treats. A lot of people follow the points but not the health guidelines. You can do the same thing with MFP...you can eat 1400 cal worth of junk or you can eat 1400 worth of good clean food.

40 points a day is a lot for a chick. I'm pretty darn obese and I only got 29.

roachhaley

Calories in calories out.

I eat a good amount of "junk" and still lose weight.

You dont necessarily have to eat "healthy" food to lose weight.

caramkoala

My understanding is it is pretty much the same as it is in here. One 'weight watchers point' equals 50 cals. Same as MFP, you are allocated a number of points based on your current weight, and a deficit is figured in. You can eat anything on weight watchers, within your points budget, just like you can eat anything here, within your points budget.

The weekly points are the equivalent of a sort of 'calorie cycling' thing. Like, if you know you are going out to dinner on Saturday night, you might eat 100 cals a day under, to make up for the excess on Saturday night.

And eating back exercise cals, well, that's the same as in here too!

It's really not that different or hard. It's like US being being stuck in the dark ages with imperial measurements, while over in more civilised lands we use metric! You say 200pounds or 2000calories, I say 91kg or 9000kJ!

The biggest difference is this way is free!

wellbert

I've done it twice. The new point system isn't bad.

X points does not equal y calories. There is a formula which is weighted based on the protein/fat/fiber of a food.

I felt like crap the entire time I did WW the first time (I did lose weight.) So I counted calories with points and found out that the way I was eating - I was eating at an insane calorie deficit. I think like... 1500 calories? (My BMR at the time was something like 2600)
Keep in mind, this happened because I was fitting fast food into the diet. Eating whole foods, you get more calories shoved into a point. The points you get to 'eat back' from exercise don't amount to much. The 'bonus points' round out the insane calorie deficit. I didn't eat them, but I remember there being 31 or so. Which was about 1500-1800 calories worth of junk food if I remember right.

The more recent WW I did much better on. Both due to better food choices, and the new points system.

In any case, it gave me NO way to track my actual nutrition aside from points - Protein intake became important so I had to start logging on another site. That that point, WW just became redundant, and was expensive. So...

(First round I did in the classes, second just online.)

Chrissy_Michelle

It's true you can eat whatever you want BUT, WW advocates you should choose high protein that's lean, high fiber, healthy fats, lots of water, many fruits and endless veggies. It's just like counting calories. Yes, you can eat a piece of chocolate cake worth 300 cals but you SHOULD choose 300 cals of something healthier with nutrients. If you choose healthier options, you get more food and you are training yourself for a healthier lifestyle. I did WW for a long time and lost 90lbs. I've since gained weight and now I'm counting cals. Both systems work the same but it's up to the user to choose healthier options for a long term, healthy life.

iggymomma

I did weight watchers about 8 years ago -- and it does work. I can't speak for the new points-plus program, BUT when I did points, you were supposed to "spend" a certain number of points each day on fruits/veggies, milk, oil (e.g. olive). Since few fruits/veggies were "free" back then, it really didn't leave you a lot of room to go nutty by eating candy bars, etc. As I remember, once I got through my daily requirements (and I did eat a lot of broccoli which was free, never ate bread, had fiber one with skim milk for breakfast religiously) I barely had enough points left at the end of the day for a WW reduced fat ice cream treat. But then I had only 20 daily points and I never used my weekly in case I needed to splurge over the weekend. Your friend's strategy may be the reason for the new points system which allows for fruits/veggies without limitation, but assigns a really high value to non-nutritious foods. I wonder if you actually read her journal if it looks like what you are explaining. It's true, that you didn't have to completely deprive yourself from foods you like, in moderation, and infrequently, but done the right way, WW is a very healthy program.

mashanda

WW is just like counting calories you can use them to eat what you want but you have to make good choices. MODERATION is key . I can eat 1300 calories of 100 calorie packs but that is not nutritional. WW encourages you to eat healthy fruit, veggies, dairy, etc... So you should set aside so many a day to fulfil those basic needs..then after that make good choices. I have done weight watchers before and it did work but it is just liek counting calories takes commitment. So that is why this time I decided to go the free route

mtaylor33557

at 202 I got 32 points.. so you would get over 30.

I just dropped below 30 when I dropped down under 180.

ETA: I lost my first 22 lbs on WW, I just switched to MFP about a month ago and have lost and additional 3.8 lbs on here. It's not coming off as fast on here.. but, I don't have as much to lose now either.

Reana27

I used to do weight watchers but found that MFP actually works better for me. Just like MFP, when you exercise you can either choose to eat extra to compensate or not. I think everyone else here is right - I would not necessarily recommend a "diet" that includes fried chicken and candy bars as I think that sets you up for failure. Once you reach your goals, you will just go back to eating all that same stuff without moderation. I like to think of this as a lifestyle change and not a diet. I am eating more clean and healthy foods so that when I do reach my goal I will be able to maintain without much effort.

Personally, I think MFP and Weight Watchers are about the same (they both give you a daily goal and tools to track your food intake and exercise to ensure you are meeting that goal) except MFP is free, and I certainly like that better! I have actually been more successful on MFP than I ever was on Weight Watchers.

TLL09

BTW - she gets over 40 points a day. She has been doing it since February and has lost about 8-10 lbs

I lost over 20 pounds doing weight watchers. Some people choose to eat the same crap they always have and they will either get limited results, like your co-worker, or they will regain it all eventually. Weight watchers system does allow freedom of choice but encourages a healthier lifestyle. Unfortunately a lot of people just want to be thinner, not healthier.

aggiesrar05

I started weight watcher in 2006 back when you got a set number of points for your age range plus 35 extra points for the week. Back there points for food were based on calories, fat, and fiber. I did very well with that and lost 65lbs and 8 months.

I started having issues with it when they switched over to the new points system that had a whole different way of calculating points for both target points and food points. I've seen a lot of people that this system worked for, but I struggled it with. Another reason I struggled with it is because I got A LOT more active. I always had trouble grasping how calories burned equated to activity points.

Their basic premise is that you eat can eat anything in moderation and move more and a couple other catch phrases and you'll lose weight. It's the basic calories in calories out premise. They just do it with points.

The giant bucket of fried chicken is super high in points and they may take up most of her points per day. It all comes back down to energy density of food. Would you rather eat a box of chicken for 15 pts (totally making that pt value up), or some grilled chicken, and apple, some whole grains, more fruit, and cheese for 15 pts (again making that up, but it's probably pretty close).

I have nothing against weight watchers, my leader was the most amazing woman and still one of my closest friends ever after she moved away. I am not a fan of the new corporate WW that changes programs and pretty much forces clients to purchase the new products (calculators, books, etc) every time they change.

To each their own.

mcrowe1016

What about the word "moderation" is confusing to you? Eating the same as you were before, just less, and you can lose weight.

mandy_lee86

Weight Watchers also has the health guidelines (I forget what they are called) where you're supposed to have so many servings of dairy, fruits and veggies, healthy fat, etc. By the time I got in my protein, fats, fruits, veggies and dairy, I had no points left for snacks or treats. A lot of people follow the points but not the health guidelines. You can do the same thing with MFP...you can eat 1400 cal worth of junk or you can eat 1400 worth of good clean food.

40 points a day is a lot for a chick. I'm pretty darn obese and I only got 29.

Yes it is a lot!!!!

mcpherson4

You CAN eat what ever you want. Just not so much. That is the beauty of it. Your points are YOUR points. YOU use them however YOU want to use them and YES you do lose weight. No exercise involved.

neverstray

You can eat anything you want and still lose. What's the big deal? And, why are you criticizing it without trying it. It's a good program. Just because she eats junk doesnt mean you have to. Junk food costs more in points than healthy food, so over time, most people start to learn that if they eat healthy food, they can eat more. Also, on the weekly points, that's great. That's pretty much what I do, and a lot of people do is have a cheat day or cheat meal once a week or so. Everyone here does it a little different, but it's the same idea. If you don't understand it, then maybe it's not for you. The best thing is to find soemthing that works for you and stick with it and do not criticize what others are doing if they are getting results. There is always more than one way to get there.

MissTattoo

I started WW and got like 48 points. Some people abuse it to still eat what they want and still lose because WW is still calculating a deficit. I still have all of my WW info and the points add up to be about the same as the calories MFP gives you to lose 1 pound a week. For some people counting points is better for them.

Yes you eat your exercise points back just like you are suppose to eat your exercise calories back on this site.
You get extra weekly points just in case you want to have a martini one day after work and already went through your allotted points or a "cheat day" just like people do on MFP.

They still teach you to make healthier choices at the meetings. They show you that a buttered croissant is the same amount of points as a piece of ham, scrambled eggs, and a piece of toast. What's going to keep you full longer?

Some people simply enjoy the meetings and having real people to relate to. Online friends are great, but there is something about sitting next to someone in the same boat as you and watching them go through their journey.

I will never forget the energy in the room at one meeting where a lady had lost over 100 pounds on WW. When they presented her with her charm she was on her knees in tears and everyone in the room was crying with her. You may get that online with a bunch of people you don't know in the Success Stories section, but there is something different about actually being there and watching someone shrink week by week.

But MFP is free is WW is like $50 a month! That's why I'm here and not there!

jporche77

The points are based on your height and weight. The more you weigh (or how tall you are) you get more points. The way the new point system is set up is based on Carbs/Fat/Protein/Fiber. It is no longer 50ish calories = a point.

I have recently set up MFP while counting points and according to WW I would only get about 1200 calories.....I'm 6ft and overweight.

Like one of the previous posters that working out is an afterthought. That's why I went to MFP

maureenreeve

I've been doing Weightwatchers, and yes you can basically have what you want to eat in moderation. You are basically training yourself to eat correctly, ie amounts and types of food.

I was given 29 points and additional amount of points to be used if you want to within the week. I always used my daily points and very rarely used the extra ones.

I lost 10kg, now I am in the maintenance stage - have been since October 2011, and I haven't put on any weight. I basically taught myself to eat sensibly

If you deprive yourself too much of the naughty things, when you have got to your goal weight and start eating normally, you don't know when enough is enough and the whole cycle can start again

vim_n_vigor

It is the same concept as here, except it builds in banking your calories (which you would manually have to do here). You can still eat whatever foods you want here too, as long as they stay in your caloric goals. If I only eat pizza for a day, I won't have much to eat and I'll probably be hungry, but I'll still lose weight. If I eat a piece of pizza and have some chicken grilled and on a bed of greens and an egg or two, I can reach the same caloric goal and feel much more satisfied.

angeldaae

Weight Watchers does promote healthy eating through how the points are calculated.

Points are calculated by a formula, considering a food's fat, carbohydrates, protein, and fiber.

Foods higher in fat or carbs will naturally have a higher points value. Food lower in fat but high in protein, or foods high in fiber, will have a lower points value.

So, to get the most "bang for you buck," so to speak, if you ate a diet rich in low fat, high protein, high fiber foods, you would get to eat more volume of food for the same amount of points (much like calorie counting).

However, also like calorie counting, you can still eat whatever you choose as long as you have the points for it.

On top of that, most fruits and veggies are 0 points, making them a natural go-to option. You don't have to use up your points on carrots or strawberries.

For what it's worth, an average person might only eat 1,000 calories if they ate only their daily points. You're supposed to eat the weekly points and your activity points in order to actually eat *enough*.

sullykat

My issue with WW is that they don't educate very well. They need to educate their members in food, nutrition and exercise. I feel like it's almost like "ok, do this and lose weight. When you're done, you're done" and the weight comes back for a lot of members, so that have to keep up with it, and follow the WW plan. MFP is more realistic. It shows you what you eat, and many people here know what their talking about, so if you have a question about a food, you will likely get a lot of great answers.

MissTattoo

Weight Watchers also has the health guidelines (I forget what they are called) where you're supposed to have so many servings of dairy, fruits and veggies, healthy fat, etc. By the time I got in my protein, fats, fruits, veggies and dairy, I had no points left for snacks or treats. A lot of people follow the points but not the health guidelines. You can do the same thing with MFP...you can eat 1400 cal worth of junk or you can eat 1400 worth of good clean food.

40 points a day is a lot for a chick. I'm pretty darn obese and I only got 29.

Yes it is a lot!!!!

No it's not a lot when you are 5'11 and 300 pounds.

GaryRussell123456

I lost 90 lbs on weight watchers. It definitely works, but only because it's basically calorie counting in disguise and everyone knows that works. If you criticise weight watchers you are criticising MFP in my mind.