MFP vs. Weight Watchers

danessa1

Any comments on being more or less successful counting points vs calories?

kingofcrunk

I would say for long term health MFP beats Weight Watchers by miles. MFP helps to show you the breakdown of what you're eating (sugar, fat, protein etc) whereas weightwatchers gives you a number of points and you can spend them how you like. The weekly meetings are a good weight loss tool to keep members accountable, but I think it terms of long term health and learning about the sort of foods you need for a balanced diet the weightwatchers plan is slightly flawed.

But then I'm a failed weightwatcher so my opinion may be biased!

McLifterPants

I did Weight Watchers and lost a good chunk of weight (35 lbs) in like 2007. It all came back, though, because WW doesn't really give you any tools for maintenance or for even really learning what you're doing without guidance. It doesn't teach anything about nutritional value. I kind of viewed it as a very overprotective-mommy system: "don't you worry your pretty little head about that; just tell me what you ate and I'll tell you how you're doing." Once you've hit goal, you're left with very little in the way of helping you maintain. I'm doing much better here than I did with them! But that's just my personal experience.

queenhiphop

I would say for long term health MFP beats Weight Watchers by miles. MFP helps to show you the breakdown of what you're eating (sugar, fat, protein etc) whereas weightwatchers gives you a number of points and you can spend them how you like. The weekly meetings are a good weight loss tool to keep members accountable, but I think it terms of long term health and learning about the sort of foods you need for a balanced diet the weightwatchers plan is slightly flawed.

But then I'm a failed weightwatcher so my opinion may be biased!

I agree
And I am also a failed weightwatcher

mcarter99

I've had success with WW in the past. I think it beats MFP in many ways including

* it does have an education component (where MFP's forum are more like dis-education, with all the bad and erroneous info)
* it has in-person accountability and support
* it addresses the emotional and behavioral aspects of eating and dieting
* you watch people around you literally changing before your eyes week after week
*it does have a maintenance plan but it's basically the same as any maintenance plan-- figure out what eating level you maintain at and learn to eat at that level.
* it simplifies things to what really matters. To lose weight, no one needs to know their BMR and TDEE, for example, or hit macros or a bunch of other things that come up here all the time.

But MFP is free and if you know how to eat right already, can ignore the forum 'info', and don't need the in-person support and accountability, it works, too.

reallyally1

I lost 30 pounds on WW, but after the new points system was introduced, I didn't lose anything. I don't like their whole "free fruit" concept and I felt like converting exercise into points was just way too complicated, so I rarely exercised. I think WW was great for me when I was just starting out on my weight loss journey - I was someone who had always been heavy and WW helped teach me how to make healthier choices. I think MFP is much better for long-term weight loss and maintenance. I no longer skip eating things like nuts because they have too many points. Also, I've incorporated exercise into my life and I feel so much better! I no longer have to bother with the complicated points conversion system, which is another plus.

WW is good in the begging to have a support group and be held accountable every week, but after you take off the first 1/3 of your weight loss goal, it kind of becomes useless. I like MFP so much better.

Bighiker2

I joined WW on more than one occasion and never reached my goal with their program. Their very latest PointsPlus 2012 gives free (0 points) fruits and vegetables, in addition to 26 daily points. On top of all of that, they have 49 weekly allowance points. On those weeks when I ate all of my 26 daily, all of my 49 allowance AND the free fruits/veggies, I actually gained weight... which is no brainer, when you look at it. Fruits and veggies do have calories, and it does add up quickly! IMHO, the science behind WW needs some serious editing. I recently quit them (for good!) and am now here on MFP. I am counting calories and eating a healthy 1200/daily. I have lost 2 lbs. in a week and am confident that this is the BEST program out there.

Bighiker2

REALLYALLY1: I couldn't agree more, the 'free' fruits and veggies concept actually made me gain LOL

carrieblue052

Mfp way better, It makes you aware of what your eating so you can apply it to life, and its free

KnittingSoo

I've been following WW propoints since January and have lost 70 lbs so far. Like many things - you get out of it what you want. It has done a lot to teach me about portion control. The zero point fruit and veg are great and steer me towards healthier options.

I've double tracked a couple of weeks and my WW points, plus fruit and veg and weeklies (points you can spread over the week however you like) are in line with the calorie recommendations from this and a few other weight loss websites.

jolenetravis

I have been on WW for many years. I hit goal and maintained, then had 3 babies.

I rejoined in 2009 - lost 20 lbs in 10 months and was doing great - then they launched the Points Plus in 2011 and I gained 10 lbs back - I switched some things around and have been the same weight for over a year. I am happy I maintained - but I want to lose! After tracking here for the last 2 weeks, I really see I'm WAY over on my sugar/carbs.

I have tracked here and transferred over what I eat to their points plus, and I've found that even though I'm eating right around 1300-1400 caloriers per day here, WW was very sparadic on how my points were - I was either way over or way under.....there is no consistency unless I consume the same things daily. I could have a day with lots of fruit and be under - but a day with the same calories and different food - I'm way over.....

I'm going to finish out my WW session I just purchased but I'm going to track here.....and see what results MFP gives me.

jevoyager

I tried WW over 6+ months last year. And gained 6 lbs. :huh: Go figure, lol

Using MFP I've lost almost 40 in the last 6 months this year. True I've done more with it than when I was on WW (more exercise for one thing), but anyways, MFP has worked for me. For me it seems easier and more flexible.

mydeloo78

Since you're posting on MFP you'll probably get more towards MFP. I actually really like WW and its sort of my "go to" program. I am never exactly sure how many calories I should be eating (calculate 1200 or BMR or TDEE??) so the confusiong makes me not stick with it. With WW I'm given a number o points to work with, if I stay within those points I usually lose. Now, i agree the FREE fruit has thrown people off, but I also understand that even fruit should be eaten in moderation, although I don't know anyone that ever got fat from eating too many bananas. The short answer is "whatever you will follow more is the one that is right for you".

mcarter99

I lost 50 lbs. on a WW program with free fruit and all produce, also oats, lean meats, some grains, eggs. You have to use some reason and listen to your body.

If you're going through the program and gaining on the default points values, your leader will suggest you watch your fruit and/or lower your points.

I lost 1 lb/month on the new program. It's a very low deficit, if you don't have a lot to lose. Most people eat 1850ish on it.

kwest_4_fitness

I use them both together and it's worked wonderfully for me!! I use the old flex plan, though, not the new Points Plus.

tbskipp

I started on WW before I discovered MFP back in January. My biggest thing is I want to see in front of me the break down of my calories. I want to keep track of my sugar, sodium, protein, fiber, fat, etc. I couldn't do that on WW.
I am definitely not knocking WW, it just seems that MFP has been better for me personally.

Melissa82434

4 weeks after having my daughter I started WW. For the first couple weeks I would lose a pound her, a pound there maybe 1.5. But then I started to gain every "weigh-in" The end result was. ......I participated in WW for almost 9 weeks and ended up with a loss of 1 freakin pound. So, in my opinion I think MFP is WAY better...already down 6! I also like the additional support you get from friends on here, everything you eat you are accountable for & you deal with the real thing the REAL calories, not a point system. PLUS its free....WW was just a waste of time and money for me. Works well for others, just not this chic Im SO glad I found MFP

JeaninePaige

Weight Watchers helped me lose about 20lbs a few years ago when they had their original Points system. Now that they changed it, I have tried (and failed) twice on Points Plus. I followed the program to a T both times and had trouble even getting past the 5lbs lost mark. I would weigh in and to my surprise actually gain weight sometimes. I tracked religiously, did NOT overdo it on the "free fruits and vegetables" thing, and it still didn't seem to do me any good.

I also started getting really angry because every meeting I would go to, the leader would try to push products on us. I would weigh in, be frustrated that I wasn't losing anything and would look for someone to talk to, and he would just say "Oh keep up with it, you'll lose weight--- HERE BUY THIS FOOD SCALE AND BOOK." I felt like they pretended to care but really all they wanted was to make money.

I actually just joined MFP yesterday and cancelled my WW membership last night. I feel richer lol and hopefully I will have more success here.

Samantha0517

My opinion, Weight watchers was too tedious for me. Wasn't a big fan and wasn't very successful for me. The only time I have lost weight was to simply count my cals, and work out everyday. Simple is sometimes better

Samantha0517

I agree 100% this system was no good for me. Also, my intructor did the same! She would almost "force" us to buy products and she would go over the meeting by 20-40 minutes going crazy over the products. Then after my time ran out I recieved post cards for months begging me to come back. I was very disappointed with the whole thing.

lizzybethclaire

I was terrible at the point and I made crappy food choices. Being forced to log my calories on MFP forced me to see how much I was eating and make better choices.

rougenoire

I lost over a stone with weight watchers but I think it forces you in to using their products out of convenience and frustration at working out the points and that annoys me. Ultimately if you follow it properly it's a way of controlling calories and would work but because it gives you the impression that you can have their crisps/biscuits/prepackaged junk often and still lose weight I think people start to slip back on their efforts and eat the real thing over the tiny portion of bland rubbish in an over priced bag! WW works best if you stick to the points and each fresh natural foods because it's limiting calories and making healthier choices. If you assume that all points are made the same and eat the ww packaged foods I would pretty much guarantee you will still be hungry and want more as they just aren't nourishing foods. If you then add in a get out clause of eating as much fruit and veg as you like then no wonder people blow it because you overcompensate on sugary fruit and eat too much.

*end of my rant*

WW can work well but it needs some common sense too, stay in your points and eat real food and I would bet most people would lose significantly over time. Most people don't do that though so MFP which shows you more about what you are eating is better for me as the numbers (macros and nutrients) encourage me to make better choices and as anything can be eaten I don't feel restricted or controlled.

dmsimone

I lost about 35 pounds on WW. I had 5 pounds to go but couldn't get rid of it. Then they changed the plan and my daily points went from 29 to 26. I STRUGGLED with this. All year long. I would stick with it for 4 or 5 days, but then I would be starving and would binge. And I hadn't binged in years. This continued for a couple of months. I finally gave up. In the end I gained back 10 pounds (hard to believe!).

I started MFP this week. The first thing I did was put in a typical WW day based on 29 points. OMG it was less than 900 calories a day. No wonder I was starving all the time and not losing anything.

Now I have 15 pounds to lose. 1200 calories per day is SO MUCH FOOD compared to what I was trying to do with WW. We will see if I am successful...

mdmorgan25

I used WW for about a year before recently discovering MFP. I was only doing the on line program because I don't need the support of meetings. I was paying $18/month! I had been moving between the same five pounds for the last several months on WW after losing about 25 pounds pretty quickly. I even manually reduced my daily points target to try to start losing consistently again and it did not work. After logging a few of my WW days in MFP, I found that although I was staying under my points goal I was heavy on carbs and sugar. It was a revelation that I needed to try to pinpoint why I couldn't get past those five pounds. After a week of using MFP I have found it to be more valuable, easier to use, and I love the mobile app version. I lost 1 pound in my first week and hope to get past that mark I have been unable to get past using WW.

PTMama0614

I've had success with WW in the past. I think it beats MFP in many ways including

* it does have an education component (where MFP's forum are more like dis-education, with all the bad and erroneous info)
* it has in-person accountability and support
* it addresses the emotional and behavioral aspects of eating and dieting
* you watch people around you literally changing before your eyes week after week
*it does have a maintenance plan but it's basically the same as any maintenance plan-- figure out what eating level you maintain at and learn to eat at that level.
* it simplifies things to what really matters. To lose weight, no one needs to know their BMR and TDEE, for example, or hit macros or a bunch of other things that come up here all the time.

But MFP is free and if you know how to eat right already, can ignore the forum 'info', and don't need the in-person support and accountability, it works, too.

I have had success on WW and am currently a lifetime member. I have tried other weight loss programs and WW by far is the best in terms of support and tools to succeed. I've learned how to make healthy choices and earning extra points for exercising was a huge incentive for me to become active.

I do like MFP because now I know how many calories I should be eating and that's important to me. MFP has an advantage in that it's free. So my take is that both programs work, WW has the support and great tools, recipes and information to help anyone succeed. I think the bottom line is if you want to lose weight, get fit and be healthy, whatever works for you is what you should do!

almc170

I did WW Online a few years ago and lost about 25lbs with it. Ultimately, I got sick of the whole Points business and stopped doing it. I went on to lose another 15lbs or so without any sort of diet plan. I kept that off for a couple of years, but gradually regained a large portion of what I had lost.

Like anything, MFP is what you make of it. I was introduced to the site through an employer-sponsored wellness plan. My eating plan was developed in conjunction with a dietician, and I initially used MFP only as a tool to keep track of my food and activity. I did eventually find that, while the forums can be maddening at times, there is some useful info here. I've learned a few things and been inspired to try new fitness routines. Plus I've got some great people on my friends list

Dad_of_3

I have been tracking and following the MFP plan for six weeks now. I am a Weight Wathcers member at my work, and go to the the meetings, but the daily calorie goals fit me better. I am allowed 69 "points plus" per day, not including my exercise points or my bonus 49 points. It is way too much food for me, so I follow the tracking system here, with really good results. But like someone else said:

* it does have an education component (where MFP's forum are more like dis-education, with all the bad and erroneous info)
* it has in-person accountability and support
* it addresses the emotional and behavioral aspects of eating and dieting
* you watch people around you literally changing before your eyes week after week

This is very true, so I go to the meetings just for these reasons.

roch1972

I just cancelled my WW membership..today. While I was successful with it I find MFP much more enjoyable to use. I too like the fact that I can easily monitor how much fat, carbs and protein I'm consuming on a given day.

swest222

I have never personally tried weight watchers but I feel they are a "gimmic" like any other weight loss center out there.
People say they've had success years ago, or tried it and lost weight but gained back etc.
Personally if you have to buy any "product" for a program, then it's always going to be short term IMO.
(such as Body by VI, Jenny Craig, or counting "points" and whoever else has these types of weight loss tools)

Eating right and exercising is the way to lose weight and the other "gimmic" part to it just throws me off and I'll never join there.

The pros I think would be mainly the in person accountability every week.

Whereas here you only have yourself to be accountable to...

Just my opinion.

Bighiker2

My leader at WW used to say your same identical phrase " I don't know anyone who got fat by eating too many bananas "... I guess WW uses the same sentences all over the country LOL But anyway, the truth is somewhere in between: if the fruits a person eats makes him/her go above their daily needed calories, yes, that person will by all means gain weight by eating bananas. The only time I ever lost weight in my entire life (41 yrs. old) has been by counting calories.

Just saying...

robinhardysmall

I have had much better sucess with MFP~ I gained weight on the latest WW Program~ MFP is real and I can do this without all of the points figuring and much more sucess in the regard of getting more information and exercise as well.