Weight Watchers & MFP Together??

PisceanDream224

Is anyone else doing this? I came here for a few reasons... One being that I was curious to see how many "points" I eat in Calories. I also wanted to start learning how to count calories and figure out the system for eating while active. I'm still a little clueless about the calories in/calories out bit. I know it takes burning 3500 cal more than you consume, but if you are eating back your calories (swapping points) and still losing weight, then how are you burning them??

sugboog29

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koonmom

I started MFP earlier this year. I kept going up and down the same 7 pounds. My company has a weight watchers meeting every Wed - so after watching my co-worker lose 25 to 40 pounds in a few months, I finally gave in about 2 1/2 months ago and joined. Joined with a net 3 lbs loss on MFP. After 2 months & 1 week, i'm down a total (includ the prev 3 lbs), almost 20 lbs. I can't figure the calories to the points. sometimes I think I chose great foods and they turn out to be really high in points and vice-a-versa.

junodog1

I have tried weight watchers a few times, but it just didn;t work for me. I have not looked at the online version, that may work. One of my co-workers is using it and loves the online tools.

I really didn't get anything out of the meetings. I don't need to check in with someone else. And I don't like the feeling that I am being clucked at when I might have an up week. Group therapy is not for me.

MFP gives me the tool I need and its freaking FREE. Between the online app and my iPhone app I'm a happy camper. Its a menu planner, a calorie counter and an exercise tracker in one.

I hope whatever you do works for you. And I hope MFP stays up for decades. Its worth my phone bill every month.

iluvco3

I have been a Lifetime member of WW for a long time. I weigh in at least once/month to keep my LT status. I think WW is a wonderful program. However, I decided I wanted to work towards a personal goal. My goal weight at WW is 148 and I wanted to try for a personal goal of 135. Really would like 130, but may not reach/maintain that.

Anyway, I found that the 26 points/day was equal to a huge range of calories depending on your fooe choices, and I wanted to watch that more closely. I also really wanted to focus on the proper nutrient levels. Someone recommended MFP and I have used it ever since, even though I weigh in at WW and even attend a couple of meetings each month.

Honestly, even if I was not at my original goal at WW, I would still pay to go to meetings and have the accountability of having to weigh in, but I would do ALL my tracking on MFP.

livelifebreath

I have done both and I honestly think that the 42.95 a month that you spend on weight watchers is better spent on a gym membership or some type of fitness you enjoy. In the beginning, I was paying for both thinking that is what would make me successful. I found weight watchers made me focus on what I could eat that was bad in my daily allowance. I never lost weight this way and have tried several times on WW. In the end, I know that focusing on staying active and eating correctly is most important. It is a journey, but I think MFP is amazing. I would look into investing in something like FIT BIT ULTRA or HRM. I hope that helps and you will know where you need to go in your journey. I just found the hour that I was spending at WW I could be at the gym.

kjw1031

I did both together for 6 weeks, then dumped WW and continued to track here.

My analytical mind just could really not negotiate the two. As posted above, some things are not high in calories, but are a lot of WW points (1% milk - 1 cup - 100 calories - 3 WW points) and some things are high in calories and low in WW points (a large banana - 150 calories - 0 WW points). (And don't even start me on a rant about a 4 ounce glass of wine being 4 points!)

I realized by tracking at both, that with WW I was seeking out low point foods, regardless of nutrition. I saw that I was woefully low in protein and fat and high in empty carbs.

Of course I could have stayed with WW. Once I started to add protein and fat, I was still within my WW points if I ate all of my daily, weekly, AND activity points, which is certainly within their program.

It's easier to find the NI that is tracked by MFP though rather than to have to figure out points.

PisceanDream224

I started MFP earlier this year. I kept going up and down the same 7 pounds. My company has a weight watchers meeting every Wed - so after watching my co-worker lose 25 to 40 pounds in a few months, I finally gave in about 2 1/2 months ago and joined. Joined with a net 3 lbs loss on MFP. After 2 months & 1 week, i'm down a total (includ the prev 3 lbs), almost 20 lbs. I can't figure the calories to the points. sometimes I think I chose great foods and they turn out to be really high in points and vice-a-versa.

Congrats on your loss!!! I feel the same way about certain foods. I did VERY well today, but still managed to eat way more fat than I was supposed to here. I know part of it was the avocado, but some of the other things I wouldn't have guessed.

browneyedgirl7928

I'm currently doing both. Right now, WW is the only place that has a wheelchair scale. I'm hoping when the accessible gym I am attending moves to a bigger building (they are currently looking right now) that they add a wheelchair scale to our gym. If they get that in the gym, I wouldn't think for a second to quit WW and save the 40 bucks a month and put that towards something else. For now it is the only place I get weighed. Don't get me wrong, I like the ladies (and the few men) at our meetings, but it is expensive and I don't even like their site, etools or their app. MFP is just way better functionality wise. I want to know my weight weekly so until there is another option available I am going to keep going.

Minus any fruits and vegetables -- I averaged about 1200 calories to be about 28 points. So if you are at 26, it will be a little less then that. 28 was too low for me and I was plateauing -- I do best when I eat about 35 points a day. I use my free points for that and have never had to dip into my workout points.

PisceanDream224

I have tried weight watchers a few times, but it just didn;t work for me. I have not looked at the online version, that may work. One of my co-workers is using it and loves the online tools.

I really didn't get anything out of the meetings. I don't need to check in with someone else. And I don't like the feeling that I am being clucked at when I might have an up week. Group therapy is not for me.

MFP gives me the tool I need and its freaking FREE. Between the online app and my iPhone app I'm a happy camper. Its a menu planner, a calorie counter and an exercise tracker in one.

I hope whatever you do works for you. And I hope MFP stays up for decades. Its worth my phone bill every month.

Thank you! Learning more about health is important to me, and I am really enjoying these tools they have! With WW, that is what I do, the online version. Been doing it since 2006. I think it helped me eat more healthy in general, but not focusing on specifics like Fat / protein, etc.

PisceanDream224

I have been a Lifetime member of WW for a long time. I weigh in at least once/month to keep my LT status. I think WW is a wonderful program. However, I decided I wanted to work towards a personal goal. My goal weight at WW is 148 and I wanted to try for a personal goal of 135. Really would like 130, but may not reach/maintain that.

Anyway, I found that the 26 points/day was equal to a huge range of calories depending on your fooe choices, and I wanted to watch that more closely. I also really wanted to focus on the proper nutrient levels. Someone recommended MFP and I have used it ever since, even though I weigh in at WW and even attend a couple of meetings each month.

Honestly, even if I was not at my original goal at WW, I would still pay to go to meetings and have the accountability of having to weigh in, but I would do ALL my tracking on MFP.

Congrats on making Lifetime!! I know what you mean about focusing on the different levels. I think WW is more of the easy way to eat healthy, but it gives a little too much leniency sp? when selecting food. It's not set, but it does help one realize that they need certain amounts of things throughout the day. I do love WW, but I like knowing what I am consuming too, nutrition wise.

PisceanDream224

I have done both and I honestly think that the 42.95 a month that you spend on weight watchers is better spent on a gym membership or some type of fitness you enjoy. In the beginning, I was paying for both thinking that is what would make me successful. I found weight watchers made me focus on what I could eat that was bad in my daily allowance. I never lost weight this way and have tried several times on WW. In the end, I know that focusing on staying active and eating correctly is most important. It is a journey, but I think MFP is amazing. I would look into investing in something like FIT BIT ULTRA or HRM. I hope that helps and you will know where you need to go in your journey. I just found the hour that I was spending at WW I could be at the gym.

Thank you! I will check into these.

PisceanDream224

I did both together for 6 weeks, then dumped WW and continued to track here.

My analytical mind just could really not negotiate the two. As posted above, some things are not high in calories, but are a lot of WW points (1% milk - 1 cup - 100 calories - 3 WW points) and some things are high in calories and low in WW points (a large banana - 150 calories - 0 WW points). (And don't even start me on a rant about a 4 ounce glass of wine being 4 points!)

I realized by tracking at both, that with WW I was seeking out low point foods, regardless of nutrition. I saw that I was woefully low in protein and fat and high in empty carbs.

Of course I could have stayed with WW. Once I started to add protein and fat, I was still within my WW points if I ate all of my daily, weekly, AND activity points, which is certainly within their program.

It's easier to find the NI that is tracked by MFP though rather than to have to figure out points.

Oh I know!! I was showing my Mom earlier the difference between the points on WW and the calories/info here for an item. She does WW too, so she was pretty curious about it. I laughed about the wine comment! I think all wine and liquor is the same, and I learned about that one the hard way! :P Not that I drink often, though. Just shocking.

PisceanDream224

I'm currently doing both. Right now, WW is the only place that has a wheelchair scale. I'm hoping when the accessible gym I am attending moves to a bigger building (they are currently looking right now) that they add a wheelchair scale to our gym. If they get that in the gym, I wouldn't think for a second to quit WW and save the 40 bucks a month and put that towards something else. For now it is the only place I get weighed. Don't get me wrong, I like the ladies (and the few men) at our meetings, but it is expensive and I don't even like their site, etools or their app. MFP is just way better functionality wise. I want to know my weight weekly so until there is another option available I am going to keep going.

Minus any fruits and vegetables -- I averaged about 1200 calories to be about 28 points. So if you are at 26, it will be a little less then that. 28 was too low for me and I was plateauing -- I do best when I eat about 35 points a day. I use my free points for that and have never had to dip into my workout points.

Mine just went down from 29 to 27, and I am still eating like they are 29. I thought 1200 calories was too low to be eating, but right now it is bringing me over my daily, so I am okay with it. If I start to plateau, I am definitely playing around with those numbers. I always thought eating 1500 - 1700 was better to lose weight. I guess I will see in the next few weeks! Thanks for sharing!