Weight Watchers?? Love it or no?

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  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    I loved the old plan, but chose not to do the new one or the one right before.

    It's very similar to calorie-counting. What I like most about it is that you have a weekly allowance in addition to the daily, so if you have a day where you eat more than usual, it's easy to account for and track.

    I also learned a lot about nutrition. The Good Health Guidelines are great for beginners.
  • bennieangel
    bennieangel Posts: 11
    I lost 25#'s on WW in 2010, then quit in 2011 & started tracking on MFP, fluctuated a lot and decided to rejoin WW in November (starting weight up 3#'s from when I quit in 2011). So far I have lost consistently again using the WW program. I go online only, so the monthly fee isn't too bad. I like it, and I will stick with it this time.

    Like others I had a hard time transitioning from the old 'momentum' program when they switched in 2011 & that's why I stopped. The program now '360' is the same points plus tracking, but some time away allowed me to start fresh with the 'new' program & so far I really like it.

    If you're stuck, give it a try. If you are doing well with MFP, why bother?
  • ceannesjourney
    ceannesjourney Posts: 250
    I'm thinking of trying Weight Watchers after hearing that it's the number 1 rated diet by the government (or something like that) on Kidd Krad****. But before I start forking over money I thought it'd be a good idea to hear your experiences first! Do you love it? Think it's overpriced? Find it easy to keep up with the points? Any info will be helpful :) Thanks!

    I don't think it's worth it--as others have mentioned here (just a different way to count calories, but you need to do the calculation). But...if you are looking for a support system, try T.O.P.S. They have them, I believe, worldwide. And it's only approx. $30.00 for a whole year. Assorted age groups, etc. I went for a while, but it's not for me. But I know others who love it.
  • sarahisme18
    sarahisme18 Posts: 574 Member
    I've tried it multiple times, and was *almost* successful multiple times, but hit a serious plateau and didn't find that their plateau-busting tips helped at all. The only thing that has helped me get past that was MFP, along with the EatMore2WeighLess group.

    What I liked about WW:

    - It has a nice interface
    - Their content is sometimes helpful and motivating, like their magazine (I still purchase sometimes)


    What I didn't like about WW:

    - The 'points' system is easy, but it really does not help you get educated about calories and macros. You may know that item A has 2 points and item B has 3 points, and so you'll choose item A with WW... but if you know the nutrient content of both items, you might actually choose item B because it has more protein and less carbs. The fact that they hide that info behind a 'points' algorithm is, I think, not helpful.

    - Again with the points system, I think they punish you for things like egg yolks and avocado and things with healthy fat in them. WW is all about low-fat, but after doing my own research, I don't think that is a good way to go. Lower your carbs, sure, but don't skimp on the fat. It's important, and dietary fat does not make you fat!

    - Fake foods. Pretty much I HATE that they push all the fake food, like their low-points treats and artificial sweeteners and stuff. Not only is it gross, but even if you can tolerate it, that stuff is NOT good for you! WW says they're all about teaching moderation, but they're really not.... they're all about substituting real food with fake food, just to lower the fat and calorie content.

    - Free fruits and veggies. I know, everybody loves this... and I understand the reason why they implemented it, because of a meeting I was at once where a woman said she would choose a mini snickers for 1 point over a banana for 2 points. They're trying to break that mentality and get you to eat more fruits and veggies... but the bottom line is that you NEED to learn that for yourself, because calories in STILL needs to equal calories out. Fruits and veggies are not 'free' foods in the real world of calorie counting, and if you're picking a snickers for less calories, you're severely under-educated about nutrition. They're not helping that by just making them 'free'.

    - The focus on the weight. I know, weight is the whole thing... but when you're like me and you got stuck at a plateau at 5'4" and 132lbs, why didn't someone at WW tell me that I actually didn't need to lose any more, I just needed to start strength training to build muscle? Oh, because that's not the point. The point is to eat as low calories as possible, using all the fake foods you can get your hands on, and cardio-ing yourself to death just to achieve the number.

    - Going off of that point, I don't think WW is a recipe for long-term success. The lack of focus on building muscle, along with the lack of focus on overall nutrition that's hidden behind the 'points', I think causes people to easily gain the weight back if they simply continue to follow the points system. I only know of one person ever who was successful with reaching their goal on WW, and is still maintaining after 5 years—and what did she do differently? Oh, bingo—she focused her exercise on strength training. Did she learn that from WW? No, she got a trainer at a gym who told her, and a doctor who told her.

    Anyway, I could go on..... but basically, you can get more out of using MFP and educating yourself about nutrition and body composition. You'll also be more successful in the long-term. And with more $$ in your pocket.

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