Switching Over From WW

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catsnorchids
catsnorchids Posts: 2
in Introduce Yourself
Hi, new here, so ... I lost 30 lbs on WW (online only, no meetings) from late July 2012 til now. Average probably a pound per week. Would have liked it to be more, but I would lose and gain the same 1 to 1.5 lb over and over on some weeks. My own fault, I'm sure, as I fell away from daily food diary and can't seem to get the habit back. SO ... paying almost $20/month for WW, I am conflicted ... if I quit it, will I stop losing, perhaps backslide? BUT ... what am I paying for monthly, since all I do is track my weight ...? You see the conflict.

My sister and a good friend swear by MFP, so I'm going to give it a try. Telling myself if it doesn't work for me or I backslide, I could always re-up for WW, right? So here I am!

Would love some input from others who may have switched over from WW, if you would?

catsnorchids
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Replies

  • laynabs
    laynabs Posts: 3 Member
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    Hi, catnorchids! I'm in a similar situation. I just switched over from WW to save some money. (My original idea regarding WW was that I would be more likely to track my food intake if I was paying for the service). Though I'm new to MFP, I've lost approximately 90lbs and maintained that loss with calorie counting. I think consistent tracking is the key. I lost 1.4 lbs this week with MFP which is in line with my progress at WW.

    Good luck, whatever you decide!
  • cheryl529h
    cheryl529h Posts: 19 Member
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    I used to belong to WW online, and like you, I was not good about tracking nor did I use their community feature. I love MFP! Love that it's free, love that you can follow any weight loss plan you want, love the friends I've made on here ... *love*!
  • 130annie
    130annie Posts: 339 Member
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    Hi I did WW for many years....But I got bored with the whole thing, especially after they stopped doing daily menus..I find this much better and I can interact with people if I want....
  • NanzyBoek
    NanzyBoek Posts: 151 Member
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    Hi,

    Ive done both. Im now only on MFP. I love seraching the message boards and always find my answers. Ive made some good connections with people on here to, making it nice to have a support system that I didnt get on WW.

    WW is great but you can do all the same stuff on here and more. I love my fitbit that syncs to MFP giving me added motivation to move.

    Try this site out .. you cant go wrong its the same if not better and FREE :)
  • KathyPBiles
    KathyPBiles Posts: 292 Member
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    Hi. I previously attended WW and actually worked for them. The reasons I like this site are - accountability - you bite it - you write it - if you don't log - someone will ask you what is happening. Also, the support here reminds me so much of those meetings that I loved. Only difference here, is you have to be 100% honest, even if it hurts - such as eating not enough, too much, not exercising enough and weigh in.

    I use what I learned in WW for my eating habits. Let's face it - we know what to do, it is just doing it. Save that money and put it towards all those fresh veggies and fruits we know we should be eating!

    I love this site! Please feel free to add me - I will be glad to support you and I would like your support as well.

    Have a great day !
  • p1ppers
    p1ppers Posts: 40 Member
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    Same here, I've done WW off and on for last year or so, just doing community challenges mostly on the website as a non-member and then doing a 3 month stint online when they run a special. I did lose weight but it was never a pound each week, more like a pound every 2-3 weeks. That's where I saw a ad for fitbit, on the WW site and looked at it and thought well this might be the ticket to see how many calories I burn vs how many I am eating each day AND with fitbit One, see my sleep patterns. So I bought one and fell in love with it. The online tracking was about like WW where you couldn't find lots of foods, so several suggested MFP for the diary part and I'm so glad, because it is the best. I linked the two and HAVE lost a lb each week doing these together. My lastest challenge on WW will end Valentines Day, and I don't see myself going back to their website after that. This is easier, cheaper, validates where you are all day long, and you can find friends at the drop of a hat and challenge them daily as they sync. If you stick with it, I think you will be much happier with your results (and I've only been doing it since Dec. and feel that way). Friend me!
  • cindypalm1
    cindypalm1 Posts: 28
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    I did WW at home from my moms old points and it worked I lost over 40 pounds but then somethings happened
    in my life I got busy stopped tracking and put back on most of it. I tried to do WW's again but it was not working this time
    a friend of mine told me about this site and I love it. I can track right on my I Phone so there is no forgetting what I put in my mouth
    because my phone is with me at all times. I really like this site!
  • DebbieMc3
    DebbieMc3 Posts: 289 Member
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    I also made the switch. You will do great! (and save some $)
  • cloversunshine
    cloversunshine Posts: 2
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    Hello there, I am from WW too. I have found this site to be much more user friendly, fun and economical. Also, tracking points made me crazy so I would end up getting frustrated.
  • BearNelson
    BearNelson Posts: 4
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    I've done both programs, but have come back to MFP because I find it easier to track on my phone. With WW I was always losing my tracking form or getting frustrated with the app.

    Looking for friends. All are welcome to add me!
  • ToriLynnYoung
    ToriLynnYoung Posts: 10 Member
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    I also did WW off and on both live and online. I really liked it and, like you, didn't like the price. Now with MFP I can do the same thing without the hefty price tag. I restarted in January (2nd) and have lost 12.6 using this site. Yay! I find that completing the food diary is important though. With a big however, you will find it has a much larger data base. Every single food I've looked for has been there already so no need to sweat the details. Good luck and have fun!
  • aplhabetacheesecake
    aplhabetacheesecake Posts: 181 Member
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    Hi,

    Ive done both. Im now only on MFP. I love seraching the message boards and always find my answers. Ive made some good connections with people on here to, making it nice to have a support system that I didnt get on WW.

    WW is great but you can do all the same stuff on here and more. I love my fitbit that syncs to MFP giving me added motivation to move.

    Try this site out .. you cant go wrong its the same if not better and FREE :)



    Nancy- are you still losing or in maintenance?
    I was losing 1-3lbs weekly on ww- and when I would enter foods into mfp a typical 26 point day would only end up being 1400cals.....hard for me to maintain

    so I quit ww and rebelled (hello gained all my weight back!) and im now here, fitbit tells me on average I burn about 2900-3100 cals a day, so I am eating around 2000 cals a day and the scale is stalled. I have lost inches, I can see a difference, but nothing on the scale.
  • kelr0110
    kelr0110 Posts: 213 Member
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    Hi, new here, so ... I lost 30 lbs on WW (online only, no meetings) from late July 2012 til now. Average probably a pound per week. Would have liked it to be more, but I would lose and gain the same 1 to 1.5 lb over and over on some weeks. My own fault, I'm sure, as I fell away from daily food diary and can't seem to get the habit back. SO ... paying almost $20/month for WW, I am conflicted ... if I quit it, will I stop losing, perhaps backslide? BUT ... what am I paying for monthly, since all I do is track my weight ...? You see the conflict.

    My sister and a good friend swear by MFP, so I'm going to give it a try. Telling myself if it doesn't work for me or I backslide, I could always re-up for WW, right? So here I am!

    Would love some input from others who may have switched over from WW, if you would?

    catsnorchids

    Sorry I am opposite actually. I like coming on MFP for the message boards and group specific subjects (CrossFit section), but I still use WW points and pen and paper, which I've already lost 150 lbs on. I have about 40-50 lbs left and no, I'm not always angelic at my tracking, but I find it's easier because I don't necessarily have to log most vegetables because they are 0 points. I get irritated with tracking the calories of every single little thing on this food tracker.

    Please note I did NOT attend/pay for meetings while I lost the 150 lbs - I did it on my own with my points tracker and my journals (and of course exercise). Some people NEED the meetings for support and discussion, while I just found them boring and ways for people to share which new processed "fat free" foods they found just so they could fit in a taste of fake chocolate for 2 points hehee....- which was not helpful to me becasue I was trying to get away from processed fake stuff.

    Some people swear by MFP and that is awesome. Gotta do what works for you. I track using the memopad function on my phone and I have an electronic points finder I keep at work, but I've been on the program so long that I have the luxury of knowing how many points most things are.

    Either way, you HAVE to track, so if you've already stopped tracking and fell out of the habit, you're going to have to find a way to get back into it. I find the barcode scanner on MFP extremely helpful, so maybe using the SmartPhone app will be fun for you to see it calculate everything automatically :)
  • skinnyforcruise2013
    skinnyforcruise2013 Posts: 74
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    I was doing ww and then I went to Atkins but after a cruise I just couldn't get back on the low carb life. So a ww friend suggested mfp and I joined today!

    I think I need the accountability of tracking my food and exercise.
  • marcia724
    marcia724 Posts: 180 Member
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    I was a lifetime member of weight watchers as well. i switched to MFP and was skeptical.. but now I love it best hands down!!!
  • goddessmaurinha
    goddessmaurinha Posts: 1
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    Your letter was so similiar to my situation, for a moment I thought I wrote it!! LOL…..I left WW recently because I just couldn't afford or justify the monthly fee. Although it worked great, I had fallen off a bit due to a busy life but continued to pay…I think it was beginning to feel like my crutch. I took the chance and joined MFP and although I just started, I feel so hopeful. I think from all the responses, you made the right choice. Good luck, we are on this journey together!
  • Marg3030
    Marg3030 Posts: 11 Member
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    I did ww but I have found tracking food and activity easier with this site. I always felt guilty at ww when I didn't lose weight every week and the cost is a disincentive. I am working out where I go wrong looking at the reports and nutrition analysis.
  • Andyandyandyandyandy
    Andyandyandyandyandy Posts: 18 Member
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    I started WW in August 2012 and made the switch to MFP on January 20. Like you, I only used the online tracker and never went to any meetings. In 5 months I lost almost 10 lb and in the three weeks on MFP I've lost 4.5 lb. I am MUCH happier with MFP than I was with WW. Like you said I was paying $20/month to track my food.

    While I found the points system easy to understand it gave me no idea about my NET intake and honestly I never knew what calories added up to until switching. I was hesitant to switch at first, but now that I understand more about calories and MFP I like it a lot more. Plus having friends in MFP makes it A LOT easier to stay motivated and on track.

    I highly recommend MFP and stop wasting $ on WW if you aren't using all of its services.
  • msemich
    msemich Posts: 3 Member
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    I started the New Year by giving WW a try.. AGAIN. I signed up for a 3 month trial. I keep going back to them because WW was the way I lost weight 20 years ago - though at that time I went to meetings, this was long before the online option.

    I heard about MFP through my Facebook running group. I have found it (and it's supporting apps on iPhone and iPad) to be of IMMENSE use to me, and just as user-friendly if not more so than WW - AND ITS FREE.

    My daughter (17 and full of opinions LOL) asked me the other day, "Why do you enter your daily information in three different programs?" (this one, WW, and myapexfitness.com - the online program for my Bodybugg) Well, because two of them I paid for! The Apex site is paid for thru June and WW thru April, so I intend to get my money's worth out of it! They all have their own distinctive bonuses, but when push comes to shove, I think MFP is the winner. It would even synch with my Bodybugg if I were to buy a new one - mine is over a year old and so the two are incompatible. So when WW is up, I'm dropping it. And when June rolls around, I just might buy a new Bodybugg that will work with this program.:happy:
  • trina33
    trina33 Posts: 58 Member
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    I had great success with WW in the past, but stopped counting points, and put the weight back on. I went back to meetings, but found myself struggling with the new program and got frustrated that I was spending money and not actually following the program. I joined MFP instead, and, once I started taking it seriously and tracking, I have lost weight and I love it!

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