Weight Watchers AND MFP

xcarinarx

yes! i totally agree about the meetings! they were so depressing to me and everyone basically just used it to vent for an hour....it wasn't worth it for me personally.

Not to mention being commandeered by two or three people every week. They would just start talking as if it were only them. It was hard to get a word in edgewise, even if it was a question. I don't mean to judge, because if it works for some people that's what counts. It's like everything else, including the heated discussions here on what foods to eat or not eat... do what works for you.

LOL omg yes! always!!! were we in the same meeting or is it just like that? lol i don't judge either, what works for everyone is different, but for me personally, mfp has gotten me down 15 lbs so far and ww i couldn't get past 5! it worked for my mom short term, she lost 30 lbs, but then lost the motivation to keep tracking and keep paying. it's just not sustainable in my opinion, especially financially. i honestly think i was eating too little, which made it impossible to work out, which i love doing!

Brummig

I've never done WW, but I lost over 4 stone with Slimming World 2 years ago. I have kept it off, and in the last few months have lost another stone. I still go to SW to help me stay on track (free as a target member - like Lifetime), and I have become a bit of an exercise junkie! I joined MFP last year when I decided to go for the last stone. I've found it really good for helping me to live real life and real food. I was still working out my SW syns, and nervous about going off plan and gaining the weight again, so MFP has helped me start to learn what I can actually eat.

Like others have said, its about being honest about what will motivate you.

sk_pirate

I did WW and MFP for a bit. I originally signed up for MFP to gain access to the food database while on WW. Then I figured out how MFP worked, how much it told you, and I was like "to heck with WW" and went solely on MFP. And I've never had such great success!

WW Did not work for me, I started with the meetings. They were always at inconvenient times, the leader was extremely rude and condescending, and like others have said...the same 2 people hog the mic every week. Not worth it so I switched to online.

Online got me a good kickstart on how to eat better, pick from the food groups etc. But i found the pts counting really got me obsessed and all i could think about was food. Not to mention WW changes their plan way too often. AND....wasted more money.

BEFORE WW, I tried Herbal Magic. Uhhh, I could open up a new thread on that alone and how much of a joke I think that company is.

Bottom line...I wasted soooooo much money on weight loss, and what works for me was free and in front of my nose all along...I've learned so much being on MFP and since I "re-started for good" Yes my ticker may not look impressive but it's been less than a month that I decided to add in exercise, now that I have the proper energy for it!

I hope you find what works for you, but just remember, you don't have to spend a mint to get in shape, I promise!! :flowerforyou:

bigbearms

I have done WW before as well; however, the point system didn't seem to work as well for me as using MFP. Being able to see calories, fat, protein, carbs, fiber, etc. (the science of it) seems to motivate me to do better. I know that WW doesn't even include fruit in points, therefore, caloric/carb/sugar intake is going to be higher, thereby slowing weight loss. I have found that working with others using MFP is cheaper and keeps me motivated. Hope this helps.

LJSmith1989

I did weight watchers and lost a stone and a half but I couldn't budge the last stone. I then from november last year tried Slimming world and weight watchers again and nothing worked. It stopped being about me and getting healthy and became about sins and points. It was getting silly. I was acting insane... and now something has seemed to click...

MFP is the way forward for me. I have finally said by to the scales. I am adding friends who already have the results that I want and reading their profiles, comments, looking at their food diarys, asking questions. Getting involved with the threads to is a massive help to me.

Also I'm really learning about food. I am trying new recipes (made a chickpea curry tonight, was god awful but I had a go). It just seems stupid to attach a "Point" to something (in my opinion this is only what currently works for me. One year ago I need weightwatchers)

I think that formal diet plans like these take away the real ability to lean, grow, develop. In its place is just dictated approach to diet.

jlcrph

I've been doing Weight Watchers now for about 13 months - with a lot of success. I have a great leader and a very supportive group that attends the weekly meetings. I started using MFP 5 weeks ago at the encouragement of a cousin and think the tracking app functionality is FAR superior to what Weight Watchers offers. I also very much like the focus MFP has on the quality of what you eat by tracking both macro and micronutrients. I have always been a bit bothered that WW doesn't have more of a focus on using the daily points to eat healthy foods. If I didn't have so much time invested in WW and the people that I have been doing it with, I would just use MFP.

Bottom line, for someone new, considering both options, MFP in my opinion is superior, and teaches the user more about healthy eating. Unless peer group in person meetings and weighing in would be key determinant to success, MFP seems like the way to go!

erikacole

I did WW last year and lost almost 25 lbs. I gained it back because I stopped tracking.

Both places are great for tracking. I did try to track both points and calories at one point and was just so overwhelmed. I do good to keep track of one or the other.

I decided to cut back on some spending, so went for the 'free' program. I think both programs are great. They are what you make of them. In both you must cut back over eating and exercise

GL to you!

lisamac62

Does anyone do Weight Watchers AND My Fitness Pal? I lost 30 lbs with MFP two years ago and have gained it all back. I'm having a hard time getting motivated and am going to joing Weight Watchers today. I've done WW in the past and find counting calories much easier than the points system sooooo...I will be using MFP for tracking.

Anyone care to share experience? Good, bad or otherwise??

I have tried WW many many times and find that it isn't structured enough for me. I know that a can of fat free pringles is 7 pts therefore my brain says I can eat the whole can. Logging my calories into MFP works so much better for me.

jerstacy

I joined WW online in October 2012 I had lost 60 lbs when I started tracking on MFP and a month and a half ago. I tracked on both MFP and WW for a week or two and now I am only tracking on MFP. Waiting to see the results from MFP before cancelling membership to WW. I do like that MFP is free vs. $18 per month for WW online. For me starting with WW has helped me make better food choices, I would chose the fruit and veggies for 0 pp vs. a 100 calorie snack pack of something processed and probably would't have done so if I had started on MFP.

CM9178

Since I've been counting points and tracking on here, I can see exactly how many calories I am eating vs. my points.
On some days, I could eat 26 points and it works out to 1400 calories (just estimating without actually checking my diary right now). Another day, I could still eat 26 points but it works out to 1600 calories (again, an example). That is a pretty big difference in calories, if that happens every day. Since the points system is based on other things, you could end up eating a lot more calories than you think (or a lot less), even though you are eating the same number of points every day.

It is hard for me to say if WW really forces you to make healthier food choices. I think I eat pretty healthy already - and on those days when my calories were higher than others it didn't seem like I ate anything "worse" and I still stayed within my macros.

Just something to consider.

monteymole

Iv just done my first week on weight watchers and lost 5lbs I also use mfp for the inspiration and success stories

faithoverfailure

I use ww only to weigh in and track my progress..... I sometimes attend the meeting for helpful tips and support. However, my tracking is done through MFP

micervera

I am currently a member at Weight Watchers and tracking on both WW and MFP. I use WW for official weigh in's and Saturday morning meetings with a really good leader. I feel like I take more responsibility this way of my weight cause big sister is watching. On MFP I have very supportive friends and the fact that I can look up almost any food and find it. I find that they both work for me.

3171kelly

I think MY fitness pal works really well.. For me I like all of the success stories. They keep me motivated. It is easier to track on MFP too, Good Luck

wilmnoca

Nothing is going to work if you can't find the motivation or " stall out"

iLoveMyPitbull1225

Why go to WW if your not going to utilitze the system? Sounds like a waste of time and more importantly money. Thats what weight watchers is, a business aiming to make money. And really, the point values are generated based on calories. So....its really the SAME thing as counting calories. Id pick one or the other.

CM9178

Why go to WW if your not going to utilitze the system? Sounds like a waste of time and more importantly money. Thats what weight watchers is, a business aiming to make money. And really, the point values are generated based on calories. So....its really the SAME thing as counting calories. Id pick one or the other.

If you go to Weight Watchers, either to get weighed in, or to attend a meeting, then you ARE utilizing the system.

kathymhardy

I have done WW a few times and much prefer MFP.

CM9178

Does anyone do Weight Watchers AND My Fitness Pal? I lost 30 lbs with MFP two years ago and have gained it all back. I'm having a hard time getting motivated and am going to joing Weight Watchers today. I've done WW in the past and find counting calories much easier than the points system sooooo...I will be using MFP for tracking.

Anyone care to share experience? Good, bad or otherwise??

I have tried WW many many times and find that it isn't structured enough for me. I know that a can of fat free pringles is 7 pts therefore my brain says I can eat the whole can. Logging my calories into MFP works so much better for me.

I understand what you are saying, but, that really has nothing to do with Weight Watchers. No matter what plan you are following, it is up to YOU to make the healthy choices when you eat something. Sure, the whole can might only be 7 points, but that doesn't mean you should eat it. It is the same as saying "I have enough calories left to eat the entire can". Doesn't mean you should. Same thing.

formersec

I did well with WW, but I had to give it up when my financial situation changed and I had to cut out some things. I think WW is a good program -- much healthier than a number of other weight loss programs. I still follow some of the basics of the program -- for example, the Good Health Guidelines -- to he sure I'm eating healthy, but MFP is the tracking program for me.

One big advantage of MFP is that I can track carbs, fat, sodium and so forth. These can't be tracked on WW

mkop84

I did MFP last year and lost 5 pounds or so, but only for 1.5 months. I joined ww this January, after making a resolution like most poeple. I have lost 20 pounds so far, but I just rejoined MFP and want to do some comparisons. I'm sure different things work for different people. I want to see what works for me.

mkop84

I'm an online member and don't go to meetings.

ptbodacious

I've been doing WW and MFP since June, 2012 and have lost almost 80 pounds. I am a WW Online member because it's 35 miles to the closest WW meeting site and I know I'm not going to do that every week. It's been an interesting ride, comparing points versus calories each day - some days over on points and under on calories and other days the other way. I have 20-30 pounds left to goal (depending on which goal I'm planning on that particular day :happy: I feel like WW does encourage you to eat better by charging more points for less healthy food, regardless of the calories, while MFP is great for tracking macros to help you eat better. MFP has a better food database and I can use the nutritional info to calculate WW points, so it all works for me. I figure the money I spend on WW each month is balanced out by the amount of junk food I DON'T buy and eat.

pmermakov

MFP is way easier for me to use than WW. I am currently doing MFP with my best friend who introduced me to this wonderful free site. We talk several times a week about losing weight. Get support through a friend, family member or spouse. If you lost 2 pounds in one week by tracking and cutting down on your calories, you will feel motivated. Also, I love reading the success stories on this board.

EllytoSkinny

I have done both WW and MFP separately and then together to compare points vs. calories. I am currently going to weekly WW meetings because: 1) I am prepaid through the middle of May, 2) I really like the people in my group and get a lot of motivation from them, and 3) I really really really need that accountability of knowing I will be stepping on the scale once a week in front of someone. This helps me stay on track for the week regardless of which plan I am doing (WW or MFP.)

I think both WW and MFP plans are excellent if you use them, and you just have to find the one that works best for you. That being said, there are many days that I am starving, have already used my daily WW points, and MFP tells me I have only eaten 1,000 calories. Yes, I know I can have a few more "free fruits" to increase my calories to 1,200 or so, and if needed I can dip into my extra points for the week; however, I am increasingly appreciating the simplicity of just counting calories vs. determining points values. I have the WW app, scanner, etc. and it is great, but at the end of the day, I just really want to know how many calories I've eaten, what I've burned through exercise, and the breakdown of my calories (fat, protein, etc..) WW has helped me rethink the types of foods I am eating and my diet is much healthier fruit and veggie wise than it was before WW, but by logging these same foods into MFP, I can get a better overall picture of what I am eating vs. just points.

I will continue to do both for awhile and might not renew my WW membership when it runs out mid-May, although losing the accountability of the weekly weigh-in is a little scary.

agirlscamaro

I go to meetings. It works as long as I follow the plan. I prefer the MFP community and food database. I would quit WW I think but I love the face to face interaction I get with my meetings.

ashley11284

Well i can say i'm just about the opposite of what everyone has posted here. I've done WW before and lost 50 pounds and quit tracking and gained it back (just like you would if you stopped counting calories) I've been on MFP since january and have only lost 12 pounds therefore i'm going to use the MFP database for food and then convert it over to points to see if that gets my weight loss moving.

ktdeangelis

Does anyone do Weight Watchers AND My Fitness Pal? I lost 30 lbs with MFP two years ago and have gained it all back. I'm having a hard time getting motivated and am going to joing Weight Watchers today. I've done WW in the past and find counting calories much easier than the points system sooooo...I will be using MFP for tracking.

Anyone care to share experience? Good, bad or otherwise??

I used to do WW! I had really good luck with it, and I ended up losing about 60 pounds. After a while though, I kind of wanted something that would show me a break down of what I was eating (as far as carbs, protein, calories, etc.). I also kind of got tired of having to pay every month, and their apps were driving me crazy (especially the barcode scanner). All in all, I'm really happy that I moved to MFP. I honestly think it's personal preference and what works best for your life style. Good luck!