MFP Vs. Weight Watchers

makeupmuse10

I have a couple of friends who have been really trying to get me to join them at weight watchers and I have been a little intrigued by the meeting aspect of their method. However when I talk to them about weight watchers approach and how the eat it sounds like EXACTLY what I am doing on MFP...and I am doing it for FREE!!! I am trying to understand why I would pay for something that I am doing here for free...So my question is...is there something about the weight watchers approach that is more beneficial other than just the moral support at the meetings then MFP alone???

texasgal7

I am not going to try to encourage you or discourage you from joining WW. I am only going to let you know my story. I have been a member of WW for years off and on. I joined again last December and I love going to the meetings and getting the support. But it got to where I couldn't afford the monthly pass and as you said this is free. Also, I also have a problem with any food being free. I understand why WW says that fruits and certain vegetables are free, they are trying to encourage their members to eat healthy foods. But I don't care how many green beans you eat, there comes a time when you could eat too much! They have calories and all calories count. So I am doing MFP now. If I am accountable to myself and really log my food religiously this works. Good luck on your decision.

kristikay52

I did WW online and got to my goal weight a year ago. I actually just cancelled my E-Tools today and am starting to use MFP only. I've been on maint for a year now and it just seemed silly to continue to pay for it.

I never went to meetings but I will say that WW did teach me better eating habits because of the free fruit and veggies. If I were an MFP newbie and I had 100 cals to spend and could either choose an apple or a Reese's....duh I'd choose the Reese's for the same number of calories. But on WW it's free and that's the better choice. Plus they have "good health guidelines" for you to get in a certain number of fruits/veggies, dairy, healthy oils, and water a day.

I know that's common sense but starting out I needed the structure like that. Now that I'm a little more seasoned with eating healthy I feel like MFP is the right choice for me.

kristikay52

You do have a good point Texasgal7. I mean yes, fruits and veggies do have calories. But I didn't get fat eating too many green beans, know what I mean? That's just my opinion.

ChgingMe

The only difference I see besides the cost is the meeting aspect of it. If you like that sort of thing go for it.

I did WW and found them to not stress the exercise part of weight loss. Most (not all) but most of the ladies I encountered were very flabby with a lot of weight around their middle. Skinny fat. I didn't want that. Now don't get me wrong I lost weight on WW, but that was because I stopped eating like a hog... Also I was eating a lot of the WW meals which we all now know are not good for us. Personally I think you can do the same or better on MFP. You will learn a lot about nutrition, not just cutting calories.

Lastly, I have noticed that every so many months or years I see commercials for the 'NEW' Weight Watchers. There is one out now. Why do they keep changing? If its working why change it? Last time I checked it's pretty easy to lose weight and the formula for it is never new and improved. Portion control and exercise works every time. No gimmick needed.

Hope that helps... Good luck to you in whatever you decide...

Rowan813

I am a Lifetime Member of WW and have attended off and on since I was in college. I lost 45 pounds with them. The program is very good. The amount of research they do is amazing. I find that they are excellent for those new to weight loss. The meetings can be good and you can make some good friends and exchange ideas. At times I like the accountability of getting on a scale in front of someone else and having them track the number. These days MFP is working better for me. I know how to eat and mostly need to track my intake to stay on plan.

The other thing I dislike about WW is that they try to get you to eat pretty clean, then they try to sell you a bunch of junk food bars and processed crap.

texasgal7

I was just using Green Beans as an example. Fruit is the big culprit, I see lots of people eating way too much fruit on WW and then wondering why they don't lose weight.

olDave

I joined WW over twenty years ago and made my goal weight...which made me a lifetime member. I never went back to WW after that. The main reason was that I'm not the type who gets motivated by WW methods. The whole group dynamic did little for me. The idea of someone else monitoring my weight did nothing to help me.

Now, some people really thrive in a WW environment. What you need to do is decide which kind of environment works best for you.

Good luck.

babette78

I am not tempted at all to go back to WW after trying MFP. Their online tool is much better than WW, simply because there are more foods already listed in their repertory.

However, I did enjoy one thing about WW that I truly miss: the weekly weight-in. Just the fact of having to go somewhere in order to be accountable to someone truly helped me achieve my goals. The lady looked at my progress and wrote it in my booklet sometimes smiled, sometimes she didn't... I don't know why, this motivated me. I didn't want to disappoint her, even though I didn't know her.

Is having to be accountable to an unknown lady a good reason to pay 60$ per month? Maybe not...

beckymlong

Firstly; I eat tons of fruit is this the reason why I am not losing weight??

Anyway back to the OP-

I've never been a member of WW and to be honest haven't really considered it because I think you can track your own progress and get support here - free of charge, the reason I would consider using WW is for prolonged plateaus - if what you are doing isnt working and youve tried a few different methods perhaps speaking to a specialist may help - do WW provide their members with personalised nutrition plans/calorie amounts etc?? - and is this worth the money?

kelso830

I have done Weight Watchers on and off over the years, and have found success with it every time. The only reason I really gained the weight back is because I would reach a point where I could no longer afford attending the meetings any longer, and the lack of the group support would cause me to give up. Overall, I love Weight Watchers and really advocate it to anybody who wants to learn how to eat properly, while learning how to enjoy life properly with food. It's a great program. I plan on going back one day when I reach the point where I can afford the meetings again... in the mean time, I enjoy using MFP and using the community forums as my "meeting" and support system!!!

cristina9980

I did WW and lost about 35 pounds. I had to stop due to financial reasons but if I could afford it I would go back. I like their tracking a lot more than the tracking here. I liked the good health guidelines on their site and I like that you could check off how many fruits/veggies, dairy, and oil you ate. I haven't found a place here to do that.

Also, in regards to eating too many fruits or veggies...they talk about this in the materials and in the meetings. You should be eating 5 servings of fruits and veggies a day. First you have to know how much a serving is. A large banana is 2 servings of fruit. Most fruits, 1 cup = 1 serving. Once you hit the 5 servings then you should start counting the points.

I love WW and miss it. The weekly weigh ins made me feel a lot more accountable that this does. This will due until we are back on our feet and can afford for me to go back. I've already gained 5 pounds since starting here.

JDBLY11

I have a couple of friends who have been really trying to get me to join them at weight watchers and I have been a little intrigued by the meeting aspect of their method. However when I talk to them about weight watchers approach and how the eat it sounds like EXACTLY what I am doing on MFP...and I am doing it for FREE!!! I am trying to understand why I would pay for something that I am doing here for free...So my question is...is there something about the weight watchers approach that is more beneficial other than just the moral support at the meetings then MFP alone???

I like WW online, especially the e-tools even if I do have to pay money for it every month. Tracking is simplified. I lose weight better low calorie and I stick to my calorie targets better when they are masked as points. I weight myself every Friday morning at home to keep me accountable. These forums are much better than WW's though. If you like what you are doing on MFP and are losing weight successfully than there is no reason to pay for it.

rhogr000

I have a couple of friends who have been really trying to get me to join them at weight watchers and I have been a little intrigued by the meeting aspect of their method. However when I talk to them about weight watchers approach and how the eat it sounds like EXACTLY what I am doing on MFP...and I am doing it for FREE!!! I am trying to understand why I would pay for something that I am doing here for free...So my question is...is there something about the weight watchers approach that is more beneficial other than just the moral support at the meetings then MFP alone???

My wife and I were members of WW Online for about 4 months. We left to save some money. From what I gather MFP is pretty much the same thing as WW except for the fact that it's free. One thing that annoyed me about WW was point calculations/counting...it got tedious after a while; some foods aren't in the database so at that point I just had to use my best guess as to what the point totals were. MFP seems like it'll be a good fit for us.

Moviegal77

I've done the WW online a couple of times then discovered MFP. In my opinion base your decision on which do you want to do for the rest of your life? Yes I lost weight on WW but like some I gained it back as soon as I stopped keeping track of points. What I like about MFP is it's so simple, look at the nutritional info and you know exactly what you get, I don't have to worry about trying to figure out points. Again both work, it's what will fit your lifestyle, make the decision for you and not because your friends want you to join.

Good luck.

JDBLY11

I am not going to try to encourage you or discourage you from joining WW. I am only going to let you know my story. I have been a member of WW for years off and on. I joined again last December and I love going to the meetings and getting the support. But it got to where I couldn't afford the monthly pass and as you said this is free. Also, I also have a problem with any food being free. I understand why WW says that fruits and certain vegetables are free, they are trying to encourage their members to eat healthy foods. But I don't care how many green beans you eat, there comes a time when you could eat too much! They have calories and all calories count. So I am doing MFP now. If I am accountable to myself and really log my food religiously this works. Good luck on your decision.

If I am going to be eating more fruits and vegetables I just lower my points by 10% for that week or month or whatever and it enables me to lose weight quite easily. I like having free fruits and veggies. I have not been able to eat many of those though because we are quite tight financially.

nicetymello

Honestly I'm thinking the same thing and I'm currently on Weight Watchers. I keep battling with the decision if I should cancel. One thing that I do like different with WW vs. MFP is that fruits and veggies are free points so I don't have to calculate them whereas with MFP EVERYTHING we eat has a caloric value that has to be calculated into your allotted caloric intake for the day. The meetings can be helpful if you need that moral support however I rarely even stay for the meetings but they're there if I need them. When I joined MFP I noticed that the gyst of the app was practically exact to the WW app as well.

JDBLY11

I did WW online and got to my goal weight a year ago. I actually just cancelled my E-Tools today and am starting to use MFP only. I've been on maint for a year now and it just seemed silly to continue to pay for it.

I never went to meetings but I will say that WW did teach me better eating habits because of the free fruit and veggies. If I were an MFP newbie and I had 100 cals to spend and could either choose an apple or a Reese's....duh I'd choose the Reese's for the same number of calories. But on WW it's free and that's the better choice. Plus they have "good health guidelines" for you to get in a certain number of fruits/veggies, dairy, healthy oils, and water a day.

I know that's common sense but starting out I needed the structure like that. Now that I'm a little more seasoned with eating healthy I feel like MFP is the right choice for me.

I have heard that you should join WW-meetings if you can when you are about 5 lbs from goal so you will get free lifetime member benefits.

shirleygirl910

WW is a very healthy way to go, it's just different. They keep changing it up because we tend to get bored with the same old game and need challenges to keep gong some times.

I did MFP and one of my friends was doing WW at the same time. We still could encourage eachother and compare notes etc. You don't have to be on the same exact plan. WW is more support group, which is good for most people, but cost is the reason I hear most people stop going.

JDBLY11

The only difference I see besides the cost is the meeting aspect of it. If you like that sort of thing go for it.

I did WW and found them to not stress the exercise part of weight loss. Most (not all) but most of the ladies I encountered were very flabby with a lot of weight around their middle. Skinny fat. I didn't want that. Now don't get me wrong I lost weight on WW, but that was because I stopped eating like a hog... Also I was eating a lot of the WW meals which we all now know are not good for us. Personally I think you can do the same or better on MFP. You will learn a lot about nutrition, not just cutting calories.

Lastly, I have noticed that every so many months or years I see commercials for the 'NEW' Weight Watchers. There is one out now. Why do they keep changing? If its working why change it? Last time I checked it's pretty easy to lose weight and the formula for it is never new and improved. Portion control and exercise works every time. No gimmick needed.

Hope that helps... Good luck to you in whatever you decide...

I have noticed the flabby stomach thing too. Every meetings leader around me kind of had a flabby stomach even though they were quite thin. The celebrities who lose weight on the program don't really but they often exercise like 3 hours a day. There is no way with a family and in the future working that I can exercise 3 hours a day like Jessica Simpson did.

2bwed2014

I have been a member of WW before and was considering going back but I felt discouraged on their program. Yes it works, but you do have to exercise just like everyday life. I got so sick and tire of counting and calculating the points values of items. I find MFP much quicker to use especially for logging my food and exercise. Best part is that it is FREE and with a wedding next year I need to save all the moulah I can.

mackemom

I went to WW. All I remember thinking was that there were really nice women at the meetings, but why was I PAYING to weigh in? I really liked the support there, and hearing the various stories, but the other thing that kind of bugged me was that I felt like the WW products were really pushed hard at us. I never understood why package, processed foods were encouraged to be consumed in lieu of eating fresh fruits and vegetables. Their products were/are by no means inexpensive, either. So, I guess to each their own...I find viewing the success stories on this site are very uplifting, and I also love the database of foods here...I have NEVER not been able to find any food on this site's database. It's really incredible. AND it's free... Anyway, best of luck to you!!

lroxey

I hated there food library (never had it in there) and there scanner never found what I had scanned. I would use the MFP food journal or scanner to find out the info then put it in the WW journal and that to me was silliness! I would rather have people motivating me then some high paid actress who probably has food prepared for them most of the time anyway. And as for the free food, if you juice it then its not free.

JDBLY11

Honestly I'm thinking the same thing and I'm currently on Weight Watchers. I keep battling with the decision if I should cancel. One thing that I do like different with WW vs. MFP is that fruits and veggies are free points so I don't have to calculate them whereas with MFP EVERYTHING we eat has a caloric value that has to be calculated into your allotted caloric intake for the day. The meetings can be helpful if you need that moral support however I rarely even stay for the meetings but they're there if I need them. When I joined MFP I noticed that the gyst of the app was practically exact to the WW app as well.

It sounds the same to me as well. I don't have an iphone so I can't use either.

JDBLY11

I am a Lifetime Member of WW and have attended off and on since I was in college. I lost 45 pounds with them. The program is very good. The amount of research they do is amazing. I find that they are excellent for those new to weight loss. The meetings can be good and you can make some good friends and exchange ideas. At times I like the accountability of getting on a scale in front of someone else and having them track the number. These days MFP is working better for me. I know how to eat and mostly need to track my intake to stay on plan.

The other thing I dislike about WW is that they try to get you to eat pretty clean, then they try to sell you a bunch of junk food bars and processed crap.

So true! I guess they only do that to make money. I don't buy any of their products. They are expensive.

lroxey

Honestly I'm thinking the same thing and I'm currently on Weight Watchers. I keep battling with the decision if I should cancel. One thing that I do like different with WW vs. MFP is that fruits and veggies are free points so I don't have to calculate them whereas with MFP EVERYTHING we eat has a caloric value that has to be calculated into your allotted caloric intake for the day. The meetings can be helpful if you need that moral support however I rarely even stay for the meetings but they're there if I need them. When I joined MFP I noticed that the gyst of the app was practically exact to the WW app as well.

I have a friend still on WW and she uses a nutribullet and logged her drink and it was not free. Apparently when you juice its not free, free it was worth 7 points.

pcon1212

I found WW to be very helpful when I first joined. I lost 40lbs and was at a great weight and very fit. For someone who has never eaten healthy it is a great introduction to portion control and healthy options. They did not emphasize exercise very much but I exercised quite a bit on WW. I found eventually that I "outgrew" WW. After my 2nd baby was born I went back to WW but soon found that the cost wasn't worth what I was getting since I knew the strategies to use to lose weight.

ChgingMe

The only difference I see besides the cost is the meeting aspect of it. If you like that sort of thing go for it.

I did WW and found them to not stress the exercise part of weight loss. Most (not all) but most of the ladies I encountered were very flabby with a lot of weight around their middle. Skinny fat. I didn't want that. Now don't get me wrong I lost weight on WW, but that was because I stopped eating like a hog... Also I was eating a lot of the WW meals which we all now know are not good for us. Personally I think you can do the same or better on MFP. You will learn a lot about nutrition, not just cutting calories.

Lastly, I have noticed that every so many months or years I see commercials for the 'NEW' Weight Watchers. There is one out now. Why do they keep changing? If its working why change it? Last time I checked it's pretty easy to lose weight and the formula for it is never new and improved. Portion control and exercise works every time. No gimmick needed.

Hope that helps... Good luck to you in whatever you decide...

I have noticed the flabby stomach thing too. Every meetings leader around me kind of had a flabby stomach even though they were quite thin. The celebrities who lose weight on the program don't really but they often exercise like 3 hours a day. There is no way with a family and in the future working that I can exercise 3 hours a day like Jessica Simpson did.

I chalked the flab up to the fact that are getting little to no exercise. Which isn't stressed at all. At least not the last time I did WW back in 2011... It may be different now.

schmimblebob

I went to Weight Watchers on and off for about a year and lost about 7lbs overall because I couldn't commit to meetings (work and money, WW Online isn't available in my area either) and I just simply didn't have the patience to be working out the points all the time. For me its a lot quicker to put in the food and portion size on MFP, and then Bob's your uncle, you've logged your intake. With WW, you'd have to figure out how much carbs, fat, protein and fibre were in your portion before you could even start to calculate your points. And don't even get me started on potatoes - I could never ever figure out what the points were.

I don't feel guilty on here either if I indulge in a bit of something "naughty"- if I ate some on WW, say a 45g bar of Dairy Milk, 7 of my daily pro points would be gone in a flash. It just seemed so restrictive, even with free fruit and veg because there was just too many things I like and cutting them generally resulted in me bingeing.

I had a look at the nutritional values of some of the WW products (namely biscuits and yoghurts) in the supermarket the other day and they seem to be only marginally "better" than similar standard products. I know I'd rather eat a smaller amount of nicer, more flavourful food than a larger amount of bland, highly artificially sweetened food. I can see why people eat them though, its just easier than working out the points yourself!

ChgingMe

I just realized that in the WW world I would be considered a failure. Month 2 of Insanity and I have only lost about 4 pounds since beginning of March. But I've lost a lot of inches and almost 2 pant sizes.. hmmmmm Something to consider. How do they measure success? The number on the scale or your body fat% and how fit you are?

That thought just hit me like a ton of bricks. That alone would never have me go back to them because if success is measured strictly by the number on the scale, many of us would be failures.

Yes MFP is so much better. IMO

SHERRYCAN

I like that answer!