Weight Watchers--stuck in the middle...thoughts?

If you add in your "0" point fruits and veggies, I'm sure you will be fine on calories. Personally I would have the opposite problem. I could eat a LOT of calories in 0 point fruit.

I have been on WW for 5 years and lost 113#s. Yes it took me that long. lol My body loses much slower than some. I had about 15#s creep back on (my own fault) so I decided to give this a try. I am tracking both ways and my calorie intake is about the same as the amount of points I get. I think both programs are great. I need to go to the meetings and be held accountable. That is what works for me. But this is helping me so much. I am going to continue to do both. Some things worked better for some people than others. But again, I think both programs are great.. FYI Free fruits and Veggies can get you in alot of trouble. I count mine. Hope this helps.

I lost ~80 pounds several years ago with WW. It does work for most people. I stopped tracking and went back to my old ways and gained some back. I am using mfp now because of cost. Most weight loss plans work for most people, some better than others. Most have good points and not so good points, which is which and what works best depends on the person.

If you do WW, commit to it, and don't worry about calories. There are lots of very low point foods that are relatively high in calories to fill you up and get you to your calorie needs. You earn points for exercise, eating those points will provide needed fuel. You also get weekly points to use as you wish, you can use some each day to meet your daily needs. You can also go up to higher points if you can lose on the minimum amount.

If you have friends doing WW with success, you have an additional support system and can get advise from them.

Just read your post again..... At 26 points I always came out between 1250-1450 calories. I do eat a lot of vegs, but very little fruit. Also, when you were comparing calories to points, did you add the calories for your fruit and vegs? I ask that only because 1050 sounds more like the total without. Lots of other people make that mistake since they are thinking along the lines that fruit and most vegs are 0 points.

With so little to lose you should be netting at a minimum your BMR. I would suggest setting your goal to lose 0.5lbs/week and eat back the cals burned from exercise. eating less will lead to faster weight loss, but a larger % of that loss will come from lean muscle, instead of mostly fat.

Weight watchers focuses on weight loss, not fat loss or fitness.

First off, let me start by saying that I am a huge supporter of Weight Watchers. I lost 70 pounds on Weight Watchers 10 years ago (unfortunately gained it all back but that had nothing to do with the plan, that was all me).
I recently re-joined in March and I have lost 28 pounds since. Weight Watchers DEFINITELY works if you do it correctly.

Secondly, if you only want to lose 5 pounds, you don't need Weight Watchers (I don't think you are even allowed to set a goal weight for so close to your current weight). If I were you, I would juse use MFP to count your calories, you should lose that 5 pounds within a few weeks, maybe less (you lose slower when you have so little to lose).

Looking at what you ate for the day, it seems like you ate a lot of high point items all day without really cutting back anything. I am sorry to tell you but if you want to lose the weight, you will need to cut back in certain areas. For example, 12 points before lunch is A LOT of points to eat. I typically have about 3 points for breakfast and then lunch. Then you had 10 points for lunch which is also pretty high, followed by another 6 point snack which is huge.

The reason you were at such high points for the day is because other factors go into the points besides the calories. You need to take note of the fiber and protein content of the foods you are eating. That will effect the points. If you choose the correct foods, you will be able to eat more calories for less points.

So in your case it is definitely an issue of choosing healthier foods through out the day with smaller points values. A 6 point snack in the middle of the day is probably not a great idea, when you know you still need points for dinner.

A huge thing that works for me is planning out everything I'm going to eat for the day, the night before. That way I know exactly how many extra points I have for a snack if I'm hungry. If that isn't possible for you, then just try to eat lower point foods - and on the new plan, fruits and veggies are 0 points, so if you are hungry, those should be your snacks. Not a 6 point cookie.. Hope that makes sense!! And good luck!

I haven't tried WW because I'm too scared. I know several people who have done WW several times and each time they gain the weight back plus more and have ratcheted them selves up to unhealthy weights.

I personally gained weight back, so I know from personal experience that it had NOTHING to do with Weight Watchers. Weight Watchers is NOT a diet - it is supposed to teach you how to eat properly for the rest of your life. If one has the attitude that it is a diet, then you will gain weight back when you stop following the program (I did, and you should never stop). It is a lifestyle change.

MFP doesn't teach you anything about eating properly. You can continue eating fatty foods that are unhealthy and continue losing weight, if you have a calorie deficit, but try keeping that weight off for the rest of your life. It will never happen.

First off, let me start by saying that I am a huge supporter of Weight Watchers. I lost 70 pounds on Weight Watchers 10 years ago (unfortunately gained it all back but that had nothing to do with the plan, that was all me).
I recently re-joined in March and I have lost 28 pounds since. Weight Watchers DEFINITELY works if you do it correctly.

Secondly, if you only want to lose 5 pounds, you don't need Weight Watchers (I don't think you are even allowed to set a goal weight for so close to your current weight). If I were you, I would juse use MFP to count your calories, you should lose that 5 pounds within a few weeks, maybe less (you lose slower when you have so little to lose).

Looking at what you ate for the day, it seems like you ate a lot of high point items all day without really cutting back anything. I am sorry to tell you but if you want to lose the weight, you will need to cut back in certain areas. For example, 12 points before lunch is A LOT of points to eat. I typically have about 3 points for breakfast and then lunch. Then you had 10 points for lunch which is also pretty high, followed by another 6 point snack which is huge.

The reason you were at such high points for the day is because other factors go into the points besides the calories. You need to take note of the fiber and protein content of the foods you are eating. That will effect the points. If you choose the correct foods, you will be able to eat more calories for less points.

So in your case it is definitely an issue of choosing healthier foods through out the day with smaller points values. A 6 point snack in the middle of the day is probably not a great idea, when you know you still need points for dinner.

A huge thing that works for me is planning out everything I'm going to eat for the day, the night before. That way I know exactly how many extra points I have for a snack if I'm hungry. If that isn't possible for you, then just try to eat lower point foods - and on the new plan, fruits and veggies are 0 points, so if you are hungry, those should be your snacks. Not a 6 point cookie.. Hope that makes sense!! And good luck!

This!

I joined WW on Jan 5th of this year and started MFP at the same time. I've lost 62 lbs in that time and am now on the maintenance part of my weight loss journey. I chose to go to meetings because I needed the accountability and am already fairly isolated because besides being the mom and I am also the full time caregiver to my 21 y/o son who has a form of muscular dystrophy and epilepsy. I made a total change in how I eat and found the MFP has shown me how to use those WW points to the best advantage -- 310 calories can be a In N Out cheese burger or a turkey sandwich on a sandwich thin loaded with veggies, baby carrots, cherry tomatoes and fruit. That's 8 points for the burger and about 4 or 5 for the other. I really did enjoy that burger the other day, I just had to make some adjustments the rest of the day.

I don't buy too much of their foods, I have never taken my points calculator to the store, I do have my favorite recipes marked with the points values. I do measure everything and have had some surprises both ways. It is hard to eat out a lot and keep to the points, but once you figure out what to order it gets easier. Like any plan you choose to lose weight you have to learn to make choices, figure out what is important to keep in your life and what you are ready to let go of. I kept the half and half in my coffee, I tried the fat free stuff and I would give up coffee completely before I put that in my coffee on a daily basis. I don't miss tortillas at all, when I order my fish taco at our favorite Mexican restaurant I just don't eat it. Since it comes on 2 corn tortillas that's 6 points I am not eating. When I know I am going out I add a few minutes to my walk to give me the freedom to splurge a little.

My breakfast this morning was 5 WW pp and 274 calories and I am full:

6 oz container of Fage 0% Greek yogurt - 2 pp / 100 cal with 18 grams of protein and 20 grams of calcium
1/2 cup each strawberries and blueberries 0 pp / 68 cal
1 tsp honey 1 pp / 21 calories
1/3 cup Fiber One cereal 1pp / 40 cal with 9 grams of fiber to boot
Coffee (about 2 cups) 0 pp / 5 cal
1 Tbsp half and half - 1 pp / 20 cal
1 tsp Sugar in the Raw 0 pp / 20 cal

~Susan

I was on WW starting January 2010 and lost 40lbs, but once they switched the plan in 2012 to add "free" foods, everything went downhill. :sad:

What I like about MFP compared to WW is that a banana (or any fruit/veggie for that matter) ....HAS CALORIES. The new way they set up WW with Points Plus I've had a real hard time sticking within the daily points I was given and I'd avoid eating another point by eating a banana or some other 0 point food...well....in the non-WW world...if you eat 3 bananas, you've just eaten 300 calories, but WW its 0. No wonder people have a hard time with it not losing anything!

If they woudn'tve changed it all around I probably would have stuck to it just fine (lost 40# the OLD way where ALL foods had points), but when they gave it a complete overhaul and started giving you "free" foods......it screwed me all up and I pretty much gained 75% of my loss back!


I've been with MFP since August 6th and have lost 7.9# so far

Edit: Oh and you're a tool girl like myself I'm constantly using the MFP mobile app. Works just like the WW app, but with calories instead

Or you could just count the calories for the fruit. Just sayin.

Sorry for all of the posts, but I just read the OP's post again and now I clearly see the issue.

With the old WW plan, the points were calculated based on Calories, Fat and Fiber and Fruits & Veggies had points values.
The new Points Plus program calculates points based on Carbs, Fat, Fiber and Protein, and Fruits/Veggies are Zero points.

As a result of the new program, many foods are higher points than they used to be.
I don't know for sure if 26 points adds up to 1200 calories, but that definitely makes sense.

HERE IS WHY:
We should be eating at least 5 servings of fruits and veggies every day.
While we aren't counting points for them, we are still eating the calories - so this is where you eat the amount of calories you should be eating!!

If you don't eat any fruits and veggies all day (didn't look like you did from what you posted), then that is why you had used up all your points, but were under your calorie level. Eat some fruits and veggies, and you will meet your calorie goal for the day, and not go over your points.

Some people get carried away with the whole "fruits and veggies are zero points" thing, so they end up eating too many calories and don't lose weight, and then wonder why.

i have been yo yo dieting for the last 3 years, and at my heaviest was 18 stone, and joined rosemary conley and got down to 13 stones and felt amazing, all heading for a holiday went on holiday put on a stone and never got back into it

last year i decided to try ww, the new plan allowed me 29 points plus my weekly 49 points, and also being able to eat my activity points, i lost about 1 stone 4 on it, then again went on holiday and have since tried to get back into it but find the converting time consuming, the app is great on the iphone but again i have to pay for that, my trouble is that i love excercise and run a lot, and my activity perdometer would say about 3 points on a run where as my hrm would show about 400 cals, and they never really equated

they also introduced a plan where you could eat unlimited amounts until full of certain foods but as an over eater it didnt work for me
i also cant attend regular meetings as i work a shift pattern.
i had the same struggle as you, if i fancied a packet of decent crisps i would clock up 5 points which would be about 16% of y allowance and would feel really cross with myself and be left with nothing by tea time, yet on here its only about 8% of my daily allowance
i also often feel bad if i dont stick to something when ive paid for it, and turn to food
im loving the app on this with the barcode and happy zapping everything and have stuck to it for 3 days and normally now id be feeling deprived but on this im not
its a good plan if it suits you but if you find any difficulties or you question it maybe its not the one for you.
im a numbers girl i like creating calorie targets etc and seeing the results
good luck what ever you decide

I love weight watchers and lost 40 pounds counting points ....I never felt restricted because of the extra 49 points you get each week.

I love MFP because it breaks down the sugars, sodium, carbs, etc. and I felt thats what I was missing. However, I do feel restricted here.

Just today I started combining the two...counting points AND MFP...so wish me luck. As if counting calories isnt enough But my heart is with WW....I just got bored and needed a change.