To go back to Weight Watchers or not???

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  • freew67
    freew67 Posts: 348 Member
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    WW, MFP, Jenny Craig, or tbh any diet can work if and ONLY IF the person is willing to do it. As long as you put forth the effort all these diets are basically the same concept. Ive done WW and lost 50 lbs back in 2006. Thing is the second I stopped I gained the weight right back. Im fairly sure it was that week (my honeymoon lol). If you want it to work it will, if you dont give 100% well you get what you pay for then :)

    http://freew67.blogspot.com/
  • markpmc
    markpmc Posts: 240 Member
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    WW points are just a way to count calories. You get that here on MFP.
    I do think the weigh in's @ WW provide a lot of motivation to stick with the plan. Along with support along the way. I think you get that here also.

    Feel free to friend me if you want. Our goals are different I'm looking to lose my last 15-20 lbs so I can see my old 4 pack from high school.
  • gazelleintraining
    gazelleintraining Posts: 107
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    I've struggled with this decision recently, and concluded that for me that WW just doesn't suit me. While if followed it probably works, I have problems with it:

    1. The weekly points allotment encourages the very behavior of binge eating that I'm trying to change, unless I divide the points equally into seven parts and simply up my daily points. I lose weight but very slowly.

    2. I frankly don't like the "fruits and vegetables are 'free'" rule with the new program--everything you put into your mouth counts.

    3. The find that the old system was simple; 50 calories = 1 point (roughly) and the new system is bizarre and unnecessarily complicated (40 calories = 1 point, but you get more points overall and fruits and veggies are free, but if your food has more fat and less fiber than add a point---what?). It makes eating out a nightmare insofar as estimation in uncertain situations.

    4. Too expensive for what it is (although that won't affect you :))

    5. I like some of the information I get at meetings, but there's one part of the meeting during which unhealthy WW-branded food (full of trans-fat, artificial sweeteners, and Frankenstein flavorings) is pushed so hard that I feel like I'm at a time-share infomercial. Yuck.

    I'm therefore super-thankful for MFP. Should you feel the need to pay for a service, MyFoodDiary.com is available, too, though I personally like MFP much better for its community.

    Best of luck on your decision!
  • Yana150
    Yana150 Posts: 226
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    I am doing both MFP and WW. I do both because I see the value in both programs. With WW I learned what and how to eat (portion control) and MFP provides an amazing way to track what I eat and log my activity in a way that makes sense to me. My PPV for the day is about 1800 calories, and I set my goal here for 1800 and day after day, I'm almost always hitting the PPV goal. Doing it this way, I can finally make sense of points - even though we're not 'supposed' to worry about calories.

    I would suggest going back to WW if your troubles arise around knowing what and how much to eat, you want information (articles, success stories, etc.), or IRL support and friendship with people who are also losing weight. Since you've done the program before, I would suggest doing the weekly pay option for a few weeks, because with the monthly fee comes use of e-tools which, while I love WW, just don't measure up to what we have here. On the other hand, while I love all of my very supportive and loving friends here, I really appreciate the support and friendship of the men and women in my meetings. I have made some really good friends at WW.

    Also, should you return, make sure that you are attending a meeting with a leader you like and who is personable and helpful. That makes a difference in how successful you will be, too.

    Best wishes to you!
  • fellowsrachel
    fellowsrachel Posts: 6
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    I did WW for years and did really good however going to meetings was always a chore. The good health guidlines are still very good to stick with and really help a lot no matter what plan you are on. I still use WW cook books and recipies. Stick to what ever plan works for you and your life the best. Good Luck!
  • needamulligan
    needamulligan Posts: 558 Member
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    I hope this doesn't come across as rude, because that's not my intent!

    If you've tried it 7 times and it hasn't worked, what are the odds it will work the 8th time? I think maybe you need a different program.

    Same! I'm a 3 time WW repeater. If you put the effort into MFP it WILL work, it's free and as long as you stick within your calories/protein/fat/sodium/etc, you can eat anything! With WW, I always found myself looking for the magic low point food. With MFP, I think I'm much more conscious of eating nutritiously than eating to a point total.

    The bottom line is any plan requires diligence and patience.
  • ladyonaquest
    ladyonaquest Posts: 605 Member
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    I tried WW in February of 2010 and lost 26 lbs in 10 weeks! I loved it but I got bored with counting points. I'd rather track here for free and I love it! I think the WW program is wonderful, if it's something you can see doing for the rest of your life, for weightloss and maintaining!
  • Onaughmae
    Onaughmae Posts: 873 Member
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    Honestly, I have done WW before...several times....and lost weight every single time...and promptly gained it back plus some when I stopped counting points. I think its more important to work on a real lifestyle change and creating new habits. I think that is one of the biggest strengths of this website. Plus, by keeping my diary public, it helps to hold me accountable..which is something that I personally need. I think it works...but for me it failed long term because in my mind it was a diet...not a life change and I didn't sustain the weight loss.
  • Gramps251
    Gramps251 Posts: 738 Member
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    WW, MFP, Jenny Craig, or tbh any diet can work if and ONLY IF the person is willing to do it. As long as you put forth the effort all these diets are basically the same concept. Ive done WW and lost 50 lbs back in 2006. Thing is the second I stopped I gained the weight right back. Im fairly sure it was that week (my honeymoon lol). If you want it to work it will, if you dont give 100% well you get what you pay for then :)

    http://freew67.blogspot.com/

    ^
    This
  • celticgal101
    celticgal101 Posts: 31
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    I just mentioned this in my (first) blog! I have been doing WW on and off for the last 14-15 years, have seen the program change and improve. I have made lifetime, lost a good bit of weight, but in the end, I've lost my zing for it, and have only lost 12 lbs since the end of Dec. Of course, I have not been faithful, have gone back and forth with the points and Simply Filling program. Right now, I find the calorie count easier, and I know how I need to eat, am saving about $20 a month (doing online this time), and am excited because it is a whole new direction for me. Whatever you choose, best of luck to you! :)
  • levstein
    levstein Posts: 74
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    A lot of people I know have done the WW programme. I think the main downside is the weekly meeting for weigh-in and support. It gives people a week to cheat mess-up etc before getting back on track for the weigh-in so they don't focus on the healthy eating and fitness on a daily basis which is the plus-side of MFP. MFP is totally free there's no advertising no selling food recipe books scales etc with the WW logo. If you have followed the WW programme 7 times and you have still not achieved the healthy body inside and out which you desire perhaps it's time to follow the MFP path to achieve success.
    WW make money out of people's failure. They make money out of people buying their food with the "points" worked out for them on the packaging making it easier for people to add up their points. They are in the diet industry to make money and they do that very successfully. As for the dieters they lose the weight and then return again and again to lose the weight over and over. Time to try a different approach I think.
  • 67butterfly
    67butterfly Posts: 76 Member
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    I have done ww for 20 plus years. I am a lifetime member. I think we all need a net at some point in our lives ( or several times in our lives) I love weight watchers. It is expensive if you're not at your goal weight, and i was also paying for e-tools. Then i discovered MFP. I was actually curious to see how closely related the two programs were. So for the first 2 weeks i did compare the two. I tracked my points (i was allowed 26 a day.) and i tracked my calories (1200 a day not very active with the exercise part). At the end of the day my calories and points were very close in comparison as to what i had eaten, mind you i did eat rather healthy. As far as tracking through e-tools and tracking with mfp, i found it incredibly easier with mfp. I believe the data base for mfp is quite larger than e-tools, and it is faster. I like mfp a lot better than e-tools. However, as i tracked both points and calories, i could see how fruit and vegetables were putting me over in my calories (most fruit and veggies are free with ww for those who don't know) I was eating up to 3 bananas a day because they were a free food!. I was also eating frozen mangos by the bag. ...Uhm hello? Yes i know, everything in moderation, but if a program tells me it's free, i'm going to eat it. So, my eye opener was MFP. Why have i spent so much on a program (WW) when i can get it for FREE? I have since cancelled e-tools. I have to admit, that i am having a hard time not going to WW meetings. They are fun, and encouraging. It's a nice "me time". I will probably go when i get back down to my goal weight ONLY because it's free for me. If i were you, i'd just do mfp. They are sooo similar. So why not do the program that's free, and have a ton of support from the mfp community on a daily basis instead of once a week? Save your money, and buy a fit bit or body bug. Believe me i would have dropped WW years ago if MFP was available in the first place!
  • 67butterfly
    67butterfly Posts: 76 Member
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  • HurricaneElaine
    HurricaneElaine Posts: 984 Member
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    I've been on WW three times in the past five years or so. I've had much more success with MFP. My wallet thanks me too: I'm not spending $40 a month for meetings that I don't enjoy with a leader that I don't like.
  • kimothy38
    kimothy38 Posts: 840 Member
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    If in doubt don't! If you need to debate with yourself about doing WW then you're not 100% mentally committed to the idea. Knowing that the programme works and actually wanting to do it are 2 different things. Most of us actually how to eat well, it's putting that into practice that's the issue. Good luck with whatever you decide.
  • Raylea00
    Raylea00 Posts: 37
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    Thanks for all the great information and opinions, friends. I keep going back to WWs because I was successful with it the first time, losing 40 pounds. BUT that took me over a year to lose. I lost steam with it then and decided to give it a break. The several times I have went back, I would lose 10 pounds but then get discouraged. I have had no success on the new points plus system. I see people lose with it, so I know it can be done. It just hasn't clicked for me, and I keep hoping by going back it will; but I think a lot of you are right, why spend the money when I have great support here. For me, the biggest thing I was looking for was that person to hold me accountable. To have to look that person in the face when I weigh in and see if I did good or not and either be encouraged by my progress or feel shame that I didn't succeed. In the end, I know that I have to develop my willpower and hold myself accountable. MFP is a GREAT site with GREAT support. I will utilize it as best I can and hope it will click for me as it has all of you. Thanks again for the great advice and encouragement!!
  • freew67
    freew67 Posts: 348 Member
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    The best quote Ive seen about dieting is, "Diets are not a sprint but a marathon." Look in the mirror and thats the only face that should matter if you did good or not. Folks can encourage you all they want, but at the end of the day its up to you and ONLY YOU for this to work. Good luck!

    http://freew67.blogspot.com/
  • bwlee716
    bwlee716 Posts: 2 Member
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    I just cancelled my WW and decided to use the FitBit Ultra, the Aria Scale and MFP. What I find interesting about points plus is veggies and fruit are zero points. However, the last time I was doing WW, I gained weight. They told me to knock off the fruit for awhile because I may have been eating too much. It's difficult to know how much to eat before it moves out of the zero points category! Interestingly, while I'm using MFP to track, every fruit I eat has calories!!!! Confusing? So I think MFP is way more accurate. You might try using a pedometer and tracking through MFP for a few months before spending anymore $$$.
  • maureenofojai
    maureenofojai Posts: 1 Member
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    I've done WW several times and always found the weigh-ins when I didn't NOT lose weight totally humiliating. I gave up for years and have been getting slowly but surely bigger every year.
    I saw how good my daughter was looking and found out about MFP that way. Scanning bar codes for nutritional information and calories looked like so much fun, too! Now it's just me who sees the scale and I consistently record it once a week.
    What I find to be a key element of my success with MFP (12 pounds lost in 50 days) is the caloric baseline and getting calories added in for my exercise. With other estimators like WW and Sparkpeople, you get this range of calories. I thought of myself as "moderately active" but, after looking at MFP's definition, I registered as "sedentary". That means I know how much to eat on those no exercise days, and exactly how much to add for the amount of exercise I get. Does the WW etools have the same feature?

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