Any Reformed Weight Watchers people?
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I lost about 20 lbs a few years ago on WW using the old points system. I got very discouraged because as I lost the weight, my daily allotment of points DECREASED, only making me hungrier, both physically and mentally, :grumble: . And I stopped losing weight! Gained all the weight back as I gradually reverted to my old eating habits and stopped going to meetings and stopped tracking.
Fast forward to about a year ago and I heard about MFP--wonderful! I am a data junkie and the phone app makes it so easy to track all those wonderful calories, macronutrients, etc down to the gram, as well as pretty good accounting of exercise. But the real kicker came when I hit my first plateau and came on these boards looking for inspiration.
I fortunately don't have a lot to lose--about 25 pounds and had lost about 5 on MFP when I plateaued. My weight loss goal was 1 lb/week. So I read here and there and found a post wherein a woman similar to my situation was given this advice: EAT MORE TO LOSE WEIGHT. Huh?! I thought. How can this be? Well, the reasoning goes like this: As you get closer to your goal weight, to keep it going, you need to lose weight SLOWER. Change the goal to 0.5 lb per week, so you actually get more calories to eat per day as well as make sure you eat back all your exercise calories. That way your body does not go into "starvation mode" and you keep losing weight, but at a slower rate.
For me this has been a revelation. It's the exact OPPOSITE of what WW did on the old points system. Instead of being punished for losing weight by having to eat LESS, I am actually rewarded by getting to eat a bit more! It took a bit of mental readjustment to handle the slow rate of loss, since our culture is so hung up on fast results and instant gratification, but this approach is totally working for me. I have now lost another 10 lbs, albeit at a rate only 1-2 lbs per month. But I finally feel this is an approach to eating and fitness that I can sustain over my lifetime--not just a temporary diet. I rarely feel hungry and deprived, as was often the case on WW, and when I do stray now and then, as one always does, it is easy to get back on track with my daily goals because I don't feel like I am fighting against a system that punishes me for succeeding (as felt with WW).
My original goal was to lose 15 lbs, which I have now achieved, but have upped the the goal to 25 lbs since this method is working so well for me. That would put me back at the pre-pregnancy weight I was at for many many years. Until finding MFP, I thought I would never be at that healthy weight again, but I now think with patience and determination, I can be there in 6 to 10 months. Then it is a simple transition to adding a few more calories to MFP to maintain the weight.0 -
I did WW last year and lost 30 lbs and then hit a plateau. I thought the pts worked well for me losing weight, but I didn't think that it was a long term way of living having to calculate some made up number. It makes more sense to me to use the actual calories you're consuming and burning. I've been very happy with MFP and think that it is better at supporting an actual lifestyle change, and it's FREE!0
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I tried WW online and, when that didn't work, believed the hype that people who attend meetings have more success. I knew it was a mistake the moment I walked in the door and saw all the tempting WW snack food for sale. But I gave it a try, lost some weight and promptly gained it all back when I finally quit. Now I look askance at any diet that shows photos of tempting desserts "you can still have" on their plan. I no longer crave desserts I can still have. "Opportunity knocks but once, while temptation leans on the doorbell all day long."
I'm low-carbing now and will never go back. I can't go back. I'm past the point of no return plus I don't want to go back. My name's Ed, I'm type 2 diabetic and I'm glad to be here. Thanks for all the wonderful advice and support so far.0 -
I lost weight a couple of times on the old points system. I am a real yoyo dieter and put it back on. I did rejoin earlier this year but found the new pro points system to complicated to follow.0
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"Opportunity knocks but once, while temptation leans on the doorbell all day long."
^^ This. I love this. Thank you! :flowerforyou:
Edit to add: Oh yeah, I was on WW. I lost 30 pounds on the OLD SYSTEM years ago. Then got pregnant and quit. I rejoined after my son was born but had to take him with me to the meetings. I hated the stares I got when he cried. I stopped going. I rejoined WW on the new system with my mom. We went to meetings. Neither of us did well on it.. her especially, since she never has more than 15 pounds to lose. We felt like we were often neglected at the meetings and treated like black sheep. We quit going. I rejoined as on online only member in 2011. I started at 205 and got to 187 (losing 18 pounds), but it took me about 4 months! I started to feel discouraged quickly with how slowly it was coming off. I left and regained some, going back up to 198. At 198 I recommitted myself to WW online and then started hearing about MFP on the forums over there! I thought, hmm, I'm gonna check that out. I created an account here and tracked on WW AND MFP for two weeks. I found that although I was eating ALL of my points plus, I was NOT having enough calories (even with free fruits/veggies). The second week, I was driving myself crazy because I didn't know who to trust. WW or MFP. Do I go over my points plus in order to hit my 1200/calorie minimum? I decided at the end of that crazy week to unsubscribe and go soley with MFP and haven't looked back. I have had MUCH more success here.0 -
Hello everyone! I'm BeforeTigers.
I just joined MFP today. I logged on immediately to see if there were any former WW people here and to get advice. I joined WW a little over a year ago and I actually loved the Points+ system. I lost 30lbs. Although the initial start up to the program was time intensive - learning the points for everything, etc. It worked for me. However, I needed to save money and canceled my online membership. You'd think I'd have learned enough to keep track of points and food on my own, but the weight crept back on.
My questions for you former WW people, how did you make the transition from just looking at a piece of food (or weighing it) and knowing the point value to the calorie counting system? Is it the same time intensive start-up? You just learn the calorie counts for the foods you eat? How do you all deal with the "all calories are not equal" on MFP? I loved being able to eat fruit if I was hungry because most of them don't have points on P+, here, everything has calories. It seems as if this method requires a lot more accountability to eat the right food and keep track of fiber, carbs, fat, etc. I'm willing to give it a go but would love advice and insight from this group.
If these have all been answered on previous threads, I'll read those if someone could direct me to them.
Thank you so much! Sorry for all these newbie questions.0 -
I've done weight watchers old points system several times and it's worked great. Until this past time. I use the materials I've saved over the years but the scale wouldn't budge. Started mfp and I've only gained weight. Thinking about switching back to weight watchers OLD system where fruits and veggies do count. I would typically eat oatmeal for breakfast with a light English muffin, oatmeal for lunch and whatever I wanted within reason for dinner and I lost 10 lbs and kept it off for three years. Started doing this and I gained 10.0
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Hi!
Im reformed WW too, I just couldnt get my head around points - this works so much better for me as i am starting to understand the types of food i am eating, and being aware of the foodgroups, and WW just doesnt help with that as everything is about points.
dieting for the last time now - wanting to change my life and give myself a plan i can stick to, and allow myself the food i love, just limit the amount!
good luck with your journey x0 -
I'm a former WW member.It worked for me until personal problems sidetracked me.But from what i hear now the new system is very frustrating0
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I have been paying for...but not really using the WW online for the last, oh...to be honest....year? I used that tool for about a year and while I was "on track" I did lose weight and felt better. I don't have any negative experiences with them. I know it worked because I havn't gained anything back. I decided to try MFP out because a friend of mine that has a truly hectic lifestyle has been raving about how easy and user friendly it is. So much so that her husband even started using it. (I love the barcode scanning feature!) Right now I'm trying to move my recipes and favorite foods over here so the mobile ap will be more functional for me. I will be closing my WW account eventually. I honestly think I'm just ready to move on to the next step and this one is going to be it for me. I am a really new member though....so just blink and I may disapppear.
On a side note...yesterday I clicked on a link on this site for a "mini challenge a day" that led to a group I can NOT find now. The exercise challenge listed for today was 50 butterflys. Does anyone know which group that was?0 -
I've done WW three times. I tried to go back 3 weeks after I had my son, but it didn't work regardless of what I did. Now I'm working on getting back to low carb, because that's the only thing my body responds to! It's quality of food for me!0
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I started WW after my son was born. Two years later my daughter was born and I continued with WW. I didn't lose much weight at all even though I tracked everything. The points frustrated the heck out of me because it doesn't seem real. So, in 2010 I decided to do my own thing and join a free online weight tracker. Best thing I ever did for myself0
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I have done WW several times over the last 10 or more years. I would lose the weight, get annoyed or fed up keeping track of points and gain it all back again.
Came here at the end of April...heading towards 60lbs lost since then (I lost 10lbs before I started tracking weight on here). I was never even close to having that kind of success with WW.0 -
I did WW for about 4 months and lost 15 pounds but I always felt like I was literally STARVING... But with MFP I feel full AND I usually have some calories left over0
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Count me in. Weight Watchers was frustrating for me. I like this site much better and so far I have lost three pounds.0
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I did WW and have lost over 50 pounds, but I have hit a plateau and am now doing MFP. The scale is starting to move again, as I think there is a over all better idea of where my calories are from both food and exercise.0
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I have done WW a gizzilion times....worked for awhile and then I would crash.Been with this for a few days and I am loving it !! I like that the database is huge...I can scan an item on my phone...I can carry it anywhere my phone goes...most of all I love that I can see what is working and where I need to improve...such as with nutrition...it keeps me balanced. I need to lose at least 100# and I seriously think I can do it with MFP....just have to figure out message board thing...:))))0
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I'm in the same boat! I lost 3 stone with the new plan though, I just stayed stagnant for the last 12 months, even though I want to lose another stone. So I think my weight watchers journey is over. Cancelled my (dusty) subscription this evening. Scary!0
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I have spent so much money on WW -- it's phenomenal. I wish I'd discovered MFP sooner. One of my problems while being on WW is that I always felt like I not only needed to conserve my points but also eat to the full extent that the point allowed (for example 1 TB of Cool Whip may be the same point value as 4 TB, so why not eat 4?). Also, WW not only sells but promotes processed foods. There's no emphasis on clean eating -- it's all about how to keep your point value low. And since the new program where fruits and veggies were "free," I'd had a really hard time losing. Could it have been because I was eating 3 bananas a day, apples, grapes, pineapple... anytime I wanted to eat, I'd eat fruit. I suppose no one got fat from eating a ton of bananas but I doubt 300 extra calories a day is helping anyone lose.
Plus the meetings became a place of confession. Women would admit to over-indulging for a few days, and now they were feeling incredibly guilty about it. Then everyone else would have to step in and soothe them and say "It's no big deal" without ever really looking at what caused the binge in the first place.
Wow, I didn't realize how much disdain I had for WW!0 -
Count me among the former WW members who couldn't get used to the new point system AND I only lost 4 lbs. in two months!! :sad: For me, "free" foods ended up costing me (on the scale). Created a DIY program and started exercising more and eating smaller portions last Sept. I focused only on losing 5lbs/month...fast forward to a year later and I'm down 45lbs. I just joined MFP and I'm ready to finish what I've started. Awesome apps, great community, and it's FREE!!!!0
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Many of my co-workers have had success on weight watchers but it just seemed too complicated to me. Someone recommended MFP said it was free, so I gave it a try. No WW for me an MFP girl all the way.0
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I am new here (day 2) still working my way around the site. I have been with WW for several years, was doing well until they changed to the PP system; it's not working for me. So far, I like this and if I lose weight this week, will drop out of WW. This site certainly offers a lot; I really like the nutritional tracking and info, as well as the great food and exercise tracking.0
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I have also done WW on and off for the last 14 years with varying degrees of success. There are some good things about the program, and it really depends on the leader, meetings, etc. that you go to as to how well you like the set up.
I realize they have had to evolve the program over the years to try and keep up with weight loss trends (low carb, etc) but the result is that the program has gotten more complicated. I think they have also changed up the program because there were people losing weight eating nothing but fat free popcorn and drinking diet coke and staying within their "points."
I just find this site to be very simple and effective. I am not knocking WW because it did work for me at times, but I'd find myself skipping meetings because I knew I wouldn't have a good weigh-in and then I'd get frustrated and stop going altogether. Here, I feel like I can have a bad day, and then move on. It also helps to have so much encouragement and to be able to find people with my same personal challenges.
Also, the food/restaurant database on this site is HUGE! I have searched for some of the most random brand name foods and they always pop right up and I can add them and be done. The WW database is very limited to me. I always wound up having to figure out a lot of the food values myself. I found their mobile site to be very complicated to use.0 -
I have done ww a few times and was most successful a few years in 2008. I lost 24 lbs. I went on vacation and it threw me off and i just couldn't get back into it again. I ended up gaining all my weight back even though i was still attending meetings every week. It worked for me when i followed it. Well, the old points did. I tried points plus but i didn't lose much at all so i started looking for something else. I am really happy that i found mfp about a year and a half ago. I have lost 38 lbs since last january. Btw feel free to add me. I am always lookig for new friends!
Ashley0 -
I did WW several times, and I lost over 130 lbs but gained it back. Since being here I have lost 80 lbs and kept it off for almost a year. This website is wonderful. I will add u as a friend.....Joann:drinker:0
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I am reformed from all of these diets:
Low fat high carb
Slim-Fast
Weight Watchers
Atkins
Organic
Weston Price Diet
The Schwarzbein Principle
Eat Fat Lose Fat
The Ultimate PH Solution
The Makers Diet
A friends diet from a personal trainer/dietician
It took me 15 years to learn that all that matters is calories. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/740340-i-lost-60-lbs-at-age-51-anyone-can-any-workout0 -
Me! I successfully lost 45 pounds on WW and didn't want to keep paying for the program once I was maintaining. A friend turned me on to MFP. I did both in parallel for a while and eventually dropped WW. I maintained for a good long time, then over the last year have lost some will power and gained 10 again. So now trying to lose again. Feel free to add me as a friend.0
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I lost weight before I got married on the old weight watchers plan, loved it! After pregnancies etc...have gained back plus some...but have found it very difficult to use the new points plus system...so I"m here on MFP counting my calories for now and hoping this will work for me...so I hear ya!0
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I follow WW, I don't go to meetings and neither do I pay for online. I work my WW PP alongside my calories0
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I started WW in January and lost 30 pounds. Then I quit loosing weight. I had leave 2 of my daily points each day to loose any weight (not touching the weekly points). I thought with the old point system there was a drop of points every so often when you got to a certain weight. So I decided I would be better off counting calories. I found MFP. I'm still a newbie.0
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