OMG. I lost two pounds. ME. Mearlie. Lost. Two. Pounds.

I'm sure the WW plan is working for lots and lots of people, but I'm pretty darn good about food choices, even when I'm not on a diet. What I'm not so good at is portion control. Especially when I don't have to "count" it.

There's not a huge difference between logging foods from WW to MFP BUT for ME and what I EAT, I can easily find alot more foods in the MFP database. With WW etools I was constantly saying to myself "eh, this food is close to the one I just ate". Here on MFP, the database houses more foods that I, Mearlie, consume.

Maybe that would be motivation for the hubs? Tell him to try the food diary for a day and check it out? I really think this site is better, I really, REALLY do. And... did I mention that it's FREE?! lol

Buy a little digital food scale ($20 at Walmart) and some metal measuring cups to use as scoops. I had the same problem as you ...portion size..... and now if I put that I ate 100 grams of something, you know that I ate 100 grams of it. Not 99 and not 101. I also dish out most things with my little metal "scoops." Half a cup of beans was put in my bowl with the half cup measuring cup. I also like when they give you how many grams are in a half cup of this or that. Like asparagus, for instance. Half a cup is 85 grams. It's much easier to weigh out 85 grams than to smash my asparagus into a measuring cup.

I have a kitchen scale that I used when I made handmade soap. Gotta measure lye to the gram. I've used it a couple times to weigh foods, and if I stall I will definitely start weighing everything. Thanks for the tip! I have but do NOT use my little measuring devices so I should def get those out and start using them. Great idea!

My point about portion control was to demonstrate that here on MFP, every calorie matters. On WW Points Plus, they don't count a banana, can of pineapple, huge salad with lettuce, carrots... you count the dressing but not the food. But the food has calories in it too and I "believe" that the reason I was NOT losing weight on Weight Watchers is because I was eating too many calories. They WERE healthy calories, BUT they were calories.

Here I count everything and in ONE WEEK I've lost 2 pounds! Woot Woot! I'm still giddy, lol!

I just wandered over from the WW board. I am soooo over WW, everything is just complicated and I love MFP database,it is awesome!!!

TOTALLY agree! WW tries to "dumb it down" I think, with their Points Plus program, but for me, their simplicity made it more complicated. Because it didn't make any sense in my head. I joined mostly for the comradery and found I wasn't really socializing anyway at the meetings. I'm not saying WW doesn't work, it just wasn't right for ME. And I have some darn good reasons for switching here!

Wait. Did I mention, MFP is free?

I just wandered over from the WW board. I am soooo over WW, everything is just complicated and I love MFP database,it is awesome!!!

TOTALLY agree! WW tries to "dumb it down" I think, with their Points Plus program, but for me, their simplicity made it more complicated. Because it didn't make any sense in my head. I joined mostly for the comradery and found I wasn't really socializing anyway at the meetings. I'm not saying WW doesn't work, it just wasn't right for ME. And I have some darn good reasons for switching here!

Wait. Did I mention, MFP is free?

YES! I agree 100%. I was "with" WW for a year or so and I only gained weight. I think the problem for me is that it didn't make me accountable ENOUGH, especially with the Points Plus program. I have found that MFP makes me acknowledge every calorie (if I log, which I do, because why wouldn't you), and that has helped me lose 5lbs in about a week and a half.

Also, I am a graduate student with a paltry income and no external financial support, so anything FREE and EFFECTIVE is like a bloody dream come true. Finally, I totally agree with you re: the food database. For my purposes, MFP has a far more comprehensive database. Overall, just a million times better. Feel free to add me if you'd like support! Glad to see this post.

AhHa! I'm not the only one! Yep, I'm educated but a sahm so the free thing is definitely a factor. But WW didn't work. I was doing what they said, but it didn't WORK!