Former WW "pointplus" person looking for help
dogpeeps
Posts: 57 Member
I used to belong to WW and followed the pointsplus program and did very well with weight loss. I couldn't afford the $43/month dues anymore and my daughter told me of this site. I have tried (and failed miserably) to cross over to calorie counting. Is there anyone who has been able to come up with a similar strategy of WW pointsplus on MFP that works? I'm desperate to find something that works as I don't want to become the person I used to be just because I cannot afford to stay in bondage to WW. Any help anyone has to offer is truly welcomed!!
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I never did WW, but my only advice is: Be honest with yourself when counting calories. Try to maintain or put a low deficit (aka wiggle room) at first to get the hang of it. Weigh everything! And read the labels.0
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What sort of challenges did you face when switching to calorie counting (tracking)?I have tried (and failed miserably) to cross over to calorie counting.
As far as I know, the only difference is that WW uses a proprietary point system. And the "fruit doesn't count" thing.0 -
Just get a kitchen scale and weigh everything.
Double check the values on a few sites like this one:
http://nutritiondata.self.com
There is a search box on the top right. Enter things like "pork loin" or "beef raw" ...generic type names and drill down.
If you have any questions there are some helpful people on here.
There are no dumb questions...
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I have found MFP to be WAY more useful than WW online ever was! First of all, the android app for MFP is much, much better, I can scan a barcode image to get the calorie count! I find that the community on here is great also. Get lots of friends, people are extremely supportive!
I only did WW online for about 3 months (I couldn't afford the $18 per month) and I'm having better success with MFP. Although my weight loss isn't huge, my commitment is greater. I find it easier to locate calories rather than points, since the calories and serving size are right on the label, whereas with Points +, I had to calculate everything!0 -
I may be wrong but I believe that if your doctor gives you a note saying that it is necessary for you to loss weight, you might be able to do ww for free or write off the expenses on your taxes. I would double check with them though. I also used to do ww and stopped bc of the fees. So far I am doing good with this. I think it will get easier when you can look at things and determine about how much the calories are, just like with ww after a while u can look at something and guess how many points it will be about.0
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I did WW for many years counting points. I did good but found myself obsessed with figuring out points. It took way to much time and energy. I switched to the counting calories and I find it so much easier then before. I just make sure I measure or weigh my servings. Its much easier when going to the grocery store to look on the label and see the serving size and figure out the calories instead of the point stuff. Good luck.0
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What challenges are you facing exactly?0
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It does take some getting used to, but in the end is way easier. I have learned more from this site and the people here than I ever did in a WW meeting. One of the women at work is trying to do the same transition (from points to calories) and she is using her old points info and the free online calculators and lists to do both to get the "feel" for counting calories. She lost 90lbs on WW so it became a way of life but doesn't want to be tied to the monthly fees or weigh ins during maintenance. She calculates how many calories are in her breakfast and then figures out points to coincide. After a few weeks she is mostly just doing calories.0
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What challenges are you facing exactly?
I guess my biggest challenge is to figure out EXACTLY what it is I'm supposed to have for daily calorie goal. If I use MFP I'm supposed to have 1200 plus whatever I "earn." If I go to http://nutritiondata.self.com/ I get a totally different set of numbers. If I could only get an accurate (and reasonable) number to shoot for, that would have won half the battle already.0 -
There are a million different ways you can decide how many calories to set as your target. Look through the forums on this site, everyone has a different opinion on the matter. But different things work for different people, you might have to play around with your calorie number until you find what works for you.
Maybe a simple way for you to transition from WW to MFP would be to continue following the WW program for a week or two, eating by points, but simultaneously track your food on MFP. After a few days you should see a trend in the number of calories you are eating per day on WW, and you can use that as your target for calorie consumption on MFP.0 -
Maybe a simple way for you to transition from WW to MFP would be to continue following the WW program for a week or two, eating by points, but simultaneously track your food on MFP. After a few days you should see a trend in the number of calories you are eating per day on WW, and you can use that as your target for calorie consumption on MFP.
This is a great idea!
I used to do WW online, but was annoyed that there was some "secret formula" to figure out how many points a food would cost. And I felt like I wasn't learning how to really, truly be responsible for my nutritional info, because I didn't know how many macro nutritients I was intaking, nor how much iron, sodium, etc. With MFP, I feel so much more responsible and "in control" of my diet. I really, really, REALLY prefer the MFP approach compared to WW.0 -
The trick is to find out what your Basal Metabolic Rate is (BMR). You can do that here http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/
Once you've calculated your BMR, in order to lose weight, you need to eat at 500 calories less, or what a lot of people do is that they eat 250 calories less than their BMR, plus exercise and it works.
Just know that everything you eat is a calorie though - I find with a lot of my friends who do weight watchers, they think fruit is free (it isn't).0 -
The trick is to find out what your Basal Metabolic Rate is (BMR). You can do that here http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/
Once you've calculated your BMR, in order to lose weight, you need to eat at 500 calories less, or what a lot of people do is that they eat 250 calories less than their BMR, plus exercise and it works.
Just know that everything you eat is a calorie though - I find with a lot of my friends who do weight watchers, they think fruit is free (it isn't).
That puts me below 1200 calories per day with minus 500 cal, and 1258 with minus 250. (The minus 250 doesn't seem practical if for some reason I miss a day of exercise.)0 -
I can see how this is difficult. The points system was a massive support system that was easy to use. You didn't have to think about it too much, even when going out because a lot of places had points worked out for you already. You can't eat unlimited fruits and vegetables anymore (and you never could to lose weight, honestly, it's a huge flaw in their system for people who are moderately overweight).
You are going to have to start thinking about vegetables and fruits, especially sugary ones and ones dense in calories and fat, as part of the whole picture.
I wouldn't worry too much about your macros right away unless you are diabetic or need to for some other reason. Just focus on calories in, calories out. Set your deficit to something like 300-500 calories for the first few months so you have some wiggle room and don't feel like you are starving yourself.
I keep a written journal where I jot down what I've eaten because a lot of times by the end of the day I forget SOMETHING!0 -
I do WW online PP plan and track here as well. I'm finding that my points amount to 1200 calories or more depending on if I eat more veggies and fruits which are 0 points.0
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The trick is to find out what your Basal Metabolic Rate is (BMR). You can do that here http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/
Once you've calculated your BMR, in order to lose weight, you need to eat at 500 calories less, or what a lot of people do is that they eat 250 calories less than their BMR, plus exercise and it works.
Just know that everything you eat is a calorie though - I find with a lot of my friends who do weight watchers, they think fruit is free (it isn't).
This is wrong. You should eat at some percentage (20% or so) below TDEE. Your BMR is what your body would burn if you didn't get out of bed and had no activity.
I'll find the link to a great post when I find it that explains all this and more. Here it is
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/538381-in-place-of-a-road-map0 -
I would just keep using the WW points plus formula for tracking what I'm eating and come here for the support instead of paying for meetings! I think the key is accountability. I go to WW meetings every week, but there have been times when I couldn't afford it, so I get that for sure. In fact, before I re-joined WW I lost 20 pounds on "my own", then got to a plateau and decided to get back to WW. But really, we don't need to pay for inspiration. Lots of great people to support you right here.
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What challenges are you facing exactly?
I guess my biggest challenge is to figure out EXACTLY what it is I'm supposed to have for daily calorie goal. If I use MFP I'm supposed to have 1200 plus whatever I "earn." If I go to http://nutritiondata.self.com/ I get a totally different set of numbers. If I could only get an accurate (and reasonable) number to shoot for, that would have won half the battle already.
This is probably because you selected "lose 2 pounds per week". 1200 calories is the minimum my fitnesspal will EVER recommend. As you get closer to your goal you should lower the expectation to 1.5, 1, .5 pounds per week accordingly.
Also, many of the other sites out there assume you are working out/burning extra calories and give those to you in your daily goal with the intention that you will NOT be eating them back.
I suggest you-
1.) lower your weight loss goal from 2 pounds per week.
2.) Eat back all of your exercise calories
3.) log everything you consume (including condiments, sauces, etc.)0 -
The trick is to find out what your Basal Metabolic Rate is (BMR). You can do that here http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/
Once you've calculated your BMR, in order to lose weight, you need to eat at 500 calories less, or what a lot of people do is that they eat 250 calories less than their BMR, plus exercise and it works.
Just know that everything you eat is a calorie though - I find with a lot of my friends who do weight watchers, they think fruit is free (it isn't).
This is incorrect. Your BMR is how many calories a day you would burn in a coma, organ function, not moving AT ALL.
You multiply your BMR by your activity level- Your activity level is what you do on a NORMAL day without intentional exercise. For example if you work an office job and sit at a desk all day you are probably sedentary. If you are a nurse or a firefighter you are probably active.
sedentary- 1.2 (assumes you burn 20% extra with brushing your teeth, getting dressed, walking to your car, etc.)
Lightly active- 1.35 (assumes you burn 35% more with walking around at work, getting dressed, burshing teeth, walking up stairs, etc.)
Active- 1.5- (assumes you burn 50% more with constant standing, walking back and forth, constantly moving, etc.)
So- Let's use me as an example....
According to MFP- Your estimated BMR is: 1,262 calories/day* (you can use mfp but if you know your body fat % katch mcardle is a more accurate formula- see here http://www.cordianet.com/calculator.htm)
I work a desk job so I am sedentary.
1,262 x 1.2 = 1514. This is my TDEE(total daily energy expenditor) . In other words- this is how many calories a day it takes for me to maintain my weight on a normal day of getting up, going to work, getting dressed, sitting in my chair all day, etc.
For every 500 calories subtracted from your TDEE you can expect to lose 1 pound per week. To lose 1 pound per week i would have to eat 1014 calories a day. According to multiple studies women should eat no less than 1200 calories a day and men should eat no less than 1400 calories a day.
As 1 pound of fat equals about 3,500 calories i would need to be 500 calories deficit from my TDEE. As i should not eat below 1200 calories I can have a safe deficit of 314 calories a day or a little more than 1/2 pound per week loss.
Maybe i'm a bad example as I don't actually want to lose any more weight... LOL. I know it sounds complicated at first (hey, this is why companies like Weight Watchers make so much money off people) but it becomes much easier the greater your understanding.0 -
I did WW for years. Then they changed to the pointplus and I didn't lose at all. I find counting calories is much easier. And one thing I hate about WW is that they count all fats as bad. Good fats like avocados, olive oil etc have the same points value as bad fats. I will never understand that one.
Counting calories is the same as counting points, there is just a calorie value now instead of the PPs. And just like with WW, you have to weigh and measure everything you eat.
If you really do like WW, there are apps for smartphones that you can use to do WW. I had one and the app worked really well, I just hate pointsplus.0 -
You said that you did really well w/ WW --- why don't you continue counting your points as you always have and just log them into mfp and see what you come up with. If you are doing something that works, why change it???? can't you just eat what you have been eating/tracking??0
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The trick is to find out what your Basal Metabolic Rate is (BMR). You can do that here http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/
Once you've calculated your BMR, in order to lose weight, you need to eat at 500 calories less, or what a lot of people do is that they eat 250 calories less than their BMR, plus exercise and it works.
Just know that everything you eat is a calorie though - I find with a lot of my friends who do weight watchers, they think fruit is free (it isn't).
This is wrong. You should eat at some percentage (20% or so) below TDEE. Your BMR is what your body would burn if you didn't get out of bed and had no activity.
I'll find the link to a great post when I find it that explains all this and more. Here it is
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/538381-in-place-of-a-road-map
I was just gonna say, use in place of road map. And you never deduct from BMR, you deduct form your TDEE. You need to find a calculator that factors in your body fat % for it to be as close to accurate.0 -
I'm doing both WW points plus (meetings AND online) and tracking here. I've found that very generally, I'm around 1,200 calories on days when I eat my 26 points (plus two servings of fruit that comes to about 100-200 calories but zero points). I tend to think of my exercise calories like my weekly points (and on WW, I don't actually every dip into my activity points, only eating my weeklies).
Feel free to add me if you want to look at my food diary here.0 -
Do you still have your plan materials? I have recently switched from PointsPlus to the Simply Filling Technique. (the one where you mostly eat from "core" foods). I love it because I no longer have to count points AND I don't have to count calories. Is working well for me. Feels so liberating! Of course, it is still a weight loss plan, and none of them are fun. Look at your "core" foods list.0
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I totally agree with you on this. That magic formula as you put it seemed so much more difficult then just looking at the calorie count.0
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They are only free in WW not counting calories. But if it works for you thats all that matters.0
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I do WW online PP plan and track here as well. I'm finding that my points amount to 1200 calories or more depending on if I eat more veggies and fruits which are 0 points.
I'm doing the exact same thing with the same results. Just remember to mix up what you eat: more veggies, 2-3 servings of fruit, combine carbs and proteins, 2-3 servings of low fat dairy, water, water, water, and at least 30 minutes of some kind of activity a day.0 -
For a ball park estimate, one PP is about 40 calories. This is what I posted in a previous thread:
The biggest difference (besides money) is WW converts the calorie value of foods into the point system by using the various factors that defines calories - fiber, fat, protein and carbs. Your high point favorites will be your high calorie favorites. A rough estimate for conversion is 40 calories per point. Example: PopSecret 100 Calorie Popcorn is 100 calories vs 3 PointsPlus. Pepperoni Pizza Rolls 220 calories for 6 pieces, 6 PointsPlus. As I said, it is a rough estimate and since WW allows for free veggies and some fruits, those calories get covered by the PP being a bit over the calorie count. Convert your allowed PP to calories and count those fruits and veggies and continue tracking. Activity points is roughly 80 calories for every AP.0
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