die hard weight watcher considering converting...

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anawhatsme
anawhatsme Posts: 261 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
i have been counting points on and off for many years.
i really love the points system, but...
i'm considering dropping the points and just counting calories.
then i can have all my weight loss tools in one place (here).
i'm a bit nervous about switching because with points plus, i get fruits and veggies for 'free'.
i will REALLY miss that perk.

any feed back, pros/cons on making the switch would be greatly appreciated.
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Replies

  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
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    Do it. I converted. This is way better. You get a much clearer picture of what you're eating. You can eat the same things using MFP...
  • MirandaAB
    MirandaAB Posts: 9 Member
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    hii anawhatsme;
    i am a weight watcher too but i enjoy doing both actually....After many years of trying out virtually every diet out there/ I decided to go back to weight Watchers again....... to the meetings just for the sake of ' Accountability' ..

    but i found having such a ' diet mentality'? i find myself in an almost sense of panic at times..... figuring out points, concerned that i am not counting 'enough' or that my daily totals aren't accurate enough

    I have also used and really enjoyed this website...... entering absolutely every bite i have in the day very upfront and honestly and then i can actually see as well what the Calorie count comes out to........ and then i find i can relax and feel good about the points tallies as well.

    somewhat on the anal side but yes, that is how i like to do things..... and it helps me...... so to sum it up/ I don't see any reason for you to convert really...... if you don't mind entering the food into this chart, it's a good double 'check' for us.
  • 000WhiteRose000
    000WhiteRose000 Posts: 266 Member
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    Don’t be nervous, it makes much more sense to move on to calories. I wouldn’t eat Weight Watchers stuff anyway, they are way too processed and filled with additives and stuff that is not good for you. You don’t need that to lose weight, you can make low calorie meals or eat natural low calorie snacks without eating all the extra crap.
  • skbarton
    skbarton Posts: 141 Member
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    Think of it this way - while most veggies and fruits are "free", the point system rounds up and down with the calculator. A point is approximately 40 calories so a 200 calorie item is usually about 5 pointsplus. A 180 calorie item will probably end up being 5 points. Do enough rounding up and that covers the fruits and veggies.......

    Moving back to the basics of calories (while keeping an eye on macros) is simpler since you don't have to do the conversion process. And yes, I had PP numbers written on boxes and had many items memorized, but now I don't have to figure out the items I don't eat often......
  • nturner612
    nturner612 Posts: 710 Member
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    do it, this is sooo much better! and its FREE!!!! and u have a great community of crazy ppl to answer all ur questions! u can also track on ur phone which is great and FREE!1
  • supplemama
    supplemama Posts: 1,956 Member
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    I don't mean to be unkind, but if you've been doing WW for years, it's not working. Right? MFP is free and actually works. Make the switch, you won't regret it!
  • jwcomputergirl
    jwcomputergirl Posts: 126 Member
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    I, too, am a convert. Although I am a lifetime member of WW, because I am over my goal weight I would have to pay weekly. I needed something FREE. And, what a bonus - I found a FABULOUS supportive community and a tracking tool that was way easier and way more robust than the WW online tool. And guess what? MFP WORKS! Come join the fun!
  • Kellyeee2013
    Kellyeee2013 Posts: 221
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    Whatever works for you. I did the points system and was able to KEEP off the weight I loss, no matter what. THAT I enjoyed. Whether it is with the points system or calories through MFP, I find it makes me more conscious of what I am eating. I like this way (calorie counting) more because I am able to be mindful of everything I am putting into my mouth and it allows me to be more aware of small things such as salad dressing, candy, and mints. Weight watchers factors everything in... fat, calories, exercise etc... which then results in an overall "point" which I like... so be mindful of the fat and carbs (I forget the exact things weight watchers used to ask you to calculate, sorry) etc. as well. Not JUST calories.

    I am not sure any is better than the other... I just find it easier to keep track using this method.
  • dbutorac
    dbutorac Posts: 120
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    I did weight watchers off/on for years, even a life time member, but gained it all back. Started MFP last January, lost 30 lbs. so far have kept it off. I think it works fabulous & think of all the cute clothes you can buy with the money you can save.
  • Sherbog
    Sherbog Posts: 1,072 Member
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    If Weight Watchers is working for you then why change. How about doing both.
  • murphey05
    murphey05 Posts: 23
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    I did weight watchers and had some success, but the one thing I didn't like was having to convert all your foods to points. After a while, it got old and there was no online support like there is here. I love counting calories and I love MFP even better!
  • laserturkey
    laserturkey Posts: 1,680 Member
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    I think you will find that veggies are generally so low in calories that you won't miss having them "free" if you have set your calories at a goal at or above your BMR. Of course, you can always choose how to manage your logging here, and I think some people make it a habit not to record raw veggies.
  • agesab621
    agesab621 Posts: 7 Member
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    I've done Weight Watchers in the past too, but I prefer MFP. It's free, you can "meet" with people every day when it's convenient for you and I like doing the tracking on line or on my phone, (so I have no excuses)! Good Luck!
  • kristen6022
    kristen6022 Posts: 1,926 Member
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    There is no proof that following MFP long term (forever) works better than WW Points, but if you've been doing WW "on and off" I'm thinking it's not working as well as it could be. My mom is a "lifetime" WW and she's been up and down her entire life. I'd prefer to find a system that I can follow always so I don't have to do something "on and off". That's why I think MFP is better, I can see myself relying on this system forever and never having to worry about my weight again!
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    i have been counting points on and off for many years.
    i really love the points system, but...
    i'm considering dropping the points and just counting calories.
    then i can have all my weight loss tools in one place (here).
    i'm a bit nervous about switching because with points plus, i get fruits and veggies for 'free'.
    i will REALLY miss that perk.

    any feed back, pros/cons on making the switch would be greatly appreciated.

    On Weight Watchers, how much progress have you made in terms of total weight lost and over what course of time?
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    i have been counting points on and off for many years.
    i really love the points system, but...
    i'm considering dropping the points and just counting calories.
    then i can have all my weight loss tools in one place (here).
    i'm a bit nervous about switching because with points plus, i get fruits and veggies for 'free'.
    i will REALLY miss that perk.

    any feed back, pros/cons on making the switch would be greatly appreciated.

    You never got tthose things "free." The calories are accounted for in the WW formula. Calorie-counting is pretty much exactly the same as WW.
  • Momma_Grizz
    Momma_Grizz Posts: 294 Member
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    I converted. It took a while to wrap my brain around not having to recalculate to points and live real life, but once I did, I'm glad and have not looked back.

    It's great and bonus - it's free!
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    I don't mean to be unkind, but if you've been doing WW for years, it's not working. Right? MFP is free and actually works. Make the switch, you won't regret it!

    I can pretty much guarantee that people have the same level of success here as on WW. It's all about personal accountability and following the program. Some people do, some don't. I did WW, lost 34 pounds and kept up off until a change in birth control caused a regain. I still do WW, but I don't pay for it anymore and I track here instead.
  • travelbug002
    travelbug002 Posts: 61 Member
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    I would convert--I did. I liked WW and was successful at first; however, when the points system changed, I found I wasn't as successful as before. I also like being able to track my sodium and other components rather than just points or calories. I find myself continually astonished at the sodium count of some of my foods (this definitely explains why I have trouble with water retention). There is more to losing weight than counting points or calories and I find this site provides that. It's also free which is a great bonus.
  • fit4lifeUcan2
    fit4lifeUcan2 Posts: 1,458 Member
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    I do both. It helps to see the calories as well as the points. When i started I started out with MFP but didn't lose any weight. Joined WW and lost weight right away. Then kept track on MFP with WW and saw that I was eating so much on WW but lost weight and realized where I was going wrong for me when I did just MFP. I wasn't eating enough! I'll drop the ww some day mainly because it cost me 18.99 per month for the online but for now I want to stick with it. I'm pretty close to my goal weight and don't want to change anything at the moment.

    Eat all those fruits and veggies. They are not high in calories and don't use up much of your daily calories as you would think. You can switch over easily. Just keep tracking and eating healthy and you'll do just fine.

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