die hard weight watcher considering converting...

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.

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......

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!

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.

If Weight Watchers is working for you then why change. How about doing both.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

I was nervous too about switching. WW is so expensive and I decided I would rather spend the money on a gym membership than weekly meetings. MFP gives way more support and I don't have to try to plug meeting times into my schedule.

I still call my calories points though.

I went to a seminar and they explained that WW is a great program, but the fact that they tell you you can eat all the fruits & veggies you want as zero points is ridiculous.

In the seminar he held up a bag of peanut M&M's and a vine of grapes and said that each one of these have the same amount of calories in them! I think that telling someone they are allowed to eat as much of something as they want doesn't get to the root of the problem which is over-eating.

Good luck on your decision!

Do it!
I did weight watchers then slimming world...I use the recipes from both to make low fat choices and use this site to log. And as an added bonus this site has lots of people for morale support, a log which adds everything up for you as well as being totally free!
It's a win win situation

WW vs MFP

1. WW is an expensive 20 min pep talk with a scale, MFP is free
2. The "pep talk" is designed to make you feel better about spending the money for the pep talk and the "feel good" only lasts until you walk out the door back into reality. MFP is reality.
3. WW requires you to calculate points.. why? Calories are listed on each and every item you consume, so much easier!
4. Points... points... where is that STUPID calculator!? MFP helps you focus on proper nutrition, not points. Calories, yes, but also carbs, fats, proteins, sodium.. important stuff that your body needs and doesnt need.
5. I never really made any connections with anyone else attending WW unless it was friends that were attending with me and they were already friends before WW. On MFP I have connected with dozens of people that encourage me pretty much on a daily basis, not once a week on the way out of the door after the expensive pep talk.
6. Did I say FREE?!?!?!?!
7. People attend WW for years... for years? If you are attending for years (3 or more) and still trying to lose weight, then it isn't working for you. MFP is designed to help you get to your goal weight and then you go to maintenance. By the time you get there you should understand nutrition and how foods affect your weight and be able, for the most part to maintain without the use of MFP. If you really had to, you could live without MFP during maintenance but you can always come back and not have to pay a fee to use it to get back on track.
8. Its FREEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!
9. WW is all about points... I dont remember them ever really talking about exercise much, it is mentioned in one of the little booklets but its all about the points. MFP encourages you to exercise. Your MFP friends will praise you when you exercise. You get to eat more when you exercise!

I have followed both, and I go back and forth between the two based on what my goals are. This might get a bit long-winded, I apologize, but I feel like my experience might help you

I went on WW when I weighed 217 lbs. It was a great, INVALUABLE tool to my initial weight loss. I lost 50-60 lbs with it, doing just a little bit of exercise. However, once I got pretty close to my goal weight, Weight Watchers became more of a struggle for me. I wasn't seeing the losses I once did. Long story short, I think WW is a terrific tool to learn portion control, but counting calories is great for learning how to control your macros, which is much more important for weight loss when you are closer to your goal weight, working out more, etc.

I still periodically go back to WW, because it's close to my heart as the program that helped me lose a significant portion of weight. I know a lot of people are very down on the program here, but I think everyone has different needs, and I'm adamant in the fact that if you have a significant amount of weight to lose, Weight Watchers is an excellent program that, if followed properly, guarantees weight loss.

One thing I love about WW is the GHGs. While MFP certainly shows you a better idea of macro and micro nutrients, it doesn't tell you WHAT to eat. The GHGs were an invaulable tool for me in revamping my diet.

Now I've learned it, though. I feel like I outgrew WW and while the free veggies are so few calories, they're not really a big deal, I did not agree with the free fruit. I understand the logic (you'll choose an apple over a candy bar for a snack), fruit calories add up. A banana is 80-120 calories, depending on size.

I did the old Momentum plan and I contonue doing that plan to this day. I never made the switch and I know a lot of people who struggled with the new plan, especially those with less to lose.