Does weightwatchers really help?

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Kagemori
Kagemori Posts: 88 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Ive been seeing more ads for weight watchers lately. Whats peoples oppinion on it? Does it really help?
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Replies

  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    I joined WW - lost 40 lbs stopped going due to my schedule, gained it all back. Joined again w/the new program (which is changed again - they change it frequently) and lost a big huge ZERO pounds. Came here, started losing again. If you're just going to do the WW online, you're better off here. If you can go to meetings and get a good leader it can be helpful, IMO.
  • VelociMama
    VelociMama Posts: 3,119 Member
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    It definitely works, but honestly, MFP works just as well and is totally free. If you feel like you would benefit from the meetings and such, then it might be worth looking into, but it's certainly not necessary.
  • Italiano7
    Italiano7 Posts: 382 Member
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    This is almost the same thing only its free and all the support that you get on this site makes up for the meetings!
  • Hissweetheart
    Hissweetheart Posts: 14 Member
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    I lost over 60 lbs on WW and have kept it off for 3 years. It taught me a lot about food in general that I never knew. The lessons have helped me sustain the loss.
  • Honeycombs2002
    Honeycombs2002 Posts: 15 Member
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    I did weight watchers in college and lost about 15lbs. I'm a picky eater and ate several things I shouldn't have, but I'm sure I could've lost more had I tried a little harder. I had the kit so I didn't pay for the online version.
  • soquick1
    soquick1 Posts: 1
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    It works but as stated above I don't think it's helpful because you dont eat regular food so as soon as you stop eating Weight Watchers food, you gain all your weight back because you haven't trained yourself how to eat well with foods you are around on a regular basis. What Weight Watchers does is simple. It puts you in a calorie deficit with appropriate macronutrient balancing. It works because they tell you what to eat and if you eat it then you'll lose weight. It's really that easy on their end. When someone goes to diet they usually fall short in two ways; they either miscalculate their calories or lack willpower and cheat. Thats why this app is good for me. I know what food I should eat and the app essentially tells me how much of it I need to eat. So, in short, yes it works but if you can get a solid group of good foods that you keep around and good recipes I think learning to eat well on your own is a better solution for long term lifestyle change. Just my 2 cents. Good Luck!
  • Nina2503
    Nina2503 Posts: 172 Member
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    MFP logging tool is soooooooo much better than WW and its FREE! IMO the support on the MFP boards is better too, used to be a fan of WW but not since finding MFP. It may help if you really need to pay for someone to weigh you but apart from that you get everything you need on here!
  • Christabelle79
    Christabelle79 Posts: 80 Member
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    I lost about 10 lbs in the first month of Weight Watchers. The first week of the 2nd month, I gained 2 lbs (I also happened to be having my Aunt Flo visiting). The meeting facilitator called me out on it during the meeting. I was so embarassed. When I got to my car I cried and then canceled my membership. I don't need to be shamed into losing weight.

    HOWEVER, I've heard that my experience is not the norm. I find this site to be much more encouraging and helpful than many of the tools Weight Watchers has. AND, I don't have to convert anything to points.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    I lost about 10 lbs in the first month of Weight Watchers. The first week of the 2nd month, I gained 2 lbs (I also happened to be having my Aunt Flo visiting). The meeting facilitator called me out on it during the meeting. I was so embarassed. When I got to my car I cried and then canceled my membership. I don't need to be shamed into losing weight.

    HOWEVER, I've heard that my experience is not the norm. I find this site to be much more encouraging and helpful than many of the tools Weight Watchers has. AND, I don't have to convert anything to points.

    OMG! That is horrible. Really a good leader makes a HUGE difference. I tried a couple different leaders and some are so much better than others.

    And the WW boards are vicious. People complain about the bullies here, but I've never seen anything here like over there.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
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    I'm pretty set on MFP. I've found a lot of great and knowledgeable people here...and not just about food..but on fitness too! And it's free! hahahaha. I used to think that if I spent money on something, I'd definitely do it. Obviously that hasn't been the case. But MFP is free and I've been doing really good on it. Funny how that worked out..lol.
  • reallynearlythere
    reallynearlythere Posts: 3 Member
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    Good morning. I too used WW and lost 50lbs over a year. Unfortunately nearly all of it has been put back on. I think sorting your head out is the most important thing to do and once this is done, it doesn't matter which program you use. I stopped WW after getting fed up that the online tracking system kept crashing and too often the food I was looking for did not exist. Another problem for me was that they kept changing their rules which confused a simple brain like mine.Although a newcomer I like this site MFP for its simplicity.
  • jaz050465
    jaz050465 Posts: 3,508 Member
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    I didn't have much to lose and it didn't work for me. Think it was a combination if the fruit thing and the weey points that I could never work out if I should eat or not. I experimented but nothing worked.
  • djelli31
    djelli31 Posts: 2 Member
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    I joined WW in 2011. I live almost 30 miles from the nearest meeting (rural living) and had a hard time making it to the meetings. While I was going to the meetings, i lost wieght. I changed to the on-line only program and it still worked, but I lost interest. I just learned of this website today in the current issue of Consumers Reports Magazine. There is a very good article comparing several weight loss programs and diets. It seems there is more on-line interaction on this site then I experienced on WW. I am excited to be part of this community.
  • Lillyotvly49
    Lillyotvly49 Posts: 8 Member
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    I have a lifetime weight watchers pin that sits in my jewelry box. I lost very well on it years ago before they had all their points & products. I think you are doing well with MFP & it is free. You may want to read about nutrition to learn some of the things they taught us in WW. One example corn is a starch so should not be thought of as a veggie but like bread. If you count your calories you should stay on track. We were also encouraged to eat beef liver once per week. This works if I could only find a restaurant serving it because I hate to cook it. I would not do WW now because they have strayed from a lot of what they were about. They have gotten too commercial. Just my opinion of course. :smile:
  • Christabelle79
    Christabelle79 Posts: 80 Member
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    I joined WW in 2011. I live almost 30 miles from the nearest meeting (rural living) and had a hard time making it to the meetings. While I was going to the meetings, i lost wieght. I changed to the on-line only program and it still worked, but I lost interest. I just learned of this website today in the current issue of Consumers Reports Magazine. There is a very good article comparing several weight loss programs and diets. It seems there is more on-line interaction on this site then I experienced on WW. I am excited to be part of this community.

    Excited to have you!
  • bsmith404
    bsmith404 Posts: 333 Member
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    It works but as stated above I don't think it's helpful because you dont eat regular food so as soon as you stop eating Weight Watchers food, you gain all your weight back because you haven't trained yourself how to eat well with foods you are around on a regular basis. What Weight Watchers does is simple. It puts you in a calorie deficit with appropriate macronutrient balancing. It works because they tell you what to eat and if you eat it then you'll lose weight. It's really that easy on their end. When someone goes to diet they usually fall short in two ways; they either miscalculate their calories or lack willpower and cheat. Thats why this app is good for me. I know what food I should eat and the app essentially tells me how much of it I need to eat. So, in short, yes it works but if you can get a solid group of good foods that you keep around and good recipes I think learning to eat well on your own is a better solution for long term lifestyle change. Just my 2 cents. Good Luck!

    What do you mean you don't eat regular food on Weight Watchers? They tell you what to eat? I ate regular foods all the time on Weight watchers. Weight Watchers is not like Jenny Craig where they give you meals. I'm a huge fan of Weight Watchers. I lost 70lbs and kept it off. I quit weight watchers when I made goal and kept it off. I gained 15lbs because I consciously stopped exercising and eating right. I just got tired of counting points or calories and workingout. Plus I hit a plateau so my 1 week of not working out and eating whatever to try to break my plateau led to 2 weeks then 3.

    I personally loved Weight Watchers but since joining MFP and actually couting calories and using the message boards I've come to love it and it's free. So while I loved Weight Wathchers, I found a new love with MFP.
  • pkdarlin
    pkdarlin Posts: 149 Member
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    I have an on line membership with weight watchers. I'm going to cancel it today. I like MFP and can't see paying for one.
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
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    My personal opinion is that they have a fabulous business plan.

    Yes, a person will lose weight. They help him/her get to their goal then the person cancels their membership.

    Slowly but surely old eating habits return and a year, maybe two or three down the line, the weight is back, sometimes bringing even more lbs along for good measure. The person re-joins WW and starts all over again. WW sits back and watches the money coming in once again.

    And so the cycle continues and WW knows that every January they will get hoards of new members (= $$$) determined to "do it right this time", only to gain the weight back again in the future.

    MFP is a great tool for logging your food intake, is free and doesn't require you to stand up and be weighed in front of a group of people. WW wont do anything for you that MFP can't and MFP will not lighten your wallet.
  • innerhottie
    innerhottie Posts: 163 Member
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    I have joined and quit Weight Watchers more times than I can count. Honestly, to me, the best part of the program is the meetings and having a stranger weigh you.

    They have been changing the program very frequently it seems... that would be frustrating to me. I think that different programs work for different people.

    I know that for me, Weight Watchers allowed me to eat things that were really not great for me and still lose a few pounds. It is an easy system to manipulate (points, I mean). That does you no favors in the long run.

    I started South Beach last January and I love it. I eat better food and though I have only lost 33 lbs, I have lost 4 clothing sizes... My highest loss with Weight Watchers was 26 lbs (over a much longer period of time) and I only dropped 1 size with that.

    Every person is different and different things work better or worse for different people. I think MFP is a great, free resource.
    Good luck with whatever you choose!
  • pkdarlin
    pkdarlin Posts: 149 Member
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    Your right and I need to stop giving my money away. I'm going to stick with MFP. I didn't have a good day yesterday and felt like giving up. I logged my food anyway and found out i didn't eat that healthy but I stayed within my calories. I wouldn't want to eat like that every day but at least I know where I'm at when I log and can make changes.

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