weight watchers

I did it a few years ago and lost weight and have kept it off. Due to health issues the weight is slowly coming back on and I just joined up again last week for the online program. I really like the plan and it works for me. Its all about portion control and moving your body more than anything else. I still eat pizza and ice cream but when I see my points going away quickly it makes me want to only have 1 slice of pizza and then something else. I paid $54 for 3 months. Feel free to add me on MFP as I'm still recording everything on here also. Good luck and I hope you find what you are looking for !!

WW meetings;
- a complicated system for limiting your calories and encouraging healthy choices
- an official weigh, usually on a scale similar to your bathroom scale
- meetings themselves vary according to the leader. Some are Nutrition Nazis, others lead an hour long brainstorm of how to fit more junk food into your points, most are somewhere in between and include a weekly debriefing (you could also get this for free at Overeaters Anonymous)
- an impetus to keep it up because you are paying for it

WW online:
- a complicated system for limiting your calories and encouraging healthy choices
- articles regarding nutrition and fitness
- discussion forums
- an impetus to keep it up because you are paying for it.

MFP:
- a simple system for limiting your calories, and tracking your nutrition goals
- discussion forums
- money in your wallet to by new cross trainers every three months or pay the gym membership

I have previously done WW with good results, but because it's not 'counting calories', I didn't really get to understand a healthier new way of eating for post-WW; once I had stopped going, and without the 'points to track' I sort of lost my way. MFP helps me to see far more clearly how my food choices sit, in terms of protein, carbs, fat etc. and IMHO is far more sustainable long term. That said, a lot of the recipes that we use in our house for cooking are WW recipes, which tend to be 'real' food, but cooked in a healthy way and with sensible portion sizes. Get a couple of magazines for ideas, and stick with MFP for a bit and see how you do perhaps?

WW meetings;
- a complicated system for limiting your calories and encouraging healthy choices
- an official weigh, usually on a scale similar to your bathroom scale
- meetings themselves vary according to the leader. Some are Nutrition Nazis, others lead an hour long brainstorm of how to fit more junk food into your points, most are somewhere in between and include a weekly debriefing (you could also get this for free at Overeaters Anonymous)
- an impetus to keep it up because you are paying for it

WW online:
- a complicated system for limiting your calories and encouraging healthy choices
- articles regarding nutrition and fitness
- discussion forums
- an impetus to keep it up because you are paying for it.

MFP:
- a simple system for limiting your calories, and tracking your nutrition goals
- discussion forums
- money in your wallet to by new cross trainers every three months or pay the gym membership

I went to a couple WW meetings a few years ago and wanted to bang my head into a wall after 1 lady asked if she got less calories out of an apple if she cut it into fours and another lady wanted to know if she would lose weight if she kept her cereal in a ziplock bag. Drove me NUTS. I log in on both WW and MFP. Only lost 4 lbs in 6 months on MFP and 2 in a week on WW. For me and my body the too low calories on MFP dont work, but the ease of use, message boards and everything else MFP has to offer I agree is far better than anything else I have found

For me it was a waste of time and money. I was starving all the time and the points system was way too much work. I prefer MFP+low carb. I *hated* the weekly weigh-in. I didn't like that it was mandatory. I never seemed to be losing fast enough for those ladies. 1 week I actually gained weight. The lady didn't say anything, but she probably thought I was stuffing my face with chips all week, even though I'd been trying really hard. I also hated listening to the leader speak. I had expected it to be more of a support group were we learn from other people, but she just stood there and talked. She had a horrible voice like fingernails on a chalk board. I was awful glad to be out of there.

However, you're not me. Many people have had success with WW. I would say try it and see if it works for you.

I have been attending Weight Watchers meetings since last fall. I have found it very helpful, HOWEVER, I don't use the WW point system. Instead, I use MFP and track meaningful numbers, just like everyone else here. What I find is that the WW weigh-in and the meeting keep me on track and motivated. The weigh-in is the accountability factor-- I know that someone is watching and monitoring my progress (or lack thereof). The meeting works for me because of the tribe mentality (we are all fighting the same battle). I attend a meeting at work, so I have co-worker participation and support all day at work.

But let me repeat: I don't use the WW point system. I don't want all these meaningful numbers (like calories, carbs, protein, sodium) hidden from me, and I don't need things dumbed down. I don't need Big Brother adding penalty points to "bad" foods and alcohol. So, I do like Weight Watchers, but not the point system. You can joint Weight Watchers and still use MFP!

I think it is worth the money, but I get a $150 weight loss program reimbursement annually through my health insurance. Many insurers have this type of reimbursement, so you should check it out.

I have lost a significant amount of weight since I started last fall, so the combination of WW and MFP is working for me.

HI,
I did WW for about 6 months, I lost about 10lb in that time. I was doing MFP for about the same amount of time prior and lost 24lb. i stopped losing so I thought I'd give WW a try to mix things up a bit. It was £22 a month, but i did find the meetings really helpful to meet like minded people and actually having someone weigh me every week helped to keep me motivated and accountable.

However, the points system can be difficult to follow if you dont have a PP calculator or the app to hand. I would find something in the supermarket or at a restaurant , think it only had x amount of cals but then I would work out the PP when i had the calculator and realise it would have nearly my whole allowance!! there is no way of guessing how many PP are in foods which can make it hard to make the right choices. I often would avoid foods I would have thought were good for me such as chicken, fish, beans and lentils due to the high PP value instead opting for a WW processed pizza etc as the points were lower.

The other issue i found was that fruit and veg are zero PP so can eat as much as you like. Some days I would be eating 1600 cals, be stuffed and have PP left but others I would hardly have 1000 and still be starving hungry.

There are pros and cons to both systems, but personally i find MFP is cheaper and simpler to understand and i personally have had better and faster results through MFP

Hope i was of some help!

For me and my body the too low calories on MFP dont work, but the ease of use, message boards and everything else MFP has to offer I agree is far better than anything else I have found

You realize you can change your daily goal to anything you want, right? You don't have to accept the calculattions that MFP makes for you. You can change it to whatever you want.

Yup I do, and congrats on your weight loss. 35 lbs is awesome! Like we've all said before everyone has to find what works for them. Im recovering from cancer, surgery and treatment and drs. told me to not even worry about trying to lose weight for a while because I'm without a thyroid and my body needs are ever changing, however I refuse to give up and stop trying so I'm ok with checking out different things that keep me motivated and successful, even if it requires math which I totally suck at :bigsmile:

I had success with Weight Watchers and even worked for them for a short time. But, it's easy to make unhealthy choices and still stay within point limits. I ate a toaster pastry every morning for breakfast on Weight Watchers. Now I have oatmeal and fruit.

I lost all 90 lbs with WW Points Plus Online. I like counting points. I tried to switch to MFP because it's free but found I like counting points better. I didn't want to risk derailing myself, so I didn't switch.

I couldn't stand going to meetings though, and listening to people whine and complain. Meetings are not for me.