weight Watchers

Plus I had to buy the book, they gave me NOTHING, I had to buy everything to figure the points.....books, calculator, etc., no problem, I did that. Here in Michigan where I went to meetings, you had to pay $12 a week, no matter if you went or not.

Just wanted to make a quick point.. I am not sure if it was just an issue with the location where you joined, but when I went back last year (after not going for like 5 year), they gave me all of the membership stuff again which included a huge book of foods with their points value plus literally a TON Of other reading material in one huge package. If you need to calculate points for foods that aren't in that book, you can use any one of the million free apps online, or for your smart phone, which will do that for you. You don't need to buy a points calculator from Weight Watchers to calculate points plus.
And once you have those materials, you never have to go to a meeting again or pay another dime if you don't want to. they give you the tools and it is up to you to make it work. If you need the accountability of getting weighed in there and attending meetings, then that is your choice - and pay the cash to do so.

You must have a generous group! When I did WW you also had to buy EVERYTHING (cookbooks, calculators, the food books, etc) if you wanted it, with the exception of the weekly mini magazine of course. And you had to pay for your weekly meeting even if you missed it!

Again, I'm not knocking WW because it does work. I just found it too expensive (again, I'm the type where attending meetings very beneficial). I did try just online and didn't do well. Also found it a bit trying to keep track when I didn't have the app, which you couldn't use if you weren't actually a member.

It all truly comes down to personal preference. Like I said earlier, each person has to find what works for them. If you're ultimate goal is to lose weight it has to be a lifestyle change, whether your preference is MFP or WW for tracking.

I don't see why you would want to pay for it when you have access to MFP for free.

Totally agree. I don't think there is anything that WW can offer that MFP doesn't offer without the cost. I also think it's SO much easier to count calories and macros...than the points system.

I'm sure WW works. Let's be real..every diet works, but for me...there is no question, MFP it is.

ok?? WW offers the accountability of physically having someone weigh you, as well as weekly meetings you can attend for 30 minutes, and reading material every week to learn more about eating right. MFP offers none of that.

With MFP, it is ENTIRELY on you with no in person support from anybody.

We get it. You like WW and think it is worth the money. Some others, myself included, do not. We do not feel that you are getting something worth paying for WW given what MFP offers for free. I don't need to have a person standing there weighing me in to keep myself accountable.

It's great for people who like it and are willing to pay for it. I'm just not one of them.

Plus I had to buy the book, they gave me NOTHING, I had to buy everything to figure the points.....books, calculator, etc., no problem, I did that. Here in Michigan where I went to meetings, you had to pay $12 a week, no matter if you went or not.

Just wanted to make a quick point.. I am not sure if it was just an issue with the location where you joined, but when I went back last year (after not going for like 5 year), they gave me all of the membership stuff again which included a huge book of foods with their points value plus literally a TON Of other reading material in one huge package. If you need to calculate points for foods that aren't in that book, you can use any one of the million free apps online, or for your smart phone, which will do that for you. You don't need to buy a points calculator from Weight Watchers to calculate points plus.
And once you have those materials, you never have to go to a meeting again or pay another dime if you don't want to. they give you the tools and it is up to you to make it work. If you need the accountability of getting weighed in there and attending meetings, then that is your choice - and pay the cash to do so.

You must have a generous group! When I did WW you also had to buy EVERYTHING (cookbooks, calculators, the food books, etc) if you wanted it, with the exception of the weekly mini magazine of course. And you had to pay for your weekly meeting even if you missed it!

Again, I'm not knocking WW because it does work. I just found it too expensive (again, I'm the type where attending meetings very beneficial). I did try just online and didn't do well. Also found it a bit trying to keep track when I didn't have the app, which you couldn't use if you weren't actually a member.

It all truly comes down to personal preference. Like I said earlier, each person has to find what works for them. If you're ultimate goal is to lose weight it has to be a lifestyle change, whether your preference is MFP or WW for tracking.

I never said the cookbooks or calculators were free. When you join, you get a food book with all the points values. That is basically what you are paying the registration fee for. (unless they have free registration).
Yes, they sell other specialty books - like books for eating out, etc. and you have to buy those IF you want them. But the basic food book is given to you at registration.

Also, if you need the accountability of attending the meeting - then what would you expect to pay for that? My center charges $14/week. I personally don't find that too expensive to attend a 30 minute meeting and get the support that some need to stay on program.

Plus I had to buy the book, they gave me NOTHING, I had to buy everything to figure the points.....books, calculator, etc., no problem, I did that. Here in Michigan where I went to meetings, you had to pay $12 a week, no matter if you went or not.

Just wanted to make a quick point.. I am not sure if it was just an issue with the location where you joined, but when I went back last year (after not going for like 5 year), they gave me all of the membership stuff again which included a huge book of foods with their points value plus literally a TON Of other reading material in one huge package. If you need to calculate points for foods that aren't in that book, you can use any one of the million free apps online, or for your smart phone, which will do that for you. You don't need to buy a points calculator from Weight Watchers to calculate points plus.
And once you have those materials, you never have to go to a meeting again or pay another dime if you don't want to. they give you the tools and it is up to you to make it work. If you need the accountability of getting weighed in there and attending meetings, then that is your choice - and pay the cash to do so.

You must have a generous group! When I did WW you also had to buy EVERYTHING (cookbooks, calculators, the food books, etc) if you wanted it, with the exception of the weekly mini magazine of course. And you had to pay for your weekly meeting even if you missed it!

Again, I'm not knocking WW because it does work. I just found it too expensive (again, I'm the type where attending meetings very beneficial). I did try just online and didn't do well. Also found it a bit trying to keep track when I didn't have the app, which you couldn't use if you weren't actually a member.

It all truly comes down to personal preference. Like I said earlier, each person has to find what works for them. If you're ultimate goal is to lose weight it has to be a lifestyle change, whether your preference is MFP or WW for tracking.

I never said the cookbooks or calculators were free. When you join, you get a food book with all the points values. That is basically what you are paying the registration fee for. (unless they have free registration).
Yes, they sell other specialty books - like books for eating out, etc. and you have to buy those IF you want them. But the basic food book is given to you at registration.

Also, if you need the accountability of attending the meeting - then what would you expect to pay for that? My center charges $14/week. I personally don't find that too expensive to attend a 30 minute meeting and get the support that some need to stay on program.

Nope, not even the food book was free. You had to pay for it. It's great that you love WW so much and it is working for you. But please don't get mad at those of us who chose MFP over WW. It all comes down to personal preference.

Sorry, long post ahead....I'm so tired of seeing so much misinformation about Weight Watchers.

The points system is designed based around your macros - but it provides a simpler way of counting them by using the points. It is the same exact thing as tracking your food on MFP, except you can actually see your macros here.
It used to be designed for 2 lb per week weight loss, and the new points plus system is designed for slower weight loss. I think that's why a lot of people have been unhapppy with the new points plus system.

Many people do not fully understand how the new system works - and complain when they don't lose weight - when they are eating 500 calories worth of "free" fruits every single day.

Weight Watchers does NOT require you to buy anything - books, calculators etc. When you sign up (they have free registration practically all the time) they give you the points book and points finder that you need.

If you want the accountability of going to a meeting - and having them weigh you, then you will need to pay the weekly fee.
If you don't care about that, then you don't have to go there or pay them a dime.
I do think it is important to at least go to the first meeting and learn how the program works and ask your questions - but then you can do it entirely on your own - FOR FREE - if you want to.

I obviously am a supporter of Weight Watchers because I know that it is 150% effective. I know many people who have kept their weight off for years and years, and I myself have been very very successful with it.

I've seen many people complain that they gained all of their weight back after "going off Weight Watchers" - but that makes no sense, because it is not something that you "go off of".

You are supposed to learn how to eat properly - the correct foods to eat - the correct portion sizes, etc. The points system is supposed to help you learn that - if you don't learn that from the program, then that is UP TO YOU to learn or ask your leader about it. They aren't going to sit there like a school and teach you every single thing - they give you the weekly pamphlets if you go to the meetings - and it is UP TO YOU to read them and learn how it works, and how you should be eating!!
So once you've reached your goal weight, you should know how to keep the weight off because you've learned how to eat properly. If you gain the weight back, it is because you stopped eating right! PERIOD - because Weight Watchers doesn't require you to eat any special foods of theirs - nor does it tell you can't eat certain foods. So people need to stop blaming their weight gain on the program that they "went off of".

There are MANY people out there who don't understand the concept of BMR and TDEE or don't want to spend the time figuring that stuff out, so the program is designed to simplify things for people.

Another thing I see is that people say they feel hungry on Weight Watchers or don't have any energy - again - that is their fault. You should be eating your daily points, plus your weekly points allowance, and any activity points you may earn. If you don't do that, you will be eating too low calories - and yes you will feel hungry, have no energy - and probably end up hitting a plateau.
You need to figure out foods that will help you stay within your points but give you the most nutrition - higher fiber foods help with that. Otherwise, you can end up eating all of your points with higher fat foods and not get enough calories in.

Also, there is nothing stopping you from increasing your points a little bit to see if that helps with your weight loss. It isn't a 100% exact science, so some people may need a few more points or a few less points in order to have the best weight loss.

I just wish that people would really try to educate themselves on the Weight Watchers program instead of giving up on it and then telling everybody it doesn't work. If you find counting calories on MFP easier than counting points, that's totally understandable - but it doesn't mean that Weight Watchers doesn't work - maybe it just isn't for you.