Weight Watchers

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  • Fitkorry
    Fitkorry Posts: 29
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    I think the WW plan and the idea behind the points system is a good one, providing you don't buy all of their rip-off junk products. There was an interesting documentary in the UK about WW and how the 'low fat' meals are actually full of rubbish. They compared Hagen Daaz vanilla ice cream ingredients (a total of 3 - cream, vanilla and sugar) to WW Vanilla which had around 15 ingredients - one containing a chemical that is used in the production of petroleum! Scary stuff!
  • RoadsterGirlie
    RoadsterGirlie Posts: 1,195 Member
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    Yes, I had great success on it.

    WW and MFP are equal in regards that you will get out of it what you put into it.

    As for the poster who states WW allows for "planned binges."

    You are doing it wrong.
  • BlackJack96
    BlackJack96 Posts: 43 Member
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    WW vs. MFP.

    I did WW online a few years ago and lost some weight but ended up putting it back on. I feel that with MFP using actual calories you get an actual sense of nutrition and what it means rather than using the points. Back when I did WW their app just came out and it wasn't that robust. I'm not sure if the WW app now is better? Now I'm pretty happy with MFP so far (started in Jan) and feel that I'm actually learning about what I'm eating in terms of calories rather than the wierd points system. I like the online communites here better than on WW. Anecdotally it seems like there are more success stories? Not to mention MFP is free. Plus the integration with fitbit is nice as well.
  • RoadsterGirlie
    RoadsterGirlie Posts: 1,195 Member
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    I wish MFP gave you a weekly allotment. I love that's it's free, but have never been able to get comfortable with counting calories over points.

    The weekly amount allows me a restaurant meal and wine on the weekends without feeling like I've fallen off the program.
  • Tlink34
    Tlink34 Posts: 29 Member
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    I agree with everything she said here and 2nd it.

    I had a love-hate relationship with it. If by success you mean actual, never-gained-back-the-weight-I-lost-on-it success, then no, WW was not successful for me. I did lose 75 pounds on WW, but I gained most of it back.

    I think that WW is a reasonable plan, if you must follow a plan. It doesn't eliminate any food groups; it just helps with portion control and emphasizes the importance of whole foods (vegetables and fruits, for the most part, are "free"). It gives you extra points for exercise...

    The difference between WW and MFP for me is that on WW I had planned binges, because WW gave me "weekly points" to use on top of the daily points, and my activity points could be used any time within a week. This made it easier to excuse my binge-eating problems, because I could just not track for a couple of days and then just say "oh well, I guess my weeklies and activities are gone now" without really ever being accountable... It also made me eat by the week instead of by the day or by the meal, which I just couldn't do forever.

    I like MFP better for the following reasons:
    ~ no restrictions on what to eat besides calories (WW doesn't really, either, but some "simple" carbs are WAY high in points, which makes people who want to eat bread and potatoes regularly sad)
    ~ no mandatory weigh-ins (even using WW Online, you are required to weigh in weekly)
    ~ FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    ~ my group of friends here is AMAZING
    ~ more user friendly than WW site (IMHO)

    I think that the people who have lifelong success with WW are those who stay on it FOREVER, and I wasn't willing to do that.

    That being said, try WW if you want to, because I think that it's great to try new things. It helps to keep you from getting too bored. I went from WW to MFP and back several times, before realizing that MFP is where I need to be.

    :drinker:
  • candyholic77
    candyholic77 Posts: 2
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    I did weight watchers online last year and it worked pretty well for the first few pounds but when I hit a plateau it was impossible to get past it. Using MFP feels much less depriving that WW did. I always felt like I had low blood sugar and was starving. It is a great tool for learning how to eat better as you don't gain any points for eating fruits and vegetables but I find it to be very similar to MFP overall and MFP is free. It is worth a try if you are looking to change things up and are willing to pay for it. What doesn't work for some people may work great for others :)
  • brendacs21
    brendacs21 Posts: 180 Member
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    I did weight watchers back in 2010. i lost 47 lbs and was 3 lbs away from reaching goal . I went on vacation and then got pregnant so i quit the program. Im probably the minority in this but i loved weighing in weekly. IT helped keep me accountable. The only reason i dont do the program now is since then we bought a house ,have an extra car payment and babysitting we have to pay that i cant afford it.
  • Madaly320
    Madaly320 Posts: 112 Member
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    I did WW at least 8 separate times. I gave that place so much of my money, it's not funny! lol

    I really like the meeting idea. I like mingling with other people. I love love LOVE talking about all of this stuff with others, which is why I am here. I am most succesful when I don't feel alone.

    My problem with WW may have just been my own regional one, but the vast majority of people who go to the meetings IN MY AREA seem to be over the age of 60. WHICH IS FANTASTIC, don't get me wrong!!! BUT..the leaders in my area, are also of that age group and it never failed that the meetings would get off topic about things I could not relate to. I felt alone.

    I always did well for about 4 weeks and then I just lost interest.
    I know many people who have been SUPER successful on it and have maintained the weight loss. The plan itself is doable, reasonable and realistic.
  • CristinaL1983
    CristinaL1983 Posts: 1,119 Member
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    I did weight watchers with a friend immediately after I gave birth to my daughter. I lost 50 lbs. I got back down to about 25 lbs over goal but kind of just quit when I got too comfortable with my new weight. I maintained that weight loss for 4 years. When I got divorced and moved halfway across the country, I gained back 10 (maybe 15 lbs).

    I don't know if they still have it but when I did WW they had an option called the "core program" it was a list of foods that you can eat freely (lean proteins, veggies, fruits, etc...) some that were once a day max (grains: whole breads, cereals, etc..) and others. You eat when you are hungry and until you're satisfied. Then you stop. You don't count anything unless you eat from the "others" list and you have a certain number of 'points' per week for those things. I rarely used those points so I didn't really count anything.

    I loved it but part of it was because I went with a friend. I tried doing the points program for a bit and didn't really like it. I think that if I stall out before I hit goal, I would probably go back and do it (unless they got rid of the core program, then I might not).
  • mollyW2012
    mollyW2012 Posts: 94 Member
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    I LOVE Weight Watchers. Just started attending again, doing the monthly pass. I love going to meetings and finding so much from support from people who struggle with food, just like me. I like the pressure of having to weigh in front of someone each week. I have done weight watchers in the past after having kids, and it worked very well.

    So far, loving their new program. But, I enter my activity in MFP and occasionally my food. I like to go on MFP daily to support the friends i have made here as well.
  • NanaWubbie
    NanaWubbie Posts: 248 Member
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    A lot of people have success with WW. I've used their program and I did lose weight. Keeping it off was another story. I didn't like keeping up with and calculating points. Yes, I did learn to read food labels, but it took a lot of time calculating points. I do like the availability of their foods, but personally I like Lean Cuisine products better. I really like that MFP is 100% free, and it works if you are honest about what you enter and watch portion sizes. I LOVE the support you find here....and the way you can friend people. This program has worked well for me because I can take what I want and leave the rest.
  • legallyheidi87
    legallyheidi87 Posts: 19 Member
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    I've lost 40 since the middle of September on it. I like it, however, I'm not a meetings fan (too many whiny people that I've encountered). I do online-only. I'm honestly thinking of switching to this site instead when my billing period is up in May. I don't really have any complaints about it..., 90% of the time I do their Simply Filling plan, which is the new Core plan. I have the printed materials of what I can, and cannot eat. So, for me it's a bit of a drag to pay for something every few months that I already have, and that I can track here (or just write down).
  • cappri
    cappri Posts: 1,089 Member
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    Yes, I had great success on it.

    WW and MFP are equal in regards that you will get out of it what you put into it.

    As for the poster who states WW allows for "planned binges."

    You are doing it wrong.

    This!

    Weight Watchers like anything else, including MFP only works if you work it. Of course people gained the weight back when they stopped doing WW, the same thing would happen if they stopped doing MFP. I've lost all my weight with Weight Watchers it is exactly the same as MFP, you are counting calories, and eating at a deficit to lose weight.
  • cinrn68
    cinrn68 Posts: 215 Member
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    I've done WW as well and I prefer MFP because I was sick of calculating the points. And then they keep changing the program, so it's pretty annoying.

    What it comes down to is finding a program (i.e. lifestyle changes) that you can live with LONG TERM. No plan will work if you don't follow it. Staying accountable to any program will give you success in losing weight. A lot of ppl can do it without ANY kind of program besides cutting calories and exercising. I'm fairly type A, so I like a program that I can track my food, exercise, etc. WW online has that, but you have to pay every month. I was so happy to find MFP because it's essentially the same type of program, but without calculating the funky points and having to pay for the tracking and the community message boards. :)
  • Entretien
    Entretien Posts: 6
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    So you think that WW is more cumbersome than MFP? I'm considering WW and was trying to decide between doing it solely online or opting for the more expensive plan that includes WW meetings as well as the etools and online access. What do you think? I had minor success with MFP and then got lazy about making/calculating daily entries so if WW requires even more complicated calculations, I may just be too undisciplined and lazy for WW!
  • sunnyside1213
    sunnyside1213 Posts: 1,205 Member
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    Like this better.
  • Tyree985
    Tyree985 Posts: 22 Member
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    I literally very recently just switched from WW to MFP. I lost weight weekly doing WW but counting points was so irritating and I found keeping track of calories was simpler. Trying to figure out the points when I was cooking at home was just too time consuming. WW does work and it taught me portion control but I just can’t count points forever. I think just about any “diet” works as long as you stick with it. If counting points is something you can do long term then you will be fine, if not I would save my money.
  • Tyree985
    Tyree985 Posts: 22 Member
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    So you think that WW is more cumbersome than MFP? I'm considering WW and was trying to decide between doing it solely online or opting for the more expensive plan that includes WW meetings as well as the etools and online access. What do you think? I had minor success with MFP and then got lazy about making/calculating daily entries so if WW requires even more complicated calculations, I may just be too undisciplined and lazy for WW!

    Yup sounds like WW won't work for you then because its time consuming. If you can't keep track of points or calories though sounds like the problem is in motivation. I have a fitbit and I love it. Look into it, it may just be your solution, but you still need motivation. Good Luck
  • happyheart15
    happyheart15 Posts: 383 Member
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    Yes, I had great success on it.

    WW and MFP are equal in regards that you will get out of it what you put into it.

    As for the poster who states WW allows for "planned binges."

    You are doing it wrong.

    This!

    Weight Watchers like anything else, including MFP only works if you work it. Of course people gained the weight back when they stopped doing WW, the same thing would happen if they stopped doing MFP. I've lost all my weight with Weight Watchers it is exactly the same as MFP, you are counting calories, and eating at a deficit to lose weight.

    I agree so much. I love Weight Watchers.
  • JuliyaRN
    JuliyaRN Posts: 18
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    my personal opinion, I hate obsessing over every single morsel that goes into my mouth, and those freaking meetings " lets all clap for your 1 pound weight loss and spend 30 minutes talking about your obsession with the scale" I hated all of it. I rather just plan my meals, know what to eat and leave it at that. hated it! ( my personal opinion).

    US news did rate it as the number 1 diet ( http://health.usnews.com/best-diet ) but honestly you can lose weight other ways, as millions of people have.

    try it for yourself, that's the only way you'll know if it's for you or not.

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