WW Lifetime member trying a new route

AmbientBlu
AmbientBlu Posts: 17 Member
in Introduce Yourself
I joined Weight Watchers in my late teens to get a handle on my out of control weight. Within two years I had lost 96 pounds and hit Lifetime status. But at that point my priorities changed and the meetings just weren't as beneficial to me anymore so I stopped attending. That was about 10 years ago.

Since then I've had a love/hate relationship with the points system. I was so tied to it because of my tremendous success but found it hard to reclaim the motivation that originally brought me in. And unfortunately my weight has suffered for it. I've gained about 35 pounds of my total loss back. So I figured I'd give My Fitness Pal a try.

I'm excited about the prospect of a new way of accounting for my food. I'm hoping it's a little more informative since points, while helpful in relation to each other, don't really tell much about the actual nutritional value of a food. I'm optimistic that by seeing the actual values of what I'm eating and how that all adds up I'll be able to take off the weight I'm looking to be rid of. But I'm also a little nervous about trying something other than Weight Watchers since I feel it's such a part of me (though if that was true I might not have packed the pounds back on so easily).

Either way, I'm giving this my all for a few months to see how it goes.

Replies

  • Nicolee_2014
    Nicolee_2014 Posts: 1,572 Member
    Good luck :flowerforyou:
  • TheStephil
    TheStephil Posts: 858 Member
    Welcome! I tried WW but left for the very reason that it really doesn't show you what the nutritional values of the food are. I love MFP because you can set your own goals and its all right in front of you. You know that you got enough calories, protein, etc. It's so handy. I find the community here so much more welcoming and insightful than the WW community.
  • ami5000psu
    ami5000psu Posts: 391 Member
    Welcome! First of all, losing 96 pounds is an amazing achievement. Go you! Second, I hope MFP can help you on your new journey. Good luck!
  • giggitygoo
    giggitygoo Posts: 1,978 Member
    Hi and welcome!

    I'm a former weight watchers user too. I just got frustrated that they kept changing the system every year. ARGH. If you're used to tracking your food, it will be an easy transition for you =)

    Good luck!
  • RobynMWilson
    RobynMWilson Posts: 1,540 Member
    In talking to other WW members, you are absolutely right! A lot of them have no idea what the nutritional value of their food is and how many calories they should be eating. Pretty smart of WW to make their members unable to "survive" outside of their points system lol

    Anyway, welcome and sending a FR now! I lost 70lbs over 20 years ago without WW and have kept it off. So it CAN be done!! :)
  • reallymary
    reallymary Posts: 20
    I think MFP is going to be a great tool for you. Obviously, you are used to logging your food and activity. So I think this will not be a difficult transition for you. Best of luck and I am sure you are going to rock this!
  • AmbientBlu
    AmbientBlu Posts: 17 Member
    I think I was really good to go back until the changed from Points to Points Plus. I'm not sure why I was so against it but the change seemed to "break" something for me. I just never was able to get back on the band wagon after that and that's really when I saw the biggest gain.

    I take nothing away from WW. They helped me get down to a healthy weight in my range. Their program made me comfortable in my skin for probably the first time in my life. But we grew apart. I'll always be grateful for the way it changed my habits and views on food but I think it's time for a new approach!

    And thank you for all the kinds words of welcome!
  • Sjenny5891
    Sjenny5891 Posts: 717 Member
    I've never tried WW, but my Mom did it for a while. I hope you find what you are looking for here.
  • Makenziesnana
    Makenziesnana Posts: 18
    I am a newbie too. I am finding the nutritional data to be of value. I have to watch my carb intake and my sodium, so the food diary helps me see where I am hitting trouble. It is easy to read at a glance. Once you get your personal information set up (which didn't take long) you will be happy with how easy it is to use. If you have a smart phone, get the free app so you can update while away from your computer.

    Good luck.
  • AmbientBlu
    AmbientBlu Posts: 17 Member
    In talking to other WW members, you are absolutely right! A lot of them have no idea what the nutritional value of their food is and how many calories they should be eating. Pretty smart of WW to make their members unable to "survive" outside of their points system lol

    Anyway, welcome and sending a FR now! I lost 70lbs over 20 years ago without WW and have kept it off. So it CAN be done!! :)

    You know, for me the allure of the program was that it was effective but also user friendly. I was able to follow a program without having to eat X, Y, and Z. I could maintain a social life, I had the freedom to eat out. And it all worked, to varying degrees, as long as I made smart choices. I never looked at it as being unable to survive outside their system though I certainly understand what you're saying. When I joined I didn't care how many calories or how many carbs I was eating, all I knew was that the thing I was eating was X-number of points out a total pool and as long as I paid attention to that overall number I was fine.

    That was exactly what I needed at that point in time. I needed (absolutely NEEDED) to lose weight and as long as I was doing it in a healthy way I didn't care about the details. But I'm at a point in my life now where I want to be more informed, I don't want to just look at one bottom line number/goal for each day.

    I think that's what excites me the most about MFP. The knowledge.
  • AmbientBlu
    AmbientBlu Posts: 17 Member
    I am a newbie too. I am finding the nutritional data to be of value. I have to watch my carb intake and my sodium, so the food diary helps me see where I am hitting trouble. It is easy to read at a glance. Once you get your personal information set up (which didn't take long) you will be happy with how easy it is to use. If you have a smart phone, get the free app so you can update while away from your computer.

    Good luck.

    One step ahead of you ... I've been tracking on that app all damn day!
  • frizbeemom
    frizbeemom Posts: 101 Member
    Hi, I'm also a WW member and am trying MFP and loving it! I am still technically a member although I am thinking of switching over fully and stopping my monthly fee. I'm just waiting to make sure that I can actually continue weight loss without going to weekly meetings. Although already the few pounds I've lost with MFP is a big improvement over not losing anything in the past year with WW! I've lost 100 lbs thru a combination of doing it on my own and thru WW. I am just stuck though and haven't been able to get my mojo up and going again. I eat a lot of fruits and veggies which are supposedly "free" on WW and I am having an EYE OPENER about how many calories/points I wasn't tracking!! That is what I love about this over WW -knowing nutritional information, macronutrients, and how long it takes to burn off a treat on the treadmill. Lol. I also love tracking on my phone now and the little barcode scanner. Good luck. I hope this works for you!!!
  • healthierlifestyle
    healthierlifestyle Posts: 19 Member
    I'm also a weightwatchers member in the process of moving fully to MFP. Tracking is so much easier and I can final 99.99% of the foods which is never the case on the WW app. Happy losing!
  • tasson
    tasson Posts: 37
    I was using WW Online until I found this free program, and I am happy with my continued progress. Now that you don't count points, I recommend looking primarily at calories for a bit. I eat 4 to 5 times a day. I try to keep my main three meals around 300 and my snacks around 100. My daily goal is 1200 calories. This will help you transition into the caloric system. Once you get comfortable, you can start calculating other nutritional elements like fat and sodium.
  • sammycat1
    sammycat1 Posts: 56 Member
    Welcome. You achieved so much before and you will again. I did WW a few years back and had a couple of good weeks but wasn't for me. I vary my calories daily but make sure you don't eat too little.

    This thread helped me enormously.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/937712-in-place-of-a-road-map-ver-3-0
  • KPopovski23
    KPopovski23 Posts: 7 Member
    Welcome to MFP! I was a devoted WW member for a long time as well. I love MFP so much more! I get to choose and see the nutritional values of the foods I'm eating, create my recipes, and have my friends and family on here as support. We all encourage each other and view each other's food and exercise diaries. MFP holds me accountable and it's been working for me.

    Quick note: the calories lost when you enter your exercise is definitely low. It's a one size fits all kind of formula. I have a really great HRM that shows my heart rate and calories lost.
  • MRSHHJONES
    MRSHHJONES Posts: 41 Member
    Hi! WW Lifetime member from back in the 80's... Have been with WW on and off through the years, every program. I never really liked the points. I LOVE MFP!!!! It's doing for me what years of paying for WW has not been able to accomplish. I finished my second week with a loss both weeks and am so grateful for this opportunity. MFP friend support has meant so much to me!!! I hope that you enjoy it as well!!!!

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