weight watchers or no

Can I ask why you are doing weight watchers instead of just tracking calories in MFP?

The reason I ask is if you are using weight watchers as a tracking device, I would say don't waste your money because MFP is just as effective, however if you are using it for the meetings, support and nutritional knowledge then go for it.

I've done weight watchers in the past and was successful but as soon as I stopped counting points I started gaining weight again. This is the same with any calorie counting program, so I don't blame weight watchers at all for my own slip ups, in fact, for someone that knows very little about nutrition I think it's a fantastic program. At this point in my life I don't think I would do weight watchers again because I have a pretty strong grasp on nutrition and what my body needs and I can track and gain support here and am just as successful. I guess it just depends on what you need at this time.

Hello, I need to hear from anyone who has done weight watchers and been successful at it. what can I expect in terms of weekly weight loss and is this a plan I can follow as a lifestyle change? I would also welcome any other suggestions or weight loss plans that you may have tried that has been successful for some of you. Lastly, any suggestions for an exercise dvd or program that's gentle on arthritic knees but still aids in weight loss and toning? Thanks for your help!::happy:

IF you stick with the plan as with any diet plan you will lose weight. Don't expect to lose weight if your eating loads of junk and don't exercise. I've reached my goal set with WW and am now in maintenance but want to lose a little more. I started with MFP last year but didn't lose any weight. After 3 months I joined WW and lost 4 pounds the first week, 5 the 2nd and then 2 pounds a week after that for about 3 months then it slowed down to 1 pound a week. I never felt hungry. They push eating loads of fresh veggies and fruits by making most of them 0 points on their system. I saved my points for protein, carbs etc. I also walked every day a couple times a day for at least 20 minutes each time at a brisk pace.

I tracked on both WW and MFP so that when I reached my goal I could transition over to just doing MFP without any problems and so far its working. Personally I had great success with it. I did it strictly online only. Didn't bother me to pay 19 something a month for the membership because that kept me on plan. For me if I'm paying for something I'm more likely to stick with it.

Remember that the closer you get to your goal the slower the weight loss will be. The last 10 have been the slowest for me. When I stalled for 3 months I didn't give up. Just hang in there, switch things around a little and the weight will move again. I increased my calories by 100 each week as well as points and is coming off again.

By the way: You do NOT have to buy their food. I don't know why people keep saying they had to buy their food. YOU DO NOT!
The points start high when you start out and those points depends on your height and current weight. As you lose weight the points drop. The absolute lowest you can go with points is 26. The system does not allow you to go any lower than that. You ALSO get extra points for the week plus you earn points from exercise. A lot of people eat only the daily points and will exercise to earn points and then use up those exercise points over the weekend or for a night out to splurge etc. You can also dip into your weekly points as well if you like. I never had to do that. I've always stuck with my daily points and then sometimes used up my exercise points over the weekend or for a party. its just like how people here on MFP will eat back some or half of their exercise calories that they've worked off. Same principle really.

For me I don't live to eat... I eat to live. So I'm not going to bust my rear working out just so I can eat whatever I want.

I follow Weight Watchers Propoints (UK plan) alongside tracking on MFP. I no longer go to class but use an app that I paid around £1.49 for. I've never bought any Weight Watchers meals and cook mostly from scratch. I just find the points easier in my head i.e. it's easier to remember how many points I have remaining than calories. I think every 'diet' works but some plans work better for some people than others and even for the same person at different stages of their life. I stopped going to class a couple of years ago as my leader was unwell and had to give up her class and I didn't find her replacement motivating but I think a good leader is worth every penny you pay to attend classes.
Good luck!

For WW you have to paid, MFP is free :-)

I think WW is a good plan. However you really don't have to pay for that info. There is so much online. Use MFP for a while and see what you can do on your own. This has to be a lifestyle and you can't stay on WW forever. Start your calories at 10 times your body weight for a few weeks and see how you do. After that if you stop losing drop it a 100 calories at a time to lose more. You'll know when you've hit your ideal weight. Never drop your calories below 1200 though. Women need at least that to function hormonally.

I've done WW but unless you have a LOT to lose the points allowance is too low to be sustainable. also, "naughty" calories are penalised by costing more points - that just bugs me. However, saying that I've never PAID for WW, just bought the books (and my mum gave me some she'd finished with). I still sometimes use the recipes, but generally a portion is just too small - certainly too small for my husband. (Sorry, 150g pasta between 4 people is just ridiculous!)

I have lost more weight with MFP because it lets me accurately log exercise and calories, so i can see what I've "earned" - with no restriction. So I'm motivated to do more small bits of exercise, which all adds up. And its FREE - what's not to love about free? I've found the support on these boards genuinely helpful (as with any online forum you learn to weed out any negatives) and "friends" honestly supportive. And I can make choices - I put the food I pan for the day into the site, and if it adds u to more than my allowance I reduce a portion size here, swap a food there and maybe add an extra walk.

For exercise, I always recommend the Rosemary Conley DVDs (you can get them on Amazon) as she always shows an easier way to do the exercises as well as a challengin way. My knees are very crunchy, and until i lost weight and did more exercise were getting quite painful - my mum has arthritic knees so I know I can't avoid it indefinitely -but now I can do most exercises without pain.

I did weight watchers and yeah i did good with it but as soon as i stopped i gained it back. I rather use MFP it's free and i am doing just as good as i was with weight watchers if not better!!!

I am on my 3rd week of WW, and I LOVE IT!!! I have been a member here for a year or more, but I couldn't lose - my fault, not the fault of MFP.
With WW, I feel like I'm out of prison, cause I don't have to track most fruits/veggies, and because of that, I can eat whenever I am hungry, and its wonderful. Of course fruits/veggies have calories, but the way WW is set up, if you stay within your point allowance, you will lose. You do need to eat all your points, though. The weekly points are optional, so you can choose to not eat them.
I lost 3.4 lbs the first week, and 2.2 the second week. I think it will be a lifelong way of eating for me.
Don't listen tothe naysayers - just do what you need to do. :flowerforyou:
I would love to be friends on here.

Hi, I've done online WW twice now, with success. But like some of the other ladies here as soon as I stopped I gained the weight back. One day my local news did a segment on weight loss sites and MFP was # 1 and to my surprise free. For me personally I prefer MFP, I lose weight faster and it's easier to follow calorie counting, who knew! Like I said WW works but are you ready to track points for the rest of your life, or simple calorie counting? No matter which you choose it's a lifetime commitment.

I have bad knees as well, I find elliptical and yoga to be easiest on them. Oh and invest in a pair of shoes that have good shock absorption.

Best of luck.

I do agree with you, I lost a substantial amount of weight with Weight Watchers. It is a good program if you have the money and a motivating leader. Unfortunately once my motivator left, I slipped back into old habits and gained back the weight. I have no one else to blame but myself. I went back to WW many more times, spending lots of money on educating me on what the right things are to do, but ultimately not doing them effectively. I've been using MFP for 10 days and have found favorable results. Instead of counting points, and getting exercise points, I'm counting calories and getting workout calories back. I like that I can connect live gps workout apps to MFP and I have found a workout buddy at home and at work to make me move. I also find the blogs to be very inspirational, motivating, with good recommendations. What I did learn from WW is that a 2lb loss per week is a good sensible loss week. You will always lose considerable more the first one or few if you are sedatary and eat high contents of fat, carbs etc but that's with any drastic bodily change. Weight Watchers statistically is the most effective weightloss program, but then we must remember the battle is not only losing the weight but sustaining a healthy lifestyle.

My mother did weight watchers. She lost 80lbs in about 8 months. She did very well with this program. I also buy the frozen meals just to help me track my calories easier.

I've lost 20-30 lbs before when I've done it, so for weight loss it's pretty simple to follow and effective. I didn't keep that weight off though, because it is essentially a diet, but I can't blame the program itself for that. It was more an issue of my not addressing the emotional issues that the overeating was a symptom of, as well as not making it a priority once I'd reached that progress point to transition from "diet mode" to making a lifetime change in my eating habits.

If you're ready to look at it as less of a means to an end and more of a lifetime way of eating, then you'll probably have much better chances than I did at it. (as with any reasonably portioned weight loss program, really)