Does MFP work as well as Weight Watchers?

I've done WW. It worked well for me, but I didn't keept at it afterwards so I put the weight back on. MFP works well for me, but if I don't keep at it after, I'll put on the weight again. As you can see, it's "6 of one, half a dozen of the other". If you are commited to keeping it up, either one will be fine.

Thing is, WW is quite expensive; MFP is free. I'd pick free any day

Exactly.

IMO weight watchers is similar to calorie counting, but without the Math. Both work on calorie deficit. I prefer MFP as there are no gimmicks, no points, no free food, just good old fashioned calories in vs calories out.

**This**

I have done WW Twice, and was never able to maintain any loss....well, I did, but for not as long. I gave up due to being too lazy to figure out points. With MFP, it is what it is....AND free!

IMO weight watchers is similar to calorie counting, but without the Math. Both work on calorie deficit. I prefer MFP as there are no gimmicks, no points, no free food, just good old fashioned calories in vs calories out.

**This**

I have done WW Twice, and was never able to maintain any loss....well, I did, but for not as long. I gave up due to being too lazy to figure out points. With MFP, it is what it is....AND free!

I maintained my WW loss for two years. I only put weight back on because of birth control.

So there, you all "know" ONE person who was sucessful on the program.

I have found I like my fitness pal more than WW... 1st off, WW is about 44$ for monthly pass which includes online and meetings. I find the meetings helpful but, their food database is awful!! I have been using this site for a week and am having less stress than with WW site... I am canceling my membership when this month runs out. Also one of the things I like from WW is the free fruits and veggies. Both sites are good to lose weight, but Mfp is free, so I think it's the winner personally

I have had alot of success with WW. My friends also considered it to be accountability for them when they had to weigh in weekly. I think it just depends on how well you can manage without a face to face interaction for motivation.

I tried WW years ago, I was unhappy with all the weird food they sell you. I'm not sure if you have all of this in the US at meetings though. They contain lots of ingredients I can't pronounce, so I tried to stay clear of them. They also sell demented versions of actual food in the supermarket too. I just find the idea of WW pasta, bagels and wine (!!!) incredibly saddening...

The group leader also said that exercise wasn't necessary - she told us repeatedly she hated exercise and dropped the weight without it. I cycled/walked everywhere and went swimming regularly even at my heaviest, so I didn't like it for that reason either.

Why not save the 5 quid a week for a really nice item of clothing or another treat for yourself?

MFP works as well as you're willing to make it work. There are no coaches, no recommendations, no help. It's just a tool that does the math for you. You have to teach yourself how to eat better and exercise more.

On the other hand, Weight Watchers has has coaches and help, but is less likely to actually teach you how to continue after quitting the expensive program because of their confounded points systems.

They both have their pluses and minuses.

I tried the WW points thing for about a month. I don't know if I lost weight, but I didn't like the fact that it didn't count certain things, like fruit. I like to count the actual cal/fat and other things that are relevant to *my* weight-loss struggles. I don't think that WW takes those things into acct. I also didn't like the fact that I was paying to use a site to track my food. I can do that on my own if it comes down to it.

Im thinking about joining soon and id love some opinions. Thanks!

I've done both and I've been successful with both. What I can tell you is that I learned more about nutrition and proper macro and caloric intake through MFP than WW. I did WW Online, not in person so my answer may be different than others. Yes, WW has an insane amount of information online, even a similar support system to MFP, but knowing the difference between carbs, fat and protein broken down is important, I think. When I was on WW a point was a point and besides knowing that more fiber meant a food was less points, I didn't learn the importance of protein and good fats. Just my 2 cents. I think they are both positive methods of establishing and/or maintaining a healthy lifestyle though. Good luck to you!

I never tried WW. I also (before now) never counted or tracked calories. I also never had the success that I've had since joining MFP and watching how what I eat impacts my success or failure. Being a gadget guy, the MFP app just makes it easy and a little bit fun to track what I eat. :-)

I think either way you go, consider it a lifestyle and not a diet and live it. Oh...and a little exercise helps as well.

Jerry
http://10000stepsforlife.com/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/10000stepsforlife/

WW helped me get off weight I had gained, but it made me eat very unhealthy. It was all about cheating. How to eat as much as possible for as little points as possible. Low fat products were the only way to go. I felt I was "lacking" nutrients for years, yet my bloodwork was always fine. It was with MFP that I learnt more than just points/calories but actually carbs, sugar, protein(!!!) and fibre. I eat twice the amount than I could with WW, I am losing and I am finally rid of the inexplicable cravings for things I didn't even know.

For example, an egg had 1-2 points. I had 18 points a day. Having an egg was a gamble, so I'd opt for some low-calorie crap that I could eat more of. I basically tried to fill my stomach up physically, but it doesn't matter how much salad you shove down, if you need protein you need protein.

As a couple of other posters have said, it is all in what is more compatible with your lifestyle and circumstances. I have had success & failures with both MFP & WW. I have been enrolled with WW since the end of Feb and have lost 62 lbs. I lost over 40 lbs. on MFP a couple of years ago and gained it all back when I stopped tracking as could happen with WW if I stopped tracking and following the guidelines. I have not seen any non-anecdotal evidence of which program results in the most long term success. The most important factor is finding what will be sustainable for you.

I chose WW because I was struggling trying to lose weight on my own and initially needed the accountability that the meetings provided. I happened to have lucked into a meeting with a great leader and a higher than usual percentage of active lifetime members whose practical advice and support have been invaluable to me. Support on the MFP message boards is a bit iffy. I have seen great compassion and helpfulness (as long as the OP was following the poster’s food program of choice) and downright meanness. If your choice is between the WW online program and MFP, I would lean towards MFP since it’s free and WW’s biggest advantage from my perspective is the in-person accountability.

As for the products, NONE are required and you can walk past them as I do every week without buying anything. With that being said, I do sometimes cross-track in MFP in addition to tracking in WW e-tools. Should the time come when I can no longer afford the $48 a month (monthly meeting pass + activelink subscription) or decide to move on, I want to have a good handle on how many calories, carb, fat, protein, etc. work/ don’t work for me in addition to points. My daily points totals are usually with 10 - 20 calories of the goal that MFP has set for me for a 1lb a week loss and I have been averaging about 1 - 2 lbs a week on WW.

Good luck! YOU are the most critical element in how well you succeed.

BTW – There are several MFP vs. WW threads that you can search and check out although they all basically rehash the same arguments.

I am still a lurker on the US WW boards, but I no longer pay the monthly fee. I too found that I would do great for a few weeks, and then would get frustrated if I went over on my daily points. Weekends were a bust. I also found it hard to get the GHG's in, oils, dairy. Once I started getting frustrated, that was the end for me, and I would walk away. I always felt if I hit my points target for the day, and I hadn't gotten any exercise in for that day, I always felt that I failed.... The forums were good, but, you'd see the same stories. "I lost 50 lbs, backed away for awhile because I thought that I could do it myself, and here I am back again, because I've gained it all back"

Here on MFP, It's different, I don't know why, it just is. I know that I have a daily caloric amount to work for, and I always hit it. I may go over once in awhile, if I do, I might take it easier the next day. Right now I don't pay much attention to the Macros, because I'm still learning my way around. I do find that my weight loss is slower, but I'm ok with that. I have 25 lbs to lose. If it takes me a year to do it, it takes me a year..... You do whatever you feel is best for you. MFP is free, there is a phone app that you can download and use to do your tracking, and the people here are very helpful... Good luck Kat

I was on WW a few years ago and it was a very positive experience. I enjoyed the meetings and the community support . It is very costly though- and there is a lot of pressure to buy their products (even though they are processed and usually terrible for you).

The biggest difference that I have found is that MFP focuses equally on food and fitness. You can change it to fit your wants. WW is focused on food intake, although they encourage activity it's not a focal point. I love being active- my body has changed more using MFP and I feel healthier and happier. I also don't feel deprived because I earn treats through exercise.

WW is great as well, it depends completely on your mindset.

I think both programs have great benefits, but I've preferred MFP