weightwatchers opinions please
larovers
Posts: 100
I did weight watchers like 10 years ago and it was the point system and it worked well for me. I like the support of the meetings. Well, they changed their point system a few years back where it was so confusing for me that I could not follow it (just too hard to figure out points values). I joined MFP and love it but not losing at the rate I want and also miss the meetings. Has anybody done WW recently and know if the plan has gotten any easier or more flexible. For a while they had free fruits/veggies and the points values were just confusing....and I read a lot of people were not losing very well compared to the old points value plan (this was when it first came out two years ago). Just wondering if they have worked the kinks out. Opinions please. Thanks.
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Never heard of such a bigger rip off in my life. Charge more for smaller portions and hide it under a pro points mask of falseness.0
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Never heard of such a bigger rip off in my life. Charge more for smaller portions and hide it under a pro points mask of falseness.
Have to agree that ww isnt a lifestyle IMO its a quick fix as it cuts your cals but isnt sustainable longterm,
have you looked at the nutritional info on the side of the boxes some of the fat is double the daily allowance
and the sugar can be huge, but again only my opinion,
do what you feel is right for you0 -
I tried weight watchers it does not work for me at all. Why/ because it gives me a license to eat junk food and waste all my points. However it works for my mom, aunt, cousins even grandma I suppose. Anyway I switched to low carbs its working for me. I hope it works for you again.I did weight watchers like 10 years ago and it was the point system and it worked well for me. I like the support of the meetings. Well, they changed their point system a few years back where it was so confusing for me that I could not follow it (just too hard to figure out points values). I joined MFP and love it but not losing at the rate I want and also miss the meetings. Has anybody done WW recently and know if the plan has gotten any easier or more flexible. For a while they had free fruits/veggies and the points values were just confusing....and I read a lot of people were not losing very well compared to the old points value plan (this was when it first came out two years ago). Just wondering if they have worked the kinks out. Opinions please. Thanks.0 -
If you embrace the conventional wisdom that low fat, high carb diets are healthy, and that somewhat severe calorie restriction is a healthy way to lose weight, then WW is for you. You don't HAVE to eat WW branded food to participate. Last I knew, they had guides with many popular foods that indicated the points value, it was not too hard to look things up.
But the wisdom of the conventional approach is being challenged from many quarters, perhaps most notably by Gary Taubes. It's worth it to research the long-term success rate of WW participants, as well as alternative approaches.
The great thing about MFP is the flexibility of being able to set your own goals based on what you determine your own needs to be, yet support still exists on the forum.
I personally will never try something like the WW approach again. While I lost more weight with it than any other method, looking back, I know I developed some health issues due to the long-term semi-starvation and lack of fat soluble vitamins in my diet. And then, like most others, I gained it all back, "with friends."0 -
I tried it recently. It is still "free" fruits and veggies, which is ok for most veggies but I still think you should count fruit. The points are calculated based on fat/carbs/fiber/protein, which to me is better than the old calories/fat/fiber because this way a chicken breast and a snickers is not the same number of points. Does that make sense?
For me, I didn't do the meetings so MFP and WW online is about the same. I enjoy the friends I have made and the support I get on MFP.
Good luck to you!0 -
Never heard of such a bigger rip off in my life. Charge more for smaller portions and hide it under a pro points mask of falseness.
Have to agree that ww isnt a lifestyle IMO its a quick fix as it cuts your cals but isnt sustainable longterm,
have you looked at the nutritional info on the side of the boxes some of the fat is double the daily allowance
and the sugar can be huge, but again only my opinion,
do what you feel is right for you
weight watchers allows you to eat anything you want. Its not just boxed food from the program. Of course they have snacks and stuff you can buy...but that would be the members choice, its not a requirement.0 -
WW and MFP are, at heart, quite similar. The biggest difference is that with MFP, you have to do all your own tracking, calculating and support.
For some that's better, for others, it makes it more challenging.
Do what works best for YOU!
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WW is not at all into severe calorie restriction these days. The plan out the last 3-4 years has most people eating over 1800 calories a day. They did used to regularly have people eating in the 1000-1200 range, though.If you embrace the conventional wisdom that low fat, high carb diets are healthy, and that somewhat severe calorie restriction is a healthy way to lose weight, then WW is for you.
It actually encourages less 'eating junk' than a calorie counting plan. Foods high in fiber and lower in fat have fewer points than say a fatty or alcoholic or sugary food with the same calories.
If you found it hard a couple years ago, you probably still would. I don't find points hard at all but I'm a quant. You can buy a WW calculator and the math is done for you. Or Etools. The math is simpler than calorie counting, for the most part. You're never counting above 40 or so.
I've never bought a thing from them, as far as items or foods. I did pay for meetings for 9 months or so, lost 50 lbs. and made 'lifetime member'. Now when I do it I just do it myself with a spreadsheet, when the urge hits. It was a great education.0 -
Gary Taubes is a brilliant man he definately makes sense of nonsense "diets"If you embrace the conventional wisdom that low fat, high carb diets are healthy, and that somewhat severe calorie restriction is a healthy way to lose weight, then WW is for you. You don't HAVE to eat WW branded food to participate. Last I knew, they had guides with many popular foods that indicated the points value, it was not too hard to look things up.
But the wisdom of the conventional approach is being challenged from many quarters, perhaps most notably by Gary Taubes. It's worth it to research the long-term success rate of WW participants, as well as alternative approaches.
The great thing about MFP is the flexibility of being able to set your own goals based on what you determine your own needs to be, yet support still exists on the forum.
I personally will never try something like the WW approach again. While I lost more weight with it than any other method, looking back, I know I developed some health issues due to the long-term semi-starvation and lack of fat soluble vitamins in my diet. And then, like most others, I gained it all back, "with friends."0 -
My niece has lost 50lb with Weight Watchers so it worked for her. The only problem I have with it is that it doesn't really educate you about healthy eating and the calorie content of food, wrapping it all up in magic "pro points", so you are bound to them for ever. If you enjoy the social aspect or feel that it helps to go to meetings and have the support of the group leader then go for it! This whole weight loss journey comes down to whatever works best for you!
Good luck :flowerforyou:0 -
When I tried weight watchers many years ago - I gained weight on it ! lol I guess I am just not good with math and couldn`t count lol
Unlimited fruit?? on top of all your other meals ? It can`t possibly work ! If I recall right, I think I put on 10 lbs in 1 month !0 -
I lost 50 lbs. on unlimited produce, including fruit, including bananas, avocados, potatoes, even oatmeal! Lean protein was unlimited, too! So were some whole grains! I learned about healthy eating not magic points. I graduated and eat fine on my own now.
Taubes has largely been discredited. He may have some valid points but as a writer in his field, he's more known for being a sensationalist than for accurate quoting of his sources and analysis of the data. His education is in physics and journalism. He's famous for writing the 'What If It's All Been a Big Fat Lie?' NYT newspaper article about the low carb / low fat debate, and he turned that fame into book deals.0 -
I think that overall, WW is decent. They're essentially tricking you into counting calories.0
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I think that overall, WW is decent. They're essentially tricking you into counting calories.
This is exactly it. It really bugs me when people say WW is bad because it gives you license to eat junk food. So does counting calories. Nobody's forcing you to buy only healthy food when tallying up those calories just like nobody's forcing you to buy the food sold at the WW meetings (or in the store).
I lost 90 lbs on WW. I never went to a meeting or tracked online. The only thing I should have done differently is educate myself on bmr and tdee and check my actual calories every once in a while instead of just counting points.ESPECIALLY because of the free fruits. I agree. Those definitely shouldn't be free foods.0 -
My education is broadcast journalism and psychology. I see how it works behind the sceneces both politically, and behind the camera.I lost 50 lbs. on unlimited produce, including fruit, including bananas, avocados, potatoes, even oatmeal! Lean protein was unlimited, too! So were some whole grains! I learned about healthy eating not magic points. I graduated and eat fine on my own now.
Taubes has largely been discredited. He may have some valid points but as a writer in his field, he's more known for being a sensationalist than for accurate quoting of his sources and analysis of the data. His education is in physics and journalism. He's famous for writing the 'What If It's All Been a Big Fat Lie?' NYT newspaper article about the low carb / low fat debate, and he turned that fame into book deals.0 -
I agree about the fruits. NOt counting fruits is ridiculous, because you can eat a lot of calories that way.
I just think the points makes everything very confusing. It's so much easier to just count calories and you don't have to depend on someone else (WW) to tell you what to eat. You can do it yourself. Plus their meal plans have too little fresh veg and lean protein, too much junk, and too much processed foods. I do like some of the recipes in their magazine though.0 -
"Discredited" might largely have to do with to whom one wishes to give credit, however, I would love to see who is discrediting Gary Taubes, and to determine for myself if they have a "dog in the fight." so to speak. Kindly post some sources, if you have themTaubes has largely been discredited.0 -
For me, counting WW points or counting calories in pretty much the same. It depends what you decide to eat with thoses points/calories.... The one thing I don`t agree with WW is the fact that fruits are ``free food``. They can add up to a lot of calories if you eat a lot.....0
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You know my cousin is very very very skinny teeny tiny. Its because shes on a strict diet, not a fad diet. She cannot eat any dairy products i see her eat like a bird. shes got to do that for the rest of her life its a lifestyle though... Just like me I need to be on low carbs, otherwise ill have some big consequences to pay for... These could be known as fad diets however they are what we have to do to survive in our bodies.
What it boils down to is what i said, you do what is good for you you are the one who has to live in your own body not anyone else. What I do isn't necessarily good for the rest of the population. and if it were a new trend im sure most would fail.
Let me say this as a child I was always very tiny and skinny, and I believe its because I was without knowng it on a low carb diet, I always wasnt interested in eating. When I got into junior high i picked up on other peoples bad habits of eating crap and I slowly gained weight by the time i was a junior in high school i was a fat or carbohydrate walking around. So I ran cross country and eat well it took me a long time to lose weight and bam I started having a medical issue i started gaining weight AGAIN!!! then i moved to europe lost some weight, moved back to America gained it back and I hated being american i just couldn't put my finger on it why are americans so vunerable to get fat? Why did i lose weight in europe even when i was bed ridden cause i broke my foot??? IT DAWNED ON ME!!!!!!!!!!! I was eating less carbs and also walking everywhere which made up for the carbs that i did eat, which made me lose weight in 9 months in italy.. Yes the pizza I used for my walking. Now I come back here I throw out all those carbs only get them from veggies, fruits and homemade bread and im back to where i was in 5 weeks which took me to accomplish while in europe for 9 months.
And I was bed ridden of course lost weight probably caause I didnt eat much! hahaha0 -
The trick to WW is not to eat the packaged meals or endorsed products but use the points system to eat fresh, unprocessed foods. Often I found a better option to the WW endorsed products. For example, a WW muesli bar is 3 or 4 points but a Crunchy Uncle Toby's muesli bar is 2 points (and cheaper). WW taught me better meal options and is sustainable because from day 1, I cooked for myself and understood using 6 points for a mars bar did more damage than using 6 points on a bowl of porridge. I had a friend on WW who would eat fruit for breakfast and a salad for lunch so she could spend all her daily points on a treats like chocolate and pizza. Surprisingly, while we were both keeping within our points allocation, I was more successful. Like any diet though, the fact you are thinking about food all day can make you hungry and sometimes cause a binge.0
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"Discredited" might largely have to do with to whom one wishes to give credit, however, I would love to see who is discrediting Gary Taubes...Taubes has largely been discredited.
There are already 8 billion MFP posts detailing Taubes's numerous and substantial errors and misunderstanding, I don't think it's necessary to turn this thread into yet another rehash of well covered ground.0 -
WW never worked for me. I paid and went to meetings for two years, struggling to write it down (on paper at first, then online). They don't emphasize exercise too much and for me being active keeps me focused.
With the zero points fruits and vegetables, I was happy at first because it looked that they were encouraging healthier choices, but I found myself eating half a watermelon in one sitting... feeling no accountability for it.
My 3rd reason is the crowd at the meetings. I tried 3 different locations and there was barely two people in their 20s (mostly women after 40....) who have been on the program for many years (some lost weight, others didn't) and I never really connected with the coach...
You might be looking for different things and I did see women who lost a lot of weight on the program. I guess each person has to find their own path.0 -
"Discredited" might largely have to do with to whom one wishes to give credit, however, I would love to see who is discrediting Gary Taubes, and to determine for myself if they have a "dog in the fight." so to speak. Kindly post some sources, if you have themTaubes has largely been discredited.
Start with James Krieger at www.weightology.net0 -
I agree about the fruits. NOt counting fruits is ridiculous, because you can eat a lot of calories that way.
I just think the points makes everything very confusing. It's so much easier to just count calories and you don't have to depend on someone else (WW) to tell you what to eat. You can do it yourself. Plus their meal plans have too little fresh veg and lean protein, too much junk, and too much processed foods. I do like some of the recipes in their magazine though.
I don't know when you did it last but I don't think they've had 'meal plans' in the last decade, or told people what to eat.
The deal with fruits is they suggest you have up to 3 servings a day, not go hog wild. How many apples do you want to eat in a sitting? I can eat about one. It's about using some common sense and normal satiety signals along with the basic math. Fruit fills you up. Lean protein fills you up. If you learn to fill up on healthy foods, you don't have to track each bite of everything that goes in your mouth for the rest of your life.0 -
I hadn't even read his. That's terrific. I don't recall where I had read it but I've seen the actual authors of studies he cites in the book say he misquoted their work, cherry picked the data and ignored hundreds of studies that refuted his assertions.
"Discredited" might largely have to do with to whom one wishes to give credit, however, I would love to see who is discrediting Gary Taubes, and to determine for myself if they have a "dog in the fight." so to speak. Kindly post some sources, if you have themTaubes has largely been discredited.
Start with James Krieger at www.weightology.net0 -
The deal with fruits is they suggest you have up to 3 servings a day, not go hog wild. How many apples do you want to eat in a sitting? I can eat about one.
Exactly. I doubt anyone here got where they are by bingeing on apples and oranges.0 -
I tried the ww however I wanted to be able to track my calories and I needed to cut down on carbs so it didn't work for me because unless I wrote it all down it didn't show cumulative amounts for the day. only points. so I joined MFP and I love this system. however my sister did and still does weight watchers and has lost 100 pounds and kept it off for many years. I think it is just whatever you prefer and what works best for you.0
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How many apples do you want to eat in a sitting? I can eat about one.
Lightweight!
In the autumn, when we have apples from the trees in our garden, I can eat lots of apples in a day! 10 apples at 100 calories each is a lot of my daily allowance, this year I was more restrained, gave them away, cooked and froze them etc.0 -
I did weight watchers over 10 years ago and lost over 20llbs. I tried it recently and found I was barely losing 0.5 lbs per week. I didn't really enjoy the meetings so I stopped going. I gained weight on holiday and came back determined to lose some weight so I signed up to the online weight watchers. Again I wasn't losing - over the last 4 weeks I have not lost anything - so I have joined MFP and I have lost 3lbs this week.
The new weightwatchers is just an app on your phone - you get free fruit & veg but for me I just need to track everything!!! I personally would use my fitness pal - its free and the foods data base is fantastic!!0 -
I once lost 30 lbs with WW, and then 15 more a while later (just using the points system; I never attended a meeting). The reason I gained ten of them back over the last six years is not that it is not that the system is not sustainable, but that "stuff" happened in my life (I quit smoking, I graduated, I lost my sense of purpose…). It did me a world of good and taught me a lot about the caloric value of different foods – I was only twenty when I first did WW and just beginning to learn about food. WW does not "disguise" calories and the impact of foods on your waistline in cutie-pie points, as some have written. The simplistic looking points system merely makes it easier to remember the amount of calories in a given food item and put it into perspective.
The way I did it, there wasn't a big difference between WW and simple calorie counting – except that WW pays special attention to fats and is thus more limiting. On the other hand, I never had to think twice about eating a vegetable or a piece of fruit when I did WW. A lot of people also need more guidance and rules than a simple "count your calories!" offers to succeed in dieting… WW does have its advantages for a lot of people. I switched to simple calorie counting this time because I've gone vegan since, and, curiously enough, the WW system seems too restrictive to me now.0
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