Using Weight Watchers and MFP together...

zoechaaa
zoechaaa Posts: 2
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello everyone!

I've been using Weight Watchers since June and have lost 25 pounds. I go to a college with a mandatory meal plan for students who live in the dorms, so it's definitely hard to keep losing/maintain, but so worth it! Right now, I'm home for break, so even though I'm pretty happy with my weight, I would like to lose a little more (-.5 a week is my current goal). Originally, I started using MFP alongside Weight Watchers sporadically (on those days when I had gone way over my points and felt guilty). What I discovered was that even when I ate 32 points or above, I was still in a totally normal/healthy calorie range. I also discovered that, in general, eating the 26 points I am allotted leaves me a bit under 1200 calories (even when I eat my fruits and veggies). Anyway, for the past few days I've been tracking my calories/exercise on here and with WW, and it's really stressing me out! Today, for instance, I'm netting a little over 1200 and, because I ate back exercise calories, it ended up being 32 points. According to MFP, I have ~190 calories left today, and since 1200 is on the low end, I'm thinking that maybe I should eat more. The problem is that I have no more Weight Watchers points left!

So, I guess my question is this: What is the most effective way to combine the two programs? I sort of feel a sense of loyalty to Weight Watchers since I lost my weight on it, but on the other hand I don't want to accidentally not be eating enough. Thoughts?
(Also, sorry if there have been other posts like this... I've done some searching on the boards and haven't found anything, but I'd love any links to related topics if anyone knows of any!)

Thanks!! :)

Replies

  • myJOF
    myJOF Posts: 26
    Don't your weekly points allow you to go over your 26? You only went over seven which is not a problem even if you do it everyday. And when you exercise, you earn more points (or calories).
  • zoechaaa
    zoechaaa Posts: 2
    I went a bit overboard on Christmas Eve, so I used up my weekly points already (my week restarts in 2 days), and i used all of my activity points as well. I suppose I could do more exercise, but I'm not sure if that's the best thing to do.
  • stephreed11
    stephreed11 Posts: 158 Member
    I lost a lot of weight on WW & maintained with WW for a long time before I had my daughter...the reason I decided to go with just counting calories instead of back to WW is because I realized just how little I was eating to stay within WW guidelines. It's ridiculous how little you eat with the points given vs. what you can eat using MFP & still lose. I can eat up to 1800 & lose, WW had me at or below 1200, & not much more than that when maintaining. No thanks. :noway:
    Not to mention the app, site, & food database is so much better here, AND free!
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
    Don't you have to pay for Weight Watchers? There's no need to attempt to use Weight Watchers and MFP together, pick one or the other because if you cross programs you might just end up confusing yourself. I'd suggest using MFP because weight watchers tries to dumb it down with the points system and makes fruits and vegetables 0 points which I think is absurd, everything has calories, so why pretend like they don't? Anyway, I'd suggest you go with MFP track everything you eat, track your weight, set up good macronutrient intakes, and follow them.
  • xX_PhoenixRising_Xx
    xX_PhoenixRising_Xx Posts: 623 Member
    In my experience... I did WW for six months or so, and lost 26kg (57lbs). I was losing quicker I think because I started at over 300lbs. I stopped tracking, gained some back, then last January decided to go back to WW. At the same time I signed up for MFP. After tracking on both for a few weeks, I realised that it made no sense to continue with WW.

    So I've been using MFP all year, and I've lost 36kg (79.3lbs). I like that with MFP I can track everything I eat, and pay closer attention to macros. There's also no limit to exercise, and by understanding TDEE and tracking with MFP I've been able to make sure I'm eating appropriate calories for the amount of exercise I do. With WW I was always hitting the maximum exercise points for the week, but the leader was encouraging me not to eat them. I also never touched a weekly point the whole time, and although I had a lot of daily points because I was so obese, I never ate anywhere near those either. I feel like I have so much more control with MFP and I'm definitely not undereating but still losing weight.
  • trishfitllc
    trishfitllc Posts: 10 Member
    I lost a lot of weight on WW & maintained with WW for a long time before I had my daughter...the reason I decided to go with just counting calories instead of back to WW is because I realized just how little I was eating to stay within WW guidelines. It's ridiculous how little you eat with the points given vs. what you can eat using MFP & still lose. I can eat up to 1800 & lose, WW had me at or below 1200, & not much more than that when maintaining. No thanks. :noway:
    Not to mention the app, site, & food database is so much better here, AND free!

    THIS! Right on.....:-) WW is great to start, but ultimately, you'll learn more food journaling here on MFP, i've done both, lost my first 20lbs using WW...then plateaud....I realized I was basically shutting down my metabolism eating so low cal......you start to lose muscle, not fat, at the low calorie range......and weight watchers doesn't really teach you to count macros i.e. protein/carbs/fats....I found on WW i was waaaay overeating carbs and undereating protein, so when i started using MFP and counting all my macros plus sugar, I ate more using MFP but ate fewer carbs/sugars and lsot the rest of my weight......i felt that i outgrew ww.com both nutritionally and educationally......it was too basic to get my desired results after a certain point! good luck to you!
  • tropicaltiger
    tropicaltiger Posts: 254
    I did ww 5 years ago-and took 94 pounds off-I did it by going to the meetings-then my life got busy-and friend of mine at the gym told me about MFP-AND I BEEN USING THIS-I am still way under my goal-I feel whatever works for you-I truly like MFP-FOR ME IT WORKS-NOW I ADD IN MY WORKOUT BECAUSE I LIKE TO LIFT AND DO ZUMBA-WITH WW.I NEVER ADDED THAT IN MY POINTS-I THINK FOR ME IF I HAD TO PAY I WOULD PERFER TO USE MFP-I LOST 94 POUNDS IN LESS THEN A YEAR DOING WW-SO I DIDN'T HAVE TO PAY-I ONLY HAD TO LOSE 74 POUNDS TO REACH MY GOAL WEIGHTI FEEL I HAVE MORE CONTROLL WITH MFP- WISH I KNEW ABOUT THIS 5 YEARS AGO-I HAVE ALWAYS TRACKED -BUT THIS IS SO MUCH EASIER-AND IN WW I WAS UNDEREATING-BELIEVE ME IT WORKED BUT NOW I AM NOT UNDEREATIING AND I AM AM LOSING-I ALSO GOT BORED AFTER 5 YEARS OF GOING TO MEETINGS-SO THIS IS TRULY BETTER-LIKE I SAID I WORKOUT ALOT SO I AM NOT LOSING MUSCLES I EAT LESS SUGAR AND A CARBS THIS WAY- SO GOOD LUCK TOO YOU :smile:
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    Pick one and stick with it. Using both will unnecessarily stress you out. Hint: I recommend MFP. It's free!
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    Most people eat over 1800 calories per day on WW current plan. A point is around 40 calories on average. If you get 29 per day and 49 per week, that's average of 36 per day which is 1440 calories roughly, and most people eat over 350 calories of fruit and vegetables day, bringing them over 1800. That's before any activity point eating.

    Your fear of undereating on WW is probably unfounded, if you have weight to lose. Their plans are designed by experts in the field. The MFP forum undereating fear is based on myths about starvation mode and a made-up thing called 'net calories'.

    You don't have to pay for WW to continue on the eating plan, if that's what you choose.

    If you're eating 26 points and under 1200, you can't be eating much fruit. You want to up your calories but not your points intake- why not have some fruit? No points, plenty of calories.
  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
    I reckon the best way to combine the two is by ditching Weight Watchers. That will save you a few quid..

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