Weight watchers, opinions?

My_Fitness_Journey2020
My_Fitness_Journey2020 Posts: 176 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey guys,

I struggle with keeping up a healthy eating habit, and I am trying to find a way that is a little easier to keep to. I get overwhelmed by trying to set a meal plan up and sticking with it, especially on a tight budget. I am just trying to find anything that will help me eat healthier, and I have heard about weight watchers in passing, but not enough to know if it is a good choice? Anyone have any success from using weight watchers or any negative opinions on it?
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Replies

  • skrlec70
    skrlec70 Posts: 302 Member
    Hi ,

    I just cancelled WW on line, wasn't for me after 6months and 10pds I had had enough, its not enough food, I did MFP and WW for 4 days. logged In both, WW shirked me 400 calories a day. No wonder I was starving all the time
    the only way I lost weight was with them is when I ate no carbs.
    not for me , MFP is a godsend for me.
  • silken555
    silken555 Posts: 477 Member
    If you have a tight budget, I doubt WW is for you. There are a lot of people who are successful on it, it's once they stop that is the issue. All WW is is a low calorie diet (the points keep you to about 1200 cals per day). You still have to meal plan on your own. I would personally recommend just sticking to a calorie deficit and training yourself in how to meal plan. There are lots of sites out there that may actually help you with that.

    Good luck!
  • kpchefai
    kpchefai Posts: 54 Member
    I agree with above poster. I was only successful on WW if I ate low-no carb which is not sustainable for me. I definitely lost weight but not consistently and while WW has improved in the past few years I feel it is still missing a lot. I have been way more successful on MFP. And, of course, the added bonus is that MFP is free. My gym membership and WW were both costing me $40/month each. I definitely chose the right one to ditch.
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
    I have tried both here and WW online. Both have worked for me when I actually follow the programs. I found that I was hungry much more with WW, depending on my food choices. I like MFP because 1) I am not hungry as often, 2) it is free, and 3) the database is much larger (although that can be bad as well, just watch that the foods you enter are accurate, or that you use the entries that do not have a * beside them).
  • Mygsds
    Mygsds Posts: 1,564 Member
    Hello, welcome here. I too was a Weight Watcher member for about 8 months. It is very misleading because you don't count fruits and vegetables and taught to stay within your points. That being said, there was no accountability how you got those points. I have learned that everything has calories and count them. This is a wonderful site for information and all kinds of wonderful recipes and people are so knowledgeable. I will never go back to WW. Buy your self a good food scale and weigh everything and log it. Database is very good... If I can help please let me know. Best to you.
  • nicolemontagna22
    nicolemontagna22 Posts: 229 Member
    I agree with the first poster. I was granted a number of points. Tracking side by side with WW and MFP I was maxing out my WW points but only at 950 calories. Not healthy at all. If I ate super low carbs and lie fat I could get 1200 calories in for my points but you need carbs and fats in a healthy diet.
  • wheird
    wheird Posts: 7,963 Member
    My opinion on weight watchers is that is can be a great diet plan for people who are very overweight and aren't interested in learning about nutrition or tracking calories very closely. It is very simplified so most people are able to do it without any confusion.

    On the other hand, someone with only a few pounds to lose, 5-20lb or so, may not find it very successful as these people generally need to track calories much more accurately to ensure they are eating below their maintenance levels.
  • My_Fitness_Journey2020
    My_Fitness_Journey2020 Posts: 176 Member
    Thank you everyone for your replies, wow, I guess that everyone seems to have the same opinion on it. I think I will just stick with MFP and work on getting better at planning out my meals myself. I appreciate all the feedback
  • silencioesoro
    silencioesoro Posts: 318 Member
    I lost 92 pounds on it, it was easier for me when I was younger - less to have to worry about, just make sure I eat my points and that was it. I never was hungry, I managed to learn to love my workouts and how to mind my foods.

    It's just the matter of learning how to transition the points into actual caloric numbers, like 1 point is about 50 calories, give or take. This was before the new points-plus thing.

    It's really about how it could work for you, it's not for everyone.
  • My_Fitness_Journey2020
    My_Fitness_Journey2020 Posts: 176 Member
    I lost 92 pounds on it, it was easier for me when I was younger - less to have to worry about, just make sure I eat my points and that was it. I never was hungry, I managed to learn to love my workouts and how to mind my foods.

    It's just the matter of learning how to transition the points into actual caloric numbers, like 1 point is about 50 calories, give or take. This was before the new points-plus thing.

    It's really about how it could work for you, it's not for everyone.

    Oh wow, that's awesome. :) I am just trying to find something that is easy for me to manage. Time and financial wise, right now I eat what every is the easiest or I skip meals and I know neither is a good way to go. It's good to know WW worked for someone :) .I lost nearly 45 lbs last year, and in the last few months I have managed to gain 30 lbs back, and I know a lot of it is stress and not eating often enough after losing my dad last year, the reality of it kind of all came crashing after I moved back in with my mom to help her out,and lack of motivation so I am just trying to find a way to jump back in without feeling too overwhelmed. I thought maybe a plan that is already semi laid out would help ease me back into it.
  • silencioesoro
    silencioesoro Posts: 318 Member
    It kinda is laid out, it's kinda not - it's still you needing to be accountable. If you don't have the money, I'd recommend sticking with MFP then watch Weight Watchers on Facebook or their site for food ideas. It really is all about having the right people to support you that helps the success more than anything.
  • dt3312
    dt3312 Posts: 212 Member
    I looked into WW, but am on a budget and do not want the expense of paying for it.
  • nicolemontagna22
    nicolemontagna22 Posts: 229 Member
    I personally think this site is a lot easier than weight watchers. You just search for the food or scan the barcode and it counts down your calories for you. And if say at the end of the day it tells you you have 200 cals left and a food says it's 150 calories you know I have enough for it instead of having to convert tint find out. The only thing that would be slightly confusing about MFP would be macros but if you are focusing on staying in calorie goal you should be fine and can play with the macros until you learn how to balance them.
  • Sara2652
    Sara2652 Posts: 158 Member
    Lost weight on WW but never kept it off but that is my fault. Rather then thinking 'Hmm, its really getting hard to stick to points maybe I should problem solve i.e. find an alternative solution" I went to "This is getting impossible, I don't want to and I want ALL the food NOW" which lead to guilt which lead to more eating. :grumble:
  • fireytiger
    fireytiger Posts: 236 Member
    I know people who have had great success on WW and lost a great deal of weight, and kept it off. My grandmother in particular lost over 100 pounds about 5 years ago and has kept it off, despite all of her health problems (diabetes, glaucoma, congestive heart failure, you name it). I went on it and found moderate success, but I never stuck with it. Part of the thing that bothers me about it is that they treat all fats as equal, and science has proven time and time again that they are not equal. I could eat 20 grams of trans fats (which will kill you in large quantities), or 20 grams of mono or polyunsaturated fats (which actually are good for you), and the points would be the same, which is ridiculous IMHO. Also, what other people mentioned about how the points leave you eating lower amounts of calories a day than if you just kept track of your own, which left me rather hungry often. I prefer counting calories and keeping track of my own macros with MFP for free. ::)
  • gwynedde
    gwynedde Posts: 1
    I was on it for about 6 months and lost 10 kgs. But being a student with a low paying casual job it wasn't sustainable for me to continue it. At the moment I just buy the magazines and count the calories. It may be harder, but I feel like I have a better outlook on what is nutritious and I'm so much more accountable now.
  • Train4Foodz
    Train4Foodz Posts: 4,298 Member
    The meals themselves can fit nicely as part of a balanced diet but as a plan I don't rate it.
    When I did my strict diet I included WW meals(and Kerry Low Low) as a part of my diet, usually my dinner but always made sure that I balanced everything else out myself.

    I don't rate any of these plans because I don't consider them a long term change, if you are an a 'plan' it implies that whe you have reached your goal you are no longer going to bother with eating properly.

    So.. sorry for going on, I think WW meals themselves are good but the plan not so good... Each to their own..
  • alisha999
    alisha999 Posts: 22 Member
    I joined weight-watchers in October 2013 because I'd heard many success stories which they do have like any other weight-loss program. However I already knew what I needed to do in order to lose weight and that was don't over snack and control my portion sizes (in my case)...but I tried it out anyway and only lost like 9 pounds in approximately 4 months. I then cancelled my WW membership and since have been losing weight on my own which I much prefer and have consistently lost 8 pounds a month :) I'd say don't waste your money (just my opinion).
  • My_Fitness_Journey2020
    My_Fitness_Journey2020 Posts: 176 Member
    Thanks everyone for your opinions, I think I am just going to stick to MFP for now :)
  • PatrickB_87
    PatrickB_87 Posts: 738 Member
    In all honesty if your tracking your calories for weightless with myfitnesspal then you really don't need WW. In reality you will just be doing the same thing with them that you are already doing. Their point system (1pt=50 calories) is just calorie counting simplified (except for free fruits and veg). It does have the advantage of the built in support system (if your going to meetings) and weekly weigh ins. You can do the two together but I don't see the advantage unless you physically need the support of the people around you (but their are a lot of ways of creating accountability).

    As someone who has done weightwatchers 3 times I just don't think its worth it. Each time I went back I drooped out all the sooner. It does work, since its calorie counting and maintaining a deficit. I lost weight on it (30-40lbs) but I couldn't keep it up. To me it felt like a diet, rather then what i needed and wanted which is a lifestyle change. I'm also a man and men at WW meetings are a rare things, and I simply never felt like I fit in. Plus as much as their was a support system every meeting was also a sales pitch (fair enough their a company) but it got old soon. As part of my lifestyle change I really need to re-learn how to eat and how to think about eating. Its not always easy to look at something and understand what I am eating, how many calories, whats going to bee a good decision and not. I never felt like the point system helped me do that since everything was replaced by a number. Now I can look at my calories, understand what balance of carbs, fat, and protein i'm eating, so that one day in the future looking and thinking about food in a health way will come naturally to me.

    Anyways, just my thoughts on WW.

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