weight watchers vs MFP

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Replies

  • Sam_I_Am77
    Sam_I_Am77 Posts: 2,093 Member
    I think WW is good for somebody that was previously clueless about nutrition and needs help to get started. The point system probably isn't the best but it's very good for somebody that doesn't know better. Plus, many people need the group meetings for positive reinforcement. It's embarrassing to go and say... "I gained 5lbs since the last meeting", so it's further encouragement to stick with the plan. I think that in the long-term, most people will need something else to help teach them better nutrition for life.

    Just my opinion... But I think the group atmosphere is what makes WW's better than MFP. Again, individuals feel some kind of accountability or at least the desire to avoid public humiliation in group. On MFP, people can report in and hide behind a monitor so it's not really the same, generally speaking of course.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    Sam- I agree with you 100% on the accountability factor. But just for the record, WW doesn't humiliate and no one announces their weight gain or even losses, unless they choose to. Even the person who weighs you is trained to be pretty non-reactive to your gain/loss and they never say it aloud for others to hear, at least in my experience. They write it on your record card and hand it back to you. If you've lost you might get a quiet "down this week, nice" comment or something like that. Though in the group part people can raise their hands to volunteer to share their victories and get a little clap and star sticker.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    I have done both and the main difference is that WW is strictly points and MFP is calories and macros. I found that I was not eating as balanced as I should on WW because I was going for the most bulk for my points and i was low on fat and protein, which I discovered when I lost about 1/3 of my hair. MFP works better for me because I can keep track of the nutritional value of my food better.
  • shortntall1
    shortntall1 Posts: 333 Member
    Yes! I mean, if youre going to count something...count calories..and youre not making someone at the top of the chain rich :)
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    Well the only issue with Weight Watchers is you have to stay on that diet. Once you go off the diet, the results won't last. Where as if you can develop a plan that can fit your lifestyle for good, you will be able to use the common sense that you've learned for the rest of your life. For instance, I've gotten in the routine of eating oats and turkey on wheat, and fruits and veggies. Those are things I will use as go2 foods for the rest of my life, where as with Weight Watchers, it might not be easy to stay on that forever.

    Do you even know what WW is? It is eating real foods in a real life setting and counting the calories by assigned point values. I think you are mixing them up with Jenny Craig, Nutrisystem, and others that provide you with the foods you eat rather than teach you how to choose your own foods.
  • LiminalAscendance
    LiminalAscendance Posts: 489 Member
    I have done both and the main difference is that WW is strictly points and MFP is calories and macros. I found that I was not eating as balanced as I should on WW because I was going for the most bulk for my points and i was low on fat and protein, which I discovered when I lost about 1/3 of my hair. MFP works better for me because I can keep track of the nutritional value of my food better.

    Um, what kinds of foods were you basing your diet on?

    I'm not necessarily pro-WW, but to imply that following their point guideline would cause you to lose hair?

    Admittedly, some basic nutritional education is required (like the kind you get in elementary school), but what kind of crap would you have to be eating to have such a severe deficiency when at your recommended intake?

    Yes, doughnuts are fine (in moderation). That doesn't mean one should focus their diet on them.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    The points calc favors protein and fiber. It does penalize fat and alcohol. The program includes guidelines to include at least 2t. of healthy oils in your diet per day.

    You can view the points formula in Wikipedia, if anyone has a lot of interest in it.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    I have done both and the main difference is that WW is strictly points and MFP is calories and macros. I found that I was not eating as balanced as I should on WW because I was going for the most bulk for my points and i was low on fat and protein, which I discovered when I lost about 1/3 of my hair. MFP works better for me because I can keep track of the nutritional value of my food better.

    Um, what kinds of foods were you basing your diet on?

    I'm not necessarily pro-WW, but to imply that following their point guideline would cause you to lose hair?

    Admittedly, some basic nutritional education is required (like the kind you get in elementary school), but what kind of crap would you have to be eating to have such a severe deficiency when at your recommended intake?

    Yes, doughnuts are fine (in moderation). That doesn't mean one should focus their diet on them.

    What i was trying to say was that I was going for maximum volume for the daily points so I would avoid calorie dense foods like fats and some proteins. I was eating a lot of fruits, vegetables, grains, non fat dairy, and small amounts of very lean protein. Things like cheese and peanut butter were avoided. Snacks were usually light popcorn or veggies with fat free dip. For the fun of it, I found one of my old weekly logs and entered the data into MFP. My calories averaged about 1400 and my macros were generally about 10% fat, 20% protein, and 70% carbs. Contrast that with my MFP goals which are 35% protein, 30% fat, and 35% carbs.

    ETA: With the points system, it is easy to go off track nutrition -wise if you don't stay on top of things. Perhaps it is better now, but this is how it was back when I was with them.
  • MissieMay_515513
    MissieMay_515513 Posts: 2 Member
    I have done weight watchers and found I was losing about 0.5lbs per week if any loss at all which I found a bit demotivating. You also have to pay!!!

    MFP is free last time I did this after initial good losses I was consistently losing at least 1lb per week. I also feel more in control as I know exactly how much I am eating.

    MFP also has a better database and the barcode scanner!!
  • laoliviabeachbum
    laoliviabeachbum Posts: 21 Member
    I do both and there are positives and negative with both.

    Weight Watchers - the weigh in, provides good motivation, paying for it, again good motivation for me. You can't eat as much on WW so you do lose weight quicker. They don't count calories in fruit and veg though and a lot of things are 'rounded up' so its not an exact science.
    MFP, Its free! motivation from a good friends list, promotes good health from knowing your macros and micros, but then there is the possibility to cheat yourself and not log properly.
  • rotay1960
    rotay1960 Posts: 9 Member
    There is a way to track WW points plus on MFP, along with calories. If you're interested say so and I'll see if I can find the thread.

    I would like to know how to do this.
  • catb58
    catb58 Posts: 239 Member
    A friend of mine was doing WW and couldn't figure out why she wasn't losing weight...yeah, she was eating all her daily points plus 2-3 bananas, a bowlful of grapes, and a couple of apples every day.

    I have a friend with a similar problem...she has her points plus 2-3 bananas, a half quart of strawberries, mass quantities of coffee mixed with International Delight creamer (1/2 coffee, 1/2 creamer). She doesn't count any of those.

    She turns up her nose at MFP as she sometimes gains, sometimes maintains on WW.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    There is a way to track WW points plus on MFP, along with calories. If you're interested say so and I'll see if I can find the thread.

    I would like to know how to do this.
    I stuck a link at the very bottom of my profile. The script is not smart enough to exclude free foods so you'll have to do that on your own. Logging them in their own diary section makes it easier. The thread is long and the process took me ages to get to work but hopefully you'll have better luck.

    About the people not logging cream and eating 1000 calories a day of fruit, that's not really 'doing WW'. Any diet done wrong enough will have bad results.
  • BethReads
    BethReads Posts: 4
    I had great success on the WW program as it was in 2001, but not when I've tried it lately. My issue with WW besides the cost and their dated site is thye keep changing the program every couple years to grab more cash. I don't want to relearn all the points values every time. Calories don't change, so a year from now when I'm on maintenance it will be the same. Besides, a company that makes more money if you fail than if you succeed is a bad sign. Of course they want you to lose half a pound or so, that way you pay longer.

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