Has anyone tried weight watchers in the past
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I tried it back in 2005-2006. I initially lost about 65 pounds. I eventually fell off the program as I found while I was loosing weight I was just a smaller yet still very fluffy version of myself. I was disappointed in my appearance and honestly my blood numbers weren't what I was expecting at the time. I later added all the weight back plus about 30 additional pounds.
Basically it was a good program however I did not address the mental side of this process and the results were short term. I would only recommend that you include some type of activity in addition to your nutrition changes as well.0 -
I've tried it a few times and always lost weight, the most being 63lbs. I gained it back every time because I stopped counting points, and started eating more again. Which isn't Weight Watchers fault.
It's just a different way to achieve a calorie deficit. It is sustainable for some and not for others, just like everything else. If you need the support from meetings and accountability from weighing in there every week, then it's awesome.
If you like the program, there's lots of resources out there so you can follow it for free, without signing up for meetings or their online resources.0 -
I am currently doing both WW and MFP. I find WW to be very easy to follow, you will find after a month or so that you have memorized the points for the basic foods you eat on a regular basis and it becomes much easier to keep track. I have done both the online tool with no meetings and the online tools with meetings. And the meetings really do make all the difference. The key is to find the meeting that is for you, if you have a good leader they will keep the meeting on track and people will talk about strategies and motivation.
I use MFP to track the total nutrition picture, and the interface with my Fit-bit is fab.
It doesn't matter if you use WW or MFP, you won't lose, or maintain or keep it off if you are not emotionally and mentally prepared for the weight loss journey. Especially if you have used food to self medicate. I am working thru that now.
People gain it all back because they didn't mentally prepare. Whether it be WW or MFP you don't stop once you hit goal, this is a permanent change in your life. There is no going back. So make choices now that you know you can live with for the rest of your life. If it take a year to lose 50 lbs so be it, at least you know you have mapped out a plan that is manageable for the rest of your life.0 -
I HATED weight watchers. I guess it really depends on the meetings you attend and the leader, but it didn't work for me.
I tried it for a month after I had my son, and I dreaded every. single. meeting. All they talked about was trying new fruits and vegetables, and how to cook healthily ("use olive oil for frying" uhh, no, wrong. "eat low-fat foods instead" again, no).
MFP is all I've needed to lose the weight, and I feel it's a better resource when I have questions about calorie intake or exercising. One leader told me that I shouldn't be working out if I'm on weight watchers because it screws up the points system, so lord help you if you're trying to get fit and lose weight.
I hope this doesn't sound judge-y, but I'd much rather use a free system like MFP than pay to go to a Weight Watchers meeting and listen to people talk about how they make their desserts using FAT FREE cool whip now.0 -
I did WW back about 15 years ago. Back then I was given a range of 24-26 points a day.
I wrote down every single thing I ate, figured out the points, etc. Lost weight every week.
I will admit, the meetings did help me, because I felt proud seeing the weight go down and felt accountable.
HOWEVER, my discovery- 1 "point" on WW is 50 calories (it was back then anyway, I don't know the current plans), i know that they figured in fat and fiber , so i'm being overly simplistic. but anyway- ---- if you took my daily point range, it came to 1200-1300,
one day for some reason I wrote down the calories instead of the points. and then from that day on, i counted calories instead of points, lost a total of 50-60 lbs and kept that off for over 10 years, slacked off just a bit, now i'm up only about 10 and would like to drop it.
I guess what I'm saying is, they are basically the same. I know WW has some new enhancements and special rules etc. but calorie counting, or points counting is basically the same. Whether you actually do it, and stick to it is up to you!
Oh, as for the meetings, they can definitely be a plus. that would maybe be the only real benefit of paying rather than just using a free website, in my opinion anyway. Sometimes I even just weighed in then left, it was just the accountability of someone actually writing down the number... I quit the meetings after a year or so, I was dead-set on losing the weight and made myself accountable to ME.0 -
I did WW back about 15 years ago. Back then I was given a range of 24-26 points a day.
I wrote down every single thing I ate, figured out the points, etc. Lost weight every week.
I will admit, the meetings did help me, because I felt proud seeing the weight go down and felt accountable.
HOWEVER, my discovery- 1 "point" on WW is 50 calories (it was back then anyway, I don't know the current plans), i know that they figured in fat and fiber , so i'm being overly simplistic. but anyway- ---- if you took my daily point range, it came to 1200-1300,
one day for some reason I wrote down the calories instead of the points. and then from that day on, i counted calories instead of points, lost a total of 50-60 lbs and kept that off for over 10 years, slacked off just a bit, now i'm up only about 10 and would like to drop it.
I guess what I'm saying is, they are basically the same. I know WW has some new enhancements and special rules etc. but calorie counting, or points counting is basically the same. Whether you actually do it, and stick to it is up to you!
Oh, as for the meetings, they can definitely be a plus. that would maybe be the only real benefit of paying rather than just using a free website, in my opinion anyway. Sometimes I even just weighed in then left, it was just the accountability of someone actually writing down the number... I quit the meetings after a year or so, I was dead-set on losing the weight and made myself accountable to ME.
This. I've done WW and MFP. They are basically the same - counting points or counting calories except MFP is free.0 -
Yes ^
I didn't even know WW has an online program ? SO you have to pay and you don't go to the meetings or have to physically weigh in with someone ?
that seems out-dated to me. If so, my vote would go for MFP.0 -
I joined WW about a month ago, mostly out of curiosity and because I had plateaued over the summer and was looking to change things up a bit.
Unfortunately I've gained 4.5 lbs over the last month. I think it's because of the way WW treats fruits and veggies -- which are all 0 points. I was eating a ton of carbs on WW, while happily staying within my points allowance (and not dipping into extra exercise points).
I am surprised that all fruits and veggies are treated the same on WW, when there's a huge variance in calories and nutritional values in those food groups. Works for some people, but it very much didn't work for me.
Now I'm back to MFP starting today, and ready to start losing again!0 -
I have done WW many many times, all times with success, it is basically just calorie counting. The thing I liked most, and also love on MFP is that no food is off limits, you just count it.
I found that I did not have time for the meetings, everything that was said was not anything new and I was spending money On the meetings. I felt like such a failure if I spent the money and lost zero weight some weeks, which was just a mind bummer for me.
What I Love most about MFP is it is free, allowing me to use my money on Zumba classes! I also love being able to look at other people food journals to see what they are eating, I get so many great ideas and love seeing people eating real food and loosing weight. On MFP I am accountable to myself and can see the good changes I make even if I don't loose weight ( exercised 3x a week, logged)0 -
Did Weight Watchers when I was in high school. Hated it. My grandma pushed me towards it. When I was on it I was also playing rugby and captain of my high school water polo team. I talking to my doctor about weight loss and mentioned that I was doing weight watchers and she said to stop. That is was basically for people who were sedentary and really did nothing all day. So I did and was much happier just counting calories.0
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I was in weight watchers twice. Had great success twice. But this last time I lost a grand total of 47lbs in WW. Now, I have been plateaued for 6 months.. Time to get back on track...0
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I joined for a short time online then started doing it on my own. I used the core food list and followed the appropriate points for non-core food items. I did lose weight, but then I got pregnant. Frankly I find it easier to just watch my calories than attempt to figure out points of foods.0
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I did WW after the birth of my child. I had about 20 pounds to lose and I just couldn't do it with going to the gym. The gym had a WW group. I lost the weight. It was the old-fashioned, weigh you before the start of each meeting, type of group too. This was before WW's online program became popular. I didn't maintain the loss. I've had better success using MFP and the support from my friends here. I couldn't stand the point system. It was a strange way to look at food. I find eating lower carb and exercising 5 times a week works far better for me.0
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Yes ^
I didn't even know WW has an online program ? SO you have to pay and you don't go to the meetings or have to physically weigh in with someone ?
that seems out-dated to me. If so, my vote would go for MFP.
Yes, they have an online program. You don't have to go to meetings. You have to pay to use the online program, but there are a lot of features. I know people who use the online program and never go to a WW meeting.0 -
I also note that over the last 20 years, I've found that each new incarnation of WW is less effective. I won't go back to WW. I guess the thing to keep in mind is that they are a business first and foremost, and people who succeed and keep it off aren't good for the profit margin!
I was a member in the early 70s, the late 80s and the late 00s. I would agree that the more recent versions are gimmicky and dumbed down. The early 70s version was a little loony but that was the state of scientific knowledge about diet at the time. In the 80s, WW's diet was very similar to the heart and diabetic associations' exchange diets.It certainly doesn't do anything MFP doesn't, for free.
What weight watchers did for me in its earlier guises was start me on the road to learning about nutrition and healthy eating. I'm not so sure it does that as clearly now, what with points and "free" foods, etc. What it also gave me at the time was a community and weekly accountability.
Now, if you need a weekly meeting to keep you on track and you like gizmos and the like, WW may be for you. Otherwise, you can use MFP and other sources to learn about nutrition, etc., and do as well for free. It all comes down to what works for you.0 -
I did WW a few years ago, lost 30 pounds. I have since gained it back.
I prefer MFP because it seems that I have learned much more on this site. We speak to each other, we ask questions and through this communication I feel as if f I am more informed.
It seemed that in WW they spoke to us. Here we speak to each other. For me that's been the difference.0 -
I lost all my weight on WW- started in 2012, did the online program and app on my phone. Did it all by myself, didn't want to go to meetings and weigh in front of others. That being said, I just celebrated my one year anniversary at my goal weight. After I had been on WW for one year, and was at goal for about six months I decided that I didn't need to spend the $17 per month any more so I quit and joined MFP. I will say that I met a lot of very nice supportive people in the WW community even though I never went to a meeting. I was heavy my entire life never able to get to a healthy weight and then stay there. WW is the first thing (I'm 59) I ever did that actually clicked and worked for me. Even though I don't agree with some of the things they do business wise, I do support them and encourage others to try because it worked for me! Belonging to the community gave me a lot of insight into why I eat, my habits, and things I needed to change. That part in itself has completely changed my life.
I will add an editorial comment and say that if someone has lost weight on WW or any diet and then gained it all back did so because they went back to their old eating habits, not because a particular diet is not any good. 0 -
I did WW about 10 years ago and lost 68lbs. I have managed to maintain my loss till this day so for me it was a success. I agree it doesn't promote exercise as much as it should and that is why i now use MFP. I log my food and exercise and the bonus is it is free. I wouldn't ever go back to WW. I know people that are on and off it for years so it isn't for everyone. I find the support is much better on MFP.0
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i tried it a couple of times. first- the expense was a bit high rent for me. it was a lot easier if you bought their prepacked stuff, but holy cow that gets expensive fast.
second- the points are easy to game/don't work across multiple portions. what they say is 2 points is two points for exactly one serving. if you eat 2 servings its 5 or 6 points. the math doesn't work when it's all estimated and rounded for ease.
third- i felt like i was in a show-and-tell/AA mashup. and often i was the only one there in my age group. and if you miss a meeting you still have to pay for it.
it can work, but their stats aren't great. something like 5% are successful. mainly because they don't teach you how to counnt anything except points which don't translate into the rest of the world well unless you eat a LOT of frozen food or at applebee's all the time.
i've found more success with mfp than any other plan. im not perfect, but when i can visualize something it is way more real to me than a cloud of magic math.0 -
I was successful with WW back in 2006-2007 and lost almost 50 lbs.
I recently rejoined WW and with their new program, I was not able to be successful i.e. consistently lose weight. They give too many points and you don't have a good way to figure out how to adjust the system.
I started MFP 3 weeks ago and I've already had weight loss progress. I'm still working on fine tuning my daily calories but I like that I am logging REAL info calories and macronutrients rather than points. Long term I think it will help me stick with a balanced eating plan.0
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