Weight Watchers

iKarlee
iKarlee Posts: 8
edited September 23 in Food and Nutrition
So, I joined Weight Watchers today. Wasn't really feelin' it, but my aunt reallllly wanted a partner to do it with her, so I agreed. I feel like I'm basically paying for things I already do on here (tracking my calories/exercise, receiving/giving support). I dunno. I guess we have a lot of family friends that have had success, but at the "Getting Started" meeting tonight, I was the ONLY person who has never done Weight Watchers before. Kinda crazy to think they all gain it back after they quit the program. I don't see the harm in doing it and helping my aunt (while helping myself, also, yeah). Have any of you guys ever tried it? I'm still a bit skeptical.

Replies

  • SuperMoniMonk
    SuperMoniMonk Posts: 467 Member
    I was doing weight watchers before but I find that counting my own calories gives me more control . I dont have to be guessing on points . I'm so glad I found this site . I love the Android App. And it's free!!
  • Jena_72
    Jena_72 Posts: 1,057
    Weight Watchers is a great tool and I learned a lot while I was with them.It comes down to being 'ready' for a life style change, and sticking with it. It isn't Weight Watchers that didn't "work" it was something with the person who gained it all back. I am positive there are also alot of people out there that lost it with weight watchers and kept it off too. Keep an open mind, if you have never been to these meeting before you will no doubt learn new things. Which is great because knowledge is power. After a while I stopped going and (I contemplated going back but found MFP instead) After you go for a while (more than a year I'd say) you have pretty much heard it all. The thing that I needed that I just didn't find(some peolple do though) is the thing we have here at MFP the community! Have a great time with your aunt!
  • tifanieb
    tifanieb Posts: 67 Member
    a lot of my family members have tried and failed with weight watchers. All the women in my family look great till they have kids then let themselves get big....husbands want to leave.....they lose weight.....men stay......they gain it back.....it is a vicious cycle. Yeah it will help you lose weight but unless you want to pay for it for your entire life youquit it and you will gain it back if you return to old habits.....That's why i am on here...it is free, fun, and they take all the work out of it and you have a wonderful supportive community that is all doing this for their health and family!!! SO welcome. and good luck to you . i wish you all the best
  • joleciamichelle
    joleciamichelle Posts: 139 Member
    There's definitely no harm in doing both. I did WW before and I was pretty successful but I enjoy using this site more. It is pretty much the same concept and you're doing the same things but like sexymo said, this is free (which is mostly what won me over). I really think it depends on who you are and what makes weight loss easier/better for you because some people may like having a physical support group and may think points is easier than just straight counting calories. Personally, I think this is more sustainable, I did gain weight once I stopped going to meetings and I feel like a lot depends on the type of meeting you go to (it took me a while to find the "one" when I did WW, while MFP is something that you have at your disposal 24/7, free of charge and you can tailor your experience to your needs, there's WW online but I don't know that it compares to MFP ;)
  • bromk
    bromk Posts: 34
    I did Weight Watchers several years ago and lost 20 pounds. At that time I needed the accountability of getting on a scale each week with someone else looking at the number. But I didn't commit to the lifestyle change, just treated it like a diet and of course gained all the weight back (plus) when I quit (got to be to expensive).

    Now it's time for a lifestyle change...not a diet. I love that MFP is helping me to make those changes and giving me a place to be accountable to myself. The fact that it's free is a side benefit.

    Weight Watchers is a great program for people who are ready to use. I think it's wonderful that you are doing this to support your aunt as well. Good luck with your journey!
  • td_ssam
    td_ssam Posts: 32
    From what I have seen and learned about it, it works. However, from what I've seen and learned from this site / app, it works as well. My sisters husband and herself are currently doing it and it seems to be doing great things. Certain things have points and certain things don't. I like to look at the 'points' as an allotted amount of calories. We have that here. I think the main difference is the 'points'. You don't have to specifically look at fat / carbs / sugars. You just look at points.
  • Jain
    Jain Posts: 861 Member
    I joined WW at the beginning of the year. I've tried & tried to go it alone with just this site for support, but it just wasn't working for me. I need face to face encouragement & the accountability of a 'public' weigh in.
    And with the new system, Pro points, the points take into consideration the fat, protein, fibre and carbs of the food. So you are naturally steered towards low point items which are high protein, low fat & low carbs. You're also encouraged to exercise & track the 'points' you've gained back (and to eat them).
    It's great that you're helping your Aunt, stick with it a while longer, give her a chance to get to know the other members & once she's happy and if you're still not clicking with it, give it up.
  • sweetmelissa222
    sweetmelissa222 Posts: 290 Member
    My mom has been with weight watchers for seven years now. She hit her goal after about a year and has been a lifetime member since then (she maintained her goal weight). The nice thing is that being lifetime means she doesn't pay at all and she still gets the support of the meetings. My sister also did it last year and hit her goal weight and is maintaining it now as well. I have tried three times and lost a good amount of weight and then bombed out miserably gaining what I lost plus some extra. It is all about mind set. Some people do really well with it and some people don't. Being a college student I found it really hard to keep track of points or really embarrassing to pull out a point slider in front of my friends, not to mention that the meetings were never convenient for me and the cost adds up really quickly. I think that it is wonderful that you are helping your aunt with it though and going in as a team always makes it a little easier to accomplish goals. Best of luck!
  • iKarlee
    iKarlee Posts: 8
    Thanks, guys! I do not enjoy the $40 out of my meager budget plus my gym membership, but I'm telling myself that the price of my health is the most important thing. I went to a meeting last night; it wasn't bad - it is really cool to hear everyone talk about their own experiences (but I do that on here...for FREE). Blah, I'll letcha know how it goes! I'm using their online tool, too, so hopefully I can maintain both sites. So tech-y! :P
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