weight watchers?

Bump****

Totally been thinking about joining too! Would love some input as well!

WW didn't work for me. It is too much time/effort to count points and enter them. MFP is so much better for me. WW = no weight loss. MFP = steady weight loss. But, I do know people that WW did work for.

I like MFP better because it tracks exactly what you eat and exercise both. And you can tweak your eating habits right away - without having to mess with the points. MFP has lots of built in support with all the other users in the same boat. MFP tracks the whole package of weight loss (exercise, strength training and food). But, everyone is different and needs different motivation.

Not sure what your idea of where your weight loss should be, but everything I've ever seen says 1-2 lbs a week of loss is great and sustainable. It takes awhile to put weight on. It takes a while to take it off too.

My mother... an extremely young 62 SWEARS by weight watchers and has nothing bad to say about them. She values the feeling of community and the sense of accountability she gets from having to weigh in on a scheduled basis and it keeps her motivated to not let herself down. I, on the other hand, find having to attend a meeting on a routine basis does not motivate me in any way shape or form and am better off tracking my goals here. So, the bigger question is not whether it works, because the system does work obviously or they wouldn't still be in business and going strong so many moons later. The question is... "What works for YOU?"... Will it be helpful to have an outside source for accountability? Are you looking for physical face to face support on a routine basis? If this will help you, then consider it.

I did WW for a couple months and I lost about 14 lbs! It was great but it ended up getting to be too expensive. $40 a month plus if you buy the books. But the program works!

WW worked for me the first time around - I lost 60 pounds. After I quit going to meetings (I'm not going to gain the weight back! I know how to maintain on my own!) I gained fifty of those pounds back. My husband and I rejoined in January, but they have a new program. I think Points Plus is a good idea in theory, but there are far too many kinks that need to be worked out. The points values were inconsistent and sometimes illogical. For the amount of money we were paying, we just decided yesterday that counting calories seemed the more economical (and logical, really) method of attack.

It;s really just a waste of money. You get the same support here for free. And they will tell you the same thing, you need to eat to lose.

I used to be very pro-weight watchers. I've even been on it 2-3 times and lost some weight.

Then I heard one of WW's statistics that a huge percentage (I don't remember the exact percent, but it was around 90%) of people gain all their weight back when they go off WW. This was mentioned at a meeting as a reason why to stay on the program. Then it occurred to me, WW is just a business. It isn't a smart business plan to have your customers become self-sufficient without your company.

Personally, I think MFP works much better.

I have done WW. I tried it online and in person meetings. I did loose the weight and it was easy to follow BUT I am choosing not to do it again for these reasons

1. Money - it costs a lot and really all you are getting is group time and a weigh in. All things that can be done on MFP

2. Points - I liked the old points system, but the new one seems a bit too much. I can not believe the amount of points people get on the new system.

3. The food you consume. I was in the mind set that I could eat anything as long as I pointed it out. So if I wanted a cheese burger for example from a fast food resturant, I would get it, point it , and not each much after that. That is not good. I would fill up on a lot of processed pre packaged things because they were low points and I was not getting a lot of "real foods"

That has been my experience on WW. I did loose weight, (maybe 20-25 lbs) but I put it all back on when I stopped. My new lifestyle is getting away from the processed foods and eating more real foods. It has been a very big adjustment for me and I am still trying to figure it all out. But I know that what I am doing now will stick with me going forward because I am not dieting I am just choosing better options. Good luck either way!

Weight watchers has you counting points (calories with you realizing it) and your paying them. MFP is free...and has you doing the same thing.

Everything about weight loss is calories in calories out. You have to create a deficit to lose weight. It REALLY is that simple.

I lost 70 lbs. doing weight watchers online.

Great program and I highly recommend it!!

I lost 30 pounds on Weight Watchers and am a lifetime member. Now I am only using MFP because I don't like their current plan. The problem I see with continuing with WW is that you can't use the same plan forever. I enjoy using e-tools but every time the plan changes so do the e-tools. I prefer consistency and don't want to change what works. MFP seems to have all the benefits of Weight Watchers online without this plan changing nonsense. The only extra benefit of WW is the meetings and weigh ins. It can help to be accountable to someone else.

although I go to a WW meeting every week and have done so for almost 4 years now, I don't do WW points plan, I count calories via MFP instead.

the points plan DOES WORK if you stick to it, but like many have said, it's a bit of a ball-ache to translate everything into points and MFP is just so much easier, and works just as well if you do what you're supposed to do.

what I do get out of going though is the face-to-face peer pressure and accountability - if I'm there then the other members want to know how I've done, and if I'm not then they are FBing me or TXTing me etc and generally being on my case.

some people may not like this kind of pressure, but I find generally these are the ones who want to be able to cheat without worrying about being caught and embarrassed for it, in which case there's no point in pretending to be on a weight loss program in the first place, whichever one it may be.

but for me the peer pressure helps keep me on track, as its way too easy to fall off the wagon if the only one I'm disappointing by doing so is myself

WW never said "unlimited" fruits. Fruits and veggies have no point value because they factor the calories into the daily and weekly points given to you. The intent isn't an all you can eat buffet, its a way to work those into your diet when you are truly hungry and replace the processed crap but most people don't catch on to that.

I already eat heathly, I just eat too much of it, eat when it comes to mind not when it comes to hunger. I'd lose 10lb with WW but thats about it. Counting points didn't work for me and I couldn't do that the rest of my life.

I like how I can see how much sodium, fiber, protein & carbs I'm consuming and the MFP way I can see myself doing the rest of my life. I feel it puts it in my face more than what points did for me.

I have done WW for about 2 yrs. very successfully...25 lbs lost and kept off. They changed the points system and now suddenly I am gaining. i think I will try to track both ways to compare. I will continue going to meetings. I need the accountability. I read about this site yesterday so I want to try it out to see.

I did lose weight also on WW, because if I'm paying the $, I wanted to see quick results. I was also a runner at that time so I lost 2 - 4 lbs every week. But I was eating very little and just couldn't keep that up forever.

MFP is a great, no-cost way to get healthier. It's so easy to track daily food and exercise, plus I've learned many new recipes, tips and hints from so many members here.

Had a "free" day on Easter, and am back on track today! Love MFP!