Weight Watcher's

suziblues2000
suziblues2000 Posts: 515 Member
edited September 27 in Health and Weight Loss
Is Weight Watchers kinda like you can eat whatever you want but you can not go over a certain amount of "points"? Because I always see food at the grocery store that has a number on it and it is from Weight Watchers and the number is some kind of point system (i think).

SO if that is the case......when you are in WW can you basically eat anything, just don't go over your 'points'?

Thank you

Replies

  • Remi79
    Remi79 Posts: 346 Member
    Yes pretty much. My best friend was doing it. You get a certain number of points allotted to you, depending on your weight. If you have 20 to eat in a day, but only eat 15, you still can eat your 5 sometime during the rest of the week. So if you know you're going out with the girls on Saturday, you "bank" your points, so you have extra.
  • christinathompson1
    christinathompson1 Posts: 144 Member
    yes that's the idea, but that is not good because it doesnt allow you too see your fat, carb, and sugar intake which is very important in weightloss.. that's why this sight is a lot better, plus its FREE! :) i used to be a weight watchers member but i disabled it when i joined this sight.
  • xTattooedDollx
    xTattooedDollx Posts: 426 Member
    Yes. I've tried WW three different times and it didn't work me at all.
  • sister_bear
    sister_bear Posts: 529 Member
    I've known folks it worked for and folks it didn't. I looked into it enough to know it wouldn't work for me. I'm difficult. :smile:

    I believe Jenny Craig is the #1 weight loss (business) program in the USA right now.
  • laurenstephw
    laurenstephw Posts: 32
    Eating whatever you but with points is great but if you eat 20 points in cookies you will be starving for the rest of the day and likely make some bad choices. I like to take my own responsibility for things also I eat WW food sometimes but I apply the cals to my plan
  • bpayne78
    bpayne78 Posts: 249 Member
    yes that's the idea, but that is not good because it doesnt allow you too see your fat, carb, and sugar intake which is very important in weightloss.. that's why this sight is a lot better, plus its FREE! :) i used to be a weight watchers member but i disabled it when i joined this sight.

    They use the cals, fat, fiber,and now carbs to figure your points. So yes you don't actually see the totals per se.....but by controlling the points, you control those things too.

    I haven't tried the new PointsPlus program but I lost about 38 lbs in about 16 weeks when my 9 year old was about a year old on one of the older incarnations of the program. It's a sound program that teaches you about portion size. I still keep that stuff in my mind when I look at labels. I think that you could definitely combine the two programs WW & MFP. You could log here just the same as always but keep track of the points in your notes....i.e.B-fast = 6 pts, Snack = 2 pts, Lunch = 10 pts and so on. That way you see what you're eating as far as fat, carbs, sodium, and so on if that is something that is important for you to track and you could do the WW program if it interests you. You need a journal for WW anyway but you have to pay for theirs.....MFP is free.
  • NanoReefDiver
    NanoReefDiver Posts: 153
    I tried WW before they overhauled the program and it worked for me. Points is attractive to people because of the simplicity compared to calories. My mom does points plus online and she likes it. I rather obsess over the specific calories burned and calories just being calories (rather than the food realm being auto weighted in the benefit of healthier foods like WW) so I prefer this website for now.
  • Time2BSkinny
    Time2BSkinny Posts: 91
    Yes. The "points" get their value by factoring in different nutritional factors of each food including calories, fat, fiber, etc. I did weight watchers in the past and lost 15 pounds in 2 weeks. That's the best I've ever done on a diet and I was so happy :)
  • PJS323
    PJS323 Posts: 115
    Weight watchers is a great starting point for someone that is changing their lifestyle cold turkey. I did it for 6 months, and lost 51lbs. When I plateaued, i hired a trainer, modified my eating, and came onto this website. If you are serious, it can help. The goal is to watch portion sizes, chose fruits over other processed foods, up your water intake, and start an exercise program. Just like this site, or any other, if you want to lose weight, you have to be diligent. A friend of mine started at the same time, and she's only lost 25lbs. But she drinks beer, doesn't exercise much, and isn't that dedicated. It held me accountable, and I increased my vegetable/fruit intake through that program. Plus the support from other members is priceless. If you're someone that needs to be held accountable, and wants to start off with gradual changes that will last, I would say go for it.
  • hbrekkaas
    hbrekkaas Posts: 268 Member
    I tried it before coming here and did not like it. It is close to the same, you track your food and it uses your points, you can earn more through exercise and you get bonus points each week to use whenever you need them.

    BUT the new Points Plus program does NOT track calories. It is strictly based on fat, protein and carbs. I found that having something like a sandwich with whole wheat bread took a big chunk out of my points. For the program to work it really points you towards their bread, and wraps and snacks etc. If you dont' want to buy those (which I refuse to) Its hard to stay within the points for the day.
  • MissKash
    MissKash Posts: 132
    I am a weight watcher. The weight watcher plan is based on a points system. However, I would not say that you were a weight watcher if you ate anything you wanted and stayed within a certain amount of points. If you did that, you would simply just be counting the points of foods. Weight watchers does not consider any food off limits, but it has GUIDELINES. The guidelines include eating 5 fruits/vegetables daily, 2 low fat/non fat dairy items, 6- 8 oz glasses of water, a multivitamin, lean protein, and healthy oils. Also, you are alotted a certain amount of daily points based on your weight, age, etc. The program teaches you how to eat regular food with portion control. The program does not promise to make u lose tons of weight in a short period of time. To me, it is a very realistic and healthy way of life. I enjoy it.
  • JustBreathSB
    JustBreathSB Posts: 103 Member
    I used their old points plan and it worked for me, I just have motivation issues. I can never stay on track. I'm working to change this. I haven't tried their new points plus program. I think i'll stick around MFP for awhile and see if I can have success here.
  • jessamyx
    jessamyx Posts: 4 Member
    After months of slaving at the gym with no loss (just maintaining) I decided to join ww. I have gone 5 weeks and lost 10lbs so far. I LOVE it! When I first went to the meeting, my mind was SWIRLING! Over the years I've heard...Low carbs, low fat, low sodium, don't eat this...you gotta watch that! I was done! With weight watchers, I can eat ANYTHING I want as long as I stay within my points. Plus I get flex points to use so I NEVER feel deprived. It's not a diet...it's definitely a lifestyle change. Also, they no longer look at calories either (since not all are equal). It's fat, fiber, protein and carbs :) but hey...they do the calculating....I just track and eat!!!! Hope this helps!!!
  • daisabelle
    daisabelle Posts: 74 Member
    I'm joining today. Got stuck at a pleateu so am going to give myself a change. Brothers wedding is in 4 weeks and would love to drop about 7lb. Will just put my points in the notes section of this site :)
  • daisymae9801
    daisymae9801 Posts: 208 Member
    Yes pretty much. My best friend was doing it. You get a certain number of points allotted to you, depending on your weight. If you have 20 to eat in a day, but only eat 15, you still can eat your 5 sometime during the rest of the week. So if you know you're going out with the girls on Saturday, you "bank" your points, so you have extra.

    I think you're thinking of the old one. The new one you get a certain amount of points per day that don't roll over to other days then you get a certain amount of weekly points to use whenever you want throughout the week.
  • daisymae9801
    daisymae9801 Posts: 208 Member
    I did it, but stopped. The problem is that fruit and vegetables are no points. That can be good when you're trying to get people to eat better but fruit still has calories in it. Your calorie range can be very different even with the same amount of points. I stick to a 1200 calorie limit on this site but when I did WW sometimes it would be 1400-1500 which is too much for me to lose weight on.
  • azdmelani
    azdmelani Posts: 17 Member
    I did it, but stopped. The problem is that fruit and vegetables are no points. That can be good when you're trying to get people to eat better but fruit still has calories in it. Your calorie range can be very different even with the same amount of points. I stick to a 1200 calorie limit on this site but when I did WW sometimes it would be 1400-1500 which is too much for me to lose weight on.

    The new plan is working for a lot of people. For me it wasnt for some reason. I did best on Winning points back in 2002. MFP is working also, amazing what the power of the internet can do :)
  • daisymae9801
    daisymae9801 Posts: 208 Member
    I just think this is easier. I think they don't take into account that smaller people need much less calories. I'm 5'2", 125 lbs. The points can range so differently depending on how healthy something is. So if you eat a lot of healthy stuff, you may not have that many points but it adds up to a large amount of calories.
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