Weight Watchers in conjunction with myfitnesspal

I was on WW for years and years and years. I found that every time they updated their program, it was less effective.

I don't eat fruit at all (do eat lots of veg) but I just found that making fruit 0PP ridiculous. The calories in a banana take just as much to burn off as the calories in the equivalent amount of chocolate. I think they tell people it's 0PP but to only have 1-2 a day, and I get that it is to encourage people to reach for an apple and not a cookie, but it just seemed like a false economy for me.

They also got REALLY full on about peddling their own brand stuff at meetings, which was so expensive and wasn't any better than other brands you could just get at the supermarket for half the price.

I also found that members at meetings tended to focus on cheating the system a lot, rather than making lifelong sustainable decisions.

The meetings were great for the first while, but I found they never progressed - because there was always newbies, they just rotated through them.

So those were the negatives. But in the positives, it taught me not to demonise food, how to make swaps in recipes and meals which would save on calories but not sacrifice taste, opened my eyes to macros (because it made me look at protein, carbs and fat, not just calories) and taught me that weight loss could be done with ordinary food, not just meal replacements, whacky supplements or any of the other bunk that gets peddled by the indistry. I'm glad I did it, but I can honestly say I don't need it any more.

I am a current WW member (attending meetings). I recently tried to quit but they offered me a free month so I am still going.

I don't track points. It's just as complicated to count calories here as it is to count points using the WW app. Here you get a greater amount of data and can track your macro and micro nutrient.

The only thing I like about the meetings is being accountable to weigh in each week in front of another person. I was struggling to find the motivation to lose weight and attending WW meetings to weigh in was what got me motivated. Now that I have been doing this for months and have changed my habits I don't really need that and could self motivate. They are just all about profits. Every chance they get they spruik products: food, magazines, scales, books.

I don't really think WW promotes such a healthy diet. They are always promoting their "diet food" products, pretty much every recipe uses a "diet" product with the WW brand. While I don't think there is wrong with including some of these products in a diet occasionally relying on them for every meal just isn't normal.

If you decided to track here though it is essential that you count the calories in all your fruits and vegetables. The calories in them really adds up. Following the WW points system you have a huge calorie deficit built in so that even after consuming all your points and fruit/veg you still have a deficit. MPF is not set up for that so you 100% have to log it or you could blow your entire deficit.

I lost with WWs 8 years ago. I tried again a few months ago and started gaining on the new system without the usual 0point fruit/veggie overindulgence. The new calculations just weren't working for me. Changed to MFP and realized CICO is just a larger point system (don't know why it took me so long).

I found the meetings did help keep me accountable. Having a good leader and members make all the difference. My first leader would have us over for potlucks to challenge us to make healthy dishes to share, invite us out for group dinners to help us make better choices, have group walks after the meetings. The other one I had just pushed WWs products and was no help at all.

kyrannosaurus wrote: »

I am a current WW member (attending meetings). I recently tried to quit but they offered me a free month so I am still going.

I don't track points. It's just as complicated to count calories here as it is to count points using the WW app. Here you get a greater amount of data and can track your macro and micro nutrient.

The only thing I like about the meetings is being accountable to weigh in each week in front of another person. I was struggling to find the motivation to lose weight and attending WW meetings to weigh in was what got me motivated. Now that I have been doing this for months and have changed my habits I don't really need that and could self motivate. They are just all about profits. Every chance they get they spruik products: food, magazines, scales, books.

I don't really think WW promotes such a healthy diet. They are always promoting their "diet food" products, pretty much every recipe uses a "diet" product with the WW brand. While I don't think there is wrong with including some of these products in a diet occasionally, relying on them for every meal just isn't normal.

If you decided to track here though it is essential that you count the calories in all your fruits and vegetables. The calories in them really adds up. Following the WW points system you have a huge calorie deficit built in so that even after consuming all your points and fruit/veg you still have a deficit. MPF is not set up for that so you 100% have to log it or you could blow your entire deficit.

I belonged to WW in the 90s. I worked at a college and we met on campus. It was a good group with good leaders. I too liked the accountability of a weekly weigh in front of other people, but I don't seem to need that now. (I appreciate that this can be very helpful.)

I drank quite heavily at the time and WW brought instant awareness to all those empty calories.

I have literally just joined WW (like 4 days ago).
I used to go, when they had the old points system, and lost 2.5 stone but I stopped thinking I could do it myself from then on and didn't feel the need to pay for them to tell me what I already knew.
Life took over and slowly but surely I have got back to where I was when I initially started WW!
So I came on here, thinking I would try MFP instead to lose weight.
It hasn't worked and I am still floating around the same weight. I may lose half a stone, but then I put it on just as quick.
My take on it all, having tried them both, is the MFP is better for tracking calories and for macro and micro nutrients. Don't get suckered into the whole zero points for fruit with WW's!!! They are not zero, as MFP will show you when you log fruit down.
I have found though that for me personally that being held accountable is my motivation and that being a part of a group makes me feel VERY competitive, so that is where WW really helps me.
I am now going to do a mixture of the two.
I am going to log my Cals on MFP (as well as WW, but I would trust MFP more!) but I shall go along to the WW meetings so that I gain that competitive edge I so desperately need - I am hoping this will help me to get back in track!!!
It is a pity that MFP don't do group meetings!!

Snugglebutt2014 wrote: »

Ok so here is something to prove the point...
This morning I have had so far some strawberries and a banana.
I have logged these on to WW and so far I have used none of my 31 Pro Points I am allowed for the day... Whoooooopppp!
I have logged them on to MFP and so far I have used 127 Cals of my daily 1200 allowance... Booooooo!
Somehow I have to burn off those 127 calories (along with everything else I eat today), but if I continued to eat nothing but bananas today then WW would tell me I have eaten nothing and I still would have my 31 Pro Points to use....
I think I shall stick to doing both as mentioned in my previous post.

If I did no exercise at all, about 22 bananas (assuming 100 calories) per day would put on a pound per week. I don't know if I would feel full on 22 bananas and nothing else.

SLLRunner wrote: »

AprilJ10 wrote: »

So I just signed up for weight watchers, I have about 30 pounds to lose. I think i'm going to do weight watchers in conjunction with myfitnesspal. I find the points to be cumbersome, but I like what weight watchers promotes, healthy eating and recipes. I also like the idea of the weekly meetings. Fruits and veggies also have no points! I've already stocked the fridge and freezer with fresh fruit and veggies. I have tried to diet a few times before lose a few pounds then go back to eating too much. This time I really need to stick with it for health reasons if nothing else. Would love any feedback from others on their experience with Weight Watchers.

If Weight Watchers will help you stay in a calorie deficit, that's wonderful. However, keep in mind that fruits and vegetables contain calories too and eating too much of anything can lead to a surplus of food resulting in weight gain, or at least maintenance.

Good luck.

^^This.

You can't combine programs. You're either doing WW with 0 point fruits and veggies or you're doing MFP where you count calories for everything.

If you find points cumbersome, I don't know why you just don't stick to MFP. But if you do stick with WW, remember that "zero points" doesn't mean "free". Fruits and veggies are to be eaten to satisfaction, not gluttony. I've seen too many people say that WW doesn't work, only to find out they were gorging themselves on watermelon and bananas because, hey, they're "free".

In weight loss, as in life, you do need a modicum of common sense to survive.

Good luck!

I am a WW member - currently attending meetings. I count WW pp, but I also count calories here on MFP. Some days I have PP left over, but have used all of my calories.

Snugglebutt2014 wrote: »

I have literally just joined WW (like 4 days ago).
I used to go, when they had the old points system, and lost 2.5 stone but I stopped thinking I could do it myself from then on and didn't feel the need to pay for them to tell me what I already knew.
Life took over and slowly but surely I have got back to where I was when I initially started WW!
So I came on here, thinking I would try MFP instead to lose weight.
It hasn't worked and I am still floating around the same weight. I may lose half a stone, but then I put it on just as quick.
My take on it all, having tried them both, is the MFP is better for tracking calories and for macro and micro nutrients. Don't get suckered into the whole zero points for fruit with WW's!!! They are not zero, as MFP will show you when you log fruit down.
I have found though that for me personally that being held accountable is my motivation and that being a part of a group makes me feel VERY competitive, so that is where WW really helps me.
I am now going to do a mixture of the two.
I am going to log my Cals on MFP (as well as WW, but I would trust MFP more!) but I shall go along to the WW meetings so that I gain that competitive edge I so desperately need - I am hoping this will help me to get back in track!!!
It is a pity that MFP don't do group meetings!!

Snugglebutt2014 wrote: »

Ok so here is something to prove the point...
This morning I have had so far some strawberries and a banana.
I have logged these on to WW and so far I have used none of my 31 Pro Points I am allowed for the day... Whoooooopppp!
I have logged them on to MFP and so far I have used 127 Cals of my daily 1200 allowance... Booooooo!
Somehow I have to burn off those 127 calories (along with everything else I eat today), but if I continued to eat nothing but bananas today then WW would tell me I have eaten nothing and I still would have my 31 Pro Points to use....
I think I shall stick to doing both as mentioned in my previous post.

@Snugglebutt2014, MFP always works - CICO is basic math. If it's not working for you, then you need to do a little tweaking. Try reading and applying the info in this thread:

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1

The bolded part from your second post illustrates what I mean about you not quite having the hang of using this site. Unless you're incredibly short or have a medical condition, you'll burn 1200+ calories a day just by being alive. Not a biggie - it took me months to figure it all out, too - but reading the above thread (and all the threads cited in it) will really help.

Best of luck, all!

From what I know about WW, it's more focused on eating their products. Yes, they give you information on points for other foods, but they also try to get you to buy their stuff. MFP is free, and you can buy what you want. Plus, MFP seems to do a better job of teaching you HOW to monitor your eating and change your eating habits. If all you do is buy and eat the WW food, if you ever go off it, you may end up gaining some back. I'm not saying WW is bad, it can be effective, but it seems to me that MFP prepares you more for a lifestyle change, which is what you need for weight loss to be long-term.