Came from Weight Watchers
jgaffney86
Posts: 35 Member
So I've been doing MFP for about 4 months now and I just love it. The app and website are way better. I'm not stuck in the "points recipe universe" anymore. I can go to sites that just have recipes with calories and not worry about the conversion. The biggest thing....eating with friends and going out for food is just a lot easier. Some restaurants have the calories right on the menu and its just so much easier than converting everything into points. PLUS I'm saving 20 bucks a month...which i rolled into my retirement! I must say though....WW did give me a very good foundation for eating correctly and what to watch for. I felt they did an EXCELLENT job giving me a good food education by teaching me what foods keep you full longer and what not.
Anyone else care to comment
Anyone else care to comment
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I used WW too with success. I switched over to MFP after the changes they made to their website and program. It is a good program but I find that the community within MFP is so much better. Being able to surround yourself with people with similar goals and who support and encourage is what has kept me coming back, they don't let me quit! Love the newsfeed, bugs and all.0
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I used WW in the past with success but I tended to focus on the lowest points of foods I could get away with, so that meant I was avoiding foods with protein and fat (because they were higher points.) I did eat a lot of veggies and fruit, which is a good thing! I like MFP so much better for many reasons - it does help me focus on a nutritionally balanced day but it's also FREE! If it's FREE, it's for me!0
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I too once did WW as did my husband with me. It did give me a good foundation, but I got really tired of driving to a meeting every week and I didn't even want to reach the goal weight they set for me and so I just saw no light at the end of the tunnel of meetings and money. I love the simplicity of MFP and keeping track of my daily food intake is so much easier for me here. I get a much clearer picture of what foods contain what amount of calories, protein, sugars and sodium here. Of course, if it was really easy, I could have lost the weight and kept it off after I read the first weight loss book I ever bought MANY years ago.
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I also came from weight watchers. I came here because , why pay for weight watcher online, when you are here for free and their website, I found difficult to navigate, and hard to find help.0
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Awesome comments!
I left about November - December area....when they were going thru there website transition. That really turned me off big time.... I wonder if they ever got it working again and all updated lol. It was taking forever....lol0 -
My MIL started Weight Watchers many years ago. She tenaciously hangs on; she's had to pay for meetings for over a year now having gone back up in weight, but she doggedly attends.
Maybe because she's an "old timer" member - but I wonder when you say that WW did an excellent job giving you a good food education. She still seems stuck in the mentality of: avoid fat like the plague. She also buys the WW foods in the grocery and some of those desserts just look so sad to me.
The main deal breaker, for me, is that she has lost & gained the same 20 lbs. for umpteen years. That, and the complicated "points calculator" (she bought me one a couple years ago and...forget it!) I know WW has helped a lot of people, but with this anecdotal experience that I've witnessed, I don't exactly find it a ringing endorsement.0 -
I too just came from Weight Watchers. I have tried numerous times and only have had limited success which is my fault, not the programs. Although their new Smart Points help to focus on better food choices, I just found it so much more difficult.0
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RE: the Weight Watchers desserts - the only ones worth a darn are the ice cream treats. They are fine!!!!! I also do like the WW frozen meals from time to time for a quickie lunch.
The newer WW regime (the one I started attending 10+ years ago) was encouraging you to be sure to have at least 2tsp. of healthy fat a day (like olive oil) and while they told you to be sure to eat x amount of servings of protein, etc...I still ended up with a very high carb low cal, low protein, lowfat diet - I was obsessed with eating the lowest amounts of points I could so that I could eat more volume and be "full" - not realizing I was depriving my body of necessary nutrients and not being satisfied. I was often fatigued too. This is my problem for not interpreting the WW data properly, but I still think assigning points values to foods without emphasizing the AMOUNTs of iron, protein, fat, etc. you MUST have every day is encouraging the type of behavior I displayed, and in the example above.0 -
RE: the Weight Watchers desserts - the only ones worth a darn are the ice cream treats. They are fine!!!!! I also do like the WW frozen meals from time to time for a quickie lunch.
The newer WW regime (the one I started attending 10+ years ago) was encouraging you to be sure to have at least 2tsp. of healthy fat a day (like olive oil) and while they told you to be sure to eat x amount of servings of protein, etc...I still ended up with a very high carb low cal, low protein, lowfat diet - I was obsessed with eating the lowest amounts of points I could so that I could eat more volume and be "full" - not realizing I was depriving my body of necessary nutrients and not being satisfied. I was often fatigued too. This is my problem for not interpreting the WW data properly, but I still think assigning points values to foods without emphasizing the AMOUNTs of iron, protein, fat, etc. you MUST have every day is encouraging the type of behavior I displayed, and in the example above.
Thanks Wizzy. My kids have eaten the WW ice cream treats when at Nonna's and they like them.
When you mentioned olive oil, it reminded me that my mother-in-law adds a tablespoon of olive oil to her oatmeal - not that she wants to but that she "has" to, ala WW requirements.
True or not, it doesn't sound all that enjoyable.
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I did the vast majority of my weight loss without MFP or anything else other than doing lots of exercise and eating little food back in 2012. What I did worked, but if I went back I'd definitely have used this place from the beginning as I'd have probably been able to eat a bit more with confidence knowing it wasn't too much. I don't know what Weight Watchers is like, but I think this place gives you so much and you don't have to pay anything. I don't intend to be using this forever, but for that phase when you need to get a reign on things and be pushed in the right direction, it's really good.0
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vivmom2014 wrote: »RE: the Weight Watchers desserts - the only ones worth a darn are the ice cream treats. They are fine!!!!! I also do like the WW frozen meals from time to time for a quickie lunch.
The newer WW regime (the one I started attending 10+ years ago) was encouraging you to be sure to have at least 2tsp. of healthy fat a day (like olive oil) and while they told you to be sure to eat x amount of servings of protein, etc...I still ended up with a very high carb low cal, low protein, lowfat diet - I was obsessed with eating the lowest amounts of points I could so that I could eat more volume and be "full" - not realizing I was depriving my body of necessary nutrients and not being satisfied. I was often fatigued too. This is my problem for not interpreting the WW data properly, but I still think assigning points values to foods without emphasizing the AMOUNTs of iron, protein, fat, etc. you MUST have every day is encouraging the type of behavior I displayed, and in the example above.
Thanks Wizzy. My kids have eaten the WW ice cream treats when at Nonna's and they like them.
When you mentioned olive oil, it reminded me that my mother-in-law adds a tablespoon of olive oil to her oatmeal - not that she wants to but that she "has" to, ala WW requirements.
True or not, it doesn't sound all that enjoyable.
EWWWWW I would never add olive oil to my OATMEAL!!! Gag!!!!!!!!!!! Add it to veggies with a little garlic....but oatmeal??? echhh!0 -
vivmom2014 wrote: »RE: the Weight Watchers desserts - the only ones worth a darn are the ice cream treats. They are fine!!!!! I also do like the WW frozen meals from time to time for a quickie lunch.
The newer WW regime (the one I started attending 10+ years ago) was encouraging you to be sure to have at least 2tsp. of healthy fat a day (like olive oil) and while they told you to be sure to eat x amount of servings of protein, etc...I still ended up with a very high carb low cal, low protein, lowfat diet - I was obsessed with eating the lowest amounts of points I could so that I could eat more volume and be "full" - not realizing I was depriving my body of necessary nutrients and not being satisfied. I was often fatigued too. This is my problem for not interpreting the WW data properly, but I still think assigning points values to foods without emphasizing the AMOUNTs of iron, protein, fat, etc. you MUST have every day is encouraging the type of behavior I displayed, and in the example above.
Thanks Wizzy. My kids have eaten the WW ice cream treats when at Nonna's and they like them.
When you mentioned olive oil, it reminded me that my mother-in-law adds a tablespoon of olive oil to her oatmeal - not that she wants to but that she "has" to, ala WW requirements.
True or not, it doesn't sound all that enjoyable.
EWWWWW I would never add olive oil to my OATMEAL!!! Gag!!!!!!!!!!! Add it to veggies with a little garlic....but oatmeal??? echhh!
Yes - and a tablespoon.
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I did 6 months with Slimming World, lost 12 Kg's and hit target BUT I believe MFP is way better. On SW you can eat as much fruit, veg and protein as you like. That's okay, but snacking on fruit is way too much sugar, no wonder the last few months were a struggle. Now I have a much more balanced and healthy approach, I've started building muscle and looking better too, not so much 'baggy' skin!
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vivmom2014 wrote: »Maybe because she's an "old timer" member - but I wonder when you say that WW did an excellent job giving you a good food education. She still seems stuck in the mentality of: avoid fat like the plague. She also buys the WW foods in the grocery and some of those desserts just look so sad to me.
My main point from that is they taught me how to switch out the foods I ate regularly for more healthy options. White Pasta with Whole Wheat, Lean Beef, Light or Fat free options, White Rice for Brown Rice. Also, about portion size. A typical bagel with cream cheese compared to about 3 eggs, light toast, and veggies (maybe around the same calories?) Things like that. There handout were very pictorial (even on the website) about eating plans and what not. I never really did pay attention to macros with WW. I have been finding they do lack in that area....avoiding fat isnt always the best options. There points system use to label all fats as bad... when mono saturated and what not are healthy...in portion. I just feel with WW the food education is right infront of you. Where with MFP you sorta have to dig for it. And I also never bought the WW TV Dinners lol. I did it for 12 years and I have kept most the weight off. I figured I know how to eat healthy no and I dont need WW anymore.
Plus a side note....there database aint got nothing on MFP. I know there are errors in this system. I feel I have enough knowledge to spot one where the nutrition seems off.
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I did WW for over two years. I had lost the 10 pounds I wanted to lose, but then slowly as I've gotten older (the old M word), I started gaining no matter how diligent I was at tracking and exercising. After two months on the new WW program and having no success, I decided to give it up and searched the app's on my phone and found MFP. I am use to tracking, so that is no big deal. What I like so much about MFP is that you actually see the amount of calories, protein, sodium, etc you are consuming. I lost two pounds the first week. Increasing my protein intake has certainly helped me to be less hungry.0
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jgaffney86 wrote: »vivmom2014 wrote: »Maybe because she's an "old timer" member - but I wonder when you say that WW did an excellent job giving you a good food education. She still seems stuck in the mentality of: avoid fat like the plague. She also buys the WW foods in the grocery and some of those desserts just look so sad to me.
My main point from that is they taught me how to switch out the foods I ate regularly for more healthy options. White Pasta with Whole Wheat, Lean Beef, Light or Fat free options, White Rice for Brown Rice. Also, about portion size. A typical bagel with cream cheese compared to about 3 eggs, light toast, and veggies (maybe around the same calories?) Things like that. There handout were very pictorial (even on the website) about eating plans and what not. I never really did pay attention to macros with WW. I have been finding they do lack in that area....avoiding fat isnt always the best options. There points system use to label all fats as bad... when mono saturated and what not are healthy...in portion. I just feel with WW the food education is right infront of you. Where with MFP you sorta have to dig for it. And I also never bought the WW TV Dinners lol. I did it for 12 years and I have kept most the weight off. I figured I know how to eat healthy no and I dont need WW anymore.
Plus a side note....there database aint got nothing on MFP. I know there are errors in this system. I feel I have enough knowledge to spot one where the nutrition seems off.
I just don't find this valid. I don't think any one of these is "healthier" than the other, and all the white pastas, rices and breads are excellent for keeping me full. (Some of that whole wheat pasta tastes awful, imo.)
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I came from WW too. I was successful on an older version, then my weight loss stalled out. I am sure that I was eating too many calories, mainly because I found it hard to guesstimate for my eating out and even foods prepared at home. I also balked at the olive oil requirement--I was getting plenty of fat in my diet and didn't see the point in wasting the calories. I do think it helps for portion control, but I question some of their "healthy" value judgments. They seem to be susceptible to whatever the latest fad is--way back in the day you used to be required to eat liver once a week. Then it was dairy, now olive oil...0
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All great comments here thanks!
I have found brown rice and whole wheat pasta keep me full a little bit longer. Whole wheat is generally a healthier option for you. Although same in calories there is still alot more nutritional benefits from whole wheat (I usually buy organic whole wheat when I can)
But I have been reading alot more on fats and stuff that are more good for you. Read an article the other day from "Eat this and Not That" about how fats from like Milk, Peanut Butter, and what not help keep you full longer. I felt like ever since I joined MFP I have been opened up to a whole new world information than into the 4 corners of weight watchers. Anyone else find this? lol0 -
It's good that you are getting an idea as to what you want to eat, but don't let somebody else tell you what not to eat, just come to your own conclusions.0
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vivmom2014 wrote: »RE: the Weight Watchers desserts - the only ones worth a darn are the ice cream treats. They are fine!!!!! I also do like the WW frozen meals from time to time for a quickie lunch.
The newer WW regime (the one I started attending 10+ years ago) was encouraging you to be sure to have at least 2tsp. of healthy fat a day (like olive oil) and while they told you to be sure to eat x amount of servings of protein, etc...I still ended up with a very high carb low cal, low protein, lowfat diet - I was obsessed with eating the lowest amounts of points I could so that I could eat more volume and be "full" - not realizing I was depriving my body of necessary nutrients and not being satisfied. I was often fatigued too. This is my problem for not interpreting the WW data properly, but I still think assigning points values to foods without emphasizing the AMOUNTs of iron, protein, fat, etc. you MUST have every day is encouraging the type of behavior I displayed, and in the example above.
Thanks Wizzy. My kids have eaten the WW ice cream treats when at Nonna's and they like them.
When you mentioned olive oil, it reminded me that my mother-in-law adds a tablespoon of olive oil to her oatmeal - not that she wants to but that she "has" to, ala WW requirements.
True or not, it doesn't sound all that enjoyable.
EWWWWW I would never add olive oil to my OATMEAL!!! Gag!!!!!!!!!!! Add it to veggies with a little garlic....but oatmeal??? echhh!
where I live we have a orange flavored olive oil ...... that may taste better...... lol I did WW but I prefer this much more. It has been a steady weight loss, and when I do not see the numbers on the scale move down I do see it in my clothing getting looser. And let me not forget the people everyone is super helpful and very encourageing I love that0 -
jgaffney86 wrote: »All great comments here thanks!
I have found brown rice and whole wheat pasta keep me full a little bit longer. Whole wheat is generally a healthier option for you. Although same in calories there is still alot more nutritional benefits from whole wheat (I usually buy organic whole wheat when I can)
Regular whole wheat bread and white bread have the same glycemic index. If your bread is filled with whole grains, that may be another story. Still - it strikes me as a trendy thing to toss around this word "healthier." ALL food is beneficial within the context of a varied, nutritious diet that meets macros. (And for weight loss, stays under your calorie goal.)
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I felt WW only gave me half the education on what would keep me full. Unfortunately, WW LOVES their fibre. But fibre does next to nothing to help me (specifically) stay full. They're also anti-fat. Which is huge source of satiety for me. And I've heard their new system is anti-sugar too? So all that's left if protein (lean - not fatty so basically just fish and chicken) and vegetables.
I would never go back.
Besides. Once I added it all up on MFP for a week or so and found they had me on 1100 calories a day. No wonder I felt like crap the whole time . I lost 25 lbs in 3.5 months (and I wasn't overweight - I started when I reached the very top lb of my healthy BMI). I should have been losing 0.5 lb/week not nearly 2 lbs/week.0 -
I felt WW only gave me half the education on what would keep me full. Unfortunately, WW LOVES their fibre. But fibre does next to nothing to help me (specifically) stay full. They're also anti-fat. Which is huge source of satiety for me. And I've heard their new system is anti-sugar too? So all that's left if protein (lean - not fatty so basically just fish and chicken) and vegetables.
I would never go back.
Besides. They had me on 1100 calories a day. No wonder I felt like crap the whole time once I added it all up on MFP for a week or so.
Oh yes - to the bolded. (Well, to all of it, really.) My MIL is truly obsessed with fiber. WW must hammer the fiber message home to the "nth" degree!
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I am a WW member right now but considering quitting and just using this. My reason......their new plan.
I was really excited when they unveiled it because now they really penalize you points wise for sugar and fat.
No more fiber, that doesn't factor into their calculations. It's sugar, fat and protein now that make up a point.
I already had a very "clean" diet (not that clean fanatic thing but mainly unprocessed foods) and was always appalled at the amount of crap other members ate and fit it into their week. I was losing on the old Points Plus. I stopped losing on the new Smart Points. Why? Because rather then trusting myself to know when I'd had enough, I trusted them when they gave me 30 PP a day. And guess what? It's great for me for maintenance. But I am really quite satisfied with 23-26 PP a day. When I questioned their expert chat I was told that a PP value can be anywhere from 30 to 100 calories. They expect you to eat a certain amount of sugary or fatty foods which brings the points up but may not bring the calories up. I should have realized this on my own as I was usually full on 23-26 but again, I trusted them to know what points I should get.
I don't feel like I am getting that much out of the meetings anymore and frankly this app is a lot better then theirs.
I am a runner, a cyclist, I hike, kayak etc. IOW I am quite active and I can't relate to the people their who can't seem to even get a days worth of activity in. It's really a great program for people who don't know how to eat, especially now when they emphasize unprocessed foods and moving and loving yourself. Just not sure I need them anymore.
I lost about 28 pounds and have another 15-18 to get to my goal. Just as a frame of reference.0 -
Just curious also.....have they ever gotten thru updating there website? It was just terrible. Also....there community seemed to have greatly dwindled down.....0
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I lost 35 pounds on WW old, old program (Points) and I maintained that loss for several years as a lifetime member. On this program, points were pretty easy to estimate (you could do it yourself) and were based only on fat (penalized), calories (penalized), and fiber (rewarded). Most times, the points/calories ratio ended up about 35-70 calories per point, but you could be quite successful assuming about 50 calories/point. I also tested it with calorie counting and averaged about 1,100-1,200 calories/day (plus exercise), plus a couple of slightly higher splurge days. This is the same range that I stick to with MFP now. I didn't like the over-emphasis on fiber and that protein wasn't accounted for. They definitely ended up pushing folks into a high carb, low fat diet--very 80's!
However, I left WW when they switched to the Points+ program. I tried that for a couple of months and gained weight! I found I had to be super vigilant (to the point of really not following the program anymore) with that program to avoid gaining, because of the "free" fruits and vegetables and because the foods I tend to sort towards naturally are lower point value foods. So, my calories were at the higher end of their estimated minimum daily range, while as a 5'2" woman, I should have been at the lower end.
After leaving WW and coming to MFP, I appreciate that I can find the macro balance that satisfies me, which happens to be higher fat and protein (explaining why I'm way less hangry now than I was then!). Also, I have more control with my daily and weekly calories, since they aren't masked by obscure points systems. Finally, as others have mentioned, it's free! Even though I didn't have to regularly pay as a lifetime member, I had to take the time to go to meetings or I would have to start paying. With a convenient location/time, really good leader and group of friends in the group (which I had while losing), that was fine, but it got too inconvenient to keep going after that group stopped.
Overall, it does help some people who really have no nutritional knowledge, but for those who get it, I think MFP is better.0 -
I did WW a little over 20 years ago, and hit goal weight. Due to a chronic illness, I gained all my weight back and more. I had been doing WW at work when I hit goal, and started going to WW meetings elsewhere, but I found it very frustrating. The meetings were crowded, and if you weren't first in line to get weighed in, the wait to get weighed would last almost all the way through the meeting. I quit. I did try the WW free version several years ago, but quit that, too.
Then I walked into the nutrition department at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, and found that they had a similar program, and the nutritionists coordinating the program used MFP as their food and fitness tracker. I found after a couple of years that weighing in every week created a lot of anxiety for me, and I do much better weighing in once a month.0 -
jgaffney86 wrote: »Just curious also.....have they ever gotten thru updating there website? It was just terrible. Also....there community seemed to have greatly dwindled down.....
It's gotten much better since they first changed. Still doesn't have the multi add and remember what you eat function that this site has. The community in my opinion was sucky and is even suckier now.0 -
I did WW a little over 20 years ago, and hit goal weight. Due to a chronic illness, I gained all my weight back and more. I had been doing WW at work when I hit goal, and started going to WW meetings elsewhere, but I found it very frustrating. The meetings were crowded, and if you weren't first in line to get weighed in, the wait to get weighed would last almost all the way through the meeting. I quit. I did try the WW free version several years ago, but quit that, too.
Then I walked into the nutrition department at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, and found that they had a similar program, and the nutritionists coordinating the program used MFP as their food and fitness tracker. I found after a couple of years that weighing in every week created a lot of anxiety for me, and I do much better weighing in once a month.
Yes! I had a similar experience with the difference between "at work" (when it did work for me) and the regular ones (not as good). Also, I think the weekly weigh ins would end up encouraging a lot of unhealthy habits to try to make weigh in, like starving the day before and trying to shed water weight as if we were boxers (I'm ashamed to admit that I actually spent more than one weigh in day morning spitting into a cup.....and it worked!
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