How Can Fruit be "Free" on Weight Watchers

bjalter
bjalter Posts: 43
edited September 29 in Health and Weight Loss
After 6 successful weeks on MFP (21 pounds), I cannot grasp how WW can treat fruit as point-free. On an average day, I'll eat 200-300 calories in fruit, and I count every one of those calories. I can't imagine that this is built into your points total, because there are surely many WW members who don't eat any fruit at all -- and get the same number of points. When they switched to this new version of the plan, the leaders made it a point to reassure everybody that "yes, even bananas are free".... If WW is just another, albeit patented, method of counting calories, this just doesn't compute.
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Replies

  • ChantalGG
    ChantalGG Posts: 2,404 Member
    They will change it when it fails.
  • amw8675309
    amw8675309 Posts: 95 Member
    from what i've heard, it's not unlimited free. you are able to have x number of servings that are "free" which really means it's built into the equation for you, you just don't count it

    they changed everything around to make it seem like you are eating more food--they tried to build in veggies and fruits as being "free" so that peole didnt game teh system and hoard their points to eat junk while skipping out on fruits and vegetables
  • spinurbuttoff
    spinurbuttoff Posts: 74
    That one of the reasons WW didn't work for me...I ate WAY too much fruit. I figured why not...it's free. Nothing is free.
  • kao708
    kao708 Posts: 813 Member
    Yeah, I think it's basically to get people to eat more fruits and veggies. If you feel like you don't have to "waste" points on fruit, you might be prone to eat more...at least I think that is what their thought process was. Who knows if it will work or not...time will tell!
  • Crooks0204
    Crooks0204 Posts: 189
    My husband and I both tried the new WW points plus system and neither one of us had any good results with it! So came came back to MFP.............shoulda never left:huh:
  • bjalter
    bjalter Posts: 43
    No, that's not how it works. They just tell you to not eat till you're stuffed, but otherwise fruit really is points-plus-free...
  • hazelnutflav
    hazelnutflav Posts: 391 Member
    the key is moderation,fresh fruit is 100% all natural not a processed food so its considered free, also my thinking is most people dont over eat fruit like they do other "junk"foods so it should not be a problem eat as much as you want, which im sure will be very little:/
  • agleckle
    agleckle Posts: 235 Member
    Well before, when I was signed up under the old system of weight watchers, fruit was super point-y and it made you want to limit your fruit. Now under their new system, I think they are trying to encourage people to eat fruits by making it point-free while trying to bank on the fact that people won't go crazy and eat too much fruit (since people generally binge on junk food rather than healthy things like fruit). I personally dont see how it will work if people actually take advantage of it and eat a ton of fruit along with their regular calories each day, either.
  • VeganGal84
    VeganGal84 Posts: 938 Member
    It wasn't a free-for-all with the fruit on WW. It's only until satisfied, just like zero-points veggies. Not permission to binge-eat on bananas.

    I lost just fine on the PointsPlus program, eating 2 or 3 pieces of fruit daily on average.
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
    My friend is a ww couselor and said the "free" is really substantially aimed at people who don't eat fruits and veggies at all to get them into the habit of eating them. I don't know how successful free fruit really is, because I eat a lot of calories in fruit, but I definitely see it as one of the limitations in ww. I can ride the veggie train, there are so few calories in most veggies, but fruit I just don't agree with.
  • swinginchandra
    swinginchandra Posts: 418 Member
    the key is moderation,fresh fruit is 100% all natural not a processed food so its considered free, also my thinking is most people dont over eat fruit like they do other "junk"foods so it should not be a problem eat as much as you want, which im sure will be very little:/
    hahah, wow, how different I am from most people... I could easily eat 3k calories in fruit a day. Have before, I'm sure. Whole bags of cherries, cartons of strawberries... love love love me some fruit. If it wasn't so expensive, I'd probably eat nothing else.
  • amw8675309
    amw8675309 Posts: 95 Member
    No, that's not how it works. They just tell you to not eat till you're stuffed, but otherwise fruit really is points-plus-free...

    "stuffed" and satisfied are 2 different things. i guaruntee weight watchers is not advocating eatching fruit until you are "stuffed" i've done the proram a number of times and they always advocate eating until satisfied, but no further than that.

    also, as i mentioend before, i am sure they are factoring in people will eat an average of xxx calories in fruits/veggies a day and adjusting points targets accordingly so that you are still essentially eating teh same amount. yes, some people will over do it and not lose weight... but that could be said for any diet
  • EdensMummy
    EdensMummy Posts: 106 Member
    It's free on Slimming World too, always has been.
  • amberc1982
    amberc1982 Posts: 468 Member
    When I did weight watchers it would acutally start adding points if you went over a serving of certain fruits and veggies in one day. Like I would eat Birds Eye steamfresh corn and it would add a point if I ate over the standard serving amount. It also stats on the site that they only recommend you eat so many zero point items.
  • Tracysteele
    Tracysteele Posts: 7 Member
    just joined mfp: we have same start and goal within a couple pounds--163 towards 133. I love your trackers.
  • voluptas63
    voluptas63 Posts: 602 Member
    I lost 45lbs on WW and I never counted a single fruit or vegetable (unless it was a starchy veg like corn or potato). It just worked for me:)
  • VickiMitkins
    VickiMitkins Posts: 249 Member
    IMO its just another marketing ploy to get people to buy more program materials.... Sorry so negative, but really why in the world would you count points instead of calories? It's actually more confusing. It's a formula based on calories, fat and fiber. By making it complicated people need to purchase materials (or pay for web access) so they will be able to follow what is supposed to be a super simple plan. And, why would WW license food manufacturers to say how many points WW gives each of its foods. Believe me, those manufaturers pay for the right to say WW Point total 3. It's big time marketing. I don't even have a degree in marketing. It's just that obvious.
  • sarah829522
    sarah829522 Posts: 139
    co-workers on WW eat kitkats after their baggies of grapes. i just sigh silently and agree fruit shouldn't be totally "free"
  • bjalter
    bjalter Posts: 43
    IMO its just another marketing ploy to get people to buy more program materials.... Sorry so negative, but really why in the world would you count points instead of calories? It's actually more confusing. It's a formula based on calories, fat and fiber. By making it complicated people need to purchase materials (or pay for web access) so they will be able to follow what is supposed to be a super simple plan. And, why would WW license food manufacturers to say how many points WW gives each of its foods. Believe me, those manufaturers pay for the right to say WW Point total 3. It's big time marketing. I don't even have a degree in marketing. It's just that obvious.
  • bjalter
    bjalter Posts: 43
    IMO its just another marketing ploy to get people to buy more program materials.... Sorry so negative, but really why in the world would you count points instead of calories? It's actually more confusing. It's a formula based on calories, fat and fiber. By making it complicated people need to purchase materials (or pay for web access) so they will be able to follow what is supposed to be a super simple plan. And, why would WW license food manufacturers to say how many points WW gives each of its foods. Believe me, those manufaturers pay for the right to say WW Point total 3. It's big time marketing. I don't even have a degree in marketing. It's just that obvious.

    Big time marketing indeed. Have you seen how they push all those unhealthy candy bars on their members, and at ridiculous prices too. There are so many cheaper, healthier snack options (many involving chocolate) out there (e.g., Luna bars, Kashi bars, Clif bars, Balance bars, etc.)
  • sufikitkat
    sufikitkat Posts: 583 Member
    WW has worked for my friends...but only when they exercised enough. One of my friends on WW has picked up running and runs 4 times a week, cross trains 2, and has been the most successful she has ever been on the program. So I think the way they run it does work as long as you put in the work overall.
  • Petunia32
    Petunia32 Posts: 24
    I've done WW before and I would plug my calories in to somewhere like this and 29pts including free fruit and veg did work out to be about 1200 calories most days, so they do factor it in somehow. I lost pretty well on it, it's just the cost of the membership that puts me off these days.
  • shanice_22
    shanice_22 Posts: 202 Member
    I read somewhere that you get a minimum of 29 points each day and a total of 49 weekly points so you can eat more than your daily points allowance. And apparently 1 point is equivalent to about 40 calories so if you do 29x40 it equals roughly 1160 calories , so if that's right then obviously 1160 calories a day isn't enough so eating fruit/veg would take you over that and give you a suitable amount of calories a day. I'm guessing that's how it works anyway?
  • DuffWomam
    DuffWomam Posts: 1
    Yes, it's true, it is free. and yes, i was too skeptical as fruit has so much sugars. But, what people are doing wrong is that the think that since fruit is worth 0pp then they'll eat too much fruit in place other foods and this being bad as you're not getting all the other nutrients required for a balanced diet. IMPORTANT: Yes, fruit is free but only, ONLY eat when you're truly hungry (which shouldn't be too often if you're making smart meal choices) for a healthy snack. What people are doing wrong is taking the 0pp on fruit to their advantage and eating too much when they want & when they're not even hungry. Keep that in mind :) yes, fruit is marvelous and a real treat from mother nature but watch how much you take in and when :) best of luck - I hope I helped someone :) (& made some sense! ;)
  • queenhiphop
    queenhiphop Posts: 286 Member
    They will change it when it fails.

    No they won't - it is making them money.
    People won't leave until they have seen significant results.
    If they aren't losing weight fast, but still losing something, they'll continue to pay to go to the weekly meetings and buy all the pointless merchandise.
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
    Have you ever met someone who got fat eating too much fruit?
  • queenhiphop
    queenhiphop Posts: 286 Member
    IMO its just another marketing ploy to get people to buy more program materials.... Sorry so negative, but really why in the world would you count points instead of calories? It's actually more confusing. It's a formula based on calories, fat and fiber. By making it complicated people need to purchase materials (or pay for web access) so they will be able to follow what is supposed to be a super simple plan. And, why would WW license food manufacturers to say how many points WW gives each of its foods. Believe me, those manufaturers pay for the right to say WW Point total 3. It's big time marketing. I don't even have a degree in marketing. It's just that obvious.

    this
  • shewhowrestleswolves
    shewhowrestleswolves Posts: 25
    Have you ever met someone who got fat eating too much fruit?

    I have
  • myohana4
    myohana4 Posts: 205 Member
    I don't understand the free points either. If it is already calculated into your points and you are not eating that many fruits and veggies it would seem to me that those people are under their calorie goals consistently.

    I have never done Weight Watchers. I was wondering if on WW if they tell you what your target calorie goal would be or is every thing based on the point system alone? I struggle with my calorie goal and wonder if MFP is accurate. I was wondering if I joined WW if it would give me a different perspective on what my calorie intake should be.
  • ZombieSidwell
    ZombieSidwell Posts: 40
    I think it is all about moderation and teaching to eat healthy. I think that you have to find what works for you whether it be counting points or calories. I have been following weight watchers and it works for me. I have lost 57 pounds so far. Other people find more success in counting calories. I think it really comes down to learning how to eat healthy and making better choices either way.
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