Is it worth staying on WW

I joined here because I'm overweight and unemployed and can't afford WW's fees. I'm finding that MFP is working better for me than WW ever did. Of course, I can only speak for myself, but now that I know this place exists, even if I landed a job or won the lottery tomorrow, I'd stick with this site.

lostemt wrote: »

I ready to throw in the towel and give up. Please help

Every time I read someone say this I have one question pop into my mind. It sounds kitteny but it's probably worth saying.

What exactly do you think you'll achieve by giving up?

Giving up will get you exactly nowhere. Obviously, WW isn't working for you. But instead of throwing in the towel and giving up - you have this site. Have you tried logging and tracking the MFP way?

I really enjoyed my time with Weight Watchers and really was sad that i had to cancel my subscription. This app has really been a blessing, i have been losing more weight with it than i ever did on Weight Watchers. Another positive is that it is free. I liked the tracking ability that WW offers, so that fact that i can track with this app is a plus. Good luck

Cancelled WW last month. Like MFP far better - macros/nutrients, true calories with no "free" foods that can totally negate any deficit, much more diverse and successful community and I learn a lot more here. Only benefit of WW in my opinion is meetings for those who like that kind of thing. I found them excruciating.

My step mother has had GREAT success with weight watchers. She lost somewhere between 40-60lbs. If you're not having any success with it, then you have to realize that maybe it's not for you! Or you may want to sit down with someone at WW and have them help you figure out what is going wrong and how to fix it. Don't give up! Let's explore our options!

1. Meet with someone who runs the program. Tell them your frustrations and see what advice they can give you. If that advice works, great!

2. Reexamine your exercise & the calories you're getting back from it. In order for me to have 2,000 calories to spend for the entire day (starting with a base of 1200), I have to be breaking myself on my bike trainer for 2 hours (expending ~130watts of power average) to get that extra 800 calories. I'm a long distance endurance cyclist, and while I'm not saying it's impossible for you to do this, chances are you are not putting forth that much effort, plus another hour and a half's worth, to get 2500 total by doing zumba and bodypump (this is all working off the assumption that your daily calorie goal is 1200. If it's higher, such as 1500, my point still stands on how much effort you'd have to put forth just to burn 1000 extra calories).

3. Reexamine your food. As a previous poster mentioned, some foods that WW may consider to be "free" may not be at all. For me, 100-200 calories can make or break my day at this point (I'm 5'6, 141, and trying to push down to 130). An apple is usually 80 calories (average). If you eat five applies, you just ate 400 calories! While nutritious, it's certainly not free. Even broccoli can run up a tally if you eat a lot of it (although you would have to eat A LOT!). It is amazing how 30 calories here, 50 calories there, can add up.

4. In addition to point 4, ever consider weighing your food? Even if you do WW, serving sizes can be difficult to determine (when I started, I was shocked to realize I was usually eating 7-8oz of meat instead of 3!) Food labels can also be terribly inaccurate (A can of green beans says that there are 3.5 servings but after weighing, I've found that there's usually 1.5 - 1.75). Doing this may help you continue to use the WW system, but make sure you are eating true serving sizes.

5. If none of that works, it may be time to see your doctor and rule out medical issues!

Good luck

AmandaOmega wrote: »

My step mother has had GREAT success with weight watchers. She lost somewhere between 40-60lbs. If you're not having any success with it, then you have to realize that maybe it's not for you! Or you may want to sit down with someone at WW and have them help you figure out what is going wrong and how to fix it. Don't give up! Let's explore our options!

1. Meet with someone who runs the program. Tell them your frustrations and see what advice they can give you. If that advice works, great!

2. Reexamine your exercise & the calories you're getting back from it. In order for me to have 2,000 calories to spend for the entire day (starting with a base of 1200), I have to be breaking myself on my bike trainer for 2 hours (expending ~130watts of power average) to get that extra 800 calories. I'm a long distance endurance cyclist, and while I'm not saying it's impossible for you to do this, chances are you are not putting forth that much effort, plus another hour and a half's worth, to get 2500 total by doing zumba and bodypump (this is all working off the assumption that your daily calorie goal is 1200. If it's higher, such as 1500, my point still stands on how much effort you'd have to put forth just to burn 1000 extra calories).

3. Reexamine your food. As a previous poster mentioned, some foods that WW may consider to be "free" may not be at all. For me, 100-200 calories can make or break my day at this point (I'm 5'6, 141, and trying to push down to 130). An apple is usually 80 calories (average). If you eat five applies, you just ate 400 calories! While nutritious, it's certainly not free. Even broccoli can run up a tally if you eat a lot of it (although you would have to eat A LOT!). It is amazing how 30 calories here, 50 calories there, can add up.

4. In addition to point 4, ever consider weighing your food? Even if you do WW, serving sizes can be difficult to determine (when I started, I was shocked to realize I was usually eating 7-8oz of meat instead of 3!) Food labels can also be terribly inaccurate (A can of green beans says that there are 3.5 servings but after weighing, I've found that there's usually 1.5 - 1.75). Doing this may help you continue to use the WW system, but make sure you are eating true serving sizes.

5. If none of that works, it may be time to see your doctor and rule out medical issues!

Good luck

This is excellent advise. I have done WW and have had success. Examine what you are eating on WW, if you are eating your exercise points and if you are being accurate in tracking (i.e. weighing foods, etc.).

I lost 50 lbs on MFP last year but fell off of the wagon after vacation and then started working from home full time. I gained 30 lbs back and it was quick. I decided to try WW a few weeks ago for something different and the no counting fruits and vegetables. I liked it at first but I'm so used to counting calories that the point thing was a hard adjustment. Small, lower calorie meals I used to eat regularly on MFP were too high in points on WW. I realized that trying to adjust to WW was making me depressed. I quit yesterday and came back to MFP.

newheavensearth wrote: »

I have had great success on WW, however the new program offers no caloric consistency or stability. I have been yoyoing with the same 5 to 8 lbs for a year since the changeover to the new program. I get 30 pts but that 30 can be anywhere from 1200 to 2000 calories (according to my logs here), and now that I'm a lot smaller that's a heck of a lot of difference. It means losing one week or gaining the next. Exactly what's happening! I like the meetings, the materials, and the friendships I've made there. Those are the only things that keep me going back. But here my food choices are more flexible, and it's so much easier to flip over a package and look at the info than to pull out a phone or a book to look up Points. Plus consistent (though slow) losses! You need to decide which is more worth it to you.

Agree with ⬆️ I think it works much better for people with a lot to lose. It's just not tight enough for those with less to lose - you have to pretty exact in your caloric intake when you only have a 250 deficit.

I did WW in the 90s, mostly in support of my wife. The main advantage were the meetings, but I never met people with similar goals to mine. Having a real (not just online) community is very helpful. It's best to do MyFitnessPal with a friend or two.