Why Weight Watchers doesn’t work? 5 reasons

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Replies

  • bmpal
    bmpal Posts: 36

    First let me say, i'm not a fan of WW b/c I think it is a "middle man". But I can tell from my own personal experience that it isn't a gimmick. It is based on calories in and calories out. Had you ever been to a meeting you would know they promote clean eating in all of their introduction materials, and encourage members to choose the right foods.

    The only difference between WW and MFP is that WW has turned calories into points using a calculation. See a middle man. How people use it or abuse it is up to them, the same way MFP or any weight loss system is.

    Agreed. Although I do think the point system helps some people get over the fear and anxiety of calorie counting. It seems to make it easier for some to grasp.
  • amymeenieminymo
    amymeenieminymo Posts: 2,394 Member
    I've never used weight watchers, but from what I know of it, it's the same concept as MFP except it costs money and they use points instead of calories.

    My biggest issue with that article was saying that you just have to stay within your points, you can eat pizza and coke and it doesn't promote healthy living. Welllll, you can do the same thing here basically. I get 1550 calories a day....if I chose to, I could spend that entire allottment on eating fast food....

    My opinion is that WW and MFP are the same in that you get out what you put in....if you just come here, eat whatever you want while logging, yes you might lose weight but you'll still be unhealthy, or you can be proative, learn a little something and use both programs to their fullest.
  • divediva2
    divediva2 Posts: 297 Member
    Weight loss is a multi billion dollar business in this world. And while we are not paying for the use of this site, the advertising is paying for it.

    WW, TOPS, Jenny Craig, Fitness trainers, Dieticians.... I could go on. All are there to show you a way to lose weight. And they all want to make a living while doing it!

    Here it is,the magic formula for losing weight!!! calories in versus calories out, simple math. You have to run a calorie deficit in order to lose weight. Not rocket science and you already know this. It is not a deep dark secret hidden away. You can do it in a healthy way by eating healthy nutritious foods, exercising to build muscle or you can eat a fad diet and not exercise at all or you can do anywhere in between. We all get to make the choice.

    I personally feel that WW does promote a healthy lifestyle while telling it's members that they can have their cake and eat it too! The author of the above article misses this point for some reason only known to him. He is entitled to his opinion. I loved the old WW program, but am not a fan of the new one. I am no longer a member after many years with the program. One thing I am grateful to WW for is teaching me to read labels, understand healthy eating habits and encouraging me to make wise choices.
  • Ocarina
    Ocarina Posts: 1,550 Member
    "I have heard stories from attendees who said that they and their fellow ‘watchers’ would queue up outside the toilet before their weekly weigh-in so the scales would tell them they’d lost that little bit extra. Then – and I’m sure this isn’t uncommon – they’d go and get a takeaway to treat themselves for their loss."



    I had to laugh at this just personally because my mom was notorious for this. Before we would walk into a TOPS meeting she would make us go pee and then we would weigh in.

    LOL...my mom did that, too, when she went to WW meetings in the 80's. I have also heard of WW members who would actually undress (mostly) before weighing.

    BUT, before you judge, consider this: I just looked at a thread here on MFP that asked when & how you weigh in. Nearly everyone said AFTER they pee, and while naked. Go figure.

    LOL yeah I totally am guilty of it. I feel the optimal time is on Weigh day in the morning before I eat anything. :D I guess it makes me feel better if I weigh in the middle of the week and I'm up a pound as I know its just water weight or food passing through. Pretty funny what we do to see that number drop! :)
  • Qarol
    Qarol Posts: 6,171 Member
    MOST IMPORTANTLY- WW charges you. How many posters on here have you seen that spend hundreds of dollars on WW and then asked why they didn't find MFP earlier? I'm so happy the creator of MFP just wanted people to be healthy and not make money off it.
    Exactly! And personal trainers charge you, too. IMO, an obscene amount. But I don't like spending money when there's a ton of research I can do and knowledge to be found for free.
    That being said, I don't knock people who choose to pay for help in their weight loss, whether it's WW or personal trainers. But I don't like paying for it.
  • caretheaton
    caretheaton Posts: 90 Member
    Like others have stated, whether WW works or not isn't an issue with the program, but with the person following the program. WW doesn't market themselves as a "diet." They aim to help people make a lifestyle change to lead a healthy life. I followed WW for many years and attribute it to saving me from obesity. It taught me that I could eat some of the foods that I love (cake, pizza, margaritas), but they were to be saved for special occasions and not part of my daily intake. It's a pretty simple concept: The more processed, fatty, and generally unhealthy food = higher in points. The more natural, lean, and nutrionally balanced food = lower in points. If you can do simple math, you learn pretty quickly that choosing the heathier food means you can eat more and avoid hunger.

    As with any diet program, it can be misued. Of course it is possible that someone could eat nothing but pop and pizza on WW. What it teaches you is that if you use all your points to eat 3 slices of pizza and a half a liter of pop in one meal, you will be hungry for the rest of the day. But if you eat oatmeal for breakfast, a turkey sandwich for lunch, grilled chicken salad for dinner, plus all the fresh fruits and vegetables you want whenever you get hungry, you will be consuming the same amount of points as the pizza meal but be satisfied and full of energy all day. The person who is going to choose the pizza meal every time isn't someone who is ready for a serious life change, and would not be successful at losing weight and keeping it off on any program.
  • CowGrllJane
    CowGrllJane Posts: 2 Member
    I think it is strange that out of all the programs out there that this author chose to target Weight Watchers. It is much more affordable and sensible then many programs out there. I have a chronic/lifelong struggle with obesity but lost alot of weight on WW and kept most (not all) of it off. I didn't get to goal but it helped me tremendously and I learned alot about portion control and the way to eat better.

    I personally got burned out on it and want to do something different now, but it is a very good sensible program. If you follow the guidelines (it ISN'T just points, there are healhty eating and activity guidelines) you are not likely to be hungry and you lose weight at a moderate, safe pace.

    Maybe because I had so much to lose, I didn't get too wrapped up in weigh in shenanigans. I mean, in the end, it doesn't matter too much if you pee first and weigh 0.1 pound less at the weigh in....
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
    I also want to point out that WW does not just teach you to eat their pre-packaged foods. I have a friend that tried Jenny Craig for years. She said she did not like that program because it just taught her to eat THEIR food.
  • slimmerchick
    slimmerchick Posts: 189 Member
    bump for later

    Without reading it will just say that I started out on ww a year ago and got to goal 23/11/10, I am currently 3 lb lighter than that goal weight


    and much happier with myself than I was a year ago!
  • Frankie3333
    Frankie3333 Posts: 53 Member
    I have done WW on and off for about the last 8 years. At my thinnest, I lose 25 lbs, then quickly gained it back in 1 summer. It made me so obsessed with food that I became bulimic (this is not WW's fault, I was dealing with some personal issues too). I have taken the last 2 off because I wasn't using it in a healthy way anymore. I loved the meetings and found so much support there. Unfortunately, I don't think it is realistic to follow for life and gets very expensive.

    I think this program is much better than the fad diets out there (atkins, cookie diet, master cleanse). I would much rather see a friend doing WW than any of those.
  • jenny95662
    jenny95662 Posts: 997 Member
    Excuse me,but weight watches does work. When I was with weightwatches I lost 80lbs in 7months. I exercised daily and watched what I ate. I have friends currently on weightwatchers and it is working perfectly for them.

    I'm doing P90X and eating very well and I have seen great results, so the article that you found, must have been a hater from the weightwatchers program.

    i agree i lost 80 pounds on iww and only reason i gained was during pregnancy otherwise i kept my 80 pounds off for 3 yrs!!!!
  • jenny95662
    jenny95662 Posts: 997 Member

    I made the switch to MFP from WW Online for a few reasons: the mobile app was better, it was FREE, and you can better track other nutrients, such as fiber and calcium intake. Otherwise, nothing else is different...I still exercise, make the right nutritional choices, etc. MFP just uses calories, where WW uses points (which are based on calories/fat/fiber, rather than just calories). That's the ONLY difference.

    thats why i switched lol
  • VaBeachNurse
    VaBeachNurse Posts: 65
    Weight loss is a multi billion dollar business in this world. And while we are not paying for the use of this site, the advertising is paying for it.

    WW, TOPS, Jenny Craig, Fitness trainers, Dieticians.... I could go on. All are there to show you a way to lose weight. And they all want to make a living while doing it!

    Here it is,the magic formula for losing weight!!! calories in versus calories out, simple math. You have to run a calorie deficit in order to lose weight. Not rocket science and you already know this. It is not a deep dark secret hidden away. You can do it in a healthy way by eating healthy nutritious foods, exercising to build muscle or you can eat a fad diet and not exercise at all or you can do anywhere in between. We all get to make the choice.

    I personally feel that WW does promote a healthy lifestyle while telling it's members that they can have their cake and eat it too! The author of the above article misses this point for some reason only known to him. He is entitled to his opinion. I loved the old WW program, but am not a fan of the new one. I am no longer a member after many years with the program. One thing I am grateful to WW for is teaching me to read labels, understand healthy eating habits and encouraging me to make wise choices.


    Exactly! And any Physician will tell you that Weight Watchers is the best "commercial" program available.
  • VaBeachNurse
    VaBeachNurse Posts: 65
    Like others have stated, whether WW works or not isn't an issue with the program, but with the person following the program. WW doesn't market themselves as a "diet." They aim to help people make a lifestyle change to lead a healthy life. I followed WW for many years and attribute it to saving me from obesity. It taught me that I could eat some of the foods that I love (cake, pizza, margaritas), but they were to be saved for special occasions and not part of my daily intake. It's a pretty simple concept: The more processed, fatty, and generally unhealthy food = higher in points. The more natural, lean, and nutrionally balanced food = lower in points. If you can do simple math, you learn pretty quickly that choosing the heathier food means you can eat more and avoid hunger.

    As with any diet program, it can be misued. Of course it is possible that someone could eat nothing but pop and pizza on WW. What it teaches you is that if you use all your points to eat 3 slices of pizza and a half a liter of pop in one meal, you will be hungry for the rest of the day. But if you eat oatmeal for breakfast, a turkey sandwich for lunch, grilled chicken salad for dinner, plus all the fresh fruits and vegetables you want whenever you get hungry, you will be consuming the same amount of points as the pizza meal but be satisfied and full of energy all day. The person who is going to choose the pizza meal every time isn't someone who is ready for a serious life change, and would not be successful at losing weight and keeping it off on any program.


    I agree 100%
  • mstcass
    mstcass Posts: 63 Member
    That's what I said!
  • girlwednesday1970
    girlwednesday1970 Posts: 1
    Weight Watcher's DID NOT WORK for me at all...I had been the same healthy weight all my adult life, never ate packaged foods, till I dislocated my jaw and collar bone..I had to take steroids and gained 30 lbs in 2 months.. after I stopped the steroids, I was still unable to lose the weight ... desperate, I joined WW.
    I was starving all the time, had horrible headaches, and lost a total of 3 lbs in 12 weeks! I kept complaining, but the WW leaders would just stare blankly and suggest I eat, 'filling foods' ..Well, a chicken breast would surpass the allowed points for a meal...or they would suggest unhealthy foods like an english muffin and cheese wiz, crap I would never eat before the weight gain..
    To lose weight, I basically just cut back calories, went back to eating healthful foods, and upped my work outs to 1 hour a day , 5 days a week...and now Im halfway there on my weight loss..

    Personally I think WW is for people who dont understand portion control..
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
    I have a question about WW for those in the "know" . . . so you have the point system. Does the number of points that you consume in a day increase or change with activity level, or that's your points and that's it so that if you are a woman who spends 3 hours in the gym a day burning off 1000 or more calories you still get the same number of points as you would if you sat on the couch?
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    Whoever wrote this article has some gross misunderstandings about nutrition.
  • smashatoms
    smashatoms Posts: 144 Member
    Thank you for this article, it was an interesting read.

    I think, like with any weight loss journey, it is a personal decision.
    Weight Watchers didn't work for me, but I know a lot of people who it did work for (as far as loosing the weight, but I have my own opinions on whether or not it really helps you maintain a healthy lifestyle).

    I have lost more weight by using MFP (properly) for two months, than I did by going to Weight Watchers for 8 months.
    This has been an invaluable tool for me, and the best part? It's free.

    I loved the ladies in my WW meeting, and I miss their support. That was the one thing I really did enjoy about it.
  • smashatoms
    smashatoms Posts: 144 Member
    I have to agree with what others are saying-- this article would benefit from some citation of sources.
    That is, if it wants to be taken seriously.
  • jaxson1974
    jaxson1974 Posts: 36
    "I have heard stories from attendees who said that they and their fellow ‘watchers’ would queue up outside the toilet before their weekly weigh-in so the scales would tell them they’d lost that little bit extra. Then – and I’m sure this isn’t uncommon – they’d go and get a takeaway to treat themselves for their loss."



    I had to laugh at this just personally because my mom was notorious for this. Before we would walk into a TOPS meeting she would make us go pee and then we would weigh in.

    LOL...my mom did that, too, when she went to WW meetings in the 80's. I have also heard of WW members who would actually undress (mostly) before weighing.

    BUT, before you judge, consider this: I just looked at a thread here on MFP that asked when & how you weigh in. Nearly everyone said AFTER they pee, and while naked. Go figure.

    LOL yeah I totally am guilty of it. I feel the optimal time is on Weigh day in the morning before I eat anything. :D I guess it makes me feel better if I weigh in the middle of the week and I'm up a pound as I know its just water weight or food passing through. Pretty funny what we do to see that number drop! :)

    And I too am guilty of this when I go weigh in at WW. I watch my salt the day before, eat very lightly the night before, and refuse to eat or drink anything until I step on the scale. I'm sure most of us have our idiosyncracies before weighing in, regardless of what program you are following.
  • bklyngirl71
    bklyngirl71 Posts: 381 Member
    w.w. has worked for plenty of people. i made lifetime 9 months ago and the weight has stayed off. my husband has lost over 200 lbs. w.w. shows you the right way to lose weight.
  • jaxson1974
    jaxson1974 Posts: 36
    I have a question about WW for those in the "know" . . . so you have the point system. Does the number of points that you consume in a day increase or change with activity level, or that's your points and that's it so that if you are a woman who spends 3 hours in the gym a day burning off 1000 or more calories you still get the same number of points as you would if you sat on the couch?

    You can earn Activity Points with exercise, and you can choose to eat them or not, however most people (especially very active people), find the weight comes off quicker using your Activity Points. WW encourages you to earn 28 Activity Points per week.
  • timberowl
    timberowl Posts: 331 Member
    I've been on WW for about a year and am about to quit. I found this post when I googled "why weight watchers doesn't work." I'm glad I read it. I lost 20 of my 45 lbs fast, and have been yo-yo'ing with the last 20-25 for over 6 months. I'm fed up, because one week I'll stick to my points and work out hard---I'm an avid runner. I'll run 50 miles in one week, and when I step on the scale, I will hav gained 1-3 pounds. The next week, I won't work out at all, and I'll have lost 1-3 lbs. Over and over. I'm tired of being punished for exercising.
  • timberowl
    timberowl Posts: 331 Member
    I agree that it teaches you to lose weight successfully, but not that it teaches you how to be healthy. Keep in mind that the numbers on the scale and the numbers in your bloodwork are completely separate. Unless you're morbidly obese, nutritional counseling is probably more effective that points counting.
  • jakidb
    jakidb Posts: 1,010 Member
    I've never personally tried WW but know ppl (fam memb) who did who have sucessfully, for years now, kept the weight off. Some ppl say Adkins didn't work--again, I know ppl who tried it and who sucessfully kept the weight off. I try not to "judge" various weight loss plans--do what works for you and stick with it. I enjoy MFP--there are ppl who criticize this site but I dnt let it "cloud my judgment". Do what works for you.
  • spm2010
    spm2010 Posts: 197 Member
    I spent $350 for their 5 months of meetings. I followed every single thing they told me to do and I lost 3lbs. When I tried talking to someone for help they would tell me oh you need to do this, so I'd do that, wouldn't lose, so try this, I tried that and still nothing. It works for some people, not everyone. Just like any other diet out there. But for those saying it works for everyone, than explain why it didn't work for me? The flex plan was awesome, this new one makes no sense.
  • Vailara
    Vailara Posts: 2,467 Member
    I'm not a big fan of Weight Watchers, but to be fair, most of these criticisms could be levelled at most of the diets out there.

    And I don't agree with the writer that eating sugar, fruit or butter will undo all your hard work - seriously?
  • osualex
    osualex Posts: 409 Member


    Why Weight Watchers Doesn’t Work – Reason 3: It works on a useless points system.
    On the Weight Watchers diet, you can eat pizza and drink coke. They take up more points though. That’s fine if you then just eat a little less to compensate.
    When a client of mine is on a fat loss diet, they’re educated as to how metabolism works and why any sugars (including fruit), solid-at-room-temperature fats and late night carbs of any kind are going to undo all their hard work. Oh, and alcohol too.
    Usually, they surprise themselves in adhering to this quite quickly. Why? because they know why it’s bad for them. Specifically.
    On the Weight Watchers diet, you could eat just about anything. Then if you eat less to compensate you’re again, slowing your metabolism.

    So, you're telling me that fruit, alcohol, late night carbs, and butter will undo my hard work? Please tell the 50 lbs I've lost that I ate ALL of these things every day, I must have tricked them off somehow anyway! I did WW for about 6 months and it helped me a lot. I don't do it any more, but I don't have a slowed metabolism, I eat a fair amount every day (well over 1200), and I have plenty of muscle mass. I don't do it any more because it costs $$ and I count calories here, but it's the same idea. Eat less, move more. If you eat a 700 calorie pizza and that's half your calories, then you need to work around that, no matter what. I think WW has issues (mostly that they only focus on numbers and don't incorporate exercise well, and don't focus on your macros the way they should) But I don't agree with this article at all.
  • lauren3101
    lauren3101 Posts: 1,853 Member
    I am taking a middle ground with Weight Watchers, I think it is a good plan if it is used the right way; the thing that annoys me is the awful microwave meals they promote as healthy.

    Having said that, I was only interested in this article up until this point:
    When a client of mine is on a fat loss diet, they’re educated as to how metabolism works and why any sugars (including fruit), solid-at-room-temperature fats and late night carbs of any kind are going to undo all their hard work.

    Wut? :huh:
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