Why I left Weight Watchers new "Freestyle" Program
Replies
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I just tried to cancel but they are going to charge me a cancellation fee... I’m going to call the # and try to argue that. I signed up for the previous program, not this one. I don’t think I should be penalized
I've cancelled WW several times in the past (always think the next try will be the "magic" one!), including just now because I don't like Freestyle. I've never been charged a cancellation fee. Are you sure about that? They don't give a refund, but no actual cancellation fee. If they insist it's a cancellation fee, I would definitely call and argue that. Again, I've never been charged anything when I've cancelled WW.1 -
Nony_Mouse wrote: »estherdragonbat wrote: »Ten eggs????? Yeesh. I typically have three at a sitting. One time, to break a 25-hour fast, I had four. But ten???? Maybe she's going to box up the leftovers for later?
I'm hoping the same. I can't imagine eating 10 in a sitting. But it's the mentality behind it - I can eat all of this because it's "free." In reality, that salad probably had over 1000 cals.
I saw a weight watchers commercial today for this program, and I will admit it was very misleading. They actually even said there were 200 zero point foods, and you don't have to track. I really would love to see the actual program to see if there are any guidelines at all.
However, many of the examples in this thread are not really WWs fault IMO. Who honestly believes you can eat as much of these foods with no consequences. I did WW in 2012, and I knew that zero point fruits didn't mean a free for all. When someone starts a diet, there has to be some common sense. And if you don't have much nutrition knowledge, it is on you to do your own research. I can't blame WW because someone used their program to rationalize binging.
Yeah, see, I think that's part of what Weight Watchers should be providing. That's what you pay for. Or at least it used to be (I was a leader once upon a long time ago).
I would agree with this.... The message my father hears is that the zero calorie foods are a good healthy option that he can enjoy "to satisfaction". To my dad, "satisfaction" is a bowl of the frozen yonanna, not a small 1/4 cup serving. What he is eating is easily a few hundred calories. I don't think that WW is properly educating about serving sizes, partly because the "you don't have to track" these items is part of their schtick. By paying to attend WW meetings, he is paying them for a service (education and advise/help to lose weight) and I personally don't feel that they are delivering the full message about healthy/responsible food choices and moderating portion size.
I was a big WW fan back in the day, when you counted points for all foods unless you were on the old Core plan. Why they decided to merge these plans and make all these "zero point" options is beyond me and counter-productive. I looked at the list of 200 Zero Calorie Foods and I could EASILY exceed my calorie allowance eating foods on that list without binging.
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estherdragonbat wrote: »Ten eggs????? Yeesh. I typically have three at a sitting. One time, to break a 25-hour fast, I had four. But ten???? Maybe she's going to box up the leftovers for later?
I'm hoping the same. I can't imagine eating 10 in a sitting. But it's the mentality behind it - I can eat all of this because it's "free." In reality, that salad probably had over 1000 cals.
I saw a weight watchers commercial today for this program, and I will admit it was very misleading. They actually even said there were 200 zero point foods, and you don't have to track. I really would love to see the actual program to see if there are any guidelines at all.
However, many of the examples in this thread are not really WWs fault IMO. Who honestly believes you can eat as much of these foods with no consequences. I did WW in 2012, and I knew that zero point fruits didn't mean a free for all. When someone starts a diet, there has to be some common sense. And if you don't have much nutrition knowledge, it is on you to do your own research. I can't blame WW because someone used their program to rationalize binging.
there are a lot of people who think that zero point foods means they can eat what they want and not gain.there are people out there who think there are negative calorie foods(you burn more by consuming them,Theres a lot of gullible people out there who believe everything they see and hear or even read. people think they can out exercise a bad diet or too many calories too. you wouldnt believe some of the things people believe when it comes to weight loss. so WW should be there to educate properly not try to make money off gullible people. but then again the weight loss market has a lot of scams out there that promise a lot of things too and people believe them.6 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »estherdragonbat wrote: »Ten eggs????? Yeesh. I typically have three at a sitting. One time, to break a 25-hour fast, I had four. But ten???? Maybe she's going to box up the leftovers for later?
I'm hoping the same. I can't imagine eating 10 in a sitting. But it's the mentality behind it - I can eat all of this because it's "free." In reality, that salad probably had over 1000 cals.
I saw a weight watchers commercial today for this program, and I will admit it was very misleading. They actually even said there were 200 zero point foods, and you don't have to track. I really would love to see the actual program to see if there are any guidelines at all.
However, many of the examples in this thread are not really WWs fault IMO. Who honestly believes you can eat as much of these foods with no consequences. I did WW in 2012, and I knew that zero point fruits didn't mean a free for all. When someone starts a diet, there has to be some common sense. And if you don't have much nutrition knowledge, it is on you to do your own research. I can't blame WW because someone used their program to rationalize binging.
there are a lot of people who think that zero point foods means they can eat what they want and not gain.there are people out there who think there are negative calorie foods(you burn more by consuming them,Theres a lot of gullible people out there who believe everything they see and hear or even read. people think they can out exercise a bad diet or too many calories too. you wouldnt believe some of the things people believe when it comes to weight loss. so WW should be there to educate properly not try to make money off gullible people. but then again the weight loss market has a lot of scams out there that promise a lot of things too and people believe them.
I'm well aware of this. I've been in these forums since 2012
. I agreed above that WW should provide guidelines. I mentioned that I did not like their commercial at all and found it misleading. But there has to be a level of common sense to it as well. And this isn't just for WW. 2 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »estherdragonbat wrote: »Ten eggs????? Yeesh. I typically have three at a sitting. One time, to break a 25-hour fast, I had four. But ten???? Maybe she's going to box up the leftovers for later?
I'm hoping the same. I can't imagine eating 10 in a sitting. But it's the mentality behind it - I can eat all of this because it's "free." In reality, that salad probably had over 1000 cals.
I saw a weight watchers commercial today for this program, and I will admit it was very misleading. They actually even said there were 200 zero point foods, and you don't have to track. I really would love to see the actual program to see if there are any guidelines at all.
However, many of the examples in this thread are not really WWs fault IMO. Who honestly believes you can eat as much of these foods with no consequences. I did WW in 2012, and I knew that zero point fruits didn't mean a free for all. When someone starts a diet, there has to be some common sense. And if you don't have much nutrition knowledge, it is on you to do your own research. I can't blame WW because someone used their program to rationalize binging.
there are a lot of people who think that zero point foods means they can eat what they want and not gain.there are people out there who think there are negative calorie foods(you burn more by consuming them,Theres a lot of gullible people out there who believe everything they see and hear or even read. people think they can out exercise a bad diet or too many calories too. you wouldnt believe some of the things people believe when it comes to weight loss. so WW should be there to educate properly not try to make money off gullible people. but then again the weight loss market has a lot of scams out there that promise a lot of things too and people believe them.
I'm well aware of this. I've been in these forums since 2012. I agreed above that WW should provide guidelines. I mentioned that I did not like their commercial at all and found it misleading. But there has to be a level of common sense to it as well. And this isn't just for WW.
I agree with you but many people out there dont have common sense. its sad really. some may be smart in other things but lack a lot of common sense, yeah I have been here since 2014? somewhere in that area. I still cant believe that people out there are so gullible it boggles the mind. some of them you try and educate and they argue and tell you that you're wrong because A,B or C said so.3 -
Got it in one!Nony_Mouse wrote: »HellYeahItsKriss wrote: »Nony_Mouse wrote: »I left it a while ago, I loved it 10 years ago but what are the200 foods they now have added? Also, why not just do the smart points program since you have the info? I didn't like smart points because with the old program I could look at a food and tell the points plus too many points for carbohydrates.
Hi There -
You can't really do any old programs once they change it because everything is done on the WW app now. I guess I could still do it and be a -7 everyday but that would mess with my head seeing the - everyday. WW has changed so much if you haven't been on it in 10 years you would be in for a major change going back. The 200 food list I am sure you can google it "zero point food list" and find an image.
"The list" https://www.weightwatchers.com/us/sites/default/files/freestyle_zero_points_foods.pdf
I just bought a kg of cherries. I assure you, I can eat a kg of cherries in a day no problems (I have to have a little bowl to put the pits in to count later, b/c I will just grab a few every time I wander past). That's 500 calories right there.
so much dumb from weight watchers... =/
Yup. It's almost as if they want people to fail...
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When I was with WW I was on Points Plus, and they had a concurrent program called Simply Filling for those who didn't want to count points. They had a list of food to choose from, a limited number of points per week for off-list foods, and a pretty good explanation of how to use the program. Moderation was stressed, eating to satisfaction not to fullness, being aware of hunger cues, that sort of thing. I would guess their current program has similar guidelines? I think they account for user feed-back when revamping their program, and I would guess a lot of users found that having food guidelines rather than points worked better for them. Plus the advertising implying that you can eat however much you want of those foods and lose weight (I can eat bread!)3
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When I was with WW I was on Points Plus, and they had a concurrent program called Simply Filling for those who didn't want to count points. They had a list of food to choose from, a limited number of points per week for off-list foods, and a pretty good explanation of how to use the program. Moderation was stressed, eating to satisfaction not to fullness, being aware of hunger cues, that sort of thing. I would guess their current program has similar guidelines? I think they account for user feed-back when revamping their program, and I would guess a lot of users found that having food guidelines rather than points worked better for them. Plus the advertising implying that you can eat however much you want of those foods and lose weight (I can eat bread!)
I could probably literally eat my weight in fruit.3 -
When I was with WW I was on Points Plus, and they had a concurrent program called Simply Filling for those who didn't want to count points. They had a list of food to choose from, a limited number of points per week for off-list foods, and a pretty good explanation of how to use the program. Moderation was stressed, eating to satisfaction not to fullness, being aware of hunger cues, that sort of thing. I would guess their current program has similar guidelines? I think they account for user feed-back when revamping their program, and I would guess a lot of users found that having food guidelines rather than points worked better for them. Plus the advertising implying that you can eat however much you want of those foods and lose weight (I can eat bread!)
This is exactly what I was wondering, but I haven't seen the program. There must be guidelines? Can any current members who have seen the program address this?
I still found the ad misleading.1 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »estherdragonbat wrote: »Ten eggs????? Yeesh. I typically have three at a sitting. One time, to break a 25-hour fast, I had four. But ten???? Maybe she's going to box up the leftovers for later?
I'm hoping the same. I can't imagine eating 10 in a sitting. But it's the mentality behind it - I can eat all of this because it's "free." In reality, that salad probably had over 1000 cals.
I saw a weight watchers commercial today for this program, and I will admit it was very misleading. They actually even said there were 200 zero point foods, and you don't have to track. I really would love to see the actual program to see if there are any guidelines at all.
However, many of the examples in this thread are not really WWs fault IMO. Who honestly believes you can eat as much of these foods with no consequences. I did WW in 2012, and I knew that zero point fruits didn't mean a free for all. When someone starts a diet, there has to be some common sense. And if you don't have much nutrition knowledge, it is on you to do your own research. I can't blame WW because someone used their program to rationalize binging.
there are a lot of people who think that zero point foods means they can eat what they want and not gain.there are people out there who think there are negative calorie foods(you burn more by consuming them,Theres a lot of gullible people out there who believe everything they see and hear or even read. people think they can out exercise a bad diet or too many calories too. you wouldnt believe some of the things people believe when it comes to weight loss. so WW should be there to educate properly not try to make money off gullible people. but then again the weight loss market has a lot of scams out there that promise a lot of things too and people believe them.
I'm well aware of this. I've been in these forums since 2012. I agreed above that WW should provide guidelines. I mentioned that I did not like their commercial at all and found it misleading. But there has to be a level of common sense to it as well. And this isn't just for WW.
I agree with you but many people out there dont have common sense. its sad really. some may be smart in other things but lack a lot of common sense, yeah I have been here since 2014? somewhere in that area. I still cant believe that people out there are so gullible it boggles the mind. some of them you try and educate and they argue and tell you that you're wrong because A,B or C said so.
Reminds me of this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BjahCczkFM 0 -
I gained weight on that "core" program years ago and then changed back to the points. I do not understand not having points as everything has calories. I liked the structure of the program years ago. I was actually contemplating going back to this diet, but now I am not so sure. I lost 40 pounds on Ideal Protein but am tired of not eating carbs and bananas on occasion.
My weight has crept up 7 pounds and I just do not know what to eat/do anymore! So sick of feeling guilty and not enjoying food. 5 -
OMG I totally stopped weight watchers this morning for the exact same reason!6
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Just eat foods you like in moderation, weigh and measure everything, and track the calories.
Nutrition is important, but focus on one thing at a time. These days, I'm working on protein and iron. I let the rest fall where it falls. Does that mean that some days, I'm not getting enough fibre? Possibly, but I might be getting all my potassium and then some. It balances. (Note: I see my doctor every 6 months; he's not at all concerned.)
No foods are off-limits, but over time you'll probably discover that your tastes have changed or that certain high-calorie foods just aren't worth it anymore. Or need to be saved for special occasions. (I try to limit my desserts to 200 calories or fewer, but I'll have a piece of birthday cake at my nephews' parties. That's two birthdays a year and my sister is a great baker. Totally worth it. Twice a year.)
A treat does not need to be a cheat. It's a choice.9 -
My other issue with WW and it plays into this discussion, is that every year they re-vamp the program. It seems that they re-vamp for the sake of re-vamping, so they can sell new materials, etc. I understand that they are a for-profit company, but let's be honest they are already making good return. However, some of the changes over the years have been significant, not necessarily improvements, and can lead to frustration and users having to relearn a totally new Way Of Eating. I became no longer willing to totally change what I eat just because they changed the program. Years ago I was eating Sandwich Thins with my lunch and they were 2 points. Change the program and they became 5 points. My lunch that I was losing on didn't become bad overnight, but I had to change to make my points work.
MFP and counting calories makes sense, doesn't change, and can be depended on for the long term. Plus I don't have to pay for meetings, etc. Win win.26 -
estherdragonbat wrote: »Just eat foods you like in moderation, weigh and measure everything, and track the calories.
Nutrition is important, but focus on one thing at a time. These days, I'm working on protein and iron. I let the rest fall where it falls. Does that mean that some days, I'm not getting enough fibre? Possibly, but I might be getting all my potassium and then some. It balances. (Note: I see my doctor every 6 months; he's not at all concerned.)
No foods are off-limits, but over time you'll probably discover that your tastes have changed or that certain high-calorie foods just aren't worth it anymore. Or need to be saved for special occasions. (I try to limit my desserts to 200 calories or fewer, but I'll have a piece of birthday cake at my nephews' parties. That's two birthdays a year and my sister is a great baker. Totally worth it. Twice a year.)
A treat does not need to be a cheat. It's a choice.
This is exactly what happened for me. I started a year and a half ago just staying at my calorie goal any way I could, eating the same foods as always but in smaller quantities. I gradually (and mostly unconsciously) shifted over to more nutrient dense foods and at this point find that spending daily calories on things like cookies and ice cream isn't worth the sacrifice of foods I find more filling. Those are now occasional treats that I enjoy but don't crave every day.1 -
In case I missed the post...I just watched an "unboxing" video on youtube from a new WW ambassador showing all of the new kitchen tools that WW is going to sell with the new program (at the meeting locations and in some retail stores). Also, they have been selling snacks and such at their locations for a while at very high prices.
I'm all for someone losing weight in a healthy way but making 200 things "free" and saying just to eat until you're satisfied is a little misleading.
And of course, "O" with her new line of soups too...3 -
newheavensearth wrote: »I recently read a post on WW Connect forum from one of the more "popular kids" that the biggest problem he's having with Freestyle is that it's feeding into his tendency to binge. He's fallen back into the habit of planning binges, this time by either binging on 0 point foods or by eating 0 point foods and then reserving points for the binges. Members are supposed to include a certain amount of points in their day. The protein hoarding I'm seeing above sounds like another example of gaming the system to justify binge eating behavior. I don't think WW thought about the segment of members with this issue when they developed this plan. Rationalizing 10 egg salads, eating whole chickens, unlimited Yonanas? There's a bigger issue at hand.
Was this Kelhett or Mudhustler? Just curious...I used to follow them on connect.1 -
newheavensearth wrote: »I recently read a post on WW Connect forum from one of the more "popular kids" that the biggest problem he's having with Freestyle is that it's feeding into his tendency to binge. He's fallen back into the habit of planning binges, this time by either binging on 0 point foods or by eating 0 point foods and then reserving points for the binges. Members are supposed to include a certain amount of points in their day. The protein hoarding I'm seeing above sounds like another example of gaming the system to justify binge eating behavior. I don't think WW thought about the segment of members with this issue when they developed this plan. Rationalizing 10 egg salads, eating whole chickens, unlimited Yonanas? There's a bigger issue at hand.
Was this Kelhett or Mudhustler? Just curious...I used to follow them on connect.
Mudhustler0 -
newheavensearth wrote: »newheavensearth wrote: »I recently read a post on WW Connect forum from one of the more "popular kids" that the biggest problem he's having with Freestyle is that it's feeding into his tendency to binge. He's fallen back into the habit of planning binges, this time by either binging on 0 point foods or by eating 0 point foods and then reserving points for the binges. Members are supposed to include a certain amount of points in their day. The protein hoarding I'm seeing above sounds like another example of gaming the system to justify binge eating behavior. I don't think WW thought about the segment of members with this issue when they developed this plan. Rationalizing 10 egg salads, eating whole chickens, unlimited Yonanas? There's a bigger issue at hand.
Was this Kelhett or Mudhustler? Just curious...I used to follow them on connect.
Mudhustler
That makes me sad0 -
newheavensearth wrote: »newheavensearth wrote: »I recently read a post on WW Connect forum from one of the more "popular kids" that the biggest problem he's having with Freestyle is that it's feeding into his tendency to binge. He's fallen back into the habit of planning binges, this time by either binging on 0 point foods or by eating 0 point foods and then reserving points for the binges. Members are supposed to include a certain amount of points in their day. The protein hoarding I'm seeing above sounds like another example of gaming the system to justify binge eating behavior. I don't think WW thought about the segment of members with this issue when they developed this plan. Rationalizing 10 egg salads, eating whole chickens, unlimited Yonanas? There's a bigger issue at hand.
Was this Kelhett or Mudhustler? Just curious...I used to follow them on connect.
Mudhustler
That makes me sad
Me too. I followed him. Loved his recipes and seems like a cool guy.
Also another issue of mine- certain popular Connecters are bragging about being in the Freestyke commercial... they didn’t lose their weight on the Freestyle plan. That’s so misleading and ridiculous. I’m losing so much respect for WW and some of these people, honestly.
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My suspicion is that Weight Watchers is going to disappear into the Horizon much like the VCR and , to a lesser extent, compact discs. Back in the day it filled a significant void. Now there are many other things At a much better value that are easier to use at people's fingertips. This app being one of them. I have no need to pay all that money to join Weight Watchers when we have my fitness pal.8
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Proceed with caution. MFP members do the same thing if they don't agree with a choice you made, like having gastric bypass surgery or saying you wear a plastic suit when you work out to sweat more.14
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I have been holding onto a WW ONLINE membership and not using... thinking I will get back on track in the New Year...again. i searched this thread bec I thought Freestyle sounded misleading from all the Oprah-laced commercials airing now. Eat out anywhere!?!? No stress!?!? Only if going to you favorite boiled chicken, garbanzo bean, banana restaurant is your idea of worthwhile...yech! At least I would have some time to get used to cutting back when I had 28 points until closer to my goal...I don't need to pay someone for the right to eat eggs and lettuce...no help!! I am going back to MFP... and going to try to just be more balanced and less bread-ed...9
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I became a WW lifetime member in 1991 fell off the wagon and regained my lifetime status in 2009 and have been at goal since then. I personally feel that the new program is more like their past simply filling program which i couldnt do because lets face it if i could eat to satisfaction I wouldnt be going in the first place. I stress "I" because not everyone is like this. So they come out with this new program. Great over 200 items Zero points. Well lets face it, its basically fruit, veggies, fish, beans and chicken breast all of which I was already eating due to a GF, corn and peanut sensitivities, so now you tell me ZERO, well guess what I had all these points to use and I gained 2.8 in 2 weeks. UGH. So now I am back to doing MFP in conjunction with WW and there are days I have 16 points leftover. Tomorrow is my weigh in so I will be curious to see how I did. And as I saw in a previous post they change up the program every three years. This time their reasoning was we listened to our members and they wanted less tracking. Of course we do but we also need accountability. I for one am not happy with this at all. i was like a kid driving reckless.5
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I've just left ww for the same reason, the new flex system. Introduced out of the blue with no supporting evidence that it performs better than smartpoints, with which I have lost 50 lbs. I'm going to lose the rest with exercise and calorie control.4
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Ugh - yeah, the new system is terrible. I felt like I could easily portion control with SmartPoints (still focusing on lean meats, veggies, etc) - but this new system is really messed up.
I’ve been tracking here for the last five days, using a loose Whole 30-esque food list, and I’ve been really happy with that so far. I feel much more in control!4 -
I have been a member of this community for over 3 years and have lost 53 pounds. I am an older turtle who has learned a lot about her body and healthy eating since being with MFP. I joined WW online only late October because I was not making any progress even after changing things I was currently doing. I still have 40 pounds to lose. I started with smart points but changed to simply filling because it was more in line with my eating. I did not want to add foods that I had not been eating, like starchy carbs and processed foods just to make the points.
Freestyle is not an issue with me. I already eat those foods AND, thanks to MFP, I know that weighing/measuring portions and reading labels are key to successful weight loss. I think this change in WW is their push toward “cleaner eating” for their clients, but the wording is misleading (free and zero) especially for those who DO NOT know portion control. I think in the coming weeks, WW will be tweaking their literature/info/PR to hone in on portion control. There is already an article on the site about how to “hand measure” when eating out.
Since joining, I have lost something, although small, every week with the exception of Christmas week. Most days, I still track here as well because I need to know my macros and calories. Not sure why I have been able to lose again..I still exercise 4-5 x a week....maybe it’s using a more varied menu since I have access to quick ideas, maybe I am being more diligent and really working the program as I may have grown lax just tracking here, or maybe it’s the Connect community. Yes, like this community, it has its cliques, know-it-alls, and the attention-seekers, but if you weed them out, you will find those who are like-minded and choose to follow them. I have really, really been encouraged by reading about others, and I finally, truly believe that I, too, will make it to a healthy weight.
It really boils down to finding a program/style/regimen/protocol that is best for YOU and whatever that is, it has to be sustainable because we’re not on a diet; this is a lifestyle.
Happy New Year!7 -
I tried WW in high school i think its good for beginners but watching what you eat and calorie counting imo is easier and makes just as much if not more sense.4
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I have done ww off and on in the past years. I joined back this year because a lot of the foods I enjoy are on the zero list. So I’m hoping it will work for me. I had good luck with it a few years ago but I couldn’t keep up with counting and calculating so I failed miserably at that. But I did lose a bit of weight before on it. I am not going to trash anyone who chooses to continue or discontinue the program. We all have our own journey!4
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Complaining about Weight Watchers? I'm in! People keep telling me I should join, but besides the inconvenient meeting hours, I just don't like any of their plans. They say their plans are so simple and convenient but they really aren't. I've tried going through my Chinese buffet, counting various points in my head and it's impossible. On the other hand, I can go through keeping a running estimate of calories in my head with no trouble. The new, free foods plan would be terrible for me because I have GERD and almost all fruits are too acidic for me. I also find that I have less hunger and lose faster if I keep plenty of fat and protein in my meals, and that might just go past the strict point system, even though it stays within my calorie limit. WW is not for everyone.1
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