Weight watchers vs myfitnesspal

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chasitystiff2325
chasitystiff2325 Posts: 40 Member
in Getting Started
Has anyone every did weight watchers is counting better than weight watchers

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  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
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    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10621039/why-i-left-weight-watchers-new-freestyle-program

    Here's a current discussion re WW and why people have moved to MFP.
  • chasitystiff2325
    chasitystiff2325 Posts: 40 Member
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    Thanks
  • TonyB0588
    TonyB0588 Posts: 9,520 Member
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    chasitystiff2325 wrote: »
    Has anyone every did weight watchers is counting better than weight watchers

    I haven't done Weight Watchers, but I can confirm the MFP method works.
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,130 Member
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    Both work by reducing calories whether you count them or not. The difference is cost and whether you feel you need in person support.
  • hollysweany
    hollysweany Posts: 2 Member
    edited January 2018
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    I did quite well on WW (60lbs) until the new program started, then I gained. Stuck with it a month. I could not wrap my head around the new "free" foods. I have been using MFP faithfully for 6 days, and it did take adjusting to counting calories but it has been worth it. I feel better. I have 15 lbs to go and have already lost 1. I would like to add in no universe should bananas be free or Lentils or ... weird choice of new free foods. Best of wishes in finding what works for you. Know they all are hard work at first but when you start to see and feel the differences....well worth it. i should add I did the WW online only as there were no meetings close to me.
  • bemyyfriend0918
    bemyyfriend0918 Posts: 241 Member
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    Hi! I was doing both not too long ago. I didn't care for WW much. I felt like it gave too many points for certain foods (an avocado for example) and not enough points for other things (bananas should definitely count as something!). I think MFP is more flexible for my life.

    Good luck either way!
  • Nikion901
    Nikion901 Posts: 2,467 Member
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    I haven't done WW since 2008, 2003, 1974 ... and been using MFP since 2012 ... (yes, losing weight is a life-long affair for me) .... For myself MFP works better now, but I wonder if I would be having the success with I currently enjoy if I hadn't learned some of the things I did from WW ... cause that is the first place that spent time on encouraging change in the food choices I made. I eat totally differently now than I did either growing up or as a homemaker on my own ... as a matter of fact, I started to gain weight when I became responsible for the food consumed in my household!
  • AlyssaPetsDogs
    AlyssaPetsDogs Posts: 421 Member
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    I’ve always been a MFP gal and my mom did WW. Now given that they are saying you can eat as many bananas, beans, and eggs as you want without counting them, I believe my mom will consider switching over!
  • angelb1983
    angelb1983 Posts: 159 Member
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    I have done both. I think a lot of people that have never done WW judge it negatively. It does teach you to measure things and it teaches you to eat until comfortable but not full. It has taught me more about nutrition than MFP (at least when you invest in meetings and not just online). With all that said, I like MFP more because like an PP said, it has way too high of points for certain foods. I don't want to feel like I fail if I have a avocado, or cookie. I like to eat what I want in moderation and it doesn't really allow for much wiggle room.

    Yes, with WW you have many "free" foods but their idea is that people don't usually binge on those type foods. For me, that has proven to be true. I found that when I follow WW I eat around 1300-1500 calories and have a much more "clean" diet. With MFP I have free reign on what I want to eat and allow myself 1700-1800 calories to lose.

    With all that said, it is up to you. Both programs work.
  • Jenskiski
    Jenskiski Posts: 67 Member
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    Tracker is better here. Support/community much better there. I'm tracking with both at the moment.
  • sjp_511
    sjp_511 Posts: 476 Member
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    Back in 2012 I did Weight Watchers. I eventually switched over to MFP and had the same success. I did spend about 2 months logging both MFP calories and WW points (Points Plus system, not the new one) to see how they compared. Overall, I was eating similar calorie levels on both systems. WW was a good place to start my weight loss journey at the time but it wasn't worth the money. I never found the meetings to be helpful - it was a lot of selling WW products and the discussion around exercise and diet wasn't my style (I enjoy much higher intensity exercise than anyone in my WW group). Since I have great support from my husband, I didn't need the support system from the meetings. I would say what I appreciated most from WW was the flex points. It helped me learn how to balance my splurges across the week.
  • christschild2
    christschild2 Posts: 97 Member
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    I did WW in late 2016 and early 2017. I was told that I was not eating enough points because I was eating a lot of fruits and vegetables. I really did like the support group and made some new friends. But I felt that I was being penalized for eating some of the good things for my body. I did lose 12 pounds during the four months I attended. I left and looked for something else, and to my surprise, I found a free program called Diabetes Prevention Program which helped me tremendously. I made new friends, I changed my behavior and to date, I have lost 38 pounds and still losing. I never heard of the program until I searched for alternative weight loss programs. The only criteria is that you are not diabetic and that you have someone in your family that is diabetic. I am so glad that I found it because they encouraged us to use MFP to track our food, calories and activities. Like WW, we weigh in each week to see how we are reaching our minimum goal of 7% of our body weight. They actually look at our trackers each week, by taking them home, and write comments and suggestions to help us get on track. I have been in this program since June 2017 and I am not looking to lose too much weight too quickly, been there, done that! I want to lose steadily and reasonably so that I will not gain it back this last time. Now with that said, I joined WW again because I have been asked by quite a few women to support them during the process. They have seen my results and want someone they can trust to go through with them. Since it will be offered at work, I only have to pay $25 for a 3 month session. That is not a lot to pay to help someone you love, who by the way, does not qualify for the Diabetes Prevention Program. I will get a chance to see the new "free foods" program, but will basically be sticking with what I am doing now.
  • kittybenn
    kittybenn Posts: 444 Member
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    sjp_511 wrote: »
    WW was a good place to start my weight loss journey at the time but it wasn't worth the money. I never found the meetings to be helpful - it was a lot of selling WW products and the discussion around exercise and diet wasn't my style (I enjoy much higher intensity exercise than anyone in my WW group).

    Last time I did WW was in 2012 too. Our leader was pretty good, but the meeting kept getting hijacked by the same people. I didn't find it all that useful after awhile, and agree that it wasn't worth the money. I eventually realized it was up to me, not a program, and I would have to do what worked for me, not for the masses. I saved a ton of money by leaving WW and using MFP and I find the support to be a whole lot better here, probably because you can find groups/friends that match your circumstances (X amount to lose, X age, X eating style, etc.)
  • dsboohead
    dsboohead Posts: 1,900 Member
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    angelb1983 wrote: »
    I have done both. I think a lot of people that have never done WW judge it negatively. It does teach you to measure things and it teaches you to eat until comfortable but not full. It has taught me more about nutrition than MFP (at least when you invest in meetings and not just online). With all that said, I like MFP more because like an PP said, it has way too high of points for certain foods. I don't want to feel like I fail if I have a avocado, or cookie. I like to eat what I want in moderation and it doesn't really allow for much wiggle room.

    Yes, with WW you have many "free" foods but their idea is that people don't usually binge on those type foods. For me, that has proven to be true. I found that when I follow WW I eat around 1300-1500 calories and have a much more "clean" diet. With MFP I have free reign on what I want to eat and allow myself 1700-1800 calories to lose.

    With all that said, it is up to you. Both programs work.

    I have done ww on points....wasnt successful but on ww exchange program in late 80's I was!
    Then again....the meetings were fun and leader engaging.
    MFP is a huge success with me cause it costs me nothing....community.....science.....log in responsibility which makes me accountable. Mainly costs me nothing...TA DA!!!
  • spencendawn
    spencendawn Posts: 20 Member
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    I have done both WW and MFP. I recently left WW due to their new freestyle program. I can’t live off eggs and chicken. I feel like this new program has caused WW to change from a program that teaches you a new lifestyle to a real diet. So I am bringing the knowledge I learned at WW about portion control, exercises and basic healthy eating and now using MFP. I don’t think I will ever return to WW. I’m tired of meetings and changing programs. A calorie will always be a calorie.
  • courtneyallisonatx
    courtneyallisonatx Posts: 133 Member
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    I am currently on Weight Watchers, I love the group support and the points. I also track all my food on MFP to make sure everything I'm eating is under the calories I should behaving. It's double the work but I'm a weirdo for numbers. I love Weight Watchers and MFP, I use them in tandem.

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