"This is how I freestyle"

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Sp1tfire
Sp1tfire Posts: 1,120 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I need to rant about the new WW free style ads. I feel I have a right because it is interrupting any and all content I watch! They all say this is how I free style and holding up foods that probably take up 90% of their 'points' including one holding what looks like a burrito from a street taco truck and I'm just thinking "yeah you won't find nutrition facts for that.." The ad makes it seem like cupcakes, pancakes, tacos, etc are 'free' foods. (even though they aren't 0 points in the new program) I have liked weightwatchers, it greatly helped my mom learn how to use scales and eat balanced and good portions, but the freestyle program just bugs me with how many 0 point foods there are. It could greatly impact someones weightloss due to those 'hidden' calories.

What are your thoughts on the new WW freestyle? Is there a good reason for adding these new 'free' foods? It seems to me like the new ones could be way more easily overate than the previously free fruits and vegetables.. (although I don't agree that fruits should be zero)

Replies

  • Bchlvr64
    Bchlvr64 Posts: 89 Member
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    It's ridiculous. I got fat not counting what I ate. I got fat eating healthy foods. I need a start and stop point. I like to be treated like an adult and decide what foods are best for me. The study done for freestyle was a 6 month study using 152 people, most who were already at lifetime status.
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,052 Member
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    I haven't seen the ads, OP, but I did see this interesting article about business challenges WW faces. It's interesting and also written in a very interesting way. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/02/magazine/weight-watchers-oprah-losing-it-in-the-anti-dieting-age.html
  • Momepro
    Momepro Posts: 1,509 Member
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    My husband is interested in those. At first he was kind of conflating them with Paleo, but now he' s a Paleo leaning, free pointsish plan.
    Honestly, at this point, whatever makes him feel better, lol.
  • Flyingfingers51
    Flyingfingers51 Posts: 24 Member
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    I agree with you 100%! When I saw those freestyle ads I posted a rant on Facebook. Who can eat a huge plate of food, like the one lady had, with those huge serving sizes and lose weight?? I know they are just trying to pull in customers, but it seems so deceitful. I know WW is a good program for some people. We are all different and what works for one may not help another person be successful. But showing commercials with people eating giant plates of food, huge burritos or taco, and cupcakes, stating that you can eat whatever you want and lose weight seems like false advertising.
  • Sp1tfire
    Sp1tfire Posts: 1,120 Member
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    ahoy_m8 wrote: »
    I haven't seen the ads, OP, but I did see this interesting article about business challenges WW faces. It's interesting and also written in a very interesting way. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/02/magazine/weight-watchers-oprah-losing-it-in-the-anti-dieting-age.html

    Thanks for the link this was a good read!
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
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    its just as bad as the other commercial for a different brand that promises fat burning shakes to boost your metabolism. that in itself is very deceitful
  • wizzybeth
    wizzybeth Posts: 3,573 Member
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    ahoy_m8 wrote: »
    I haven't seen the ads, OP, but I did see this interesting article about business challenges WW faces. It's interesting and also written in a very interesting way. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/02/magazine/weight-watchers-oprah-losing-it-in-the-anti-dieting-age.html

    That was a really long article I actually didn't have the patience to finish it LOL. The gist of it is Weight Watchers is trying to be relevant by using non shaming Buzz words such as wellness and fitness rather than fat. It's okay. But they really have one goal and that is to have customers who pay them to help them. And the longer it takes someone to succeed the longer those people are going to pay them. They give them just enough like a carrot on a stick to lose a little bit of weight. They don't want lifetime members who go to the meetings for free. They want members who will continue to pay and pay and pay.

    Personally I think a lot of people stop Weight Watchers because of the cost. Because I think why should I pay for this I can do this on my own. Especially now with all the apps like MyFitnessPal and other apps.
  • RaeBeeBaby
    RaeBeeBaby Posts: 4,245 Member
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    WW, and it's newest big shareholder and spokeswoman, will do and say whatever it takes to continue making millions of dollars off of people wanting a magic weight-loss pill. New spokeswoman made 72 million profit for her investment last year.

    I tried WW twice and each time it was different programs, different points, pay to belong, buy all these gadgets/books/shakes/bars, etc. Oh, wait - we've changed - buy new and improved gadgets/books, etc.

    Yes, I lost a few pounds. Yes, I gained them back because it wasn't sustainable long term. Yes, it is successful for some people. Bottom line it is a company with assets around 1.5 billion. They are not a philanthropic organization and they are not there to help you.

    Freestyle away, but count your calories and eat at a deficit if you want to lose weight.
  • WillingtoLose1001984
    WillingtoLose1001984 Posts: 240 Member
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    ahoy_m8 wrote: »
    I haven't seen the ads, OP, but I did see this interesting article about business challenges WW faces. It's interesting and also written in a very interesting way. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/02/magazine/weight-watchers-oprah-losing-it-in-the-anti-dieting-age.html

    I read about half of the article and I don't think it is true. Many people want to be lean or thinner. Why else did people leave in droves when they introduced free fruit and found it harder to lose. I believe people join WW to lose weight. Equating what WW is doing as because of the Health at Every Size movement seems wrong too. I read the book or part of it and it never says it is Healthy to be morbidly obese or obese just prods people to start somewhere like activity to be more Healthy and have better outcomes. It told what many studies really say about health and weight as well. I think there is a broader range for a healthy weight than 20 or 30 lbs. My grandma was a little overweight and she died in her mid 80's so was my grandpa and he died around the same age and never really took medication. They both either were active or had hobbies into their later years. They never lived in nursing homes. I really didn't like that article.
  • poisonesse
    poisonesse Posts: 529 Member
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    It's a copy of a British plan that moved into the States a few years ago, called Slimming World. The plan does work, and yes, there are a LOT of free foods, but you're right, they're pushing it with bad ads, because what they show is NOT free food. I think they went that direction because of Slimming World, actually, because with that there is no need to weigh, measure, or log foods. All you really worry about are "syns" (sins) which are those things that WW is showing in their ads and leading people to think are free foods!

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