Weight Watchers

I did for about two years (online only), and had good results, but recently left and came back here. You can get good results, and the freestyle is pushing you to "cleaner eating" - I don't think it's a good idea for people to think of it as "free though" implying you can eat as much as you want. I have seen lots of people posting they're not having results and then wondering why. I'm in several WW groups on FB, and lots of people are having results as well. For me, I realized I could find the results I wanted here.

I had great success on the Smart Point plan, the previous version. I did not have luck on the Freestyle plan, the most current one. I gave it a good 3 weeks and learned it wasn't for me. It's a great maintenance plan, not a good weight loss plan... for me.

tmyatt23 wrote: »

WW is really a waste of time. Weight loss is a simple science that anyone can do. Doesn't matter what you call a program. If we strip all the fancy labels, color codes, etc it's all the same. You want to lose weight you have to burn more calories than you put in. If you don't know how many calories you are actually putting in then you will never know how to adjust it. Basically that is all WW or any other program does. They give you a point system but behind the magic they are just counting your calories.

Agree, to a point. WW will tell you that eating a 100 calorie banana is 0 points while eating a bag of 120 calorie Baked Ruffles is worth 4 points. The calories aren't the same. While a calorie is a calorie, yes, the type of food you're ingesting makes all the difference. WW helps you learn what food will fuel your body the correct way and how to avoid the food with empty calories with no other nutritional value.

Alimacbean wrote: »

tmyatt23 wrote: »

WW is really a waste of time. Weight loss is a simple science that anyone can do. Doesn't matter what you call a program. If we strip all the fancy labels, color codes, etc it's all the same. You want to lose weight you have to burn more calories than you put in. If you don't know how many calories you are actually putting in then you will never know how to adjust it. Basically that is all WW or any other program does. They give you a point system but behind the magic they are just counting your calories.

Agree, to a point. WW will tell you that eating a 100 calorie banana is 0 points while eating a bag of 120 calorie Baked Ruffles is worth 4 points. The calories aren't the same. While a calorie is a calorie, yes, the type of food you're ingesting makes all the difference. WW helps you learn what food will fuel your body the correct way and how to avoid the food with empty calories with no other nutritional value.

True but I would hope someone starting WW knows they can't eat a bag of Ruffles and get the same results when eating a banana.

I have been WW dropout more times than I can count. I did have success with it when was in high school, but my mom did it for me-I only had to eat what she prepared or allowed me to have. I don't know much about the new program-but I think it is interesting that every year their program changes. Why change it, if it is working? Anyway, for me counting calories and using this site has been a Godsend! I am down 15# since January and actually enjoy it. I have done much better using MFP than I ever did on WW. I have a very good friend who lost #100 a few years ago on WW, but she gained quite a bit of it back and is doing it again for the second time. I guess you have to figure out works for you. I also like that MFP is free (unless you do premium) I hated paying the WW fee every week. Good Luck to you on whichever way you decide to go to get to your goal!

I lost over 50 pounds on the previous WW plans, the new plan does not work for me. I have been double tracking and because I do not eat lots of the 0 point foods that aren't fruit/veggies like corn, beans, eggs I have been undereating and still out of points. For example, today I have pretracked for the whole day, I am 6 points over on WW but still need to eat 490 calories to meet my minimum calories on MFP. I do like the meetings, but I am Lifetime so meeting are free for me. I would not want to pay +$45 a month for them though.

WW primary interest is the bottom line$$.
Not sure if success is what they want.

Lost 70 lbs on the older WW plans and kept it off. Tried Freestyle and I get bored to death eating the same repetitive foods because they're zero points. It just sets me up to binge. Plus my calories were too low to support any strenuous activity.

I will agree that it does encourage you to really think first about the health value of your foods. 120 cal of fruit salad vs. 120 cal chips? I'm more likely to choose the fruit now.

I am on Freestyle and I hate it I have only being losing 1/4 lb a week I lost more with mfp before joining ww, I am returning back to counting calories. I was either undereating or overeating. The plan promotes healthy eating but the classes are still pushing their box food full of chemicals and promoting fat free sugar free foods. Every class I attended there was the leader promoting this fake food.

newheavensearth wrote: »

Lost 70 lbs on the older WW plans and kept it off. Tried Freestyle and I get bored to death eating the same repetitive foods because they're zero points. It just sets me up to binge. Plus my calories were too low to support any strenuous activity.

I will agree that it does encourage you to really think first about the health value of your foods. 120 cal of fruit salad vs. 120 cal chips? I'm more likely to choose the fruit now.

This, absolutely. I loved -- LOVED -- the original points program (flex, momentum, whatever they were calling it that year). I lost over 50 pounds and kept it off, but then they changed the program, and I regained. I went to return this year and realized that Freestyle wouldn't work for me unless I also counted calories, and if I'm counting calories anyway, why do I need to pay 50 bucks a month to WW?

Also: yes, certain foods are healthier than others, but if you want 120 calories of potato chips and you have space for 120 calories of potato chips, you should eat the potato chips. Happiness counts too.

WW is not 50.00 a month...it's 19.00.
Any program works,you just have to set your mind to it and do it. I have many friends that are at lifetime and have been at goal for years .

WillingtoLose1001984 wrote: »

cwolfman13 wrote: »

amanda9981 wrote: »

My friend wants me to join weight watchers with her...
I like the idea of having an accountability partner but I don’t understand how people can lose weight eating anything in any amount because it’s on the “free points list”

Does anyone do WW? Any success stories?

I think WW can work just fine....the "free" thing I guess could be misleading, but then again, I also think people need to use some common sense.

cwolfman13 wrote: »

amanda9981 wrote: »

My friend wants me to join weight watchers with her...
I like the idea of having an accountability partner but I don’t understand how people can lose weight eating anything in any amount because it’s on the “free points list”

Does anyone do WW? Any success stories?

I think WW can work just fine....the "free" thing I guess could be misleading, but then again, I also think people need to use some common sense.

It works if you limit your servings of the free foods.

This. I have a co-worker who will do this frequently. She'll be out of "points" for the day by dinner, go home and make a "zero-point" dinner. And she wonders why she's not losing weight.

I did WW for years and lost weight ok, but the meetings weren't super helpful bc just a few people talked - and I mean all the time. On the weeks I didn't lose I felt humiliated at weigh in, even though the people weighing me in were super nice. I began to ask myself what I was paying for (and, as you know WW isn't particularly cheap).

I think in a way we all are/were looking for the program/button/pill/diet -- external to ourselves, of course -- that will make a weight problem magically go away -- and fast. I've lost 82 lbs on my own, and one thing that helped was to finally realize there isn't an external solution and that it's up to me and nobody else. I feel the same way now about paying for a gym, which I've done many times in the past. I've saved a ton of money by not paying for either.

BTW, speaking of support, MFP is great for discussions tailored to your own particular needs, such as age group, type of eating plan, workouts, etc. Also superb for tracking, obviously. If I were you I would save my money and spend it on some workout equipment you can use at home and/or some lovely, organic vegetables and fruits.