Why I left Weight Watchers new "Freestyle" Program
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I asked on the WW site last night if anyone is having a problem with seconds now that portion control is no longer "really" a thing, meals like chili, soup and stew are zero points, and there is no more context on the plan with everything being zero. Yes there are some who have the problem, but most figured out their own solution.
Sorry but those foods can be calorically dense and pile up. That's a slippery slope for me. I need to see the numbers not a bunch of zeros.6 -
I did really well on WW - 45lbs in 6 months...and then came Freestyle. What a load of crap. Lost daily points with the intention of forcing you to eat grilled skinless chicken breast and boiled eggs. I was using all my weeklies by day 3 and hadn’t changed a thing I was eating...their advice was to see if i could find something on the 0 list that i would like. Umm - why change what was working for me for the first time in 20 years? Is Oprah going to scream “I LOVE GRILLED SKINLESS CHICKEN BREAST?” No. The Who “I love bread” was the reason WW worked. You learned to eat better while eating what you liked. So told them to pack sand and why. I moved to iTrackBites, which is not as convenient to use, but it’s free.6
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Rant ahead...
You only have to watch some of the youtubers who are WW ambassadors, talking about how the program is great yet every weight in is .2 down or 1.5 up and how it's just "water weight" or that they are building muscle...sorry folks but every week isn't going to be muscle building if you're not changing your exercise but you are changing your food to incorporate a ton of calories that are "free". MFP works for me and I can work in foods I crave and not feel guilty. I don't need a woman who has never been able to control her weight (Oprah) tell me what's best for me or penalize me for enjoying the carbs I do like in moderation. This new plan is steering folks towards Atkins so why not just do that and not pay for WW?
The few ladies I watch on youtube who do WW just keep working the system to eat even more and work in less points (i.e. trader joe's and costco "hauls" of zero point foods). Who needs "zero point" cheesecake every day? If this system is about helping people eat better, it's not working if everyone is just trying to make sweets zero points?
ok rant over4 -
LBeekman2017 wrote: »Rant ahead...
You only have to watch some of the youtubers who are WW ambassadors, talking about how the program is great yet every weight in is .2 down or 1.5 up and how it's just "water weight" or that they are building muscle...sorry folks but every week isn't going to be muscle building if you're not changing your exercise but you are changing your food to incorporate a ton of calories that are "free". MFP works for me and I can work in foods I crave and not feel guilty. I don't need a woman who has never been able to control her weight (Oprah) tell me what's best for me or penalize me for enjoying the carbs I do like in moderation. This new plan is steering folks towards Atkins so why not just do that and not pay for WW?
The few ladies I watch on youtube who do WW just keep working the system to eat even more and work in less points (i.e. trader joe's and costco "hauls" of zero point foods). Who needs "zero point" cheesecake every day? If this system is about helping people eat better, it's not working if everyone is just trying to make sweets zero points?
ok rant over
Exactly!
There is a big amount of grumbling going on in the WW community right now too. If you dare say to someone on the Freestyle plan about zero point foods aren't zero calories, they immediately block you/delete you. They are upfront on Connect (ww social media page) that if you are "negative" or "rude" you'll be blocked. They don't want to hear any logic - hands over their ears kind of reaction. It's weird actually. Also, WW has a 3 year plan to change over to more of a lifestyle, not weight loss company. Including a name change, no more free life time, and they don't say before and after success. It's now called "then" and "now".9 -
I agree! The members on the Weight Watchers Connect site are very negative and judgemental towards those that don’t like Freestyle. No support at all. Which is surprising since we all have the same goal to lose weight.4
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I love WW and I’ve lost 90lns on it. It’s a great program, but it’s not for everyone. Some people need more accountability.
As for me, I’ve recently left because I’ve learned all I can learn. I can finally eat on a daily basis and lose weight. I have been following the plan for almost two years, but the last 6mo, I’ve maintained a steady weight. Which is great, but also means I’m wasting money. Eep. So, focusing on fitness more now....
But man. The *kitten* comments on WW Connect from people who hate my story. Sheesh.4 -
Well I bet WW is a FOR profit business and there is a reason why that is. Like when Amway changed to Quikstar and then changed back i think. They are just trying to reinvent something. Adding 200 things and I am assuming they SELL all these items at an extra cost to you. then no wonder its a great way to increase the bottom line. Now of course I know nothing really and I am guessing to be honest. If I am wrong then stick my foot in my mouth. OH wait how many calories are in my foot? ;-)
you are welcome to our gaggle of posters here.
They don’t sell any of those items. They’re eggs, chicken breast, shrimp, beans, fruits, veggies, etc.1 -
I did WW back in 2012, and I believe it was smart points.
2012 would have been PointsPlus That's when I joined and lost 65 pounds, and in my opinion, that's the last time WW was worth following. I got to Lifetime back then, and when they switched to SmartPoints, I found my weight creeping back up again. I went back to following PointsPlus and haven't changed since. If it ain't broke, I ain't fixing it, and I don't care what how much Oprah Winfrey flails about it on TV (am I the only one who wishes for the ability to bitchslap someone through the TV every time she shows up onscreen?)7 -
PharmGirl52280 wrote: »I did WW back in 2012, and I believe it was smart points.
2012 would have been PointsPlus That's when I joined and lost 65 pounds, and in my opinion, that's the last time WW was worth following. I got to Lifetime back then, and when they switched to SmartPoints, I found my weight creeping back up again. I went back to following PointsPlus and haven't changed since. If it ain't broke, I ain't fixing it, and I don't care what how much Oprah Winfrey flails about it on TV (am I the only one who wishes for the ability to bitchslap someone through the TV every time she shows up onscreen?)
I don't know if I'm an exception, but I don't experience an desire to assault Oprah Winfrey whenever she appears on television.13 -
Unfortunately, I'm stuck in a contract until June with WW. I was a returning lifetime member. I lost my weight on one of the old plans while training for a half marathon. Once I really became an athlete, WW wasn't a good fit for me because I couldn't eat enough. With the new Freestyle plan, I thought that it would finally give me some flexibility to eat more with their zero point foods. Unfortunately, I feel more restricted than ever! I did really great as long as I was eating the 0 point vegetarian chili for every meal but once I burned out on that, I can't seem to stay in my point range, even with eating normal foods. I have lost about 6 pounds since the first of the year, then just stalled. My trainer, who is the ultimate in healthy eating, is always throwing food suggestions at me and when I go home and look up the points, I can't eat them. Doesn't make sense to me.1
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PharmGirl52280 wrote: »(am I the only one who wishes for the ability to bitchslap someone through the TV every time she shows up onscreen?)
I don't like the Oprah Weight Watchers commercials they annoy me like just about every other commercial. But I really have no desire to *kitten* slap her.... "Mute button " is about as strong a reaction you'll get from me
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I'm so pleased I found this post!
I started WW in September last year and loved it! But then they changed the program and I lost 7 points but was allowed to eat as much as I wanted from that NP list - what the heck! I'm not a huge fan of fish (ok, maybe deep-fried and crumbed from the F'n'C shop - one days points on WW pretty much), and I've found the only way to try and stick it out was by going nuts on bananas (which I'm sure at around 110 cals each can't be that good for you)!
I never feel full on the new program and have tried to stay within the new points range, but just can't! It stresses me to the max when I never see the little blue ring on my day which ends up aggravating the heck out of me. I never feel full on the program and my moods are all over the show (sorry to my husband and kiddies)!
Thanks to this string of posts, I have made up my mind and will quit WW today! Thank you wonderful people!9 -
I'm thinking of quitting. I've been struggling since the start of Freestyle. I really don't understand why they would change a program that was working for so many people to a program that I just found out only had 152 participants in the study. I started WW April 1, 2017. I've lost ~70lbs since then. This is the longest I've ever given any type of weight loss effort. I go to meetings and love the accountability. However, I hate Freestyle.
I still weigh 275lbs, so I have a long way to go and I've really amped my workouts (HITT/strength training 4-5x a week). I knew the right amount of points to eat to make sure I was properly fueled and now I don't. I'm sitting here thinking of all the ways I should play with my points but then it starts to make me angry. I'm paying $44 a month because I thought points were easier than counting calories but now when I have to decided how many points I should eat this day and if I should eat more or less and ugh. I got little commentary on my frustrations on Connect and at meetings they just keep telling you to try until you find something that works. The meetings are also starting to annoy me because anytime we get started talking about things to help us mentally to lose weight, it just quickly turns into how to use the instant pot and air fryer. I didn't come here for that. Sorry to vent. Just extremely frustrated and I don't want to lose my momentum.19 -
I have been in such conflict since the new program came out. WW and I go back a long time and I lost 70+ pounds back in 2004 on Core. I maintained well for 5-6 years, life happened and I gained 50ish back. I returned to WW in 2014, and followed Simply Filling. This time, I was truly excited about the introduction of Freestyle. Coming from a SF/ Core background, so many of those foods on the zero point list were part of my normal eating routine. I was successful the first weeks, but I think just by coming back after I quit smoking, I would have been successful on any of the programs. Chasing the blue dot, eating mainly off the ZP list, I gained back what I lost , then fought for weeks over the same 2-3 pounds. The meanness in the FB groups, connect turned me off completely. And the way they have always treated SF as the unwanted cousin bothers me. I unfortunately no longer trust some of the food bloggers and their awesome successes with the new program. They have too much invested in their business to second so many unhappy voices ...6
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PeridotDisco wrote: »I'm thinking of quitting. I've been struggling since the start of Freestyle. I really don't understand why they would change a program that was working for so many people to a program that I just found out only had 152 participants in the study. I started WW April 1, 2017. I've lost ~70lbs since then. This is the longest I've ever given any type of weight loss effort. I go to meetings and love the accountability. However, I hate Freestyle.
I still weigh 275lbs, so I have a long way to go and I've really amped my workouts (HITT/strength training 4-5x a week). I knew the right amount of points to eat to make sure I was properly fueled and now I don't. I'm sitting here thinking of all the ways I should play with my points but then it starts to make me angry. I'm paying $44 a month because I thought points were easier than counting calories but now when I have to decided how many points I should eat this day and if I should eat more or less and ugh. I got little commentary on my frustrations on Connect and at meetings they just keep telling you to try until you find something that works. The meetings are also starting to annoy me because anytime we get started talking about things to help us mentally to lose weight, it just quickly turns into how to use the instant pot and air fryer. I didn't come here for that. Sorry to vent. Just extremely frustrated and I don't want to lose my momentum.
I loved the momentum program. Had to quit WW when WW started the "free food" scam.1 -
I cant open link...:
Is cheese and wine in that list?2 -
I'm so happy I found this post! Dropping from 30 points to 23 points had my anxiety spiking. I'm so happy I'm back on MFP. And saving $20/month is another added. Onus.3
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I'm someone else who has switched from WW to MFP. I've only just started here, so I don't know how I will go, but I am enjoying the freedom so far.
I am another person who has been on WW on and off for years. The problem I have now is, I have lost trust in WW. I wasn't crazy on the last change but this one is even worse.
How can it be that a piece of salmon is free, but you need to point a few slices of ham?
Something that had a significant points value a few months ago (I think an average fillet was 6 points) is now free. How is this possible?
If I want to eat a fairly healthy meal of baked potato, beans and cheese it is approx 15 points. I am only allowed 23 per day. It's just nonsensical.
And woe betide if you fancy a bar of chocolate at the weekend. That'll wipe out 11 points right there.
And to change the plan EVERY year without letting the paying customers know or have a choice is just not on.
Enough is enough. Calories it is!
Rant over....8 -
I also left WW's a few weeks back as I was always hungry and one day out of curiosity I worked out the calories of what I'd eaten...I was on 23 SP per day and despite one day going "Over" my daily SP by 6 I had actually only eaten 903 calories which I felt was my time to say goodbye....This was on a day too where I had worked out for one hour so going over by 6 sp but actually only having 903 calories was so not healthy....Then I was told Fitpoints weren't there to eat...
I gave up in the end.
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Xkmaf2018X wrote: »I also left WW's a few weeks back as I was always hungry and one day out of curiosity I worked out the calories of what I'd eaten...I was on 23 SP per day and despite one day going "Over" my daily SP by 6 I had actually only eaten 903 calories which I felt was my time to say goodbye....This was on a day too where I had worked out for one hour so going over by 6 sp but actually only having 903 calories was so not healthy....Then I was told Fitpoints weren't there to eat...
I gave up in the end.
This is exactly why I came back to MFP. I lost about 17lbs on smart points and kind of fell off the wagon when freestyle rolled out. The other day I tracked on here what I had tracked on WW, and even though I was over in points, I still had like 400+ calories left on here. So, giving MFP another try!2 -
I too came back to MFP from WW the new program is horrible. I wonder if they will admit it? It became too restrictive. Unless you want to live on chicken breast. Ground turkey or plain ff Greek yogurt this program will never fly2
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I left last week even though I had 3 weeks left on my term I couldn’t take all the talk about their products in their meetings full of chemicals and people buying them and wondering why they were not losing weight.
I was undereating by 300 calories and my weight loss was only 1/4 lb4 -
Not that I'm a fan of WW's current program, but what have chemicals to do with rate of weight loss?7
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healthy2700mfp wrote: »I left last week even though I had 3 weeks left on my term I couldn’t take all the talk about their products in their meetings full of chemicals and people buying them and wondering why they were not losing weight.
I was undereating by 300 calories and my weight loss was only 1/4 lb
Eating those "chemical" ladened products aren't the reason those people weren't losing weight.6 -
Im completely confused but I agree . I just joined for 3 months but Im over my points by 11 in the morning lol. Im not over my calories on mfp. Its because Im allowed 24 points a day and my coffee from Tims is 12 points lol...but only 195 calories. Help lol lol0
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healthy2700mfp wrote: »I left last week even though I had 3 weeks left on my term I couldn’t take all the talk about their products in their meetings full of chemicals and people buying them and wondering why they were not losing weight.
I was undereating by 300 calories and my weight loss was only 1/4 lb
Eating those "chemical" ladened products aren't the reason those people weren't losing weight.
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People tend to overeat these foods because they are not satisfying thus over eating consuming too many calories4
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I loved Points Plus. I lost my first 50lbs doing that program. Then they changed to Smart Points, or something like that, and started pushing protein and raised the point values of more carb dense foods. Being vegan that meant that my tofu was l lower in points, but a sweet potato would take up nearly a fourth of my day's points.
I also hated the online community once Points Plus was phased out. Lots of lifetimers talking down to other members about the point values of overnight oats or mejool dates.1 -
I have no faith in anywhere that charges you to step on the scales - the GP will do it for free (well the practice nurse) and if you pop to a supermarket, most of them sell weighing scales for you to use at home.
Weight Watchers, Slimming World, Zoe Harcombe, they're all businesses and they're out to make money, just a any business needs to do to survive, so if everyone who attended one of these groups was to lose weight and stay at their desired weight, they would soon be out of business, so it's in their best interests for people to succeed (so you're hooked in and you bring along your pals), then you enjoy normality for a while you all fall off the wagon & gain weight, so return once more, therefore keeping them in business.
I went to weight watcher in 2008 and lost 67lb on the Core Plan Diet (basically the same at the Pro Points minus the f**king about) but due to my husband being made redundant I had to leave, then gained the weight back.
In 2012 I decided enough was enough and started counting calories, that's when a friend pointed me in the direction of MFP and through exercise and calorie counting I lost 164lb in 2 years (Nov 2012 - Nov 2014) and I have been maintaining my weight through MFP and exercise ever since; I pay the £39.99 a year purely out of choice, but you don't have to pay a penny, I use Premium because of my severe dietary restrictions (I can't digest carbohydrates properly, mostly sugar but also some fibres) so the macro counting is a Godsend for me.
With calories, if it's 100 kcals you log it as 100, but with Points & Syns you need to have a special calculator to figure what the heck you're eating - screw that, I look at a packet and know what I'm eating, I don't need a degree in Bullsh!tology to know when I'm over or under my calories & macros.16 -
healthy2700mfp wrote: »People tend to overeat these foods because they are not satisfying thus over eating consuming too many calories
But that's got nothing to do with chemicals. Macros matter for satiety. Many of the treats I bought when I was on WW were high-carb (this is going back a few years). Now, I do find carbs to be pretty darn satiating, IF combined with protein. But I snack on "chemically-laden" commercially prepared veggie dogs and Simply Protein chips and am quite satisfied.
I should also point out that macros for satiety can vary quite a bit from person to person. I've personally never found fat to be particularly satiating, but I see some people on keto post that going high-fat has killed their hunger. The food can matter. I find whole grains and vegetables more satiating than cake or pastry. They're all carbs, but (for me!) have a different effect on my satiety levels.5
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