Weight watchers vs my fitness pal

sark1971
sark1971 Posts: 83 Member
edited November 25 in Getting Started
On weight watchers you have weekly points. How do you deal with that on MFP?

Replies

  • ceiswyn
    ceiswyn Posts: 2,256 Member
    What do you mean, ‘how do you deal with that’? You can eat anything you want as long as it fits within your calories. What’s to deal with?
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    MFP tracks calories, not points.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    edited April 2018
    Weight Watchers is strict about how you measure points and I believe they won't let you track them anywhere else. For MFP, you track the calories eaten, including those from Weight Watchers "free" foods. And if you want to track them by the week that's fine, you can view the total eaten and remaining on the app.
  • sark1971
    sark1971 Posts: 83 Member
    Thank you. I was just wondering how you incorporate extras into your daily calorie limit. If you look at it weekly instead of daily then you can cut back on one day to have a restaurant meal or something that does not normally fit into your daily calories.
  • dsboohead
    dsboohead Posts: 1,899 Member
    sark1971 wrote: »
    Thank you. I was just wondering how you incorporate extras into your daily calorie limit. If you look at it weekly instead of daily then you can cut back on one day to have a restaurant meal or something that does not normally fit into your daily calories.

    How come you want to do both instead of just committing to one or the other....just a thought.
  • heatherrk45
    heatherrk45 Posts: 27 Member
    I was on WW for a while and tried to do both that and MFP and it got really confusing for me. It seems like they're changing their 'formula' all the time. I just got used to one way, and they'd 'update' it. To answer your question tho, I'm not sure I understand what you mean. Do you mean like dividing your weekly points by 7 and incorporating them into each day? Sorry, I've only had one cup of coffee this morning ... :)
  • HappyKat5
    HappyKat5 Posts: 369 Member
    edited April 2018
    This is so weird because I started binge watching Zero point days on WW on YouTube and can’t stop clicking the next video :D But, I was so curious to see what the “calorie” count actually was on that day that 0 points. Like chicken was a 0 point, but isn’t it like 200 calories as a “regular” food? I wish I knew how much that whole day of eating would be? Does make sense?
  • annaskiski
    annaskiski Posts: 1,212 Member
    I think OP is just asking about calorie banking people......

    I've heard that there is a way to switch to weekly calorie tracking, instead of daily. I'm not aware of how to find this setting. Anyone know?
  • susant615
    susant615 Posts: 3 Member
    I’m on Weight Watchers with the Freestyle and I was losing but I felt I might still be eating too much. I started MFP two weeks ago to supplement my plan and it’s definitely helped. I think people eat too much of the 0 point foods on WW, don’t take into account the calorie count or nutritional breakdown and that’s why they’re not successful with it.

    It’s been interesting. There are days where I’ve used all my daily points but haven’t eaten all my calories or vice versa. Anyhow, I’m staying on WW and using MFP because I’m losing weight and that’s what I’m in this for!
  • amlelas68
    amlelas68 Posts: 69 Member
    I have done both plans. You will have to log separate since WW is a point system. So you will just have to log into MFP what you eat and will tell you how many calories you have left.

    I have found after using MFP its much more suitable with me because i know exactly what i have eaten.
  • apcross13
    apcross13 Posts: 8 Member
    I am doing both. I just track the food and portions in both. I do find it helpful to track calories to avoid the above-mentioned problem of eating too many zero point ( not zero calorie) foods. WW, on the other hand, gives me a convenient way to push myself toward a healthier balance. I don’t let it bother me if I go over on MFP using banked points - I really only want to watch that calorie total here.

    Give it a try and see what works best.
  • Mjones23456
    Mjones23456 Posts: 57 Member
    I have had some success with WW in the recent past but I went back to MFP because the data base was so much better. WW did show me how to plan my meals around veggies and still feel full.
  • sark1971
    sark1971 Posts: 83 Member
    Thanks everyone!
  • bfanny
    bfanny Posts: 440 Member
    I loved WW it got me to my original goal and Lifetime, however...Freestyle I don’t like it, AT ALL it feels more restrictive than ever since I’m not falling for the “free” trap and not eating only from “the list” I was gaining little by little, I couldn’t make it work so here I am...Real Freedom baby ;)
  • bfanny
    bfanny Posts: 440 Member
    edited April 2018
    Also it makes me sad that many on WW are tracking both points and cals because they just can’t get to their goal...it shouldn’t have to be that way, It should work the way it is designed without having to look somewhere else IMHO
    I’m lucky I’m at goal and I don’t pay anymore but today with this plan if I needed to, I don’t think I would...
  • bfanny
    bfanny Posts: 440 Member
    edited April 2018
    annaskiski wrote: »
    I think OP is just asking about calorie banking people......

    I've heard that there is a way to switch to weekly calorie tracking, instead of daily. I'm not aware of how to find this setting. Anyone know?


    Oops I got way ahead of myself...
    Just shave off a few cals each day to use them once a week (or more) if you need to, or use extra on your first day and cut from the rest of your week but NO extras well yes if you exercise...
    WW has a deficit included on your DP to make up for your WP

This discussion has been closed.