Weight watchers back to mfp?

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Replies

  • alkight84
    alkight84 Posts: 66 Member
    I love the free foods however I am fiddling with MFP now and tracking my food and realizing I can eat more on MFP and more things that I like. I looooove nuts and they are high points on WW. I do however love the community on WW. I can't seem to get into the community here on MFP. I did lose 15 pounds in the first 2 months on WW so it works but I just got bored with it so I am going to be making the transition to counting calories again. That way my husband can do it with me too.
  • LeanneCutrara
    LeanneCutrara Posts: 31 Member
    There must be a way to use My fitnesspal and track points
  • jrochest
    jrochest Posts: 119 Member
    I think there's lots of people who've made that shift -- I lost 50 pounds back in 2006 with the original points program, which was great, but every new iteration was less effective than the last. Went back to WW in February, was told about Freestyle, took one look at it and KNEW that it wouldn't work without calorie counting, so finally cancelled my membership after almost a decade...
  • bluekarou
    bluekarou Posts: 14 Member
    I ditched WW earlier this year, had a break and recently returned to MFP. The new plan launched last year is called Flex in the UK, which isn’t a good name as I found it very rigid. I much preferred the old Points system, I felt I had more choice over food. I’m not a child, I know that a banana is better for me than chocolate but sometimes I want the chocolate. I found the limitations almost patronising, with MFP there is more choice and flexibility. The Connect community is also a bit of a nonsense, as a PP said certain posters would always trend, even if they were posting utter crap.
  • grandmalu
    grandmalu Posts: 1 Member
    I too lost 50 pounds with WW back in 2006 and loved the points system back then. It didn’t make sense to me when they changed to points plus and said fruit was free. I wasn’t successful with that. WW changes their program too often in my opinion. Unfortunately I’ve put 30 of those lost pounds back on. I can’t find my motivation anymore. Keep trying to find it.
  • Moxiemama5678
    Moxiemama5678 Posts: 31 Member
    Me! I started gaining with Freestyle so back to MFP and I’m so much happier. I just didn’t see the point of unlimited food for people who obviously can’t limit food on their own. I lost 50 lbs with the old plan too, so I wasn’t super excited about the change. They should’ve just made a separate plan for it IMO.
  • gainer39911
    gainer39911 Posts: 125 Member
    LeanneCutrara wrote: »
    There must be a way to use My fitnesspal and track points

    It is quite simple. A WW point is about 38 calories. WW really is a calorie counting system, but they gimmick it up with things like “free” foods. If it works for you, go with it. My wife used it and lost weight. I used mfp at the same time and also lost weight with us eating mostly the same foods. I did most of the cooking so I could count calories then easily tell her the points equivalent.
  • gainer39911
    gainer39911 Posts: 125 Member
    gainer39911 wrote: »
    LeanneCutrara wrote: »
    There must be a way to use My fitnesspal and track points

    It is quite simple. A WW point is about 38 calories. WW really is a calorie counting system, but they gimmick it up with things like “free” foods. If it works for you, go with it. My wife used it and lost weight. I used mfp at the same time and also lost weight with us eating mostly the same foods. I did most of the cooking so I could count calories then easily tell her the points equivalent.

    I should clarify that the 38 calorie/point ratio is based on the WW plan as it existed 3 years ago. It may not still be valid for newer versions.
  • RussellAMagni
    RussellAMagni Posts: 7 Member
    Personally speaking I joined Weight Watchers coincidentally the day you made this post, and I've lost 58 pounds... I like the freestyle, of course that's all I'm used to I didn't know the old plan but the new plan works for me and I love it my wife is also lost 40 lb since March 4th.. but we paid to go to the meetings too and the meetings help immensely! No matter what you do I hope you stick with your weight loss journey and don't give up!
  • bfanny
    bfanny Posts: 440 Member
    edited June 2018
    It is quite simple. A WW point is about 38 calories. WW really is a calorie counting system, but they gimmick it up with things like “free” foods. If it works for you, go with it. My wife used it and lost weight. I used mfp at the same time and also lost weight with us eating mostly the same foods. I did most of the cooking so I could count calories then easily tell her the points equivalent. [/quote]


    How can you say that there’s 38 cals in a point??? As far as I’m concerned nobody knows the formula for sure, in my case I get 23 Smart Points and when I double track (cals) I eat anywhere between 1,400-1,600 cals, and never less than 1,000 which would be according to your formula, it entirely depends on what you choose to eat...
  • estherdragonbat
    estherdragonbat Posts: 5,283 Member
    About 15 years ago, the points had more of a relation to calories. Generally speaking, 1 point equaled 50 calories. High fat foods had lower calories per point (40), high fiber had more (anywhere up to 80). Since then, it seems that they've gone further afield.
  • bfanny
    bfanny Posts: 440 Member
    estherdragonbat wrote: »
    About 15 years ago, the points had more of a relation to calories. Generally speaking, 1 point equaled 50 calories. High fat foods had lower calories per point (40), high fiber had more (anywhere up to 80). Since then, it seems that they've gone further afield.

    A point value now depends on the quality of food, don’t they say that not all cals are equal??? Well that’s how it changed (short version)
    Banana= 0 Smart Points (100 cals) VS cookie=3 Smart Points (100 cals)

  • New_Heavens_Earth
    New_Heavens_Earth Posts: 610 Member
    edited June 2018
    estherdragonbat wrote: »
    Maybe "they" say that not all calories are equal, but for weight loss they actually are. For people who find fat satiating, that cookie may foster better adherence to a weight-loss plan than the banana would. But making the banana zero points and the cookies three will:
    • feed into my old anxiety and guilt around the occasional indulgence, which generally locked me into a cycle of 'eat something tasty, feel guilty about it, eat more to numb the guilt, feel guilty about eating more, eat more...' (Note: It's not BED, it's a tendency to go off the rails at a party/social gathering)
    • Probably lead to my overdoing the zero-point foods, because even though nobody in the know actually believes that zero points=zero calories, my mind will equate the two.

    Besides, forget the calories for a second: not all cookies are created equal. 100 calories of oatmeal-craisin cookie has a better nutritional profile than 100 calories of shortbread cookie, no?

    Plus there's the "blue dot" system. It's like earning gold stars at school. More days in points= more blue dots. Its motivates some, but others like me eat zero point everything to excess to get around it. I got my dot but no weight loss. So I found through double tracking I can exceed points, eat satisfying but otherwise high point/ reasonable calorie foods, and lose weight.

    And I'm finding fat is adding satisfaction to my meals. I avoided it for so long.
  • lbryans929
    lbryans929 Posts: 42 Member
    jbheller14 wrote: »
    Has anyone else found the new WW plan Freestyle not working and went back to counting calories with MFP?

    yep (not "back to," I am here for the first time)
  • rsj7799
    rsj7799 Posts: 74 Member
    lbryans929 wrote: »
    jbheller14 wrote: »
    Has anyone else found the new WW plan Freestyle not working and went back to counting calories with MFP?

    yep (not "back to," I am here for the first time)

    Welcome! The biggest difference between MFP and WW is MFP assumes you will be exact and weigh everything, WW assumes you will underestimate what you eat. You will get more predictable results with MFP if you use a scale.
  • lbryans929
    lbryans929 Posts: 42 Member
    I agree. Thanks.
  • mobs1204
    mobs1204 Posts: 2 Member
    After playing with same 5lbs for 2 months now on WW - I am back to counting everything. My work out plan is on point but I could work on my water intake.
  • canuck_OHS
    canuck_OHS Posts: 23 Member
    edited September 2018
    I’m coming up on 2 years as a WW member. I HATE freestyle!!!! I lost steadily until they brought it in. Now I’m just plain hangry all the time, stressed because I can’t stick to my points and generally demotivated. I realized that my weight was slowly going up about 1 pound a month so I’m giving it up!!
    Came back to MFP.

    In just a few days I’m feeling better. Not hangry. Happy I can eat anything as long as I am accountable.

    I am still going to keep going to ww meetings though. I feel like for the food addict in me I need the human connection and accountability of weighing in front of a person. I plan to make it to my goal using MFP!!
  • NextPage
    NextPage Posts: 609 Member
    I am still going to WW for the meetings but I am back with MFP for tracking food. WW tracker only works for points tracking but doesn't allow you to monitor macros of other nutritional markers. Also, there isn't as many food items in the database so there is a lot of inputting to do.
  • JenSchimanski
    JenSchimanski Posts: 77 Member
    @sleepymom5 have you seen this thread?
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