Weight watchers vs calorie counting?

sandymi1209 · April 2020

Hi all, I am new here. I just joined and found this group. I was doing WW also. I did have success for about a year. I took of 37 lbs, but then I got stuck and struggled to get back into it but haven't been able to. So I have decided to try MFP and get my weight back off that I have gained the past 6 months.

ParisPrincesse · May 2020

WW has changed their program so now you choose the one that is best for you. It is no longer everything is free unless you choose that plan. I have gone back to the green plan which I love because now I count everything but veggies and fruit. Just give it a try and see what you think. ❤️

Blessingsbe533 · May 2020

Personally I prefer the nutrient breakdowns in my fitness pal. Like someone else said, I rebel when something is arbitrarily assigned a lot more points than it’s calorie breakdown. However, weight watchers has helped me lose weight. I struggle in this time of isolation with stress eating. So, I’m trying not to be critical toward my progress as these are unusual times. I am completing daily exercise efforts, which help my attitude.

Danp · May 2020

Weight management is very simple (but not always easy) thing. It's an energy balance. Supply more energy (calories) than you use, your body will store that excess energy as fat. Supply less energy than you use, your body will begin to burn those excess energy stores.

MFP makes this transparent, clear and straight forward. It calculates your targets, lets you log your energy intake and expenditure and does the math for you. It's free and using the app will educate you about nutrition and teach you how to manage your food directly. You're dealing with and calculating using a real life, universal numbers as a measurement.

WW takes the same energy in/energy out equation. Puts a gimmicky wrapper around it to hide how it all works and sells that gimmick. Because it hides and obfuscates whats actually happening in the background you can't learn how to do it alone and therefore become reliant on their system. The entire thing is designed to give you a temporary fix that works while you're paying them. As soon as you stop, you're back to square one because you haven't learned anything except their system. You regain the weight and think 'Oh WW helped me lose weight last time I'll do that again' and spend more money.

WW is designed to keep you on the hook with a lose-gain cycle. They're in it for the money. Selling people a 'plan' makes money through repeat business. Teaching people how to do it them selves doesn't. I've watched friends and family members yo-yo on WW for over 40 years. I asked some of them why they keep going back and they all said the same thing 'Oh it works. I lose weight when I'm on WW'. If it really worked, they wouldn't have had to keep going back periodically for four decades.

jaymijones · May 2020

WW completely overhauls their program approximately every 4 years and tweaks it a few times in between overhauls. The current program has been around for awhile. I suspect a shiny new program will be forthcoming soon.

It’s one of the reasons I stopped using it. I found a version I liked that worked for me, then it was scrapped and the new program didn’t work as well. I couldn’t access the online tools from the version that had worked once the new program was instituted. I was using it to help with post pregnancy weighloss, so I left and came back with years in between three times. I had the proverbial rug yanked out from under me twice before I stopped trying and switched to a free calorie counting app.

If they ever relaunched the online tools from the program version I liked at a discount I might be persuaded to return. But probably not.

VegasFit · May 2020

I've done both. I've had success with both. I spend time on both MFP and WW. I'm currently tracking with WW right now. Counting calories makes me a little obsessive and points do not. There are three different plans. The plan I'm on most clean, I'll call them, foods are free. This is working for me. I don't go to meetings, never have. Years ago I did Winning Points. Honestly WW may revamp their plans to attract new members but in my opinion the basics are still there even if they change the name or the point system.

swimmchick87 · May 2020

For years I would go on MFP, stick with it for a month- 6 weeks and lose ten pounds, then fall off the wagon and regain that weight plus more. Several years ago I decided to do WW- this was the old points plus system. It finally worked for me and I got down to a weight I was much happier with. A few months in I figured out that points plus was basically calorie counting (the only time I found that 40 cals did not equal 1 point was for alcohol). I figured I was just magically "finally ready" and that's what did it for me. Then I started really struggling with WW as well. I decided to stop doing it and try to maintain my weight- still about 5-10 pounds above a healthy BMI, but it was a lot better than where I was before. I did for awhile, then the weight started creeping back up and then piled on during a super stressful time.

It took me an embarrassingly long time to figure this out. I was able to stick with WW for so long because when I was heavier, I got a lot more points. I didn't feel deprived and I was able to fit anything within reason to my day. MFP always gave me 1200 calories. When I started "falling off the wagon," WW was down to giving me the lowest possible points, which wasn't a lot of calories considering I also wasn't good about getting my 5 "free" servings of fruit and veggies per day. Eating a tiny amount of calories per day just does not work for me.

This time around, I've had way more success with setting my MFP goal to only lose 1 pound per week, so I get more calories- currently 1550 per day as long as I maintain a decent activity level. And I figure if that becomes too difficult as I get smaller (I'm 4 months in and so far, so good), I'll change it to .5 pounds per week. It's better to go slowly and actually be successful!

I don't even know the ins and outs of the "new program" in WW but if it's anything like smart points that would have never worked for me. I need to eat treats and foods I actually enjoy as part of my calorie day. I get that WW is trying to steer you towards eating super healthy, but IMO for people with significant weight struggles that may not be the most realistic goal. My coworker was doing the SP program and she would tell me things like a fun sized candy bar was 1/3 of her points for the day because it's a "bad" food. That's absurd, and someone who eats like I do would end up with a super unhealthy amount of calories per day if I tried to stick to the "points." I'd also be way more likely to say, "Well, I've already blown my points for today/this week so I may as well eat whatever I want and start fresh tomorrow/next week," which I'm sure we all know is a really dangerous cycle. Then if you try to build in the "free foods" it's just not precise at all. I'd rather know exactly what I'm eating and how it's going to impact me.

Monnietron · May 2020

I see a lot of comments from people who don't agree with Weight Watchers. I have been on WW for almost a year, and I am down 40 lbs. and 6 lbs. from goal. Calorie counting has never been sustainable for me, and WW has been amazing. I have recently started tracking calories as well, so I can use that for maintenance. I am 5'2 and my TDEE is 1675. I average 1200-1400 calories a day. I have averaged 0.8 lbs. a week loss.

I recommend WW to anyone. It has been a life saver for me.

VegDogMama · May 2020

I have been on weight watchers twice before. Both times it worked but the second time I was so hungry I had to quit. They wouldn't give me any more points.

I agree with some of the posts here that points don't translate into real life, and if you ever go off the program you're not going to be counting points anymore, so it's easier to slip back into old habits.

That said, if you want to try it, it works for a lot of people ... Do what works best for you.

eatyogarun · May 2020

I've had better luck with calorie counting. The last time I tried WW was after a lot of experience calorie counting. I had a day that according to WW was DOUBLE my point allowance but when I calculated the calories, it didn't even come to 1000. That's because I hadn't eaten the "right" foods. I decided then that I was done. (For the record, it wasn't a day of candy and pie. A vegetarian pot pie was a huge chunk of the points because it had a crust.

)

LukesGreenMilk · May 2020

Monnietron wrote: »

I see a lot of comments from people who don't agree with Weight Watchers. I have been on WW for almost a year, and I am down 40 lbs. and 6 lbs. from goal. Calorie counting has never been sustainable for me, and WW has been amazing. I have recently started tracking calories as well, so I can use that for maintenance. I am 5'2 and my TDEE is 1675. I average 1200-1400 calories a day. I have averaged 0.8 lbs. a week loss.

I recommend WW to anyone. It has been a life saver for me.

I’m happy for you, but I’m confused how an inaccurate counting system can be more helpful for you than an accurate counting system? I don’t get how it’s a lifesaver.

missysippy930 · May 2020

Losing weight is always about eating less calories than your body burns, no matter which program you are following. Someone, somewhere, has counted the calories, has determined, how much to eat, and what you can, and can’t eat and drink,to be in a calorie deficit. It’s big business.
Or, we can accurately track it ourselves, eat what we choose, be in a calorie deficit, lose weight, and save some money. It’s up to you 🤷🏻‍♀️

VeryKatie · May 2020

I have done both. I prefer calorie counting. I like to know what is going on. And when I did ww, fruits and veg were 0 points... but I also didn't care about eating them. I found I was under eating. Like 1100 cals a day when I checked (im 5' 6", thats way too little for me). I lost weight but felt pretty terrible the whole time. I much prefer having control over what I eat and being able to look at my macros and diary to see what went well and what didn't.

Monnietron · May 2020

LukesGreenMilk wrote: »

Monnietron wrote: »

I see a lot of comments from people who don't agree with Weight Watchers. I have been on WW for almost a year, and I am down 40 lbs. and 6 lbs. from goal. Calorie counting has never been sustainable for me, and WW has been amazing. I have recently started tracking calories as well, so I can use that for maintenance. I am 5'2 and my TDEE is 1675. I average 1200-1400 calories a day. I have averaged 0.8 lbs. a week loss.

I recommend WW to anyone. It has been a life saver for me.

I’m happy for you, but I’m confused how an inaccurate counting system can be more helpful for you than an accurate counting system? I don’t get how it’s a lifesaver.

I'm probably not going to explain this well, but I'm going to try. I understand "calories in calories out." However just tracking my calories and eating whatever I wanted, I never learned any good habits. I would eat a bunch of crap, go over my calories, give up, and the cycle would continue.
Starting WW, foods are assigned points. I had 23 points a day. I am a volume eater. I found that I would rather eat boneless skinless chicken breast for 0 points, than a cheeseburger for idk, 14. If I wanted a snack, I would grab some grapes for 0 points, not a granola bar for 6 points. For some reason these numbers just clicked better with me.
Now that I am down 40 lbs and only have a few to go, and I am a shorty, I know I have to pay attention to my calories as well, and I am working on cutting down portion sizes. WW has already given me a way to know better what I should put in my body.

I hope this makes some sort of sense! I get it doesn't work for everybody, but it really did help my relationship with food, and I know I will be able to make this a new way of life.

Mugs203 · June 2020

Monnietron wrote: »

I see a lot of comments from people who don't agree with Weight Watchers. I have been on WW for almost a year, and I am down 40 lbs. and 6 lbs. from goal. Calorie counting has never been sustainable for me, and WW has been amazing. I have recently started tracking calories as well, so I can use that for maintenance. I am 5'2 and my TDEE is 1675. I average 1200-1400 calories a day. I have averaged 0.8 lbs. a week loss.

I recommend WW to anyone. It has been a life saver for me.

which plan are you following on WW?

LiftandSkate · June 2020

I've done both, and prefer calorie counting for all the reasons others have already listed. I find WW to be somewhat old fashioned and dated in their approach to nutrition.

CassiCrafts · June 2020

I couldn't lose weight on WW, but that doesn't mean it's not good. Like someone mentioned before, I WILL over eat on those 0 point foods. I'll go out of my way just to say "well its 0 points and I want to snack" and then boom all the fruit in the house is gone. I have a tenancy to binge eat, and even when I binge on healthy foods, it's too much. Calorie counting I do eat healthier, because if I want to binge or eat a lot at one time...I just save my calories for it. And I can see that even at 0 points, it's still calories, and if I let myself run loose on it, well there we go. Like I said though, everyone is different, eating habits, weight, hunger pangs, it all feeds into what will work for you. So take what I say with a grain of salt.

Weight watchers vs calorie counting?

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