Weight Watchers fed up
harley79
Posts: 79 Member
So I'm on Weight Watchers I'm just coming back to trying to lose over 100lbs well I just scanned a fruit cup in its own juice thats 70cal and it's 7points
That is alot of points I love that they have zero point foods because weighing fruit is annoying but my God that's ridiculous any suggestions
That is alot of points I love that they have zero point foods because weighing fruit is annoying but my God that's ridiculous any suggestions
10
Replies
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Count calories. Being in a calorie deficit is needed to lose weight.33
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It doesn't matter where the calories come from, even if they are fruit and vegetables, your body still counts them. This is why so many have turned away from WW and this crazy 0 point system and using apps like MFP instead. They were no longer having success with WW because, as you have discovered, some free foods can actually be reasonably high in calories.21
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Snap. I’m still with WW but have decided to run with MFP in parallel for a month for comparison purposes. For me it was the fact I had a meal replacement shake for breakfast at 150 calls it was 6 points on WW which seemed very high. The only thing missing would be the weekly weigh in so I’m looking for an online community to keep me honest!11
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... even the name "weight watchers" makes me cringe...
A co worker gave me a second scale, it's much bigger then my first one, but it says weight watchers on it.. I took a piece of paper and tape and covered the words.
Lol.. yep..25 -
Come to the calorie counting side.
We have cookies.56 -
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Are you on the Blue plan? I've do both MFP and WW. Currently do WW. It works for me because I tend to get caught up with numbers. Like another poster mentioned you could track both and see how it pans out.8
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Snap. I’m still with WW but have decided to run with MFP in parallel for a month for comparison purposes. For me it was the fact I had a meal replacement shake for breakfast at 150 calls it was 6 points on WW which seemed very high. The only thing missing would be the weekly weigh in so I’m looking for an online community to keep me honest!
I have a designated friend to keep me honest
Im a daily weigher, I like the data. I text him the number in a morning...... He knows if I stop messaging that I'm doing badly and to give me a shove
Ironically if I'm ranting about unexpected weight gain he's the first to remind me to check my totm cycle 😂11 -
weighing fruit is annoying
Blunt honesty forethcoming.
Weighing food really isn't difficult. You have a lot of weight to lose and it takes seconds to weigh fruit. Especially considering most of us are eating at home, it's a very minor annoyance, at worst.
Maybe try honing your skill; guess how much something weighs, then weigh it. This will actually become useful if you're in a situation where you have to guesstimate.
Weigh and pre-portion food if possible. For example, if you have a bag of chips, weigh out a couple servings and put them in ziplocs/tupperware. This will save time weighing, make counting easy, and eliminate the urge to go for the bag.
There are many strategies for success, and many excuses for failure. You need to decide how important weight loss is to you and if you're willing and ready to put in the effort to get to where you want to be.
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Preach @Justin_7272 ! Can I get a "hallelujah" from the congregation?
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I think Weight Watchers is over rated because it is so expensive for what you get (because you can get a lot of the resources in comparable apps and research if you are willing to put in a little elbow grease)... but many have success on it, so to each their own. You can do the very same thing by using apps/ programs like this. I think your fruit cup, even though it only had 70 calories, probably counted for more points for the sugar content. Weight Watchers has (I think) started figuring that aspect into their points system. I know, I know, it was in its "own juices", however that only means that it is sitting in concentrated fructose juice on top of the sugar it already contains. Berries and fruit are good for you, regardless of the natural sugar... but you would be better off doing what someone else suggested by getting fresh fruit, and portioning it out. I know it is a pain and extra work, but so worth it if you want to be successful. I invested in a couple of Bistro boxes and a couple of clearance Rubbermaid variety sets at Bed Bath and Beyond, and cheap portion control containers at Wal-Mart. They have been lifesavers. I prep lunch and snacks the night before (and easy stuff not meal prep and pain in the butt recipes). Once you get used to what you should be eating, its not as much of a pain... especially when you start seeing success. However, without a doubt... like there is not magic pill for weight loss, there is not an effortless route for it either. Sorry.... 11
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nighthawk584 wrote: »
And even ice cream sometimes!20 -
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There's only choices and consequences. There's no such thing as a free lunch or free fruits and vegetables. There's the cost of decision making and consumption.
Back in the day of old saloons, those 'free' lunches were very salty so you would buy more drinks to offset the cost of the lunch. Free goods and foods are used as slick marketing tricks to entice customers. Just remember the old adage, if it sounds too good to be true it probably isn't.
Whenever food items appear to be free there's a cost to someone.
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nighthawk584 wrote: »
Uh, no. The chocolate's all gone. *makes sure drawers are locked*5 -
I was a card carrying member of the ww and I supported relatives who were 'lifers'. Most never graduated because at the end of decades they weighed exactly the same or more. Rebound weight gain with friends. They just kept paying those dues because it gave them a false sense of security.
The leaders we had talked about food in such childish terms. I was a really, really bad girl, today. I was so naughty and I ate all the cookies on the way home from the meeting. My sister and I went shopping, we ate all our free/zero points up in just a couple of meals. After the big weigh-in where everyone 'fasted' until weigh-in there was the after meeting let's go out and reward ourselves with more food club.
The weigh-ins reminded me of cattle going down the chute.
You choose, you decide, @harley79. If you find yourself doling out more dollars with diminishing returns, try something else. I'm of the opinion if the Captain, one at the helm can't do it then what in the world am I doing here.8 -
StephieK74 wrote: »I think Weight Watchers is over rated because it is so expensive for what you get (because you can get a lot of the resources in comparable apps and research if you are willing to put in a little elbow grease)... but many have success on it, so to each their own. You can do the very same thing by using apps/ programs like this. I think your fruit cup, even though it only had 70 calories, probably counted for more points for the sugar content. Weight Watchers has (I think) started figuring that aspect into their points system. I know, I know, it was in its "own juices", however that only means that it is sitting in concentrated fructose juice on top of the sugar it already contains. Berries and fruit are good for you, regardless of the natural sugar... but you would be better off doing what someone else suggested by getting fresh fruit, and portioning it out. I know it is a pain and extra work, but so worth it if you want to be successful. I invested in a couple of Bistro boxes and a couple of clearance Rubbermaid variety sets at Bed Bath and Beyond, and cheap portion control containers at Wal-Mart. They have been lifesavers. I prep lunch and snacks the night before (and easy stuff not meal prep and pain in the butt recipes). Once you get used to what you should be eating, its not as much of a pain... especially when you start seeing success. However, without a doubt... like there is not magic pill for weight loss, there is not an effortless route for it either. Sorry....
If someone chooses a 70 calorie fruit cup, they're still going to be successful if they hit their calorie goal. That's the beauty of calorie counting - you can choose the foods that you genuinely enjoy, whether that's a fresh orange, a fruit cup, or something else. You just have to account for the calories.10 -
The WW program employs a "lifestyle" approach. It's not going to be helpful for a lot of people even with their having 3 different programs. If it's not working for you overall, quit paying them to annoy you. Or, you could decide to take the "points hit" and just go on with the program if you find that overall, it's helpful.6
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Try Noom. I did WW a while ago and found it frustrating in the same way. Noom was inspiring and once I did that for 3 months I had a lot better understanding of what to shoot for with MFP.2
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Count calories. Being in a calorie deficit is needed to lose weight.
This^
WW points are bogus now anyway. Punitive point values for food they deem "unhealthy." I remember a years ago a WW brand yogurt was half the points of my favorite brand, just because there was a bit less sugar. Half the points for something like a 10-20 calorie difference.
WW keeps re-inventing themselves to sell their product year after year. I think that WW of old was more helpful than the version they have out now.12 -
I did WW in the 70s, the 80s, the 90s, and the 2000s. Yes, each generation of it worked each time. And it became less prescriptive yet more complicated over time. Come on over to the CICO (calories in/calories out) side. It's very simple. Eat well but control your calories. Figure out a way to eat that is good for you. If you (and I) could have done that automatically, we wouldn't be 100+ pounds overweight.
For me, the most important thing is the food diary and doing daily weighing to keep me honest. I'm old and retired so things that do daily swings like hormones and work schedules don't really affect me so daily weighing works well. I record/report my weight in a repeating thread you can find by searching "Just Give Me 10 Days" in the community page. The current round is Round 114.
My diary is open and I generally accept friends, especially if you give a little explanatory message.
Another advantage, this site is free and premium membership is a heckofalot cheaper than WW.8 -
I started on weight watchers and found it really helpful to figure out serving sizes and get me on track, but once I figured out what I was doing and what a portion actually was I ditched it cos the points system was just ridiculous and I found it unhealthy (lots of focus on nutrient poor or gimmick food to fill you up), and expensive. Though that could partly have been because I'm a seriously fussy eater and have allergies and couldn't/wouldn't eat much of the lower point foods. I found cambridge (expensive, but tasty) much more useful for fast weight loss for special events, getting over plateaus and resetting my eating when I crept back into bad ways. I now just do protein shakes and lots of eggs, low carb pancakes, veg fritters, anything that's easy to make, few ingredients but are real food and pay attention to calories and what i'm actually eating.
Going low carb has let me find some healthier versions of my fave foods, so even if i'm not losing weight, I am at least feeding my body stuff it actually needs rather than junk.
I do think it takes quite a while to find a diet (in the traditional sense of the word, not the lose weight sense) that suits our bodies and life... Keep fiddling you'll find something that works really well for you.1 -
My mother does very well on both WW and Slimming World as she need the weekly weigh-in to keep her going. Also she is not the slightest bit interested in calorie counting when I have suggested it as she sees it as being too complicated and fiddly.
She buys their products too and she believes this is the right thing to do although own brand versions of almost the same thing are available. But all that said, she can afford it, so why not I guess, but £3 for a ready meal is not how I would spend my cash.
Me... the idea of being publicly weighed fills me with horror and the thought of being "told off" or asked to go through my food diary with someone because I have not lost weight since the last weigh-in fills me with double horror.
Also for me, "free foods" would be a disaster as I love my veg and easily eat hundreds and hundreds of calories worth so they do have to be factored in. I also cook most of my food from scratch and juggling a bit more of this and a bit less of that, based on their calories, allows me to make the best of my calorie allowance.
So each to their own, that's my view,7 -
I will be the odd one here. I have been using weight watchers for about two weeks now and lost a healthy amount of weight. I joined to be motivated to eat better foods. It's encouraging me to eat healthier things such as veggies, fruits, and lean meats. I still eat a lot of the foods I did previously, just more in moderation. For instance, I still have a good treat (yes even ice cream) every day. I do not plan on doing weight watchers forever and plan to come back to calorie counting, but first I want to use it to motivate me to eat better foods.6
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I was somewhat successful on WW over 10 years ago. But all of the changes they've made over the last few years did not work for me. I think my biggest issue with WW is that I'm also trying to get all "fake" food out of my life and WW is so focused on the calories that every recipe is low fat this and no fat that. When you remove the fat, it's sugar that's added to make it taste somewhat like the real thing. I've been following a modified keto diet (mainly limiting bread, pasta, rice, etc) and MFP allow me to keep track of my carbs. So I use the "real" butter, sour cream, mayo, etc. and I'm not putting chemicals in my body. I feel so much better.5
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AlannaWulf wrote: »I will be the odd one here. I have been using weight watchers for about two weeks now and lost a healthy amount of weight. I joined to be motivated to eat better foods. It's encouraging me to eat healthier things such as veggies, fruits, and lean meats. I still eat a lot of the foods I did previously, just more in moderation. For instance, I still have a good treat (yes even ice cream) every day. I do not plan on doing weight watchers forever and plan to come back to calorie counting, but first I want to use it to motivate me to eat better foods.
It always amuses me that someone clicks "disagree" on a post about ones own personal experience. I think WW's lifestyle approach is really helpful for some folks. It was for me when I needed to look at food intake from a different vantage point. FWIW, I think you have a good approach - use what works for *you*9 -
I just canceled my ww after being on here for a month. Id love to be friends and motivate each other.3
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AlannaWulf wrote: »I will be the odd one here. I have been using weight watchers for about two weeks now and lost a healthy amount of weight. I joined to be motivated to eat better foods. It's encouraging me to eat healthier things such as veggies, fruits, and lean meats. I still eat a lot of the foods I did previously, just more in moderation. For instance, I still have a good treat (yes even ice cream) every day. I do not plan on doing weight watchers forever and plan to come back to calorie counting, but first I want to use it to motivate me to eat better foods.
It always amuses me that someone clicks "disagree" on a post about ones own personal experience. I think WW's lifestyle approach is really helpful for some folks. It was for me when I needed to look at food intake from a different vantage point. FWIW, I think you have a good approach - use what works for *you*
Yeah, it is kinda funny that people "disagree" with my personal experience. Lol, it doesn't change what I'm going to do and I hope they found what works for them!9
that made me laugh out loud I nearly choked on my crisps . 
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