Thinking about "breaking up" with Weight Watchers

I quit WW for MFP and I don't regret it at all. I quit when the new points plus system came in. I did well before but not with the new points plus. It just didn't work for me.

MFP is essentially the same (I did WW online) except it's free and in my opinion, it's better. I like that you see all the information about the food you eat (not just the points value) and you get a better picture of your nutritional needs here.

I really don't see the point in paying for WW when you get everything and more here.

ETA: Don't have to give up the weekly weigh ins. Pick a day to weigh in weekly and let your MFP friends know when that is. I have friends asking me about my weigh in if I have not posted on my weigh in day....the friends here can make you accountable!

not all diets work for everyone. I was on weight watchers, i never lost anything and i tried So. Beach and every other diet you can think of. I found Body for Life and it worked for me just because the exercise and training is close to what ive been already doing, then being on MFP that also helped me so much more.

get off of WW for a while and see what happens. I think you have a better support system here and its free vs. WW...my opinion

I did WW once but actually found it extremely frustrating with the points system and restrictions. There is something so freeing about simply counting calories and eating whatever you want as long as you stay under goal (I type this as I finish my piece of cheesecake). You might find you really like it! But I totally understand how scary change can be!

It's been years since I did WW, so I'm not sure about how the program works anymore. Can you put your membership "on hold" for a month? You can give myfitnesspal one month and see how you like it and progress. If it works for you, then you can stick with it. If not, you have your fall back plan of WW. If you can't put it on hold, can you write a check for the next month's fees and put it in a prominent place in your house? Then you know that everything is ready to go in case you want to start up with WW again.

Regardless, not everything works for everybody and sometimes what fits your lifestyle then might not fit your lifestyle now. Best of luck finding out what works best for you today!!

I agree with racetoplace... mfp really has everything you need to continue your weight loss.... But it sounds to me that you benefit from the support from the weekly meetings and the accountability of the weigh-ins. Maybe you could do what horror_hamster suggested and do both... try both for a couple of months... eventually see if the online mfp support is enough... if it is, the break up with WW... if not, keep both.

Don't be scared. Your online friends go with you everywhere. We can pounce on you if you just tell us you are about to eat another calorie past your goal. Seriously, though. i hated weight watchers. I don't know what it was, I'm not the type to sit around asking someone if I can eat something or not. To hell with that. I eat whatever I want here, as long as I log the calories and don't go over. It's the tried and true method and its more freedom than those programs that make you memorize stuff, lol. If you go for the socialization, then keep going but do the calorie diet. But personally, I'd save the money. Use the 15 bucks a month or whatever they charge to pay for an iPhone to have your log and your friends with you wherever you go.

I never 'officially' joined WW but after I had my son 2 years ago I used my mom's old school WW books and pointsfinders. WW helped me lose 60lbs in about one year, 20lbs under my pre-pregnancy weight. Over the last year, gradually eating more and exercising less, I've gained 7lbs back. I decided I needed to do something to lose those 7lbs plus the other 10lbs that I had intended to lose. Two weeks ago I started up again on tracking points and lost 5lbs in the first week. I discovered MFP about 5 days ago and continued to track points while doing MFP for the first 2 days and lost another 1-2 lbs. I was so encouraged that I decided to stop tracking points and just do MFP. Since I've done that, I've gained half a pound back. Now I know it is still quite early in my new journey and I've already lost a good amount in almost 2 weeks but I am tempted to go back to tracking points along with MFP to see if I start losing again. It seems like my points target ends up being about 200 calories less than my MFP calorie target so I'm not sure if that is making the difference or not. I'm supportive of both programs but I think MFP is a lot more convenient. Hopefully I can fully switch over eventually...even if it is once I've reached my goal weight. Good luck in your decision!

I've tried WW in the past. The first time around, I had some success (I think about 40lbs), but eventually got to the point where it just wasn't working for me. I went to my weekly weigh-ins knowing that I'd gained, and not doing anything about it. I joined a couple of other times, with the same results. I knew what I needed to do, but I just didn't do it.

In hind-sight, I think the problem was really that I wasn't really learning how to eat well. The points system worked to a point, but it didn't really teach me about eating nutritionally. When I was tracking my points, the stuff I was eating was low in points, but it was still just crap. Fat-free hot dogs were a mainstay; usually 3 at a time, wrapped in whole wheat bread (6 points total). This system doesn't teach you to look at things like sodium content (420 mg for the hot dogs), or any other nutrition like iron, potassium, etc. It doesn't teach you how bad things like breads and pastas can be for you. It doesn't really teach you about making good choices.

Since then I've learned much more about nutrition, and making good choices based on the nutrients in the foods. I've read the Eat to Live book and follow much of its guidelines. Overall it's a little extreme for me in some cases (I won't go full vegetarian) but it's still very good. I've also added a solid exercise routine, which has made a huge difference.

WW is very successful for many people, but I didn't find it a good plan for me long-term. I feel like I'm on a much better path now.

I have lost weight on weight watchers, got to goal, became a lifetime member and know that if i would have kept counting points i would have maintained my loss. But, I love MFP, they give you the same things that WW on line gives you, but it is free. I actually like it more in some ways.

I say go ahead and quit WW. You can rejoin if you miss it.

I agree with some of the posters. You can still go every week for your weigh ins but log your food and exercise here rather than follow the WW program.