Weight watches vs counting calories

lin7604
lin7604 Posts: 2,951 Member
edited October 6 in Health and Weight Loss
i have a question, i have a few friends that are on WW's and seem to be dropping weight like crazy! when i look at what they eat it's more in calories a day then me but they lose weight? Things that i love but have to limit eg) grapes they can have more often or bigger portions..... how is it that those higher calorie items don't seem to affect them in losing weight but for me it does?
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Replies

  • tiptoeketo
    tiptoeketo Posts: 271 Member
    They also eat a protein with every snack. I notice people at work eating grapes and cheese a lot. You should ask them for a copy of the meal plan/points system, and then modify it for yourself. In my opinion, you should be able to eat whatever it is they are eating.
  • lin7604
    lin7604 Posts: 2,951 Member
    that is what i thought but when i log in cheese it's high in calories, etc... so then i am starving all day b/c my choices were high calories and not enough " food"....
  • NightOwl1
    NightOwl1 Posts: 881 Member
    To me Weight Watchers is the same thing as Calorie Counting, just with a point system assigned instead of actual calorie numbers. At the end of the day, Weight Watchers has a 97% long term failure rate, so I wouldn't take your friends results as typical or long term.

    For an off color and funny take on Weight Watchers, read this: http://www.cracked.com/article_18965_5-weight-loss-tips-cynical-*kitten*.html
  • staceyseeger
    staceyseeger Posts: 778 Member
    I lost over 50lbs in 9 months on WW - when they changed it to the points Plus system, I decided to make a change & try MFP for maintenance. I was on the new plan for a couple of months and didn't gain anything, but I often wondered how you could eat so much fruit & vegetables. They might not have points any more, buut they still have calories.

    Good luck to you!

    Stacey
  • Stacyanne324
    Stacyanne324 Posts: 780 Member
    Well, on the new WW plan fruit and veggies are "free" so they don't count as points. It is all about what plan you do the best on. I tried WW and felt like I was always hungry and that keeping track of the points (especially trying to know what to buy at the grocery store) was too much of a hassle. My SIL recommended MFP and I really love it. I find it easier to track and it motivates me to exercise so much more than WW did. Now I make sure I get my exercise in and burn those calories so I can eat plenty later...I haven't felt deprived or hungry once on this plan and find I have to figure out ways to actually use all those calories or close to it (Ok, well maybe I feel deprived of my former fast food addiction but I am also saving money eating at home). I did WW for about a month and lost maybe 2 pounds. I've done this for 10 days and am down 4 already. And I feel great!
  • Stacyanne324
    Stacyanne324 Posts: 780 Member
    I lost over 50lbs in 9 months on WW - when they changed it to the points Plus system, I decided to make a change & try MFP for maintenance. I was on the new plan for a couple of months and didn't gain anything, but I often wondered how you could eat so much fruit & vegetables. They might not have points any more, buut they still have calories.

    Good luck to you!

    Stacey

    They assume that you are going to still eat them in moderation and they say that in their literature. I think they made the change because before people were shying away from things like bananas because they were so many points and making worse choices. Now they build in a certain level they assume you will eat in your alloted points. But, if you take it to be a bananan eating free for all then you won't lose weight.
  • dawnemjh
    dawnemjh Posts: 1,465 Member
    I had been a lifetime WW member and after the new system went into effect and the fruit/veggies were free, I ended up gaining 5 pounds and still havent been able to take it off. When I figured out the points and compared to calories i found that calories were much lower for me with WW then MFP, so I guess it just matters what you eat in a day to hit the goal be it points or calories!!
  • raw_sugar
    raw_sugar Posts: 87
    The newer pointsPlus plan incorporates carbs, protein, fiber, calories and fat into their points values. On the older program, that I was on for four years and lost 65 lbs on, the points values only incorporated fat, calories and fiber.

    So something that may have calories, but is high in fiber and/or protein (which helps digestion) gets a lower points value than something that may have low calories but might be high in fat or carbs.

    Personally I found the PointsPlus plan too complicated so when they switched over I quit going. Then I put 20 lbs back on over a year, so I am here and I get pretty much what I got there.. I track my food, (it helps if you watch not just your calories but make sure you're not going over on fat, carbs and sodium and make sure you're reaching your goals for protein and iron), and I get support from other users.. and I DON'T have to pay for materials or weekly meetings.
  • marianne_s
    marianne_s Posts: 983 Member
    i have a question, i have a few friends that are on WW's and seem to be dropping weight like crazy! when i look at what they eat it's more in calories a day then me but they lose weight? Things that i love but have to limit eg) grapes they can have more often or bigger portions..... how is it that those higher calorie items don't seem to affect them in losing weight but for me it does?


    Maybe your friends have a lot more weight to lose than you....

    The rate of losing weight is different for everyone, age, sex, height, current weight all play a part. You really can't compare yourself to others.

    Regarding cheese... it's high in fat & sodium... but if you really want it, you still can factor it in to your diet.

    You just can't have large amounts of it... but that goes for a lot of foods that are also high in fat.
  • iplayoutside19
    iplayoutside19 Posts: 2,304 Member
    It's pretty much the same concept. Be aware, and be accountable to what you are eating. If you're committed to that, the details will take care of themselves.
  • lin7604
    lin7604 Posts: 2,951 Member
    I lost over 50lbs in 9 months on WW - when they changed it to the points Plus system, I decided to make a change & try MFP for maintenance. I was on the new plan for a couple of months and didn't gain anything, but I often wondered how you could eat so much fruit & vegetables. They might not have points any more, buut they still have calories.

    Good luck to you!

    Stacey

    that's excatually my point! how can you loose weight eating so many items with calories?
  • BobbyClerici
    BobbyClerici Posts: 813 Member
    Weight Watches is a good program - no doubt!
    I also know people who have lost their fat doing these meals.
    And then some gained it all back - lol - but not all. Many have done very well, and I am happy for them.

    My issue with any meal program is that once you start eating normally, you gain weight. That's not for me.
    I would not trade places with anybody - I eat almost 3000 calories a day - good foods, mostly healthy, and I am still losing.

    This sure beats my days of deprivation and sacrifice where I was losing 4lbs per week eating 1500-1800 calories daily.
    I did it, but it was hard, hard, hard.

    Never again!
  • raw_sugar
    raw_sugar Posts: 87
    Just to add, MFP lets you customize your intake goals so you can track different nutrients. Right now I have my set to track for Calories, Fat, Carbs, Protein, but also Sodium (I tend towards water retention) and Iron (I'm also anemic). I think there are certain vitamins it also lets you track for.
  • Journey2Myself
    Journey2Myself Posts: 85
    I went (when fruits & veggies were free) and didn't lose v. quickly.. everyone has a diff body I guess.. the leader said my points 29 were equiv. to about 950-1000 which is super low
  • raw_sugar
    raw_sugar Posts: 87

    My issue with any meal program is that once you start eating normally, you gain weight. That's not for me.
    I would not trade places with anybody - I eat almost 3000 calories a day - good foods, mostly healthy, and I am still losing.

    This is true.. and one of the things I liked about weight watchers is that it taught you how to eat BETTER.. to change your idea of what eating normally is instead of going 'well I lost my weight now I can go back to chips and chocolate'.

    However, my issue is that they are, above all, a huge corporation with a vested interested in making money, which is the main reason I gave up going when they changed to the PointsPlus program.. I felt that they sold all the people who had invested a lot of money into the previous plan up the river.

    I wrote more about it here.. I'm going to re-post it to my blog as well.

    http://andiegoddessofpickles.blogspot.com/2010/12/wwwednesday-corporation-is-corporation.html
  • capergal
    capergal Posts: 141 Member
    For an off color and funny take on Weight Watchers, read this: http://www.cracked.com/article_18965_5-weight-loss-tips-cynical-*kitten*.html
    [/quote]

    That was funny! :happy:
  • InfoSecChick
    InfoSecChick Posts: 37 Member
    I honestly think this is easier, I've done both and lost weight on both. They're probally eating more food because they''re eating a lot more less calorie food options.. :)
  • fkeehnen
    fkeehnen Posts: 9 Member
    i lost weight easily on the old WW plan. When the plan changed, i began gaining weight immediately. When I went to the forums for help from other members I got nothing but criticism and accusations that i was not doing the program correctly. I was logging everything and staying under my points but gaining weight. I canceled after that and joined MFP. i was able to stop the mad gaining and have now began to lose. MFP does encourage you to exercise more and i feel like i am doing something i can do forever.
  • CynMaria
    CynMaria Posts: 9 Member
    For the last month, I've been tracking on both WW and MF just to see if there was a better method. I think both are good and the 1200 calories MF advised almost matches out to the 26 points + WW has assigned me. This is assuming you eat mostly vegetables and healthy choices on other things. WW encourages you to eat healthy and by eating mostly power foods, you are less hungry so this may be why your friends seem to be eating more and losing more. Neither method guarantees long time success. You have to change your eating habits for life. Recently, I've been stuck in a rut and can't get the last 5 pounds off using either method...sheesh.
  • Diary_Queen
    Diary_Queen Posts: 1,314 Member
    I love the WW Points Plus system and I'm now doing a hybrid of calorie counting here and Point tracking through the WW ideas. WW worked better for me. On MFP, I feel like I'm starving and to not feel that way, I have to up my calories and I don't lose anything. I like the way WW Points Plus focuses on fiber and protein and managing carbs better. I also like free veggies. If I'm starving late at night and willing to eat a bowl of left over green beans from dinner and it's 0 Points, then I'm really really that hungry. It helped me make better choices than I make here alone. I like both programs and that's why I've started using them in conjunction. If I can stay under Points and under MFP calories with my current calorie setting, then I think that will be MY solution. I'd love for you to be able to check out my diary, but this is a very senstive issue for me because I got a METRIC TON of hate mail last time I mentioned liking WW the same or better (I lost more weight that and on a more consistent basis than here). Now, I've locked my diary in hopes of regrouping with only a select number of people that can see my diary until I get some stuff worked out.
  • wyld4eva
    wyld4eva Posts: 58 Member
    On the new WW plan they calulate protien, fiber, fat, and carbs this is what acutally gives you your points value. MFP gives you the option to monitor these things and gives you recommended amounts. Try following the specific guide lines set for you including calorie intake and see what happens. I found I stayed with WW for a bit but after having to bring points calculaters to grocery store and out to eat and basically everywhere it became a pain and I gave up and started estimating and that = not good!
  • wyld4eva
    wyld4eva Posts: 58 Member
    PS... I aM DOWN with the free veggies but the fruit with the sugar content could potentially cause a problem for me
  • crudd12
    crudd12 Posts: 63
    I've been doing ww for 1 1/2 years and lost about 25 pounds! The last year I've been on their new plan PP and have lost and gained the same 5 pounds for a year now! This morning as I sat in the meeting and heard all the new changes to the plan I realized I had tried them all this last year! I am a lifetime member of ww since the 80's and ww always worked for me but this new plan doesn't work! A banana is not free-it's 200 calories and 51 carbs! I've been using this website and am having better luck than ww! Don't waste your money on ww!
  • drea0703
    drea0703 Posts: 83 Member
    i lost weight easily on the old WW plan. When the plan changed, i began gaining weight immediately. When I went to the forums for help from other members I got nothing but criticism and accusations that i was not doing the program correctly. I was logging everything and staying under my points but gaining weight. I canceled after that and joined MFP. i was able to stop the mad gaining and have now began to lose. MFP does encourage you to exercise more and i feel like i am doing something i can do forever.

    Same here! I didn´t lose on WW, I had constant cravings and was faced with their accusations that I simply don´t do it right, because EVERYBODY loses with WW! How dare I not to???
    And carrots in every freaking recipe...very creative!
  • raw_sugar
    raw_sugar Posts: 87

    For an off color and funny take on Weight Watchers, read this: http://www.cracked.com/article_18965_5-weight-loss-tips-cynical-*kitten*.html
    Sometimes Cracked is so bang-on it's scary.
  • LaLaMicha
    LaLaMicha Posts: 37 Member
    I had been a lifetime WW member and after the new system went into effect and the fruit/veggies were free, I ended up gaining 5 pounds and still havent been able to take it off. When I figured out the points and compared to calories i found that calories were much lower for me with WW then MFP, so I guess it just matters what you eat in a day to hit the goal be it points or calories!!

    I am also a lifetime member who tried, but just couldn't adapt to the new Points Plus, so here I am.
  • lmlmrn
    lmlmrn Posts: 788 Member
    I have not tried the pp+ plan and followed the old 'flex' plan and lost 25lbs...unfortunatly I gain it all back and then some. But it was not the plan that failed it was me going back to old habits and stopped exercising. So now I am here mfp monitoring my calorie intake along with carbs, fiber & sodium but still keeping the 'points' in my head. So far total I am down 15lbs since sept. No matter what plan you do it all comes down to burn more calories than you eat.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    that's excatually my point! how can you loose weight eating so many items with calories?

    Maybe you're not eating ENOUGH if you're not seeing the results you want. There's such a thing as eating too little. With only 5# to your goal, your body doesn't have enough excess fat to support a large calorie deficit. You shouldn't be trying to lose any more than a half pound a week.

    Check this link: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/395881-people-who-lost-weight-eating-more

    When set to lose a half pound a week, I got about 1500 calories. After exercising, I'd have about 1800-2000 calories. Now that I"m maintaining, I start at 1700 calories and typically eat about 2000-2200.

    You don't need to starve yourself and eat very little to lose weight.
  • youarewhatyoueat86
    youarewhatyoueat86 Posts: 27 Member
    I tried weight watchers for two weeks and absolutely hated it. The second week was me telling myself not to quit which is the only reason i had a second week! I feel that I have much more control when i do it independently on my own.

    Ive learned through this journey not to compare myself to others because what may work for them, may not work for me.. or what i THINK is not always what IS. You may think they're eating more but they are only with you at work, so you dont see what they do for the rest of the day (:

    In these last 5 months I have successfully dropped 60+ pounds completely ON MY OWN by counting calories. I have 60 more to go until I reach my goal and have never felt better. In my opinion, you need to find what works for you and stick with it.. dont compare yourself to others. Be proud of what you're doing and have accomplished thus far. Like someone stated earlier WW has a better chance of failure in the long run than counting calories during your maintenance stage--I agree with that. Counting calories you form new habits and learn so much. I guess WW is a little to vague for me.
  • lin7604
    lin7604 Posts: 2,951 Member
    I've been doing ww for 1 1/2 years and lost about 25 pounds! The last year I've been on their new plan PP and have lost and gained the same 5 pounds for a year now! This morning as I sat in the meeting and heard all the new changes to the plan I realized I had tried them all this last year! I am a lifetime member of ww since the 80's and ww always worked for me but this new plan doesn't work! A banana is not free-it's 200 calories and 51 carbs! I've been using this website and am having better luck than ww! Don't waste your money on ww!

    that is what i was wondering... how can you eat all that fruit and veggies and not gain weight, they still have calories!
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