Do Frozen Weight Watcher Meals Help you loose weight ?

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  • LisaWixom
    LisaWixom Posts: 30 Member
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    I eat them Every day, Lean cuisine. Typically 2 a day. I started January 1 and have already lost 8lbs. The sodium is 600mg on most. I compared it to "healthy" items in my cupboard out of curiosity and its similiar. The amount you need to support body functions is 1500mg. The American heart association recommends 2000mg per day. So as long as you are careful I think they help with calories and portion control. Its easiest for me because I cook from scratch for my family nightly and I don't want to turn around and cook again for myself.
  • Christinemary6
    Christinemary6 Posts: 60 Member
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    No. Save yourself money and simply cook your own food from fresh wholesome ingredients.

    I have tried them and tried to use them for lunch and dinner; I lasted a week or so...they are not nice!
  • TheCountryLife
    TheCountryLife Posts: 25 Member
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    Thank You, these responses have been very helpful :happy:

    I think I will start making my own small portion meals :happy:
  • CMmrsfloyd
    CMmrsfloyd Posts: 2,383 Member
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    I like the Smart Ones breakfast quesadilla (230 calories) in the morning, it's quick and easy to heat up and take with me in the car. And the Lean Cuisine pizzas (somewhere from 300-400 cal depending on what kind you get) keep me from stopping off at Little Caesar's or Pizza Hut. LOL And actually I really like the Lean Cuisine spinach & artichoke dip for a snack (it's 200 calories for the dip and a pita bread). Some of the Healthy Choice frozen meals are quite yummy, and yes some of these items are high in sodium but if that concerns you, you can read the labels and choose items that are lower in sodium (yes there are some options that are not super-high) and you can also balance out the rest of your day with lower-sodium options. The main thing that these meals do is control portions/calories - you can do that on your own cooking from scratch, but for me it's nice to have a couple of options in the freezer that I can just nuke for a couple of minutes every now and then. This weightloss journey does not have to be 'all or nothing', if you personally enjoy frozen dinners then yes go ahead and keep a few of the lighter options on-hand, if however they just don't 'float your boat' then stay away from them and do what works for you. You can even cook more food for your meals and then freeze leftovers in individually portioned containers to create your own frozen dinners. I do that sometimes, too, when I actually cook. LOL
  • bizco
    bizco Posts: 1,949 Member
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    No. They don't keep you full and satisfied for very long at all which will lead you to eat more. They lack nutrition and are full of chemicals & sodium.
  • AyabeR
    AyabeR Posts: 6
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    You cant eat them everyday. Every once in a while wont hurt
  • msmimi
    msmimi Posts: 381 Member
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    They do nothing for me. Too much salt so I have to counter that with water and not enough food, I have to counter that by adding stuff. So it's a no go for me.
  • JPsFunkyMojo
    JPsFunkyMojo Posts: 72
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    I have to be honest. I don't consider anything that highly processed to be real food. Yes, it is low in calories, and portion control will help you lose weight. If you look at the ingredient list though, there's hardly any real food in them. Once in a while probably won't kill you, but I certainly wouldn't rely on them. You could eat a home made grilled veggie salad with some protein of your choice, and be able to eat twice as much food for the same amount of calories.

    This
  • Jendulin
    Jendulin Posts: 42
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    I eat them for lunch every day the smart ones anyway. They leave calories at the end of the day so I can have the same thing as my family does for dinner and don't have to make something different. I have recently been going to the lean cuisine because they have a wider variety. I eat the steam bags they give you more than the others do.

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    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter
  • paigemarie93
    paigemarie93 Posts: 778 Member
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    Yes, I lost two stone last year by eating those
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
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    The key to losing weight is staying at a caloric deficit. Stay in the range of your allowed calorie intake that MFP sets for you and you will lose weight. So yes, you can lose weight eating smartones, lean cuisines ect....as long as you're not eating 10 of them a day.

    But as a side note - like many others have already commented, microwave meals are not the healthiest choice. Over processed and lots of sodium. But I admit, I'm guilty, I eat them sometimes too :blushing:
  • samantha1480
    samantha1480 Posts: 9 Member
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    Only in the sense that you are likely controlling portions and going into a caloric defecit. As far as the quality of food it's total garbage and you'd be better off making something yourself.

    If things like Weight Watchers really worked, and worked long term, everyone would eat their pre packaged meals. I think that some people can loose weight on the weight watchers plan, but best to prepare your own foods within their guidelines, the meals themselves are just a revenue generator for them.

    Weight Watchers DOES work. It is the EXACT same thing as my fitness pal. They tell you how many calories, fat, etc you should have per day based on your personal information...only they convert it into a Points System. I joined Weight Watchers and had great success because they teach you how to eat healthy and with proper portions. They NEVER pushed their product on me or even talked about their product at meetings. They do have Smart Ones out there in grocery stores but Smart Ones are not a focus at all on what they teach. You don’t have to buy anything related to Weight Watchers, you simply pay a meeting fee if you choose to attend their meetings. I put my weight back on because I stopped following the program and was eating more per day than I should have. Weight Watchers is not anything like Jenny Craig or NutriSystem where you have to eat AND BUY their foods to be on their program.

    I just thought I'd clear that up :)
  • Speedtrap
    Speedtrap Posts: 216
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    I do eat them everyday for lunch, I know the sodium is high but for portion control they work for me.
    My work is surrounded by fast food places so I look at is as the lesser of two evils. When I don't have them here I find myself going out for fast food.

    That being said, when I talked to my nutritionist she told me she would rather have me eating them instead of the crap I use to eat. If you can find them on sale it is a cost effective option, for me at least.
  • gatorgirl7
    gatorgirl7 Posts: 103 Member
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    They help w/ portion control but always leave me hungry so I have to do something like steamed veggies or a salad on the side. They're also PACKED with sodium so I wouldn't eat too many. When I did WW, they recommended no more than one a wk.
  • beckyyoungers
    beckyyoungers Posts: 18
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    I love the Amy's frozen meals - they are made with more nutritious ingredients than your mainstream brands - of course, they are also way more expensive! But I eat them from time to time. I find it a great way to get a hot, satisfying meal for 300-400 calories. Especially during the winter when I'm always freezing, the last thing I want for lunch is a sandwich or a salad.

    Also, Amy's has a low-sodium line of frozen dinners. :)
  • Marll
    Marll Posts: 904 Member
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    Only in the sense that you are likely controlling portions and going into a caloric defecit. As far as the quality of food it's total garbage and you'd be better off making something yourself.

    If things like Weight Watchers really worked, and worked long term, everyone would eat their pre packaged meals. I think that some people can loose weight on the weight watchers plan, but best to prepare your own foods within their guidelines, the meals themselves are just a revenue generator for them.

    Weight Watchers DOES work. It is the EXACT same thing as my fitness pal. They tell you how many calories, fat, etc you should have per day based on your personal information...only they convert it into a Points System. I joined Weight Watchers and had great success because they teach you how to eat healthy and with proper portions. They NEVER pushed their product on me or even talked about their product at meetings. They do have Smart Ones out there in grocery stores but Smart Ones are not a focus at all on what they teach. You don’t have to buy anything related to Weight Watchers, you simply pay a meeting fee if you choose to attend their meetings. I put my weight back on because I stopped following the program and was eating more per day than I should have. Weight Watchers is not anything like Jenny Craig or NutriSystem where you have to eat AND BUY their foods to be on their program.

    I just thought I'd clear that up :)

    I think that you missed the point of my post. The prepackaged stuff is not meant to be the core of Weight Watchers, and in fact are more of a revenue generator for them for people that don't like/want to cook. Having a friend that did Weight Watchers (with some initial success, but much more once he went Paleo) I know that they base their system around more or less real food, not "Buy our frozen meals".
  • rowdy47879
    rowdy47879 Posts: 9 Member
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    I say do what works best for you! If you are losing weight then as the old saying goes "if its not broken, don't fix it!" Nutrition wise they are probably not the best option due to being so processed. But in those times where you need something quickly, they are a much better option than fast food, etc. I know I keep some around for that very reason. I do not eat them all that often but its a better option when my choices are limited!
  • Butterfly3730
    Butterfly3730 Posts: 220
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    I can't do the frozen foods/processed foods -- WAY too much SODIUM and I never seem to feel fulfilled. I go with whole foods (mostly home cooked). More planning, yes but I feel better. But I'm not doing this just to lose weight, I want to be as healthy as I can be too. So it is not just about calorie deficit and portion control but also what I'm putting in my body and how it makes me feel too.
  • Martha_VH
    Martha_VH Posts: 386 Member
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    I have been eating the Lean Cuisine meals. One person said to look at the ingredients, which is true, you want to know what's going into you. Chances are if you don't recognize it as food, its probably not, and not good for you. The Lean Cuisines are pretty good. I usually eat them with a side item. Carrots, an apple or orange.

    And again, in moderation.
  • clarkeje1
    clarkeje1 Posts: 1,638 Member
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    I love Healthy Choice and Lean Cuisine especially at work or when I don't have time to cook. Just watch your sodium for the rest of the day!

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