WEIGHT WATCHERS???? WOULD YOU??

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Replies

  • mkam1980
    mkam1980 Posts: 142 Member
    I did it before I got married. I lost 56 lbs with it. I eventually gained it all back plus some after I had my baby girl. I've been thinking about joining again. I seemed to do the best when I had to face that scale every week! Just debating if its economically feasible for me right now!

    You sound like me twin- ditto that ^^^
  • basschick
    basschick Posts: 3,502 Member
    Many family members and close friends of mine have had much success with WW. I don't think it would be for me though. Trying to figure out points seems too complicated. MFP is free and much simpler to track what you've eaten. My WW friends that are on maintenance (aka "lifetime members) talk about worrying they'll have to pay if they gain any weight back. This just seems silly to me. I mean, c'mon...you can't EVER gain one pound back?? That's just not realistic. Weight fluctuates. Even the most dedicated people indulge for the holidays, go on cruises, have major life crises, retain water when it's that time of the month, etc. and gain a few pounds. Then they take the pounds off and get back to normal. MFP doesn't punish you if you slip up a little.

    The only advantage I can see to joining WW is if you like the social aspect of going to meetings and meeting other people in your area that are also trying to lose weight. A friend of mine also enjoys the speakers and discussions on nutrition and fitness, but it's all information that you can get on the internet. To each their own.
  • annieheavrin
    annieheavrin Posts: 47
    I LOVE LOVE LOVE Weight Watchers. I honesty think it's one of the easiest & best programs out there! I lost 70 pounds from Jan - August 2010 from WW! It's GREAT!
  • dbfuru
    dbfuru Posts: 6 Member
    Just eat whole foods and count calories. Unless you like the whole support thing.
  • MommyTKD
    MommyTKD Posts: 61 Member
    Before MFP... I absolutely recommended WW. I've done it, and I know it works. BUT... I never really loved the Points System.When you compare the nebulous and mysterious "points" program to straight up calorie counting, there's really no comparison. What you're eating is what you're eating. We don't eat "Points". We eat calories.

    Now that there are programs available like MFP that provide 24/7 support, why would you pay to only get support once a week at a meeting? That's my 2 cents.
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
    I've done WW and while I did lose some weight, I was sooo hungry all the time. I hated that a tuna sandwich would use up so many of my points.

    I've been far more successful with calorie counting than I was with WW. Not only have I lost nearly 60lbs, but I've kept it off for 18+ months. I feel like this is just a far easier and realistic way of losing and keeping weight off. I'm now at a point where I no longer count calories or log exercise and I am still maintaining.

    I'm not sure that I could have ever stopped "counting points" and maintained had I stayed with WW.
  • ShrinkinMel
    ShrinkinMel Posts: 982 Member
    My honest answer is its a great program but I don't think you need to pay for something you can get free HERE. ;) It works out the same the point values are getting you in a range very similar to here and you earn more points for activity. It is essentially the same.

    The one nice thing about meetings however is that you #1 weigh in in front of a REAL person who will encourage you and hold you accountable. And #2 there is a group of people you can get to know for some local one on one support(support is great here but in person is a step above). If you have the money you may try the accountability out it work fabulously for me I had lost 40 lbs in 20 weeks. I believe the key(here or there) is to still learn proper healthy eating from whole real foods with some moderation in portion and treats(so you don't blow it all).

    One downside to WW plan is nutrition. You can stick to the goals and be way off on certain nutrients. It works with fiber and fat and they go over things like getting calcium and such but the tracking and planning doesn't really show a log of how you are working on those goals so that is why I think a place like this is better.
  • failnomore
    failnomore Posts: 39
    I've done it in the past and it does work, but now that I have found MFP I would never join again, why should I pay for it when this works just aswell for me if not better.

    Also WW has free foods that you can eat all you want, well we all know that every food has a calorie content, so I just don't think WW was helping me form a healthy relationship with food.
  • HealthyHappyVegan
    HealthyHappyVegan Posts: 58
    I did WW myself, including the 2012 plan. I ended up switching to MFP for good however for several reasons:

    1. If you get results with WW, you'll get them with MFP so save your money, haha.
    2. I was prone to abusing the "zero point" fruits and veggies thing. It's amazing how 0 points can really "add up"
    3. I couldn't imagine counting points for the rest of my life. Calories? Sure, they're easily available on a label... but carbs, fat, protein, fiber.... it gets a little too tedious when you're out grocery shopping.
    4. Finally, I think the MFP community is a lot more supportive, communicative, and the website in general is much easier to navigate...

    Hope I helped! :)
  • wftiger
    wftiger Posts: 1,283 Member
    I did it before and lost about 35-40 pounds in 6 months. The meetings just weren't helpful to me. I don't think I learned anything from them. As soon as I stopped I put it all back on and more. Being really strict and counting every bite on MFP I have lost almost 60 in less than 4 months and this is free. :-)
  • Tonigirl519
    Tonigirl519 Posts: 39 Member
    WeightWatchers is an excellant program....I've always lost when I was following program. That said any program usually works if you follow it. What I like about weightwatchers is they teach you portion control and other fun nutrition facts to help you change your lifestyle. I'm on MFP because I wanted to see my actual calories in....so for now I'm enjoying MFP...but still a WW online person.
  • froeschli
    froeschli Posts: 1,292 Member
    My mother had great success with it too. and once she reached her goal, the meetings were free (or so she said).
    i, personally, would rather lose my weight in private. stepping onto a scale in front of a group of people isn't for me.

    i did get annoyed at her counting points during dinner - but now i sit at the table with my hubby and pull out my iphone as we finish eating, to see how much damage i just did to my calorie budget.
    i guess anyone policing their portion size can be a nuisance to the unconcerned happy go lucky eater.

    i have a WW book with recipes etc. maybe i should try some of them...
  • fishercarrie
    fishercarrie Posts: 38
    I have been very successful on Weight Watchers before, in fact I lost 80lbs on it and maintained it for about 5 years. Post 3 kids, I have put it back on. I decided to try MFP because it was free. The support at the meetings were really helpful but I have been pretty happy with MFP so far.
  • Coco_Puff
    Coco_Puff Posts: 823 Member
    I get so much more from this site than I ever did from WW, and this is free!!!
  • Taymay75
    Taymay75 Posts: 630 Member
    Way back when, I lost about 35 pounds in 3 months. I love weight watchers (the real meetings), but can no longer attend. The online version is another thing. It wasn't what I had expected and is no match for MFP. I cancelled the online version after the first month. Go for it! (the meetings)

    I'm curious, how does WW online compare to MFP?. Which do you think is better and why (outside of cost)?
  • Maria052007
    Maria052007 Posts: 41 Member
    I did it 3 years ago and lost weight. I tried it 2 months ago and didn't like it. The new system has nothing to do with calories. So if you eat some foot that is a lot of points, it isn't necessarily a lot of calories. At the end of the day, I felt like I was staring because I was. I started doing MFP and WW at the same time and found out that I was eating very few calories and my body was going into starvation mode. I didn't lose weight but I was starving.

    I would rather know how many calories I eat, than a point. But, everyone has their own diet and what works for them.
  • bevskiwolf
    bevskiwolf Posts: 296 Member
    Yes. During one of my past huge weight losses, it was what I used. Loved it. That was pre-points program. I think they have really improved it even more now.

    Good luck!
  • bobie1978
    bobie1978 Posts: 204 Member
    I lost 35 pounds on WW. I did it through work and had a lot of support from co-workers. If you don't know a lot about nutrition and how to eat properly its a good way to start learning. It just depends! If you already know what to do MFP is the same thing but much cheaper lol!
  • ShifuYaku
    ShifuYaku Posts: 504 Member
    I was doing Weight Watchers in 9th grade with my mom, but I stopped. But I like MFP because it's free and isn't as time consuming, I think. I do what I want here. There are no rules, as long as I stick to some guidelines. :smile:
  • elliek968
    elliek968 Posts: 10
    I did WW maybe 10 yrs ago and lost 20# on it. I am in my 50;s now and Tried it again a yr or two ago and couldn't stick with it.
    MFP has been much easier and I am much successful at it now. I think you need to be in the frame of mind.
    good luck on you journey and decision




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  • grinch031
    grinch031 Posts: 1,679
    I would prefer the WW point system over straight calorie counting, but with sites like MFP its probably a bit obsolete. But I like how WW has a simple way to determine the value of foods you eat.
  • Vernswifevickie
    Vernswifevickie Posts: 26 Member
    I love Weight Watchers. I am doing it now and I do attend meetings. I track my food in both my WW tracker and in MFP. Honestly the MFP database is so much better than WW"s. I started tracking with MFP along with my points tracker because I was sort of stuck and needing to change things up a bit. My solution is to count both points and calories for a while. It's been eye-opening to me. I realized that I could deceive myself into eating a lot of extra calories with fruits and veggies being 0 points. So following the WW guidelines along with counting calories has been really good for me. I love my WW meetings and the friendship and support I've gotten there has been amazing. I will continue to go to my weekly WW meetings but I do find myself depending more and more on my MFP food diary simply because the barcode scanner blows the WW one completely out of the water! (and it syncs with my FitBit....a huge plus for me!)
  • ccbing
    ccbing Posts: 162 Member
    I lost 35 lbs on WW a few years ago....I spent nearly $300 going to those meetings. WW is very effective, but I can do the same thing on here for free :) WW you have to figure the point value in everything you eat....it's simpler to count calories.
  • monicamk1975
    monicamk1975 Posts: 298 Member
    I went years ago and I think I lost about 15 pounds. I didnt like the leader, the meetings were hard for me to make after a long day at work and I always felt like they were trying to sell me something. I hate that feeling of having someone upsell you on everything, they were always trying to get you to buy cookbooks, cookies, snacks, measuring devices etc... This works much much better for me and I never lost this much weight on WW.
  • tiamaria3
    tiamaria3 Posts: 92 Member
    I did WW a few mths back and lost 25lbs...WW does work but for me personally i got fedup of having to write down everything and some days i didn't even remember,then it just got too much being in the grocery store and pulling out the WW calculator to figure out points before u bought it,and not to mention how much money i spent per week,because i felt i needed to also purchase there products etc also i couldn't take the leader,she told the same stale jokes every week :huh: and she was just plain annoying
  • myogibbs
    myogibbs Posts: 182
    I know a LOT of people that have done it and had great success, including my mom, who is in maintenance & has been for years. I did it for a short while, and saw results...until....one day I gained ONE pound & I cried all the way home. I realized that wasn't healthy for me. I think everyone is different...if you need accountability, it may be for you. There are enough people and websites around to give you support and direction if you don't join. Good luck :)
  • BrienJD
    BrienJD Posts: 541 Member
    Never:angry: It may work, but at what cost. I know capitalism is good and everyone has to make a buck I guess, but I am sick and tired of people making money off of others problems or misfortunes. You can get the same advice here, and cook your own damn meals instead of paying some usurious rate per month for food. Weight watchers is like everything else. It started as a great idea, but now I see it as just another moneymaking scheme. Get you hooked on thier products, when you stop eating their special food, you start gaining again and bamn, they've got you again. Endless cycle. It's a drain on money better spent elsewhere. Not totally worthless like most TV ad products but more expensive than it should be. Just so you know I have tried a few of those TV things. I go tthe tony little abdomizer years ago and also got suckered into the Chromium Picontolate (sic?) It's just like those get rich quick scams you see on late night TV...give me your money and I'll share the secret to untold wealth. Yeah the secret is connning other people into giving you their money.

    OKoff the soap box.
    Just my humble opinion. I could be wrong, and way off base, but that's just how I see it.
  • dalgal26
    dalgal26 Posts: 781 Member
    My sister is doing weight watchers and loves it. She feels the points system works well for her. She started in October and has lost over 50 pounds.
  • blondejillie
    blondejillie Posts: 305 Member
    I did WW myself, including the 2012 plan. I ended up switching to MFP for good however for several reasons:

    1. If you get results with WW, you'll get them with MFP so save your money, haha.
    2. I was prone to abusing the "zero point" fruits and veggies thing. It's amazing how 0 points can really "add up"
    3. I couldn't imagine counting points for the rest of my life. Calories? Sure, they're easily available on a label... but carbs, fat, protein, fiber.... it gets a little too tedious when you're out grocery shopping.
    4. Finally, I think the MFP community is a lot more supportive, communicative, and the website in general is much easier to navigate...

    Hope I helped! :)


    DITTO all this. I joined WW in Jan and canceled today. I like MFP tools and hate counting/converting to points. Not realistic for me long term.
  • hcoburn37
    hcoburn37 Posts: 442 Member
    I lost 45 pounds with weight watchers. I cancelled it because I didn't need to pay money to make healthy eating choices. That being said I a absolutely glad I did it to begin with and I did learn a lot from it. You also havea lotof support right on this website and its free!

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