Switching from Weight Watchers to MFP

tilfordj
tilfordj Posts: 54 Member
My boyfriend and I have been going to WW for almost a year. We both did real well the first couple of months, I had lost 18 lbs and he lost 26. Then the leader moved...the new person came...and all he ever said was "the number doesn't matter"..."it's all about the clothes".I have put back on 10 of my 18 while still paying for WW..Doesn't make any sense.

Well, for Doug and I it IS about the number...and about our health. We have decided to join MFP.....
I have Hypothyroidism and I am Lactose Intolerant. It makes dieting a chore.....nothing with too much sugar (because with hypothroid comes insulin resistance) , nothing with dairy (and if something sneaks in and I forgot a pill.... SERIOUS PAIN)

Doug has fibermyalgia....poor guy - everything hurts

WE NEED TO DO THIS.....

I have enjoyed looking through the blog and at all of the success stories.....you all are going to be my inspiration. I would love to get into a bikini again.

I am glad to be here....and I look forward to chatting with you!
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Replies

  • questhaven
    questhaven Posts: 109 Member
    Hi! I also am doing MFP instead of Weight Watchers - although I'm still going to weigh in at WW because I don't want to keep a scale at home. I find this program easier than I found Weight Watchers - there's something about going by exact calorie amounts that appeals to me more than going by points (with some items being free). I hope you find success on this site - feel free to add me!

    Michele
  • kayceep
    kayceep Posts: 4
    Yeah! I am switching from WW too- so glad to see your post. Good luck to you both on this journey!
  • sheila0321
    sheila0321 Posts: 110 Member
    I have switched over also from WW. Our story is similar. I dropped 18lbs with WW and then my leader moved i gained 12 of it back. I have now since lost 10 lbs with MFP. It has taken me a little longer on here. I was all over the place with my calories and now I think i have finally found my balance. Welcome and good luck.
  • sondra216379
    sondra216379 Posts: 174 Member
    I have fibromyalgia and hypothyroidism....feel free to add me as well. What kind of exercise does your husband do? And I didn't know too much sugar causes probs with thyroid?
  • ScienceMom77
    ScienceMom77 Posts: 6 Member
    I, too, have switched from WW. I decided that WW focused too much on the scale and not as much on overall fitness. So, my approach is to focus on my overall health, rather than berating myself for not sticking to my 26 points a day.

    I've joined a bootcamp class (which is AWESOME) and I've lost about 6 lbs. Still 15 or so to go, but that's a real success for me, because for the last several months with WW, I had been gaining!

    Feel free to add me too! :)
  • SunnyAndrsn
    SunnyAndrsn Posts: 369 Member
    I'm a former weight watcher who lost almost 70 pound--and I regained almost 80 :-( I ran into the same issues that you did, the leader really makes or breaks a meeting. I'm relatively new here, but so far so good overall.

    Good luck, and welcome! To me, counting the calories makes more sense, having now done it both ways. Some of the differences for me are looking not just at total points, but looking at the balance between carbs, fat, and protein. With WW, I always went for the lowest points--now I'm looking at a few more things.

    Just don't ask me about today, today's an "off" day for me.
  • shinyshell55
    shinyshell55 Posts: 128 Member
    I was considering joining Weight Watchers but while researching it online I came across a blog that was positive about WW but also suggested MFP. I like it very much because for me it is about the numbers and it is also free. I record everything I eat and that is what it is about - being honest with yourself. I joined on November 1, 2011 and have lost 27lbs. I work out every day and stay within my caloric guidelines. I am totally motivated to lose the weight i gained over the past ten years and committed to achieving this goal.
    I stick with the Success Stories in the Community for motivation and general good will. It is an amazingly positive online community.
    Once you make the commitment it will be a great experience for you and your boyfriend. Good luck!
  • tilfordj
    tilfordj Posts: 54 Member
    It's not really the sugar causing problems for the thyroid. It's that because the thyroid doesn't work, the sugar processes more slowely...its called Insulin Resistance...so it's best to watch sugar intake when the thyroid is low.
  • tilfordj
    tilfordj Posts: 54 Member
    I have fibromyalgia and hypothyroidism....feel free to add me as well. What kind of exercise does your husband do? And I didn't know too much sugar causes probs with thyroid?

    He doesn't do much at all...everything hurts
  • wickedcricket
    wickedcricket Posts: 1,246 Member
    . I find this program easier than I found Weight Watchers - there's something about going by exact calorie amounts that appeals to me more than going by points (with some items being free). I hope you find success on this site - feel free to add me!

    Michele

    I didn't try WW this time- been there done that. I too, find this easier- in fact, it's so easy now I'm sad for all the years I made it so hard (impossible)
    Calories in/Calories out. Easy. I can do this
  • I switched from WW to MFP too. I like being able to eat 10 calorie snacks if I want and not having to struggle with how many points it is. This program is much easier for me than WW. I had lost 20 pounds with WW in over a year until they changed programs.. then I gained back 8. I struggled with the same 5 pounds up and down and gave up. Felt I was wasting my money.

    I eat much healthier now. I love the recipe builder here and can use my old WW scale to weigh the food. I started a little more than a month ago and am making steady progress.

    I have lactose intolerance, thyroid problem, muscular dystrophy. I had gastric bypass in 1999 and lost 70 pounds - it kept me from a wheelchair at the time. I gained back 25 of those, and now have lost 20.. so am almost to my lowest. I believe that on this program I will be able to get the lowest I have been in a long, long time.
  • KFuerst27
    KFuerst27 Posts: 43
    I've done well with WW in the past, but I found it was too much about food. I was always thinking about food. What was I going to eat? How many points was this? I love MFP for helping to free me of thinking about food all the time. I'm exercising regularly at the Y and have found myself participating in some awesome classes, including Boot Camp and Cardio Kickboxing. I've been switching my though process more to thinking about food as fuel, not friend. That's huge for me.

    Good luck!
  • jacquelynkay
    jacquelynkay Posts: 149 Member
    I've tried weight watchers for the last 3 years and failed. I take full responsability for the failure, the program just didn't work for me. I think eating what I want with small portions and not depriving myself is helping me. I hope I can keep this up. I"m working very hard!
  • lmelangley
    lmelangley Posts: 1,039 Member
    We have a Hypothyroidism/Hyperthyroidism group on MFP - I've sent you an invite!
  • I see so many people that have tried WW and switched over or are doing them together. I also did WW, I'm kinda glad to see that others have done the same thing. I don't feel like I'm throwing in the towel on that. I lost 30lbs on WW, then got married and gained about 25 back, over the last 6 years my weight has been a yo yo, it's time to break the pattern! I started doing MFP on my phone a little bit just logging stuff, this is the first time I have visited any forums though. It's nice to have people that are going through the same things and nice to share ideas or strategies. My husband is working out with me and trying to get healthy as well, I'm hoping he'll visit this site more often too. Feel free to add me if anyone wants to. We will achieve our goals one day at a time! :happy:
  • bskupien
    bskupien Posts: 58 Member
    I lost a lot of weight with WW. Gained it all back and more. I don't think it's a bad program necessarily, but I personally think (and hope) the best way to do it and keep it off is a lifestyle change with no commerical programs, pills, or gimmicks. Back to the basics now- calories, nutrition, and exercise. I also just found out I have hypothyroidism too, adding an additional struggle. But our health should be one of our biggest priorities and is worth serious focus and determination. Best of luck to you and your husband!
  • mygrl4meee
    mygrl4meee Posts: 943 Member
    What about swimming? Will that still cause pain?
  • sondra216379
    sondra216379 Posts: 174 Member
    We have a Hypothyroidism/Hyperthyroidism group on MFP - I've sent you an invite!

    I have hypothyroid...I'd love an invite please!!
  • mrichternh
    mrichternh Posts: 29 Member
    Funny...Many of the women I work with have joined WW since Jan. There are a few of us who are doing the MFP way. Those of us who are doing MFP feel better about food and overall seem happier with life. I feel like this is a lifestyle change and NOT a DIET as opposed to those who are doing it with WW. I am also glad that I don't have to view foods as points. I enjoy being able to track the nutritional info as well as calories. I have never done WW as it does not fit into my life to be controlled by a weekly meeting and the stress of what a scale is telling me. I have been with MFP since Jan 2 and I have already lost almost 4 inches on my waist!!! Can't say I would have gotten those results from WW. My self-confidence is through the roof! Most of my colleagues at work did not know I was making a lifestyle change and have begun to comment on how I look. First it started as compliments on my hair and makeup, which has been the same all along. Since then it has come to them asking me questions if I was losing weight and saying I was looking good in what I was wearing. I have lost 17 lbs thus far.
  • HauteP1nk
    HauteP1nk Posts: 2,139 Member
    I have a coworker who has been on WW for life - since she was 18 and now she is 50. She says it is not a diet but a lifestyle. It really does work for her...because what weight watchers does is teach people that they need to count their calories and watch what they are eating. Some people need that support group...it works for my coworker but not necessarily everyone else. We are each unique in our own needs and goals.

    In my opinion you might as well just try to do it yourself here on MFP for free. You will have a supportive community and be able to track your progress.

    Take what you have learned at Weight Watchers and utilize the MFP tool to reach your goals! :)


    As long as you are eating healthy and working out no matter with WW or here on MFP I am confident you'll achieve your goals! :)
  • successiswithinme
    successiswithinme Posts: 91 Member
    I have been on WW for the past seven weeks and I think I am almost done with it again.

    I get started, get myself grounded and then when the food control kicks in then the activity starts to creep into the picture for me. I am more focused on loosing inches instead of pounds and I know WW will only take me so far with it. Now the exercise needs to kick in for me to go to the next level so I will quit WW weekly fees and purchase more home DVD's to get the exercise mojo going.

    I love tracking my stats here because I feel I have more control watching all those numbers line up on my stats page. That to me shows me where I need to restructure what I eat. Love you MFP!!!!!
  • successiswithinme
    successiswithinme Posts: 91 Member
    And Im also getting tired of paying each week to watch my weight fluctuate up and down a pound or two. Like today.
  • lauraver
    lauraver Posts: 6 Member
    Hello all. I am making the switch today from WW to MFP. Fifteen years ago I got great results with WW, reached my goal, and progressively regained the weight. Rejoined almost 2 years ago and have been playing footsie with the same 4 or 5 lbs ever since. I was afraid to lose the accountability and support of the meetings, but now I want to see if I can do this a different way. I am going to set aside the $$ saved to buy non-edible rewards if/when I lose. I am also an enthusiastic Fitbit user and pretty good at exercising in general. The problem is really with my eating habit and lack of portion control.
  • I tried WW for a few weeks. My friend gave me the books and the little point calculator. I gave up though. I agree with the comment about how with MFP if you want to have a portion of a serving it is much easier to calculate. I also like how when I exercise I can log it and it shows me how many calories I've gained for eating. This way seems SO EASY. Now that I'm committed to losing weight, the pounds have been coming off the last few weeks. I also like how there's forums on here, since I wasn't part of WW online, or meetings cause I was doing it myself. Seeing everybody's comments and how encouraging everybody is really helps. I'm kind of new, but I bet I stick with MFP.
  • emmabrackpool
    emmabrackpool Posts: 61 Member
    Wow so many swapping to this from WW - I did the same and was feeling like a failure for not sticking to WW but this is easier, more flexible and saves me money too!
  • NeeNee121
    NeeNee121 Posts: 10
    Wow!! Can't believe so many "switchers" besides me!! I was stumped --maintaining when I need to be losing. I know, I know...maintaining is better than gaining, but dang...I was paying good money to simply maintain!! I felt like I learned what I needed to know about eating--filling foods and such, but needed to just DO IT!! I needed to get recharged, motivated, and moving. When my sister-in-law called this past Wednesday to invite me to go to Jazzercise with her on Thursday, it got me thinking...maybe just what I was looking for. I couldn't afford a gym or program because I was paying for WW. I went with her Thursday and Friday, and even went by myself this morning. I have always HATED working out, but love the results and I needed someone or something to motivate me. I got both. My sister in law AND the other ladies at Jazzercise are so sweet and supportive. And guess what: the price ended up being a perfectly even swap for WW!! It is a very similar website/concept, but so far, I like it better!! Good luck and anyone please add me. I could use the support!!
  • NeeNee121
    NeeNee121 Posts: 10
    Wow so many swapping to this from WW - I did the same and was feeling like a failure for not sticking to WW but this is easier, more flexible and saves me money too!

    I agree!! That was really frustrating!!
  • I did WW last Jan and lost 20 lbs by April, however I find it very tedious to spend 20 minutes a day calculating when I can just plug it into MFP. I love it here
  • jandk09
    jandk09 Posts: 99 Member
    i also have fibromyalgia, exercising is very difficult, but every little bit counts. i am excited on eating a healthier diet. good luck to you and you husband.
  • bettyclv
    bettyclv Posts: 31 Member
    :smile: Congrats on your success hope and pray it will continue....Im on a long journey but taking steps one day at a time. I hope to see progress in 5 weeks i just started today, prior to today I have been working with my nutritionist and have lost about 8 pounds in four months. But I want and need more. I have to work out finding that motivation isreally hard