is weight watchers better

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Replies

  • AlbionLass
    AlbionLass Posts: 136
    i have done WW and did lose alot of weight.. but.. i really wasnt changing my thoughts on eating.. i tend now to really look for food with more value... and stay away from processed packaged foods. the other big things was cost.. i was paying to step on a scale and panicing if i couldn't raise my hand that week to say i lost weight..

    Also .. i found that exercise wasn't as encouraged. the focus was always on food..

    Agree, I was almost an anomaly in my group as a regular exerciser.

    I think that with WW there is a temptation to eat their porcessed foods that have the points values written on them.

    MFP has made me reevaluate my portion control and I'm eating a wider range of foods now.
  • bgc85
    bgc85 Posts: 68
    I lost about 56 lbs on WW and I find that I can eat more on MFP. Also the food data base way bigger. Also counting calories makes more sense to me then counting points.

    I lost 45 lbs on WW and agree completely with this statement. The new PointsPlus program with the "zero point" fruit was causing me to gain weight and I got frustrated with the program. I was a lifetime member on the old plan, but realize now that I was starving my body of essential nutrients and MFP tracks that for me. Once you STOP weight watchers the lifestyle is harder to maintain. Like the PP said....find what works best for YOU!
  • ChristineW82
    ChristineW82 Posts: 116 Member
    I did WW for a few months. Didn't think it was worth paying for at all. The community here is sooo much more friendly, supportive, and active. :drinker:
  • Tara4boys
    Tara4boys Posts: 515 Member
    I've tried WW several times when I got "bored" with counting calories. I MUCH prefer counting calories. I like being able to see how my ratio of carbs/fat/protein keeps me full (or not). I like being able to watch things like fiber, calcium, and sodium. With WW you don't get that information.

    I hate the meetings - useless. I hated weighing in during the middle of the day.

    I also tried online - their message boards are vicious!!!

    I think WW is one of the best "commercial" programs but I prefer calorie counting.
  • grassette
    grassette Posts: 976 Member
    I've done ww twice.

    Pros: you get guidance, group interaction, learn strategies. If this is the first time you are losing weight, they are a great how-to source.

    Cons: Expensive with the weekly fees, time investment. I quit as soon as I hit goal weight and did not learn how to maintain because I wanted to save time and money.

    I was considering going back to WW until my daughter introduced me to this site. What I like about it is that it is free, the forums give you lots of advice from a greater number of people than could attend a ww meeting, and you do it on your own time. I love the accuracy of the tracking and the fact that more than calories are counted. You don't have to change what you eat, but this site makes it real easy to plan portions and food ahead of time. And I especially like the calculations of exercise calories burned and their application to the food limit of the day. This will make maintenance easy once I get back to it.

    If you want to do WW, I say go ahead, especially if you aren't losing here, but keep this site in mind for when you are into maintenance.
  • hackett1171
    hackett1171 Posts: 33
    I have done WW in the past and I have been doing it for 2 years now. I was one of those extreme peeps, and I did a different kind of small group training at the gym. It was the lowest I have been since HS and I had lost 4% +/- body fat. I contribute that to the exercise just as much as my points and portion control. The points plus is sooo misleading as it doesn't count fruit anymore and now that its free you can eat all the fruit you want and still "eat" your point allowance. WW doesn't really work for me and MFP isn't either. I have some medical issues that may be hindering my weight loss, like I can't BM and all that stuff. I am at a loss at this point....
  • siouan
    siouan Posts: 40 Member
    I've also tried WW on and off for a few years, and when I've been strict and stuck at it, its worked for a while, but I think the hassle of converting everything to their points system puts me off.

    As many have already said, the principle of MFP is the same - stick to a daily calorie target as opposed to a daily points target, but I'm now in my 2nd week on MFP, and everything just clicked and made perfect sense to me on here, and I'm finding it a lot easier to stick to.

    Where I used to struggle to eat within my points on some days (as I'm not the world's healthiest eater yet!), I'm finding it easy with MFP, and if we are having a treat at the weekend, I can just up my workouts to cover it. A lot more straight-forward.

    And this thread has reminded me, I need to cancel my WW online subscription this week, so thanks :)
  • Yellerie
    Yellerie Posts: 221 Member
    I guess it depends on what works best for you. My boss lost 100 lbs & his wife 60 lbs following WW I found while it was easy enough to follow (I did the regular points not points plus) I was always uncomfortable at the meetings especially on weeks when you stay the same & they ask you in front of everyone what you did wrong but that might have just been the leader we had she had lost over 100 pounds & almost seemed disgusted by us fat people.
  • Lose25now
    Lose25now Posts: 27 Member
    I have been a member of Weight Watchers for seven year and have kept off the 75 pounds for 6 years. You get a lot of information about nutrition if you stay for the meetings. I have learned to eat threw the holidays, vacations with out gaining weight. I think you have to find what works for you and some people find it work to figure out points and thats ok. Just like here, there are some people who don't teach the right things, unfortunitley they may be Leaders of WW. You have the right to find another meeting with a Leader that knows what they are doing. I find weighing in on a scale that tells the truth (no my home scale) and the positive group enviroment of my meeting really helpful. Now I am going towards a cleaner eating life that I can do both at Weight Watchers and here with great results.
  • SquishyVicki
    SquishyVicki Posts: 280 Member
    I liked WW but did not see any additional benefits from using it compared to MFP.

    Both work great if you follow it correctly; I found extra benefits with MFP being (i) its free and (ii) the people are GREAT. Even when I was doing WW I still used the forums here as I liked the forums and people so much better.... :smile:

    For me both worked but I did not see the point of paying for something that I can already have for free. Good luck though!
  • shanea98
    shanea98 Posts: 32 Member
    there is an actual formual to convert calories to points. WW just doesnt want people to do this as they would lose money- lol
  • Lozze
    Lozze Posts: 1,917 Member
    Weight Watchers is calories made more complicated. And it's changed constantly so you have to keep buying their stuff.

    Is there a reason you're not logging?
  • bonjolie1971
    bonjolie1971 Posts: 14
    I follow WW to a certain extent. I weigh in weekly and I enjoy many of their products. However, it's gotten more complicated, and in many ways you're almost forced to buy some of their tools and such. Plus, their website does not have nearly as many foods listed as MFP has in its database. I also really love the support I get on MFP....and the knowledge. I have learned so much, and from such a diverse group of people. The site is formatted way better than WW. I have lost weight on WW, and I know it works, and that's why I'm still a member. We shall see if that changes.
  • sarahlouisah
    sarahlouisah Posts: 116
    thank you for all the reaaly great advice Ithink i will stick with mp for now as someone mentioned i'm not logging which has been due to timebut Ihave stuck to caloriesallowed weighed this morning and have lost 4lb this week so perhaps I'm just being to competitive.
  • haylz24
    haylz24 Posts: 225
    I've never tried it. Don't want to pay for it! I have had some ready meals by WW but they are rubbish. Everything is so tomatoey!
  • mes1119
    mes1119 Posts: 1,082 Member
    read studies on the diet.

    those on weight watchers lose more weight than those on diet/exercise alone.

    weight watchers = lower weight, lower muscle mass

    healthy diet + exercise = not as low weight, higher muscle mass

    ... you take your pick\

    personal opinion? WW is great for those that have a serious amount of weight to lose. but once that number is less than 100, you need to learn how to eat healthy and exercise in order for that weight to stay off for the long term.
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