WW Success Story - Unsuccessful with NEW Points Plus Plan

mrsjohnson75 · June 2011

I'm glad you found what works for you

My story is the opposite. I was on MFP and I was not losing weight, then I joined WW in March (never knew about the old plan) and have lost 21.2 pounds to date (I logon to MFP to update my friends on my weight loss and to read success stories..lol). Its all about finding out what works for your body. My mother joined WW at the same time and quit because she was not losing (she's a diabetic) and needed to count her carbs carefully. The "free" fruit was not helping her at all.

Again CONGRATS!

lizzybethclaire · June 2011

I was on weight watchers and Jenny Craig. Jenny Craig really worked well for me, but I couldn't keep it up because it was too expensive. It did teach me two things though that I knew would work: portion sizes and eating six small meals a day. I think that is why MFP works so well. I eat every 2 to 3 hours and drink tons of water. I went on weight watchers using the old points system and I did not like it at all. The points confused me. Weighing and measuring my food has helped teach me portion control which I feel that I did not learn on weight watchers. I know people who loved the program though so I guess it really is personal preference.

nickiog · June 2011

i think the problem that some people have that struggles with ww is that the dont really fully understand the new program. fruits and veggies arent UNLIMITED...they are free yes..but in the literature it clearly says over and over that you have to use common sense.

of course you arent going to lose weight if you eat 10 bananas in a day. but if you are eating a variety of fruits and veggies over the day to make for a balanced diet then you WILL lose weight. you can also eat 29pts worth of peanut butter or junk food and hit your points target but not lose.

the points system is not a license to eat whatever bs you want and just magically lose weight. you still have to make good choices and use common sense.

i track with both ww and mfp and i hit my points target every day and i still stay within range of my calories/fat too. it can be done, and when it is i think it works wonderfully

H8T3D · June 2011

I think a lot of the people that say WW don't work are people that came across the program online and failed doing it correctly, with any diet program you must use common sense and exercise.. The issue with WW is that most people use their 49 bonus points and over exaggerate their activity points.

Yes fruits and veggies are free but if you been to any WW meetings the instructor will say over and over again that free does not mean "Eat the bushel". This is where common sense comes into play, we should know right from wrong and common sense tells me if you eat a bushel of bananas, it's not going to be good.

Too many people attempt to cheat the system, but in the end they are only cheating themselves. I've been a member of WW for 2 1/2 months now and I have lost 35 pounds. According to what I have read, the new Points Plus system is much better than the old system.

Yes you get more points but foods are also more points, so it all evens out. As for fruits and veggies... I would much rather someone eat a 100 calorie banana than a 100 calorie candy bar!!!

RebekahhAnn · June 2011

I guess....every diet.....affects everyone differently. I am a lifetime member of WW. The last time I had dieted with WW I was on the core program....not counting points. Apparently they still have it...but you must ask for the instructions. The new program offers me much too much food...I believe. I have just been introduced to MFP and I believe I will like it very much. Any diet....has to be a commitment for it to work. I am still on WW....but also writing everything eat on MFP. I certainly haven't lost as quickly as I did on the WW...but I am older now also. I will keep up with both for right now...because I have close friends in both programs. I also am working out more....hoping it will help also.

sarah120906 · June 2011

First thing first, I just started using the PointPLUS system and have already lost 1lb. Please don't come on the message boards completely downing this program because everything works differently for different people.

They changed the program for a few reasons, one being that they have taken into consideration how things break down in your body! This is great. Here on MFP which I also tried, you don't have to actually watch what you eat. As long as you are eating under 1200 calories you're supposed to lose weight! WRONG, that very well may not happen because you can still eat all CRAP you ate before you decided to diet, just in more moderation.

I know many people that I go to meetings with that LOVE the new program. I met a lifetime just yesterday that never stuck to weight watchers until the new program. Please be kind to everyone and don't dis the program.

Just the same I would like to say that I still like MFP. I'm enjoying keeping track of my calories and find that I am now under some days and over others. It really just depends. But I am eating better foods now due to weight watchers. MFP is a great place for support and for those that are good about eating healthy foods this has really worked.

I hope that no one gets discouraged from my statements or the statements from pedalpusher5 because you really have to find what works best for you!

Good Luck Everyone!

Don't take it peronal:) She's just stating that she is unhappy with the new program and that it's not working for her.

mmck1006 · October 2011

I agree.

chocoholicandbaby · October 2011

I think one of the problems with the new WW plan and the old one is that people took the free fruit and starchy vegetables to mean that they could go crazy on them. If you look in the plan it actually says to stick to 2 serves of fruit and 5 of vegetables.

With the new plan (and with non-starchy vegetables on the old plan) they have included these servings into your daily points allowance. That is, if those items weren't free your points allowance would be higher. Part of their reasoning for now including fruit as 'free' was to encourage people to choose fruit as a snack over something else. Many people who 'didn't like fruit' would make excuses that some fruits were point heavy - hence why it is included now into the points allowance.

I did a bit of the old and a bit of the new with WW. I like the new plan better but wasn't dedicated enough at the time to losing weight and being healthy. I also didn't have a particularly inspiring or encouraging leader. I know that weight loss is an individual process and I can't blame my lack of success on my leader, but part of the reason that people join a program like WW is to get the motivation and support and that definitely wasn't there where I attended meetings. I am having much more success - and easier success - here at MFP and I think a lot of that has to do with the support and culture on here. (And I think a lot of WW meetings do have that wonderful culture and support, but mine didn't.)

fat2fab4life · October 2011

The original poster has a write to express their side and viewpoints. Weight watchers points system worked for me and a friend to lose but when it switched to the points plus we both gained and joined this site. If you look at all of the weight watchers magazine success stories it will say in small letters under their pic that its from using the previous ww plan. I have not heard any success stories and would love to

3tzmom · October 2011

I lost 30 lbs on the old points system and maintained for over a year. I have tried to maintain on the points plus and instead gained every month. I then tried to adjust my points from maintaince to losing weight and still gained. I then stopped eating excercise points and that didn't work. I excercise 5 days a week, which includes three 5 mile runs and two days walking 4 miles. There is no reason I should gain weight on this plan. I tried to limit myself to two fruits a day and that didn't work. My only thought is I might need more carbs and less fat than the new points plus allows. I know it works for many people, but for my body points plus was not successful. After 10 months of frustration, I stumbled upon this post and felt motivated to try something different. I have just created my account and am excited to try something new to lose my gained 5 lbs from points plus.

katcod1522 · October 2011

Same thing happened to me. I was doing WW and was gaining..like .6 a week. So..I tracked the calories I was getting in the WW points...way too many calories! I just do calories now. Thanks to MFP!!!!

Cupcake1015 · April 2012

bump. trying to use old WW points system along with MFP to double check myself!

persistenttiger · April 2012

I think a lot of the people that say WW don't work are people that came across the program online and failed doing it correctly, with any diet program you must use common sense and exercise.. The issue with WW is that most people use their 49 bonus points and over exaggerate their activity points.

Yes fruits and veggies are free but if you been to any WW meetings the instructor will say over and over again that free does not mean "Eat the bushel". This is where common sense comes into play, we should know right from wrong and common sense tells me if you eat a bushel of bananas, it's not going to be good.

Too many people attempt to cheat the system, but in the end they are only cheating themselves. I've been a member of WW for 2 1/2 months now and I have lost 35 pounds. According to what I have read, the new Points Plus system is much better than the old system.

Yes you get more points but foods are also more points, so it all evens out. As for fruits and veggies... I would much rather someone eat a 100 calorie banana than a 100 calorie candy bar!!!

. Exactly!
!

clemsonsaint · April 2012

I lost 25 pounds on WW point plus and really enjoy comparing WW and MFP side by side. I find my daily calories are pretty much in step with my allotted points and plenty of fruits and vegetables. If anything, I have to eat more zero point fruits and vegetables to meet my caloric intake for the day. I am steadily losing but also workout out 5 times a week.

pagham · April 2012

http://www.weightwatchers.com/success/art/index.aspx?SuccessStoryId=12241&sc=600 (You will have to copy and paste this in your browser to view the story, as I have no idea how to imbed a link in the posting :frown: )

Over the past 5 1/2 years I have lost 75 pounds using the old WW Points system. I have maintained that loss since reaching my goal weight over a year and a half ago. Then came the new Points Plus system, which doesn't seem to work for me. I couldn't seem to loose any weight at all, and sometimes gained a bit, even when sticking perfectly to the plan. My daily points had gone from 20 to 29, fruits were now free along with some vegetables that used to have points values, like carrots. I eat a lot of fruit. Items with fats in them didn't seem to cost as many points, and items with a lot of fiber seemed to cost too many points. It seemed out of kilter to me from the beginning, but I used it for several months without any success.

Then about 2 weeks ago a friend invited me to be her pal on My Fitness Pal. I decided to do a little experiment. For a couple of days I tracked everything I ate simultaneously in my Weight Watchers tracker and also in My Fitness Pal. The calorie allowance given to me by MFP was 1200 a day which, given my BMR, seemed about right, and in fact back in the old days when calories used to be included in points calculations, I think that was about what I had daily on WW as well.

Anyway, at the end of the day, when I had used up my calorie allowance in MFP, I still had 8 or 9 points left in the WW Points Plus Plan. Good grief, no wonder I wasn't having any success. I would have eaten those points (plus my flex points over the course of the week, plus my activity points). Heaven only knows what all that would have added up to.

I don't know why they decided to change a very successful system. I have been on many message boards discussing this situation, and I am not alone. Many other members, a lot of them lifetime members, say they are gaining again on the new Points Plus system. But I am very thankful that My Fitness Pal came to the rescue, I am happily losing again and I will continue to be a success story.

Becky

pagham · April 2012

http://www.weightwatchers.com/success/art/index.aspx?SuccessStoryId=12241&sc=600 (You will have to copy and paste this in your browser to view the story, as I have no idea how to imbed a link in the posting :frown: )

Over the past 5 1/2 years I have lost 75 pounds using the old WW Points system. I have maintained that loss since reaching my goal weight over a year and a half ago. Then came the new Points Plus system, which doesn't seem to work for me. I couldn't seem to loose any weight at all, and sometimes gained a bit, even when sticking perfectly to the plan. My daily points had gone from 20 to 29, fruits were now free along with some vegetables that used to have points values, like carrots. I eat a lot of fruit. Items with fats in them didn't seem to cost as many points, and items with a lot of fiber seemed to cost too many points. It seemed out of kilter to me from the beginning, but I used it for several months without any success.

Then about 2 weeks ago a friend invited me to be her pal on My Fitness Pal. I decided to do a little experiment. For a couple of days I tracked everything I ate simultaneously in my Weight Watchers tracker and also in My Fitness Pal. The calorie allowance given to me by MFP was 1200 a day which, given my BMR, seemed about right, and in fact back in the old days when calories used to be included in points calculations, I think that was about what I had daily on WW as well.

Anyway, at the end of the day, when I had used up my calorie allowance in MFP, I still had 8 or 9 points left in the WW Points Plus Plan. Good grief, no wonder I wasn't having any success. I would have eaten those points (plus my flex points over the course of the week, plus my activity points). Heaven only knows what all that would have added up to.

I don't know why they decided to change a very successful system. I have been on many message boards discussing this situation, and I am not alone. Many other members, a lot of them lifetime members, say they are gaining again on the new Points Plus system. But I am very thankful that My Fitness Pal came to the rescue, I am happily losing again and I will continue to be a success story.

Becky

Can't members just continue to follow the plan that works for them rather than adjusting to a new plan everytime WW makes changes?

Crystalchaos72 · April 2012

Well, my only "beef" with ww is that I was told I was "scale driven and overexercising" by the meeting leader. I lost 39# in 12 weeks on the new pp system, average daily pp was 38 and weekly average pp exercise earned and ate was 42 plus the "bonus 49". The more I ate the more I lost, the less I ate the less I lost. I wasn't trying to lose fast but I was hungry, so I ate and exercised The last 2 weeks at ww I ate according to what mfp said and lost the "recomended"1-2# a week, and told them buh bye. That is just my experience and I have N-E-V-E-R eaten 1200, more like 1700+........I would starve.
Congrats on your sucess

formersec · April 2012

I lost weight through several different versions of Weight Watchers. Every plan, including the latest version, worked for me.

However, I think WW went wrong when it designated most fruit as zero points. I believe the idea was to encourage people to turn away from our usual snacks (including those 100 calorie packs) and eat more fruit. Fruit is healthier than most snacks. But there are many who believe zero points means zero calories, and that of course is wrong.

Take bananas. The average banana is 100 calories more or less depending on size. Bananas may be zero points, but if you eat 3 or 4 bananas a day, you are consuming 300 to 400 extra calories, more or less each day. Those calories don't disappear because the fruit is counted as zero points. I don't think WW has done enough to educate its members about that.

If I could, I would have stayed with WW, but now I can't afford it. Furthermore, Dr. Oz now is tied in with WW. I'm afraid this great program is going to turn into a fad diet, complete with Dr. Oz's endless supply of bogus supplements.

livingblessed2014 · March 2014

I lost 135lbs on the WW Turnaround program from the late 90s. I needed discipline in my eating and limits. I loved that you had to look for the smallest piece of fruit and I would walk like crazy and not use my activity points. There was 35 points extra you could use..I started out with 44points because I was also breast feeding at the time... 2 yrs later I was on 25points a day and didn't even missed the other points. The science behind the old program was genius. I left the program and continued on my own till a had an injury at the same time my daughter was diagnosed with an I curable illness and my son ADHD. I sank into depression and fell off the wagon. Some time later I felt better and was able to cope again...I went back to weight watchers and they had changed the program to PontsPlus. I was stunned at the amt of points per day the new program allowed...and fruit was free. I thought, doesn't fruit have sugar and carbs? Don't they know that most people that come to a program like this need limits and structure in there eating...many people are compulsive, emotional, addictive eaters. It seems like they designed the program to cater to people who want to over eat but don't want to feel guilty about it. Well the first week I didn't eat all my points and only lost 1/2 a pound..then I was told to eat ALL my points...okay..I did that and next weigh in I gained 2 pounds. Next week I gained another pound. No way. Left the program. I've come to MFP and in 3 weeks I've lost 24lbs. I'm also a pre-diabetic now. So certainly eating all the fruit I can manage to "feel full" won't not work for me. I'll stay with the limits I'm used to.

scrappergrl66 · March 2014

I am really finding this and these article interesting: I too am a WW follower and the last two /three weeks have started with MFP. I have success with WW - I have lost 60 plus pounds. The last couple of months with WW I have strugled to loose the slightist amount of weight- One week I would loose 3lbs then next week I would gain a 1lb then the next two weeks I would be back where I stared with loosing the 3lbs - THis yo-yoing has been going on for so long I can't even remember. I told myself when I joined I wouldn't quit until I get goal weight. I have 7lbs to get there. It was only 5lbs but now its up to 7. I joined the gym a year ago and my shape and clothing size has changed sucessfully. Most the time on MFP I am under my calorie goal especially after I input my activity but with the WW I am close to the daily points. Some days on my WW I also have eight points left that I haven't used up and I don't use my "activity" pts either. SO tonight I weigh in - 2nd week with using both plans. We'll see how it goes.

WW Success Story - Unsuccessful with NEW Points Plus Plan

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