Weight Watchers? Opinions?

savinggrace84
savinggrace84 Posts: 6
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello everybody! I am just beginning my journey at 330IBS. I want to lose a total of 200 (although, that is not my immediate goal, my immediate goal is to weigh under 300 and then move down from there. I am working out 3-6 days a week and tracking all of my foods (under 1700 calories). I am thinking about joining weight watchers but am not sure if I want to make the time/financial commitment. I am a 27 year old wife, mother of two, Master's students, and full time teacher, so time is a huge issue. So, I was just hoping to get opinions on whether or not Weight Watchers PointsPlus new program is really worth it?

Thank you!

Grace
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Replies

  • licialose100
    licialose100 Posts: 2
    I am thingking about going back to WW also but online only.
  • lowash67
    lowash67 Posts: 33 Member
    I am currently doing WW and MFP and love them both. i am doing mine online which is pretty reasonable. You should give it a try.
  • AlyRoseNYC
    AlyRoseNYC Posts: 1,075 Member
    I think MFP is a better version of their online program.
  • cmayfield3
    cmayfield3 Posts: 176 Member
    Other than free fruit I don't understand the advantage of WW over MFP. MFP makes it so easy to count calories that you don't need points. JMHO, save the money you would be spending on WW and use it to reward yourself for reaching fitness or weight loss milestones.
  • labtracks
    labtracks Posts: 108 Member
    I did WW about 4 years ago and did loose weight, but I didn't really attend the meetings I just went to weigh in once a week and did the rest online. It really depends on what you would use WW for. If it is the meetings, support and face-to-face "accountability" you think would be helpful to you then I would say definitely go for it! It might be helpful to meet others in your immediate community in the same position.
    If you are joining for other reasons outside of that I honestly think that MFP is a better resource for tracking your calories and exercise and even for learning about weight loss techniques and getting support and inspiration/motivation as long as you are active on the community pages and make friends.
    I joined MFP because someone happened to mention in it in a FB thread from someone asking if they should join WW online. I just gave birth so was going to join WW, but came here first and never looked back. It's only been a month but I love this page and the people here so much more than I did with WW. And as off as it sounds it's been so much easier to be honest about my shortcomings and open up to the strangers that are my friends on here than it ever was face-to-face at WW.
  • savinggrace84
    savinggrace84 Posts: 6
    Thank you everyone for your opinion. I am looking for the support and accountability, but have finally been able to get my family on board with me, so I am not choking down a salad while they eat hamburgers, which helps. I think I will stick with MFP for awhile and try to become more active on the community boards and see if I am getting the results I want, and if not try WW. Again, thank you all for your opinions!
  • nay1228
    nay1228 Posts: 64 Member
    Other than free fruit I don't understand the advantage of WW over MFP. MFP makes it so easy to count calories that you don't need points. JMHO, save the money you would be spending on WW and use it to reward yourself for reaching fitness or weight loss milestones.

    ^ My sentiments, exactly! I did WW for years...and I mean YEARS. The money I spent on my montly pass could've paid for a nice vacation. LOL

    The program works, if you are dedicated. I did have success, but always got tired of all the logging and would yo-yo- up and down.

    The new program seemed like even more counting to me, do I dropped it. I found MFP and I couldn't be happier.
    For me, it is far easier to fit the calorie counting into my life than having to calculate all the things you do on WW.

    Whichever you choose, best of luck to you. If you are determined, you will get results!
  • mon696
    mon696 Posts: 64 Member
    I chose MFP strictly because it's free. For me, money talks and I can hold myself accountable if that means saving money.
  • HauteT
    HauteT Posts: 16 Member
    I've not done it but my research into it did not ake me want to do it. Also, others i know that have tried it seem to do it for a while lose some weight, get off of it, and gain more weight. I guess their points system is supposed to make calorie counting easy but it seems to frustrate people esp. at parties. I just think there is already a measurement out there to use - calories and switching it up to points just seems redundant. Tho' I have to say that I do believe that anyone that is serious about a lifestyle change can use anything to get there.
  • JasonGinMI
    JasonGinMI Posts: 40 Member
    I am not a fan of the new Weight Watchers program. It is too much of a pain in the butt in my opinion. I do like the old plan however and lost 60 plus lbs with it. My Fitness Pal app. on your smart phone is so much easier and it is free. Good luck.
  • AmeChops
    AmeChops Posts: 744 Member
    I tried WW a few years back and just didn't get along with it. Maybe give logging on here a go first and see how you get along?
  • Mathteacher35
    Mathteacher35 Posts: 32 Member
    I've been a member of WW since June of 2011. I have lost all the weight following the WW plan. I recently started logging in the food into both. I want to transition off WW as I hit maintenance. I was really interested in how the number of calories compared to the number of points in WW. I have found both mfp and ww to be helpful! I have been a WW online member only. Good luck. Feel free to add me if you have any other questions,
  • liz342
    liz342 Posts: 5
    Weight watchers is also very good and uses a point system but is quite expensive to have the online tracker. there is an ap called my ultimate value diary which is better than the weight watchers and is really cheap but MFP is free and fabulous
  • ohthatbambi
    ohthatbambi Posts: 1,098 Member
    I've been a member of WW since June of 2011. I have lost all the weight following the WW plan. I recently started logging in the food into both. I want to transition off WW as I hit maintenance. I was really interested in how the number of calories compared to the number of points in WW. I have found both mfp and ww to be helpful! I have been a WW online member only. Good luck. Feel free to add me if you have any other questions,

    I recently started logging in my WW points and my food intake here...I like seeing how they compare. Once you do WW long enough you know what things are worth what points. I have not tried the new WW that rolled out this year but the points plus and I really like the freedom it gives me to eat moderately!
  • MostlyWater
    MostlyWater Posts: 4,294 Member
    a lot of people really like it.
  • oldfieldm
    oldfieldm Posts: 14
    Good Luck Grace. You can add me as a friend if you want. I have done WW, I agree with all the other comments. It works but so does MFP and MFP is free. I suggest adding lots of active friends and making your diary view able to your friends and then weigh in to your online friends once a week.
  • DeanneLea
    DeanneLea Posts: 261
    I got to goal on the old WW plan and loved it. I learned a lot about eating right, etc that yes I could have learned elsewhere but at the time, It was worked well for me. I didn't attend meetings but had lots of support online. Once they switched to the new plan, I tried it over and over and wasn't able to lose weight consistently so I finally stopped overall and started MFP. The new plan has worked for a lot of people so I think it's worth a try.

    Also, I know people don't understand the advantage of free fruit and veggies. I gained weight due to a mental attachment to food, binging, emotions, etc. so being able to slowly ease out of that with the free items instead of snacking on crap, I started to enjoy eating healthy. I learned that I didn't need the junk to make me feel better if that makes sense. It helped me in a lot of ways and now that I'm calorie counting, I know how to do it in a nutritious way thanks to ww.

    Good luck & do what works for YOU.
  • formersec
    formersec Posts: 233 Member
    I lost my first 50 or so pounds on Weight Watchers, so the program did work for me. It did teach me to eat sensibly. I was able to eat out, attend parties and so on, without feeling guilty. I also learned not to cut out food groups, but instead, to eat from all food groups. And I didn't have to starve to lose weight. In fact, unlike most diets, Weight Watchers encourages you to eat -- literally that you have to eat to lose. Weight Watchers is highly regarded by the medical community. In fact, it was my former doctor who suggested WW to me. He lost weight on the program and kept it off.

    The big reason why I had to quit was the money. I had to cut back on expenses and WW was one of the first casualties. An advantage to MFP, besides that it doesn't cost anything, is that you are encouraged to count everything. Where Weight Watchers had gone wrong, IMHO, was to make certain foods zero points. Just because something is zero points doesn't mean that it doesn't have calories. Fruit, for example, is zero points. But if you eat 3 bananas at 100 calories more or less each, you are consuming 300 or more calories. The calories don't magically disappear because the fruit has zero points. Just seemed a wrong move by WW.

    One last problem with WW is its recent arrangement with Dr. Oz. Not significant right now, but I fear WW will become an outlet for Oz's quackery. Next we will see African mango pills or raspberry ketonrs bring peddled at Weight Watchers meetings. Weight Watchers will turn into another fad diet.
  • Meaganandcheese
    Meaganandcheese Posts: 525 Member
    There are pros and cons to both. I did WW for years and only recently transitioned to MFP. It all comes down to whichever clicks for you and whichever you can do consistently.

    For me, I liked WW for the meetings, but when i was no longer able to go, the cost didn't make sense. I've started to find other advatnages as well. I like having to earn my extra calories (WW's extra points were allowing me to binge/yo-yo but still be "on plan" technically). I like being able to look at food labels without a point calculator and just know if it's something I want to eat or not. I like the iphone app and the community (thought I still participate on WW's message boards). I really miss the free fruits and veggies. That's something I am struggling with at the moment, and just need to refocus now that I have to count them. I like WW's emphasis on the Good Health Guidelines, but that's also something I can easily adapt on my own.

    It's worth a shot to try it (or MFP) and see which you like best. Either way, you're taking steps towards your health and that's great!
  • julesg100
    julesg100 Posts: 109 Member
    I liked WW years ago when they used food group exchanges. That is what my nutritionist does and it's very effective in teaching portion control. I log my exchanges in a food journal and log on MFP as a double-check against my calories. I've been seeing the nutritionist for a month and have lost 5 pounds. I am a lifetime member of WW and have also done the points program, but I stopped tracking points because I got tired of it and of course, the weight came back!
  • bananaface222
    bananaface222 Posts: 22 Member
    i lost 3 and half stone on ww vintage points it works got to goal then pp came out didnt like it doing this u do get more to eat than ww as i have woked out my cals to points i have all new books if u want them good luck with what u decide
  • Mads1997
    Mads1997 Posts: 1,494 Member
    Other than free fruit I don't understand the advantage of WW over MFP. MFP makes it so easy to count calories that you don't need points. JMHO, save the money you would be spending on WW and use it to reward yourself for reaching fitness or weight loss milestones.

    Agree with this ^^^
  • happypath101
    happypath101 Posts: 534
    I've done weight watchers and loved it. But, I love MFP even more - and it's free. IMHO this site has everything ww has, and more.
  • Josee76
    Josee76 Posts: 533 Member
    I'm a WW lifetime member. I lost over 100 lbs, 11 years ago. I'm a believer! You have to do what works for you!

    Good luck on your journey!
    J
  • Danielle_2013
    Danielle_2013 Posts: 806 Member
    I started at 330 too! WW didn't work for me personally as they preach moderation and you can still eat ___ as long as you don't go over your points. For me, having a much larger amount to lose and clearly more issues with food than the average middle aged woman looking to lose 25 pounds (that was my group anyway), I didn't feel like it really addressed my needs and personality. I spent too much time trying to figure out how to use points for chocolate and salty snacks even though I knew that wasn't good for me (but WW said I could!).

    I used the 17 day diet to go cold turkey on sugar and non-veg/fruit type carbs. It worked quite quickly and very well for me. Then after losing 58 lbs, I started to plateau (okay, cheat and get bored!), so I joined here. So far, so good.. and FREE!
  • iwantahealthierme13
    iwantahealthierme13 Posts: 337 Member
    I did weight watchers before in 2002 and was starving myself pretty much, after a month, I only lost 6 pounds so I quit.

    I was going to try it again with the new system (since I've gained about 20 pounds since my first try) but after I saw the prices and remembered how hungry I was when I tried the first time, I miraculously found this site. Now I'm down 3 pounds in a week and it's so easy to keep myself accountable if I don't have to deprive myself of anything. I also started exercising (swimming an hour twice a week and walking on a treadmill for 45-50 mins three times a week)

    I love MFP!! Here's to losing 52 more pounds! :)
  • cindysuew
    cindysuew Posts: 20 Member
    Weight Watchers is a great program. I reached Lifetime years ago but unfortunately failed when I thought I could eat a little here and a little there without keeping track of what I was eating. We all know what that means......I gained it all back and then some. I've been back on WW for almost a year now and not having much success. It seems with WW, I'm always trying to figure out how many points something has and not necessarily paying attention to whether it's really a good choice or not. And so I'm back here to MFP after being gone for a few years. Gonna give it a serious go of it this time!

    This site is free and very easy to navigate......and I've discovered the phone app works great too. I'll be cancelling my WW on line subscription.
  • sle135
    sle135 Posts: 3 Member
    I am a WW member; both online and meetings. I don't attend the meetings but felt like I needed the accountability going to have someone else see my weight/progress so I go simply to get weighed. I do love the online tools and smartphone apps that sync. I loved that I learned to snack much more healthily (I'm sure that is a made up word!) by grabbing a banana when I'm starving rather than something else. I do find myself snacking better which is a great change for me.

    All that being said, when my neighbor asked me to walk 4 days a week with her, she raved about this site/app. Since I loved WW online I listened but was sure I would stay there. The more she talked about it, the more I checked around here. I kept trying to find the things I would miss about WW if I quit and did MFP....I can't find anything! This site is set up so similar. Plus, now that I have "friends" here, that satisfies my "accountability" issue. My friend knows I have started the 30DS (I'm on day 5!) and she would comment if I didn't post about it. She also knows how much I want to lose, so even though she doesn't know how much I weigh, she sees my loss (or not!)

    I am planning to quit WW at my next monthly payment...and switch to this exclusively. I like the calorie counting better for some reason, although I do think WW makes it easy to do the Points Plus thing.

    As one poster said, the ONLY reason I would do WW over this if you feel the meetings would help you. You mentioned you have a large goal which will take time. Maybe the meetings would help keep you feeling motivated. So pay for the meetings but do online here. It's not hard to convert points to calories, especially when you can scan items here! My WW foods are in this database.

    Good for you, whatever you decide! You will feel so much better that you are doing SOMETHING for yourself in such a positive way.
  • biddie1
    biddie1 Posts: 125 Member
    I know for a fact I attended WW 5to 7 different times, lost weight, but when I stopped I gained it back and more., my son found MFP for me. I realized that WW count the calories for me and translate it into points, why should I spend money when MFP was doing the same thing but making it so much easier and free. Thanks MFP!
  • Caseybug799707
    Caseybug799707 Posts: 15 Member
    I've joined and rejoined WW MANY times over the years. I think it is a good program, but finally realized that it wasn't the best fit for me. I mostly did the version with meetings, but had tried the online as well.

    The meetings were OK, but I found it difficult to really make connections with my fellow WWers.

    The biggest issue for me came down to $$. In my area WW is about $13/week. MFP is, of course, free and has (in my opinion) more accessible support and encouragement.

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