How Can Fruit be "Free" on Weight Watchers

245

Replies

  • emnk5308
    emnk5308 Posts: 736
    I don't understand how Weight Watchers works at all...I know a lady that has been on it.. and she uses Sensa and I haven't seen results.. =/ Same lady also told me that I wouldn't lose weight having sugar, and that she couldn't even have fruit because it had sugar in it. I'd much rather use MFP for free and eat what I choose! =)
  • emnk5308
    emnk5308 Posts: 736
    Have you ever met someone who got fat eating too much fruit?

    I have

    You can have too much of a good thing.. =/
  • BOLO4Hagtha
    BOLO4Hagtha Posts: 396 Member
    This is why I don't agree with their point system. I had a co-worker trying to get me to join WW at the wellness thing we had at work, but I couldn't do it. She pays $38/mo and has lost only 3lbs since February. I spent $0 and lost 20lbs. I kept telling her the amount of sugar she consumes on WW is holding her back but she refused to listen.
  • Rocbola
    Rocbola Posts: 1,998 Member
    Because fruit is INCREDIBLY good for you. Don't EVER limit your fruit intake!!!!!! Even if your calorie number goes up. I think WW did it to encourage you to eat fruit. People who eat as much fruit as they want are less likely to binge on crap foods, and more likely to have a sustainable long term weight loss.
  • tjphelps73
    tjphelps73 Posts: 171 Member
    Weight Loss should not cost anyone anything. WW, Nutrisystem, etc., are all not a lifestyle habit. I understand each person is different but with the web, library, and tons of information at our fingertips, each individual CAN lose weight without paying to be a member of anything.

    I have friends who did WW, nutrisystem, gastric bypass, the band, etc. and none of them have kept their weight off or had the success they hoped for.
  • Abbygrlbff
    Abbygrlbff Posts: 52 Member
    I have the same sentiments as you. I was on WW before they changed their plan to free fruit points, and I was losing weight. After they changed the plan, I completely stopped losing weight. Myfitnesspal has helped me lose weight again.
  • BeeElMarvin
    BeeElMarvin Posts: 2,086 Member
    Beats me - I just ate a 110 calorie banana - gotta count it!
  • hazelovesfood
    hazelovesfood Posts: 454 Member
    After 6 successful weeks on MFP (21 pounds), I cannot grasp how WW can treat fruit as point-free. On an average day, I'll eat 200-300 calories in fruit, and I count every one of those calories. I can't imagine that this is built into your points total, because there are surely many WW members who don't eat any fruit at all -- and get the same number of points. When they switched to this new version of the plan, the leaders made it a point to reassure everybody that "yes, even bananas are free".... If WW is just another, albeit patented, method of counting calories, this just doesn't compute.
    This is why i am here, I did ww from january and ate what i liked within the points and didnt lose, was only when i started cutting the crap I lost, then it stopped as I ate alot fo fruit. and when i added up the cals per day, i was eating around 1700 inlcuding the fruit.Now I can eat loads of fruit if i want too, i love it but ive cut it down hugely now.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    After 6 successful weeks on MFP (21 pounds), I cannot grasp how WW can treat fruit as point-free. On an average day, I'll eat 200-300 calories in fruit, and I count every one of those calories. I can't imagine that this is built into your points total, because there are surely many WW members who don't eat any fruit at all -- and get the same number of points. When they switched to this new version of the plan, the leaders made it a point to reassure everybody that "yes, even bananas are free".... If WW is just another, albeit patented, method of counting calories, this just doesn't compute.

    WW builds 250 "free" calories into its formula to account for fruits and vegetables. However, a lot of people are finding that isn't really enough for fruit. It was a mistake and I hope they change it.
  • Dawnhasajeep
    Dawnhasajeep Posts: 180 Member
    Have you ever met someone who got fat eating too much fruit?

    YES!
    Saw it in the mirror. As soon as I went to one serving of fruit a day I started losing weight again went back to more fruit and gained.

    At first this program will work for people. It will work because they will go from eating a 280 cal candy bar to a low calorie fruit. But as soon as they get closer to the goal weight they will need to adjust. They will also need to learn what fruits are best for weight loss as some are higher on the Glycemic Index than others.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    They will change it when it fails.

    No they won't - it is making them money.
    People won't leave until they have seen significant results.
    If they aren't losing weight fast, but still losing something, they'll continue to pay to go to the weekly meetings and buy all the pointless merchandise.

    You do know that WW tweaks its program every year, right?
  • Dethea
    Dethea Posts: 247 Member
    I don't think anyone got fat from eating too much fruit.

    Just saying.
  • Dethea
    Dethea Posts: 247 Member
    Have you ever met someone who got fat eating too much fruit?

    YES!
    Saw it in the mirror. As soon as I went to one serving of fruit a day I started losing weight again went back to more fruit and gained.

    At first this program will work for people. It will work because they will go from eating a 280 cal candy bar to a low calorie fruit. But as soon as they get closer to the goal weight they will need to adjust. They will also need to learn what fruits are best for weight loss as some are higher on the Glycemic Index than others.

    I have a hard time believing that the amount of fruit was the only factor in your weight loss. Maybe it was your overall calorie intake.
  • robinhardysmall
    robinhardysmall Posts: 246 Member
    On the new plan- I gained weight on WW!! So I looked for other options and found MFP- lost 17 pounds so far while on WW I gained 6! I think MFP teaches how to eat smater to be honest~ and what true calorie counts are.
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
    Have you ever met someone who got fat eating too much fruit?

    YES!
    Saw it in the mirror. As soon as I went to one serving of fruit a day I started losing weight again went back to more fruit and gained.

    At first this program will work for people. It will work because they will go from eating a 280 cal candy bar to a low calorie fruit. But as soon as they get closer to the goal weight they will need to adjust. They will also need to learn what fruits are best for weight loss as some are higher on the Glycemic Index than others.

    I have a hard time believing that the amount of fruit was the only factor in your weight loss. Maybe it was your overall calorie intake.
    Yup.
  • agentscully514
    agentscully514 Posts: 616 Member
    just because it's unprocessed doesn't mean it has no calories! fruit is definitely not free for me, since I am insulin resistant and have to limit my sugar. I focus on vegetables instead.
  • Louise1247
    Louise1247 Posts: 670 Member
    depends on the plan u choose- i thnk there is three to chose from- each getting stricter
  • softballsharie
    softballsharie Posts: 154 Member
    I don't understand this at all either! Some fruits have sooo many calories! Maybe it has something to do with not only taking calories into account, but other aspects of food too. I have no clue, and don't pretend to. That's just my guess. I feel like it should not work at all, yet my mom has lost over 80 pounds using weight watchers! (meetings & online system) I was actually going to join because of her inspiration, but when I found out how expensive it was, I decided to go with MFP instead. Super happy I made that decision btw. ;]
  • bush_woman187
    bush_woman187 Posts: 25 Member
    WW worked for me for a while. But, the problem is the number of carbs you can eat. Since I have PCOS, it is better for me to have a personalized meal plan that works for my body. I love their program and meetings and have always found them helpful, but a lot depends on your group and your group leader. I know some who do WW online, but that hasn't really worked well for me. I lost a lot when I had a great group and group leader. I lost very little when I didn't have that extra support. As far as the "free fruit".....there will certainly be some issues for those watching carbs and those who love fruit, like me! I could eat at least 6-8 fruits per day! Its all about balance. Many at WW have learned balance, but some people just lose their minds, like with any diet/weight plan. :-)
  • dalbrown
    dalbrown Posts: 15
    Not sure how they figure it but I did lose 20 pounds on that plan using the free fruit so I know first hand it does work. My problem is once I am off it, the pounds and my eating habits go right back to where they were. I can't afford to pay the high price very week so I quit going. I am thankful for this website to have the support!
  • agentscully514
    agentscully514 Posts: 616 Member
    Because fruit is INCREDIBLY good for you. Don't EVER limit your fruit intake!!!!!! Even if your calorie number goes up. I think WW did it to encourage you to eat fruit. People who eat as much fruit as they want are less likely to binge on crap foods, and more likely to have a sustainable long term weight loss.

    this is silly. You have to limit your intake of FOOD to lose weight, especially high calorie food, and fruit can be high in sugar and calories. For the amount of sugar/nutrients, in some cases, you may as well eat the cookie.
  • Diary_Queen
    Diary_Queen Posts: 1,314 Member
    I was on the PointsPlus system and lost a significant amount of weight with the free fruit. However, i didnt eat 17 apples a day... I kept it to berries and stone fruits which i think helped. I did my research and made sure i wasnt going overboard. I doubt I was the typical user though.
  • Rocbola
    Rocbola Posts: 1,998 Member
    this is silly. You have to limit your intake of FOOD to lose weight, especially high calorie food, and fruit can be high in sugar and calories. For the amount of sugar/nutrients, in some cases, you may as well eat the cookie.
    First, fruit has a lower calorie density than most processed foods, despite the sugar content. Second, the water content and fiber content are high in fruit, leading to satiation. Third, a cookie is not even in the same ballpark as fruit. The percentage of calories you get from fat in most fruit is about 5-10% of calories. The percentage of calories from fat you get from a cookie could be 50-60%! Cookies are also low water content foods. And they are incredibly low on nutrients!
  • YogaNikki
    YogaNikki Posts: 284 Member
    Weight Loss should not cost anyone anything. WW, Nutrisystem, etc., are all not a lifestyle habit. I understand each person is different but with the web, library, and tons of information at our fingertips, each individual CAN lose weight without paying to be a member of anything.

    I have friends who did WW, nutrisystem, gastric bypass, the band, etc. and none of them have kept their weight off or had the success they hoped for.

    I agree for the most part. I think in severe cases you definitely need to consult a MD, but overall, it really can be done, for free :)
  • HeatherDee92
    HeatherDee92 Posts: 218 Member
    I'm bad about not counting small portions of veggies, like the lettuce or tomato, but if I eat any fruit I add it mainly because of the sugar, and if I eat veggies separately I always count them. I just know that the 4 calories in the slice of tomato on my sandwich isn't the hugest deal.
  • emmab_73
    emmab_73 Posts: 33 Member
    I was doing WW for a number of months, and wasn't having any success. I agree with you completely, it's absolutely ridiculous that fruit is free on WW, you consume way more calories than you should having that mindset. Now on MFP, if it passes through my lips, I track it...period.
  • krisiepoo
    krisiepoo Posts: 710 Member
    After 6 successful weeks on MFP (21 pounds), I cannot grasp how WW can treat fruit as point-free. On an average day, I'll eat 200-300 calories in fruit, and I count every one of those calories. I can't imagine that this is built into your points total, because there are surely many WW members who don't eat any fruit at all -- and get the same number of points. When they switched to this new version of the plan, the leaders made it a point to reassure everybody that "yes, even bananas are free".... If WW is just another, albeit patented, method of counting calories, this just doesn't compute.

    YOu are still supposed to track it and after so much, the points do start getting added in so it's not like you could eat whatever you wanted and it wouldn't count...

    However, I gained on ww and was told to cut back on my fruit so whatev, it's a huge waste of money for me because I get more out of MFP than I ever did on ww
  • jamiealdridge02
    jamiealdridge02 Posts: 93 Member
    WW worked for me for a while. But, the problem is the number of carbs you can eat. Since I have PCOS, it is better for me to have a personalized meal plan that works for my body. I love their program and meetings and have always found them helpful, but a lot depends on your group and your group leader. I know some who do WW online, but that hasn't really worked well for me. I lost a lot when I had a great group and group leader. I lost very little when I didn't have that extra support. As far as the "free fruit".....there will certainly be some issues for those watching carbs and those who love fruit, like me! I could eat at least 6-8 fruits per day! Its all about balance. Many at WW have learned balance, but some people just lose their minds, like with any diet/weight plan. :-)

    I had really great success w/weight watchers after my first child. I used the system on my own after my other two children. It is like anything else-if you commit to what you are doing and work hard to male healthy and balanced food choices you will do well. On MFP you could eat all junk and be around your calories and not do well. Aw can really be helpful for people who need meeting support or very basic info on healthy eating. The problem is some people want to be able to eat all day with no consequences.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    WW worked for me for a while. But, the problem is the number of carbs you can eat. Since I have PCOS, it is better for me to have a personalized meal plan that works for my body. I love their program and meetings and have always found them helpful, but a lot depends on your group and your group leader. I know some who do WW online, but that hasn't really worked well for me. I lost a lot when I had a great group and group leader. I lost very little when I didn't have that extra support. As far as the "free fruit".....there will certainly be some issues for those watching carbs and those who love fruit, like me! I could eat at least 6-8 fruits per day! Its all about balance. Many at WW have learned balance, but some people just lose their minds, like with any diet/weight plan. :-)

    It's not like carbs are required. WW isn't any different than counting calories. The points are a guide for how many calories to eat. You choose the food.
  • higgins09cait
    higgins09cait Posts: 16
    I recently just got off WW the beginning of this month. My mom has been doing it and has been successfullosing the weight. I did lose a pound or 2 but wasn't progressing how I wanted. I am 21 years old and am very active. I just began vigorously training for the Warrior Dash in August and the Tough Mudder in October. To me, weight watchers isn't very guiding. For a healthy individual, one needs an adequate amount of protein, carbs, fats daily. With weight watchers, basically, you eat your points and you're on your way to a healthy lifestyle. FALSE. There is nothing healthy about skipping breakfast and "planning" for drinks later. Skipping breakfast lowers your metabolism! A couple of the meetings I went to, they would say things like this... to skip breakfast and "save." The whole time I was thinking to myself, this is all wrong! Another thing, fruits, as mentioned in the above posts are full of sugar and do have a caloric value. It IS important to count them! With my training, fruit is frowned upon! One fruit a day is PLENTY for the goals I am trying to obtain. For me, its all veggies, veggies, veggies! Like I mentioned before, it is SUPER important to have a balance with your diet. For me, I follow a 55% carbs, 30% protein, and 15% fat. MFP allows me to plan daily and making meals is simple that way. It also lets me see the carb, protein, and fat usage of my daily diet, which is HIGHLY important if I want to reach my goals. I consulted a friend of mine, who is a personal trainer who gave me SO MUCH information about a healthy diet. I have been following a certain plan for only a week and already see results and feel fantastic. I am WAY more motivated now than I ever was with WW. WW isn't all it's made out to be. It might work for some, in my opinion, it proves best with the older generations, but it's definitely not the healthy way to go. Besides, its EXPEN$IVE and also time consuming. I almost dreaded going to the meetings every week, mainly because I felt it was just for the support, not to get "healthy" tips on nutrition. Bottom line, get educated people! You have one life to be the absolute best you can be!
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