Weight Watchers vs. Calorie Counting

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newt141
newt141 Posts: 19
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello all, So i just started on MFP yesterday and my calorie range is 1200 per day. I am finding that that is not enough, I am still hungry and that doesnt seem right. Yet on Weight Watchers I am allowed to have 29 points and that includes no points for fruit and veggies where it counts as calories. So now Im not sure what to do...
Any suggestions to help me stick to my calories but feel full rather than wanting to switch between the two plans..

Replies

  • mydeloo78
    mydeloo78 Posts: 328 Member
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    the best plan is the one you will stick with. I find that WW works better for me because I dont' have to "worry" about how many calories i "Should" be eating and i have always had success on WW. However, there are many that argue that just because fruit is 0 points on WW doesn't mean it doesn' t have calories in it. Many WW people say that too much fruit will stall their weight loss. Find which one you are more comfortable with becuse that's what you'll stick with!
  • AwesomelyAmber
    AwesomelyAmber Posts: 1,617 Member
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    This is just an opinion... I used to do WW a decade ago... When I see 29 points I imediately think 1450 calories. If 1200 isn't enough, try going to 1350 or so and see how it goes. Eat back the calories that you burn exercising and don't feel guilty about it if you are hungry too! :)
  • nickyrobinson
    nickyrobinson Posts: 161 Member
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    If you set your weight loss goal to 2 lb/week, then back it off to 1 lb/week (or 1 1/2, or even 1/2), this will likely give you several hundred more calories per day.

    Also, MFP is set up for you to exercise and then eat at least some of those calories as well. (I know, I know people debate ENDLESSLY about this, but it is the way MFP is set up.) Be conservative (or use an HRM) as it appears that the calorie burns for exercise are bit on the high side.

    No, fruits and vegies aren't "free", but you still can eat a lot of them for not many calories.

    If you back figure, 29 points about 1200 calories, assuming some moderate amount of fruits and vegies, so you aren't all that far off.
  • p0kers0ph
    p0kers0ph Posts: 251 Member
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    The propoints ww plan in the UK, 29 points = 1200 cals anyway.
    I did WW for a couple of months, and calorie counting is soooo much easier.
  • AlyssaWannabe
    AlyssaWannabe Posts: 13 Member
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    Different strokes and all that. :-)

    I enjoy both plans, but prefer MFP for now. I will probably go back and forth from WW to MFP forever, because I love both, and sometimes I feel like one, but other times I feel like the other.

    And that's fine by me.
  • mcarter99
    mcarter99 Posts: 1,666 Member
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    29 points IS around 1200 calories but people doing WW at 29 points average take in 1850 calories in studies, because you have 49 weekly points and 0 point produce.

    Why not split the difference? MFP says 1200, WW says 1800-- shoot for 1500?

    Either plan works. You just have to tweak it to your life. If 1200 is too little, go up a little. If 29 points is too many, go down a little.

    This is what people seem to miss in virtually every "how much should I eat" thread. Pick ANY value, see what happens, tweak from there. It's the only way to know how your body loses. Checking web sites and calculators can't tell you. You have to track your intake and your weight and make your own determination.
  • vara123
    vara123 Posts: 60 Member
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    Don't try and stick to something that is unrealistically low. Try upping your calories to say, 1400, and see if you still make losses. This will of course depend on your starting weight and general activity levels. I upped my calories to 1600 from the recommended 1350 when I started, and I have made good losses. I might be able to do it faster eating less, but I want to do something that is maintainable long term. You have to do what works for you.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
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    I agree with simply changing your weight loss goal to be something a little slower and do daily exercise so you have more calories to eat. I have a large problem with the whole "0 point produce" thing WW has going on because I can eat a lot of calories of fruit. A medium banana has well over 100 calories and that's not something to simply ignore and pretend isn't going to affect your weight loss when eaten on a daily basis. Multiply x 30 and that daily banana is nearly a one pount weight gain, or for most of us, one pound we didn't lose this month.

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