The best way to change your eating habits and lose weight is to hold yourself accountable to the food you are eating. Tracking your food is the most effective way to do that. Without tracking it’s easy to think you are eating healthy – or within your means. However, if the scale is not budging or goes up then too much food is usually to blame. When you do not pay attention to the food you eat then most likely you are eating too much. This has been my experience every time my weekly weigh in does not go in my favor.
I hear over and over again that tracking food is tedious and takes too much time. Yes it will take time and some effort. But…I am here to tell you that tracking your food is essential to losing weight. To make changes to your eating habits you must pay attention and be intentional with your food. Tracking helps you do just that. Once you are comfortable with food portions and creat a structure for yourself then you can ease up on the tracking a bit. However, if you are struggling with your eating habits then tracking your food can provide a nice frame work and structure to keep you focused and intentional.
Two popular programs/and or systems people use to track their food are Weight Watchers and My Fitness Pal. There are other programs but those are the two my readers use most.
Anyway, I am often asked if I recommend one program over the other or why I chose My Fitness Pal over Weight Watchers. So in this post I am going to share the 3 reasons I prefer My Fitness Pal over Weight Watchers. Please note this is all based on my experience and by no means am I saying Weight Watchers doesn’t work or I don’t recommend it. Many people love Weight Watchers and rightfully so – it is sound weight loss program that many people can embrace and stick with. I am just speaking on what has worked for me. At the end of the day you need to find the system that works best for you.
My Fitness Pal is free
You can use My Fitness Pal completely free of charge. This was and still is huge for me and I know it is for a lot of my readers too. Let’s face it we like free. However, even though the MFP website and app don’t cost a dime they do not lack any features. They have a huge food database, an awesome recipe builder, progress reports, different apps you can utilize, a community forum, blogs, and tons of other features all free of charge. Everything you could possible need to help you lose weight can be found on My Fitness Pal free of charge.
Weight Watchers also has a great feature rich website and app along with the opportunity to attend weekly meetings – but it costs money. I pay about $20 a month. **please note I am a Weight Watcher member for educational purposes only and to calculate points for my recipes. I like to keep informed on the resources my readers are using.
Besides Weight Watchers meetings and the live chat feature I don’t see much difference between the two websites. If those two things are important to you then it might be worth it. However, in my opinion both websites offer the same basic type of weight loss tools.
My Fitness Pal is super easy to use
The MFP website and app are simple, functional, and easy to use and understand. After you sign up it doesn’t take a lot of effort to navigate and figure things out. I think this is important because most people prefer weight loss not to be complicated. As soon as losing weight becomes confusing most likely you will get discouraged – I know that is how I am. Even as My Fitness Pal evolves and changes their website I find it easy to follow and use.
The Weight Watchers website is a little bit clunky to me. It is still easy to navigate but there is lots of information and many different pages to sift through. This can get a little overwhelming for those just starting out. However, don’t let that discourage you because Weight Watchers definitely provides a lot of great information.
I prefer to track calories over points
This is a big reason why I chose MFP over Weight Watchers. Personally, I prefer to track calories and basic nutritional information over points. I am going to be honest – the points system confuses me. I do figure out the points for all my recipes – because my Weight Watchers readers want that -but I still get confused on the number of points a person should have for meals and snacks. For example, my raspberry overnight oats recipe is 322 calories and 8 weight watchers points plus. Well..I don’t think 322 calories is too much for breakfast. In fact, I think that is about average. However, some of my readers on Weight Watchers have said the 8 points is too much for breakfast. So I get confused with how points should be distributed throughout the day. Also, there are activity points and then fruit doesn’t count towards points. And then every now and then Weight Watchers goes and switches the whole point system up. My brain goes into overload. Therefore, I stick with simple and just track my calories. Calories never change.
I also think it is easier to eyeball the calories of a food rather than try to figure out the points. But that’s just me. Some people love the structure of the points system and if it works for you then stick with it.
Those are the 3 reasons I choose to use My Fitness Pal instead of Weight Watchers. Again, you need to use the program or system that you are most comfortable with. What works for one might not work for another. We are all different people with different needs and learning styles.
With that said, it is important to understand that nothing will work if you don’t work. You can sign up for every program and system under the sun but if you don’t change your lifestyle then you will never lose weight. My Fitness Pal and Weight Watchers are programs that provide the tools to keep you accountable with the food you eat. You have to be consistent with using those tools. But I know you can do it! So keep moving forward.
What about you? Do you use My Fitness Pal or Weight Watchers? I would love to hear your feedback on both of these systems in the comments.
Are you ready to start your weight loss journey? If so, check out my ebook Organize Yourself Skinny for my 5 strategies and some secrets to creating a healthy lifestyle and losing weight. I also provide a bonus 4-week make ahead meal plan to get you started. Read more about it here.
CBening says
Weight Watchers has updated their plan with Smart Points. Nutritionally, it exceeds their previous plans. I don’t want to think about calories b/c they are not all created equal. I have been back on WW for a few weeks and loving it. I am Online Only and I don’t find that they are pushing their products or processed foods. The funny thing I find is that people get so defensive about WW. To each his own. I used MFP a few years ago and I felt it was very inconsistent in the foods in the database but that’s just me. You aren’t just paying for an app with WW and the Connect part of the new app is amazing.
Jean says
If this informations is posted elsewhere I apologize for the question….If WW says I get 29 points – What does that translate into on MFP settings? calories and Macro breakdown?
Thanks!
Kelly says
Me myself i like WW the reason it may be confusing is because different weights and activity levels get different points like for example i get 57 points and i dont get through all of them but for me an 8 point breakfast is not bad at all exp if i use fresh vefies or fruit as a snack in between meals say i had a 10 point lunch and a 12 point dinner thats using only 39 points of my 57 without counting activity so what im saying is we are unique and while 8 points might be to much for one person it isnt for another maybe they are spending points on snacks or drinks! Its not confusing if you do what it says to do for you! im on the points plus edition got a calculator not doing it thtough the membership and still having success….
Karin says
I agree. I find that you spend too much time trying to figure out the values nod not enough time choosing healthy foods that will last. I actually focus on the type of food and portion size. Fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains and low fat meats. I lost 20 pounds without tracking or counting. The weight came off steadily each week.
Tammi Holland says
I belonged to ww for many years losing .2 gaining back .2. This was a typical week. It wasn’t until I switched to mfp that I lost 50 pounds in one year and so far have maintained for four months. I plan to track forever so I will never gain the weight back. It’s the only way I am accountable!
earl says
I just completed a three month Weight Watchers membership and have switched to MyFitnessPal. Like you, I didn’t find the Points system useful and almost immediately started tracking calories and carbs on a separate spreadsheet every day. I only tracked Points out of idle curiosity and over the three month period, I averaged about 16 points per day less than the WW points assigned to me. If I’d eaten all the points I was assigned, I don’t know if I’d have lost much weight at all. I also recently started tracking Sodium. MyFitnessPal lets me track cals, carbs, and sodium easily and I don’t have to keep a separate spreadsheet for those now. The food database for MFP seems to be better than the WW one. I’ve already noticed that it has found several foods that the WW database didn’t. I find all the MFP apps to be better designed with better user interface. And of course it’s nice to save myself $45 per month.
Marie says
I am a member of WW for the fellowship, in person meetings, and weekly weigh-in accountability. BUT, I track everything with MFP. I’m pre-diabetic so I like seeing my nutrient profile throughout the day. And the points system for WW isn’t exactly how I eat. I eat much more fat and that blows my points up. And I have to watch fruit and all carbs, really. So this is my system!
Dan says
I have been using MFP for several years and love the ease of getting through the program. I just wish I could really afford the yearly premium.
Doreen says
I like the fact that MFP is simple to follow & ecstatic that it’s FREE. I will stay with this program until I reach my goal. Thank you.
Tina says
I got a little frustrated with MYP. Maybe somebody can help. I would creat recipes of a meal I made but if I ate it again the a few weeks later I couldn’t find the recipe I created and had to renter it all again. What am I doing wrong?
Vanessa says
I agree that it is individual preference as to which program works best. My struggle with WW is that my son is diabetic and they often don’t provide the full nutrition values in addition to points. It is double the effort to find the carbs in the food for insulin dosing when only points are listed. They are getting better though. The lesson I have learned from OYS regardless of which system works best for you is the key is planning, planning, planning.
Tammy Kresge says
Yes I’m so glad you said that about the planning because really that is key.
AnneD says
I am diabetic, and I lost 25 pounds on WW Points Plus from July to November last year. Then Smart Points came out and all the healthy fats I was eating DOUBLED in points. Since I can only eat very limited carbs, a larger percent of my diet must be fats… but fats (ALL fats) are so heavily penalized that I can’t fit all my nutrition into a day without going over my points, but I’m still under on calories. My weight loss flatlined the minute I start Smart Points, and in the last 2 months In have GAINED eight pounds. I’m sad, because I have been a WW lifetime member since the early 1990’s, but it is no longer a sustainable program for me. Not to mention that at meetings, in email, and on their website, they’re pushing their very expensive products and chemical-laden prepared foods.
jrochest says
There are ‘pirated’ versions of the old Points Plus system available out there, if you still want to follow the old program!
Faye says
I also prefer MFP over WW! I was a member of WW many years ago. It is a good program but over the years it has changed so much. I think the points system is confusing and unnecessary. I joined MFP and love it! Simple, easy, and free! The features are great! Simply track your calories and exercise without point coversion. It works for me👍
Nadia Garas says
Are you going to be incorporating the new WW Smart Pointsminto your program? I love your site. You’re my inspiration!
Matt says
Lo and behold, just this month Weight Watchers changed their whole points system again, and it’s worse than ever. PointsPlus worked very well for me, but you are right, they are confusing, unfair at times, and harder to calculate.
When I was a member about 3-4 years ago pointsplus was brand new, but it worked for me. The recipe builder was good, the online tools were good, the database of foods was weak but grew over time and got to be much better than when I first started.
Now I re-joined a couple months ago to lose a few more pounds, and they had put in a great mobile app that had a barcode scanner, the database was good, everything was great, but within a couple weeks of joining they completely changed the website (which sucks now) and this month they completely changed over to SmartPoints. I went from 42 points per day to 39, and literally every food I had been eating (and losing weight eating) is now 2-3 points more than it was.
The new website and app are worse than the old, the program is even LESS intuitive, and I’m struggling to see any reason to continue with it. I have about another month on my plan but I’ll be cancelling.
I’ve downloaded My Fitness Pal to see if it will work as a replacement and I am wondering why I paid for weight watchers again in the first place! It has all the same features I liked, and the app is better, you can actually create a recipe through the app whereas WW you need the website for that.
The thing I liked about PointsPlus was that it subtly penalized you for eating sugary, fatty foods and give you an incentive to eat more filling whole grains, but if you really wanted a piece of cheesecake you could do it as long as you behaved yourself the rest of the week.
I’m doing both for now just to make sure I like this app, but so far I really do. Calories is definitely simpler. It lacks the social engineering component that I found helpful in WW, but as long as I’m getting even half the results I got from WW for free, I’m willing to switch.
Emily says
I, too am on Weight Watchers and am extremely frustrated by their new SmartPoints program. I have lost weight using the PointsPlus and cannot understand the logic of SmartPoints. I am thinking about cancelling and joining MFP but am nervous I will not be as successful. I like your idea of doing both prior to cancelling to determine success.
Dawn says
I have done WW my whole adult life and needed to lose weight again. I signed up again thinking if Oprah is behind it, it must be good. Imagine my surprise when a can of Coke is 9 points! A tiny container of yogurt was 7. Very disheartening. I’ll continue for awhile (only paid for 3 months), but I will probably go back to MFP. The WW website is horrible. You can’t import recipes and it’s just very user UNfriendly.
Marsha says
Ten years ago I lost 45 pounds on Weight Watchers and gained it all back plus five pounds. I am super busy (I know everyone is) and weekly Weight Watcher meetings were just too cumbersome. And I agree the ever changing points system was a lot to keep track of.
I am using My Fitness Pal and finding success. I agree, calories are the easiest for me to count and I like the exercise feature as well. I’ve logged in for 105 days 🙂 and I’ve lost 13 pounds so far and have 16 more to lose to meet my first goal. Taking it one day at a time to get through the holidays with little or no weight gain 🙂
Nicole says
I actually prefer Weight Watchers over My Fitness Pal. I find that giving vegetables and fruits 0 are the perfect way to get me to eat them. I stick to 2 fruits a day as I know not to spend an entire day eating fruit. 26 points a day roughly equals 1200-1400 calories. 8 points for breakfast is a lot because then you only have 18 left for the day. I usually spend between 5-7 for Breakfast, 7-9 for lunch and 10-12 for dinner. Weight Watchers is super flexible because you get that extra 49 a day which if you split amongst 7 days that’s 7 extra. so 33 points should run between 1400-1500 calories. I love Weight Watchers. I’ve lost 8 pounds in 4 weeks and I plan on losing more through the holidays. I think their mobile version is actually much simpler than my fitness pal. My Fitness Pal I’ve noticed too now charges for advanced nutritional information which used to be free.
Kelly says
I just switched to MFP. I started off in august on WW and while I lost weight, I hit a plateau a few weeks ago. So I tried MFP. It was super easy, and I have been able to finally reach my goal weight. But what I love most is that it gaveme a clear picture of all calories, carbs, protein sugars and fats. It was an eye opener how much sugar you can eat like fruit, which is a freebie on WW. Sugar is hidden in everything and MFP clearly shows where it is. It gave me a clear picture of how I was eating and how many calories I still would have left to eat at the end of the night. It helped me make better choices. It incorporated my exerise and adds calories back. I just love the site and won’t go back to WW.
Karen says
I use the FitBit app and have lost 30 lbs since May. The fact that the calories burned versus eaten turns RED when you are not meeting your goal for the day is motivating for me to get on the treadmill. I was a WW member for years and got tired of the gimmicky nature of the annual changes and the need to constantly sell you new materials, plus the $49.95 monthly fee.. Either the program works as designed or it doesn’t. I lost 62 lbs on the original points program, but regained and didn’t have any luck with the follow on programs. But FITBIT has worked for me and I will stick with it to goal.
bitsy says
i can’t afforded WW and the food you have to buy to lose weight…. Your plan is a much better choice for me. Just need to clean out the junk and buy some real food.
Crystal says
You don’t have to buy any special food for WW. Any food item can be tracked as long as you know what the nutritional content is. WW does have its own line of products, and they endorse some other products as well but you don’t need to purchase them to follow the plan.
Debi Dahn says
What are the 3 steps for Weight Watchers?
1) Measure
2) Count
But what is the thrid one.
Does anyways know??
Thank you!
Gail Bozeman says
Tracking