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.
Savannah Miller says
Yes! I’m so confused by weight watchers. I used my fitness pal to lose 30 pounds a few years ago. I’ve since been pregant and gained it all back.
Now I’m trying to lose again and I was told to try weight watchers. So I’m comparing the 2 currently. Yesterday by weight watchers points I went over by 12 points. 12 points! But by my fitness pal I was within my calorie limit with 26 calories to spare.
Why? Because wait watchers hates ground beef. I eat a fair amount of ground beef. Always have even when I previously lost 30 lbs. So on weight watchers 4oz of ground beef 80/20 is 8 points. Calorie wise it’s about 280. I get 23 points on WW so 4oz of ground beef is literally over a third of my points for the day. Where as 280 calories is slightly less than a fifth of of my daily calories. Meaning by eating a lighter fare earlier in the day, I can still manage to meals with ground beef for dinner. Where as with weight watchers I can literally never eat beef without starving. Pair the 8 points of beef with 4 point tortillas and one taco is 12 points. Where as the ground beef and tortilla is 400 calories together. 12 points is over half my daily points or 52%. 400 calories is like 28% of my calories.
I understand there are healthier options than a taco and that’s why weight watchers does this disproportionate point system. But if I can eat a taco and still be within my intake limit and it makes me happy with my life, then why not? There are a lot more unhealthy dinner options than my home made tacos.
Zelda says
I fully agree with you Tammy, counting calories is the only thing that truly makes sense to me. when Im at the stage of having to join WW or using an app for tracking I am in NEED of limiting calories because the weight has crept back, not feeling like I need to eat out all the time. I however use My Net Diary and it works very similarly to MFP and I have lost 13 lbs to date and I love it.
Zelda says
I fully agree with you Tammy, counting calories is the only thing that truly makes sense to me. when Im at the stage of having to joing WW or using an app for tracking I am in NEED of limiting calories because the weight has crept back. I however use My Net Diary and it works very similarly to MFP and I have lost 13 lbs to date and I love it.
Marlene says
I am a lifetime WW member – The plan works, when I work the plan. I really enjoy the meetings (most of the time, when you have a great leader) and it’s an outing for my sister and I on a Saturday morning. We keep each other semi-motivated. The online tools are “ok” – I prefer MFP so I can track my macro’s (fat, fibre, protein) and I agree with you – 325 cals for a breakfast is nothing! But with WW, 8 points does seem high..
There are pros and cons – and WW is a great program – but MFP is my go to tracker. It’s much more robust. Glad to be a part of this community.
Sande says
I hear ya on the WW! I have used it in the past with good success. However, after a spell of using the awesome My Fitness Pal, when I went back to WW I was so disappointed at the lousy food database. I literally quit WW the next day (of course still had to PAY for three months). For such a HUGE organization, and the money it brings in, it is unacceptable for it not to be the leader in the field. I recently started “Noom” which approaches weight loss from a psychological (“trigger”) perspective, as well as 1:1 coaching and group support. I think this may be the ticket for me…although I have already sent them a list of feedback as well to improve the app functionality. I think MFP has really set the bar high, free or paid apps included. Good luck on your journey, everyone!
Linda says
I am enjoying using MyFitnessPal … especially since it syncs with my MapMyFitness and FitPlus usage. However, every time I go over the recommended base calories, because I “earned” more calories with exercise, I gain weight. So I think the base calories is too high for me.
Susan says
I prefer My Fitness Pal over Weight watchers too. A Doctor recommended My Fitness Pal when I took my son to a Nutrition Class the hospital was offering. I already had Weight Watchers… but I wasn’t using it to it’s potential because I would get frustrated ( especially when I would scan a food and it wouldn’t be there, then you had to enter it all manually, ugh! I would just give up entering my food) My Fitness Pal was just easier for me and I love being able to Import a recipe from the web and let it do all the work! ( there are some flaws with some imports, but it’s much easier to change a few items rather than in put all of the items) Tammy’s right, there are a lot of good apps out there, but if you don’t use it… or work the program.. you are not going to see much progress. You have to use what works for you! The last reason that I prefer My Fitness Pal is you can use it for Free and the free side of the app really allows you to use the tools you need.
Ann says
Another alternative to either WW or MFT is an app that I just began using–iTrackBites. I think I paid about $4 for it. It is similar to WW and even allows you to pick the program you like–Smart Points, Points Plus or Classic. It figures out your point allowances–both daily and weekly, based on the same criteria that WW uses. It also has an activity component. There is a built in points calculator, a food list, a scanner feature that allows a user to scan an item to be logged, a feature that allows you to save your favorite items in another list so you can go to that easily for those items you eat every day. The log automatically figures how many points you use and subtract it from your daily allowance. It also shows exactly how many point are remaining. If an item isn’t in their data base, they ask you if you will enter the nutrition info (the same as WW uses to designate point values) and then asks if you will take a picture of the nutritional information. You can buy additional items, two of which are a restauant guide and a recipe builde–which are only a couple dollars a piece. I choose this because I like the WW concept of giving points based, in part, on how healthy the food is. I had bariatric surgery 3 years ago and lost 95 pounds. The first two years after surgery I maintained my weight at 138 pounds (I’m 68 years old and 5’7″) This past year, unhealthy eating habits gradually brought me to 150.9 pounds. I went from a size 8 (at which I was so proud of myself) to a size 10. That might not sound like much, but I am so scared that all my hard work is slipping away from me! I did not want to go back to WW meetings. I thought about doing the online version, but that is pretty pricey too. When I found the iTrackBites bites option, I figured the only think I had to lose was $4 to try it. Turns out I love it!
Heather Fleury says
Wow, very nice! I am going to download that App instead. I don’t like the MFP that much or the idea of calorie-counting, but have tried WW (online version only) and successfully lost some weight and frankly, I find that points-monitoring is easier for me. The thing is, just recently I tried an app similar to MFP called “LoseIT” and haven’t lost a pound, or even a 1/2 pound using this app. The algorithms that LoseIT uses vs. MFP are so different from each other as for the “Caloric Budget” I am allowed in a given day. Esthetically speaking, LoseIT is more appealing to the eye, whereas MFP isn’t. I was feeling a tad overwhelmed today, and thanks to you, I feel a bit excited to download this app. I guess I don’t feel like paying for Weight Watchers, JUST yet 🙂
Janice Robinson says
I’ve been on WW since August 22. In a little over three months I’ve lost 48 pounds. I don’t use any online tools. I just use their little calculator to find the points of what I want to eat and then eat it. If it’s a very high point food, such as candy, I cut the portion size in half. I have given up drinking any soda because it’s not worth the points and it was never something I felt like I had to have. There have been a few days when I still felt hungry after eating all my points, so when that happened I ate some vegetables. There have been a few weeks when I wanted a cupcake or something similar, such as pumpkin bread, so I ate one portion and counted it towards my weekly. I have eaten some of my favorite foods, salami, liverwurst, cream cheese and olives, ice cream (but lower fat ice cream), eggplant parmesan and still lost all this weight. I just eat much smaller portions than I used to. To me it’s not confusing and I love that it doesn’t put any food completely off limits, because the “forbidden food” syndrome has tripped me up in the past. I can stick with it and not feel deprived, it fits into my lifestyle, it works, so I love WW. I can’t be bothered with apps or websites and all that, I don’t need them and they just sound like they needlessly complicate things.
Carla says
I am late but I agree with your thoughts. I enjoy the free MFP app. You can adjust your calorie intake to whatever you want. I say that because I see that other posters thought they had to accept the calorie setting that MFP assigned. WW is great but I do not think it is worth the money. I enjoy the premise behind it though. I don’t agree with the 0 points for fruits because in my opinion, although a very healthy option, fruit does come with a sugar & carb count which equates to calories. WW has worked for me when I did it in the past but so has MFP and since MFP is free, I use that.
Kim says
I’m late coming in to this discussion but I just joined WW and decided to use MFP simulataneously (which is a pain!) to see what works best for me. I’m pre diabetic, so I’m digging the nutritional breakdown. Also, because I don’t use “plastic” food (processed food), and prefer to cook my meals with whole foods, I find MFP much easier to use for calculating recipes. And yes, the MFP data base is much larger. Plus the WW site is buggy. I think when my month is up on WW, I’m going to cancel and stick with MFP. This is how I found your site, googling comparison of the two. Thank you for confirming what I’m feeling after only a few days of being on both programs! (That said, I’m giving both a full month to be fair.)
Colin Begg says
I used MFP for a few years and lost weight to a certain point. Then I got stuck at 11st 8lb and it wouldn’t budge, even when I kept within my MFP calorie goal every day. Calories is not the whole story, there’s good calories and bad calories.
So after a recent cruise, I couldn’t get back to my pre-cruise weight with MFP, so I started a six month subscription of Weight Watchers with 40% discount. I’m already past the post cruise sticking point and down to my 11st 8lb in 3 1/2 weeks. I’m quite confident I will get to my original MFP goal of 11st (within my green BMI range) using Weight Watchers. When the subscription expires, if I’m there, I’ll restart using MFP for maintaining the weight.
Nikki says
I used MFP for months and I did see a weight change but now I’m gaining back all I lost.
I’m now back on weight watchers. Personally 8 points for breakfast on WW is not too much it’s perfect for me. I think people that are saying that are probably holding their points for their dinner.., a common mistake made by myself when I first started.
Why I prefer WW over MFP is that all fruits and veggies are 0 points on WW while MFP calculates the calories and using a simple banana in my smoothies were a killer for me especially with the sugar intake.
Honestly I think we all have to find what works best for us.
Beth says
I find that calorie only offers me a ridiculously low calorie allowance that I just cannot maintain. With WW points there is always something I can eat if I am hungry and out of points (piece of fruit, veggies). And there are free (and almost free) apps on iPhone and Android that calculate WW points btw.
I also agree with others that WW encourages healthier eating habits. More fruit and vegetables, fish, etc.
Jen says
I’ve been using WW for a while now and love it. I love how WW can take a food or recipe and use the calories, protein, sugar, and saturated fat and convert all that info into one easy to track, easy to understand smart points value. I’ve tried keeping a food diary before and I’ve never been successful with it until I started paying for it. The meetings are a way for me to share my journey with others, make friends, and celebrate my victories, in a real life setting. It’s 30 minutes I carve out of every week for myself. WW certainly has areas where it can improve – the website and otherwise, but it is the most sustainable program I’ve found that I feel can help me achieve and maintain my weight and fitness goals.
Kandy says
I currently am a WW member. The new system called Smart Points, is a great tool. I also have used MFP as well. I do feel as though MFP allows me more food.
I will say the MFP app is so much easier to navigate and works almost all the time where as the WW app always seems to be down when I need to use it.
Marla Fulton says
I prefer Weight Watchers because the Smart Points system steers you toward more nutritious and healthier choices. You can eat 1500 calories a day of crappy food and you may lose weight, sure. But is it best for your health? No.
Robin Snider says
I have used both & currently track my food on my Fitbit app, liking it also 🙂
Colin Begg says
Yes, the Fitbit App is great for tracking food but their sleep tracking is a bit sparse. I currently run an app on the Apple Watch which occasionally doesn’t work but gives me deep and light sleep. Recently I bought my wife a Garmin Vivofit 3 and the sleep tracking by the Garmin Connect app is superb with the dark and light almost matching mine (we obviously affect eacjh others’ sleep. The Garmin Connect app links with MFP so I will return to MFP when I buy MY Garmin at Christmas! At least when my WW Online subscription finishes (see below).
Laura says
I use WW app (uk WW app) and find it simple to navigate around and it is quick, which for me is key, I don’t want to spend any more time than I have to tracking. In fairness I have only used MFP once for about 2 days and gave up, reasons; mainly because I was being lazy and did not want to give the time needed to learn how to use a new app. However, very tempted to use again. I am a WW member, so would use both until I get to gold. Downside with the WW app for me, is I am unable to link with my Apple Watch to track activity Smart Points.
Kandi F says
I did Weight Watchers for about a month and it did work for me. I also used the Dr. Max Powers Burn for about 2 weeks and even my friends have really noticed a difference. I am at that age where weight is really hard to budge. The Max Powers Burn combined with Weight Watchers has made a huge difference. Although I also have a load more energy.