Weight Watchers must be joking?

April 9 2015 by in Crazy ways to lose weight

I decided to try out Weight Watchers online program and signed up today. I don’t really have any weight to lose – just wanted to see what I could learn and what their online program looks like.

I was astonished when I saw their “recipe of the day”, it’s Chocolate Cherry Cupcake Bites. Biggest ingredient? “Chocolate cake mix”. I googled that and not surprisingly the two main ingredients tend to be sugar and wheat flour.

Recipe of the day? It’s not still April 1, is it?

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89 comments

51
Sean
April 17 2015
I just spoke to my wife (she's a WW meeting leader) and she says that now you can do low carb on weight watchers. Interesting. I'm glad they are open to it, but I'm not sure they could really provide the support needed to help their members yet.
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Julia
April 21 2015
After 5 months on weight watchers (and loosing 20kg) my ldl was 3.1, hdl 1.0 and trigs 1.9 (at 22 years old). After 2 weeks of lchf my ldl was 6.7, hdl 1.6 and trigs 0.8 (at 28 years old and still 40 kg overweight).

Reply: #81
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Merle Nelson
May 22 2015
I went to weight watchers over 12 years ago....I gained up to 155 pounds....I lost back to the weight that I wanted to for myself....130 Pounds...2 years ago I had to have my bottom teeth pulled and get dentures I lost down to 108 and found it hard to gain back because I was drinking skim milk and not whole milk as my life style on food had changed thank you weight watchers...After 2 years of drinking mild shakes and etc. I am up to 118 pounds....and I believe the other 12 pounds will come before years end. Weight watchers is a life style.. and I learned to eat that way veggie and etc.
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Lynda
May 27 2015
I haven't read through all of these postings but sympathise with the person (non -insulin diabetic - as I am) who only loses weight if she also counts calories.

I am constantly frustrated by the statement from all the 'gurus' that "You don't need to count calories because if you are low carb/high fat you won't be hungry". I have battled with my weight for years, attended various slimming clubs in the past, run them, have researched and read very widely, am trained in natural nutrition, exercised, incorporated Jon Gabriel approaches and so forth. And yes - last year lost 4.5 stone on LCHF -
AND using My Fitnesspal (where I can track carbs as well as calories).

In my experience (and I am also a Life Coach) many many people do not only (or even perhaps mainly) eat just because they are hungry. They eat because they are stressed or bored or lonely or avoiding difficult feelings etc etc. Obviously each individual has to decide how to address this. But it is NOT a rare exception for people to eat when they are not hungry (and there are all the social and cultural connections of food with celebrations, sharing as community-building etc).

If I DON'T count calories it is very likely that I will eat too many of them to lose weight (and yes, I only eat high nutrient, unprocessed, organic etc food - except when I don't! - but hunger is not the deciding factor).

End of rant. But please 'gurus' - stop pretending that you don't know that people eat for reasons other than hunger - and may therefore need to count calories too.

Reply: #55
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Reply to comment #54 by Lynda
Vicente
May 27 2015
Hi Lynda,
if you count calories, may be you'd end up chosing to eat a piece of bread instead of a piece of butter, just because it has fewer calories. Counting calories is wrong advice for the general population.

How calorie-focused thinking about obesity and related diseases may mislead and harm public health.

Counting calories while low-carbing may be useful for losing weight if your diet is also carb-restricted, and you understand that "fewer calories" doesn't mean "better".
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Tanya
June 3 2015
I signed up for WW online 2 years ago, and lost NOTHING, even though I tracked my food and was running 5x a week. I was also hungry all the time. I gave up after a month (even though I had paid for 3 months). I started LCHF in January and have lost 26 pounds so far and am NEVER hungry! Easiest diet ever.

Reply: #80
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Terry
August 24 2015
I have watched family use WW over several years; they had great success initially but gained it all back plus some. I personally have had great success with Wheat Belly diet by Dr. Davis...not really a diet but a whole new life style. Check out his blog and testimonials. I'm reading his book as well as a neurologist's book on Grain Brain. Both are excellent reads. Explains why most people can't lose weight and keep it off. Their ideas completely go against what is recommended for our daily diet intake. Diabetes has been reversed or diminished for those that followed the recommendations by Dr. Davis (cardiologist) including his own diabetes!
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GailA
September 7 2015
I had a loaf of WW bread that got pushed to the back of my refrigerator and wasn't found for a couple months. There was not a speck of mold on that bread. Decided then and there to stop buying their products - must be a lot of preservatives to keep a loaf of bread from molding for that long!

Reply: #88
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Michelle
December 28 2015
Y'all should try WW now, they have a new points system that gives lean protein lower points and things with sugar higher points. They are trying to talk about more whole foods. The switch just started a few weeks ago. Yes they still sell processed food, but you shouldn't eat just snacks and smoothies all day. They listened to members who were talking about the high amount of sugar in processed foods, and decided to make a change. Again you are going to be hungry if you don't learn to eat fruits and veggies, and I understand it isn't for everyone, but its just an fyi.

Reply: #60
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Reply to comment #59 by Michelle
Apicius
December 28 2015
Forget it! Fats is still a no-no with Weight Watchers. They still spew their BS against saturated fats. Being pro lean meat, and against fat, is definitely against LCHF. On top of that, Oprah Winfrey, who has lobbied heavily against eating beef, is backing up weight watchers. Remember, she also endorses Dr Oz...another quack out to make money without really caring about the damage they cause.

There is NO WAY I would endorse such a horrible organization. Eat REAL food, don't be afraid of natural fats, stay away from processed foods, and don't bother counting those moronic "points"!

Reply: #85
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Anita
January 15 2016
I have lost 40 pounds with ww and gained it all back. I lost 40 pounds on low carb and gained it back. Myself don't blame either diet its all me. On ww I found I was hungry but kept me on track.
On low carb I ate to much. By over Eating and all the high fats really messed with my digestive system. Now I cant tolerate carbs very well at all. Wheat causes actual pain but that's cause my body will not tolerate it anymore because of my low carb diet I was on. Not saying that's a bad thing gluten is not the best for you anyway, but that's another story. Plus I gained my weight back a lot faster and more weight from eating low carb. Then again low carb also takes away cravings and makes you lose the weight faster. I recently joined ww again to see if I can combine the two diets with ww new approach on lower carb eating. As for products there is low carb products and ww products. SAY NO!!!!!! Its you that decides what to put in your mouth not ww or low carb. If you truly want to lose you will it all about control and will power. Eating either way will need this. I know this from doing both diets. Hopefully I can keep you updated on this diet and see if it works but I think I am the deciding factor either way. Have a good day and keep up the good work on either diet and food plan. If I do know anything, EXECISE is a big key, just saying.

Reply: #67
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Julie
February 4 2016
Whilst appreciating all the LCHF stuff, I may be doing it wrong but last year I put on 3 or 4 lbs when switching from weight watchers which was enough to set me off on a cycle of destructive eating. As the original post says, I eat for a whole variety of reasons, hunger has very little to do with it. I know when I eat well and avoid processed and sugary foods I am more likely to stay focused and avoid depressive feelings. The best thing I seem to have done lately is to start and juice vegetables, I have these at breakfast time and simply don't want to eat until nearly mid day. All diets work, they just may not work for you, we all have to find our own way. I am still on WW but trying to incorporate low carbs into it.
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Karla
September 18 2016
I love when people say "You cannot eat REAL food on WW." What?!?!? Have you even been to a meeting? LOL... you can have whatever you want as long as you track your food. Come on people, we all somewhat know what is good and bad for us. I DONT want to be on a DIET my whole life but I sure need something that makes me stop and think about what I am putting in my mouth. With WW they make you factor in calories, fat, sat fat, carbs, sugar and protein. Wow...who would have guessed that all of that would have been important??? ALL of these are important factors in healthy eating. I went to a meeting one time and a lady was upset because she had not lost weight and wanted to know why. Well after looking at her log she was eating "8" oranges at a time every day. REALLY...come on, it does not take a brain surgeon to know eating "8" of something at time cannot be healthy. Sure it was free on WW but did you READ the material that says limit your fruit per day?? I would love to read the trackers of the people that said they gained on WW. I know not everything works for EVERYONE, believe me I had tried almost everything out there until my DOCTOR told me to try WW. I have lost 56 lbs and have keep the weight off for 7 years. Yes, I still keep track of what I eat everyday. We all have to be true to ourselves and be honest with ourselves about the items that we put in our mouth. I know alot of people may not agree with me and if not I hope you find something that works for you and you are truly successful in whatever you try.
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Qui
January 15 2017
I joined ww in 2001 and was very successful losing 35 pounds and achieving life time status. I kept the weight off until 2015. I was diagnosed with insulin resistance in 2014 and carbs are not my friends. I would love to give ww a try again but I have no idea how to make it work while also watching carbs. Any advice and guidance is welcomed. Thank you in advance.

Reply: #89
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Brenda
January 16 2017
Qui, I attended a few WW meetings last winter, but the promotion of highly processed fake foods and 'tips' to wring out every last drop of fat out of your food completely put me off. Don't bother.
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julia
January 18 2017
to Qui: I'm doing WW online alone with IF. WW severely penalize anyone who wants to stuff sugar in their face! LOL I admire this switch in the Smartpoints system - it didn't use to be that way. I have to be honest; I've been doing LCHF with IF for the past 5 years and have been slowly gaining more and more weight. This caused me so much distress. I felt good on LCHF but it was not sustainable for me long term. I like to eat the occasional piece of bread, (and I do NOT mean GORGE) on it, and WW allows me to do that. WW protein points are very low, so I mainly stick to fish, eggs, chicken with veg and 2 fruits per day. I still eat butter, too, but now I eat 2 teaspoons and not 2 tablespoons. The scale is finally moving downwards.
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Reply to comment #61 by Anita
Tammy
February 9 2017
Love your comment
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Deb
February 15 2017
I have been on WW for 4 weeks now and have lost 18 pounds. It's not a "diet" they do teach you a new way to eat. Nothing is off limits as long as you count your points. I have been very successful so far and have not felt hungry. I don't know what the past programs were like bit I know the new Smart points works.
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Fred
February 20 2017
My wife and I both are using WW on line ( for about 2 months now,) my starting weight was 226 lbs.( should be about 180) and her weight is considerably more. I've lost about 30 lbs and she about 20 lbs. WW works fine for me but so have Atkins and other diets like it. Exercise is key for me.
My wife however is limited in what she can do, so she swims 2.5 hours a day at a very slow rate. Maybe burning 250 calories an hour. ( being very conservative). She walks very little, because it hurts her. She is fastidious about following WW in fact she does it for me as well. From a calorie point of view she is probably eating about 1350 calories a day and about 100 gm's of carbohydrates a day . Lately (the last week or so ) she gained 2 lbs, however her clothes are fitting a lot better ( lost about 5 inches on her waist). So in her case why has her weight loss plateaued. I'm thinking some weight training might help because it would add muscle resulting in an increase in metabolism. Or is there something else going on. ( Note her resting heart rate is 52 beats per minute).
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bill
February 20 2017
WW is not LCHF
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Ggpage
February 28 2017
I am doing weight watchers. I'm down 17 pounds and feel great. I love it!!
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Ray
March 8 2017
I have been on ww for now 2 weeks and I am down 12lbs. For the women complaining about gaining the weight back don't you think it is you and not the diet. You are what you eat right! For the ones complaining you didn't lose any weight and you were working out, I strongly suggest seeing a doctor beccause that's not normal.
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Jill
April 4 2017
What works for one individual may not work for another individual. I did the lchf for 3 to 4 months and even though I lost weight I was not reaping any health benefits. The plan was not very sustainable for me and it affected my moods. I started ww in December right after lchf and continued my weight loss. I struggle with all the "rules" with any food plan. Sure it'd be nice to look forward to eating whatever but I'm too committed to losing weight for myself and my health. The reason why a brownie recipe was on the front page is probably because ww users feel deprived. Ww is the total opposite of lchf but both plans feel like deprivation to me. However, I don't think I've fully gotten to the point of what works for me as For both ww and lchf I am/was always hungry. For the ones who gained weight...that probably happened because you stopped following the plan. I've been there as well.
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Jan
May 1 2017
For many of us, if we only ate when hungry and stopped when full, we probably wouldn't be in this position. WW works for me because I can eat what my family eats, or go out to eat and eat at any restaurant. The key is I just can't eat all I want. Most of us (excluding those with some metabolic problems) know what to do, we just don't do it. This is not the first time I've been on WW, and yes, I did gain back what I lost, but it wasn't WW fault. It was mine!

Reply: #75
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Reply to comment #74 by Jan
Peter Biörck Team Diet Doctor
May 1 2017
Hi Jan!

We believe that a method which means that you are hungry most of the time will only work for a few people.

For many of us, if we only ate when hungry and stopped when full, we probably wouldn't be in this position. WW works for me because I can eat what my family eats, or go out to eat and eat at any restaurant. The key is I just can't eat all I want. Most of us (excluding those with some metabolic problems) know what to do, we just don't do it. This is not the first time I've been on WW, and yes, I did gain back what I lost, but it wasn't WW fault. It was mine!
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astridnova
June 2 2017
Hi Fred,

Pain on walking (knees and lower legs especially), slow pulse and difficulty losing weight sound like hypothyroidism. Find a doctor that tests T3 as well as T4 and who does not rely on TSH. Sometimes thyroxin does not work and people do better on dessicated pork thyroid. Sometimes people have hypothyroidism simply due to low iodine, so an iodine test is a good idea as well.
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Lucy
June 11 2017
Reply to Fred - comment #69

I admire you and your wife's journey and today, June 11, 2017 my hope is your wife found the pounds may not have changed for a little while though her body was, followed by the pounds.
Swimming daily and other small exercises was/is toning the body and building muscle.
For all the negative on WW's, as with all programs, it's how one thinks and uses the program. Not saying weight watchers -current or previous -always does the correct presentation.
No I'm not a WW spokes person, and I do not go to meetings but, I am currently on WW online, started 7 weeks ago with 50lbs to lose. Currently down 18 with smart choices- I rarely do process or package foods. A lot more whole food eating and cooking and lots of walking has been successful for me. Weight Watchers app and point counting via my phone, works very well -for me - tracking everything. I've tried other approaches and other apps - this works for me. And, for me I'm learning - fruit may be free points but, 5 pieces a day is too much - exchange one for another veg. I do eat carbs, though have greatly reduced them. Our life is not all rice or potatoes now. I love desserts and after the first 2 weeks have no cravings for sugar snacks. Plus, I'm not hungry - sometimes I have to remember to eat.
So, we are all different - for me to lose weight is to exercise and stop process/package foods, and bread at each meal. This will be a positive and lasting life change for me.
Oh, I'm 60 and sit at a desk all day - so, not a young person who easily loses weight with changes.
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Sheri
June 18 2017
WW is a lifestyle. Meetings help. Once you hit goal you have to continue the lifestyle that helped you lose it or you will fail. It works but you have to work it! Online alone without meetings does not provide the support and accountability. Weighing and measuring portions is important! Like any program, if you are not true to it, it won't work!
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Kristi
November 9 2017
I have been successful on weight watchers a few times and just joined again. I’m still not a fan of them promoting low fat/ fat free this and that (plastic, IMO). I am doing the program but won’t sacrifice points to eat fake food. Lost 6 lbs in my first week focusing on weight loss and overall health and staying within my point limit. It’s about smart choices and keeping track of them.
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Reply to comment #56 by Tanya
Stacy Peterson
November 22 2017
Tanya - I hear ya! Same exact thing happened to me. I paid WW $49/mo, went to meetings weekly, followed the "plan" religiously, tracked EVERYTHING, REALLY enjoyed eating unlimited fruits, and lost like 1/2 lb total, in over a year. I think I knew deep down that was too many carbs for me, but having the experts of a multi-decades old, multi-million dollar, publicly traded corporation telling me this is the way, AND Fortune 500 says it's the most effective diet out there, I tend to believe them. Waste of money, waste of time, and most important, wast of ENERGY. It convinced me my body was abnormal, which prevented me from trying to lose weight again for a couple of years. I predict a class action against WW within 5 years.
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Reply to comment #52 by Julia
cathy Kramer
December 6 2017
Did you ever get a response on your cholesterol changes with LCHF vs Weight watchers?
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14 years at goal weight, those cupcakes are yummy!
May 28 2018
It’s charming how you call yourself a doctor and then use a single data point to sum up a program. Weight Watchers is research based, using many data points over decades. The success of a nutrition program is not based on its ability to help people drop maximum weight quickly, but rather to sustain weight loss. When compared to other diet programs, WW is the most sustainable program. It isn’t sustainable, necessary, or enjoyable for most people to live forever without indulgence. As fun as snarky blogging is, perhaps you might consider the harm you are doing by asking people who struggle with weight to eliminate whole food groups from their diets, thus crashing their metabolic system, good doctor.
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Tom
June 23 2018
I know this an old thread. I just attended a WW meeting at my employer. I was not impressed. They were well meaning. I have lost 70lbs lchf. My glucose is controlled by diet alone.

The following website has what WW considers healthy options for diabetes: https://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&...

These recipes will cause blood sugar issues for me.
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Danita
September 1 2018
I do ww with low carb I have diabetes and did MRC for 3 months couldn’t stand it anymore did a DNA found out I’m sensitive to carbs and sat. Fat so switched to WW but still do low carb and lost 4 pounds in 2 days it’s what I needed and I’m not so limated . WW needs to offer DNA cuz everyone is different and with WW we can follow any way of eating as long as we stay in our points . It works . I don’t eat fruit yet don’t want to spike my sugar . I will try it in a couple weeks 1 a day to start everything in moderation I believe. Well I wouldn’t be here if I’d always done that . I don’t eat sugar either I eat real foods and the new program really permitted real food choices . This is the best WW plan so far. It will help people be healthy for life great job WW I live it . Btw I lost 40 lbs. prior to ww but was stuck for 1 month till I switched now I’m going down again like I said 4 pounds in 2 days . Terri it to work for you . It’s a flore mat it can be used any way as long as you stay in your points limit.
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Reply to comment #60 by Apicius
Sheila montgomery
April 8 2019
Any dietician will agree with low fat and that chicken is healthier and weight watchers is rigjt on target. There is so many vitamins and antioxidants in fruit. Eating healthy is the most important thing in life.
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Trigger
January 16 2020
First of all. Why is someone not needing to lose weight even bothered by this? My Mother scans every item she purchases at the grocery store. SHE HAS LOST OVER 60POUNDS. She looks and feels fabulous. She is now maybe even a candidate for two surgeries she needs that she was told no to 6 months ago. She goes to swimming and swimming zumba ON OXYGEN and has been an inspiration and cheer leader for the whole town. She is 69 years old and is a perfect example of changing her lifestyle of eating.
This article is too vague and no details.
As I understand it there are specific diets, categorized by colors. One of them is purple.
Nobody thinks you can just eat chocolate cake and lose weight.

To criticize a very popular good results by a brand that has been doing this and perfecting it for so long with the most results ever or discourage anyone is so negative. IMO.
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Trigger
January 16 2020
I've seen so many comments on gaining the weight back. Many not ww, wife, etc.
I think the point is
You never get off of it.
If you go back to eating crap
You will go back to ....
It's a new way of eating
For life.
If you want to live. Truly
Uou dont stop wanting to live.
You dont get rewards for doing bad things to your body
Nobody can make you not kill yourself
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Reply to comment #58 by GailA
Barbara
March 8 2020
Well I hope you mad a sandwich with that bread!
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Reply to comment #64 by Qui
Adriana Stern
June 24 2020
Hello, you may want to look at really old weight watchers books (amazon). Read the comments, and pick one that uses Exchanges (before they introduced Points). I understand the exchanges are very similar to diabetic exchanges. Do not get discouraged, and look at several books. Yes, they are old, and some advice is silly, but overall it's very sensible nutrition. Good luck! :)

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