I think it honestly depends on your personality type. I love Weight Watchers, simply because I go with my family, my whole household is in the WW mentality, so there is rarely food in the house that will tempt me. I also enjoy the meetings, but I think this has a lot more to do with the people. I love talking with people, swapping recipes and being encourage on a weekly basis, even when I mess up. I also like the idea of the point system, it keeps me in check. There are also wonderful sites like exercise4weightloss.com that have the points for the Points system and the Points Plus system for every restaurant you can think of! Very helpful if you don't have access to WW online and want to eat out with friends. It helps you plan accordingly!
I personally love the new Points Plus program, mostly because fruit is free (if you don't over-indulge.) and curbs my sweet cravings when I have them. But, I wouldn't recommend using your Extra points. I've found I do better when I don't use them. (in terms of weight loss) but I will dip into them occasionally if I'm having a bad day, which is what they are for.
Another thing I picked up by doing WW is that you will have bad weeks. You will gain some weight back and that is okay!! Just keep going, keep trying!
My advice to you if you decide to do a strictly CC diet, is to watch the serving size! Sometimes something you think is only one serving is actually 2.5 servings! So, sometimes, things you think are healthy are just as bad as soda! For example, Vitamin Water is very deceiving. It says 50 calories on the back of the bottle, but it has 2.5 servings a bottle... so in reality you're drinking 250 calories... just as bad as any dark soda! I always had a problem counting calories because I felt like I was depriving myself... and for some reason I don't feel that way with WW.
But, in the end, the decision is yours to make, do what is right for YOU, and don't let anyone badger you into doing what you don't think will work for you PERSONALLY! We're all different and what could work for me, might not work for you and vice versa!
I have done weight watchers and am currently counting calories. It is free, however, the WW meetings are very helpful too. Either plan involves the person to make a decision to follow healthy eating habits. Most overweight people usually make choices for the wrong types of food - myself included. I heard someone say in order to lose weight a person should have " controlled food management". It is true in my case. I need to control what type of food I eat and the amount. Bottom line - do what works for you.
I am one of those switchers too. I started with WW (old formula, on my own at home) and switched to calorie counting a few months ago.
WW is a good start. Quick and easy to get into. However, the closer I got to goal the more I wanted more details and nutritional information.
I find calorie counting more accurate (no freebies) and detailed. Especially when working out, there are tons of tools to calculate calories burned.
You learn more about your body and how good/bad certain food is for you with calorie counting. But it is more work since everything has calories.
I was eating very clean and healthy before but now I know what a normal portion size is.
Overall, I would recommend calorie counting since it is free, detailed and works for sure. Especially with 3FC since here you get any questions answered and have support too.
Personally, I chose neither (or in a sense, you could say I chose both).
You have to decide what you need and want in your plan, and either find or create a plan that fits your needs.
I've finally learned that to succeed comfortably (and not have to white-knuckle willpower through constant hunger), I need a plan with five components (roughly in order of importance).
1. Accountability
2. Support
3. Carb-control
4. Portion/calorie control
5. Activity/Exercise
Weight Watchers does provide or encourage all five components, all at a reasonable cost. It's a good value, but I'm a hard-core bargain hunger on a fixed income, and am always looking for the best value for my dollar. My bargain hunting led me to different ways to satisfy those five components.
I need support, and tons of it. I've finally learned that I do FAR, FAR better when I have the accountability and support of a meeting with weigh-in.
The support here is great, but it's anonymous. No one knows how I'm doing unless I choose to share it, so it's not the same incentive as having to show up and face people who are going to know how you've done.
1. Accountability
The in-person, weekly weigh-in. Really, there's only a few inexpensive options if you need this kind of accountability (I definitely do - without the peer pressure, I procrastinate).
I chose TOPS because it's far cheaper than WW, and there's more accountability (Unlike WW, in most TOPS groups, everyone shares whether they've lost, gained, or stayed the same... in my group we go a step further and share WHAT we have lost or gained as well). It's a bargain, because the yearly cost is $26 ($28 starting in January) for yearly dues (additional family members in the same family pay half price). Monthly dues are determined by the chapter - $5 in ours, and as long as you've had a loss the previous month, the next month's dues are free. There are also other ways to win small prizes for weight loss. My goal for this year is to "break even" making my yearly cost balance out to $0. It was my goal last year also, but I didn't quite make it. I ended up spending about $35 total (which is only about $3 per month - not bad).
2. Support
This is another area where I believe TOPS beats Weight Watchers, unless you're a person who needs or prefers a more anonymous, less intimate support. TOPS groups tend to be smaller, and more close knit. If you miss more than a meeting or two, someone is going to probably call, email, or write to see if you're ok, and to encourage you to come back.
If you're not confident or secure in your food plan, or your understanding of healthy nutrition, TOPS may not be the best value, because the leaders are all just ordinary members voted in. Opinions shared in the group are just that - personal opinions, so you have to realize not everyone in the group knows what they're talking about (but that's ok, if you do).
3. Carb-control and 4. Portion/calorie control
I like exchange plans for this, just because I was "raised on them." It allows me to count calories without having to count them (because exchange plans are calorie counting plans, the calorie counting has just already been done for you, as each exchange is a block of pre-counted calories - and carbs).
And it's free, so that's a real bargain (I actually did buy the book at my TOPS meeting, The Choice is Mine. Ordinarily $15, but I bought mine from a member who was selling hers for $5. I also bought the book Exchanges for All Occasions from Amazon.com for about $6.
5. Activity/Exercise
I spent $4 for a step-counting pedometer and clipped it to my shoes and every day tried to meet or beat the previous days record, even if only by a few steps.
I volunteered at the human society, walking dogs (free, and fun).
I got a referral from my doctor to the warm water therapy pool ($3 per visit, when I started). The price went up to the point that my husband and I joined the YMCA. We pay month-to-month, because in the warm weather, we will go back to "free" exercise.
calorie counting
