Family successes?

BRaye325

Wanted to quickly share how MFP has infected my family over the past year. I am truly amazed what a great tool this site has been for all of my family.
It started earlier last year when my son-in-law began losing with MFP. He was fighting the 30 year old sprawl. He did so well, he convinced me to start in July when I had some medical issues come up. My wife also then joined a week or two later as we both needed to lose some serious weight. Our daughter joined in too in August and then our youngest, he's 18, joined in September.
Collectively the five of us lost 242 pounds in 2014, that's like more than an entire person - crazy. What amazes me the most is that we are all very different, we're different ages, personalities, and with different reasons for being here. We all found our own ways to use MFP for what we needed. Some simply log daily and others use the forums, friends for support, groups, blogs etc. We have all improved our lives and health. After years of yo-yo dieting I think we have finally figured out that accurate calorie counting really is the answer.
2015 will be an amazing year for us as we all are on target to get to our goal weights and transition into maintenance.
So I recommend for anyone out there that is new to this site or that has been here a while but wants to find more, explore all MFP has to offer and find your path to fitness.
I am curious how many others out there have family members involved and what your success story sounds like.

Laurend224

That's really great!

WickedPineapple

I joined MFP in 2008 when I gained ~25 lbs in a short amount of time. I lost that weight with relative ease using MFP only sparingly. Still, it definitely helped, so I told my mom about it. She dropped something around 60 lbs in a year or so using MFP and still uses it to maintain. It was a really dramatic loss. What's a bit ironic is that her loss from MFP (after my loss kinda using MFP and suggesting it) inspired me a bit to go back to MFP to lose more. I think because she lost more than I thought she would, it showed me I could be smaller still too. Now I'm the smallest/fittest I've ever been.

wennim

That is a great success.

My husband and I joined mfp together last February. To date we have lost a combined total of 211 lbs. We both use it differently as well. I have to strictly log and he is happy with a ballpark figure. I like the boards as well and he basically only uses the calorie portion of it. Whenever I feel like giving up I go and read some of the success storied and find my motivation.

I have recommended it to so many people and I noticed some of them do seem to be slimming down so I don't know if they actually took my advice or not.

lothquendi

That's so great! I've tried to spread MFP to my family members who complain about their weight, but laziness is a much stronger factor in my family than motivation.

BRaye325

WickedPineapple wrote: »

What's a bit ironic is that her loss from MFP (after my loss kinda using MFP and suggesting it) inspired me a bit to go back to MFP to lose more. Now I'm the smallest/fittest I've ever been.

Passing it back and forth. I love it!

BRaye325

wennim wrote: »

To date we have lost a combined total of 211 lbs. We both use it differently as well. I have to strictly log and he is happy with a ballpark figure. I like the boards as well and he basically only uses the calorie portion of it. Whenever I feel like giving up I go and read some of the success storied and find my motivation.

That's a huge loss, great for you guys! Tag teaming in the same household or with those you talk to regularly is certainly a huge help.

wateryphoenix

That is so awesome! I wish that my family would get into using this site, but I'm not entirely sure they ever would. Quite a few people in my family aren't used to technology yet, but they are learning

Jennifer_Lynn_1982

That's awesome! Way to go to your entire family

BRaye325

wateryphoenix wrote: »

That is so awesome! I wish that my family would get into using this site, but I'm not entirely sure they ever would. Quite a few people in my family aren't used to technology yet, but they are learning

You should find the most likely candidate and ask them about it. If you get two of you going it will be a big help and may lead to more.

BRaye325

lothquendi wrote: »

That's so great! I've tried to spread MFP to my family members who complain about their weight, but laziness is a much stronger factor in my family than motivation.

Well you are doing great, halfway to your goal. They should start noticing more and maybe you can use the opportunity to keep nudging them along. It's how I got interested with my son-in-law. It's much easier for all of us to not pay attention to being overweight and it is truly amazing how we can look in the mirror and not really see ourselves. They say that ignorance is bliss, but that doesn't work with our fitness in the long term.

BRaye325

Starting the year off right, we just passed the 250lbs mark!

chesnity3

Awesome!

battybecks

Sounds very similar to my family! I started on here in August last year, lost the weight and got to my goal ... then my Stepdad got told by the Doctor her needed to lose a little weight, so I said "well, I know a good way of doing that", then my Mum joined in too, and now my sister! Also various friends - the ones who have stuck to it are doing absolutely brilliantly

BRaye325

battybecks wrote: »

Sounds very similar to my family! I started on here in August last year, lost the weight and got to my goal ... then my Stepdad got told by the Doctor her needed to lose a little weight, so I said "well, I know a good way of doing that", then my Mum joined in too, and now my sister! Also various friends - the ones who have stuck to it are doing absolutely brilliantly

Great to hear from more families, it's so nice to recommend MFP to those close to us and see it help them too. Good for you. I'd be interested to hear how they are doing. It does seem to be contagious!

BRaye325

Pleased to announce that we have recruited two more family members to our MFP fitness group. Our oldest daughter and my youngest sister are now also logging their calories. So that now makes 7 of us, my wife and I, our three kids, our son-in-law, and my sister. If we can all hit our target, we will have lost close to 500 pounds, we're more than half way there but a long way to go - that is going to be awesome!

BRaye325

First of the month and we are at 271 pounds! Down, down, down we go!

BRaye325

End of the week and we're at 283.5 - getting a nice boost from the newcomers!

BRaye325

New month today and we passed the 300 point - 302.5. I started as the largest one in the group at 325, going to try and pass that in March!

Lefty1290

That's so great.

A few members of my family, including myself, have been losing weight over the past year. It started with my brother who has lost 30+ lbs (not sure exactly, haven't asked), I started in September and have lost 21 lbs, and now my sister has been inspired by me, losing 15 lbs in three weeks. My youngest sister has also been going to the gym and has lost 10+ lbs. My mom wants to join that same gym, but she hasn't gotten serious yet to start. I'm hoping she does. She says that she doesn't care about being fat since she's older and it's not about looks, but I want her to be around for us kids and her grandchildren.

TheSatinPumpkin

Amazing! Me and my wife started the same time (August 2013). She is doing CICO/MFP and i am doing DANDR and total we have lost 269lbs.

BRaye325

Lefty1290 wrote: »

A few members of my family, including myself, have been losing weight over the past year. It started with my brother who has lost 30+ lbs (not sure exactly, haven't asked), I started in September and have lost 21 lbs, and now my sister has been inspired by me, losing 15 lbs in three weeks. My youngest sister has also been going to the gym and has lost 10+ lbs. My mom wants to join that same gym, but she hasn't gotten serious yet to start. I'm hoping she does. She says that she doesn't care about being fat since she's older and it's not about looks, but I want her to be around for us kids and her grandchildren.

Congratulations! You should total it and keep track of it here. The combined efoort will help all of you stay on track. It's really working for us. We each have our own approach, but that's the way it should be.

JenniferInCt

I look forward to reading more of your family and your success!!
I got started here after my brother lost alot of weight doing his own thing. Im hoping my mom will come around sometime and give it her all. But ill wait until she asks me. No pressure

runnincrazy14

I am the only one in my family using MFP but it was my cousin who inspired me to loss weight. Last year she lost over 70 lbs just changing her diet and exercising regularly. I lost 5 lbs on my own but lost motivation to continue to diet. Then I went to my dr to get help with a weight loss plan. She was the one to really introduce me to MFP. She loss 80 lbs with it and in the less than 3 weeks I have been faithfully using it I have lost 9 more lbs.

CoachJen71

I have lost 60lbs in 7 months, and about 6 weeks back hubby jumped on board to shrink the tum a bit. He's lost about 25lbs at this point, I think. We've used a combination of MFP and Fitbit as our main tools. We have two teens sons who are in no way overweight and don't care about counting calories or even eating healthy food. I am sure that day is coming for them down the road, though.

BRaye325

TheSatinPumpkin wrote: »

Me and my wife started the same time (August 2013). We have lost 269lbs.

WOW!! That's so inspiring. Thanks for sharing.

BRaye325

runnincrazy14 wrote: »

Then I went to my dr to get help with a weight loss plan. She was the one to really introduce me to MFP. She loss 80 lbs with it and in the less than 3 weeks I have been faithfully using it I have lost 9 more lbs.

Congratulations on your great start. When I started last July, I had to change my Dr. So a week after I started on MFP, I went to her for the first time and found out she was also a big fan of MFP and has been very supportive since.

Liftng4Lis

Great work!

BobbieLee1959

A cousin, who drives truck for a living told me about MFP at his mom's funeral (RIP Aunt Marilyn) end of January 2012. I was having some physical probs at the time and weighed in at 286 lbs. Started MFP, had a total abdominal hysterectomy on March 6, 2012, continued using MFP during the recovery and when the doc released me to exercise, joined the hospital gym after losing almost 30 lbs. Started exercising on the elliptical with 7 minutes...increased my time by 1 minute a day, up to 45. I started lifting weights, stretching, and using the stepper and recumbent bike and lost a total of 60 lbs....then it happened. I stopped logging and slowly about 30 of my lost pounds FOUND ME! DANG IT! Still it was 30 and not 60, so here I am three years later and back on the plan..logging, but not yet back up to speed in exercise, although over the past three years, I have been far more active than before MFP. Working my way back to my former 225 and beyond...this time, I want to make sure that no refined sugar passes through my lips because I have learned the error of my ways by gaining back what I had lost. Thanks, Sherman Bayless, for turning me on to MFP! FAMILY ROCKS! OH and BTW...dropped 8 of that miserable 30 that found me...kicked to the curb!

jserencsa

I love this! Great job!

BRaye325

End of the first quarter update - we are now at 321 lbs - blows my mind!
Just 4 more pounds and we will pass my original starting weight and trust me, that is one large guy to lose.