Sticking with MFP

Alyssa__Lauren

People always ask me what I did to lose weight and I always answer "MyFitnessPal". I did not change my diet drastically. I've also always been pretty good at exercising regularly before I started using MFP.

9 times out of 10, someone responds "Oh I used that once for 3 days and then I stopped because it got too hard" or a variation of that answer. This actually isn't my first time using MFP. I've tried to use this website, Livestrong, and Sparkpeople in the past but like others have told me, I stopped after a day. This time was just different for some reason. I was extremely depressed this time last year all the way up until December. I hated how I looked and I felt like ****. I knew something had to change and that my weight loss journey would be different this time. Over time, I got used to using MFP all the time. Now, logging food/exercise is a part of my daily life and I do it automatically. This website works for me and I even plan on using it once I reach my goal weight because I know I need to count calories in order to lose/maintain my weight.

My question for you guys is

1. What made you realize that you wanted to change your diet and/or exercise habits?
2. What made you stick with MFP?
3. Are you planning on sticking to MFP after you reach your goal weight?/Do you currently do that now?

erikalanem

Thanks for you post! I have always wanted to lose weight, and had some minimal success with MFP, but have been trying to wean myself off of it, so I can just live healthy, and make good choices on my own...you can probably imagine how well that is going! So I came here to the website today and have found lots of motivation and advice...Your post makes me think that I need rethink my strategy maybe! Thank you!

ferrytrip

1. My youngest son said I should go on the bigges loser TV show, and I was nearly at 300 lbs.

2. It's free - just went through a divorce and couldn't afford to join a program

3. When I get to my goal, I will stick around to maintain

karlalband

1. Looking in the mirror, at pictures, my health etc...
2. Nice people here like you on MFP
3. Yes, I have a goal to maintain a healthy weight and believe MFP will continue to help with this issue

Thank you for posting

scrapjen

I've only been on here about 40 days, so I can't say for sure I'll stick with it, but that is the plan. I really hope it is now a habit that even if/when I reach goal weight, I'll continue to track.

I lost weight once before. That time was super easy (maybe because it was the first time I'd ever really tried to that date) and I did it without logging foods. I was able to keep it off for a while, and while the weight did sneak back on, it was pretty slow ... slow enough that I let it. I did try halfheartedly to try and lose here and there, and was using another calorie counting website, but it didn't stick. I had a pretty big gain in the end of 2012, and seeing the scale back at the top of where I had been was the wake up call I needed I guess.

That was one push, but the other was the Fitbit/MFP connection. I've had my Fitbit for years and love it, but never entered the food. I heard that MFP had a barcode scanner (which I actually never really use after all), and that the two sites worked together well.

I checked out MFP ... I was hesitant to change from my old calorie counter because I had made a ton of personalized entries there. But I found that MFPs database was really good, and it was quite easy to add custom recipes and meals. I also loved the app (and had finally gotten a smartphone) ... that was always an excuse before, that I had to be home on the computer to log food, I couldn't do it on the go.

MFP IS really easy to use. I've really enjoyed the social aspect, making MFP friends (I never got into that at my old calorie counting site, or on Fitbit). Because it is so easy, I tell myself I have no excuses. I really like that now my Calories In/Calories Out graph on Fitbit has enough data to actually give me feedback.

mwilke

1) I realized that I needed to change my exercise habits when I joined my local fire department and got winded putting on the bunker gear. I had always known that I was overweight/obese, but I always joked that "round is a shape". Well, after joining, I knew that I needed to be more fit, otherwise I would be useless to my fellow firefighters and my community. The eating habits had to change for medical reasons. I had gall bladder issues that flared up when I ate too much grease, and sometimes for no reason at all.
2) I stuck with MFP because it gave me a goal, and helped me realize that I don't have to be perfect in my eating habits, as long as I can keep my calories within my goal. I also didn't start exercising right away, and was still losing weight. So, I knew that it would keep working for me.
3) I am planning on being a lifer. I took a hiatus for about 6 months, and logged but wasn't completely dedicated to logging. I found myself overindulging, and not exercising. So, about 10 pounds crept back on. It helps keep me motivated to stick with it, even when there are bad days, and days that I don't feel like logging.

alisonsurf

1. I am sick of yo-yoing and I was nearly as big as when I was pregnant.
2. I have used MFP twice befor to knock off part of the weight so I know that when I log I lose. I am nearly to half a year this time and the Fitbitnintegration really helps.
3. I think I have really tried to look at this as a habit, not a temporary tool s I plan to stick with it long-term.

KarlaH9801

1) My doctor wanted to put me on cholesterol medication. I am only 30. My etes were forced open on March 15th of this year. 3 months later, my levels are normal. Thanks to MFP!
2) I love MFP? It is so easy to use, and I love the comeraderie. (Sp?)
3) I will continue to use MFP! because it keeps me accountable. I will never let my weight get so high again, or my health be so bad Ever again!

mittens817

1. I couldn't stand looking in mirror anymore.

2, Today only 35 continuous for. me. Anyone can feel free to add me, I enjoy logging in and reading others posts.

3. Presently planning to stick with MFP, I don't want to gain any back that I have lost son far.

JesterMFP

1. What made you realize that you wanted to change your diet and/or exercise habits?
2. What made you stick with MFP?
3. Are you planning on sticking to MFP after you reach your goal weight?/Do you currently do that now?

1. After spending most of my teens & 20s obese/overweight, I had already made some other changes to my life, and something just clicked so that I was finally ready. For whatever reason, I just became really determined. I had lost weight before, but I didn't really have the tools/knowledge to sustain it. I didn't have a clue what I was doing other than eating as little as possible. Luckily, around the time I got really determined, I also found MFP which has given me the tools I need.

2. I stuck with MFP primarily because I was just really determined that this was going to work. I wasn't going to give up. Also, I'm kind of a geek, and I actually enjoy tracking things. It's a chore to some people, but I actually find it fun to look at how much of each nutrient I'm getting. Trying to improve things in my diet has become like a never-ending challenge. I also realised just how effective calorie counting is. It works, so why give it up?

3. I've been maintaining for a little over 6 months, and I still track everything through MFP. Maybe I won't always, but for the foreseeable future, this is part of my life. Even though I have a pretty good idea of portion sizes etc, I find that I actually need to track to hold myself accountable. I'm not someone that can intuitively eat exactly the amount my body needs, and I don't have years of healthy eating habits to fall back on. If I don't keep an eye on things, I know the weight will creep back on. I am trying to be a bit more relaxed and flexible about tracking, but I will keep doing it to some extent.

Faye_Anderson

1. The day I seriously considered making myself sick after a meal, I even got to the point where I did a search to see how many calories I would get rid of and it took me straight to a MFP forum topic where the person who asked the question was getting a strip tore off her (Tough love really works well for me, it was a wake up call)
2. Straight away I started to make friends and felt we were all here to achieve the same goal, it's definitely easier to do this in a group. Plus I lost 9lbs in the first 2 weeks, that spurred me on.
3. I can't see a time when I will want to leave, I think I will probably track forever. I've tracked through foreign holidays, Christmas, illness, pregnancy, family deaths I can't see a reason to stop. Plus I'd miss all my friends. Sorry you're all stuck with me :drinker:

GiveMeCoffee

1. Spending Christmas in the hospital when I was released I decided enough was enough, getting healthy was my responsibility, and the only way to do that was to start with my weight.

2. I stick with MFP cause I have developed a great support system, and I love the accountability. My MFP friends congratulate me on my successes but are also right there when I need a good kick in the butt.

3. I'll stick with MFP as it's become part of my daily routine. This works for me, so not going to change something that works.

Cerdice

1. What made you realize that you wanted to change your diet and/or exercise habits?
2. What made you stick with MFP?
3. Are you planning on sticking to MFP after you reach your goal weight?/Do you currently do that now?

1. Realised my clothes were getting tighter and I didn't want to go up yet another size and I didn't like what I saw in the mirror
2. Only been here 55 days, but so far I found it to be really enlightening. I've never weighed my food before so I've had a number of shocks over how large my 'portions' were! I find the support and advice on the forums really helpful. I like that the calorie counting has (mostly) been done for me, so I it is much easier than the last time I tried calorie counting which meant looking everything up separately, and each time.
3. Currently planning on staying here once I reach maintenance (and I will reach it!) as I think continued monitoring of intake would be beneficial to me. Hopefully I'll have got to the stage where I won't have to log every spring onion though! I'd also like to stay around to offer support to those starting their journey here as people are doing for me at the moment (directly or indirectly).

kendrafallon

My question for you guys is

1. What made you realize that you wanted to change your diet and/or exercise habits?
2. What made you stick with MFP?
3. Are you planning on sticking to MFP after you reach your goal weight?/Do you currently do that now?

1) When I was in the last stages of ending my last job in London and working on moving back to Leicester, you could say I had a wake up call that made me realise I wasn't happy about me and my life. And that I had to do something change my life. The biggest change would be my weight, since I've been overweight all my life!

2) MFP...well, I started doing Rosemary Conley classes, because they'd worked for me before and it didn't cut out any food groups, just sensible eating using calorie counting with exercise. I got started, the weight started coming off slowly and I then found MFP looking for a way to keep track of what I was eating. Things got in the way of attending class regularly but having discovered MFP and being truly honest with myself, I packed up the classes and stuck with MFP for tracking food. By that point, I'd lost some weight an managed to pluck up the courage to go watch a local Tae Kwon Do class. And once I started TKD, I carried on.

3) It's been a slow journey, but the keeping track of what I'm eating and how much I'm exercising has gotten to be a habit. I'm a way off reaching goal, or maintaining, so I'll see when I get there. I'd miss the friends here if I just stopped using the site!

Raycin1019

i started after i found out i was diabetic and had prostrate cancer, all within 48 hours. i had the prostrate removed and so far, 18 months later i am cancer free. The diateties was another story. my A1c was 11.2 and they couldnt operate on my cancer till i got it under control. i went on medication and totally changed my diet, and got on MFP as a method of counting both calaries, i was 250, and controlling my intake of carbs and sugars. in three months, i had my daily glucose reading to under 100 (when i started it was constantly in the 180's) and my A1c down to 5.7. I was then able to have my operation, i guess you could sort of say i got on MFP to actually help save my life. After the operation, i got somewhat 'lax' in my diet and put on much of the weight i had lost, so here i am again. 19 pounds so far this year and more to come.

i should also say that my son gave me a Fitbit for christmas and told me he wanted me to live a while longer, that he didnt want his inheritance yet, and that the fitbit would motivate me to exercise more, which it did, and started me back on MFP. i do like the way Fitbit 'syncs' with MFP and allows the two programs to talk to each other. it does help.

LivingtheLeanDream

1. What made you realize that you wanted to change your diet and/or exercise habits? a horrible muffin top 'splahing' out from my too tight jeans and showing up in anything I wore! felt utterly miserable and frumpy!

2. What made you stick with MFP? Its being able to track what I eat easily and seeing the exercise logged makes me want to do more - The BEST bit is making wonderful friends who know exactly how I feel and are on the same journey

3. Are you planning on sticking to MFP after you reach your goal weight?/Do you currently do that now?
Oh Yes, I'm not walking away from MFP, would miss the newsfeeds of my friends and as much as I don't always hope to count cals it will be a while yet until I feel confident enough to do that.

I've been logging into MFP for over a year with great results so far and am now just 5lbs away from my goal.

Giovanna_Isabella_Santarelli

1. What made you realize that you wanted to change your diet and/or exercise habits?
2. What made you stick with MFP?
3. Are you planning on sticking to MFP after you reach your goal weight?/Do you currently do that now?

I gained weight by allowing myself to indulge in all sorts of junk food and at the same time stopped exercising because i was being lazy. Before that i was always fit and active so i never gained weight even when i indulged every now and then...
Slowly, i started losing my self-confidence & i started shutting myself off from the rest of the world. That's why i joined MFP to help me lose weight, get fit and get back into shape. I love that i can track my food and exercise on a daily basis & i am starting to feel great about myself again... I plan on using this site even after i reach my goal weight... so i can maintain my weight & stick to my workouts...

Thanks for posting...

dsjohndrow

1. What made you realize that you wanted to change your diet and/or exercise habits? I had congestive heart failure because I gave up trying so many times before.

2. What made you stick with MFP? I was asked by the doctor and the cardiologist to see a nutritionist and I had to log everything for that.

3. Are you planning on sticking to MFP after you reach your goal weight?/Do you currently do that now? Been here over 2 years and just keep doing it. I plan on doing ti today, and tomorrow too.

jennifer_417

This is the 3rd time I've tried MFP, and this time I've logged in for over 200 days in a row, though not all of those days were spent trying to lose weight, as I was recovering from some serious health issues for about 6+ weeks.

Counting calories was like find the "missing link" for me. I tried all kinds of diets and would lose 8-15 lbs and then drop off. This time I've lost over 35 lbs and still going strong.

I think I may have to count calories for the rest of my life. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to be thoughtless about my eating habits. When I look at the statistics of people who gain the weight back, I think I'm ok with that. Diabetes and heart disease run in my family, and if I have to count calories for the rest of my life to avoid them, then that's a fair trade.

glennstoudt

My question for you guys is

1. What made you realize that you wanted to change your diet and/or exercise habits?
>Cholesterol "a little high" per an annual physical and was carrying too much weight. A few decades of doing the same things and expecting different results had caught up with me.

2. What made you stick with MFP?
>Started with Web MD. Found the MFP food database more extensive and thus easier to use.
Also, the RESULTS of logging and close dietary controls were fantastic.

3. Are you planning on sticking to MFP after you reach your goal weight?/Do you currently do that now?
>Yes. Have been in goal weight range, some call it maintenance for over a year and still log. Takes very little time v. the potential payback in my view.


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onwarddownward

1. What made you realize that you wanted to change your diet and/or exercise habits?

I was driving home with my nine year old daughter. She told me that the night before, her dad had come downstairs and found her eating a meal at about 1 am. He told he (and it still hurts to write this) that if she kept eating at night, she would weigh FOUR HUNDRED pounds, like her mother.

I didn't weigh four hundred, but I was four pounds shy of 300. So I started out of anger.

2. What made you stick with MFP?

Seeing the changes in me, changed me. I began doing it because I was not just mad, I was seeing results and for the first time, I was not feeling like I couldn't do it. I didn't need diet pills, shakes or whatever. I was just counting calories and working out. Plus, since I got p***ed off at my husband, I bought a pool membership for $500 a year and started swimming. I felt really good about using money on myself for a change. Felt the same way when I bought my bike.

Plus, I see the daily progress of those on my friend list. I read their food diaries. They read mine. It's a support net that really hold my weight and I love it.

3. Are you planning on sticking to MFP after you reach your goal weight?/Do you currently do that now?

I think that I have to.

BigBrunette

1. I got tired of feeling awful and having no energy.

2. It's free and simple. And the community is helpful, informative and supportive.

3. I plan to stick with MFP. It works for me. Plus, you guys are awesome.

Amber82479

1. What made you realize that you wanted to change your diet and/or exercise habits?

The summer after I got married, I tried to put on my shorts. The prior summer, these shorts were big and hung on my hips comfortably. That summer, the shorts were snug and uncomfortable. It was a big wakeup call for me. I put on 20 pounds in a year! I decided that I would NOT buy bigger clothes – I would work hard to fit back into my old clothes.

2. What made you stick with MFP?

At first, I stuck with it because I knew I needed to track everything to be successful. But that does get old pretty quickly. What has really kept me coming back for nearly 2 years are my friends here. I have a great support team and I enjoy being supportive for them too. I feel closer to some of the people here than I do to my friends in real life.

3. Are you planning on sticking to MFP after you reach your goal weight?/Do you currently do that now?

Yes, I will absolutely stick with MFP indefinitely. It’s the only way that I’ll be able to maintain the weight loss. Plus, I’d miss my friends here if I left!

imogencinnamon

Thanks for the great post :-)

I wanted to change my diet and exercise habits after continually finding ways to 'get out' of exercising at least twice-weekly, and realising my weight was slowly creeping back up to where it was about 6 years ago. I was also fed up with the fact my weight was creeping back despite feeling hungry ALL THE TIME because I got into a really weird pattern of skipping breakfast, eating very little for lunch, and stuffing myself with food all night.

I knew that all I needed was something to help me monitor my actual food and exercise patterns, and stumbled across MFP! Initially I wanted to ignore the calorie goal and just keep a running tally of what my eating habits were actually like, and that's when it became clear as day to me that they were HORRIBLE. So I started eating breakfast every day and eating lunches with protein. After about 2 months of doing this and attending a spin class once or twice a week, little by little I started losing weight. I didn't dramatically alter my eating habits (i.e., I still probably overeat during the night) and I could certainly make healthier food choices/exercise more to speed up my weight loss, but for now I'm ok taking the slow route.

I'm keen to continue using MFP, even if some day I do reach my goal weight (4kg to go, but that could take another year given the slow pace I'm taking!). Logging my food helps me stay focused and aware of what I'm actually putting in my mouth. It also helps me see when I'm starting to fall off the 'regular exercise bandwagon' so I can kick myself into gear again. It's just a habit now that really doesn't take much time or interfere with my day, and I'm pretty glad I found it.

Proud to say I've eaten breakfast every day since I started MFP just over 6 months ago!:drinker:

Deipneus

Q. What made you realize that you wanted to change your diet and/or exercise habits?

A. I really don't know why after years of tolerating being overweight I suddenly became motivated.

Q. What made you stick with MFP?

A. I knew I had to keep track of food and this was the best app I could find for tracking.

Q. Are you planning on sticking to MFP after you reach your goal weight?/Do you currently do that now?

A. I've been on maintenance for over a year and I still track my food intake. The reason is that years ago I lost weight but gained much of it back after I quit logging my food intake.

jmadams111

1. What made you realize that you wanted to change your diet and/or exercise habits?
2. What made you stick with MFP?
3. Are you planning on sticking to MFP after you reach your goal weight?/Do you currently do that now?

Excellent questions:

A1- Heart attack
A2- It works!
A3- Why not? Its easy.

bluefox9er

My question for you guys is

1. What made you realize that you wanted to change your diet and/or exercise habits?
2. What made you stick with MFP?
3. Are you planning on sticking to MFP after you reach your goal weight?/Do you currently do that now?

1. I thought I would die before 55 if I didn't do something...and my nieces were too embarrassed to be seen with me

2. The Support of my friends..they are incredible people

3. I have hit my goal weight a long time ago, only just set a new one to be a little more streamline for running...I'm still here :-)

Weathers58

Its easier with mates.

I log now and again recently but I'll be back once training

The cals database has absolutely every food known to man and woman

I was sick of yoyoing and like my mate BlueFox above thought I might die if I didnt do something

Now I do something I run 10K in 45 mins and marathons is 3:30

I couldnt run to the end of our street 4 years ago

Bry_Fitness70

1) I felt I was eating well, but in studying for a personal trainer certification exam, I realized that I was focusing on the wrong factors in what I was eating. I started tracking my diet in MFP, and found there was way too much refined sugar in the “healthy” things that I ate/drank every day like Gatorade and protein bars. By just reducing a few of these sugary things from my diet, I have lost about 6lbs.

2) Logging your food keeps you honest – seeing your lapses on a computer screen is a reality check! It also helps me balance everything, ie, I change my dinner and snack choices in the evening according to the amount of carbs, protein, fat, sodium, sugar, etc., that I have consumed throughout the day.

3) Yes, I’ve been on for a month, and plan to continue. With bar code scanning and saved meals, you really have no excuse to quit!

tsimblist

1. What made you realize that you wanted to change your diet and/or exercise habits?

I complained about the small tube around my middle that would not go away. A personal trainer recommended MFP if I was really serious about fixing it.


2. What made you stick with MFP?

The food logging was easier than I expected. The feedback on progress was useful. And it synched with my Withings scale.


3. Are you planning on sticking to MFP after you reach your goal weight?/Do you currently do that now?

I currently have MFP set to maintain my weight. Watching the body recomposition occur as the body fat % continues to slowly decline.

EmmieBaby

1. What made you realize that you wanted to change your diet and/or exercise habits?
- My Mother had a stroke and many complication because she has led of life of laziness. I do not, will not, follow in her footsteps.

2. What made you stick with MFP?
- I find that when I log in I am accountable to what I eat, good or bad.

3. Are you planning on sticking to MFP after you reach your goal weight?/Do you currently do that now?
- yes for the simple fact that if I stop I know I will miss it.