So does this actually work?
Chancefl
Posts: 6 Member
So I started using the app yesterday. It said my total caloric intake would be 4040 and when I logged all my food in my diary I still had 2300 cal left for the day. With that information it said if I continue to eat like I did I would lose 25 pounds in five weeks. Could this be true? I threw out all the junk food in my house and replace it with healthy vegetables and lean meat trying to go low-carb
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Replies
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It works if you use it right. You have to enter your stats correctly and set goal to weightloss. You have to log your food correctly, preferably weigh it, find correct database entries, log everything that has calories, and hit your calorie target. All vegetables are healthy. If you eat low carb, you'll be eating high fat. But you can eat anything you want, as long as you don't exceed your calorie target.9
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What are your stats?
Height, weight, sex, activity level?1 -
Check out the success stories section of the forum. This tool works very well so long as you use it correctly.
Start with accessing the sticky posts at the top of the forum page to learn tips and tricks to start your journey on the right foot. Be consistent and one day you’ll be posting in the success stories, too.
Good luck.5 -
Search the Success Stories for staffordshire62, who started at 404 lb 2 years ago and today is awesomely fit. Check for Bwrock84, who started at something north of 500 lb and today is also awesomely fit. Yes, it works.
Heck, I started north of 300 and it works.11 -
My weight losses and gains (I dropped a small quantity of fat and added a moderate amount of muscle) have all tracked exactly in keeping with my accounting for my food and exercise in the app. If you use the tools with precision the process works.3
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It works if you do the work.
Like @toxikon said, what are your height, weight, gender and activity level?
Also, throwing out all your junk food and going low carb... Be cautious. I would freak out and binge after about a week of eating like that. I do much better allowing myself dessert every night. Some people are moderators, meaning they do better if they allow themselves some of their favorite foods within their calorie allowance. Some people are abstainers. They cannot ever allow their favorite "unhealthy" foods, because having a little bit causes them to overeat their calorie deficit because they cannot stop. Some trial and error and figuring out which of these you are will be very helpful in the long run.
You don't have to eat "healthy" to lose weight. You can eat whatever you want as long as you stay within your calorie allowance. I personally try to eat pretty healthy, but I also allow chocolate, ice cream, pizza, cheeseburgers, etc.8 -
So I started using the app yesterday. It said my total caloric intake would be 4040 and when I logged all my food in my diary I still had 2300 cal left for the day. With that information it said if I continue to eat like I did I would lose 25 pounds in five weeks. Could this be true? I threw out all the junk food in my house and replace it with healthy vegetables and lean meat trying to go low-carb
4040 seems like a HUGE calorie target for weight loss - are you sure you entered your stats correctly??8 -
Muscleflex79 wrote: »So I started using the app yesterday. It said my total caloric intake would be 4040 and when I logged all my food in my diary I still had 2300 cal left for the day. With that information it said if I continue to eat like I did I would lose 25 pounds in five weeks. Could this be true? I threw out all the junk food in my house and replace it with healthy vegetables and lean meat trying to go low-carb
4040 seems like a HUGE calorie target for weight loss - are you sure you entered your stats correctly??
This is what I was going to say...
It does work, but your stats and information need to be as accurate as possible and you have to put in the work.4 -
It does if you put the right info in, if you log your food correctly (and weigh your portions). It’s not a magic wand, but will work if you invest the time and honesty with yourself to stick with it.2
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Yes I’m 600lb male who’s not that active due to my weight13
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Like others said...it works if you enter everything correctly. I weigh and measure all my food, I'm honest about my entries (good and bad). I've been diligent with all of the above, making smarter food choices and exercise and I've been able to lose 50 pounds. I've done diets before, had periods of working out before and had no success. For me, this has been the only way to establish a permanent healthy lifestyle change!1
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By far, I think the most common mistake people make is logging incorrectly. MFP works, but the more accurately you log, the better it will work for you. This thread collects a ton of good information about how to log correctly: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10300319/most-helpful-posts-general-diet-and-weight-loss-help-must-reads#latest. Some of the highlights:
1. Log everything -- cooking oil, butter, drinks, vegetables, etc.
2. Choose accurate entries. That means logging every individual component of a meal (i.e., finding individual entries for the peanut butter, jelly and bread, instead of just finding an entry that says "PB&J").
3. Don't use entries marked "generic" or "homemade" unless you created the homemade recipe using the recipe builder tool.
4. Try to measure your food with as much accuracy as is feasible. Using a food scale for solids is best; using measuring cups/spoons is next, and eyeballing is worst. Use measuring cups/spoons for liquid.7 -
Thanks1
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Have a read through this thread, you'll find some great tips and motivation. Good luck!
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10600973/lose-200lbs-in-less-then-a-year/p12 -
Thanks everyone Very insightful and I apologize again for posting the same post new to the app trying my best6
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So I started using the app yesterday. It said my total caloric intake would be 4040 and when I logged all my food in my diary I still had 2300 cal left for the day. With that information it said if I continue to eat like I did I would lose 25 pounds in five weeks. Could this be true? I threw out all the junk food in my house and replace it with healthy vegetables and lean meat trying to go low-carb
4040 seems really high for a calorie deficit unless you are very big and an extremely active athlete. It is more like you have an error with your information or there is a bug. If you normally eat about 2300 and maintain or gain then you will not lose eating 4040 calories a day so there is something wrong.
The app will give you a goal based on what you entered for your gender, age, height, weight and normal activity level without exercise as well as desired rate of loss. What is your information?
You don't have to drastically change your diet to lose weight just get the calories right. Many people who suddenly cut a lot of foods from their diet find it hard to sustain long term. You might want to make smaller dietary changes over time.1 -
So I started using the app yesterday. It said my total caloric intake would be 4040 and when I logged all my food in my diary I still had 2300 cal left for the day. With that information it said if I continue to eat like I did I would lose 25 pounds in five weeks. Could this be true? I threw out all the junk food in my house and replace it with healthy vegetables and lean meat trying to go low-carb
Yes it works. Log accurately and carefully.
You are still allowed what you ate before, as long as it fits into your calorie goal. If you are used to eating mostly "junk" food then switching to all vegetables and lean meat will likely mean you will get cravings and find it harder than you need to. It's about making choices that fit into your daily goal, and you do not have to feel deprived of all things you enjoy. Moderation is key.4 -
So I started using the app yesterday. It said my total caloric intake would be 4040 and when I logged all my food in my diary I still had 2300 cal left for the day. With that information it said if I continue to eat like I did I would lose 25 pounds in five weeks. Could this be true? I threw out all the junk food in my house and replace it with healthy vegetables and lean meat trying to go low-carb
4040 seems really high for a calorie deficit unless you are very big and an extremely active athlete. It is more like you have an error with your information or there is a bug. If you normally eat about 2300 and maintain or gain then you will not lose eating 4040 calories a day so there is something wrong.
The app will give you a goal based on what you entered for your gender, age, height, weight and normal activity level without exercise as well as desired rate of loss. What is your information?
You don't have to drastically change your diet to lose weight just get the calories right. Many people who suddenly cut a lot of foods from their diet find it hard to sustain long term. You might want to make smaller dietary changes over time.
He's 600lbs, I think the calorie deficit is accurate.18 -
So I started using the app yesterday. It said my total caloric intake would be 4040 and when I logged all my food in my diary I still had 2300 cal left for the day. With that information it said if I continue to eat like I did I would lose 25 pounds in five weeks. Could this be true? I threw out all the junk food in my house and replace it with healthy vegetables and lean meat trying to go low-carb
4040 seems really high for a calorie deficit unless you are very big and an extremely active athlete. It is more like you have an error with your information or there is a bug. If you normally eat about 2300 and maintain or gain then you will not lose eating 4040 calories a day so there is something wrong.
The app will give you a goal based on what you entered for your gender, age, height, weight and normal activity level without exercise as well as desired rate of loss. What is your information?
You don't have to drastically change your diet to lose weight just get the calories right. Many people who suddenly cut a lot of foods from their diet find it hard to sustain long term. You might want to make smaller dietary changes over time.
He's 600lbs, I think the calorie deficit is accurate.
Agree.2 -
Ah, never mind. I see the stats now.1 -
By far, I think the most common mistake people make is logging incorrectly. MFP works, but the more accurately you log, the better it will work for you. This thread collects a ton of good information about how to log correctly: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10300319/most-helpful-posts-general-diet-and-weight-loss-help-must-reads#latest. Some of the highlights:
1. Log everything -- cooking oil, butter, drinks, vegetables, etc.
2. Choose accurate entries. That means logging every individual component of a meal (i.e., finding individual entries for the peanut butter, jelly and bread, instead of just finding an entry that says "PB&J").
3. Don't use entries marked "generic" or "homemade" unless you created the homemade recipe using the recipe builder tool.
4. Try to measure your food with as much accuracy as is feasible. Using a food scale for solids is best; using measuring cups/spoons is next, and eyeballing is worst. Use measuring cups/spoons for liquid.
Agree with all of this. And if logging and measuring are really overwhelming or frustrating for you, know that you don't necessarily need to do it for ages and ages. The point is just to figure out how much you're eating so that you can know if you are in a deficit or not. But the scale will tell you this over time, too. If you are losing weight, you're in a deficit, and if you're gaining, you're not. But related to that, the second most common mistake around here is probably losing patience and giving up. Something you'll see a lot if you stick around on the forums is "weight-loss isn't linear." It can take time before you see results, sometimes you'll have really consistent losses for weeks and then weeks with nothing, sometimes you'll gain weight overnight and not know why. This is all normal and you'll need to learn to roll with it. The system works if you let it. I'm down 40 lbs from this time last year, and I didn't even change the kind of food I eat, just the quantities.2 -
100% agree with this. People get hung up on being perfect, and then flame out and quit when they slip up. (And everyone slips up at some point). Doing things that are good (but not perfect) over a long period of time will get you farther than doing something more extreme that you can only sustain for a short period of time.MegaMooseEsq wrote: »By far, I think the most common mistake people make is logging incorrectly. MFP works, but the more accurately you log, the better it will work for you. This thread collects a ton of good information about how to log correctly: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10300319/most-helpful-posts-general-diet-and-weight-loss-help-must-reads#latest. Some of the highlights:
1. Log everything -- cooking oil, butter, drinks, vegetables, etc.
2. Choose accurate entries. That means logging every individual component of a meal (i.e., finding individual entries for the peanut butter, jelly and bread, instead of just finding an entry that says "PB&J").
3. Don't use entries marked "generic" or "homemade" unless you created the homemade recipe using the recipe builder tool.
4. Try to measure your food with as much accuracy as is feasible. Using a food scale for solids is best; using measuring cups/spoons is next, and eyeballing is worst. Use measuring cups/spoons for liquid.
Agree with all of this. And if logging and measuring are really overwhelming or frustrating for you, know that you don't necessarily need to do it for ages and ages. The point is just to figure out how much you're eating so that you can know if you are in a deficit or not. But the scale will tell you this over time, too. If you are losing weight, you're in a deficit, and if you're gaining, you're not. But related to that, the second most common mistake around here is probably losing patience and giving up. Something you'll see a lot if you stick around on the forums is "weight-loss isn't linear." It can take time before you see results, sometimes you'll have really consistent losses for weeks and then weeks with nothing, sometimes you'll gain weight overnight and not know why. This is all normal and you'll need to learn to roll with it. The system works if you let it. I'm down 40 lbs from this time last year, and I didn't even change the kind of food I eat, just the quantities.
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So I started using the app yesterday. It said my total caloric intake would be 4040 and when I logged all my food in my diary I still had 2300 cal left for the day. With that information it said if I continue to eat like I did I would lose 25 pounds in five weeks. Could this be true? I threw out all the junk food in my house and replace it with healthy vegetables and lean meat trying to go low-carb
4040 seems really high for a calorie deficit unless you are very big and an extremely active athlete. It is more like you have an error with your information or there is a bug. If you normally eat about 2300 and maintain or gain then you will not lose eating 4040 calories a day so there is something wrong.
The app will give you a goal based on what you entered for your gender, age, height, weight and normal activity level without exercise as well as desired rate of loss. What is your information?
You don't have to drastically change your diet to lose weight just get the calories right. Many people who suddenly cut a lot of foods from their diet find it hard to sustain long term. You might want to make smaller dietary changes over time.
He's 600lbs, I think the calorie deficit is accurate.
When I wrote my post I did not have that information that the OP was 600 lb sedentary male.
Didn't say it couldn't be right if they were very large or very active just possibly wrong based on how much below they ate below that goal and being a lot highdr than most people. Errors happen occasionally either from the user side or a bug.
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Can I just wish the OP very good luck?
Yes the process works, stick with it and keep us all informed of your progress
Please keep coming back and asking questions, you'll get lots of support10 -
Because your body needs food to power itself, very large people use more calories and can lose weight while eating more food. That's the reason the suggested number of calories is so high. It will work, but only if you measure accurately and stick to it.
If you're used to eating mostly junk food, which is not satisfying, then swapping to healthier and more nutrient dense foods will surprise you! 1000 calories of Oreos is nothing, 1000 calories of cabbage is a whole lot.
If you can, do some activity as well while you are losing. It will help to protect the muscles you have so that you don't lose muscle as well as fat. At first you may not be able to do much, but do what you can, and you will soon find you are able to do more. You can swing filled water bottles around while sitting, or walk short distances, or whatever you are best able to do.
Best of luck, I have a friend who used to be your size and is down now to 400 lbs. His doctor says he's going to live a lot longer, and he can sit in normal chairs instead of having to carry a chair with him. And there was a man who posted here a while back who lost even more and just looks great. Even losing 10% of your weight will make a huge difference to your health. Set small goals at first so you don't get discouraged. You can do this!8 -
I've lost weight without MFP, and I've lost weight with it. I will tell you this though- I lost MORE weight with MFP and FASTER than I did without it!
I originally started off at 250lbs a few years ago, made a commitment to stop drinking soda, cut out junk food, and exercise. Dropped 40lbs after a year of doing so....then the weight started creeping back up on me. Joined MFP in October 2017 at 235 lbs. My daily intake is 1200- I'll be honest, it can be a struggle to eat that low and in the beginning I would exercise so I could eat more. I'm in a pretty good groove now and I've lost 25lbs in only 3 mos.
But you gotta do the work. LOG EVERYTHING- EVEN CONDIMENTS! I don't exercise like I used to when I first started off at 250lbs, but I'm still losing the weight, and I don't feel as restricted. I like to pre-plan my meals in advance so I have a menu to follow. Even if at first you don't see any progress, keep at it, eventually you'll find your groove.2 -
So I started using the app yesterday. It said my total caloric intake would be 4040 and when I logged all my food in my diary I still had 2300 cal left for the day. With that information it said if I continue to eat like I did I would lose 25 pounds in five weeks. Could this be true? I threw out all the junk food in my house and replace it with healthy vegetables and lean meat trying to go low-carb
4040 seems really high for a calorie deficit unless you are very big and an extremely active athlete. It is more like you have an error with your information or there is a bug. If you normally eat about 2300 and maintain or gain then you will not lose eating 4040 calories a day so there is something wrong.
The app will give you a goal based on what you entered for your gender, age, height, weight and normal activity level without exercise as well as desired rate of loss. What is your information?
You don't have to drastically change your diet to lose weight just get the calories right. Many people who suddenly cut a lot of foods from their diet find it hard to sustain long term. You might want to make smaller dietary changes over time.
He's 600lbs, I think the calorie deficit is accurate.
When I wrote my post I did not have that information that the OP was 600 lb sedentary male.
Didn't say it couldn't be right if they were very large or very active just possibly wrong based on how much below they ate below that goal and being a lot highdr than most people. Errors happen occasionally either from the user side or a bug.
I didn't mean to offend you, just mentioning OP posted his weight.
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It does work! Committing to the process of accurately measuring your food with a food scale and logging what you eat is essential. What you choose to eat to fill those calories matters not--as long as you feel satisfied--the weight will start to come off.0
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This is a useful calculator - you can put in your stats to see the calories needed to maintain/lose 1 lb per week/etc:
http://www.calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html
For a 2lb/wk weight loss, for example, here are the calories at different weights for a 25yo male, 6' tall:
Weight.....Sedentary..Lightly Active
600..........3500c.......4150c
500..........2950c.......3525c
400..........2400c.......2901c
300..........1900c.......2280c
So the number of calories goes down as you lose weight because you're feeding less tissue. At your weight, I'd want to clear exercise with your doctor before starting anything.
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