Starting at 50yrs aiming for 50lb off

alizaduck
alizaduck Posts: 2 Member
in Introduce Yourself

Step trackers for Android that you love?

Easy at home workout apps??

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  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 37,532 Community Helper

    Hello and welcome! I started here at 59, with around 50 pounds to lose, so I can relate. (That age, and those pounds, are both past history now - now 69, here still maintaining a healthy weight - this can work!)

    Most of the mainstream watch-type trackers will work with Android or Apple. I'd suggest some type of watch, rather than just the apps that run on a phone, since it's easy to wear a watch 24 x 7 (except when charging, which is just a few minutes every few days for mine). Most of them will track steps, but many/most also register other kinds of movement, too.

    I'd underscore that even a good tracker only estimates calorie needs (doesn't measure them), but using one that can sync to MFP for steps and calories is a good way to get a personalized starting estimate for calories. Syncing it to MFP, they'll work behind the scenes to set your calorie goal based on the movement the tracker sees, but include the calorie deficit MFP thinks you need for your chosen weight loss rate. That simplifies things.

    There's a list of trackers and such that sync with MFP here, including some that are phone only:

    https://www.myfitnesspal.com/apps

    If you choose to use a watch-type tracker and sync to MFP, two important points:

    • Be sure to turn "negative adjustments" on in MFP. That lets it keep your estimated weight loss rate intact whether your tracker thinks you move more or less than MFP expected.
    • Stick pretty close to the calorie goal (on average over a week) for 4-6 weeks, or a full menstrual cycle if you still have those. In a typical case, that'll give you enough calorie/weight-change data so that you can evaluate average weekly results, and adjust your calorie goal to personalize it if necessary.

    I'm sure some other people will come along with some home workout app ideas, but if not, I'd suggest you might post to ask about that in the Exercise and Fitness section of the Community. I work out a lot a home, especially in Winter, but have been active for a couple of decades - starting when I was obese - so I'm not very tuned in to the current apps, more like grooved in to things that suit, and for which I've gradually accumulated home equipment over those many years. I know that lots of other people do use apps and YouTube videos at home, though.

    I'm cheering for you to succeed: The quality of life improvement is more than worth the effort required to get there, IME.

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