Building a habit

Jitsulopp

would love to hear how long it took you to start using this app regularly, what the start up curve was, and how you stayed accountable 🙏

cmriverside

I made a very firm decision to lose weight. I never used the mobile app, just my computer. Too fiddly to use the mobile app and in the beginning it was super buggy so just easier for me to log food on my computer.

I was on the site every day to log food and I also read a lot in the Community. I was pretty uneducated about nutrition but I knew weight was about calories.

So, that was in 2007.

I'm still here. Lost that 80 pounds and I've kept it off other than a couple times I gained 5-10 pounds due to injuries. Kind of annoying to lose that last 10 pounds again, but I know what to do. I've tried not logging food several times over the past 18 years but I just can't keep myself in check without it.

The food logging isn't hard and it isn't time consuming. The learning how to be comfortable within a certain number of calories is the hard part.

csplatt

Initially it took a few weeks to stop feeling frustrated and annoyed. Then I felt empowered. I have never expected anyone else to hold me accountable or “help me” maintain my health. It’s solely my responsibility and I set out to never blame my husband, my colleagues, etc. Using a digital food scale for most of what I eat is key. The only thing I use measuring cups for is cooked rice, I believe.

A lot of people in my family are inactive, diabetic, overweight. I asked myself how I could NOT get to that point. The one word that kept coming to mind was discipline. I decided to become someone who was disciplined. Does that mean I never go over my calorie goal? Of course not. But it means it’s rare.

I’ve never needed to lose more than 20 lb, so I know this puts me in a bit of the minority and perhaps that also plays a part in ability to stay focused. I’m certainly willing to admit that!

I also have teenage boys now so I like that they can see me take a brisk walk or do an exercise video with my time — try to stay active.

AnnPT77

Honestly, my health markers reached a point where I finally committed seriously to weight loss. I'd tried changing what I ate, I ate a lot of healthy foods, I was already very active athletically, I'd tried various supplements including some recommended by my medical team. None of that helped much.

Once that switch flipped in my head, I committed. I wish I knew how to bottle and sell whatever it was that flipped the switch, because I'd make millions.

I'm not sure what to say about the start-up curve, because how you plan to proceed will affect that in a big way, if you ask me.

A bunch of people arrive here thinking they should cut calories to the bone to lose weight fast, adopt some restrictive set of eating rules or a trendy named diet, swear off all treats and onto "superfoods", then stack some punitively intense daily exercise program on top of that. That likely has a brutal start-up curve, steep and tough. It doesn't usually end well, but does tend to end quickly because it's Just. Too. Hard.

But none of that is necessary, at least not entirely. Yes, change is necessary, but it can be easier and more gradual.

When I joined MFP, I started logging what I'd been eating. I'd already been losing weight just by cutting back somewhat, but I started logging food to make the process more predictable. Once I had a few days logged, it was pretty obvious to me where I could rearrange some things to reduce daily calories in ways that weren't very painful. I changed portion sizes of some calorie-dense but nutrient-sparse foods, or changed how frequently I was eating them. I fried things less often, and used less oil when I did. Etc.

Overall, I figured out how to stay full and happy most of the time, eating foods I like that added up to a reasonable calorie level for a sensibly moderate weight loss rate. Because I was already active, I pretty much kept doing what I'd been doing exercise-wise for a dozen years while staying obese.

That kind of approach in a way has a longer start-up curve - more gradual weight loss - but it was much easier to stick with than trying for some major revolution in eating and activity. So I kept chipping away.

I'm not sure what "staying accountable" means, honestly. I committed to follow the logging process, and gradually got better at doing it. It seems time-consuming in the first small number of weeks while learning, but it wasn't long before I was learning the tips and tricks, and being able to log in a small number of minutes most days without it taking much energy or brain work.

Once the predictable but gradual weight loss showed up in my multi-week weight trend, the rewards seemed very much worth that small time and energy investment. I'm not as strict and consistent nowadays, but I still log most days now in year 9+ of maintaining a healthy weight (after about 30 pre-loss years of overweight/obesity). For me, the process is self-rewarding, doesn't really take a lot of motivation, discipline, willpower, etc. It's just a thing I do, analogous to . . . I dunno . . . doing laundry or brushing my teeth. It isn't fun in itself, but it also isn't especially annoying; it just needs to be done so I do it.

Long term calorie counting doesn't suit everyone, but it's perfect for me. Even for people who don't want to do it long term, I think it can provide some great insights about how to remodel routine eating and activity habits in practical, tolerable, sustainable ways to reach and stay at a healthy weight. (There might be an exception for people who tend to fall into obsession or compulsion territory when logging.)

If we want an outcome - really any kind of outcome different from what's happening presently, whether it's weight loss or something else - behavior needs to change. I know that. I figure that if I don't change my behavior to bend things toward some goal, I don't really mean it when I say I want that goal.

For weight loss specifically, it makes sense to me to focus on changing routine habits, so the right behaviors begin to happen almost on autopilot, because that behavior becomes my practiced daily routine. It isn't about micromanaging every day to hit calorie, nutrient or exercise targets, it's about finding happy new habits . . . or at least tolerable, practical ones. YMMV.

If you want better weight and health outcomes, change needs to happen. I think the accountability in that is pretty much a solo sport, a bit different for everyone. But it can happen, and the results can be worth it.

I'm wishing you success, sincerely.

ddsb1111

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10940579/building-a-habit

Once I found the site, I realized I had no reason or excuse not to stay consistent. Whether you’re logging your food or learning something new, everything you need is right here.

Getting started felt a little awkward at first. I had to click around to figure out what was available and what I wanted to use. But once I jumped in, it got easier.

For me, staying accountable came down to one simple question: Do you want to change this or live with it forever? The answer was always that I wanted change, so I knew I had to take action.

daniellemariemunn

After a lifetime of being in denial about how much I was truly consuming, I have been willing to log all my food and see where I am at. So far the most I have gone over my daily allowance is 40 calories, and that has happened once, but I am only in my second week. What I have noticed is how many times I have started to reach for some unhealthy empty calorie snacks or sweets, then remembered I have already used my calories for the day, or have my meals planned out that are healthy.

Another thing I have noticed is I am eating FAR more fruits and veggies than I was before I started MFP. I like how I feel afterwards and I like that they can fill me up without taking up a large amount of calories. To me, this is far more than weight loss, it's about an honest self appraisal and healthy eating.

springlering62

I was very motivated. After my dietician recommended MFP, I immediately started using it religiously, and have not missed a day in nearly seven years, even when we travelled to far flung places with limited internet.

Sure, it wasn’t perfect at first. It’ll never be perfect.

But it was enough to make me aware, which led to changes, which led to weight loss.

Set a timer or alarm daily, if need be, til it becomes habit.