Why does MFP work for you or Why do you love MFP?

srogers89
srogers89 Posts: 190 Member
in Motivation and Support
I'm not sure if this is in the right area but I just wanted to ask peoples opinions on why they think MFP works for them and what they love about it.

I personally think it is great! It makes ME accountable for my weight loss or weight gain and puts be back in control. I can no longer blame work, stress, shakes or diet pills for my lack of weight loss or terrible eating habits! I joined some time ago but have really only been active in using it for the last few months.....don't know why I didn't start sooner :tongue:

What about you?

Replies

  • Madame_Goldbricker
    Madame_Goldbricker Posts: 1,625 Member
    I've picked up some good & relevant information since I started using it.... I also have 10-12hr shifts at work where I need all the entertainment I can get :laugh:
  • srogers89
    srogers89 Posts: 190 Member
    I've picked up some good & relevant information since I started using it.... I also have 10-12hr shifts at work where I need all the entertainment I can get :laugh:
    Hahah yes! Some of those threads can provide great entertainment!
  • alisonlynn1976
    alisonlynn1976 Posts: 929 Member
    My main reason for joining was that I was looking for discussion forums about weight loss and fitness. I also find it motivating to track my progress here, and I think it's nice to get encouraging comments from the people on my friend list. It's inspirational to see others' before and after photos as well.
  • bbzgrl110
    bbzgrl110 Posts: 45 Member
    It keeps me accountable, I can actually see the results or proof of my hard work on here sometimes, when I'm not really feeling them or seeing them in the mirror. I like reading the posts, I've gotten some good info from them, and some laughs along the way too :)
  • iechick
    iechick Posts: 352 Member
    I didn't use mfp for weight loss, found it afterwards as I was looking into different fitness options. Now I just hang out because the forums are so entertaining :laugh:
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    I love it because it is realistic. I like seeing the numbers...I am a numbers person. I have always, always eschewed methods like WW, special shakes, pills, etc. To me, there was a certain indignity to most weight loss methods, like admitting "I am fat, so that means I failed at life and am desperate to do absolutely anything to lose weight!" That just didn't work for me at all. I have always liked myself whether at 200 or 300 lb...just want to be healthier.

    I especially don't want a program where I must attend meetings as I'm an introvert and would find that stressful and exhausting during my "off time"...but I do like the support network here when I want it, at my convenience.

    Calorie counting is so simple but I didn't really understand how it worked. I know that sounds stupid, but it is true. I kind of thought if you stay around 1,000-1,500 that's a good place to be (not always the case, although it is for me now that I've lost a lot and am at 1,400). I think for years I thought I was eating pretty healthy but I needed a lot of small adjustments and improvements. I also tended to eat (in my estimation) drastically fewer or more cals than I needed to lose/maintain weight. For example, 750 cal on Monday and 2,900 on Saturday. I didn't feel like I was intentionally starving or binge eating ever - but I just ate whatever, whenever I was hungry. I did not have a good frame of reference at all. MFP has really helped with that!!
  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
    If I'm not losing, I can look back at my diary and see exactly where I went wrong. I know I can't blame anything else. I love the fact that there is no one "diet" plan. I can fit in whatever is going on in my life and stay on track.
  • srogers89
    srogers89 Posts: 190 Member
    It's so great to see everyone getting so many different uses from MFP. From post weight loss/maintenance motivation to information about how to get started.

    It really is a great site!
  • HouseOwlet
    HouseOwlet Posts: 11 Member
    I'm with Seltzermint on the numbers. Probably because of all the maths classes over the years =]

    I love MFP because it helps me learn how little I actually need to maintain a healthy weight, and what a healthy portion looks like. And having that calorie goal there that's easy to track actually lifts a little responsibility off my shoulders when I'm managing how much I eat. It's like, 'I've reached my limit for the day, MFP says no more' and I don't have to think about it again.
  • ideang
    ideang Posts: 95
    MFP works for me because it is logical. It is straight forward and to the point. I can look at things I did that help and others that didn't work. I might add I am also a numbers person.
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
    yes.
  • Styles917
    Styles917 Posts: 2
    After hours and hours of watching YouTube vids and trying to find info about gaining and losing weight, someone mentioned My Fitness Pals. I had this app strictly to keep up with my macros and would always ignore the 'MFP is better with friends'. I added a few ppl and was surprised to find out how serious ppl were about reaching their goals and staying active. They were right, it's a lot better with the right friends. More motivation, more ideas, more challenges, etc. Before, I was just guessing how many calories I needed to eat and didn't know if I was eating too much or too little(I used to hate being the guy at the grocery store reading every item's nutrition label). MFP.com and my pals help me stay active, support, and encourage me along my journey to getting my old body back. And even though I'm a little hard headed when it comes to my diet, they still motivate me(though some remove me lol but who cares).
    MFP has helped me get the fastest results I've seen since I was a 21 year old, testosterone demon and I feel great when I look in the mirror and see progress vs. the previous couple of yrs when I went from beastly to skinny as fck and slightly depressed...or should I say, disappointed. I can rant all night, so I'll just wrap this up. MFP helped me get back on track by being able to easily count my calorie, protein, and carb intake instead of guessing and hoping I've eaten enough. It's straight!!
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
    it is the accountability and the support
  • BeachIron
    BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
    It's an easy to use calorie counter. I eat what I want, within reason, and move along.

    Oh, well, that and the dandy forums and their constant flow of entertaining derpitude.
  • _liftnlove
    _liftnlove Posts: 194
    1. It's a reality check, and keeps me accountable for what I'm actually consuming.
    2. My friends are very motivating
    3. The success stories are inspiring
    4. I can eat whatever I want. I don't have to restrict ANYTHING.
    5. It keeps things in perspective. If I have a crazy binge, I don't freak out anymore, because I can see that in the larger scheme of things, it's not going to stop my progress.
  • Alex_is_Hawks
    Alex_is_Hawks Posts: 3,499 Member
    because .....friends.
  • Ed98043
    Ed98043 Posts: 1,333 Member
    The calorie counter totally opened my eyes about how much I was eating. I really didn't think I was eating that much and therefore thought I would have to basically starve and suffer to lose weight which kept me from even trying.

    The forum keeps me engaged and inspired, and makes me determined that I will someday be a success story. It also educated me a lot about the sane way to lose weight, and what works, what doesn't, and why. I was always a starve-lose-gain it back person in the past and still sometimes hear that siren call of "just get the weight off quick, worry about keeping it off later"...but now I know better.
  • suppakana
    suppakana Posts: 307 Member
    Food diary! That's been my biggest downfall in past experiences trying to lose weight; now that I can easily track everything, well... I can easily track everything! It's made staying accountable to myself a lot easier.
  • apedeb09
    apedeb09 Posts: 805 Member
    I love it because it's addicting, lol. I can keep track of my food and exercise, and be encouraged by other people that are in the same boat as I am. I also like how when you log your food for the day, it says "if everyday we're like today you would weigh xxx lbs in 5 weeks". I know it's just an estimate but it's really encouraging nonetheless. Also, I love looking at the success stories.
  • srogers89
    srogers89 Posts: 190 Member
    because .....friends.

    This^^^ I have only started adding people and I am finding it is a great tool to stay motivated! Watching everyones different activities is also encouraging me to try more.
  • _Emma_Problema_
    _Emma_Problema_ Posts: 261 Member
    The people are fantastic.

    I come to interact with the people. And even when I've slacked on fitness and food, the fact that I'm on every day reminds me to get my butt in gear again.

    And because boobs.
  • arghbowl
    arghbowl Posts: 1,179 Member
    I love it because I've found other sarcastic arseholes like myself. And like someone else said, boobs. Who doesn't love boobs?
  • RhonndaJ
    RhonndaJ Posts: 1,615 Member
    Why do I love MFP?

    Tracking calories works for me because it keeps me aware of what I'm eating and how much, MFP makes that simple.
    I've found some great people here that I have on my feed, they're funny, smart and dedicated.
    The forums can be informative, amusing, confusing and sometimes downright irritating, but I love them because it is so much more of the first two than the last two. And it's wonderful to see people's successes and makes me feel less alone when I see other people's struggles.
  • NonnyMary
    NonnyMary Posts: 982 Member
    i like MFP because its the first thing thats doable that seems to be enabling me to lose weight, and seems like its not going to be temporary.

    why? probably because its fun because i can do it like a budget, maybe coz im an accountant so its on my ladder there,,

    i like to budget my food like i budget my money, haha i like to see how much i got left to spend/eat ;)

    sometimes its kinda boring entering the same foods over and over, but aside from that, its way fun to see the scale go down each week, actually every few days! woo!!!

    thats the best part! I obsess about it for fun - i weigh myself for fun sometimes a few times a day - i like to see the effect food has on me, and i see trends in the kind of food i eat and what time i eat it but its just fun. i do my daily weigh in in the morning.

    anyway, i dont usually have any thing interesting to say on the message boards, i have said everything i could possibly say without repeating, haha but i love seeing the weight go down. AND its fun to post a message and see my weight loss there on the bottom of my message. that number is getting bigger and bigger.. im losing about 10 pounds a month coz im very fat !

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