How has the MFP app/community contributed to your life?

AlexiCristina

Hi everyone! I could really use your help.

My name is Alexi and I'm a university student. I need to write a paper for one of my classes about the concept of community, and I thought, what better community to write about than My Fitness Pal?

Tell me your full name (I can change your name for my paper if you'd like), occupation and answer either of the following questions:

How has the MFP community contributed to your life?
Do you feel part of something greater than yourself when you participate in MFP?
Have you made any lasting bonds or friendships with anyone on the website?
How has the app/community helped you reach your goals?
What do you feel is this particular community's core group identity?
Is the MFP community one you think you'll be part of for the rest of your life, or just temporarily?

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this! I look forward to your responses.

1PatientBear

Not giving you my full name or occupation (good luck getting anyone to sign up on that part), but here are some brief thoughts on the rest....

1. It's given me some accountability, a community of people for support/information and helped me make some new friends.
2. No
3. Yes
4. As I said in #1, given me additional accountability and a useful tool to help keep me honest
5. People interested in either fitness, managing their weight, health or a combination of the three. Also a large contingent that uses MFP for entertainment purposes as well
6. It's unlikely I'll log in for consecutive day #18,632 (roughly 50 years from now) so I'm going to say temporarily. It's also possible I lose interest before then.

AlexiCristina

Thanks for your help!

srogers89

Hello,

My name is super common so not a problem giving that out!

Stephanie Rogers and I work full time in an office job.

How has the MFP community contributed to your life?
At this stage ithe app itself has contributed immensly. Obviously allowing me to be accountable for losing my own weight, I can no longer blame struggles on diet pills or stress at work. With regards to the community aspect, I have only recently gotten involved. I like the think the success stories on forums as well as the advise others give/receive motivate me towards my goals.

Do you feel part of something greater than yourself when you participate in MFP?
Most definitely! It is nice to see the very real people out there going through the exact same thing. No ones journey is the same but we all hold the same feelings. Whether it is 4kg's or 40kg's you want to lose.

Have you made any lasting bonds or friendships with anyone on the website?
None as yet. I don't tend to integrate myself online in that regard. I have very really friendships and social circles outside of this and prefer to keep the two separate.

How has the app/community helped you reach your goals?
As I said in number one, the accountability. It is nice to track my progress and be 'in charge' so to speak. I really think about that extra Tim Tam or cookie before I eat it, because I know what I will see on my phone screen if I do and have to log it!

What do you feel is this particular community's core group identity?
I see it as mainly one for weight loss, although there does seem to be the occasional user here for bulking or fitness alone.

Is the MFP community one you think you'll be part of for the rest of your life, or just temporarily?
I cannot see myself logging forever, I have a life to live! Having said that I can see it being a part of my life until I am confident in my own judgement and can maintain my weight.

Mad_Dog_Muscle

My name is Clark Kent and I am a reporter for the Daily Sun...... MFP has managed to make me better at wasting many hours of work time to comment on all my awesome MFPeeps status. :drinker:

But seriously... I will answer as best I can, but like the other responder, not comfortable giving out my full name.

1) How has the MFP community contributed to your life?
-The support and daily drama around here is entertaining.

2) Do you feel part of something greater than yourself when you participate in MFP?
-Sure, makes me realize that many others have overcome a lot more than I have. I want to lose 30 total, there are people here who consistently lose over 100. It amazes me!

3) Have you made any lasting bonds or friendships with anyone on the website?
-Yes, 2 in person have become great friends. So good that I tend to forget this is where we met initially.

4) How has the app/community helped you reach your goals?
-the app makes it easy to log meals on the go, the people make it easy to stay motivated

5) What do you feel is this particular community's core group identity?
- Its a mix of positive energy, really cool people, and strangers coming together to help others reach their goals.... yet there is also that seedy underworld of cliques and drama queens.

Hope you get an "A"

6) Is the MFP community one you think you'll be part of for the rest of your life, or just temporarily?
-Hard to say, but right now I cant imagine not hanging around this place for a while. I could eventually lose interest, but for now I am in for the long haul because it keeps me motivated.

NinjaMaid

1. I have some people who are good friends and people I have never met in person who provide support and advice. I have successfully kept the weight off.
2. Yes, friends are excellent motivation to live to better ourselves. My friends inspired me to try new things and train harder.
3. Yes, I have several friends I met on MFP and later met them in person at 5k events or other functions.
4. I have continued my weight loss and I began a new weight training programs. I am seeing a body I have never had.
5. IDK about core group identity.
6. I'm going to stick with MFP. It has been effective. Why abandon a good thing? I spend more time on here than Facebook or twitter. I love to see what my friends are up to. It is great to see others accomplishments because it motivates me to try harder as well.

Railr0aderTony

How has the MFP community contributed to your life?
Accountablility and motivation. When I see what some of my friends have done, i get off my *kitten*.

Do you feel part of something greater than yourself when you participate in MFP?
No

Have you made any lasting bonds or friendships with anyone on the website?
I have friends and have met one couple. but as far as lifelong bonds, not so much, there is this one MFP member though we have a bond a real tight one but that is because we were married before joining MFP.

How has the app/community helped you reach your goals?
Again same as the first question, Accountability and Motivation

What do you feel is this particular community's core group identity?
well there are so many different sub cultures on MFP that this is impossible to answer.

Is the MFP community one you think you'll be part of for the rest of your life, or just temporarily?
I will be tracking calories and exercising for the rest of my life, It is now a part of who I am. Weather it is on MFP or not remains to be seen. Something better might come along. That would be like saying I was going to stay on MySpace forever.

AlexiCristina

Thanks for your reply!

AlexiCristina

Thanks for replying!