Does this App really work for you?

heidirebecca88
heidirebecca88 Posts: 4
in Getting Started
I have used this app and I wondered if you have found success. I haven't found much as I would have hoped. Any suggestions?
«134

Replies

  • Staniel_2013
    Staniel_2013 Posts: 120 Member
    No, it doesn't. :bigsmile:

    The website is fantastic however.

    What is it you feel that you are missing?
  • jarelary4
    jarelary4 Posts: 141 Member
    I have the App for Android and all I use it for is tracking meals away from home so I'm not tempted to not track at all. So for what I am using it for it works great.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    Yes. When I actually use it, it does. I have lost weight on it when I wanted to and controlled my weight gain during pregnancy when I log. I do tend to slack off in tracking and start thinking maybe something is wrong, then I look back and realize that the problem is me.

    What were you hoping to see that you didn't see?
  • msncush
    msncush Posts: 23 Member
    what are you looking for?
    Old saying " It works if you work it"
    Are you honest with your calories and tracking?
    Have you added exercise?
    How long have you been on the site?
    Are you doing your best?
  • bravid98
    bravid98 Posts: 80 Member
    The app is a tool, it doesn't do anything other than take what you put it and output the data in a way that you can use in whatever way you decide to use.

    If you choose not to use the data to make better decisions then that's your fault and not the apps.
  • heidirebecca88
    heidirebecca88 Posts: 4
    For me, I use it for a while, but see no results. I am honest in my calculations and exercise. Not sure if I need to change something up or not.
  • CCSavage88
    CCSavage88 Posts: 191
    Works awesome for me...2 months in and 13lbs down.
  • _Resolve_
    _Resolve_ Posts: 735 Member
    Works good for me, I enter the food I eat and it tells me how much it adds up to.

    What else is it supposed to do?
  • jkal1979
    jkal1979 Posts: 1,896 Member
    It works when I use it and I'm accurate with my logging.

    I have found that a lot of the pinned topics and frequently mentioned topics have helped me get the best use out of it.
  • perfectflightisbeingthere
    perfectflightisbeingthere Posts: 66 Member
    The app on it's own is what you make of it - the support you can get from a great collection of supportive friends - priceless!
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    For me, I use it for a while, but see no results. I am honest in my calculations and exercise. Not sure if I need to change something up or not.

    Will you open up your diary?
    How do you measure your food? Measuring cups? Weighing? Estimation?
    While I am not in the "MFP is totally wrong for exercise calories", it is difficult to estimate properly and some of the numbers need to be taken with a grain of salt.

    It is also important to realize that this is all just estimation, it should be viewed as a starting point. If you are consistent and accurate for 4-6 weeks and no results, it may be time to adjust. That doesn't mean you have to drop intake considerable but maybe move down a little.
  • markja
    markja Posts: 270 Member
    Yep, it does. I've been on since March, lost 33 lbs and will be under 300 lbs by month end. Annual membership is 0, dues are 0, special food cost is 0, and, meetings are 0. MFP is good stuff!
  • markja
    markja Posts: 270 Member
    Also, if you really want it to work, you have to log everything from salad dressing to marshmallows. If you eat a biscuit, log the biscuit , the margarine you smeared on it and the spoonful of preserves on top of that. Biscuit is 50, marg is another 50 and the peach preserves are 35. So, that one biscuit is 135 calories. You have to decide if its worth it and if your willing to exercise enough to make up for eating it. If not, better stick to egg beaters!
  • Deipneus
    Deipneus Posts: 1,862 Member
    The app doesn't work. It just measures my food intake against a goal. I do all the work.
  • rachelrb85
    rachelrb85 Posts: 579 Member
    The app doesn't work. It just measures my food intake against a goal. I do all the work.

    x1
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    For me, I use it for a while, but see no results. I am honest in my calculations and exercise. Not sure if I need to change something up or not.
    "For a while."
    Interesting phrase which might reveal the problem!

    Are your expectations realistic?
    Did you set appropriate goals?
    Are you tracking your food accurately? (If you want help with that then making your diary public would help.)

    I stayed fat for 20 years but mysteriously when I started tracking calories and eating at a sensible deficit I lost my excess weight. It's not magic - just a tool that gives you power over your calorie balance.
  • lanthiriel
    lanthiriel Posts: 18
    I think I owe most of my success this time around to this app. I usually enter what I plan to eat into my diary the day before and it helps me adjust for things like snacking and balancing meals if I'm going to have a big lunch or whatever. Who knows how accurate the exercise numbers are and what not, but I'm not on a timeline for my weight loss, so as long as the scale is going down, I consider it a success.
  • ThePinkPanda
    ThePinkPanda Posts: 208 Member
    I've lost almost 100 pounds that i wouldn't have lost without it. i tried tracking my food on paper and failed miserably. the tracking convenience of the phone app combined with the support and information in the forums makes it a powerful tool, imo. it also allows me to pre-plan my meals so i can hit my goals without stressing that i've eaten too much by dinner.

    but you'll only get out of it what you put in. i.e. logging consistently and accurately, as well as being aware of exercise over-estimation.
  • KarenB927
    KarenB927 Posts: 94 Member
    Yes it does. I have lost 32 pounds and my husband has lost 31. I use it every day tracking my husband's and my calories and exercise. Without it, I'm not so good about estimating whether or not we're staying on track.
  • phil4v7
    phil4v7 Posts: 68 Member
    I lost 75 pounds in 2012, but then I came down with a case of stupid and gained it all back. This time around, I've lost 18 pounds so far and on my way to the original 75 and them some. Like most people have said, it depends on the effort you put into it, but it's an invaluable tool.

Categories