How long have you been on here, and does everyone plan on st

AI1108

Someone posted a question the other day about moderation and it got me thinking... I use mfp A LOT now but I eventually want to forget about the numbers and teach myself how much my body can really handle and what is moderate for me. I didn't come on here with a lot to lose and am pretty close to my goal weight. I feel like once I train myself, I can eat a regular balanced meal without thinking about logging or number crunching and maintain my body ...maybe pop on here every once in a while to make sure I don't stray. Does anyone else feel this way or does everyone plan to always log their food/exercise?

BTW - can you write down how long you've been on here when you answer? I think it would be interesting to see how people feel about this.

Note: this isn't to say that it's good or bad to want to be on here forever.. just for curiosity sake.

SoldierDad

I like being on here and encouraging ppl. Think I have been on Since January 2010 and logged in 537 straight days so far.

jillerin457

I've been on since the day after Thanksgiving 2010. I've gotten much better at estimating the calories in individual foods, but am still terrible at keeping track of an entire day in my head, so I expect I'll keep using MFP for at least this year. Also, I haven't even reached my goal weight, and I'd really like to be even smaller than that!

chrissym78

I've been on here actively for 1 year (this Sunday will be a year actually) and I don't plan on going anywhere for a long time

bluegirl10

I joined over a year ago, but have really only started using this site more this year...

shootoutx3

I've only been on here for a few weeks. I plan on staying for sure until I reach my goal weight, plus maybe a year or two after so that I make sure I maintain. I have a bad feeling that since I've been eating junk food for basically 20 years..it may take me a while to truly learn how to take care of my body..I'll probably always have to watch my numbers..at least for a few years.

dmoses

Been here since January 2009, reached my goal weight in September 2010, and have no intentions of going anywhere! I love it here! And, I will continue to log my food - well, most of it. I've gotten less strict since being in maintenance mode.

KnottyJen

Been here since April of this year and I'm staying FORRREVVVVEEERRRRRRRRRRR. I love MFP and all the friends I've made.

idahogirl71

I started on here January 19th with over 200 pounds to lose. In the beginning I logged every day and every bite I took. Over the course of these 6 months I have learned what causes my body to gain and what I can eat within a certain calorie range. There are now days that I don't log my food, but I can still guesstimate the number of calories consumed if I want to know. I am still losing weight even without tracking religiously like I did in the beginning. Once I reach my goal I plan to still be accountable to myself by weighing in and tracking most days. I don't think I will be on here everyday then like I am now unless the scale starts to move upward. I also allow myself a 5 pound leeway without changing my food intake or exercise because I have learned that my body can fluctuate that much on any given day no matter perfectly I eat and how much exercise I do.

3ricaAnn

I plan on still usingthis site when I reach my goal just to motivate me to keep eating right and exercising. Seeing the numbers keeps me aware of what I am putting in my body. I have been using since Jan 2011 and have lost 9 pounds so far. I had a rough spot where I quit for about 3 months but I am back on track now and plan on staying that way.

CrazyAdventure

I have been on here for 60 days as of today. I know it's not that long, but this is how I am able to hold myself accountable. I've always been overweight and this is what works to help me lose it. One day, when I've reached my weight, I will probably still be using this to hold myself accountable (even though I will hopefully know what I should/shouldn't eat) so that I don't just go crazy and begin eating everything I want again. Setting goals on MFP and watching my progress is so motivational, as are the people on the site. So even once I reach maintenance goals, I believe I will still use this site because it's such a positive place to be.

chevy88grl

I joined in something like Dec 2010, but didn't actively use the site until April 2011.

I'm actually considering de-activating my account right now. I feel like I've come a long way, I understand my body, know what it needs, etc and I don't want to spend the rest of my life logging calories and obsessing over it.

MissAnjy

It'll be a year for me on August 29th, 2011.
I'm about 15lbs away from my goal weight. I'm 5'10 and I'm currently 155lbs. I'd like to ideally be 140.
I plan to be here for a LONG time. I love the community, and even after losing the final 15, I'd like to tone and get my body in the best physical shape I can. I'd love to stay and keep encouraging also

dp1228

I joined at the very end of January this year and I won't be going anywhere for a long time. I still have about another 50 I think I should lose even though my ticker says differently (thats my first goal weight). i love the people and the information i get here!! I'd say I'll be using the site actively like I am now for at least another two years.

robinaddison

Having gained and lost the same 40lbs more times than I can remember, I intend to stick around. (Been here since Jan 2011). Part of my "lifestyle change" (oh how I hate that expression - almost more than "weightloss journey"!) includes keeping track of everything I put in my mouth and every activity I undertake - it's the only way I can really be accountable to myself.

Also, I've made a number of friends here - some of them have achieved their goals or are close to them. Some of them have a way to go yet. I'd like to see those who still have a way to go reach their goals and be here to cheer them on; likewise, I'd like those who have made their goals already to still be here when I reach mine!

marquesajen

I've been here for just a few weeks, but the plan I have in my head is...
Log all food and exercise to Goal Weight
Log all food and exercise to get stronger
Log all food for a period after all goals met in order to learn how to stay where I am

kimi131

I have been here about 2 months. I plan to stick around after reaching my goal. Heck, I want to see my pals reach their goals too! :bigsmile: I probably won't log quite as religiously once I reach my goal, but I will always log. I think it will be too easy to slip into old habits without it. Plus, I really don't mind the logging/tracking/measuring much anymore. It makes me think about what I am doing.

Misty1777

BUMP

baisleac

Been here since October 30, 2010. Plan on being here a while because I'm determined to lose slow enough to keep my lean body mass until I'm at my goal bodyfat percentage then I'll stay on MFP while I work on building extra lean mass... eventually I may not use MFP every day, but that's a LONG way in the future. I'm not just here to get thin; I'm here to get healthy, fit, and ripped.

lyngoode

I have been here since April 2010; as soon as I reached my goal weight, I slacked off. I noticed how the weight slowly started comming back on. So back on MFP daily for maintenace. I love MFP!!

corsayre8

I've been on here since January, and reached my goal of sixty pounds lost. I log in most everyday, but it is really just to hop on the forums. Find that is keeping me motivated, and I also like to check in on people who have supported me. At this point my weight is staying stable without counting calories, or otherwise balancing numbers. If I reach a point where that is no longer true, I will start logging my food and exercise, see where things are going wrong and adjust as needed. It is my goal to have this become intuitive for me.

msmayor

I joined in Jan 2011 but wasn't quite active until Jun 28 although I had some rough weekends here and there (better during the wk) I plann to step my game up and honestly I think it will be a long time before I can call it quits to mfp.....I did notice the difference when I joined in Jan vs Jun - I made my profile public and now I have friends - I would recommend that to all the newbies.....it really helps

Packerfan23

I have been on for about 4 months or so where I've logged daily. I feel that I probably have about 12-13 months to reach my goal yet, so I will be on here for at least that long and at this point I will probably take another 4-6 months of my maintainence phase before I stop logging everything...unless I feel extremely comfortable by the time I hit my goal weight. I guess what I am saying, is that I will be on here as long as I feel I need to so that I don't slip back into my old habits!

SunshineKisses_2012

I've been on here for a whopping 10 days and I plan on being on here for a long time to come. I didn't grow up in a family that valued exercise much, so being overweight was just a way of life. I am planning to lose between 98 and 123 pounds, depending on what looks good on my body frame, and then switch to maintenance mode. That being said, I have eaten poorly for so long that I don't want to do all the work, take off the weight, buy all the new clothes, throw out all the fat clothes, and then gain and get back into an unhealthy cycle again. I plan on staying on here permanently to make sure I maintain myself.

lingading

I've been using mfp since April, been on the boards since May, before then was just using the app on my phone didn't even know the boards existed! I plan on losing about 110-120 more pounds (ticker is counting down to 200, I'll reevaluate my ultimate goal when I get closer) & I plan on being here until all of those pounds are gone & staying on until I truly feel comfortable with not logging. I'll probably continue weighing weekly & staying on the boards for a while once I stop logging, to make sure I don't slip up.

jmruef

I'm closing in on 90 days, and plan to stick around for a while. It's been SO educational in terms of learning portion sizes, calorie counting, exercise calories, etc. Love it! And I love the entire concept of Non Scale Victories. Who knew you could celebrate how you LOOK and FEEL, even though the scale isn't moving? :happy:

candykay89

I have been here for 2 months and will continue to be here. I will not leave my friends that i have made here because they are playing a very huge role in my getting to the desired weight. I want to celebrate with them also when they get to their goal. The logging/tracking does not matter to me as it helps me to keep track of what and how much i am consuming daily.

AI1108

Thanks for the responses! I definitely know what you all mean about the support & eye-opening information. It's given me a lot of insight into the sh** (for a lack of a better word) that I put into my body without even realizing it lol and I don't plan to disappear totally.. I'll still want to be on the forums for the information & motivation & to motivate others but to have to keep throwing numbers around in my head, I could see myself going a little crazyy over the logs :noway: hmm .. its definitely given me a lot to think about. But for now I'm here so I'm going to make the most of this great new tool that I've found. MFP says I've been on since April I think but I've really only been using it since last month, so anyone's welcome to add me!