Outgrowing MFP

Alisha_countrymama

Idk, I've been using it for over a year. I don't know even if I get to my goal if I will stop, it's nice to have the support group and help others to progress by encouraging them. it's like checking my email, I just do it every day regardless!

smb0701

for me it kinda feels like an addiction. i feellike i must log in and log what i have eaten. i feel like i have done something wrong if i don't. besides, in the past i would always stop logging and then gain a bunch of weight. this time i feel more committed, so i don't want to stop. that's just me though. i love it.:)

MzMiller1215

I would never dream of leaving MFP even after I reach my goal because I will always need the motivation and inspiration to maintain my healthy lifestyle. Also, I may be able to help someone else who is struggling in their journey. I think I will be logging for the rest of my life. Plus, I am more addicted to MFP than Facebook. :laugh:

tasnim81

I plan on staying even after reaching my goal weight. I have had some BAD experiences with reaching my goal and then thinking I can just carry on myself without logging or counting calories... and I love the site too.:bigsmile:

mamasyd

MFP is just a tool like any other tool, however it has proven to be a good one. I have logged my food for the past three years and, at this point, can't really imagine NOT doing it as a way of life. Only the past seven months has been on MFP, but I can tell you that it has been much easier to track since then. It's not just about counting the calories or even about continuing to lose weight. I want to be aware of what I am putting into my body and how my nutrition is balanced. I guess, after I've maintained my goal weight for a significant period of time, I might get to a place where I simply log more generally. MFP is still the best resource for determining calories that I have found. Whether logging or not, it gives a great (not to mention quick and easy) reference to what is in a food that may look perfectly 'innocent' at the moment.

Tjarvi

Every time I leave I gain weight. I refuse to stop and have to adjust my weight according to my compromise. When I do get to my goal weight...I will be logging just to be fully aware of what I am consuming. Perhaps then my goals will change to building muscle and eating cleaner.

TheFitHooker

I think I'd be scared to leave even after my goals, because for starters, I don't want to slip back into old habits, and I am addicted to counting calories.

ChasingHaven

I just got here, but came simply for the community. My last website the group I was friends with either reached their goals and moved on and the ones who were left simply hadn't accomplished much since I'd been in touch last. Not very inspiring.

I do need the support, the accountability and the challenge. I'm looking at shedding 70 pounds and without seeing that someone else has accomplished it it seems overwhelming. I need friends who are on the journey with me and the ones who are waiting at the end of theirs for me to finish mine.

Will I leave when I'm done? I'd like to think I'd stay to Pay It Forward.

jkmurphy06

I stopped using it about 6 months ago and didn't log anything for a month, my overall sense of health went down and I noticed that I was more down on myself in regards to my weight and fitness. I started using it again and even though tracking calories can be done on my own I think that I really needed the support and accountability of MFP. Even when I only had one friend on here, I still would reconsider eating that donut or not going to the gym because I knew someone was holding me accountable. I have really weak willpower and unless I feel the pressure from my peers (and the support and acceptance) I have a hard time changing my habits. After a year of yo-yo-ing weight I have finally met my goal weight and surpassed it. I am smaller then I was junior year of H.S! I still need the daily support and logging my food and exercise helps me keep on track and maintain a healthy outlook on life. My boyfriend has the WORST eating habits, but because of his job he maintains a good body. He doesn't really help me stay on track with a healthy diet so I rely on my MFP community for that support. Good luck everyone and no matter what your method of tracking your nutrition, keep it up!

DEEDLYNN

Sorry...but what a DOWNER of a thread.....under SUCCESS STORIES. I'm not sure why I read it, but now....I think I'm depressed.. (LOL--not really)..

But JEESHHHHHHHHHH, seriously, if ya wanna be here and it works for ya, stay....if not, go. Your commitment and dedication won't be measured ONLY by your participation at MFP. Sure it is a tool, and the successful folks here have the stats to back up how participating helped them achieve their goals, but if it's not for you...it's not for you.

This is kinda like a kid telling someone they don't wanna be friends anymore. Why state the obvious....just hang out with another friend?

Sorry, but this was a downer for me.

If it works and ain't broke....why fix it?

DEEDLYNN

Has anyone ever felt like this? I feel it sometimes and although I am no where near my goal I have often wondered how long one goes before leaving? If you an learn to track your own calories and maintain or even sometimes just loose weight on your own why stay? Has anyone else mulled the idea of logging off for good? What makes you stay?

Will you ever "out grow" good health? I think people fail because they have "Stinhkin' Thinkin" By that I mean they stop doing what works and go Back to what don't, and they expect success. And wonder what happened when they regain weight .

It makes Me sick every time somebody comes BACK saying..."I'm back, I left...now I am doing it again." I say, NO ONE MISSED YOU, nor care that You are back! AND only idiots will continue to "Motivate" people like you that leave and come back over and over, just be quiet and DO what you need to Do, and do not expect people to pick you up.

So if you leave, and come back, just try to help others who want good health. Just be a good listener and give less advice because you didn't Learn anything before.

Wow, who crapped in your cereal?

I left for a while to try the notebook / portion control route and disliked it. I didn't make much of a show of it, just made my profile private and logged off for a while.

Whoop-de-dee. Maybe some people want to try a different method for a change.

I think the point would be that you "didn't make much of a show of it". I think starting a thread with..."does anyone think about leaving", under a forum entitled Success Stories at a site that people are thankful for the transitions that it HELPED make in their lives...well....it's negative.

I think it's great that you tried pen and paper to see what's best for YOU and I do applaud you for figuring out what works best for you. The OP's post, doesn't really come across like that.

emmyvera

Personally for me - I'm staying! No matter what :happy:

I was on here for almost two years straight and met my goals or close.

I never "left" per se. But I stopped logging in and watching my food and then it went downhill from there.

I need MFP and I love it. I wish I wouldn't of settled when I did. That is for me personally.
I thought... well, I am happy and made it to my goal and feel great. After that mind set, my routine went downhill. I stopped logging in food and exercise.... did okay for awhile. Then slowly the weight crept back and I then I started feeling more tired and not as motivated. My eating habits got worse and I stopped working out as much.

MFP keeps me going and I need to stay on, even if I meet a certain goal. It's not just about a goal weight, but a healthy style of living, which is most important to me.

I'm not going anywhere. Ya MFP!

DEEDLYNN

It's really all about YOU. Most of the people who came to MFP needed something to get them on track and KEEP them on track. If they could do it on their own they would have done so already! MFP hasn't taught me one damn thing that I didn't already know. What it has done is forced me to look long and hard and what I eat, how much I eat and how active I am. I am, more or less in maintenance right now, it helps me to stay somewhere near where I need to be.

AND THERE IT IS....IN A BRIEF LITTLE PARAGRAPH....I already know eat this...don't eat that...cook with this...don't cook with that....BUT, I DIDN'T TAKE THAT LONG and HARD LOOK at what foods, how much foods and how much movement. BRAVO to this post!!!!

bcattoes

I think starting a thread with..."does anyone think about leaving", under a forum entitled Success Stories at a site that people are thankful for the transitions that it HELPED make in their lives...well....it's negative.

I think it's great that you tried pen and paper to see what's best for YOU and I do applaud you for figuring out what works best for you. The OP's post, doesn't really come across like that.

What is wrong asking if anyone feels like this site has given the knowledge to now leave this site and lose on their own? That would be a success, after all. It seems very smart to have a goal of being able to maintain a healthy lifestyles without any tools at all (i.e. staying with MFP because you like it, not because you need it).

DEEDLYNN

I think starting a thread with..."does anyone think about leaving", under a forum entitled Success Stories at a site that people are thankful for the transitions that it HELPED make in their lives...well....it's negative.

I think it's great that you tried pen and paper to see what's best for YOU and I do applaud you for figuring out what works best for you. The OP's post, doesn't really come across like that.

What is wrong asking if anyone feels like this site has given the knowledge to now leave this site and lose on their own? That would be a success, after all. It seems very smart to have a goal of being able to maintain a healthy lifestyles without any tools at all (i.e. staying with MFP because you like it, not because you need it).

Sorry, that's just my take on it...and was just my two cents....but...I tend to view my glass half full of positive and it sounded negative to me.

DEEDLYNN

I think starting a thread with..."does anyone think about leaving", under a forum entitled Success Stories at a site that people are thankful for the transitions that it HELPED make in their lives...well....it's negative.

I think it's great that you tried pen and paper to see what's best for YOU and I do applaud you for figuring out what works best for you. The OP's post, doesn't really come across like that.

What is wrong asking if anyone feels like this site has given the knowledge to now leave this site and lose on their own? That would be a success, after all. It seems very smart to have a goal of being able to maintain a healthy lifestyles without any tools at all (i.e. staying with MFP because you like it, not because you need it).

You are correct...it would be success if we "could" have a goal of maintaining a healthy lifestyle without any tools at all. But the reality of it for those of us who are here because of obesity, is that we will most ALWAYS needs tools to achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

kevin3344

When I joined MFP I didn't have any weight to lose.

I joined because I wanted to set an example for my family, that nothing is improved unless it is written down and tracked. Your finances, health, anything. You have to know what is coming in vs. going out.

I'm doing 30 day shred with my sister-in-law not because I need to, but because I want to show that I am committed to staying in shape and encourage her.

I'm not here for a time. MFP is part of my life, just like Mint.com is, and I'll always use it to track/tweak my progress and goals, and to encourage others.

H_Factor

you must not have fully experienced the power and inspiration that MFP can provide....because just learning what you can eat and logging foods is only part of the MFP experience. Instead of trying to put it in my own words, I am including a link to one of my MFP pals' blogs to explain why I doubt I will ever outgrow MFP.

https://mytimebeginsnow.wordpress.com/2011/11/04/my-inspiration/

deksgrl

.is it more of a crutch?

I think it's more about accountability. I might get to the point where I know the calories in what I'm eating, but just writing it down helps me be accountable to myself. Otherwise it would be too easy to slip. Depends on your personality I suppose. Are you the sort of person who can stay regimented without writing it down and keeping track? I'm not that sort of person I don't think. I think I would soon slip into old habits, based on my own history.

marnijojo

Think of it this way...this is NOT a weight loss site. It's a fitness site. Will you be into being fit and healthy and want good tools and information and peers with which to identify with? It's not about learning how to lose weight then quitting.

Exactly....I am not quite to my goal weight yet, but I honestly believe that to maintain this weight loss I will need to be forever vigilant and part of that will be mfp. Plus, I love the community here. So, sorry all....you're stuck with me.