Life WITHOUT MyFitnessPal ... Can we do it?

mswn02

I've been thinking a lot about this topic. While it is true that myfitnesspal has aided in my successful weight loss of 50 pounds since September 2011, I don't believe long term use of this app is realistic. If I truly want to learn these healthy behaviors and habits on my own, should I expect to always have myfitnesspal around to help me? Eventually, I want to just *know* how to eat, exercise, and live healthy ... and I can honestly say that I'm getting there! I'm NOT on a diet ... I've changed my habits and beliefs about food. By now, it should be a habit, right? And if I were really being honest, I'm bored as heck with logging. Logging, logging, logging is all I do all day long. :laugh:

Are you planning to use myfitnesspal long term? Do you have plans to eventually wean yourself off? Do you have faith/confidence in yourself to live a healthy life without it?

33neenaj

MFP for life!!

spikefoot

MFP is a great tool to teach you how to eat.

However, if you have certain goals in mind and want to track and log nutrients etc... it is a lot to commit to memory.

I am at the point where I could sustain my current weight but I like to have the records if I need to check back on something.

Goal_Line

I'm weaning myself. By the end of the day, if I feel comfortable I have enough room, I don't log the evening meal.

I'm working out building muscle back, so I do want track protean, so MFP is useful for that.

GnochhiGnomes

I've only been with it for a short while but I can safely say I'm going to be using it for a very long time maybe even for life. I'm always going to be heading towards some new goal be that to do with fitness or aesthetics.

MichelleLydia

Everytime I've come close to my goal weight (within 10 lbs.) I fall off the MFP wagon, and the weight piles back on. I know it's because I'm not making good food choices or exercising nearly as much but I tend to overlook it when I don't have my tracker telling me, woah slow down you are past your cals and it's only 10am! haha. So I think this time, I will stay on til I hit my goal weight and probably at least 6-12 months of maintaining.

julieh391

I've only been at it less than 3 months, and I have a long way to go. I'm curious to see replies because I don't know what my plan is long term. Like you, I've definitely made a life change too.

RuthSweetTooth

You might want to at least track your weight once a week so that you can see if you have figured out what to do. As we age, our metabolism gets slower and slower. If we forget to weigh ourselves, we'll be back to square one.

I've been spending alot of time creating meals for reuse that I can easily pull up for guidance. Eventually you do learn from seeing the combos again and again.

rubii95

Mfp For 4 years I don't mind the logging in and stuff its fun

seekingstrengthX2

I have logged on for 198 days or so and stopped logging my food as of sunday. I will still use the site to record my weight loss and exercise and to give/receive support with friends. But.... i would think anyones ultimate goal would be to stop recording every morsel of food at some point. After almost 200 days, i feel like i know my body, what and how much to eat, etc. So i announced a 1 week logging sabatical as a trial on sunday. So far so good!

RunHardBeStrong

I lost my first 50 lbs before MFP, 56 since. I know I can log on my own with a hand written journal and have success. I would miss the friendships I have created and bouncing ideas off others with similar goals and think patterns.

hauer01

I use this site not only for weight loss but also to help me track the nutrients that I am putting in my body. I have no idea if I will ever stop using it, because it has taught me a lot and I know that I have a lot to learn yet.

Erisad

I'll use it as long as I have to. I'm afraid if I quit that I'll regain it all back and then have to do lose the weight agaaain.

laurenz2501

Very good question and one that I've thought about as well. I think it's an amazing tool that's teaching me the nutritional value of things and how to eat better. On the other hand, I know I spend A LOT of time on here researching, logging, and looking at motivating success stories(because I'm so excruciatingly bored at work). I think that once I can MAINTAIN my goal weight for awhile I shouldn't need MFP. But that is pretty far down the road.

mirthegeologist

I have been maintaining my 20 lb weight loss for 9 months. Once I hit my goal weight, I stopped regularly logging my food intake & exercise. Instead of logging foods, I maintain the same habits that I had when I was losing weight--I eat small portion sizes, aim for multiple servings of vegetables a day, exercise regularly, limit my consumption of meat and dairy, eat dessert only on special occasions, and make sure that I am eating because I am hungry, and not just bored or thirsty. I also weigh myself everyday to make sure that I am not gaining weight. I tend to flucculate within two pounds of my goal weight. Once I start exceeding my goal weight, then I pay stricter attention to what I am eating. If I get more than 2 pounds above my goal weight, then I begin logging my food intake again.

For some, it's easier to track their food intake. For me and my body, I've found that I can be fairly flexible with my diet and still maintain my goal weight. What works for me may not work for everyone, but if you want to wean yourself off of logging everyday, I do believe it's possible. Good luck!

Edited for grammar.

cmriverside

I started using MFP in 2007. I've gone through many changes in how I use the site during those five years. I have maintained my 50+ pounds weight loss except for a few pounds that come and go each winter and summer.

I seriously dislike logging. But I like knowing I have the option. For about two months this year I logged regularly because I have only about five pounds to get to where I'm happy and it is a game of numbers, and very slim margins at this point. I know how to eat.

Sometimes I get a bit off-track in my macros and micros and need to come back to fine-tune the potassium, or the fats, or whatever.

Really, as long as you are keeping a handle on your weight, and exercising a few times a week, the rest of it is background noise. But I still like coming here and touching base with those who are fighting the good fight. I've taken months off at a time, but always revisit this site for motivation. The logging is crazy-making, to me. I can easily start to obsess and think about it way too much.

jonski1968

Bit like saying i have a car...but i don`t want to forget how to walk...No point having such a useful tool and not using it..

NicLiving

I've logged in for over 450 days, but I must admit that I am addicted to mfp. I thought after I reached my goal that I would delete my page but I just can't bring myself to do it.

jadedzen

I will use this site as long as it exists. Before MFP i would journal all of what i ate and i had a big book of caloric values. It probably wasn't as accurate, but I've been logging my food on and off since i was 11. I really like that MFP also counts macro nutrients and exercise.

TexanThom

MFP...MFP...MFP...MFP.

Anayalata

If I didn't use MFP I'd use a spreadsheet.

I'm not just tracking calories so this is lifelong for me.