Do you feel like MFP is the plan for you that works?

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  • taunto
    taunto Posts: 6,420 Member
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    I don't think we NEED mfp. Its simply a tool. If you have determination and dedication, you can do it without it. Many have done it.

    However, for ME, its been an amazing tool without which I have a hard time thinking how I would have lost the 40 lbs and counting that I have lost. And not just lose the lbs, but do it in a healthy fashion. I have good level of energy, I eat well while still losing weight. This wouldn't be possible for me without the support I get from friends. What makes MFP a success is the support you get. Of course, one can argue about the bad advice and support you see here but thats where you need good friends and good education. Look for friends who support you but don't blindly cheer you for only eating 300 calories a day. Good friends will support you when you have a bad day of diet or workout yet will kick you butt into gear when it happens too often.

    Educate yourself about proper nutrition. If somebody posts an advice about what you should be eating or how you should be working out, ASK FOR REFERENCES. The references should be peer-reviewed studies and not some article in broscience magazine. I suggest you join groups on MFP that provides reliable information and are groups ran by folks who will always gladly give you good resources and advice. One of such groups is this:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/10067-eat-train-progress-

    Good luck :)
  • ms_leanne
    ms_leanne Posts: 523
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    MFP is a great tool and I also intend to use it when I'm maintaining just to remind myself of what I am putting in to my body and keep a track of nutrients.
  • ipsamet
    ipsamet Posts: 436 Member
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    Absolutely. I mean, just look at my clicker. When I don't use the site and log, I make worse choices (though not as bad as I used to). I'm alright with that!
  • felice03
    felice03 Posts: 2,732 Member
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    For me, it is a daily reminder to make good choices. MFP helped me focus and learn what I needed to do to lose the weight in a healthy way. I spent too many years harming my body to try to be "healthy".

    Technically, I am in maintence but could still stand to lose a few more pounds. I do not log my food daily anymore but occaisionally do for a week or two to get myself back on track. Plus, the friends I have made on here are important to me and I would miss them dearly if I stopped using MFP.
  • TheViperMan
    TheViperMan Posts: 235 Member
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    I never considered MFP to be a "Plan" - I mean seriously, what has MFP told you to do? Nutraslim, Atkins - they give you PLANS. You have to follow instructions and somewhat-strict rules. I don't have patience for that, and I hate having to "plan", especially when it requires me buying commercial products as part of the "steps". That's nonsense, IMO.

    I've had a lot of people tell me, "Oh yo gotta go to MyFitnessPal - it'll help you create a strategy." Of course, I was already here, and able to respond, "Well, no, not really. It basically helps you see if you're eating too much or not enough. How to fix it is entirely up to you." Then again, that's what I LIKE about MFP - it's all up to me. I can seek advice on the forums (the usefulness of doing so remains debatable) but ultimately it's my plan, my path, my decisions.

    For me, I got addicted to the big red "Pounds Lost:" number on the left side. That's what kept me coming back, kept me trying, kept me counting. Today I'm a bit too busy to log my diet (two jobs, newborn baby, etc) and I've been kinda slacking lately anyways, for the same reasons. But I'm still here. About to hit 200 days of continuous logging!

    Good luck to you.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    I lost most of my weight before I joined MFP. I wasn't logging or counting anything at that time. So no, I don't need it to lose weight. I did find it useful for tweaking my diet though. For example, once I started logging I found I was eating too little protein and too much fat, even though my calories were okay.

    I've actually recently stopped logging food because I was getting too obsessed with calories. Eating when I wasn't hungry just to meet a number, or feeling guilty about eating when I was hungry because it put over (sometimes way over). Now I'm back to using hunger as my guide. I wish MFP had the option to log and track nutrients without counting calories.
  • clarkeje1
    clarkeje1 Posts: 1,636 Member
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    I've never tried without MFP but I don't think I could do it if it wasn't for this site.
  • BflSaberfan
    BflSaberfan Posts: 1,272
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    It's just a tool... like Quicken for calories. Instead of balancing my bank accounts, I'm balancing my calories and macros against my activity.

    I agree, most of us keep some kind of log for our bank account and this is a tool for me to do that. With or without MFP you do need to control your calories to lose weight.
  • NovemberJune
    NovemberJune Posts: 2,525 Member
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    I'm sure I could do it without MFP, but why would I? MFP is free. :wink:
  • liya368
    liya368 Posts: 122 Member
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    Te accountability is working for me. Without MFP I tend to underestimate calories eaten.
  • lannlynn
    lannlynn Posts: 72 Member
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    I lost and maintained a 45 pound weight loss for several years on my own. Since I've started tracking, I lost another 12. I'd would like to lose another 10 - 15 more but have taken up weight lifting, so we will see. It's easier with MFP to stay on track.:smile:
  • lauren3101
    lauren3101 Posts: 1,853 Member
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    I don't think I'll ever leave MFP, even when I've got to maintenance. I just won't be as strict about logging constantly.

    For me though, it's not just about the calorie counter. I've learnt a lot from here, and my weight loss is about health, macros and fitness now rather than just the scale, and the support and answers I get from people on my FL and in the forums is invaluable.
  • FeebRyan
    FeebRyan Posts: 738 Member
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    MFP has certainly helped me along the way. It helped me to see how calorific the foods i used to eat are, but we dont eat anything like that now.

    Now i find i just can't do the whole inputting every last thing into a box thing, I make everything i eat and it just sucks

    so i do a combination of Leangains and IF which seems to be having incredible results.

    It also means i can go out with the family and have a calorific meal without feeling bad about it and through fasting i have learnt the difference between needing food and wanting it.
  • MrsK20141004
    MrsK20141004 Posts: 489 Member
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    I use mfp to calorie count and track my nutrition. Eating back all my calories like it suggests doesn't work for me, as well as a number of people here. But some people have good luck with it.

    This. I don't eat back my calories either but if I don't keep track of what I'm putting into my body then I can get pretty out of control.
  • tigerblue
    tigerblue Posts: 1,525 Member
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    I have a knack for letting myself 'get away' with pretending. "Oh, one more day of skipping a workout won't make a difference." "It won't matter if I have one more slab of lasagna." "Eating cheeseburgers 3 days in a row won't really effect my weight." "I can burn enough calories to lose weight just by walking to the mailbox and back."

    MFP doesn't let me do that. It's all right there, in black and white (and RED!!!). It's real. It's tangible. It makes complete sense to me. And it makes it easy.

    This!!
  • Seaglass1123
    Seaglass1123 Posts: 500 Member
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    Using MFP has been instrumental in my weight loss. Now as I near toward the end I plan to stick with it but realize I won't be able to log every bite for life. For now I know it works and I have an amazing community of friends on here too.
  • cindiva65
    cindiva65 Posts: 335 Member
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    As long as I have a way to effectively track myself and be accountable I do great. I find that MFP is the easiest of the tools Ive used to accomplish this. I love MFP and recommend it highly to others all the time.
  • sarahertzberger
    sarahertzberger Posts: 534 Member
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    This site has changed my life so much already, it has completely changed the way I think about food and exercise, it's almost like everyone on here is like my family and I really don't know what I would do without being able to get on here I get so much encouragement and it's nice to encourage others as well. I had tried for years to lose weight on my own and I would always give up and even did mfp for about 2 weeks and stopped but came back and wouldn't go a day without logging on now!!!
  • majope
    majope Posts: 1,325 Member
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    My plan is eating less and staying active. MFP is a useful tool, but anything that helps track calories and exercise burn (other tracking sites, spreadsheet, pencil and paper) would do in a pinch.
  • Naywifey07
    Naywifey07 Posts: 74 Member
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    I have lost weight using MFP.... I always use to hear ppl say write and track what you eat.. I started in a journal but that didnt last because I just wrote for the calories that I predicted .. With MFP it is accurate and helpful. Having the app on my phone and also online is very helpful. I figured if I could log on facebook everyday, then I could do something that is benefial to my health :) I am actually addicted to logging in and also stuff that I used to eat I had no idea that it was loaded with thousands of calories!!

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