New to My Fitness Pal

Greetings! My name is Tina.

I lost 90 lbs on Weight Watchers Online over a period of just over 12 months last year, and am looking to switch over to MFP to save the $18 a month I'm paying for the WW Online tracker.

Tracking is essential to me for success, and I need to continue to do this in order to maintain my weight loss and fitness.

Since I'm doing the Points Plus system with WW currently, moving forward I'm going to double track with both sites. I'm thinking it may take me a couple of months to figure out what my exact calorie intake needs to be in order to maintain, by comparing it to what I'm doing with WW. I already know what works for me with WW - I just now need to learn how to apply that with this website.

Once I get that down, I plan on cancelling my WW account. $18 a month isn't that much, but it adds up over the long run, and this website seems similar enough so I figure why not use this instead when it's free.

Currently I'm 5'9" and 125 lbs. I haven't had this body since I was 19, and am loving every minute of it. I just want to keep it this way.

Looking forward to meeting a lot of like-minded people here who love being in shape, eating right, and feeling good about themselves.

Tina

Replies

  • RoadsterGirlie
    RoadsterGirlie Posts: 1,195 Member
    BTW, this is me at 200+

    39809_1560313171684_8181453_n.jpg

    This is me now at 126.

    Photoon10-20-12at1123AM-1.jpg
  • you're an inspiration! well done and good luck! :}
  • How encouraging - I'm 5'3" and weigh 138 - everyone says I look fine but I don't feel good about my weight and would like to weigh 10 lbs less. I just started today - because I realized through this site that I ate over 1500 calories for dinner at Applebees and see this is why I struggle - Keep up the good work and I will be encouraged by you!
  • RoadsterGirlie
    RoadsterGirlie Posts: 1,195 Member
    Thanks everybody. I finally got the picture posting thing down... Looking forward to participating in the forums...
  • RoadsterGirlie
    RoadsterGirlie Posts: 1,195 Member
    adellano - eating out was the main reason why I was overweight in the first place. My hubby and I did it every other day. When I started making more home cooked meals where I could control the amount of calories I was consuming, the weight came off...
  • Well done and you look wonderful! MFP is so easy to use .Just get started and it will guide you like a rocket to success! I would advise that you track every thing and I mean every thing .Just stay under the suggested caloric intake goal and the weight goes bye bye!
    James
  • RoadsterGirlie
    RoadsterGirlie Posts: 1,195 Member
    Thanks jamers. I'm not looking to lose - just to maintain. I'm already accustomed to tracking as that's how WW worked for me with the Points system.

    I know if I don't track, the weight will come back in a heart beat.

    I'm looking to double track between both WW and MFP for awhile until I figure out what the average daily calorie amount is that I need to maintain.
  • JJManigault
    JJManigault Posts: 2 Member
    wow that is awesome! hearing new like this gives me motivation. I am 300+lbs and join mfp yesterday. surprisingly I was able to stay within my guildlines... I am so hoping this will work for me. I think tracking and being able to see where you are is a great tool just hoping I can stick with with. You look awesome!! hopefully I will be able to post a picture like that within a year.
  • katevarner
    katevarner Posts: 884 Member
    You look great! Congratulations! A warning re: maintenance here. MFP underestimates calories in foods and overestimates the ones from exercise, so make sure you are putting in accurate numbers. I track here and on Bodymedia.com because I have a Bodymedia armband, and the numbers are very different. I am in maintenance, too, or trying to be, but I'm still losing a little even trying to eat more than both sites tell me I can.

    If you are looking for maintenance friends, send me a request!
  • RoadsterGirlie
    RoadsterGirlie Posts: 1,195 Member
    Thanks kate for the advice. WW's Online database was the same way - most of the time the food and activity values were off so my best bet was to always read the label on everything I eat.

    What I am hoping to do is to figure out the amount of calories I'm eating per day by double tracking for awhile with WW. I have WW down to a science, but I'm sick of paying a monthly fee for it when MFP is free. I'm guessing this may take about a month to figure out, but I'm down for it. :)
  • Davelh1976
    Davelh1976 Posts: 140 Member
    Congrats! great work
  • secyatlaw
    secyatlaw Posts: 5 Member
    Hi! Had a big long expository paragraph that just got lost - so I'll just say, welcome, and hang in there!
  • You look fantastic,
  • yayjay
    yayjay Posts: 84 Member
    hey tina,

    if you are struggling to work out how many calories you can have, try shape.com recipe section, you can search by calorie, price, food type ect... its super convenient!
  • MonkeeAnne
    MonkeeAnne Posts: 17 Member
    My recommendation is to track the calories for the day in the foods you eat based on your points. This is what I did to convert to WW to calorie counting. BTW you look FABULOUS!!!
  • LadyBeryl
    LadyBeryl Posts: 344 Member
    Welcome.

    MFP is working well for me. Add me if you are willing to share your diary. Getting new menu ideas keeps me motivated.
  • thoseblueeyes
    thoseblueeyes Posts: 812 Member
    Hi Tina,

    I also lost about 97 with WW and just started MFP . I do both and love both. Can't wait to see your success on MFP. You can add me also if your looking for friends.
  • wow, Tina u look great....keep up the good work!
  • r0se125
    r0se125 Posts: 228 Member
    Oh my gosh you look AMAZING!!
  • californiagirl2012
    californiagirl2012 Posts: 2,625 Member
    Hi Tina, This is a great tool for maintenance and that is what I've been using it for about a year now. Good for you! -Bobbie
  • RoadsterGirlie
    RoadsterGirlie Posts: 1,195 Member
    Thanks everybody for the kind words and the warm welcome!
  • 7djt
    7djt Posts: 38 Member
    wow!
  • Xaspar
    Xaspar Posts: 726 Member
    ^Tina - You look great! Congratulations on your success. As far as figuring out calories, there are other calculators that can get you in the ballpark of the calories you need for maintenance and then you could tweak it based on the crossover information you get from the WW and this site... I used a TDEE calculator and set my calories goal here based on that for a rough estimate. I don't log exercise for additional calories, since I am still trying to lose. But I am eating at the maintenance level for the weight I WANT to be. It is helpful and keeps me from feeling deprived, plus it gets my body used to where I will need to be eating for the rest of my life... If I work out more than three times a week, I MAY add in the calories from any additional workouts, but it seems to all even out in the end, so most of the time I don't bother.
    Again ... congrats on your current success!!! :drinker:
    Feel free to add me if you like...
    ~Namaste
  • O. M. G!!!! You look FABULOUS!!!!! Keep up the great work! I can't imagine how totally AWESOME you must feel on the inside! It's written all over your beautiful face - what a GLOW! lol! :))))