Why does MFP help?

I believe it's the calorie counting, and the support from the people on this website. Everyone has a goal, and no one is shy to give you a kick in the *kitten* if you need it. They're very friendly, and I think that's definitely a recipe for success.

It works for me because I've discovered I can eat almost anything and lose if I stay within my limits. It isn't a diet where certain foods/food groups are eliminated or I have to eat meat replacements or anything like that. And I find my own progress to be motivating and there is a visual record of it on my ticker!

It works for me because I've discovered I can eat almost anything and lose if I stay within my limits. It isn't a diet where certain foods/food groups are eliminated or I have to eat meat replacements or anything like that. And I find my own progress to be motivating and there is a visual record of it on my ticker!

This sums it up!

I find that I just didn't realize what I was taking in. Once I tracked it I was able to see what I was doing to myself. Very supportive people on MFP who shared same goals as I do. I am older so please bare with me.... it is kinda like golf.....if you don't keep track how do you know how you are doing.

All of the above, plus everyone on MFP is working toward the same goal. And if you have a particular focus in mind, like a health condition or seeking folks your own age, you can find a group here with similar interests.

I use MFP like facebook. All of my friends don't have the exact same goals, but we're all moving in the same direction and have at least one major thing in common: we want to be healthy! Each day I look forward to logging my foods and exercise, and I think that has a lot to do with the fact that my MFP friends are so good at encouraging and congratulating me! As siily as it may sound, it feels good to have other people recognize my accomplishments (even if they're small). I love feeling like I'm not alone. When I've tried calorie counting before it was easy to skip a meal or quit because no one would know but me. Or I would eat a "cup" of pasta, but really it was closer to 2. Now I'm so much more precise with what I eat and log because I want to be honest and real with my friends - which for me, is much easier than being honest with myself. And that precise counting and consistent tracking is making a huge difference! Of my friends, I only know one of them in person, but there are several of them that really feel like real friends - like we could go out and grab a cup of coffee... if they weren't hundreds or thousands of miles away I also love to see my friends' updates - they're so encouraging! And each time one of my friends' exercise shows up on my news feed, I feel a sense of friendly competition or motivation spurring me on. The sense of community is really helping me to stay on track - I am LOVING MFP! :happy:

Side note: I also love all of the foods that are already in the app - makes tracking calories WAY easy! And I like that at the end of each day when I finish logging it tells me an approximate weight in 5 weeks. It reminds me that I'm doing well, and consistency will pay off. I need that reminder when I start feeling impatient with my body.

It helps because you are fully aware of what your eating and burning
As you are a newbie, haven't you been shocked by some of the high calories you were eating in some foods?

The calorie counting system is easy, and it's a quick visual guide to how I'm doing in a day. I'm a number-oriented person, so seeing it all right in front of me like that makes it easier to choose what I will eat. Seeing the totals makes it easier to keep myself accountable.

And when things go 'wrong' I can see at a glance exactly where the problem lies.

For me it's accountabilty. You have to be honest and track everything that you eat and drink in order for you to be sucessful in your journey. There have been several days that I totally changed my meal plan for a given meal because I was approaching my daily limit, without the use of MFP I would not had known.

I lost 30 lbs on my own without MFP and for several months could not get the scale to move either way. A friend told me about MFP and how easy it was to use. I installed it the next day and was amazed by it's contents. I have now lost over 65 pounds total and continue to use it everyday.

Have fun!!

I find that I just didn't realize what I was taking in. Once I tracked it I was able to see what I was doing to myself.

This is my main thing. And having the app on my phone makes it really easy. Even if I'm out with people it is not unusual to input my food on my phone because people are always grabbing their phone to check things out anyway.

Before the MFP and the phone app I was stuck trying to remember what I ate when I got home and would forget things.

Knowledge is power. Knowledge of what I'm eating gives me power over my weight. Simple as that.

Accountability. I don't always input my calories, but frequently checking in keeps me in the mindset of reasonable eating and consistent activity.

I think it's the anonymity at the beginning. I wouldn't tell my best mate how much I weighed or how unhappy I was, I definitely wouldn't show pictures and talk about weight (real weight). Here nobody judges you because they are all in the same boat and have been there done that. They know exactly how you feel and that makes it all seem more possible when you read the success stories.
When I lose weight I get a humongous virtual hug from people and a high five.
I feel great and also being such a huge site there is someone out there at any time of the day to talk to or bounce ideas off.
The other thing I find is if I am reading inspiring stories on here and tapping out responses, I don't have any hands left to nibble and graze!
I know this sounds daft but I truly believe this site has saved me from what could have been (gaining instead of losing) and thrown into this FREE program comes some amazing friends who have gone from virtual to real life!
BIG UP MFP
:flowerforyou:

It works for me because I've discovered I can eat almost anything and lose if I stay within my limits. It isn't a diet where certain foods/food groups are eliminated or I have to eat meat replacements or anything like that. And I find my own progress to be motivating and there is a visual record of it on my ticker!

This.

Plus trolling. Lots of trolling

For me, it's the calorie tracker and being accountable to myself. I've only ever lost weight when counting calories. I'm an emotional/boredom overeater (I had to go to counseling to help deal with that issue) and MFP has helped me to say no to many needless snacks and to be aware of how much and what I am eating. It has also motivated me to exercise even more than I already was. I have also noticed that some of the pre-listed exercise calories burned are WAY higher than what you're really burning, so I track that myself and I rarely eat those calories burned. I've also fixed a lot of preset calories on some of the foods I use the most. I am also a baker and cook... Love to cook! So being able to put in a favorite family recipe, for me, is priceless.

I can't really say I like the "support system" on here though. Probably just because I don't need someone telling me I'm awesome when they don't even know me. I'm not one who's ever wanted cheerleaders, I suppose. (It works for some people, just not me.) I have a few of my real life friends on here and they are my support and I am theirs. And the forums are full of people who think they are experts on their own program and feel they need to tell everyone they're wrong if they don't follow THEIR plan. The simple truth of it is that when you're first starting out, you need to experiment with what works for your unique body - maybe you do need to cut down on dairy/cheese, maybe you do need to cut back on carbs (notice I didn't say cut OUT entirely??), but maybe you just need to eat healthy, nutritious foods that fuel your body and make thoughtful decisions. It has to work for YOU and YOUR lifestyle... not JoeSchmoe42, whom you've never met, who preaches the pink grapefruit diet in every single forum.

And that is not to say I don't appreciate all the HELPFUL tips people give out, I LOVE those... it's just the bullying and preaching I have a problem with. I have been absolutely inspired by many people on here to push my workouts, to try new foods, and to face this lifestyle change with hope and joy. And to those people I say: Thank you!! :flowerforyou: I have already decided that to celebrate my first 50 pounds lost, I'm going to start running. Normally I would never consider running unless a bear was after me (it happens in my neighborhood), but I can see so much good health and fitness coming from it.

My advice to many people is to 'invest' in yourself - the time for exercise that works for your body and lifestyle, the time to think ahead and prepare nourishing foods, and the education to understand how it all works together. If you haven't seen a nutritionist or a dietician, it might be something you should do to learn about what's healthy and what's not. And to learn from a real expert what's fact and what's fiction... because I've seen a LOT of fiction floating around in these forums.