Does Fitness Pal really work?

Don't overcomplicate it, make a commitment to yourself and stick to it. MFP is only a tool to help. You have to be the one to do the work. Eventually it becomes second nature logging in. You just have to want it bad enough. Add me as a buddy and I'll help keep you motivated!! You can do this...but only if you want to.

Lots of good advice here. I was just going to write a piece about patience.... I remember when I was getting married: I ate little and exercised every evening on this antiquated stationary bike that jerked my upper body back and forth as I pedaled. LOL!! Good memories. Best wishes!!

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MFP addict

MFP works very well as long as you don't cheat on your entries. Be sure to always always always put the correct portions in and the correct amount of exercise in. My rule of thumb is to guess high on calories eaten and low on calories burned. If you do that, you'll never be surprised by a failure, but will be pleasantly surprised by results.

I don't worry about my macros (allowance of carbs, protein, fat, etc) but I have alot of weight to lose. I purely count up calories. If you have a relatively small amount of weight to lose, pay more attention to those. I started in early December and I'm down 35 pounds so far using this tool. I've learned how to eat well without taking in excess calories in the process.

People work... MFP is a tool to help you toward success. If you simply expect anything to work for you its not going to happen. On the other hand if you apply yourself and use MFP to track the changes you make you will find yourself making measurable changes that will give you measurable results. I've dropped 128 pounds in seven months and still going strong. Anyone is welcome to add me. My food diary is open to friends.

You have to be patient with the tool at first. I tried to use it last year and it just seemed too hard to keep putting in the meals. It seemed so hard to find just the right meal, the right version of the meal. I quit using it after a week. However, this year, I'm using it again and it is so much better.
The tool may be better functionally since last year, but I didn't even stay around long enough last year to even know that.
Now, I've figured out that it shows my recent food by type of meal. I don't have to hunt and peck to find coffee with splenda...it's at the top of my list when I add something to breakfast. I can scan items with my phone camera and it automatically adds it. Adding the food has become so much easier.
Also, learn how to use the create meals, there's a video tutorial. When you cook, you don't have to enter all 10 ingredients in every time. The "create a meal" function lets you group all ingredients and you can just pick it as your meal from then on. It's genius.
So give it time and the tool will make it easier to enter everything.
Now, I am excited to add things to it, I want to see my numbers.
Of course, like everyone else says...it's a tool, you have to put in the work. But as a tool, it's a helpful tool that doesn't slow you down and complicates keeping track of your progress.

Yes it does. I'm almost 47 years old and maintained my weight of 142 to 145 lbs the last 2 years. I am only 5 feet tall so my weight is considered heavy for my height however I am pretty active, I ran 5km 3 to 5 times a week and I would alternate with long walks. My blood pressure and cholesterol stayed normal consistently every physical exam. Even with all these activities I had a hard time losing the last 12 lbs goal. This more than likely because my intake equals my output. Two months ago I was diagnosed with having pinched nerve on my spine which resulted in me needing to limit my activities. NO running. I cannot gain weight as this will not help my current condition and the only exercise I could do is walk.

I saw MFP on Twitter and decided to start logging my food. This is my third week and I lost 4lbs already. My missing link? I was eating the wrong stuff and eating more than I was burning. By simply logging my food I am able to watch what I eat and help me stay within my daily goal

in short : yes

Stick with it. I found tracking my food made ALL the difference in the world. Having a support network of people going through the same thing as me - definitely helped.

Ive lost 112lbs (83since I began with MFP)
Ive started reaching my goals
I love MFP and it changed my life

It works if YOU WORK!

It works. It takes hard work, dedication, eating healthy.

Do NOT lie about what you put into your body. Log all of your food. Just stick with it and be positive.

If you use it, it will help you, and drink your water, drink your water, drink your water! Drink 1/2 of your body weight in oz every day, it also takes time to get used to drinking that much, but in a week or two you will start craving water.

I have been on this since Sept 2012, I track everything, exercise lots & very rarely do I touch the calories I have burned. I stick to my allocated daily limit. The proof is below

It changed my life and the way I think about food and diet. It's about changing your habits and your understanding of your body because it works slowly. But it doesn't take long to start feeling like a million bucks - keep exercising....

I'm finding it very helpful. I had to learn how to use its tools (still learning) to acieve the goals I am trying to reach. For instance, I did not immediately try to get a certain amount of carbs, protein, fat or any other nutrients in. I just concentrated on eating lean meats and whole wheat/grains to feul my workouts. My goal in the coming weeks will be to target nutrient amounts specific to my daily caloric intake. I am also figuring out how the planner helps you reach your goal weight incorporating exercise and the number of calories I consume. It's kind of like having a facebook account; I was learning something new on it everytime I logged on. Congratulations on your upcoming nuptials and much success in achieving your goals. If I can be of help, feel free to ask me. I might be able to help...maybe.

What worked for me was pre planning my meals. That way i can try out alternatives to see what helps me stick with my budget.

Normally i do this the night before. So i see say if i can have 2 or 3 sausages he next day for dinner.
Or if my afternoon tea can be crisps or if i should go for some carrot sticks and cottage cheese instead.
By pre planning i get to make sure here are no nasty surprises at he. Nd of the day.

I do this as well. Every night I plan out the next day's meals, adding and deleting things until I come up with the right combo to meet my macros. If I didn't do this, I would never get the right combination. I also prepare my meals the night before as much as I can, even if it's just measuring or weighing things and putting them in a container. I do leave my weekends a little more open, but by lunch time I usually end up needing to plan out the rest of the day if I want it to come out right.

I LOVE MFP!!! its worked awesome for me! i never realized just how much calories i was really consuming on an average day, until i started tracking! i thought, "wow, why am i gaining weight, i must only eat like 1000 calories a day..." lmao, yeah right, i soon found out i was actually averaging about 4000 calories a day!!! the key is, you have to log honestly, otherwise, your only sabataging yourself! log accurate, and log honest! september 17, 2012, i started to take my weight loss serious, at 246, im currently 188... i have mfp to thank for helping me keep at it, and stay motivated!!!