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

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Replies

  • lannlynn
    lannlynn Posts: 72 Member
    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
    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
    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
    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: 1,526 Member
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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!!
  • deannajf4
    deannajf4 Posts: 223 Member
    MFP is only a piece of the puzzle. It, along with exercise comprise the "how to" of weight loss. What you really need to discover is the "want to". You have to find the thing that makes you want to stay committed to logging calories, and pushing play on that exercise dvd. it's too easy to ignore MFP on a day where you chose to indulge instead - so you really need to discover that internal thing that will help you resist the temptation in the moment!
  • shellma00
    shellma00 Posts: 1,684 Member
    MFP keeps me accountable. Without it I think I am doing good, just to be proven wrong. I lost 25 lbs with MFP at the beginning of 2012, the month of April I had 2 tragedies that threw me off my course and I quit using MFP. I gained back every single pound + a few. On what would have been my 1 year anniversary I signed on to MFP again and made my decision to be dedicated. I sign on every day. I log my food most days (sometimes on the weekend I dont for 1 day), but it lets me see where I am struggling. I also need the friend support that I get here. I do not have support from my husband. So yes MFP works for me. I do customize my goals, so I do not follow what they recommend, but it is working. I am once again down 11 lbs from Dec 26, 2012 to now. And even though I would like to see faster results I know that if I stick with it I will see results.
  • LisaInUP
    LisaInUP Posts: 63 Member
    I know how lazy I can be, so MFP helps me watch what I am eating & how much. I could exercise at home, but I don't make myself but since I pay for the gym, my cheapskate angel nags me to get my money's worth <lol>
  • AkimaGabsMom
    AkimaGabsMom Posts: 6 Member
    I have tracked my nutrition and activity on paper and I have used another support site.... MFP works the best for me because 1- the numbers seems a little more accurate than when I did it on paper, and 2 - MFP is more about getting things done and less about how pretty the web site is.... The other site was about points and pretty ads and articles that looked like they were out of an expensive magazine. MFP is more focused on us and what we need to do (in my opinion). And I LOVE the "if every day were like today you will weigh ### in 5 weeks." That little statement at the end of the day keeps me going and is like my little reward for a good day or a smack on the wrist for a bad. :laugh:
  • NaomiJFoster
    NaomiJFoster Posts: 1,450 Member
    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.

    Yes, this! Perfect. And it does the math for you!!

    I don't think the question really is "Does it work?" It's not a medication. It's not a machine. MFP doesn't actually do anything (except math). You do the work. It is a tool to monitor the work that you do. But MFP will only work as hard or as little as you do.
  • RhonndaJ
    RhonndaJ Posts: 1,615 Member
    As has been said. It's a tool, and a great one for me.
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,474 Member
    of course we can all do it without MFP, ha ha,
  • stella1314
    stella1314 Posts: 66 Member
    I deffinetely NEED MFP!
    I COULDNT EVER GET SUPPORT LIKE HERE !!!!
    any other diet plans i was doing on my own , but the group thing IS AWESOME!!!
  • 2credneck208
    2credneck208 Posts: 501 Member
    Mfp is my heroin...lol!!
  • conniemaxwell5
    conniemaxwell5 Posts: 943 Member
    I have found that if I don't log my calories and exercise, I am not as successful and I tend to get off track more easily. It doesn't have to be MFP for me although for where I am right now it's the best fit. I've used SparkPeople and Jillian Michaels web sites as well. What I like most about MFP is the ability to friend people and help keep each other accountable. You can do that on the other sites as well but it's more user friendly on MFP.
  • bookworm_847
    bookworm_847 Posts: 1,903 Member
    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!

    Before starting here, I didn't really understand how the whole weight loss thing worked. I'd get the motivation to work out for a little bit, and then reward myself by ordering Hubby and I a stuffed crust meat lovers pizza from Pizza Hut. Hey, it'll all balance out, right? :noway:

    I used to have really high metabolism and could eat whatever the heck I wanted and never gain weight.... not so much now though. I was in full denial that I didn't have that going for me anymore until I "outgrew" the pants I swore I'd never fill.

    I've learned so much from MFP. Though I learned a lot, I don't think I could do without it. At least not right now, I need to see the data in front of my face or else I'll start fooling myself into thinking I'm doing fine when I'm not.
  • aliceb39
    aliceb39 Posts: 84 Member
    I don't really regard MFP as a diet plan, but a tracking program. I've tried tracking on paper or in my day planner, but eventually, I get lazy and stop. For my diabetes, I needed to track my carbs & calories, asked my nutritionist about some sort of tool, and MFP is one of the three she suggested. MFP lets me track what I want to track, and more. The bonus is that I love the community I've found here, so I enjoy logging in each day, keeping track of what I need to, and seeing how everyone else is doing.
  • kd80538
    kd80538 Posts: 97 Member
    Just wondering if anyone feels like they really can't do weight loss without using MFP? Have you tried losing weight without it and find yourself having to get back on MFP? I just wanted to know how many people feel that they definitely need MFP to be successful with weight loss?

    I've been on MFP for 2 years now...I find that it was the key to my success in losing the weight, and definitely holds me accountable in keeping it off. I love the convenience of it, and honestly would be very lost without it. I think it has reinforced behavior that is now engrained in me, but I love having it as a tool in my journey.
  • kristen6022
    kristen6022 Posts: 1,923 Member
    I lost 25 pounds on my own before coming to MFP. MFP just motivated me to get the last 15 off. So, I can do it both ways, but I feel MFP keeps me more accountable...
  • montana_girl
    montana_girl Posts: 1,403 Member
    MFP, for me, it just another tool for my weight loss/maintenance. I use the site to keep track of my calories (I have my goal set up as custom for my TDEE), use my HRM and Fitbit to calculate calories burned, and use WW for accountibilty and support.

    So does MFP work for me... yes, but it's only part of the equation. :smile:
  • luckyinlove2
    luckyinlove2 Posts: 66 Member
    Definitely, MFP works for me. Over the past 15 months, I've lost a total of 59 pounds (some before MFP). I was really struggling to get myself healthier and thinner. Once I found MFP, I realized that even though I was eating healthy foods most of the time, I was getting way too many calories. Since my weight loss has been noticeable, I've had many people ask how I did it. I've told them about the journaling on MFP and although about 7 of them started out, only 3 others are still on MFP. Guess what? The ones on MFP are losing weight, the ones who stopped, are either the same weight or have gained more. I now weigh what I weighed 32 years ago, and am very pleased with MFP. Once I reach my goal, I won't be logging all my foods, but will still use the calorie counter to keep myself honest. That being said, if I start to gain weight again, I'll be back to logging everything!
  • ericahassinistermotives
    ericahassinistermotives Posts: 92
    OK I don't know if I NEED it. I probably won't need it after a year of practicing with it. But right now, and to get started, yeah...it's making a difference.
    This and her previous post are relevant to me.
  • eclectic_ladee
    eclectic_ladee Posts: 18 Member
    Personally, I feel that MFP is working for me. I started this around Halloween 2012. It has been an eye-opening experience to know what I am eating. The tracking system allows me to monitor and wisely select food choices. Just cutting back, for me, isn't good enough. I had to know what I was eating and how much. Of course, none of my success could be done without exercising. All in all, this is something I could stick with. Sometimes I am afraid that all the tracking / monitoring would make me too obsessed. However, it is important to remember that tracking / monitoring doesn't mean depriving yourself from foods you love. Cake and ice cream are my weaknesses and I still enjoy ice cream almost nightly. I just choose something that is 100 calorie to entertain that temptation! :)
  • wormy80
    wormy80 Posts: 64 Member
    bumping for later
  • mjohnson1999
    mjohnson1999 Posts: 11 Member
    I so think that MFP works for me... I could not have done this without the help of easy logging and Major encouragement that I get from all my MFP friends...

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