Does myfitnesspal really work?

70lbs I could not have lost without counting calories, eating better and working out. I say yes!

It works, if you eat less and move more than you did before you joined. Welcome! :flowerforyou:

It is a tool. And like any other tool, if you use it the way it was meant to be used it will help you get done what you need to get done. It will not stop you from stuffing that Big Mac down your throat. It will not make you get up off the couch and go for a walk. Use it right and it will open your eyes to what and how much you have been eating.

I was on ww until they changed their plan. It doesn't work for me now. MFP tracking and online support groups are like ww. You can post questions and get lots of answers. Most of them are helpful. The difference for me was that I had to find what worked for me instead of blindly doing what I was told to do. I made mistakes and lost some time, but now I know for myself. I have many friends who are chronic ww members. They join/lose/fall off the program/gain and join again every three or four years. I don't want to do that to my body or my wallet. Like Eminem says: "The program works if you work the program." He wasn't talking about this, but it still works! Good luck!

This definitely works. I have found it so much easier. Now I feel like I'm in control because I'm more aware of the calories/value of the food I'm eating. I'm so proud to say that I've lost 31 pounds and am fast approaching my pre-pregnancy weight. I only wish it didn't take me 8 years to figure it out!

just a lil'

The only thing that really works on MFP is the logging as far as results. That is what will give you the most benefit. It keeps you aware and conscience about the food that goes into your mouth. The most successful people are those who consistently find a way to log and track.

The other great thing about MfP is the apps, the friends option, and the progress graphs.

Otherwise, MFP isnt anything special it's just a tool. There is no diet. It's simply knowing what you are eating.

It's only a calculator. It calculates figures for the numbers and functions you tell it to do.

From my perspective, it is a big fat YES. Obviously the most important ingredient is your own personal commitment. But I've had success on this site where I've failed everywhere else - including Weight Watchers. I was at my heaviest 240 lbs. I lost about 40 pounds with just basic dieting (ie, stopped eating burgers and fries every day) and then I got stuck. Then a year later I lost 10, over the next few years I went between 190 and 175 and leveled out at 175. I tried everything, low carb, gym workouts with a trainer, quitting alcohol - nothing. The scale would not move past 175. Sometimes I would go up 10 lbs, and take that off again, but I was convinced 175 was my weight forever. Then I found MFP (last March) and have lost 24 pounds. Most of that came off within the first couple of months.

Here's why I think it works. One, if you choose to find a community, you can get great support. Everyone on this site is either where you are, has been there, or will be there, so there is tons of emphathy and knowledge. I think the actual counting of calories is key though. WW gives you tools with points, but that never worked with me. I need the real-read-the-lable-and-know information. I was eating WAY too much, and once I was aware of that, the weight came off. I make better choices to make the most of my calorie budget. I have accountability with my MFP community, and I have a place to gripe when the scale makes me mad, or I eat an entire cheesecake, or I hit a goal and want to cheer.

So if you're committed, and ready to be honest in logging, it is an amazing program. It doesn't hurt if you can add some physical activitity too, since that means you can eat more, and your body will change faster. But I'm a big fan - it's amazing, just read some of the success stories!

MFP is what you make of it, it is a tool not a plan, you make the plan therefore it is up to you if it works or not