Why I no longer use MFP

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  • MrsFlip7
    MrsFlip7 Posts: 5 Member
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    I understood exactly what you were saying :) Been there. I used MFP for a little over a year, lost 32 lbs, and then decided it was consuming my life, counting to a t, trying to figure out how many calories a "bite" of a cookie costed me. I left mfp for a bit, and did well, stressed less and took with me what I learned here. I am back now because of drs orders to maintain a log.
  • Chain_Ring
    Chain_Ring Posts: 753 Member
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    If it works for you, use it. No, seriously.
  • fairygirlpie9
    fairygirlpie9 Posts: 288 Member
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    Everyone has their own methods. I feel sad when I go over my limit - yesterday I went over by 63 cals and I must admit I did feel ashamed. BUT I have been overweight for a very long time and it was down to the fact that I wasn't taking responsibility for what I was eating. Although I may be slightly obsessive about my logging on MFP, it has seriously contributed to keeping my weight down and I do actually need it for the time being because it gives me control that I didn't have before. If I stopped logging I would definitely gain weight (as I did over Christmas) as I'd have no way of assessing exactly what I had consumed.
  • mamadon
    mamadon Posts: 1,422 Member
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    Do you ever find yourself heartbroken because the little calculator tells you you're 100 calories over goal? Nor really. But, I will admit I worried a bit, but found out the worry was for naught.

    Have you left MFP, only to return because without it you gained weight? No. This is the first time I've used it.

    Do you count down to the last raisin, because that 3 calories is important to you? Nope. Most of the time I am slightly under calorie goal, sometimes I eat more, and once in a while I am way over. The end week calorie count is what matters most to me.

    I will count calories and log them for the rest of my life if that's what it takes to keep my weight off.


    ^^^
    Like my friend here says.
  • lcvaughn520
    lcvaughn520 Posts: 219 Member
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    I hope I don't need to rely on MFP forever, too; however, it was really useful for me as a tool when I first started because I thought "I eat healthy, why am I not losing!" MFP helped me understand that you can eat healthy foods but eat too much of them. It has helped get my sense of portions under control and helped me figure out how to plan a day's worth of food without completely obsessing over it.

    I can totally see how some people would become obsessed with calories and exercise and how it could be a negative. For me, I use it as a loose guideline and I find that it's been really helpful in that sense.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    without it you gained weight?

    Maybe if you answered yes, you should test the waters outside of MFP. Live a little and see if you can take the skills you learned

    It is actually normal for people to have to use a calorie counting tool for the rest of their life. Most people will not be successful long term if they quit what helped them lose the weight, especially if they lost a lot of weight. I would not be encouraging people to quit what has helped them lose weight. That is exactly what gets people into trouble according to the "why people gained weight back" thread.

    I don't agree that it's normal to track your calories daily for the rest of your life. I think most people learn from all the tracking that they can eyeball things. When calorie creep happens, they count again for a while then re-try eyeballing things. Or at least that is how most published diet plans that have you track initially expect you to maintain. They know tracking is annoying to most and doesn't encourage the healthiest mental relationship with food. It's not a natural thing. Learning to intuitively guide your eating is. I know that many people here believe they have totally lost that ability forever but it's really not usually the case.
  • FredDoyle
    FredDoyle Posts: 2,273 Member
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    See you next year!
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,943 Member
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    Never mind. She deactivated. She really left. :frown:
  • Jkn921
    Jkn921 Posts: 309 Member
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    Don't use it to track my food as I don't want to be weighing my food but knowing how to eat in moderation and see results - worked so far, never had to weigh my food yet. I use the site to browse the interesting things and ask questions but it's a task.
  • journey_man
    journey_man Posts: 110 Member
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    I don't plan of counting calories for the rest of my life. I'm gonna lose the excess fat and then bulk to the point where, combined w regular exercise and moderate eating, I can be comfy in the knowledge that I don't need to count. I expect this will take about 2 years.
  • wahmx3
    wahmx3 Posts: 646 Member
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    I could have typed this word for word! No way will i ever live off 1200 calories a day and never will I go to the gym twice a day....but I don't plan on logging daily and have a much better understanding of other things besides calories in my food thanks to logging what I eat.
    I admit that most of the weight I lost was without MFP, in the beginning, because I didn't know about it, and really had no desire to count calories at the time. Now that I'm closer to goal, it's harder for me to lose weight, and I want to be able to eat as much as possible, and still lose weight. What can I say, I love food. I also can't live off of a 1,200 calorie diet. Good luck to you though! Edited to say that I also did try to quit MFP for a while, and gained almost 15lb's.
  • _SABOTEUR_
    _SABOTEUR_ Posts: 6,833 Member
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    I brush my teeth twice a day and now I spend 5-10 mins a day logging my food.

    No big.
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
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    I really wish people understood what I was trying to say. :(
    Once again, for the record, I would never tell anyone to quit MFP. Like I said, it changed my life. All I said was that sometimes you can branch out and find something different that works for you. I'm not ecouraging people to quit. I was one of those people who gained when I left. This post was pretty much me saying it doesn't have to be that way, and I'm proof of it!
    I applaud all of you for being here and you should be very proud of what you did! Please don't think I'm trying to make any of you quit.

    I see what you're trying to say, but I think it needs to be clearer: MFP was not your problem. Control issues were your problem.

    I get this. I've struggled with it on MFP myself. When it gets to a point that stress or anxiety or potential damage to your health come from fear of the color "red" in your diary, taking a break or a "different approach" is probably best.

    I'd argue that having very large deficits (ex: Eating at 1200 calories for the duration of weight loss) is prone to trigger this cycle of stress/needing to "live" more than someone who understands ups and downs of weight, eating, and exercise (helped by understanding TDEE).
  • frenchiegirl11
    frenchiegirl11 Posts: 2
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    I appreciate food diaries like MFP b/c it makes me more aware of the calories and nutrients in food. I would go get grilled shrimp tacos from a place and then went to log them and realized they were way over what I had imagined. Needless to say, I don't get those very often these days.

    It also pushes me to exercise more since more exercise minutes means more food you can eat.

    I was very successful with another online diary several years ago. I quit logging and after 6 years the weight almost all came back. An online food diary is the first place I turned for tools.
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
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    Um... good for you.. :huh: :huh: :huh: :huh: :huh:
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    Do you ever find yourself heartbroken because the little calculator tells you you're 100 calories over goal?
    NO. Never.
    Have you left MFP, only to return because without it you gained weight?
    NO.
    Do you count down to the last raisin, because that 3 calories is important to you?
    NO.
    Maybe if you answered yes, you should test the waters outside of MFP. Live a little and see if you can take the skills you learned and apply them to your meal planning.

    You can do this without "leaving MFP". After you do this awhile, you know what foods you can eat and in what quantities, especially if you are in a routine. I find it much more than just a calorie counting tool, I find motivation here, friendship, information, education, etc. It's not just about the calorie counting, though that is a very important aspect of weight loss. When your goals are more than just weight loss, calories isn't the only thing.
  • DYELB
    DYELB Posts: 7,407 Member
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    dont-let-the-door-hit-you-where-the-good-lord-split-you1.jpg
  • Psalm17v22
    Psalm17v22 Posts: 168 Member
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    I will count calories and log them for the rest of my life if that's what it takes to keep my weight off.

    AMEN!

    God bless,
    Karen
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
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    In...

    ...to catch up later.

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