Attention long term my fitness pal users

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stevenleagle
stevenleagle Posts: 293 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've been on my fitness pal since June 2011. But let me get a few things out in the air:

Firstly, mfp reports that I have only been continuously logging for 95 odd days. Which is kinda true. I stopped logging in December when I went overseas for a few weeks. I have stopped logging for brief periods of time before. But yes I have been using this site and app a lot (lot!) longer than that.

Secondly, believe it or not, I have still never achieved my "goal weight" (though I have been close). And I have lost and regained a great deal of weight since June 2011. But - I have still never gone anywhere near back as to my pre-mfp weight and have more or less maintained a lot of my initial weight loss (achieved in the first 6 months). More importantly, I have not (totally) reverted to my pre mfp lifestyle. I keep lifting weights and do some cardio EVERY week. Even if at times it is only minimal.

Thirdly, I still keep logging. But my diary is no longer open (I don't want comments on my FD), I no longer comment on others' diaries as a daily ritual either (though I do keep commenting from time to time). And I don't beat myself up when I am over for the day (I just try not to make it a habit).

But that's me. What I would love is to hear from other long term mfp users out there. How has YOUR experience been? To give this thread some structure, I am particularly interested in knowing the following about you:

1. How long have you used mfp for?
2. How has your logging habits changed over time?
3. Have you ever reached goal and if so at what point?
4 Have you ever reverted to your old ways whilst using mfp? If so, what did you do?
5. Do you see mfp as a short term tool (stop using it when you are goal weight) or (like me) intend to use it indefinitely?
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Replies

  • 12by311
    12by311 Posts: 1,719 Member
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    1. How long have you used mfp for?

    Joined Jan 2009.



    2. How has your logging habits changed over time?

    I can maintain my weight effectively without logging. So in times of maintenance I haven't logged. Or times of pregnancy. ha



    3. Have you ever reached goal and if so at what point?

    Honestly, I've never reached "weight goals" BUT that's okay because I was reaching fitness goals at that point and was definitely okay with my body. Not going to be a slave to an arbitrary number. I tend to push the bar with my goals though so I don't know if I'll ever feel like, "okay, I'm done".



    4 Have you ever reverted to your old ways whilst using mfp? If so, what did you do?

    I don't really have "old ways". I don't restrict any foods. And I don't only exercise while trying to lose weight. So….



    5. Do you see mfp as a short term tool (stop using it when you are goal weight) or (like me) intend to use it indefinitely?

    I probably won't log as often when I get back to my pre-pregnancy weight. Like I said, I've maintained my weight for years before and after joining without having to log.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    1. How long have you used mfp for?

    Since June 17th 2013 (had 1 week off while I didn't have access)

    2. How has your logging habits changed over time?

    I prelog more now

    3. Have you ever reached goal and if so at what point?

    Yes I reached my inital goal of 165 months ago and changed it to 155...4lbs away.

    4 Have you ever reverted to your old ways whilst using mfp? If so, what did you do?

    Nope...

    5. Do you see mfp as a short term tool (stop using it when you are goal weight) or (like me) intend to use it indefinitely?

    Indefinate useage...it's a great too for losing, maintaining, bulking
  • Hannahp1402
    Hannahp1402 Posts: 85 Member
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    :)
  • lkcostello
    lkcostello Posts: 49 Member
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    1. How long have you used mfp for?
    Since Nov 2009

    2. How has your logging habits changed over time?
    Usually I log for a week or two, don't see any progress, then quit. Start again when I feel like I've gained too much.

    3. Have you ever reached goal and if so at what point?
    Nope.

    4 Have you ever reverted to your old ways whilst using mfp? If so, what did you do?
    Yes. I stop logging and end up gaining weight. I've done WW and Nutrisystem during the same time as using MFP. NS is the only thing that really worked. However, now I've been logging over 50 days (longest streak ever) and I'm really watching what I eat and working out regularly again. Plus my husband is doing MFP, so we are kind of having fun with it. I've lost 5 lbs in the 50 days and I'm ok with that. I FEEL like I've lost more, but I'm ok with slow and steady.

    5. Do you see mfp as a short term tool (stop using it when you are goal weight) or (like me) intend to use it indefinitely?
    I think it's going to have to be long term for me. I'm only 5'3" and I had 15 lbs to lose. It's not easy. But really easy to put it back on. So, I'll see how it goes. I have not let life get in the way. I just keep chugging along and it seems to be working this time.

    Linda
  • einzweidrei
    einzweidrei Posts: 381 Member
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    1. How long have you used mfp for?

    Used it once a few years ago and gave up. Started again July 2013 and have logged something every day since then.

    2. How has your logging habits changed over time?

    Not much, except I eat more in maintenance so I get to add more food.

    3. Have you ever reached goal and if so at what point?

    Original goal was twenty pounds. Went from 170-->150. Decided I wanted to get back to HS weight. Went from 150-->143. Decided to try for more. Went from 143-->130. Was never happy enough with the previous end points so I always wanted to keep going. I needed to stop though b/c I started to look too thin for my height/frame and considering I seem to bounce between 127-131, getting below 127 would put me in underweight territory. Stopped losing in December. Not happy with the body but hoping to exercise more once my class is finished. :-)

    4 Have you ever reverted to your old ways whilst using mfp? If so, what did you do?

    I do still eat a lot of junk (and definitely more than when I was trying to lose) but I am still pretty good about tracking.

    5. Do you see mfp as a short term tool (stop using it when you are goal weight) or (like me) intend to use it indefinitely?

    We'll see. Part of me continues to do it. Part of me wonders if I'll be doing it forever.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,742 Member
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    1. How long have you used mfp for?

    <> one year. 3/25/13 to present. Not sure if I qualify as "long term user" or not.

    2. How has your logging habits changed over time?

    <> honestly very little has changed. I've logged every day and very specifically. I still eyeball most portions, measure only some things, and don't weigh my food.

    3. Have you ever reached goal and if so at what point?

    <> yes and no. My goal is not set in stone. My original goal was 220 lb which I surpassed months ago, my current goal is 170.

    4 Have you ever reverted to your old ways whilst using mfp? If so, what did you do?

    <> no, this hasn't happened and honestly I am not sure it ever will because my "old ways" changed way before I even joined MFP.

    5. Do you see mfp as a short term tool (stop using it when you are goal weight) or (like me) intend to use it indefinitely?

    <> for me I think it's more of a long term thing, and if something happened with MFP that I no longer enjoyed using this particular tool I would do something very similar to keep track of my calories and weight loss.
  • fougamou
    fougamou Posts: 200 Member
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    1. How long have you used mfp for?
    January 2013

    2. How has your logging habits changed over time?
    They haven't, except when I went on cruise and didn't log for a week last July.

    3. Have you ever reached goal and if so at what point?

    I reached my goal 10 months in

    4 Have you ever reverted to your old ways whilst using mfp? If so, what did you do?

    Afraid to jinx myself with that answer. But no, MFP has kept me on track.

    5. Do you see mfp as a short term tool (stop using it when you are goal weight) or (like me) intend to use it indefinitely?

    Originally I thought I would wold eventually stop logging everything and just periodically log for a couple of days as a "check. But logging is such a habit now, I plan to continue indefinitely.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
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    1. How long have you used mfp for? Joined April 2011, logged consistently for the past 945 days.

    2. How has your logging habits changed over time? Stopped and started several times, used to eyeball portions or just go by package labels or whatever I found in the database. Now I have a food scale, I weigh and measure foods whenever possible, and use the most accurate food entries in the database.

    3. Have you ever reached goal and if so at what point? Yes, in Feb. 2013, after figuring out my BMR & TDEE and eating at about a 15% cut from TDEE.

    4. Have you ever reverted to your old ways whilst using mfp? If so, what did you do? Never all the way back, but did stop tracking several times (the stopping and starting I referred to in question 2).

    5. Do you see mfp as a short term tool (stop using it when you are goal weight) or (like me) intend to use it indefinitely? Indefinitely - it helps keep me on track, and I use it not only to make sure I'm not eating too much, but to ensure that I am hitting my macro goals.
  • danimalkeys
    danimalkeys Posts: 982 Member
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    1. How long have you used mfp for?
    Since Dec 2012

    2. How has your logging habits changed over time?
    I've been consistent- currently almost 430 days straight.

    3. Have you ever reached goal and if so at what point?
    No, I'm about 5lbs away, and then I'll probably adjust it down again.

    4 Have you ever reverted to your old ways whilst using mfp? If so, what did you do?
    No.

    5. Do you see mfp as a short term tool (stop using it when you are goal weight) or (like me) intend to use it indefinitely?
    I think it's a tool I can use indefinitely. Even when I hit my goal weight not much will change with needing to track calories and nutritional info.
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
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    1. How long have you used mfp for?
    February 2011...so 3+ years

    2. How has your logging habits changed over time?

    3. Have you ever reached goal and if so at what point?
    Yes, January 2012 (30 lbs lost)

    4 Have you ever reverted to your old ways whilst using mfp? If so, what did you do?
    Nope, I lost the weight, never backslid, and kept looking forward.

    5. Do you see mfp as a short term tool (stop using it when you are goal weight) or (like me) intend to use it indefinitely?
    I kept logging in MFP for months into maintenance but then I got sick of logging. I knew what I had to do. I learned what a proper portion size looked like. So, I stopped logging maybe 1.5 years ago and did well maintaining on my own. I still visit MFP but don't log...that is until last week. My doctor put me on an elimination diet (no wheat or dairy) for 3 weeks and I am struggling to eat enough calories. So, I am back to logging for now just to make sure I eat enough.
  • 89nunu
    89nunu Posts: 1,082 Member
    Options
    1. How long have you used mfp for?

    Jan 2013 (long term? not sure)

    2. How has your logging habits changed over time?

    I don't cry when I'm over one day. I pre log everything apart from 200-300 cals I leave for sweets

    3. Have you ever reached goal and if so at what point?

    Yip, after 8 months (lost 28 lbs before starting to bulk)

    4 Have you ever reverted to your old ways whilst using mfp? If so, what did you do?

    I was bulking over the winter and ate a lot, and a lot of chocolate/ice cream/cake, wouldn't really call that old ways though cause I was still controlling it (watching my macros)

    5. Do you see mfp as a short term tool (stop using it when you are goal weight) or (like me) intend to use it indefinitely?

    Will stay for as long as I will bulk/cut
  • maQmIgh
    maQmIgh Posts: 236 Member
    Options
    Hi All,


    1. How long have you used mfp for?

    I joined MFP Years ago, but didnt understand all the perks (I downloaded it as a glorified BMI Calculator... Realised It was too in-depth for what I wanted, and forgot about it.
    I have since started to use it for its original purpose (started about 10 months ago) and have lost all this weight since then.


    2. How has your logging habits changed over time?

    I wasnt logging religiously, yet was getting irritated at not being able to figure out why Im not losing the weight.
    I then logged everything (or so I thought) but still learn new things everyday... This week I realsied I had not been understanding the instructions on Ribena on the way they calculate the calories (I had become stagnant during the last 3 months and couldnt figure why)... Turns out I was logging 200ml of ribena at 80 odd calories instead a litre of ribena at 450 cals :( )
    Anything that passes my lips now go in my diary :)


    3. Have you ever reached goal and if so at what point?

    Not reached yet, But am currently 10lbs away (closest Ive got so far)


    4 Have you ever reverted to your old ways whilst using mfp? If so, what did you do?

    I still have issues with food, and still get weak moments (the last 3 days are a perfect example)... I forget to listen when my stomache is full and still dont always pay attension to portion size .... For example: the FAMILY SIZED trifle went down so quick and so nicely last night, that I polished off 960 calories in under 2 minutes


    5. Do you see mfp as a short term tool (stop using it when you are goal weight) or (like me) intend to use it indefinitely?

    I originally saw MFP as a means to an end and had planned to stop using when I reached my goal... But since I've been on this journey over the last 10 months, I have learned that there is no such thing as 'an end', and as I have NO SENSE when it comes to calories inside foods or portion size.. I think MFP will be a god-send for the furutre

    xxx
  • Fitnin6280
    Fitnin6280 Posts: 618 Member
    Options
    1. How long have you used mfp for?
    Since August 2011

    2. How has your logging habits changed over time?
    At first I didn't log in every day, and even if I did I didn't log my food. When I seriously started logging my food, I lost weight.

    3. Have you ever reached goal and if so at what point?
    No, I am currently about 30 lbs away, but considering how far I have come, I count it as a success thus far.

    4 Have you ever reverted to your old ways whilst using mfp? If so, what did you do?
    Yep, for the last 2 months. But I decided today was going to be my new beginning. I have come way too far to let it slip away from me.

    5. Do you see mfp as a short term tool (stop using it when you are goal weight) or (like me) intend to use it indefinitely? I think I will use MFP until I have a better relationship with food. It has always been a struggle with me, and I feel like until I get that figured out, I will need to use MFP. If that means I use it until I meet my goal, or until I die, I just don't have that answer yet.
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,022 Member
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    1. How long have you used mfp for? 4+ years. Started January 2010.

    2. How has your logging habits changed over time? I log much more consistently now. And more accurately. And I am more concerned about macros now. Didn't even know what they were or why they mattered when I first started.

    3. Have you ever reached goal and if so at what point? I've surpassed my original goal, but I don't have a weight goal anymore. I'm just trying to get stronger and leaner, and I'm finally coming to grasp the fact that it's a lifelong process. I don't need to be 18% body fat tomorrow.

    4 Have you ever reverted to your old ways whilst using mfp? If so, what did you do? I went through a period where I stopped logging, but I've never gone back to overeating. Doesn't have anything to do with MFP, I'm just not a quitter.

    5. Do you see mfp as a short term tool (stop using it when you are goal weight) or (like me) intend to use it indefinitely? I see the idea of monitoring my intake as something I will always do. Will I always track every calorie and every gram of protein? God, I hope not. But I will never again be a person who eats whatever sounds good all day long, with no regard for what it means for my body.
  • mllev87
    mllev87 Posts: 8 Member
    Options
    1. How long have you used mfp for?
    A little over a year now.

    2. How has your logging habits changed over time?
    I used to guesstimate what I ate, now I usually weigh everything.

    3. Have you ever reached goal and if so at what point?
    I am pretty much at my goal weight now. I already reached it last summer, after a few months of logging my food, but then I gained a few pounds back. Started logging again and reached my goal again a month ago but still keep logging, mostly to keep track of my protein intake.

    4 Have you ever reverted to your old ways whilst using mfp? If so, what did you do?
    No, not really. I've had some days that have been not so so great when it comes to eating and exercise but the most important thing with myfitnesspal is that I've somehow managed to keep it at a day or two, and just moved on after those days and kept on making better choices and exercising.

    5. Do you see mfp as a short term tool (stop using it when you are goal weight) or (like me) intend to use it indefinitely?
    I think it's a great tool to keep me motivated, by logging everything I automatically make better choices. So yes, I think I will use it indefinately as I also have other goals now (getting more fit) and I hope that knowing what I eat will help me achieve those.
  • themedalist
    themedalist Posts: 3,212 Member
    Options
    1. How long have you used mfp for?

    July 2011. 988 days. Logged in every day.

    2. How has your logging habits changed over time?

    I don't respond as much to auto posts, but I do try and encourage my friends. Being in maintenance, I'm a bit looser with tracking my food, but I still log.

    3. Have you ever reached goal and if so at what point?

    Yup! A year after joining MFP. I then developed a maintenance plan which I've been following since (http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/themedalist/view/what-s-your-maintenance-plan-624676 )

    4 Have you ever reverted to your old ways whilst using mfp? If so, what did you do?

    no, and I think that's key. I had to understand why I gained the excess weight in the first place and be willing to permanently change some habits in order to not regain the weight that I lost.

    5. Do you see mfp as a short term tool (stop using it when you are goal weight) or (like me) intend to use it indefinitely?

    Long term, definitely. But the way I use MFP has changed as I've moved to maintenance and I expect it will continue to change.
  • crepes_
    crepes_ Posts: 583 Member
    Options
    1. How long have you used mfp for?
    Started using MFP in 2012. I logged consistently for a year, then sporadically for 2013, but now back in full swing of it for 2014.

    2. How has your logging habits changed over time?
    I always fought it. Never wanted to weigh or measure, always wanted to just eye-ball portions. I'd keep track of the day's food in my head, check the calories and then leave it at that. It left me with no longterm data! Now I consistently log and track absolutely everything. I weigh the mayonnaise I put on my sandwiches to make sure my tablespoon matches theirs. None of it seems like a chore. I just assemble everything over the food scale and zero it after every ingredient. The thing that made this all click was being diagnosed with a genetic heart condition. Made things quite real!

    3. Have you ever reached goal and if so at what point?
    I've reached short-term goals and behavior-based goals, but never full weight goal. I try not to look so far ahead, since it tends to discourage me. I think more, "what little victories can I celebrate right now?"

    4 Have you ever reverted to your old ways whilst using mfp? If so, what did you do?
    Sort of. After starting MFP, I never really went back to eating how I was eating before, but throuhgout 2013, I got thrown off course and ate at maintenance or slightly above. Gained back 5lbs, but no real damage.

    5. Do you see mfp as a short term tool (stop using it when you are goal weight) or (like me) intend to use it indefinitely?
    Short-term tool doesn't work for me. I'm always going to need to track my calories and macros. The only times I see me taking breaks from MFP are when I go on vacations. I'll still probably keep a rough log in my mind, just out of habit, but I don't know if I'll take the time to track while abroad.
  • Lives2Travel
    Lives2Travel Posts: 682 Member
    Options
    1. How long have you used mfp for?

    Since June 14, 2013 (although I joined a couple years earlier, but didn't use the site)

    2. How has your logging habits changed over time?

    I pre-log....a lot. I find it helps me to do so after dinner for the entire next day. That way all I have to do is execute my plan and not think about food when I'm hungry. I always pre-log eating out and then make the rest of the day fit.

    3. Have you ever reached goal and if so at what point?

    No, not yet, but I'm down 100.6 lbs with 49.4 to go.

    4 Have you ever reverted to your old ways whilst using mfp? If so, what did you do?

    For a meal or a day, sure. For longer than that, no. When I have a bad meal/day, I acknowledge it and move on.

    5. Do you see mfp as a short term tool (stop using it when you are goal weight) or (like me) intend to use it indefinitely?

    Logging will be long term for me. Once I've gotten to goal and maintained for at least a year, I will reevaluate.
  • mrandolph69
    mrandolph69 Posts: 197 Member
    Options
    1. How long have you used mfp for?
    Almost as long as you, since August, 2011

    2. How has your logging habits changed over time?
    My logging habits have not changed. I have logged in virtually every scrap of food I have eaten (as best I could) for 952 days now.

    3. Have you ever reached goal and if so at what point?
    My goal weight was always a moving target. When I started I had no real clue what it should be exactly so I guessed. I got to within 9 pounds and decided I had lost a bit more than I really should have. I settled on a weight about 20 pounds above that and I have been within 10-20 pounds of that weight since Spring, 2012. I don't ever see myself striving to get to a certain number, just a range I am comfortable with.

    4 Have you ever reverted to your old ways whilst using mfp? If so, what did you do?
    I have not reverted, primarily because I have been so pleased with the results and have resolved to never go back to where I was.

    5. Do you see mfp as a short term tool (stop using it when you are goal weight) or (like me) intend to use it indefinitely?
    I currently plan on using it for the rest of my life. I have no illusions that this plan may change in the future but I currently don't think that it will. For some people, logging their food becomes a too much work. Thankfully, that has not been the case for me. Between my iphone, work computer and home computers, I am on MFP off and on all day long and find it to be invaluable because, for me at least, knowledge about what I am eating is the key.
  • WickedPineapple
    WickedPineapple Posts: 701 Member
    Options
    1. How long have you used mfp for?

    Joined sometime in 2008, used inconsistently until 2012

    2. How has your logging habits changed over time?

    I first joined MFP because I weighed myself after just not giving a *kitten* for a year and had gained 35+ lbs in less than a year. I used MFP to determine the problem (which was excessive consumption of Wendy's). I only logged inconsistently for a few months, once I got back down to a normal weight (for me) I stopped. Then a few years later, when I was still a normal weight (for me) something clicked and I decided I needed a better normal weight. So once I decided to take it more seriously, for my health rather than vanity, my logging (and exercise) has been much more consistent and accurate. Plus I use my logging to determine what 'fits' for dinner.

    3. Have you ever reached goal and if so at what point?

    My original goal was to get back down to my normal weight, which I did. My goal now is 135 lbs, which I'm rather close to right now. However, my goal weight is a bit arbitrary number (high end of the BMI for my height since I have a large frame). I take my fitness goals more seriously than goal weight these days.

    4 Have you ever reverted to your old ways whilst using mfp? If so, what did you do?

    Yes and no. The original weight gain had a recognizable cause, which I haven't repeated. However, my job was so inconsistent (sedentary for a few weeks, then highly active for a few months) I didn't have the time/energy to log and it was hard to determine what intake I needed any given time. I could eat 2000+ calories every day and not gain an ounce. That made it really hard when I went back to my desk, then I would gain a bit. I always stayed within my own personal range, and if I strayed above I'd avoid fast food for awhile and try to exercise (again, inconsistently until 2012)

    5. Do you see mfp as a short term tool (stop using it when you are goal weight) or (like me) intend to use it indefinitely?

    Probably a little of both. I don't want to have to log daily for the rest of my life, but I will if I have to. Once I get to maintaining, I'll log daily like I am now for awhile and then slowly decrease logging. I'll continue monitoring my weight/measurements, and if something seems awry I'll start daily logging again.

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