Possible Switch from Sparkpeople to Myfitnesspal?

I track on MFP because it has a larger food database and the ability to enter food through scanning the barcode with my camera phone. I love SparkPeople's recipes and articles, though.

I like the tracking system on MFP. It's easy to use.

I don't think the community is great for inexperienced people because whenever people ask innocent questions or need help, they end up getting a bunch of snarky *kitten* replies. The snarky *kitten* are funny though, so if you can take the forums with a grain of salt or just become one, you'll enjoy the site.

I've used both. I still log in at SP to get my points and such and see what friends are up to, but I log everything here. It is just more compatible for me in using my activity tracker and my running apps. Mine do not work on SP. Also, like everyone said already, bigger food database.

I came from Sparkpeople... like MFP so much more

YOU can scan using a bar code? Please point in the direction to find out how to do that. Thanx

It is only available on the smartphone apps. When you go to add an entry in your diary, there is a little bar code symbol in the lower right hand corner that you can select to go to the camera and scan the barcode.

Cinderella,

I am actually a member of both. I use myfitnesspal to track my food and fitness because their database is much much much larger! But Sparkpeople is so much more interesting. I love the e-mails, and the app, and all of the fun articles it produces to help everyone at any level. I think dipping your toes in the waters that are myfitnesspal will prove to be rewarding, but keeping your other foot in Sparkpeople will help keep you in a place you know.

I switched from Sparkpeople to My Fitness Pal about 2 years ago and like it here much better. I especially like that it gives you a specific amount of calories that you can eat on here and then adds on your exercise calores that you can also eat back every day. It was confusing at Sparkpeople that they gave me a 300 calorie range that I could eat i.e., 1300 - 1600 calories per day.

I also like that you can have a list of "friends" on MFP and that it's easy to interact with them. Finally, you can't beat the newsfeed for support and encouragement on MFP.

I must say that I like the message boards at Sparkpeople must better though.

Welcome and hope you enjoy your experience here!

I have been a SP member since 2009. I like the smartphone app here better, it was easier for me to use. But overall I like their site better, it is more interesting with all the articles, videos, etc. The forums...some are more active than others, I really like a couple of my groups here. There is less snarky attitude on the general forums over there. I have been tracking here but going over there lately to moonlight on their exercise videos, as I am really restricted by surgery and they have a whole series of videos geared to people who have to do their resistance work sitting down. I think that is awesome. Also, love their blogs and recipes. If I was always just entering stuff on a computer I would probably go back over there all the time. But I also got my husband into it over here, he loves apps and using his phone and cares less about that other stuff, so I will probably keep tracking here and keep visiting there. LOL.

I also found their goals for me to be more realistic and doable. I like that they give a range...

I made the switch for SP to MFP in December and have been so happy about it! I still log in to SP every now and again, but I like the community aspect of MFP better. I do like the favorites list on SP better though, this one here on MFP really sucks in my opinion. As for the one person who suggested loseit, I disagree. Loseit sucks. The only good thing about loseit is that they show you your whole week and tell you how many calories over/under you are for the entire week as opposed to just daily. Apparently that exists on the phone app here, but if you only use PC like me its useless. Oh, and the good features about loseit are available at a charge of $30 per year. No thanks.

The biggest thing about MFP though that I have seen with myself is consisistancy. I was never motivated with any of the other sites to log every single day, but with MFP I am. Once you make friends and start posting your food journal you can get a lot of feedback on the foods that you are eating (which is usually pretty positive. There are nill to none crazy dieters who think that you can't have treats or whatever) as long as you make your food journal public. The setting that tells you how many days you've logged in is pretty great too. It posts every five days on your feed so that your friends can congratulate you on your sticking to it.

Good luck with your decision!