Guys on a Diet (GoaD)

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Living the Lifestyle: Thursday, October 12, 2017

DavidKuhnsSr
DavidKuhnsSr Posts: 7,631 Member
edited November 2024 in Social Groups
Everyone says it, but just how do you do it? How do you take the guidelines of the WW program lifestyle you can live every day...from now on? That is what we are here to explore. Each weekday, a new topic is and turn them into a Newbie? Join in! Veteran? Join in! Your thoughts may be just what someone else needs to hear.

Monday -- imastar2 (Derrick)
Tuesday --Jerdtrmndone (Jerry)
Wednesday -- minimyzeme (Kim)
Thursday -- DavidKuhnsSr (Dave)
Wildcard (up for grabs each Friday)

Today’s topic: Technology

It's obvious that most of those following WW or managing their weight on MFP or something similar, track their eating and exercise electronically. There aren't many stubby pencil types left out there who look everything up and record everything on paper (though that worked fine for me, back in the day). So how does technology help you on your weight loss/management journey?

Replies

  • GoRun2
    GoRun2 Posts: 478 Member
    Tracking with MFP and my IPAD made it sooo much easier. Doing points with the little book and looking up everything was so frustrating to me. I usually gave up after a month or so.
  • 88olds
    88olds Posts: 4,555 Member
    When tracking, I was a calculator, paper & pencil guy. Last time I tracked, about 4 years ago, it was a big help having the smartphone scanner. But still counted points on paper.

    Think I benefited from losing before the fitness gadgets. Decided early that calculating points for exercise was too inexact. So I gave up any thought of eating anything extra due to activity. Caveat: my exercise was moderate. I wasn't involved in actual training.
  • Rachel0778
    Rachel0778 Posts: 1,701 Member
    It makes it easy. I love how large the MFP database is. When I go out to eat I can easily pull up what I'm ordering so I know what to expect before I eat it. I also like that I can have my pintrest recipes at the ready when I grocery shop so I don't have to write out a paper list or forget ingredients. Writing it out on pen and paper definitely felt more like a guessing game with the small book of points and no database.
  • Al_Howard
    Al_Howard Posts: 9,330 Member
    We both track on WW. Usually on our PCs. The data base is very good, and I find it so much easier than MFP, which I use, occasionally to see sodium intake. They're busting me about sodium intake, so we do check things we know to be high, and to seek alternatives.
  • Jerdtrmndone
    Jerdtrmndone Posts: 6,128 Member
    I still write it so I don't forget what I'm eating, but I use MFP as my main journal writing it in, plus I can see what micro's I may be eating to much of. I use my WW calculator to add my points from this, and I also know my calorie intake for the day. I know this is dble. work, but it works for me.
  • Out_of_Bubblegum
    Out_of_Bubblegum Posts: 2,220 Member
    MFP for food tracking, and iCardio and my HRM for tracking calorie burns as well as cardio zones to help set the intensity of my workouts.

    Can I do it without them...? Probably, but it definitely helps provide structure, and automates a lot of the more tedious work.
  • Jimb376mfp
    Jimb376mfp Posts: 6,236 Member
    Makes it easy to know when I’ve eaten my daily portion of SPs. Then looking at going over to use Weekly SPs and/or asking myself “Are you really hungry or bored?”
    Tracking on my iPhone has reduced my Mindless eating to a rare occasion.
  • gadgetgirlIL
    gadgetgirlIL Posts: 1,381 Member
    Having started back in the days of pencil, steno pad, and calorie reference books, I'm so grateful for the MFP app! I love that I can track on either my iPad, iPhone, or laptop. I love that I can track even when I don't have an internet connection as it will sync up later when I do.
  • podkey
    podkey Posts: 5,268 Member
    edited October 2017
    Yeah David I too started with a pencil and paper for a week or two then switched to using the online tracker which is so easy. I just made up breakfasts and lunches and drag them over for points since I often eat the same breakfast and lunches. WW made it so easy that way.

    I have tracked my bike mileage on old paper calendars and have used bikejournal on line the last few years (WW buddy told me about it). I am now over 113,000 miles and counting. Going past 99,999 (have photo of odometer at all 9s) on my bike odometer was fun indeed. I still make a note or two on paper calendars but really use the electronic journal to do the real tracking. I also track my walking mileage in the notes and trips to gym for upper body weights.

    I should add that no this wasn't all on one bike. I merely put in total lifetime mileage into my bike computer at some point.
  • minimyzeme
    minimyzeme Posts: 2,708 Member
    I think it was a stroke of good fortune that I joined shortly before the advent of the phone app. Even though I live in a slow internet part of the world, it works enough to make it relatively easy to track my food that way (or computer). For about 85%+ of my entries, that's how I do it.

    For those times when I really don't have a connection (it happens), I can use a note (real or electronic) or take a picture so I track later. If I had to track on paper all the time though, I'd probably be with @gorun2, out after a month or so. I could do it, but it would be much more of a chore than I'd like.
  • cakeman21k
    cakeman21k Posts: 6,858 Member
    I also started with paper & pen, I did not have a problem with looking up the items in one of the ww books that were available, I had a problem with carrying those books around with me all the time. (I am a guy I don't carry a purse) Also for those who have been around long enough there was the old cardboard slide rule for calculating points. It was a pia to carry all that stuff to work all the time. The smart phone apps have made it so much easier that I cannot imagine doing this without them. Having said that I am a baby boomer child of the sixties, I grew up turning paper pages! I actually kind of miss the ability to look at a page for the day and see what I did yesterday or last week etc. Even though I know how to do that with the apps I just like the feel of the paper in my hands. I still read an actual newspaper every morning just because I like sitting down with paper and my morning cup of joe.
  • podkey
    podkey Posts: 5,268 Member
    Really some simple staples are super easy. 1=1 for lean mean protein kind of thing. Even I can count to 1. For restaurant and fancy dishes sure it takes some figuring for staples not so much.
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