Does MFP work for people long term?

The app is not who has to discover how to manage her weight and the one who has to put in the work to do so.

Figuring out how to reasonably and persistently manage yourself and your interaction with food and activity will determine your long term success.

MFP is a tool.

I use a kitchen scale as one of my weight management tools. I also use a Fitbit. I also use MFP. And I use a bathroom scale. And I use what I have figured out about myself these past few years.

The list is in reverse order of importance to me in terms of continuing to meet my goals almost 6 years in.

I lost 80 pounds in 2007-08.

I still log food and exercise.

Still at my Goal weight.

But yeah, like said above there are many facets to maintaining weight. Some people don't log food. Some do.

You'll have to find your way, like we all did.

No weight loss method works long term for most people. Almost all weight loss methods work long term for some people.

I lost around 50 pounds back in 2015, obese to a healthy weight (after being obese for 30+ previous years, most of my adult life), and have stayed at a healthy weight since. I had been pretty active even while obese, but I didn't start doing that until I was in my mid-40s, and have pretty much kept that up since, too, though I'm a little less active during the "stay at home" orders than usual. (I'm now 64, by the way, so active for around 20 years at this point).

The weight loss/maintenance was with MFP. The fitness aspect was just finding active things I found so fun to do that I'd do them even if they weren't good for me . . . but they are.

Yeah, it can work. It can also not work. If you look carefully, you can find some threads here where people (who are long-ish term successful) talk about what finally made the whole thing work for them. The "success stories" or "maintaining weight" parts of the forums might be good sources. The US national weight control registry has some potential insights, too. (There are reseach studies on their web site, and member success stories. Some MFP-ers are participants in the research. Web site is http://www.nwcr.ws/ ).

How you approach your weight loss and fitness goals will have a lot to do with whether you're successful long-term. It's not just a matter of seeing how other succeeded, but also about giving some serious thought to your personal strengths, preferences, inclinations, potential obstacles or challenges, etc. and then considering how to custom-tailor your strategies to maximize your strengths, avoid obstacles, and generally make the whole thing as easy for you personally as it can possibly be. It's not "one size fits all". It's going to be a custom-tailored solution.

You can do it, if you commit to it. And it needn't be an ordeal, if you ask me.

Best wishes!

Lots of people, myself included. I have gained some weight back but that is my own fault for being lazy. I lost 130 4 years ago. Gained back 30 in past year and a half. So, tightening up the proverbial belt and getting back to old, successful habits to lose it again

I originally joined in 2014. Lost 50+lbs (too much actually) in about 5-6 months. I have kept within my maintenance range since.

Since 2015 I come and go from here as I feel necessary or inspired to do so. I only come back to log for about a month if I feel I need to check in, so logging long-term has not been 'my thing'.

Does it work long term? There are plenty of success stories here that prove that answer is yes. I feel I am one of them. However, it's each person's determination, approach and commitment to themselves that will ultimately decide the answer to that question.