Does MFP work for people long term?

Hi there,

I've used this app intermittently over the past 10 months but have only just joined the community.

I'm just wondering if anyone has had any long term success with keeping the weight off/keeping fit using this app?

Replies

  • lx1x
    lx1x Posts: 38,330 Member
    1 year maintaining.. been working for me.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,912 Member
    I lost the weight I wanted to lose in 2014/15, and then some because it was so much more easy than I thought. Kept it off mostly since then. Regained a bit in a period of depression and constantly being sick with something else, but lost it again and continue maintaining.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,213 Member
    edited June 2020
    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.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,397 Member
    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.


  • whoami67
    whoami67 Posts: 297 Member
    No weight loss method works long term for most people. Almost all weight loss methods work long term for some people.
  • feisty_bucket
    feisty_bucket Posts: 1,047 Member
    Jovijovi86 wrote: »
    long term success

    Sure. I've been here for a bit over five years, and doing fine, mostly in maintenance. I rarely track my food these days, as I eat mostly the same stuff and know it well. But do track my exercises.

    It's still helpful, and seeing my friends do their thing in the feed is a good reminder.

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,109 Member
    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!
  • Lillymoo01
    Lillymoo01 Posts: 2,865 Member
    MFP and calorie counting isn't a tool that works for everyone but it has enabled me to lose around 80 pounds and to keep this weight off for just over 3 years. It hasn't just been MFP though. There has been a lot of learning, commitment and hard work within this process.
  • Caecile84
    Caecile84 Posts: 16 Member
    I reached my goal weight about a year ago (lost 35lbs) and stopped logging after I maintained that weight for a month. I do weigh myself 2-3 times a week and as soon as the scales start to show I'm heading in the wrong direction (+2-4lbs as minor fluctuations are normal) I immediately start logging again. When I've reached my goal weight, I log for another week and then stop.
    MFP is just a tool that may help you to keep on track, but you have to make the change!
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    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
  • staticsplit
    staticsplit Posts: 538 Member
    I logged for about 6 months after the weight loss. Then I stopped. Some of it crept back, but considering I'm a lot more active and into weight lifting, I still fit into all my clothes despite being about 8 pounds heavier, and I'm at a weight that's pretty easy to maintain. I pop on here every few months and log for maybe 3 days just to remind myself what I'm eating when I listen to my appetite.
  • Ikeeptrying2
    Ikeeptrying2 Posts: 156 Member
    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.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    Yep it works and is a great tool :smile: I'm 7 years in maintenance and still use the app.