What did you learn using MyFitnessPal that changed your habits?

stealthette · September 2021

I learned the value of weighing food. I was so shocked, and still am, about how small 100g of chicken actually is.

TiffHawkeye · September 2021

I am just beginning my journey ( day 10 to be exact)

I cannot believe portion sizes and how I was underestimating some of the foods ( weighing them out is such a great skill to use).

Meal prepping for the week has been amazing- I feel like I have less stress over what to eat or how long to make it. It has also made tracking easier when I know what I am eating all day long

SugarFemme24 · September 2021

I lost over 200 lbs w/ keto and tracking (450lbs to juuust under 250lbs) a few years ago. I had a bad breakup and let those feelings push me back into my bad habits and really struggled to get back to it. I gained back about...80ish pounds and started feeling all the old fat girl woes (my feet hurt more, it's harder to move my body, etc) I realized that I had to get my stuff together unless I wanted to go back to 450 and not fit into the world anymore.
For me, it's all about mindset. I track because data is helpful. I track because I'm a butthead to myself when I eat and having clear numbers that show that my eating isn't as bad as I assumed is helpful. I believe in the good health benefits of keto and I don't want to get diabetes or any other long-term disease. I don't want to wait until my body breaks down to do something good for it. She deserves to be cared for better than that. My mantra when I don't want to deal with tracking, limiting myself, or exercising is "if not now, when?"
If I don't get enough calories one day, I really focus on feeding myself well the next day. If I have a high carb/calorie day, I just move on without being mean to myself about it. It's only a problem if I use it as an excuse to binge. I don't focus as much on weight loss anymore. I love my body as she is and I treat her with love. I can only control my behavior, I can't physically choose to make my body smaller, I have to change my behavior and that will happen naturally.

Whydahdad71 · September 2021

I have learned quite a bit actually. I have learned my nutrients profile along with the calories to just about everything. I think this app is a wise investment.

lorib642 · September 2021

Portion sizes. I now weigh out certain things, like nuts, beforehand rather than eating from the bag

Caramel_Apple · September 2021

not only did the carbs keep my blood sugar up they also kept the pounds on

CrystalLaurey · September 2021

wunderkindking wrote: »

That I was eating about a thousand calories most days -- in condiments.

Seriously.

It wasn't the junk food, the carbs, or soda (i only do diet) that was the major source of my weight problem.

Condiments.

This! I didn't realize how much "little things" like condiments added up. Once I started measuring portions I was shocked by the numbers and when I adjusted my diet, I found out that I either didn't really want/need it or that I was okay with a lot less than I had been using (1 TBS of mayo becomes 1 tsp, 2 TBS dressing becomes 1 TBS with a splash of vinegar).

Awesomewow · September 2021

I never knew that lemonade has carbs

I also learned that I can have things I want, I just have to account for it and balance it out. I have decided that my favorite lemonade, rather than being healthier that soda, is too expensive calorie-wise. 😅 I told my husband that some food was too expensive and he told me not to worry about $$ just get what I wanted. I had to explain.

susanlee53 · September 2021

Snacking while watching tv is merely using crunchy things to alleviate boredom. It doesn't work. I get done snacking and I'm still bored. If I get up and do something else, then that attacks the boredom and doesn't wreck my food/fitness plan.

Myswt6 · September 2021

I think the biggest thing I've learned is just to think about food MORE. I have a big family and someone is always bringing me something to eat and I just ate it without thinking about it. MFP's food tracking just helped me keep track of what I was eating, but more than that, remember what I had already eaten!!! Half of the time I don't even remember eating something, then I go back to put in daily meals and I will remember, oh yes.... I did eat that sandwich or cookie or whatever that I entered earlier in the day.... completely forgot about that! It just helps me be more aware of what I am eating all the time and that has helped me control my intake all by itself!!!

Xerogs · September 2021

My biggest AHA moment was going back and looking through my logs to determine what foods were causing inflammation issues, heartburn, and weight gain. It's really help me refine my diet and is a good reminder that certain foods just don't settle very well and cause issues that I've had my entire life so far.

I've lost some weight and gained some back since I started tracking so it's nice to go back and see what I was doing when I lost some lbs. and what I was doing when I gained. It definitely reinforces better dietary behavior when I can compare the data with my state of being at any given time. When I cut back on refined sugar and cut out most gluten I feel great, reversing that tends to leave me in a constant hang over state.

RozzintheNorth · September 2021

That I was eating almost 2000 calories a week in honey that I used to sweeten my tea. No more sweet tea hot or cold an easy change I am hoping will make a big difference.

socaldogmom · September 2021

The food I ate that caused me to gain weight is the same food that was making me feel sluggish and run down. I feel so much better eating lots of veggies, fresh fruit, lean protein and drinking water.

aarreygue · September 2021

Sorry, this is long…

AHA Moments:
1 - the calorie allotment is not a lot, and I really had to be mindful what I put in my body. Tracking it helped SO much, including the MFP 101 plan, which helped get me started.
2 - I have never eaten so much protein, literally in my life. But it has made a huge difference, and I feel fuller. Counting Macros was a revelation.
3 - cardio alone does not burn enough calories (unless you are exercising HARD, daily, like a high school athlete, which I am not). Exercise alone would not burn off all the calories if I did not watch my intake. I didn’t realize how exercise calories fit or didn't fit into my overall goals.
4 - I HAD TO find my motivation. Watching family and friends struggle with health problems and mobility issues at older ages is extremely motivating for me.
5 - regarding quitting, giving up, having bad days…omigosh, those are real, and they do happen. I thought of how the last 18 months was for me, and do not wish to go back to that. So I keep moving forward and don’t dwell on the bad days.
MFP became like a puzzle for me - every day, I would see if I could make all the puzzle pieces (macros, calories, exercise, step counter) fit. Almost six months in, I am down 18 pounds, feel great, and more motivated than ever.

sargemarcori · September 2021

That planning ahead--just a tiny bit!--makes it easier to eat, never mind the calories!

Before it might have been, "ugh, I'm hungry, don't know what to eat...oh, there's tortillas! I could have a breakfast burrito. Okay, 210 calories in the tortilla--but one egg isn't much, and two is too many for one tortilla. Two small burritos isn't that much (2 tortillas @420 calories, 3 eggs @ 210 = 630 and this is where we hit too much math for early morning and I stop counting) a little cheese (a lot of cheese, at least 2 oz @220 calories =850) hmm, bacon? Sausage? I like sausage better (+200 calories, we're at 1050 now) hmm, coffee (70 more calories...)" and now I've spent half an hour in the kitchen instead of whatever else I meant to be doing AND eaten most of my day's calories in one meal.

Now, by the time I hit the kitchen, I have a plan. "mmm, I made Greek yogurt yesterday, blueberries in the freezer, granola...that was easy!" and I might even have prepped food! "Ugh, I'm hungry--oh, hey! Frozen smoothie, recipe already in MFP. 30 seconds to defrost, log it while I wait, and back to my weekend..."

Not only am I losing weight and eating healthier, I'm also spending less time in the kitchen. win/win/win!

carolpa1 · September 2021

Reading through old threads. I just read a thread from 2011 that made me realize I have to stop lying to myself about what (and how much) I'm really eating!

Kathy_1220 · September 2021

Right off the bat I found that I was not consuming anywhere near enough calories. Using the macros and having everything there in print really was a wake up call. But I have to admit, it is hard to eat that much! If it will get me to my goal...I will do whatever I have to!

jeff_miesemer · September 2021

I've been using MFP since 2013. I used it to lose the bulk of my weight and now just jump back on every few months to recalibrate my diet and portion sizes. Initially, I was surprised that my portions were way too big and all the little snacks really add up over the day. More recently, I decided to update to premium and was able to add sodium to my "Nutrients Tracked" in the food diary. Wow! I had no idea I was getting so much sodium in my diet.

wunderkindking · September 2021

So, weird one from someone who's at goal and new to maintaining:

When I started, my calorie allotment didn't feel like much.

Then I changed the biggest contributors to my former obesity, new habits became real habits and now it feels like a lot. Probably in part because my high weight calorie allotment to maintain and where I maintain now is about 200 calories different, thanks to my TDEE going up (and I was participating in competitive though not long duration sports before)

I ate out TWICE yesterday and still ended up at home drinking a protein shake to make it up to a reasonable amount of calories (ie: 1500 instead of about 1200). I just do diet soda, no fries/side, and the chicken vs beef/burger now as a matter of course.

hessiondesign4 · October 2021

How important movement was to keep me on my daily goal, while allowing me to eat 'normally'. Also, how much a banana impacts my day (see movement though LOL). My biggest aha though was seeing why I was great at maintaining a weight number...even if it was one I wanted to lose; my daily numbers if I wasn't really 'trying' to stay on track ended up falling into a maintenance sort of calorie intake....so, for me, more activity and fine tuning my meals are what's needed to see the improvement I want.

What did you learn using MyFitnessPal that changed your habits?

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