Has Myfitnesspal helped anyone to lose weight?

So I'm meant to be having 1,200 calories a day to lose 2 pounds a week to get to my goal weight? Is anyone in the same position and actually lost weight from reducing your calorie intake? I need motivation I don't know if I'm doing the right thing.
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Replies

  • TakeTheLongWayHome
    TakeTheLongWayHome Posts: 815 Member
    Tracking with MFP really helped me stay on track. It was never a perfect journey for me, but I consistently logged everything I ate and continue to do so over a year after I hit goal weight. It kept me honest with myself. Pick and choose what I can omit and add different things to hit macros. It is a very handy tool to have at your disposal. I wish you well on your journey.
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,613 Member
    Losing weight is all about being in a calorie deficit. So yes, if you're eating above maintenance level, then reducing your calories to under maintenance will result in losing weight. Using mfp was the first time I had lost weight successfully. Tracking your intake can be very eye opening if you've never done it before.
  • ReenieHJ
    ReenieHJ Posts: 9,724 Member
    Yes definitely!! It keeps me committed and much more consistent than if I stop using MFP. And once you figure out how you want to use your calories and see how they add up, it'll get easier to make wiser choices.
    Most of the time. ;)
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,668 Member
    What is your height and weight now? The 1200 may not be correct to lose 2 lbs. a week, but is the minimum that MFP will give you, since eating less than that can lead to long term health issues. As a 60+ year old female who weighs 123 lbs., my maintenance without exercise is supposedly 1400, so eating 1200 would help me lose less than .5 a week. When I weighed 175, I was able to lose a pound a week by eating 1200 net calories. (Fortunately, I like to exercise, so my actual calorie intake was much higher.)

    Most people find 1200 calories very restrictive, so it may be hard to sustain that low level for long. As stated above, finding a calorie goal that is comfortable but sustainable works a lot better than trying to lose 2 lbs. a week but giving up after a week because you are so hangry.

    Thousands of people have lost significant weight using MFP. I have been here for at least 10 years. By logging consistently, I've managed to maintain a 50 lb. loss for many years. For me, it's not about being exact on the math, it's that logging makes me very aware of what I am eating, so I can decide whether I really want the midnight snack or a second beer. It means I pay attention to restaurant menus and consider whether getting dessert is really worth it for me.
  • LiveOnceBeHappy
    LiveOnceBeHappy Posts: 420 Member
    I ate 1200 calories from August 2021 to April 2022, nearly every day. Lost 50 lbs. I’m in maintenance now and eat 1400 approximately. I am now giving myself some exercise calories to eat, which I didn’t before. Chicken and fruit and veggies and planning my meals helped tremendously. I’m 53, female, 117 lbs now.
  • IAmTheGlue
    IAmTheGlue Posts: 701 Member
    Any calorie tracking method will help you lose weight. I do use MFP and I’m down over 90 pounds. I’m not eating 1200 calories. Some days I do. Today I’m close to 1800. I also work out a lot. I feel better when I’m active. I’m desperate not to lose my mobility as I age so I keep moving.

    I trust the process. Accurately log your food. Be honest with yourself. It’s really that easy!
  • missysippy930
    missysippy930 Posts: 2,577 Member
    Losing weight happens when there is a calorie deficit. Less calories consumed than your body burns, no matter what program/plan you follow. So yes, MFP has worked, and is working, for many.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,846 Member
    Are you sure 2 pounds per week is an appropriate goal for the amount of weight you have to lose? I ask because many of us, myself included, chose an overly aggressive goal when we first signed up for MFP.

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  • claireychn074
    claireychn074 Posts: 1,311 Member
    Yep - I lost 9kg in 4 months eating between 1600 - 1900 calories each day. And in hindsight that wasn’t a slow rate of loss as I weighed 62kg to start with and went down to 53kg and c15% body fat at 5’3.

    Now at 55-56kg and probably 20ish% body fat - and I track every day.
  • BecomeAnAnimal
    BecomeAnAnimal Posts: 25 Member
    I’ve been using MFP since May and I’m down 30lbs. This app has been amazing at helping me track my calorie count as well as my macros for my weightlifting. I started out looking to lose 2lbs a week and have slowly been lowering my calorie goal to continue hitting my ultimate goal. I’ll stand by it 100%!! You got this too!!
  • Onedaywriter
    Onedaywriter Posts: 324 Member
    Yes! MFP helped me.

    I needed to loose over 110lbs. lost weight fast at first (down about 80 lbs first 8 months) without MFP. In retrospect this was too fast and I was weak and cold all the time.
    But then I was stuck!!””- couldn’t shake the last 30. MFP logging helped me realize that I was actually eating more than I thought. Little things added up, and also I was forced to weigh food because there is no real other way to log it. My 4 ounce portions were really 5-6 ounces etc.

    Give it a try! It may not be right for you but it sure helped me!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,879 Member
    So I'm meant to be having 1,200 calories a day to lose 2 pounds a week to get to my goal weight? Is anyone in the same position and actually lost weight from reducing your calorie intake? I need motivation I don't know if I'm doing the right thing.

    Check out the success stories.

    Note that 2 lbs per week is very aggressive and may not be remotely appropriate for you depending on how much weight you have to lose. 2 Lbs per week is generally for obese and up. 1% of your body weight should be as aggressive as you go, and even that can be pretty aggressive. That low of a calorie target can also be hard to sustain consistently and consistency is what is required to lose weight.
  • Pdc654
    Pdc654 Posts: 317 Member
    For me, MFP has been an blessing. So far I have lost almost 80 pounds in almost a year tracking my food. By weighing and logging my food I know if I'm in a calorie deficit. Other methods of weight loss can work too but what's common among all of them is that they put you in a calorie deficit even if they don't note that in the plan. I like the data driven method of MFP. That way I don't freak out when my weight goes up because of water retention because I know for a fact that's what it is, not fat.