Has Myfitnesspal helped anyone to lose weight?
clairegarnham93
Posts: 1 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.
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Replies
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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.2
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Have you checked out the Success Stories part of the boards?
I lost 75lbs by using MFP. It's a lot easier when you don't choose a very aggressive rate of loss. I chose a slower rate of loss and lost my weight eating 1700 calories or more, a lot more pleasant than 1200 calories a day!7 -
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.2
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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.
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"Has Myfitnesspal helped anyone to lose weight?"
Yes!
Personally at 1800cals + lots of exercise calories.
2lbs / week and just 1200 cals sounds awful - are you sure you want to make this process that hard and unpleasant? Really, really think befoe picking the fastest weight loss rate possible, there are lots of drawbacks to that choice.12 -
At age 59-60, 5'5", female, I lost most of 50+ pounds in just less than a year, using MFP. Most of that time, I was eating 1400-1600 calories, plus a reasonable estimate of exercise calories. I'm now 66, have been maintaining a healthy weight since, still using MFP (after 30 years previously of overweight/obesity).
Two pounds a week may be OK if your starting weight is well over 200 pounds, and you have at least 50 pounds to lose. If not, it may be too aggressive - reduce odds of success, increase health risks, and potentially be counterproductive in other ways.
I tried 1200 (plus exercise calories) for a while, and it was punitively low, for me: I got weak and fatigued, took several weeks to recover, even though I corrected as soon as I realized. No one with a normal, busy life needs that sort of thing.
Don't get me wrong, some women need to eat as little as 1200 calories in order to lose at a sensibly moderate rate: Those women are typically petite, quite inactive, older.
It's possible to succeed with MFP, and I'd love to see you do so, sincerely.7 -
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.4 -
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.4
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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!3 -
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.1
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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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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.3 -
Started at a size 22W, currently size 4.
Husband started about a year ago, has lost 30+ (he won’t weigh, this is a very old scale reading), is down one size (needs to come down another), and is off all diabetes meds, and may potentially come off BP meds next visit because this one was only slightly high.
Another family member started last week, has set a goal of 1800/day + 300 for every 10,000 steps (tall, extremely active job), and already happily reports her waistband is looser.
Like anything else in life, you get out of this app what you’re willing to put into it.
The community here is fantastic. Read and absorb, if you’re serious about weight loss.7 -
Down 79.4 pounds since Feb and MFP has been a massive help with counting my calories and keeping me on track. It's made me feel more invested in the process. Just 58 more pounds to go5
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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!!3
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Yes.
The idea that eating less results in weight loss seems too simple to be true, right? From your post I think that is your impression. It goes against all the 'diet fad' claims that say you need to buy a special supplement, or eat only certain foods, or exercise using a particular program. Those are all things that make someone money - and are not actually needed for weight loss. The people or companies that say you NEED THEM are in it for your money. Might some of those things be useful to some people? Maybe. But they are still not essential for weight loss.
Calories may seem like an unknown system if you have never put much thought into them. But your calorie budget is not terribly different from your financial budget. For example, maybe your income is $2200 per month and you have spent more than that per month (Between needs & wants) for a while. What happens when you overspend? Your debt grows. Then perhaps you make some adjustments, and cut some of your spending and your expenses and are only spending $1700 per month. With the extra $500 in your budget ($2200 income less $1700 spent) you can pay down your debt at the rate of $500 per month.
Nutritional budget is similar. Your body uses a certain amount of energy per day. If you consume more than you need, you gain weight and your fat stores increase. If you make adjustments and start consuming slightly less than you use daily, your fat stores decrease and you lose weight. But there needs to be a healthy level. If you eat too little, you will have no energy and can cause physical stress/damage to your body. So the key is to find a good balance, that you can follow for the longer term.
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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!3 -
clairegarnham93 wrote: »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.4 -
Think of your diet as a lifestyle change. Even 1lb. a week amounts to 52lbs. a year!
Long term goals are where it's at. Don't look for the quick fix to a long period of sedentary lifestyle.
In the mean time, celebrate the small milestones while you strive the the long term.6 -
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.4
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It's inevitable to loose weight if you have more calories going out than you have coming in.2
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"anyone... actually lost weight from reducing your calorie intake?"
Literally every human being on earth. This is the only way a living being can lose weight.8 -
Im 63 female 5ft 4, not very active due to ill-health and I primarily log my food to keep an eye on it. I eat anywhere from 800-day if I'm not feeling hungry, right up to 1600 a day, usually around 1400.
Since May the 1st ..3 months ago I have lost 25 lb without even trying, mainly because it's been so hot here in the UK that only thing I fancied was salads.2 -
It 100% works, I bounced from 16stone to 13st 7 about 4 years ago, stopped logging and went back to 16stone 7 over the next three years now back on the journey of logging again and back to 13stone 13.
As soon as you honestly log calories over a sustained period it will move the scales, maybe not immediately, maybe not the same each day but it will move them.1 -
clairegarnham93 wrote: »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.clairegarnham93 wrote: »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.
The only way to really lose weight is to have a calorie reduction. If you don’t reduce calories and eat less than you burn, you won’t lose weight.
1200 isn’t accurate for everyone, but if you stick to it and log properly you should see a definite weight loss.
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I have just finished two months using MFP and exercise to lose 18 pounds, a bit more than 2 pounds a week. I can only say what has worked and has not worked for me. I have tried and failed in the past, but now I'm on a roll.
Worked:- Making MFP and exercise a habit. There are a lot of books out there on habits, but I'm using Atomic Habits by James Clear and also using his Habit Journal. It has really worked for me.
- I'm following the exercise plan in the Younger Next Year series of books. There are plenty of comparable routines, but that one is good for me. I'd say find what works for you and stick with it.
- I have MFP set for one pound a week and I also get one pound a week (3500 calories) of exercise a week, and guess what? I have lost two pounds a week!
- I track my exercise in MFP but I do NOT have it set to have exercise change my calorie requirements. I just make a record of it. It gets too confusing otherwise.
- I have exercise options. I don't do the same cardio or the same strength training every day. I go for a comparable result each day, but I mix it up.
Didn't work- Setting my eating goals for more than one pound a week. I feel too deprived and give up.
- Trying to load up my exercise into a few days a week. I look at all the exercise I plan to do in a week and space it out over seven days a week, so each day is roughly the same effort and doesn't feel like a marathon.
- Getting upset about messing up a day, like going over on calories or not getting in exercise. It's gonna happen. You can't beat yourself up over it. Just stick with the process. And I never play "catch up." If I mess up a day, I just put it in the past. Like "Atomic Habits" says, "Missing one day is recoverable. Just never miss two in a row."
- Paying too much attention to the scale. It will fluctuate. I pay attention to the process. That's the key for me.
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I started tracking in May 2020 and tracked faithfully for 5 months then was able to continue losing without tracking after that. I lost 90lbs in 10 months and have maintained that loss for a year. I now re-joined mfp and have been faithfully tracking for a week and am down 3lbs this week. It works for me.3
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