Does myfitnesspal work?

Lifer here! I never want to gain weight again! I am at 104# so it works for me!!

Cool Dane!

Oh, and MFP will totally work for you as long as YOU are totally working for you--you'll get exactly as much out of it as you put in. Good luck, you can do it!!! One step at a time, one bite at a time, one workout at a time, one lesson at a time.

Every diet works if you stick to it.

I started eating right...then I incorporated exercise. I attribute my 108lb loss to God, myself and MFP.

Bump to reply later and read through.

I have gained and lost weight throughout my adult life. The time that I was really successful (lost 60 pounds) was when I wrote down everything I consumed. I was faithful about this and lost the weight at a consistent rate. It took me about 10 months. That was 5 years ago. I had some health problems (neck surgery) and was depressed because of the pain I was in. Eating was my solace. I gained over half of it back. I got to a point where I had to stop my bad habits and get back on the wagon of a better way of eating. I am older now and find the weight isn't coming off as fast as I want it to, but slow and steady is how I now have to look at it.

This is my story but I lost of 100 lbs and kept it off for 6 years before I stopped logging and gained ALL of the weight back!

Logging everything keeps me from eating too much. MFP is cool because the software makes logging easier. I have access to it on my computer, iPad and even my iPhone.

Like "chauncyrenay" said:

Every diet works if you stick to it.

Consistency is critical for any diet.

It works for me! I started a year ago at 299, and I'm at 227 now. I don't kill myself, I have taken time off for holidays and trips out of town. I eat plenty of yummy food, and I'm down 72 pounds.

That is awesome!!! I am a recent grad and will def be adding someone liek you who is in a similar boat! Great joB!

How do you comitt?

For me, commitment starts small. Just promise to log once day at a time; and before you know it, you've logged for a week, etc. When you starting logging your food and tracking your calorie intake it's hard to miss the picture it's painting about what you (no one else) are doing to yourself. It can be a bit daunting and a shock - and you can either face up to it or bury your head in the sand.

Making friends here in MFP definitely halps to stick to your commitments. It's nice to get a chance to help others whose motivation might be wavering; they in turn have helped me - a lot!

Good luck...

I lost 80 lbs in 6 months..started on mfp at 260 lbs. think of MFP as a bike..it is a mode of transport, but goes nowhere if you dont pedal.

An apt analogy.

Great feedback.Nearly 2 weeks tracking for me now..Feeling good.1 KG DOWN

I was feeling completely lethargic pretty much all the time. I hid the weight really well, so when they started a "biggest loser" competition at work and I joined, I was scoffed at. For the first 2.5 months I was the biggest loser.

I started at 189 lbs. I am not at 165 lbs. I can't decide on my end goal, so it's still at 160 but I am starting to lift now so it will stick between there and 165. I lost 24 lbs. Everyone was asking me what I was doing. I reminded them that our manager recommended this site to use as a guide and stay disciplined. Many joined and then just stopped logging on. I didn't.

It's not about a special miracle diet. It's not about working out every day and running miles on end. It's about you wanting this. ACTUALLY WANTING this. Once you get there, once all the gimmicks, all the friends and family who have their own input, and all that "other stuff" is no longer important to you and all that matters is that this IS what you want, you'll stick to it. Yes, support is helpful. Knowing others support you and have your back is awesome. But, in the end, this is about you.

Believe me, once you commit, once you see that success start to build, you will be addicted to that feeling. It won't be a struggle to count; to not pick up the chips while watching TV; to pick yourself up and do that workout you know you should. It will be a desire. Our bodies and minds work very simply, but they are stubborn. You have to prime them with force at first, but then, they will be your biggest supporters.

So, does MFP work? Yes. Because MFP is YOU. No one logs on for you. No one chooses your goal. No one tracks what you eat. No one except you. You CAN do this. We all can. We each just have to want it and not worry about what everyone says or what works for others. Make this work for you, because it can.

Drink a lot of water. A lot. I found I drank about half as much as I should. 8 glasses a day. I do more a few days of the week because I run or work out. But, room temp water is helpful for digestion. I'd recommend not putting ice in water or waiting for the water to be super cold if you can drink tap water. (first off, it's a bit wasteful, but also too cold) Cut the hard to quit stuff. Soda and chips are big sabotage foods. Cut them. Don't fool yourself with the "it's diet" stuff. Just cut it. Actually check serving sizes and then PORTION it. I found that I nearly doubled my calories in just over proportioning my meals. It seems like a lot and at first it may be, but once you get the hang of it, it's actually interesting and even fun for some.

Best of luck to you all. You all deserve it!

I started january 12th and since then I managed to lose 60 pounds.... I've never been on a specific diet except for portion adjustment (I tried reducing sugar but NOT avoiding it). Tracking food with MFP helped me adjust my eating habits so that I didn't gain anything (actually I lost a pound) after two weeks of 0.... I repeat ZERO exercise (AND ZERO TRACKING).... Before I started I also ate like a horse and drank soft-drinks like my life depended on it, but with a little willpower some exercise and a lot of patience I manage to get pretty close to my goal (I'm hoping I can get in the shape I desire by the end of this year)...

MFP is just a tool to me so it doesn't 'work' but it's extremely useful in tracking calories and exercise and really helps to keep a focus.
Oh and I disagree with all those saying that it is a lifestyle change and not a diet. It can be if you want it to, I 'dieted' down to my target weigh by losing 18 lbs on a strict calorie controlled diet - 1800 calories a day, weights and cardio. I certainly won't be doing this forever and now I'm at my ideal weight I will be assessing my lifestyle choice which will include weights, cardio and healthier food choices

I'm sorry, but if you are changing your lifestyle choices after you finish "dieting" - isn't this a "lifestyle change"? Most people can't go back to what they were doing before and keep the weight off.

No, MFP doesn't work.

YOU do.

It is only here to help.

It is no miracle cure.

It is no quick weight loss.

It is not easy.

You/Me/We are the ones who have to make it work.

Good luck!!!!

Yes...
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/668190-my-wife-and-i-we-ve-lost-a-whole-person