weight loss and "my fitness pal"

11 years ago

Back in May I posted about the free website My Fitness Pal.
It is a food logging site that helps with accountability and tracking of calories, fats, protein, carbs, etc. I started using faithfully in January... and started losing weight. Somewhere in early summer I got a little lazy, quit logging - and my weight loss stopped.
But then the scale crept up a couple notches...
So about 3 weeks ago I got serious about it and my weight loss has resumed.
I was glad for the little break, but happy to be back on the right path.
It is SO easy for me to overeat if I donÃ¯Â¿Â½t log every bite!

I highly recommend this site if you need some help Ã¯Â¿Â½ even if you need to gain weight! There are many forum subjects: nutrition help, motivation, success stories, recipes....and many, many groups you can be a part of. (ie: weightlifting, running, Medifast, low carb, fasting, BeachBody, juicing, one meal a day, eating disorders, over 50 yrs old, over 100 lbs to lose...this list goes on and on) and for the most part people are very nice and supportive. You can choose to be a part of what works for you.
I enjoy reading others struggles and successes. It keeps me motivated and encouraged when I need it.
For me itÃ¯Â¿Â½s just calories in and calories out. And staying within my set guidelines.
Your profile can be as private or as public as you want. My diary is private.
As of this morning I have lost 33 pounds since January. 17 more to my goal....which was originally 50 by Christmas, but IÃ¯Â¿Â½m okay if I donÃ¯Â¿Â½t make it. A pound a week will be very, very hard the closer I get to goal.
I do walk/run, but I am committed to the premise that "you cannot out exercise a bad a diet"
Maybe at Christmas IÃ¯Â¿Â½ll post my 1 year "then and now" photos".
Just wanted to share what has been working for me!

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Comments (7)

linda_in_iowa
11 years ago
Congratulations.
katlan
11 years ago
salgal, that's awesome. Very happy for you, and I admire your willpower.
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My DH has been using MyFitnessPal since the end of May. He and a bunch of friends from work are in their own Biggest Loser competition from May to early Dec. So far he has lost over 30 lbs and feels great. He looks great too! Things he likes: -Tracks calories on a daily and weekly basis, so if you have a big splurge one day, you can still be good for the week. -Lots of exercise options -Scanning food using the barcode -Lots of chain restaurant food is in the app, and also the meals from Dream Dinners, a meal prep kitchen we use regularly -saves regularly eaten foods to make logging them easier -very data driven and visual with charts to mark progress (he's an engineer, LOL!) -he has been on a very consistent pace of weight loss -it has taught him a great deal about portion control -you can get emails with new records and milestones for motivation -can link to runkeeper to track runs/walks more easily Downsides/caveats -you really have to commit to logging all the food and exercise you do to get the full benefit -homemade foods or foods at non-chain restaurants are the biggest challenge as they can vary widely in calories Good luck to you!
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Hi Sidnee, I have been pretty faithful for the last few months at logging my meals, trying to stay within my calorie allotment. I also wear my fitbit every day and try to get more than 7500 steps. Now that spring is here, I should be able to walk at lunchtime and also partake of a fitness bootcamp twice a week at my church. I try to ride my stationary bike when I can at night. (not very consistent with that) I also work with a personal trainer every Saturday. That, along with my food diary keeps me pretty on track. I have lost 14 pounds since January. I think I will be happy with 10 more pounds as long as I keep getting stronger. I have a bulging disc in my back which has been my main source of inspiration to get fit and lose weight. thanks for asking!
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dees_1
11 years ago
I use MyFitnessPal to track my food. It keeps me honest. I also use Fitocracy to track my exercises.

I don't really use the forums though. I've heard MyFitnessPal has some great forums.
rob333 (zone 7b)
11 years ago
Fantastic job! I think starting back a good habit is harder than beginning one. Continue "re-starting" and before long, it has become a habit.

Thank you for the suggestion. I typically wonder how much I've eaten and... I can't remember. If I could, maybe I'd eat less. But! I also saw the list of exercises and said, I do more than that stuff. So I added "take the stairs". Which made me think, I could do an extra rep at lunch. There you go! So now, I've already added another thing just by thinking about it, which is what their website is about. Once it was revealed, a path showed up. And now I am just plain breathing hard! Cause it's 12 flights down, across the hall, and 12 flights up. Whew.
Sally Brownlee
Original Author
11 years ago
rob333 it really is that simple
12 flights! That's awesome!!
I usually try to fill out my food log in the morning for the whole day. That way I can see what fits my plan before I eat it. (there's a mobile app too)
If somebody treats cupcakes, I will look at my food diary and see what I want to give up to eat it - or not eat it.
I usually decide it's not worth it. (a Panera vanilla cupcake is 450 calories - I can eat a whole meal for that - or walk 6 miles to make up calories. But the idea is to burn more than I eat, so....)

I fully expect this to someday be a normal habit. As it is right now, I do put a good deal of thought and energy into planning.
I usually walk 2 miles on my lunch break and if weather is bad, I go up and down the back set of stairs at work for 20 minutes. I usually put on a t-shirt and change back before I sit down again. I try very hard to not eat back any exercise calories.
Another bonus is I am definitely more fit and firm in all the right places!
So far it is working for me.
juellie1962
11 years ago
Congrats Salgal! I'm just finishing a 10 day detox and I've been wondering how/where to continue my healthy eating. Thanks for the suggestion!
oldfixer
11 years ago
Must be a challenge. Lucky I just eat, don't count, and never read labels.

weight loss and "my fitness pal"

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linda_in_iowa

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