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Original poster

Has anyone lost a lot of weight using My Fitness Pal?

33 replies

FatherFintanFay · 26/09/2019 20:21

Just that, really. I have three stone to lose and don't get on with things like WW and Slimming World (my portion control is terrible so telling me I can eat all the pasta I want isn't going to end well).

I've been using MFP for a few days and it seems to be working ok, I'm not too hungry or anything, and I have lost a couple of pounds. But I'm on 1200 calories and am slightly concerned that I won't have anywhere to go if I plateau.

Has anyone lost more than a few pounds with this app, and did your calorie goal change as your weight went down?

OP posts:
MrsJoshNavidi · 26/09/2019 20:27

Yes!

AuntieStella · 26/09/2019 20:31

Yes (and I've posted so often about it that people will think I'm a perfectly annoying monomaniac)

Actually measuring portion sizes made a key difference.

LadyLooLaa · 26/09/2019 20:31

I’ve lost 5 stone (over about 15 months) using MFP. I started on about 1550 kcals and am now on 1400. When things start to plateau I then fiddled around with what I ate. I lowered the amount of carbs I eat (not low carb but I limit them to 100g).
It helps me to track everything. It also means that when I’m not actively trying to lose weight it doesn’t creep back on. I’ve realised that this sort of weight isn’t going to stay off unless I change the way I eat for good and that I won’t stick to a diet as such for more than a few weeks.

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Weight management
mrsk28 · 26/09/2019 20:33

I was up 4kg after having my baby in April and used my fitness pal for around 12 weeks. I now weigh less than my pre pregnancy weight and was also on 1200 calories a day so definitely works.

Fishcakey · 26/09/2019 20:33

I mostly use MFP. I set it to maintain and always try to be under. 1200 is ridiculously low but it's what it gives me to lose half a pound a week. Bugger that!

crosser62 · 26/09/2019 20:34

I’ve not lost weight but it helps me control things.
I’m a binge eater then a starve myself until I’m ill type, 3 stone overweight.

So MFP allows me to input my intake each day, count down to keep my eating controlled. I can save calories and then plan a treat.
You need to weigh stuff though, it can’t possibly do it accurately without weighing stuff out.

Original poster
FatherFintanFay · 26/09/2019 20:48

Yes, I am finding the macro nutrient bit interesting, although I haven't got the hang of it entirely yet. If I have a carby lunch I might have steak and salad for tea. I'm still finding that I haven't got the balance right though. I can see how it is good for resetting bad eating habits.

I am a binger, and it's a very hard habit to break. Glad to hear it's worked for others though.

OP posts:
NorthEndGal · 26/09/2019 20:50

I hope so, because I've signed back up this morning

Gamorasgran · 26/09/2019 21:05

I lost 5 stone a few years ago. Kept 3.5 off (most of that gain is this year....)

Should get back to it really. I do log via fitbit occasionally and do measure/weigh portions too. I aim for less than 1200 if I want to lose (mid 40s, dodgy thyroid and short).

Catmar · 26/09/2019 21:23

I lost 1 and a half stone, so not a lot but it definitely works for me. If the pounds start creeping back on again I use it for a week or two to get back on track.

Ohyesiam · 26/09/2019 21:27

I lost 2.5 stone this summer with Fast 800 and MFP.

OkayGo · 26/09/2019 21:28

Hi op. I’ve lost nearly 2 stone so far using MFP since June.

berkshirecat · 26/09/2019 21:29

Yes Smile 25kg in 8 months and still going... would definitely recommend sticking to it, although I usually give myself 1 or 2 days off each week...

sallyisstarstruck · 26/09/2019 22:15

I've lost 8kg this year using mfp. I have 1800 calories a day (am tall & have an active job) and try to stick to 35% carbs, 25% fat and 40% protein. I've slipped this week as on holiday and had a big birthday but have still been logging all the bad stuff. It really makes me think about what I'm eating.

Troels · 26/09/2019 22:16

Not as much as some, but I lost over a stone using my fitness pal tracking food and excersize.

BeBraveAndBeKind · 26/09/2019 22:29

Yes, lost 40lbs with MFP but then got all cocky and thought I didn't need it any more so stopped weighing and logging and put it all back on again. It works if you track correctly and weigh everything.

Thecatisboss · 26/09/2019 22:36

I've gone from 66.5kg down to 50kg using mfp (& upping exercise but mainly through mfp) I started December 2017 and reached target weight about 10 months later. I still use it to maintain my weight which has stayed about the same.

Thecatisboss · 26/09/2019 22:37

I use the hairy dieters cookbooks as well which were very good for tasty recipes .

nikkylou · 26/09/2019 22:54

Yes, I've lost about a stone. The lack of progress for me is more my willpower than anything else. Theres a few Facebook groups I'm in that are very helpful.
The calories given by mfp are quite low, so you may find you can eat more and still lose.
Theres quite a bit of talk about finding your TDEE and then reducing based on that, as mfp almost defaults the same calorie burn for everyone.
Connecting a fitbit or similar will also give you "exercise" calories.

Original poster
FatherFintanFay · 27/09/2019 08:26

My TDEE is just over 1200 calories, so unfortunately I think they've got that right. I am short, perimenopausal, and have a sedentary job, and as much as I know that I should be exercising, I just hate it. Hate, hate, hate it. There isn't anything that I'm good at, because I'm clumsy and poorly coordinated, and I also have a hypermobility condition that makes some activities painful on my joints. I do walk everywhere when I can and try to get out at lunchtime for a brisk walk, but that's my limit, I'm afraid.

I think the idea of having a "cheat meal" once a week might be good. Not stuffing my face with a huge, excessive portion size, but just choosing whatever I want to eat and having it regardless of the calories. I don't have a particular target date for when I need to lose the weight, so I don't mind if it takes months as long as it happens eventually. I have so many nice clothes in smaller sizes that I want to get back into!

OP posts:
hazeyjane · 27/09/2019 09:34

Ok...trying to set it up on my phone, but it keeps saying my height is an error - I'm 4'11.....a shortarses, but not an error!!

Venger · 27/09/2019 10:08

I used it to reset bad eating habits and to help with my anxiety. I've done SW in the past and it gave me such an unhealthy view of "good" foods and "bad" foods as well as affecting my relationship with food. I had a health scare and the anxiety affected my appetite and ability to cook so I was having convenience foods that I didn't need to think about too much. I wasn't eating very often but when I was eating I was having the things SW consider to be "bad" foods (ready meals, toast, prepackaged sandwiches,full fat yoghurt, cereal, etc) so when I was losing lots of weight I panicked even more about my health and the anxiety got even worse. GP suggested I keep a food diary so I downloaded MFP and all the "bad" foods I was eating were only totalling an average of 1100 calories a day. That's when I started to adjust my view of food and change my habits.

It took me a good couple of months to get my head around the idea that I can eat whatever I want so long as it's within my calories and nutrient limits and that it doesnt matter if I occasionally go over them as that is part of a balanced diet and I can compensate by staying under my limit the following day. I now use full fat dairy products, I eat bread if I want bread, when we eat out I order what I like instead of a withered little baked potato with beans, I have gravy and a Yorkshire pudding on my Sunday lunch without thinking about syns.

I've lost two stone since July using MFP.

Eminybob · 27/09/2019 10:52

I have lost 4 stone since jan 18. It’s been up and down in between, I got pregnant and had a baby in the middle, but still have managed to maintain a loss.
I have a stone left to go which I’m finding the hardest so far but I lost 2lb last week so feeling positive.

MFP is great, I find it really motivating. I tend to plan my meals on it a few days in advance. I love the fact that you can import a recipe from the internet to log the calories, as I can see what I need to scale down/what sort of portion size I need to keep within calories. I’ve tried all sorts of diets over the years and I find this the easiest and most effective.

LolaSmiles · 27/09/2019 10:58

I've used it to maintain weight/training diets and really like it. I'll use it after pregnancy too.

I'm not sure MFP offers anything really new and revolutionary, but it's a really useful tool to monitor calories in / out and helps you make informed choices.

People I know who've lost weight on it have said the eye opening thing for them was how warped their idea of portion size was. Having MFP made then realise that at a mealtime they would have a full plate, but a full plate was probably twice the size required.

I think appropriate portion control and exercise are the things that make the difference.

amusedbush · 27/09/2019 11:33

My issue with MFP is that the values are added by the community so unless you have a packet in front of you to double check, you can't be sure that you're tracking accurate information. So many items have been wrong when I've checked against the item in my hand. I just don't trust it.

Personally I prefer Nutracheck. It's £3.99 a month for the app but it's a UK database that's maintained by the company so it's accurate. It even has photos of everything in the database so you can be sure you're adding the right thing.

I promise I don't work for them Grin I'm just a lifelong dieter and I've found what I like and what I don't!