Anyone else using MyFitnessPal

[Pop Centurion]

I've been using it for a few weeks now & have lost 6lbs. It really helps me be more aware of my calorie intake as well as everything else.
One of the biggest reasons I started dieting was because my BP has been really high (in the upper 130's & lower 140's) for the last 3 months. I'm not really that overweight but have the spare tire going on. So I could stand to loose 20lbs.
My doctor told me I really need to cut back on the sodium & MFP has helped me do that.
So with my diet & exercise I'm happy to say that my BP has been in the mid to low 120's for 3 weeks now.

So I was wondering if anyone is using it & having success?

[PirateLover]

I was tracking myself for two months with the free phone app. I did fairly well, losing about 15 lbs I stopped using it though, and my weight has started to creep back up. It definitely keeps you more aware and accountable for your food intake and amount of exercise. I think it's time I fired it up again, and stick with it this time!

[kaylamag]

I have it on my phone, but haven't been using it like i should. It is very convenient though especially with the barcode scanner, i should start using it more....

[Pop Centurion]

I have it on my phone, but haven't been using it like i should. It is very convenient though especially with the barcode scanner, i should start using it more....

My Blackberry version doesn't have the barcode scanner

[IloveDisney71]

I LOVE IT!!! I've been using it for 25 days now. I've lost 8 pounds so far. I want to lose about 9 more. I think it's a great tool. I love being able to keep track of my exercise "calories".
I'm a huge fan of weight watchers and have lost weight on that plan and am a lifetime member of weight watchers. The myfitnesspal is a great tracking tool. AND I LOVE the new bar code scanner. It really makes you think twice before eating something that has too many calories.

[EpcotFan182]

I use MyFitnessPal everyday and LOVE IT!

I recently lost weight on a doctor-supervised program where the things I could eat was very restricted. When I finished the plan and was able to eat other foods again, I was looking for something to help me keep track of what I ate and maintain my weight.

I use it both on my phone and on my laptop so it's convenient for me. I've been using it for over 2 months and have maintained my weight loss! I love it because it lays it all out for you, it has an extensive food database, and a barcode scanner. Probably the biggest thing I've learned from it was which foods are worth eating, which aren't, and how easy it is to go over my daily calorie goal if I don't keep track. Overall I think it's an amazing tool!

[iceicebritney]

Congratulations Joe on the 6lbs! Keep up the good work

I've been an avid My Fitness Pal user on my iPhone for the last year. Its the most fabulous app ever!! I'm using it now to maintain my weight loss and monitor my nutrition.

However, my husband was recently diagnosed with High Blood Pressure as well and I will say, it is extremely difficult to keep his daily sodium intake under the allowed amount. Everything has sodium in it. Its ridiculous! My best advice is to read the nutritional information provided on pre-packaged food labels and look for "salt free" or "low sodium" options. Oh, and throw the salt shaker in your home away! It's Evil!!

[AHOTE]

It's really good to read that this program will help . I actually joined My Fitness Pal earlier today so I haven't had a chance to look it over real well. It came recommended by a friend who knows of my lifestyle changes and though it may help. I don’t have a smart phone so I’ll be using my computer.
I had digestive problems, high blood pressure, 140/90 average with a resting heart rate of 70, I was also borderline diabetic with an A1C of 6.9. I puffed just going up one flight of stairs. I was over-weight by about 30 pounds. Most of this was acerbated by stress as I’m the primary caregiver for a parent with Alzheimer’s.
I am fortunate to have a doctor now who gave me a choice, pills or a lifestyle change that would have the similar or better results. I’m not one for taking pills so I figured I’d go to them as a last resort. First I got help in caring for mom so the stress levels dropped. I started reading books by Drs. Dean Ornish and Neal Barnard. I started reading labels on everything and I try to stay away from prepackaged foods if I can. I cleaned out my pantry and refrigerator and kept only those things that were better for me. I didn’t make changes all at once, just a few small ones each week so I was able to transition easier. I buy mostly fresh items and I’m pretty much a vegetarian now. I still enjoy a good steak once in a while but it’s a 4 oz. not 16 oz. I’m fortunate to have a friend who is a chef in a vegetarian/vegan eatery here in Philly. He’s taught me a lot about cooking healthy and Dr. Barnard’s, Get healthy Go vegan, cook book has helped too. Lots of good recipes in it that anyone would enjoy eating. I even cleaned off the treadmill and dusted the weight bench.
I’ve been keeping a hand written journal for the past three months. I monitor my blood sugar 4 times a day, my blood pressure before and after I use the treadmill. I write down everything I eat or drink. The results have been better than I had ever hoped they could be. I walk 45 minutes a day at a 2+ mph rate. I do weight training three times a week. In three months I’ve lost 24 pounds, my digestive problems have gone, except when I cheat, my blood pressure average now is 112/74 with a resting heart rate of 56. My blood sugar readings are all in the normal range. My last A1C was down to 6.5. I haven’t felt this good in years. My Doctor is even impressed; he told me he wasn’t sure I’d actually follow his recommendations. He just gave me thumbs up and a program to increase my training here at home with the idea that I think about joining him in the next half marathon at WDW in 2012. I think I may just take him up on that challenge.
At 62 I never would have thought I’d be doing what I’m doing now, and to even consider running in a half marathon at 63 would have never crossed my mind.

[jennbunn]

I am going to have to give this app a try. My DH and I just had a talk tonight about shedding a few extra pounds we both put on over the last few years.

[iceicebritney]

Bill, it really sounds like you are making all the right changes. Congratulations to you on sticking to it this far and being so committed and setting a goal, like running the half marathon, is a great idea.

I used my fitness pal via the web for the first six months. I worked in a government job where we were't allowed cell phones and therefore it became difficult for me to track what I ate. The biggest thing with any food diary like My Fitness Pal is to enter everything in! Its especially important that you enter your cardio in as well. It really puts into perspective how many calories you are consuming verses how many you are burning.

Good luck and Keep up the good work

[TheDuckRocks]

Thank you, Joe and all the other posters here. I have just opened an account with My Fitness Pal for my phone and have also checked out the website. Now I'm ready to start keeping track of what I'm eating and making some healthier changes. Just love the idea of the ability of the phone use when traveling.

[iceicebritney]

Kay, good for you and good luck My fitness pal is a fabulous resource!

As a side note, the magazine Women's Health has really helped me in my journey. The issues are packed full of knowledgeable information from eating healthy to doing the right exercises. Its very hard to become educated properly about what you are putting into your body and this magazine has really helped me a lot.

Also, my favorite cookbook is "cook this, not that." Its tiny so you can take it anywhere and the recipes are so easy to follow. I used to be a restaurant junkie. I never set foot in a kitchen till a year ago and ate every meal out. I am hooked on this cookbook because it has recipes from popular restaurants that can be made cheaper and a thousand times healthier!

[DisneyOtaku]

I literally downloaded this ap 2 days ago and used it for the first time yesterday. I had lost about 15 lbs but do to stress, I gained it back again in about two months (stupid job searching. Blah.)

It's really interesting, especially when I put in my cardio. Yesterday, I was trying to find something to eat to make sure I was taking in enough calories! (I think I fell 90 short or something). I also like how they break it down for you--helps me figure out what I need to get in me.

But what is this barcode scanner thing? Which phone(s) does it work on?

[kaylamag]

But what is this barcode scanner thing? Which phone(s) does it work on?

The barcode scanner scans upc's so that you don't have to search for items. If i eat cereal in the morning i just scan the box, then scan the milk.
Not sure if it is available on all phones, mine is an iphone.

[mollyme123]

Thanks for the post! I was wondering about it the other day and find it just a little consequentially that I stumbled upon this thread. Hmmm...guess that must mean I should start using it! lol...thanks for the info...

[DisneyOtaku]

The barcode scanner scans upc's so that you don't have to search for items. If i eat cereal in the morning i just scan the box, then scan the milk.
Not sure if it is available on all phones, mine is an iphone.

I just tried it on a drink that I couldn't find the information on (I have an IPhone too). How handy!

[Pop Centurion]

If anyone wants to be friends on the MFP website, send me a pm & I'll give you a link to my page or look me up. my username is joebarrett

[TheVBs]

Just signed up today to give this a try. Interesting so far! I like getting an idea of how many calories are in things that I usually eat, but it's a little frustrating guessing for homemade stuff. We had meatloaf tonight, but we put a LOT of veggies in ours and use extra lean beef. I'm not willing to put in more time than I already have today to enter the recipe though, so I just chose something I hoped was similar. For my lunch, a salad, I opted to enter everything seperately, which was more time consuming than I'd like as well. But I think that it's a great way to at least become more concious of what and how much you're eating! I'll probably stick with it for a while longer at least.