Using MyFitnessPal
Discussion
I'm 6 foot in my 50s and found that although I don't seem to eat too much and exercise a fair bit I still had a small paunch that wouldn't shift and my moobs seemed to be scarily growing. So prompted by recent threads on here I followed the suggestion to use MFP about 2 months ago.
My observations:
1. Easy to use and enter the data. Database has pretty much everything you can get, just portion size takes a bit of effort to get right (reading labels).
2. I have a sedentary lifestyle so set it to a low 1500cals/day to lose some weight. I found my normal eating could easily get under this without trying (as I thought). e.g. cereal for breakfast, mackerel on toast for lunch with an apple, meat and 3 veg for tea. Even a pudding after it.
3. By logging everything the 3 main culprits began to emerge. Obvious to the regulars on here I'm sure but quite an eye opener seeing the numbers. Bread and butter - I used to have a couple of slices with soup and often with a meal. Orange juice - I could regularly drink pints of the stuff. Peanuts - I thought grazing on nuts was good for you and would often finish off a bag when back from the pub and peckish. Huge calories.
4. I drink several times a week but it's not as bad as I thought (except if on a big session). Nevertheless, noticed that Coors Lite (and similar) is half the calories (110/pt)so switched to that. No change in behaviour needed.
5. It really helps the budget to do at least some exercise every day however small (e.g. a short brisk walk at lunchtime). Big events make a huge difference, e.g. it's golf season and a round is >1000 calories. Cycling too.
6. Pizzas are huge calories!
7. Staying in budget on screen is really motivating.
8. Went to an all day birthday bash so no exercise, food and puddings on tap all day plus constant drinking. Ouch. Over double the budget. Good fun though and no lasting effects.
So faced with that info the changes I made.
1. Massively cut down on the 3 baddies. Swapped water for the OJ 90% of the time. Only have bread in sandwiches (and not as often) or when having something on toast not as an extra. Stopped buying salted peanuts.
2. Eat stuff I like that is low calories much more often. Sardines, Soup (without bread).
3. Pile the plate high with nice veg whenever I get around to making it. Enjoyably fills you up for nowt.
4. Do at least some exercise every day. I live near countryside and work from home so as long as it's not raining, instead of a normal teabreak I will take the dogs out for a walk (2.5 mile loop). More enjoyable and a few extra calories to the budget.
5. Do an extra big activity a week. Signed up for the golf team plus say a cycle ride at the weekend. Can easily then stick a big food item in if you feel like it and stay under budget (Fish and Chips, beer and pizza).
6. Often switch to low calorie beer if available but not religiously.
Also, someone said on here as you get older it's especially important to do some strength stuff too as muscles wither away. So I found these on Youtube and if doing nothing else on a day I will do these:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phiD9Q8j_dk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuDNewVmbHM
The upshot is I don't feel deprived or "on a diet" at all, MFP jut shows what's what calorie wise and I've adjusted things slightly. I still eat pretty much what I want and drink as much when I go out. It's also provided the motivation to get off my backside a bit more regularly which is a virtuous circle as I really enjoy it.
So far I've lost 10 pounds and I swear I almost saw some stomach muscles this morning. Moobs are in full retreat.
So thanks for the push to do this on here and if anyone else has thought about using MFP...go for it.
My observations:
1. Easy to use and enter the data. Database has pretty much everything you can get, just portion size takes a bit of effort to get right (reading labels).
2. I have a sedentary lifestyle so set it to a low 1500cals/day to lose some weight. I found my normal eating could easily get under this without trying (as I thought). e.g. cereal for breakfast, mackerel on toast for lunch with an apple, meat and 3 veg for tea. Even a pudding after it.
3. By logging everything the 3 main culprits began to emerge. Obvious to the regulars on here I'm sure but quite an eye opener seeing the numbers. Bread and butter - I used to have a couple of slices with soup and often with a meal. Orange juice - I could regularly drink pints of the stuff. Peanuts - I thought grazing on nuts was good for you and would often finish off a bag when back from the pub and peckish. Huge calories.
4. I drink several times a week but it's not as bad as I thought (except if on a big session). Nevertheless, noticed that Coors Lite (and similar) is half the calories (110/pt)so switched to that. No change in behaviour needed.
5. It really helps the budget to do at least some exercise every day however small (e.g. a short brisk walk at lunchtime). Big events make a huge difference, e.g. it's golf season and a round is >1000 calories. Cycling too.
6. Pizzas are huge calories!
7. Staying in budget on screen is really motivating.
8. Went to an all day birthday bash so no exercise, food and puddings on tap all day plus constant drinking. Ouch. Over double the budget. Good fun though and no lasting effects.
So faced with that info the changes I made.
1. Massively cut down on the 3 baddies. Swapped water for the OJ 90% of the time. Only have bread in sandwiches (and not as often) or when having something on toast not as an extra. Stopped buying salted peanuts.
2. Eat stuff I like that is low calories much more often. Sardines, Soup (without bread).
3. Pile the plate high with nice veg whenever I get around to making it. Enjoyably fills you up for nowt.
4. Do at least some exercise every day. I live near countryside and work from home so as long as it's not raining, instead of a normal teabreak I will take the dogs out for a walk (2.5 mile loop). More enjoyable and a few extra calories to the budget.
5. Do an extra big activity a week. Signed up for the golf team plus say a cycle ride at the weekend. Can easily then stick a big food item in if you feel like it and stay under budget (Fish and Chips, beer and pizza).
6. Often switch to low calorie beer if available but not religiously.
Also, someone said on here as you get older it's especially important to do some strength stuff too as muscles wither away. So I found these on Youtube and if doing nothing else on a day I will do these:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phiD9Q8j_dk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuDNewVmbHM
The upshot is I don't feel deprived or "on a diet" at all, MFP jut shows what's what calorie wise and I've adjusted things slightly. I still eat pretty much what I want and drink as much when I go out. It's also provided the motivation to get off my backside a bit more regularly which is a virtuous circle as I really enjoy it.
So far I've lost 10 pounds and I swear I almost saw some stomach muscles this morning. Moobs are in full retreat.
So thanks for the push to do this on here and if anyone else has thought about using MFP...go for it.
Thanks for the nice comments.
Re portions, others have said it better but personally I don't worry too much about being exact. I usually look at the tin or packet which all have the info on these days. So far I haven't weighed stuff but when say eating peanuts in 3 sittings I would make sure the total entered over the 3 entries matched the total on the packet. Same for most stuff. If no exact match I will just pick the nearest and move on.
I have it open in the background on my PC and just enter stuff as I eat it. Before I switch the PC off for the day I recky up to see where we are. Sometimes I know what I'm going to eat and exercise for the day so enter it beforehand. Difficult to skip the exercise then or eat say biscuits (not that I want to) to blow the budget! Haven't missed a day's entries since I started.
I suspect I am still underestimating slightly as although losing 10 pounds the MFP predictor suggested a bit more based on my entries. Proof of the pudding and all that.
Had a bike ride earlier today...so taking the kids out to a burger restaurant tonight! Hmm, better check how many calories things are before I choose what to have!
Some amazing achievements by others above too. Well done. I play badminton and there are a couple of err larger ladies play on the adjoining court. I always think "good on yer" for doing something about it.
Re portions, others have said it better but personally I don't worry too much about being exact. I usually look at the tin or packet which all have the info on these days. So far I haven't weighed stuff but when say eating peanuts in 3 sittings I would make sure the total entered over the 3 entries matched the total on the packet. Same for most stuff. If no exact match I will just pick the nearest and move on.
I have it open in the background on my PC and just enter stuff as I eat it. Before I switch the PC off for the day I recky up to see where we are. Sometimes I know what I'm going to eat and exercise for the day so enter it beforehand. Difficult to skip the exercise then or eat say biscuits (not that I want to) to blow the budget! Haven't missed a day's entries since I started.
I suspect I am still underestimating slightly as although losing 10 pounds the MFP predictor suggested a bit more based on my entries. Proof of the pudding and all that.
Had a bike ride earlier today...so taking the kids out to a burger restaurant tonight! Hmm, better check how many calories things are before I choose what to have!
Some amazing achievements by others above too. Well done. I play badminton and there are a couple of err larger ladies play on the adjoining court. I always think "good on yer" for doing something about it.
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