Jseis 

I use MFP and RK. Haven't got around to linking in a new HR monitor to RK. Diet is all about learning to mange hunger...and the best way to do that is upright and doing some physical activity. If you can train yourself to recognize hunger and not eat when you feel hunger, then weight control is far easier. What is needed is the OTC app (On The Couch), otherwise known as the OYA app which needs a link to the GOYFA app with a cattle prod up the user's interface.

Mr. Markets

You are not on a diet, you are on a 'lifestyle change'. Diet is such a lousy word.

Also, one of the better ways to manage hunger is to manage blood sugar. try not to spike your blood sugar with meals heavy in carbs. Your body likes to maintain steady blood sugar as much of the time as possible. And the more steady you help it stay here, the less the hunger pangs.

JRD

I am still using MFP and I have gone from 288lbs Jan of 2013 to 190lbs in Jan of 2014. It really works if you follow it.

nymtber

This. I had lost 10lbs using MFP in fall 2012, then kinda quit using it. Gained only 5lbs back, and most of that was just this winter being lazy (not eating too much really, just not DOING anything). Already seeing lbs drop since using it.

If anything, I tend to estimate on the "more" side for food intake, and "less" side for exercise. Keeps me in check

There are all kinds of fad diets, but in the end Calories in < Calories out = weight loss. I recommend healthy and whole calories in, though.

Null66

It seems like people don't get that fitter is healthier. Fitter radically improves blood lipids and all other health markers.

Seems odd how little the massive improvement in health both short and long term by physical activity is appreciated.

Black wallnut 

I just started using MFP. Time will tell if it works for me. I have not quite gained my winter ten this year. Last year my weight loss stagnated in the mid 230's. A far cry from my goal of 200.

Turzy

Just registered, gonna give it a try

hockeyref

Any of these sites have any sort of decent reporting? Actual analysis of your calories in, calories burned, graph intake trends, etc?

bbbean 

How much detail do you want? You can set up a MFP account for free and see what they offer.

hockeyref

I set up an MFP account before I posted... that's why i asked. The reporting on there at first glance looks rudimentary. But then again the "Diet Industry" is worth a lot of money to someone so why would I expect something for free....
Guess I'll go back to the spreadsheet. At least there I control the raw data and massage the numbers myself.

A consultant showed me what he uses, some sort of armband HR monitor that connects to his phone by blue tooth and he uploads to a website. Lots of capability in the reporting. Need to get the name of it as I didn't write it down.

cvskates

The Polar activity monitor will link to their BT heart rate monitor. I'm not sure if their App does food tracking, as well.

MFP will give you graphs for the week, and it will show your weight over longer periods of time (1M, 3M, 1Y, etc). I'm down 45 pounds with it, and I really like it. If you're a tracking, or numbers type person you'll like it. I love it, my wife hates it.

I recently (boxing day) purchased a new scale, the fitbit aria. 100% superfluous and unnecessary, but I wanted to treat myself (I think my wife was embarrassed about how excited I was about the new scale). It will update your weight in MFP (though your fitbit account) automatically (though WIFI). Then I get nice little supportive emails when I loose 5 pounds. Plus you get the graphs for trends and what not.

Null66

It is far more complicated a system, then just calories in calories out...
How you respond to what you eat and when you eat it is very important.

Fruit will have a much lower insulin response. High insulin response directs the body to store the calories as rapidly as possible. Blood sugar then goes down and you feel sluggish and hungry again.

Hard to lose fat when you preferentially recharge it...

However, the results of this app is amazing! In support, one of the most effective ways to quit smoking is counting and keeping track...

Apps like this are strongly supported by studies.

cvskates

Testify!

If you're chubby (or used to be) and like to read (like me), I recommend:
Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It
Fat Chance: Beating the Odds Against Sugar, Processed Food, Obesity, and Disease
Eat to Live

Also really interesting but doesn's actually deal with the body's response to different foods: Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us

I linked to Amazon, but I listen to the audio books while I walk my dogs.

Even though it is more complicated than Calories in/Calories out; MFP is still a great tool that I use every day (with great success so far).

Since I'm already typing and it popped into my head: My favourite NSV happened 6 months ago. I had a job interview for a new position within my current company, so I tried on my [only] suit about a week beforehand. My wife said "You look like you're wearing your fathers suit, it's way too big. Where did you even get that?"

It was the suit I was wearing when we got married, 2 1/2 years previous.

Null66

Nice story!Was not chubby, was Damn Fat... And insulin resistant.Not either now, not even chubby... I'm still damn heavy 6' 265, heavily muscled.I went the lift heavy-assed things seriously for several years route, restricting simple carbs, both ingestion and timing.Certainly not a route for everybody, I personally suspect (never seen reliable data on this) that underlying body type will influence proper route. I happen to be heavily built, stump puller build (very mesomorph with only a touch of endomorph). My strategy aligned with my body type and personal history. I think people with other builds would be hard pressed to put on enough muscle.The app (and ones of it's kind) promise to be very effective for all.

hockeyref

OK, Been using it for a month now and getting to know the app and the website better.... there are some reporting feature that I didn't find before and they look to offer some decent info. Maybe not to the extent that I might want - note I didn't say "need". The big thing that I see is that it breaks down the nutrition (or lack there of) and allows for customizing your levels\goals as far as % of fat\protein\carb and tracks some other important stuff. I have to remember that a lot of the data is "user supplied" and may or may not be correct or applicable for me so custom appears to be the ultimate way to go with it if at all possible.

I'm trying to track the weight weekly and have yet to do any measurements. I'm down 13# in the past month just reducing calories and some marginal exercise. The exercise is going to ramp up a bit here so I hope to start dropping a bit faster.

All in all I give it a thumbs up.

cvskates

I've found that to be the biggest down side. This morning I used the bar code scan on a small carton of whipping cream (Saturday is Waffle Day). 1800 calories for a 1/4 cup? Not even close.

The nice thing about adding food on the website versus the App, especially if it's the first time you've added that food, is that you can see the number of member confirmations, or other people that have validated that items information.

I also find a lot of small errors, where they've changed a products formulation so the calories go up or down slightly, but the MFP info is out of date. And then errors where there are multiple sizes of a product. I scanned a regular size coffee crisp the other day and got the calorie info for a "fun size". Wishful thinking, I suppose

hockeyref

I've generally found the barcode scan matches the product label. You definitely do need to look at the portion sizes and adjust to suit.

chriskmurray

I just want to add, this thread inspired me to get back onto my neglected MFP account and give it another go. I have been stuck at 200lbs for years now and was semi content but here recently not only have I been trying to focus on just family and neglecting fitness I have also given what little time I had to really trying to build my career after a new (very positive) opportunity came up so I have been pushing especially hard to make the most of that. So that all worked out to my health being low on the list of priorities and I have been gaining weight again, thankfully I caught it fairly early but I want to push complacency aside and finally make it to my goal weight of being in the 160's. I am currently right at 210 (only 5'9) so we will see how tracking calories with more discipline helps.

Thanks to all in the clydesdale group, I have been lurking a lot here trying to find motivation recently.

Black wallnut 

Time for a bump and update. I've been tracking for 107 days and have lost 23 pounds. MFP is working for me. less than 20 to go until I am a Clyde emeritus.

ill.clyde

You're not alone.

I generally don't track on the weekends, but track the weekdays pretty religiously.

Since getting back at it in late January, tracking my food, my cardio (indoor riding and now outdoor riding/commutes) as well as my strength training with MFP, I've lost 18 pounds total. Not sure I'll ever get below 200 ... but I'm shooting for between 230-240 by the time Thanksgiving rolls around this year. Roughly a pound and a half per week.

Dave Cutter

None of us are! I lost over 70 pounds using one of the fitness/diet calorie counting apps. But I gained several pounds back over the winter months. I guess I still haven't mastered all my eating pitfalls. But I learned a lot about what MY weaknesses are.

I really like sweet snacks. Cake or pie with ice cream... or a stack of cookies. It's amazing how the calories add up.

But the long boring winter has ended.... I was beginning to think it never would. And I am cycling and exercising more... and entering every bite in my [Lose It!] app. And I am very quickly back on track to my desired weight. It's mostly just a math game now. Burn more, eat less, lose weight.

The apps WORK! And they work because they address the ONLY reason people get fat. If we consume more calories/food than we burn... the extra food/fuel is stored as fat. Eat less food than you burn.... and the body burns the stored fuel.

For every 3500 calories of deficit I create by diet, exercise, or a combination of diet and exercise..... I lose a pound. I can predict my weight loss (or gain) accordingly. It's just that mathematically simple.

bbbean 

Outstanding! Keep it up!

ricebowl

31 pounds lost so far, close to the point where I just want to maintain my weight. Not sure what my results would've been without using the app. But it sure as hell didn't hurt things.

Sometimes it is just that simple.

Black wallnut 

Thanks guys! Dave Cutter I think you have pegged it.

Mvcrash

Impressed by all the weight loss in this thread.Congrats to all.