Having three kids under five means life hasn't been about me much in the last few years. I decided this fall, however, that it was time for me to make the commitment to myself and to my health and embark on the ever enjoyable lose the baby weight journey.
If I'm being honest it's more like the lose the baby weight and all the extra weight I've carried since I was a teenager because I love food a bit too much journey.
My Fitness Pal works really well for me because it offers community suppport and acknowledges my successes. It's a web site with an accompanying app that tracks my eating, exercise, and lets me interact with my weight loss friends - providing me with the community support I so need.
There are many things I love about MFP but here are a few of the key ones:
Easy
You plug in your weight and how much you want to lose and it tells you how many calories to eat a day. When you exercise it allots you extra calories. Its simple.
Database
The user-populated database of foods is immense (and FULL of CANADIAN products!) Almost anything I buy is there. You can search by brand, restaurant, type of food or by product name. The exercise database is great too - running, swimming, HOUSEWORK!
Social interaction
The key to success for me is the support network. MFP lets you link up with other people and create that network – join strangers or friends and support each other! I now have an amazing cheering squad, and seeing my friends putting in hard work on a daily basis keeps me motivated.
Mobile
What I love most is that because its also an app, it's always with me. I may forget to bring diapers with me again (ugh!) but my phone? It's always in my pocket! I don't have to worry about remembering what I ate - I can track it as I go.
The app is free and is available for iPhone and Android (and currently being developed for Blackberry). And it works. I'm down 26 lbs since I started using the app and I'm more motivated than ever to keep on going!
Now please excuse me while I input breakfast :)
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