As many of my friends and family know, I have been working on a lifestyle change of sorts since April of this year, 2015. I have lost approximately 30 pounds. While my weight loss has slowed in the past few months, I have maintained a steady weight loss of approximately 2-3 pounds per month (my goal is currently 1 pound per week).
I started out this life at a scrawny 6 pounds, 5 ounces. I was a skinny kid up until I was about 5 years old. That's when I started what would be a lifelong struggle with being overweight. Being overweight/obese can very much be an obstacle, however you want to look at it. My weight has been up and down most of my life. And for the majority of the time, I freely admit to being in the wrong mindset regarding goals to reach a healthy weight.
For anyone who wants to get serious about being at a healthy weight, it is wise to consider to put yourself in the right mindset first. You have to want it, and you have to want it for the right reasons. To just jump in feet first without realizing what you're getting into and what you might be setting yourself up for may have very unsatisfactory results.
Some friends referred me to a free app called MyFitnessPal. I downloaded it to my phone back in April. You put in your current height, weight, and the amount of weight per week you wish to lose. This information is calculated and the app determines how many calories you can take in a day to reach your desired goal. It allows the user to input food items for meals and snacks, and it even has a function that scans the barcode of food items and even supplements (vitamins, fish oil capsules, etc.). You can also enter exercise information or download apps that communicate this information to MyFitnessPal, which calculates this information into calories burned and subtracts it from your caloric total for the day. For example, I use an app called Pacer (the icon looks like a shoe), which is basically a pedometer, and it interacts with MyFitnessPal quite well. I'd like to point out that the latest MyFitnessPal upgrade now allows you to choose from your overall food list, especially frequent items, for all meals, not just for the meal you typically eat said food item. That comes in handy for someone like me who doesn't just eat eggs and cereal for breakfast, but at any given time of the day.
Dieting, fasting, and avoiding most foods are not long-term methods of weight loss. There is nothing wrong with eating what you want. Moderation works. Making yourself accountable for what you eat and your activity levels works. You have to find what works for you and make sure these are changes you can live with for the rest of your life.
Here is a rundown of my rating(s) of MyFitnessPal app on a scale of 1-10, 10 being the best:
User-friendliness: 9.5
Interoperability (with other apps): 9
Accuracy: 9.8
Functionality: 9.6
Overall score: 9.5
MyFitnessPal is a considerably user-friendly app that allows users to track their eating and exercise habits. It is considerably interoperable with other applications that are designed to work with it. For the most part, the food, drink, and exercise caloric information are accurate; however, the user should be aware that some of these entries are entered by other users and must be cross-referenced to ensure accuracy, or else scan or use entries with a green "verified" check mark. Overall, this is a highly recommended app for those interested in losing or maintaining weight through tracking food consumption and exercise activities.
Until next time!
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