For the past few months, I’ve been utilizing an iPhone app called MyFitnessPal. In a nutshell, it is a calorie counter. The user will input their vital stats and the app will return a recommended calorie allowance. The user has the option to raise or lower the allowance based on how much weight they would like to gain or loose. Users are then able to log their daily food intake and see their allotted pool start to decline as food choices are made. An additional bonus is that users are able to raise their daily allowances if they add exercise. If you’re out of calories and really want a popsicle, the user can walk a mile or two to raise their calorie allowance, have their popsicle, and not blow their daily goal.
Not everyone will agree on calorie counting. Some folks choose to count carbs. Others advocate a healthy diet of organic and non-processed foods. Regardless of which diet ideals you may have, a vast majority of diets favor keeping a log or journal of the foods we consume. Even a trip to the nutritionist will request a log of what you’ve been eating. The app does go a little further and gives a report broken down into additional nutrients – fat, cholesterol, sodium, potassium, carbs, fiber, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron.
Another aspect is the peer pressure to stick with your diet. Users are able other users as app friends. You’ll get to see the news of what your friends are doing. News may include how much weight they’ve lost, which exercises they’re including in their diet, how many days they’ve been sticking with the app on a daily basis, etc. I have a friend that has been utilizing the app and has lost 50+ pounds of her post-pregnancy weight. I’m not going to say that this system will work for everyone, but it has been working for her.
The last major benefit I find worthwhile mentioning is the food education. My significant other will go to a restaurant and research her meal choices with the app to see what will be the damage to her daily allowance. By researching her food options, she feels that her calorie allowance is the equivalent of currency and she will prioritize the types of foods that she wants to enjoy. Don’t misunderstand, if she has a craving for french fries, she’ll still order the french fries and make a few adjustments to her diet by limiting the portion, adding an evening walk, etc. Hence, we are focusing on our food choices. Sometimes we may not decide to always go with the “healthier option”, but we are more likely to avoid any excessive binge eating.
As far as my own progress, I’ve lost approximately 17 lbs in the past 2 months. I think I’ll stick with it logging my food choices for now and reassess my progress in another 2 months.
-M