Author Topic: Free and Fantastic Calorie Counter & Fitness Tracker!  (Read 4746 times)

LadyM

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Free and Fantastic Calorie Counter & Fitness Tracker!
« on: October 05, 2012, 10:16:31 AM »
My Fitness Pal!!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/

This is a great little online freebie that's well worth your time if you're trying to lose weight, eat better, exercise, etc.  I have a friend who has dropped over 70 lbs just by making herself 100% accountable for the food that she eats and the exercise regimen she follows.  It also has a social-networking component built-in, but internal to MyFitnessPal, meaning it's not trying to link to facebook or twitter, but rather it allows you to find friends, and share your success with a group of like-minded and supportive people.

The food and exercise databases are quite extensive, so you're likely to find just about anything in there.  And if you don't, you're allowed to add homemade recipes or your own calorie burning calculations if you were wearing a heart monitor while exercising.  You can set your goals and track them, and even customize it a bit!

I wanted to share this with the forum because I was a total rube and paid for MyFoodDiary.com ($9/month) for quite a long time, for really what amounts to the same type of site.  Silly me.  When I was done punching myself in the face, I signed up for MyFitnessPal.  This freebie is totally worth it.  And if you're into the whole APP thing, they have apps as well!

It's worth checking out.  A simple sign-up, and you're off an running.  You have nothing to lose with this one, except for perhaps a few extra pounds.  :)

Donovan

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Re: Free and Fantastic Calorie Counter & Fitness Tracker!
« Reply #1 on: October 05, 2012, 11:14:40 AM »
Looks decent for a food journal, but I don't think I could move my exercise data over to it. Searched for "Squat" and other basic exercises and it came up with nothing... (or, in the case of "Clean", they seems to be suggesting literal cleaning, not throwing myself under a moving barbell.)

Looks like I'm still stuck with my old composition book and a pen *shrug*

LadyM

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Re: Free and Fantastic Calorie Counter & Fitness Tracker!
« Reply #2 on: October 05, 2012, 12:14:38 PM »
Looks decent for a food journal, but I don't think I could move my exercise data over to it. Searched for "Squat" and other basic exercises and it came up with nothing... (or, in the case of "Clean", they seems to be suggesting literal cleaning, not throwing myself under a moving barbell.)

Looks like I'm still stuck with my old composition book and a pen *shrug*

Maybe you tried to look it up under "Cardiovascular Exercises".  If you search "squat" under "Strength Training Exercies" 4 different types of squats show up.  If you found "cleaning", you were probably in the cardio section.

kkbmustang

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Re: Free and Fantastic Calorie Counter & Fitness Tracker!
« Reply #3 on: October 05, 2012, 12:21:15 PM »
This sounds great. I've joined in on the Track What You Eat Challenge with StashinIt for October  (https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/throw-down-the-gauntlet/track-what-you-eat-(calories)-every-day-in-october/). This will be a lot easier than the excel spreadsheet I've been using.

cadamsgis

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Re: Free and Fantastic Calorie Counter & Fitness Tracker!
« Reply #4 on: October 06, 2012, 05:11:34 AM »
sparkpeople.com is also free and awesome

Adventine

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Re: Free and Fantastic Calorie Counter & Fitness Tracker!
« Reply #5 on: October 06, 2012, 09:17:12 PM »
+1 To MyFitnessPal. Great app.

ghatko

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Re: Free and Fantastic Calorie Counter & Fitness Tracker!
« Reply #6 on: October 25, 2012, 09:55:20 AM »
+1

I have used this app for over a year, and I have managed to lose almost 15 lbs without much effort. All it took for me, was to be accountable for portion size, and how many calories I consumed. I used to always 'treat' myself, and it added up! I was already back to my pre-pregnancy weight before I started the app, and now I weigh the same as I did years ago.

The_Dude

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Re: Free and Fantastic Calorie Counter & Fitness Tracker!
« Reply #7 on: October 26, 2012, 05:56:27 PM »
This ap is badass!   I started using it June and it only took me 2.5 months to hit my goal weight of 195 lbs which was after losing 23 lbs. I'm now at 190 lbs though I care more about body fat than weight now. I still ate all my favorite foods including deserts but it helped me consistently hit reasonable portion sizes. I've learned more about food and nutrition using this ap the past 4 months than my whole life before.

frugalcalan

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Re: Free and Fantastic Calorie Counter & Fitness Tracker!
« Reply #8 on: October 26, 2012, 08:59:32 PM »
Definitely a nice app. Recently I've started making up a weeks worth of lunches at one time (in those ziploc containers with the blue lids and three compartments). I then make a 5 serving "recipe" with the sum of the ingredients. One day I might have a third of about avocado, another day I might have a forth, but it all assassination up to one avocado for the week. Same for a run if cottage cheese, etc. Then when tracking information just say I had one serving of "lunch week X" and bam, it's settled.

mm1970

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Re: Free and Fantastic Calorie Counter & Fitness Tracker!
« Reply #9 on: October 26, 2012, 10:04:59 PM »
I like it too. I've lost 13+ lbs post baby using it.  It's good enough that I canceled my long-standing WW online membership.

flyfamily

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Re: Free and Fantastic Calorie Counter & Fitness Tracker!
« Reply #10 on: October 30, 2012, 04:40:20 PM »
I agree! Great app... and free. I've lost 7 pounds since using it.  It's easy, you can plan out your day's meals, add in your water intake, exercise. Can't beat that!

For accountability purposes, husband and I also have a weigh in sheet in our bathroom.


 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!