Wednesday, June 12, 2013

LoseIt! vs. MyFitnessPal

I successfully used LoseIt! last year to drop 30 pounds. Then, unfortunately, I successfully gained it back when I stopped using LoseIt! because I thought I had everything under control. Yesterday, I decided to check out MyFitnessPal (MFP) for the first time in about 6 months.

For the next few days I will focus solely on MFP (while still logging on LoseIt! as well). If you follow me on Twitter, you will notice that updates based on my day (ex., finishing under my calorie budget & exercising) will appear on my feed from MFP (note: LoseIt! will do the same thing if your Twitter account is enabled). These updates are yet another way to keep me focused on the goal that I am trying to reach.

Aside from minor details, I will be looking to see which calorie counter gives me more calories per day, how large their food database is, user friendliness, calories per food, calorie deficit at the end of the day, etc. Ultimately, I am looking to see which counter helps me drop the highest amount of weight per week. Both LoseIt! and MFP state that my goal is to drop 2 pounds per week. Lately, based on my performance, I have been struggling to lose a few ounces much less pounds, so I figured I would switch up what I was doing a little.

Through this process I am in no way trying to persuade anyone who is reading this to switch from one of these counters to the other. This is simply an experiment that I want to conduct to see which one works better for me. I have heard phenomenal reviews about both and after my success on one, I want to see if  will be successful on the other.

4 comments:

  1. Good luck with comparing the two! Hopefully it will provide you with the umpf you need to continue the weight loss journey and the numbers continue to decline on the scale! I am wondering though, have you looked at the BMR lately and how many calories you should be eating a day? I am thinking your calorie count may be low on LoseIt which is why you are not dropping the weight. Also, how many more pounds do you have to loose, because the 2 lbs a week may be too high. Just a few thoughts.

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    1. I think trying MFP will give me the boost I need on this journey and the boost to get out of this plateau. When I started this journey my plan was to continue no matter what happened and I have stuck to that and plan on sticking to that.

      When looking at various BMR calculators, it simply calculated how many calories I would burn if I did nothing. When I calculate the calories I need to eat to lose weight (either online or using an equation) I get the same numbers that both LoseIt! and MFP provide me with. My calorie count may be too low on LoseIt! (that's what I was thinking too) which is another reason why I wanted to see how I would do on MFP.

      At this moment, I have 48 pounds to lose before I hit my first goal.

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  2. Whichever one you choose, I hope it works for you. Two pounds a week would be awesome. The scale hasn't moved for me in about a week and it is a little discouraging. Also, I've been meaning to thank you for all of the encouraging comments you left on several posts. I had to laugh when you mentioned putting pictures up on the blog. Honestly, the main reason I was brave enough to post pictures of my stomach spilling out of those jeans was because there isn't an actual picture of myself on the world wide web. I know my name is on there and anybody looking up Rachael Deanna Mahoney may stumble across it one day. I try not to think about that, though. Looking at those pictures is a real wake-up call for me, though... good luck.

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    1. Good luck to you and keep up the good work!! I am really enjoying your blog!!

      Two pounds a week would be awesome. Since January I have been using LoseIt! and they told me I would be losing two pounds a week (it started off somewhat like that) but now I think I have hit another plateau and figured giving MFP a try wouldn't hurt me (at least I hope not).

      You are brave to put pictures up, I keep telling myself that I will do that one day, but I am just waiting for that day to come around.

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