Lose it! App

[chrisleakfan4life]

Found a pretty nice App for the Iphone(im guessing there is one on droid as well).

You can put in all your info(height, weight, age etc) as well as your goal weight and how many pounds per week you want to lose and it gives your your daily calorie limit and what date you can reach your goal. It will also track your calories and all that stuff.

The cool thing about it is, if you want to add calories it has the ability to scan bar codes and take all the nutritional information off the bar code.

I just tried it with a protein shake and it was spot on.

Anyway its a free app and very useful for those who want to lose weight.

[exiledgator]

MyFitnessPal is another that is pretty good. Whatever one is used, I think they're great.

Calorie counting is tedious, but a sure fired way to shed the pounds and these apps make it as easy as possible, IMO.

[kkg8r]

I have been using Daily Burn (I used LoseIt for a while as well) and it is the ONLY thing that helps me lose weight. If I'm not putting it in my tracker, I lose sight of how much I eat. I have a Withings scale that sends my weight via WiFi to the Daily Burn Tracker. It's great. The thing I really liked about LoseIt was the "friend" portion. Having mini-challenges with friends is a great motivator.

[exiledgator]

I just downloaded LoseIt! to compare to MyFitnessPal.

Functionality is pretty equal with both sharing the same major features. UIs are different - a matter of preference of course.

****However, there is one HUGE difference. When setting identical weight loss goals on the two apps, there is a 400+ calories/day difference. *****

MFP does have an added step of asking your activity level that LoseIt doesn't ask.

I just want to share in case there are casual readers that might not have a good idea of approximate caloric needs. These apps are great, but it could be worth double checking your caloric needs before committing to their daily limits.

[Dreamliner]

A client of mine is using MFP. I told her to dispense with the activity level option. Americans are notorious for doing two things:

(1) underestimating calories consumed and

(2) overestimating calories burned through activity.

I do like MFP because it tells you how many calories you have left. I think this is a cool function because it's all about calorie budgeting. Treat your caloric allowance like you do your checking account. Overdraft fees are outrageous. Avoid them at all costs.

[exiledgator]

Originally Posted by Dreamliner

A client of mine is using MFP. I told her to dispense with the activity level option. Americans are notorious for doing two things:

(1) underestimating calories consumed and

(2) overestimating calories burned through activity.

I do like MFP because it tells you how many calories you have left. I think this is a cool function because it's all about calorie budgeting. Treat your caloric allowance like you do your checking account. Overdraft fees are outrageous. Avoid them at all costs.

Excellent perspective. Activity level or not, I've found both these apps to overstate how many calories I can consume and lose weight at my desired pace.

I'd suggest determining BMR independently and doing the math one's self rather than trusting the app to appropriately set goals.

They track and motivate like a champ, but beware.

[Dreamliner]

Originally Posted by exiledgator

Excellent perspective. Activity level or not, I've found both these apps to overstate how many calories I can consume and lose weight at my desired pace.

I'd suggest determining BMR independently and doing the math one's self rather than trusting the app to appropriately set goals.

They track and motivate like a champ, but beware.

We're definitely on the same page. For clients of mine who count calories, I advice that they find three BMR calculators and then take the lowest number. I then advise them to subtract from that number, to establish calorie deficit, and consider calories burned through activity a bonus.

And I go one better than that. I tell them to be prepared for the possibility that there calculations may STILL be too conservative. So, if they're not losing weight after 2-3 weeks, I simply tell them, "Guess what ? This simply means that you're going to have to eat less than you are now."

Throughout is the underlying message that, essentially we've been lied to. We don't need to be eating nearly as much as we've been led to believe. Therefore, the adjustment must be made to eating less food. Then, having established how little food they need to realize their weight-loss goals, the only thing left to do is to learn to enjoy the comparatively little food they are allowed to eat.

[G8RBrave]

Ive found the Livestrong app to be pretty awesome as well.

[chrisleakfan4life]

I have both on my phone

[chrisleakfan4life]

Originally Posted by Dreamliner

A client of mine is using MFP. I told her to dispense with the activity level option. Americans are notorious for doing two things:

(1) underestimating calories consumed and

(2) overestimating calories burned through activity.

I do like MFP because it tells you how many calories you have left. I think this is a cool function because it's all about calorie budgeting. Treat your caloric allowance like you do your checking account. Overdraft fees are outrageous. Avoid them at all costs.

I think their calorie limit is too high for me, i tend to stick with around 1500 calories.

Right now I'm sticking with frozen foods, mostly the healthy stuff. I am terrible at portioning and counting calories and those are the easiest ways for me to track the calories i am taking in.

When i first lost weight, from 255 down to 215 i was eating Lean Cuisines and drinking Vitamin Water Zero.

I try to stick with the healthy choice/ lean cuisine type of foods that are already portioned out for you.

I know some of you believe in "non processed foods" but I'm not worried about that right now.

My basic diet is burn more calories than i take in, i.e. don't try and burn calories through workout but by creating a deficit every day.

I do try and watch the sodium counts, carb counts etc and i also try to throw in some healthier foods like charbroiled chicken and salads. However whenever i exercise i don't worry about any calories i burn and i don't fact those into my daily deficit because i doubt i burn very much.

I won't lie, the past couple of years really haven't gone well for me and i have gotten off track on my diet many times.

Right now im just sticking with what i know worked for me before and i watch the biggest loser daily on Netflix and Hulu as motivation and a reminder of what i need to do every day.

[chrisleakfan4life]

I have this Gator shirt that i bought last year that i have been wanting to wear for a long time and that is one of my goals right now.

Im also trying to slim down in time for football season and i want to get a picture of the "new me" at the A&M game in September if we end up going to that game.

[Dreamliner]

Originally Posted by chrisleakfan4life

I think their calorie limit is too high for me, i tend to stick with around 1500 calories.

Right now I'm sticking with frozen foods, mostly the healthy stuff. I am terrible at portioning and counting calories and those are the easiest ways for me to track the calories i am taking in.

When i first lost weight, from 255 down to 215 i was eating Lean Cuisines and drinking Vitamin Water Zero.

I try to stick with the healthy choice/ lean cuisine type of foods that are already portioned out for you.

I know some of you believe in "non processed foods" but I'm not worried about that right now.

My basic diet is burn more calories than i take in, i.e. don't try and burn calories through workout but by creating a deficit every day.

I do try and watch the sodium counts, carb counts etc and i also try to throw in some healthier foods like charbroiled chicken and salads. However whenever i exercise i don't worry about any calories i burn and i don't fact those into my daily deficit because i doubt i burn very much.

I won't lie, the past couple of years really haven't gone well for me and i have gotten off track on my diet many times.

Right now im just sticking with what i know worked for me before and i watch the biggest loser daily on Netflix and Hulu as motivation and a reminder of what i need to do every day.

Chris, again I want to tell you that, in my opinion, you've chosen an altogether sensible approach. I believe we obsess too much over 'healthy foods.'

In my view, the unhealthiest aspect BY FAR, of the American diet is that it ... wait for it - contains too many calories!

Whatever your strategy for containing calories ... keep doing it!

[LeafUF]

Dont be so hard on yourself, just be consistent. Find ways to make yourself accountable to your goals. I think the big thing is you know what you need to do and just need to do it, not for a few days or a few weeks but until you are where you want to be.

So do whatever works, you have mentioned it numerous times what has worked in the past. Just do that.

[Dreamliner]

Further thoughts:

(1) You're in a happy place. Through experimentation - and some rigor - you've determined how much food you're allowed to eat in order to realize your weight-loss goals in a timely manner.

(2) I consider this a happy place because I know people who are currently stressed-out because they haven't yet found their sweet-spot.

(3) This is also a happy place because, having determined how much food you get to eat ... all you need to do now is learn how to enjoy it! Seriously, this is what you get. You don't get anymore. So, learn how to enjoy what you get. S-l-o-w down and savor!

Condition yourself now for a lifetime of prudent eating. And the sooner you reach your target weight, the sooner you can relax (but just a little bit) and explore the joys of flexible eating.

[BossaGator]

Just started using this app. Doc wants me under 220 by mid May. I weighed in at 234 at my Dr. appt. a couple weeks ago, down to 228 yesterday. I have the problem that most of the food I buy is fresh/bulk and I'm not always in a position to measure, so I tend to estimate sometimes. But I always estimate conservatively (e.g., err on the side of assuming I ate more rather than less) and generally don't factor in the extensive walking I do every day or all of my dedicated exercise.

So far, no collapses or fainting spells. I do feel hungry frequently, but that's nothing that a little discipline can't deal with.

[Dreamliner]

Originally Posted by BossaGator

Just started using this app. Doc wants me under 220 by mid May. I weighed in at 234 at my Dr. appt. a couple weeks ago, down to 228 yesterday. I have the problem that most of the food I buy is fresh/bulk and I'm not always in a position to measure, so I tend to estimate sometimes. But I always estimate conservatively (e.g., err on the side of assuming I ate more rather than less) and generally don't factor in the extensive walking I do every day or all of my dedicated exercise.

So far, no collapses or fainting spells. I do feel hungry frequently, but that's nothing that a little discipline can't deal with.

Just out of curiosity, why does your doc want you to lose weight ? He's not threatening to put you on Lipitor, is he ?

[LeafUF]

Hey Chris, as a fellow gamer I think you would like fitocracy. Lots of motivation on there and might help you get more into the workouts. If you want an invite let me know.

[BossaGator]

Originally Posted by Dreamliner

Just out of curiosity, why does your doc want you to lose weight ? He's not threatening to put you on Lipitor, is he ?

As a matter of fact, it did come up. Cholesterol was the main issue, but she didn't like where I fell on some gov't metric of how much you should weigh based on how tall you are. Figured I'd at least give it a shot and see how I feel about dropping the weight. I'm already in very good health otherwise.

[LeafUF]

When a doctor tells an active muscular individual to lose weight without considering more factors than the BMI I say just blow it off. No idea what your stats are but I just think doctors dont see the entire picture all the time.

[Dreamliner]

Yeah, when I read "gov't" my left eyelid started twitching.