Today, I logged in and tracked my food for the 365th time on MyFitnessPal. A full year!
MyFitnessPal is a web-based app that works as a tool for people to input and track their foods. It helps individuals lose weight, track their exercise, and engage in a community of like-minded people who are getting fit and healthy! They also have companion iOS and Android apps for mobile devices.
I was first introduced to MyFitnessPal during the summer of 2013 when my trainer, Alvin Presto (Presto Fitness), had me begin tracking my food when I started my fitness journey.
The app keeps track of your ‘streak’ to show how many consecutive days you are active.
The first few months were spotty for me. I was just getting the hang of it and I was lax when it came to some of the days that were holidays or I just didn’t feel like inputing my food. Then, on the day after Thanksgiving of 2013, I decided that I was going to set the goal of logging in and tracking for one full year – 365 days.
Today, I accomplished that goal! I will admit that some days I may have missed a meal or two or some specific food items, but for the most part, I stayed consistent.
What I learned from tracking my food for 365 days in MyFitnessPal
Because I’ve been tracking my food intake, I’ve learned quite a few things about nutrition; especially MY nutrition.
1) Portion Control. By scanning in, or inputting food items, I was able to learn how much 1 gram, 1 TSP, 1 TBSP, and 1 Cup actually look/feel like! Now, I can ‘eye’ these measurements when making food. With that, I’m able to control my portions which helps me stay under or right at my caloric intake every day.
2) Percentages of Macronutrients. I’m set up to have the following percentages; 40% Carbohydrates, 30% Protein, 30% Fats. With MyFitnessPal’s handy-dandy pie chart, I was able to see my percentages throughout the day so I knew exactly where I was at and I would know what I needed to get my percentages in order before the end of each day.
3) Consistency Turns Into Habit. I’m not even sure when it started to become a ‘habit’, but I would literally just log in and start tracking my food before or after every meal. As soon as I sat down to eat, I’d open the app. There were times when my wife would be like, “Hey, get outta your phone!” and I would have to tell her, “I’m logging my food!.” (She’s totally supportive of my health goals, she was thinking I was just trolling in Instagram)
My Next Goal
I’m not setting any future goal in regards to MyFitnessPal, but I can say that I’m going to continue tracking every single day. It’s helpful and I’m moving into phase 2 of my transformation, so I know I will need to keep my nutrition in order.
QUESTION FOR YOU!
What apps or websites do you use to track your food? Comment below and let us know! Even though I use MFP, I’m open to checking out others.
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