The primary problem many future former fat-asses face when approaching weight loss is what exactly to do. We're off the couch, we've put away the pork rinds; so, now what? Lucky for us, we live in an overstimulated economy of get-slim-quick fad diets, smartphone apps, gizmos, and support groups. Weight Watchers has been said to provide real results (some of my friends even swear by it) while others, like a certain one whose name rhymes with Kenny Greg, push overpriced and unnecessary prepackaged food-like items.
Not a fan of AA-like circle recounts of carbocide nightmares and nights spent drowning in pints of Ben & Jerry's and far too knowledgeable to fall for some gimmick diet or price-inflated aluminum rod, I opted for the smartphone app. I had some prior experience with MyFitnessPal. A former coworker was a featured weight loss story and I had logged a few weeks of unsuccessful off-and-on dieting.
It immediately felt different, more serious, this time as Jenn and I began eating well and exercising. So, instead of logging back into MyFitnessPal, I downloaded two Noom apps to my phone: Cardio Trainer and Weight Loss Coach. I first tested Cardio Trainer. A graphic design junkie, I was drawn to their bold and colorful style. The interface operated much like my Android phone. The app allows the user to input his or her daily exercise and an icon displays in the top bar tallying each week's burned calories. Ooh, nifty!
Also a data junkie, I reviewed the Google Play page (ugh... how I miss the days of App Market) and found a recommended companion app. Weight Loss Coach promised to offer a diet plan and calorie counter similar to MyFitnessPal. Perfect! But despite the shiny interface and admittedly expansive exercise selections, the Noom apps failed to provide the detailed breakdown of nutritional info I was looking for based on the food I was eating. Rather than being able to enter my granola bar and see its calories, fat, sugar, et cetera, Noom would have the user select the meal size via a grid of numbered calorie poker chips. Sure, its pretty, Noom; but why am I giving you the nutritional details of my breakfast?
On top of that, each of the apps featured Cardio Trainer's calorie count function resulting in two icons at the top of my screen which didn't share info. So I found myself entering my exercise details twice just so I could look at one yellow and one red cartoon scale each telling me I need to wake up earlier and work out harder.
After about two days, I went back to the boring blue-and-white interface of MyFitnessPal with its rigid charts and nutritional details. But, y'know what, there was something comforting in the daily routine of inputting my meals and MyFitnessPal telling me there's no way in hell I'm ever going to meet my daily recommended Potassium goal (the latest bane of my existence.) And it provided something that would have taken days, weeks, maybe even months to do on my own. It set for me a daily calorie goal based on my own determined weight and time goals.
Now knowing that I should be consuming roughly 1690 calories if I want to be 200 lbs. or slimmer before my next post-quarter-life crisis I need to eat 36 grams of fiber, 117 grams of protein (which according to Jenn's new read is debatable, more to come on that I'm sure), and run my ass off each day. And, holy shit, wouldn't you know it: I have a weight loss routine. It's not perfect, but day by day I'm discovering which combination of foods and exercises provides the ideal vitamin and nutrient goals and net calories after exercise.
Clearly MyFitnessPal works for me. Follow me if you'd like. Now, what works for you?
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