Fitness Apps: Week 6 (Google Fit, MyFitnessPal, MapMyRun)


There's no point in lying to MyFitnessPal, missing off a chocolate bar or conveniently forgetting your second helping. If you added another half or quarter portion to your plate then you need to count the portion as 1.5 or 1.25, etc. not simply 1. The app doesn't decide whether you gain or lose weight it simply records. It's your body that loses the weight and the app simply provides guidelines for when you would expect to lose that weight.

Losing weight is psychologically tough going because you can cut back on food and exercise and still see the needle on the scales hit the exact same place it was the week before. Or you might well feel slimmer but your waist size won't have shifted. Rewards happen slowly. If you really want to impress your friends make sure you stay away from them for three or four months and then arrange a night out and ta-da! Likely no one will say anything even if they notice you've lost weight.

Live with it. After all, when was the last time you told someone they were looking slim? Losing weight should only ever be done for yourself. Lecture over, let's talk about moving into week 6.

Accelerating towards spring

As the days grow longer and warmer, so the opportunities for evening exercise expand. I've resumed the cycling that I stopped around October last year and now I'm mixing this up with running. I have to confess I prefer, and always have preferred, cycling to running. You see more on a bike and you get further, but running is a more time efficient way to burn calories. Running also works different parts of your body, so I'd like to keep going with it even if it isn't my favourite of the two exercises.

Progress so far

I reached the halfway point (of my initial target loss) last week after twenty-eight days. I'm now eight pounds away from being inside my recommended BMI weight. At the same time my waist size has dropped to 37 inches (which is the size that the NHS recommends you aim to be below for overall health). If everything continues at the same pace, as I hope it will, I'll be at my initial target after 56 days. This is approximately a month ahead of schedule and gives me confidence that I can keep going to the centre of my recommended BMI weight, which has become my secondary and final target.

After I reach the final target, I don't plan to give up the exercise or healthy eating but I won't be doing it to lose weight any more and I probably won't be as strict with myself if the amount of time I devote to it drops or if I miss a day. Although I can't imagine wanting to scale back the exercise because of the positive effects I'm finding with regard to my energy levels and concentration.

Closing thoughts

Learning how to lose weight is like learning to solve a puzzle. It is a lot less work to solve that puzzle thanks to MyFitnessPal and the other apps I've been using, but it is no less rewarding.


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