If you haven't done it already, you will. Even if you don't want to. I'm talking about gaining 5-10 pounds during the holiday months due to good food, bad food, food you're forced to eat, or just food to keep your warm.
Whatever the reason, that fat is going to stick - try as you might to avoid it.
I've been toying around with food logging apps since they first came out, but I've always found them to be rather lacking. Recently, I decided to give an old app I used to use a second spin. The app is called MyFitnessPal, and it is one of the better ways to help you melt that holiday weight once January rolls around.
Setting Up and Using MyFitnessPal
Disclaimer: lying to the app won't help. Now that that's out of the way, here's how to set it up.
1. Create a new account using your Facebook or email login.
2. Enter your height, weight, and personal details.
3. Select your current lifestyle (sedentary, etc).
4. Start adding your calories.
Here's where I don't love MyFitnessPal.
Interface Design
I found (and still find) that this app has a confusing and bulky interface. It should be a lot simpler to lie about that McDonald's burger you didn't eat. But, you have to scroll and enter and mess around to record those calories. Things can get tedious too. If you had a homemade meal, you have to enter everything you ate in the meal - right down to the secret sauce.
In short, it's time consuming. You have to really be dedicated if you want to track the amount of calories you're taking in compared to what your putting out -- you need to add your daily activities too, so keep that in mind. But, there are some good aspects here too.
The Good Part
This app does, in fact, keep track of your calories. Since you can't actually lose weight unless you burn off more calories than you consume, tracking your calories is important. You can also share your tracker with friends or groups of people, and the app offers up some 2 million different food options to add to your calorie count, so it's not very likely that you won't find what you just ate.
All of these things are good and positive things - things that will help you lose weight. But, I really wish someone would come along and make a calorie and activity tracking app that was easier to use. MyFitnessPal is your best option if you want to track your calories post-holiday food binge. Is it the best thing ever? No. Not even close. However, it will get the job done.
Your Turn to Talk Back
Got a better fitness or food tracking app? Have you tried this one? Be honest: if you've tried MyFitnessPal, did you give up after a month of entering your foot and fitness details? I want to know how you keep your weight off! Let me know!