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MyFitnessPal--how do you as someone whose undergone WLS



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I'm six weeks post op (about to be 7) and I wanted to start tracking my Protein and Water so decided to use myfitnesspal beginning yesterday. When I finalized what I eat, I received a message about how my intake was too low and would not be posted to the feed. I also got what I considered to be a long lecture about low caloric intake ad its disadvantages. Which leads to ask for those of you that use myfitnesspall, is there a special filter you apply? Also, is there another app you use for tracking?

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There is a free app called cronometer that you can use. Goal levels for macro- and micronutrients are set at standard defaults, but you can change them to whatever you want.

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I use LoseIt! And love it. There's a free version and you can upgrade to premium for more challenges, etc.

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I use myfitnessPal if you go to the more tab and then to goals there's a place for nutrition goals and you can adjust your calories down and change the percentages for your Protein carbs and fat. That's the only way I figured out how to make it work! Hopefully that helps!!

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To get rid of the message/lecture about the dangers of eating too little, use the "Quick Add" tool and add in enough calories to bump yourself up over 1,000 calories for the day. Then click to close your diary. After you close your diary, just subtract the calories out.

The message is stupid and annoying, I agree.

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I use MFP but at the end of the day I just don't bother to hit the button about completing the entry, the only purpose that serves is to give an estimate of your projected weight loss at the amount of calories you entered for that day anyway and with being a WLS person that will not be close to accurate. It still shows the totals of all the Proteins and nutrients entered for the day.

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I had a really hard time figuring it all out at first, but now I use MFP everyday. I never received any feedback at all, and most days, I'm less than 1/2 of the "normal" caloric intake per day. Maybe I'm not using correctly ? Good luck????

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Either 1) ignore the message until you are able to eat more calories and/or 2) don't "complete" the entry at the end of the day.

MyFitnessPal is a great app. You can make it work for you even though it wasn't designed for our specific diet.

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I have used MyFitnessPal for years and it is only within maybe the last 1-2 years that the under calorie warning was posted when you complete an entry. They used to let you complete your entry with really low calories and give you the "you will weigh this in 5 weeks" based on low calories. I imagine that for liability purposes they stopped doing that because they don't want to appear to advocate starving yourself so you can hit their 5 week weight loss projection. Given the huge volume of people who use MyFitnessPal, the fact that people with bariatric surgery legitimately eat fewer calories is not something that is factored into that warning. I don't care that they don't give me a projected loss, although now for the most part I am within what they deem a health range of 1200-1400 calories a day and I don't get the warning anymore. I also very rarely complete the entry because I don't care if it doesn't appear in the news feed.

MyFitnessPal is a great tool to use and the dumb little warning really means nothing in the grand scheme of using the app for what it is designed for- monitoring your food and exercise.

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I ignore the message and typically don't "complete" my days. I'm basically just using it to log my foods and track my Protein grams.

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I'm not able to complete on some days. I keep an eye on my Protein

Edited by wincha

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Thanks everyone! I so love it here! The support is always available.

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I'm six weeks post op (about to be 7) and I wanted to start tracking my Protein and Water so decided to use myfitnesspal beginning yesterday. When I finalized what I eat, I received a message about how my intake was too low and would not be posted to the feed. I also got what I considered to be a long lecture about low caloric intake ad its disadvantages. Which leads to ask for those of you that use myfitnesspall, is there a special filter you apply? Also, is there another app you use for tracking?

I use the app and until I was eating 1,000 calories a day I just ignored the warning. It's not set up for bariatric pts so eating 400, 600 and 800 calories a day isn't going to be recognized. However I was more concerned with being able to log my calories, macro-nutrients and exercise in one easy to use app/site.

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I had a really hard time figuring it all out at first, but now I use MFP everyday. I never received any feedback at all, and most days, I'm less than 1/2 of the "normal" caloric intake per day. Maybe I'm not using correctly ? Good luck

it only triggers an warning if you close out your daily diary with under 1,000 calories a day(for females, for males it's a little higher).

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    • LeighaTR

      I am new here today... and only two weeks out from my sleeve surgery on the 23rd. I am amazed I have kept my calories down to 467 today so far... that leaves me almost 750 left for dinner and maybe a snack. This is going to be tough for two weeks... but I have to believe I can do it!
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • Doughgurl

      Hey everyone. I'm new here so I thought I should introduce myself. I am 53y/o and am scheduled for Gastric Bypass on June 25th, 2025. I'm located in San Antonio, Texas. I will be having my surgery in Tiajuana Mexico. I've wanted this for years, but I always had insurance where bariatric procedures were excluded. Finally I am able to afford to pay out of pocket.  I can't wait to get started, and I hope I'm prepared for the initial period of "hell". I know what I have signed up for, but I'm sure the good to come will out way the temporary period of discomfort and feelings of regret. I'd love to find people to talk to who have been through the same procedure or experience before. So I look forward to meeting you all. Hope you have a great week!
      · 2 replies
      1. Selina333

        I'm so happy for you! You are about to change your life. I was so glad to get the sleeve done in Dec. I didn't have feelings of regret overall. And I'm down almost 60 lbs. I do feel a little sad at restaurants. I can barely eat half a kid's meal. I get adults meals often because kid ones don't have the same offerings at times. Then I feel obligated to eat on that until it's gone and that can be days. So the restaurant thing isn't great for me. All the rest is fine by me! I love feeling full with very little. I do wish I could drink when eating. And will sip at the end. Just a strong habit to stop. But I'm working on it! You will do fine! Just keep focused on your desire to be different. Not better or worse. But different. I am happy both ways but my low back doesn't like me that heavy. So I listened (also my feet!). LOL! Update us on your journey! I'm not far from you. I'm in Houston. Good luck and I hope it all goes smoothly! Would love to see pics of the town you go to for this. I've never been there. Neat you will be traveling for this! Enjoy the journey. Take it one day at a time. Sometimes a few hours at a time. Follow all recommendations as best you can. 💗

      2. Doughgurl

        Thank you so much for your well wishes. I am hoping that everything goes easy for me as well. We don't eat out much as it is, so it wont be too bad in that department. Thankfully. Also, I hear you regarding your back and feet!! I'd like to add knees to the list. Killing me as we speak! I'm only 5' so the weight has to go. Too short to carry all this weight. Menopause really did a doosey on me. (😶lol) My daughter also lives in Houston. with her Husband and my 5 grand-littles. I grew up in Beaumont, so I know Houston well, I will be sure to keep in touch and update you on my journey. I may need some advice in the future, or just motivation. Thank You so much for reaching out, I was hoping to connect with someone in the community. I really appreciate it. 💜

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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