[mom2sweetT]

Hello, I just ordered my food today and am just organizing to get ready for my change in lifestyle. I'm wondering what is a good weight tracker. I haven't dieted since the 80's so am out of the loop with what's out there?
Thanks!

[JayEll]

With Medifast, all you need is a bathroom scale and a calendar book. Weigh once a week and write it down. No other tracking is necessary.

Shopping for Lean&Green ingredients doesn't require tracking--just a shopping list. The materials that come with your order will explain the foods and how to measure them.

Good luck!

Jay

[mom2sweetT]

Thanks Jay...that's easy enough. I've heard of Spark People but I guess if I'm not going to be counting calories yet then I don't need one of those types of programs.

[trennarene]

I still log all my foods and snacks / exercise in on myfitnesspal but sparks is great too. I just like tracking everything online and seeing charts. And you can look back to see why you might have plateaued.

[Maurene]

I'm still debating with myself on what to use to track weight and food. So far, I'm just using the tools on the Medifast site and I have a paper food journal.

I think it is important to track what you eat BUT I don't think its necessary to do that right away while on Medifast. What is kinda neat is that a lot of the online food trackers/journals already have the Medifast meals in their data bases. I've played around with the android app "Calorie Counter" which has most of the Medifast foods in it.

[40plus]

I use FitDay.com to track what I'm eating -- I added all my favorite MF meals as custom foods. I like to see what the overall nutritional profile is, so that I can see why I plateau, and also looking ahead to transition and maintenance. I also like to look at the weight graphs and see my progress!

[JayEll]

I just want to repeat the message that the beauty of Medifast is that you don't have to track anything. Later on, as you get into the transition and maintenance parts, you may want to add tracking--but that's then, not now.

Jay

[mom2sweetT]

I just saw my dr. yesterday and told her I was going on Medifast (hopefully starting on Monday) and she will support me. She also mentioned that after I finish loosing the majority of my weight, that I'd have to become a lifetime calorie counter.
I guess that although I like the fact that I don't have to do it right now, becoming accustomed to it might be a good idea...maybe when I reach 1/2 of my goal. I'll have to think on it some more.
I'll see what's available for my iPhone so I don't have to wait to get home to input everything.
Thanks!
-G

[ExTex]

I downloaded a wonderful app on Iphone that you might find useful; track3. It allows you to set Daily nutrition goals, custom foods, and has a pretty extensive food base that includes restaurants.

I agree with the rest that part of the beauty of Medifast is that you don't have to count calories but we will eventually in order to keep the weight off.

Medifast recommends a daily caloric intake:

5 & 1 Plan “Lean” portion of Lean & Green Meal
Calories 800-1,000 250-300
Fat at least 10g but less than 30g N/A
Protein more than 70g more than 25g
Carbs less than 100g l less than 15g (the lower, the better)

Putting these numbers in my Daily Nutritional Goals for track3 really helps me see what I am eating everyday.

Good Luck!

[graatsia]

i use the free tracker on caloriecount.about.com. it has a big database of foods and physical activities + a nice thorough analysis of all the nutrients you ate + a pretty looking weight scale. i downloaded the app for my smartphone and now i'm motivated not to miss a day's weighting, because it's always on my phone screen!

[ExTex]

Also,

I have the app called MyFitnessPal on my Iphone. It has one feature track3 is lacking; you can create a recipe and then save it.

For example, yesterday I made a broccoli mushroom frittata that served as my lean and green meal for the day. I inputted the ingredients into the "recipe" section of MyFitnessPal, it calculated the calories, fats, carbs, proteins, etc for me.

Then I transferred that info into track3 under "custom foods." Now when I eat that particular dish, I can simply add it to my daily intake on track3.

It really helps to see how many calories and carbs you have eaten such that you can plan your next meal. I think it's pretty easy to screw up on the carb count. They sneak in there!

(I hope this helped...)

[mom2sweetT]

Thanks for all he suggestions! I forgot that I had already downloaded MyFitnessPal on my iPhone. I don't eat many packaged foods so putting in my own recipes will be a plus.

After a couple of weeks on medifast I'll start tracking. Thanks again!
-G