Tag: apps Page 1 of 2

Back to LoseIt from MFP

On October 6, 2019

In an older post I described why I left the LoseIt app to use My Fitness Pal (MFP). Those reasons no longer exist and other circumstances on the MFP platform motivated me to switch back to LoseIt.

MFP is free, so is LoseIt, however things begin to diverge from there. The Garmin connectivity was my major reason to move to MFP, it was already there and not available on LoseIt. Now, LoseIt supports Garmin connectivity on their paid platform and when I combine the functionality and stability benefits of LoseIt, it was an easy move.

MFP has struggled to remain stable from a technology perspective, often times the system was unavailable or some features were not working properly. I work in tech, I get it, I can put up with a lot of interruptions, but after extended periods and a continued downward trend, other options become attractive.

Since I left LoseIt a few years ago, they have continued to improve the platform. This app/system actually feels like a health management assistant where MFP is sort of like a “spreadsheet” to store your data. I suggest you try them out and the focused purpose of the apps will become clear to you as well.

900+ MFP days

By ps401t3

On March 27, 2019

In Blog

My Fitness Pal (MFP) says I’ve been active for more than 900 days and I cannot argue with that.

Many folks use MFP to reach goals which is great. I use it as a journal.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I like the way my Garmin devices synchronize with it so I don’t need to add my activities. I also record my weight and food each day. I’ve heard many people say they couldn’t write down their food and exercise every day. I don’t look at it as a chore, but a way of keeping me on track. It’s like a reference tool.

While I don’t have any certain goal to achieve in weight, calories burned or consumed, or even nutritional levels of salt, sugar, or fat, I do think seeing the numbers in front of me, helps me control the absent-minded eating which used to get me in trouble.

I switch between the mobile-app and the web site based on where I am throughout the day, they each have their pluses and minuses, however, the flexibility is really convenient.

So what’s the point of this post? Find what works for you. Figure out what things help keep you healthy because without your health everything else starts to fall apart.

Thank you Under Armour for providing My Fitness Pal!

2018 Running Summary Data

By ps401t3

On January 2, 2019

In Blog

This post simply contains the running data for 2018 from Garmin Connect.

Screenshot from 2019-01-02 09-43-55

Screenshot from 2019-01-02 10-26-04

Screenshot from 2019-01-02 09-45-37

Garmin tracker use

By Jerry Schotz

On December 9, 2018

In Blog

A brief personal review of the Garmin Forerunner 10 and 25.

Since Christmas 2015 I’ve been running with a Garmin Forerunner 10. During those 1070+ days, it has worked well. However, there were a few quirks. The only real problem the watch has is that it occasionally goes blank and basically needs a reboot which happens when attached to the USB cable. This problem has become a bit more frequent and prompting me to consider a replacement, just in case.

The Garmin Forerunner 25 arrived on December 6th and went into service on Friday the 7th.

20181209_091102

A few things that jumped out at me about the 25 were the band and the larger display.

The band is replaceable like a watch where the 10 was a molded unit. I cannot say I like the band better than the 10, just that it is different. The molded band on the 10 made it a comfortable fit and easier to manage. 20181209_091248

Fortunately, the button functions are basically the same between the models, which makes upgrading a lot easier.

The 25 obviously has additional features like Bluetooth and an activity/step tracker built-in.

I use my Garmin Vivofit 2 for tracking my steps, I prefer the low profile of the Vivofit. Vivifit2

This is where I’m still figuring out the 25. I have disabled the activity tracking features on the device and in the connect software, yet it keeps recording steps along with my run, so it looks like I’ve done a lot more steps than I do.

Two features on the 25 that I am enjoying is that the display is easier to read while running and that the battery life seems to be significantly better. The battery life on the 10 looked like it may not make a full marathon at my pace.

The 25 also includes some new stats in Connect. Cadence and Dynamics have been added to the activity details. The data is interesting, and I’ll see if I use it.

Overall, I’m enjoying the 25, even after just a few days of use. I plan on using the 10 as my backup device.

From LoseIt to MFP

By Jerry Schotz

On November 4, 2018

In Blog

You may have read the post where I mentioned using the LoseIt program when I first started trying to control my input and output. So why did I switch from LoseIt to My Fitness Pal (MFP)? The primary reason is that I started using Garmin devices which do not connect (or sync) to LoseIt but they do connect/sync with MFP.

I believe there are several features with LoseIt that I prefer. In general the two apps have similar features for nutrition and exercise tracking. MFP has more ads to deal with, but works great as a free program.

If your not using a device or not using a Garmin, I would start with LoseIt.