Mike, a 37-year-old IT sales professional with a love for tater-tot hotdish and pizza, used MacroFactor to transform his health and lifestyle.
“What kickstarted my journey was two-fold,” Mike said. “I had recurring headaches three to five times a week in the back of my neck that weren’t affected by sound or light, and I was dealing with Stage 2 hypertension. My dentist suggested I test for sleep apnea because of a small airway, so I did an at-home test. It turned out my headaches were caused by sleep apnea, and I was told that weight loss might resolve it.”
Not wanting to rely on a CPAP machine, Mike decided to focus on weight loss and exercise to tackle his health concerns and achieve his goals.
Finding a system that worked
One of Mike’s first steps was finding fitness and nutrition routines that fit his lifestyle.
“I’ve always struggled to stick to a routine,” Mike shared. “Before COVID, my wife and I bought a Peloton bike, but it ended up collecting dust after a few months. Then, a couple of years ago, we got a Peloton rower, and I started exercising more consistently — but without changing my diet, I didn’t see the results I wanted.”
Mike added strength training to his Peloton routine and began working out six days a week, but he still felt something was missing with his nutrition. Previous attempts at managing his diet with apps like Weight Watchers and MyFitnessPal left him frustrated.
“Weight Watchers made it hard to know what had ‘point’ values, what didn’t, and there was no way to calculate them without the app. MyFitnessPal was fine but had a lot of incorrect data and wasn’t my favorite,” he said.
As a data-driven person, Mike was drawn to MacroFactor’s dynamic coaching features.
“The idea that it ‘learns’ your actual expenditure and re-calculates it every day sounded super appealing. My favorite feature is the way the whole app works by dynamically learning your body and doing so very accurately.”
MacroFactor became the game changer
Even a small amount of weight loss started making a big difference for Mike.
“I had numerous tests done (X-ray, MRI, and various others) over the course of 2+ years to try to find the source of the headaches, but apnea was never suggested. After losing about 10 pounds, I haven’t had a headache since!” Mike said.
“Additionally, my blood pressure has been in the normal range for months, and my resting heart rate is in the low 50s (having started in the high 80s). It’s had a significant impact on my health and likely my longevity going forward.”
Starting at 268 pounds on March 1, Mike set an initial goal of getting under 200 pounds. When things went smoothly, he adjusted his goal to go even further.
“After losing 2–3, and sometimes more, pounds per week, I set a second goal of 185 in my head a few months in,” Mike said. “I liked the simplicity of letting MacroFactor do the hard work. It tracks your real energy expenditure and adjusts your goals automatically. That was a game-changer for me.”
Mike’s steady progress motivated him, and soon he was seeing numbers on the scale he hadn’t seen in years.
Overall, Mike lost 75 pounds. “I’ve lost about 3 inches on my neck and resolved my mild sleep apnea. I also lost about 6.5 inches from my chest, 8.25 inches from my stomach/waist, and 5 inches from my hips. I didn’t measure when I started and lost a big chunk in that first month, so I imagine the actual numbers are a bit higher.”
Mike’s MacroFactor tips
Everyone has a different journey but sometimes we can steal a tip or two to help our own. Here are some things that worked well for Mike.
- Focus on Calories first: “I decided to primarily focus on Calories and not worry so much about going over on other macros, which helped a ton with the mindset,” he said. While he aimed to hit his protein targets, he allowed flexibility with carbs and fats.
- Allow for imperfection and focus on consistency: Mike made room to relax and enjoy Fridays but kept his overall target in mind. “I’d usually order pizza for lunch and eat 4-6 slices, sometimes breadsticks, and skip dinner,” he said. “My goal was to always, or at least most of the time, stay under my ‘weekly’ Calories if I went over for the day.”
- He made things as easy as possible: Mike automated his data by weighing himself every morning with a Withings smart scale, which synced to Apple Health and MacroFactor.
Looking ahead
Mike is focused on keeping the weight loss off for good and building a little muscle.
“I plan to stay around 185 and never go above 200 again,” he said. “I want to continue lowering my body fat percentage and gaining more muscle. I don’t plan on changing my day-to-day activities and workout plans, so that should just naturally happen as long as I stick with it! With MacroFactor, I know I have the tools to succeed.”
Try MacroFactor for yourself with a 7-day free trial
Confidently control your nutrition with MacroFactor, a science-backed diet coach and macro tracker app that empowers you with the tools you need to reach your goals without rigidity.
You can try it free for 7 days on the App Store or Google Play, or learn more here.
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