Keep logging food always?

ajax041813

Hi! I've been following keto for almost 4 months and have successfully lost 1lbs. I keep yo-yoing 3-4lbs so I stopped logging everything I ate about 2 weeks ago. I'm still mindful of what I eat and how much, all of it is keto approved, just not logging every single bite. Has anyone else tried this? Does it work out ok or should I keep tracking? It just seems to be a little much to log everything I eat, but I did it before and I can do it again. I just don't want to have to do it forever. I can create meals for breakfast and lunch for the week as they are the same. My thought was to make this journey less stressful for myself, so I took out the logging aspect. Is this too crazy? What are your thoughts? Thanks!

DittoDan

I guess if you are just trying to live healthy by doing a Keto diet and not wanting to lose weight, then it looks like you're doing just fine. There are many things a keto diet does for a person besides losing weight.

But if you goal is to lose weight, that's a different story. If you have only lost 1 pound in 4 months then your methods aren't working. I have been on the diet for 3 1/2 months and lost 40 lbs. I could not do it without logging and MFP.

What is your objective with the Keto diet?

Dan the Man from Michigan

DittoDan

If your goal is to lose weight, see this thread on this group:

How Much Have You Lost and How Long Did It Take?

Dan the Man form Michigan

radiii

I think if you're really trying to maximize weight loss and be perfect then you weigh everything and log absolutely everything at all times. Some people seem to do that well and get by just fine.

Personally, I log everything for a time if I get frustrated that I'm "losing too slowly" or I feel like I'm allowing portion sizes to creep up. Once I feel comfortable again I stop logging things for awhile. For me, there are times where the act of meticulously weighing and logging everything is part of my motivation and doing it makes me feel like I'm accomplishing something. There are other times where I feel like weighing and logging everything is simply smothering and makes me want to throw my hands up, say "screw this" and go eat a pizza just to spite everything.

In the end, I almost never log everything for more than 3 days in a row, or 5 days out of 7 at any point, and I will go weeks without logging things. I do think I eat more when I'm being less careful and my weight loss slows as a result, but I'm ok with that. I need this to be sustainable for a lifetime, not something where I race to my goal weight but hate everything about getting there.

I do think on Keto everyone should have a period of time at the start where they really do log everything for the first few weeks or month (and I did that when I started). Keto is a different way of eating and looking at food than most of us were raised with, so it takes a little time to develop the right knowledge and instincts about what's ok and what isn't.

But after that, I'd say its really personal preference on what helps you get to your goals in a sustainable way.

ajax041813

DittoDan, that was a typo. I've lost 16lbs since July. I'm so jealous you have lost 40lbs! I'm working out but I don't keep my carbs under 20g a day. I keep them between 40-50g, getting carbs from mostly veggies, nuts as snacks, and coconut flour treats once in awhile.

To answer your question about my objective with keto, I want to live a healthy lifestyle ultimately. I also want to lower my body fat, my weight is whatever as this point. I am trying to use it as a guideline, not obsess.

I feel radii hit it on the head for how I feel too. At first, measuring and weighing was very motivating for me and I definitely felt accomplished. Now, its just a burden. I will continue to listen to my gut.

Thanks for all the advice! I'll check out that link!

lulalacroix

I've lost 15 pounds since August. When my weight loss slowed for 3 weeks, I made it a point to log everything. Now that I'm back to losing regularly, I'm not logging a lot. I think at this point, I have an idea how much carbs/fat I'm eating daily. Plus, I never go over my calories so I'm not worried about logging calories.

DAM5412

I log as it helps me to keep on track, for the most part. It's tough especially on my bad days, but it does help me see where my pitfalls are and also what works for me best over time.