What are you thoughts on counting during the week and not at weekends

Options
2

Replies

  • Adc7225
    Adc7225 Posts: 1,318 Member
    Options
    You can try it and see how it works for you. I can tell you why it would not work for me. While I might think I am eating okay and within reason I know I would under estimate some things like fat, sugar and sodium. Without logging I would more than likely miss these calories until I step on the scale :)
  • KnM0107
    KnM0107 Posts: 355 Member
    Options
    I did this is through my weightloss. I started with not logging on weekends and then added more days of not logging as I progressed. I suffer from ocd and counting calories can be dangerous for ME. I stopped counting all together first of the year and have maintained since then. Try it and see if it works for you.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
    Options
    squatsanddeadlift wrote: »
    I was thinking a good tactic might be to concentrate on eating well during the week and be a bit more relaxed at weekends.. not going mad but just "free eating"?
    Peoples thoughts?

    It would not work out well for me. I feel that I do eat food I like daily and fit everything in my plan pretty reasonably.
  • rosebette
    rosebette Posts: 1,660 Member
    Options
    I have one week-end day that I don't log, but I don't eat everything I want, just a cheat meal. Not logging for more than that would cause me to gain. Case in point -- the holidays where I had more than one day that I ate over and didn't log. I've gained about 5 lbs. in 2 weeks. I can't wait for this season to be over so I can get back on track.
  • BodyByButter
    BodyByButter Posts: 563 Member
    Options
    It wouldn't work for me. One of the things I am trying to do is break an addiction to "bad" foods by eating a really clean diet, and if I have some of that on weekends it would set me back.
  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,501 Member
    Options
    It definitely does not work for me. When I stop logging I eat all the things. I'm coming to the conclusion that I will have to log in some form for the rest of my life, more or less every day.

    If you're not like me, and are just trying to learn better portion control or gain better knowledge of what you're putting in your body, it may be worth a try. It may also be worthwhile to try if you have obsessive or compulsive tendencies, as someone alluded to above.

    Another option might be this: track all the time, but stay in maintenance on the weekends. You could reduce your budget a little during the week to keep the same target loss rate.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    Options
    I tend to eat less on the weekends.

    Really it's not dumb if you have a good grip on your food patterns. I log all the time- because data nerds need data points- and also- I have this thing that says 2XX day streak- and I just HAVE to keep that going. Which means I log in anyway.

    If you don't go out to eat all the time on the weekends and are super busy- it's probably not an issue- I find when I have days alone with nothing to do- that's when I over eat.

    So- just figure out what you think will work for you and roll with it- if you're going in the wrong direction then go back.
  • NikiChicken
    NikiChicken Posts: 576 Member
    Options
    I log every day, regardless of the day of the week. I do tend to eat a little more on the weekends, but without logging, it's too easy for me to conveniently "forget" just how much I am eating and completely blow my weekly deficit and gain.
  • fat2strongbeth
    fat2strongbeth Posts: 735 Member
    Options
    Been there, done that. Didn't work (for me). I occasionally don't log a day, but don't make a habit of it.
  • DawnieB1977
    DawnieB1977 Posts: 4,248 Member
    Options
    herrspoons wrote: »
    squatsanddeadlift wrote: »
    herrspoons wrote: »
    Honestly? Dumb. It won't work.

    In what way is it dumb? that wasn't useful

    If you don't count at the weekend how do you know if you're in deficit?

    How did people lose weight before the existence of MFP? I lost about 35lbs after my 2nd baby without ever logging, because I didn't know of MFP. Once I started logging I didn't change the way I eat and I'd been having 1200-1300 calories a day. I actually eat more now, so MFP has done me a favour!

    I'd say if you can eat in the same way you eat during the week, then have the weekend off. Don't use it as an excuse to go crazy and eat as much as you can.

    Personally I log all the time (except for 3 days off over Xmas, and my birthday off. Oh, and when my baby was born this year), and I have a treat day once a week, but I don't usually eat back exercise calories, so I know I have a big deficit.
  • silentKayak
    silentKayak Posts: 658 Member
    Options
    Log everything so you'll have the stats. With all the numbers you can actually compute your maintenance calories. Otherwise you have no idea.
  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
    Options
    squatsanddeadlift wrote: »
    I was thinking a good tactic might be to concentrate on eating well during the week and be a bit more relaxed at weekends.. not going mad but just "free eating"?
    Peoples thoughts?

    This is how I'm doing it. Mostly because I don't like the MFP app and try to stay off the computer on the weekends. It's working so far.
  • karyabc
    karyabc Posts: 830 Member
    Options
    hi! (*) i would agree with everyone here that you should try it and see what happens, i personally don't log anything never and until now haven't had any problem losing, but that is something that i wanted to accomplish and from the very beginning challenge my self to do it, i did not want to log for the rest of my life (although there is nothing bad with it), for me finding and learning to moderate was a key thing that i badly wanted to learn, i go a lot by the eye measure, reading food labels and portion control, so yes it may be hard but yes it's also very possible to do it.
    but hey to be honest i'm still in the race so god knows if in the future i may have to change my method .
  • smittybuilt19
    smittybuilt19 Posts: 955 Member
    Options
    zarckon wrote: »
    Log everything so you'll have the stats. With all the numbers you can actually compute your maintenance calories. Otherwise you have no idea.

    Das it.
  • smittybuilt19
    smittybuilt19 Posts: 955 Member
    Options
    It find it easier from a mental standpoint to watch my intake over a week's time instead of per day, so not logging the weekends would personally screw me up.

    I'd recommend logging everyday, even if you allow yourself to free eat on the weekends, log it, it's educational if nothing else. One day you may not have an app to log on, would be particularly helpful to have an idea of what's in what calorie wise.
  • cocates
    cocates Posts: 360 Member
    Options
    esjones12 wrote: »
    I would eat at or above maintenance if I didn't log. Weekends are especially trying for most people who work 9-5's during the week. It is easy to set a routine for the week. Weekends become danger zones for me as friends want to go out, it's easier to just order in food, blah, blah, blah. I have shifted my heavy workouts to the weekends so I can eat more then. But I definitely log :)

    ^^This is why it wouldn't work for me. If this isn't an issue for you, try it.

    My question would be - why do you want 'free eating'? Do you consider logging a pain or do you want to 'hide' a treat or meal for the weekend? Also, do you think you could re-start logging your foods on Monday? Sometimes, it only takes a day or so to break your routine. As a result, you don't log for a week, a month, or longer.

    Good luck!
  • SToast
    SToast Posts: 255 Member
    Options
    My problem is if I take a couple of days off from logging I get out of the habit. Which leads to me not logging on Monday, then Tuesday... you get the picture. So even if I'm going to have a "free for all" day (like tonight since it's New Year's Eve) I'll still start the day out logging my breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, and maybe even dinner. It helps me see where I'm at and I'm more careful to just enjoy the treats and drinks that evening rather than go ape s*** and eat and drink everything in sight. Logging just makes me more aware of what I'm putting in my face.
  • smittybuilt19
    smittybuilt19 Posts: 955 Member
    Options
    I've even logged my birthday which is one of my free days, I'll eat til I'm sick and later on think "It's really not that hard to remember what all I had." I'll log it then Lol when I see how far over I am for that day.
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    Options
    It's a good way to wipe away your deficit unless you can still practice moderation and mindfulness. If you're just eating whatever whenever, good luck with that.
  • squatsanddeadlift
    squatsanddeadlift Posts: 117 Member
    Options
    Ninkyou wrote: »
    It's a good way to wipe away your deficit unless you can still practice moderation and mindfulness. If you're just eating whatever whenever, good luck with that.

    Hopefully self control would step in lol

Categories