Food diary resistance

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  • bainsworth1a
    bainsworth1a Posts: 313 Member
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    I did MFP a few years ago and was lazy about weighing measuring and tracking my food. I only lost 12 lbs and quit. I recommitted back in august and made a commitment to logging my food to the best of my ability every day good and bad and I have been very successful this time around. The thing is once you add a food to your diary you have it in a list so things you eat often can just be checked and added you don't have to keep looking them up over and over.

    It sounds like you are doing ok without the diary but if you get to a point where your losing slows down you may want to try it.
  • Whittedo
    Whittedo Posts: 352 Member
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    Before I discovered MFP I tried creating my own tracking worksheets. During the hard core diet periods I would track and then when I felt that I had succeeded I would stop logging, and guess what up went the weight again. I started with MPP 40 days ago and so far I have lost 21 pounds. My commitment is to never stop logging even when I reach my target. Like any behavioural change it will take diligence on my part.
  • LifeInAWay
    LifeInAWay Posts: 50 Member
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    Laurend224 wrote: »
    I log everything, the good, the bad, and the ugly. For me it helps me to be accountable to myself, and sometimes I won't have that extra treat because I will wind up in the red and I hate to see that.

    Other times the treat is worth it to me to have, but only as long as I log it.

    It's the only thing that has worked for me. Otherwise it would be too easy to 'lie' to myself about eating.
    I'm glad you found something that is working for you, congrats on your loss.

    I COMPLETELY agree with this statement. It's what works for me because I'm the kind of person that needs to SEE it to believe it. But not everyone needs that. I say do what works (as long as its healthy). ;) You seem to be doing pretty well so stick with it for awhile. When it doesnt work as well, shake things up a bit. Just dont give up!
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
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    Logging isn't for everyone! For now, you've found something that's working for you. If your loss starts to slow down, the option of beginning to log, to start using this tool to assist you in your efforts, will still be here for you. As others have stated, once you have the foods you eat selected from the data base, entering them into your diary on a regular basis becomes easier an really takes very little time.

    Congratulations on the success you've had so far.
  • gshifrin
    gshifrin Posts: 53 Member
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    Some really good thoughts here. Thanks all. I like the idea of keeping logging my back pocket in case it becomes necessary. I agree that MFP makes it as painless as possible, though still a chore.

    I'm trying to turn myself into the sort of person who looks at a cupcake and wonders how anyone could eat that (instead of my old self who'd see that and say gimme!). For that person, I think logging is irrelevant. :smile:
  • My_Butt
    My_Butt Posts: 2,300 Member
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    gshifrin wrote: »
    I'm trying to turn myself into the sort of person who looks at a cupcake and wonders how anyone could eat that (instead of my old self who'd see that and say gimme!). For that person, I think logging is irrelevant. :smile:

    If that is your goal, you must treat your body as a temple. A working machine. You need oil for your machine to work properly. Sugar in the gas tank makes your machine slow, or even stop all together.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    I prelog my day in the morning when having my first cuppa. Takes me a couple of minutes. I can't understand how this is a chore to some people...
  • lemon629
    lemon629 Posts: 501 Member
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    I agree with christinev. Logging on MFP takes me at most 2-3 minutes per day. How is that a chore? And then when I wonder why I'm not losing, I can go back and look at my log to see what I need to change.

    According to many studies, people who log are much more successful long term than those who don't. Frankly, I question the commitment level of people who won't log.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    ....And it's so helpful to have everything in black and white in front of you.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,943 Member
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    gshifrin wrote: »
    I've been on here a few months now and it seems clear that people who are diligent about recording everything in their food diaries are doing great at losing weight. Congratulations to you all!

    For me, I've been reluctant to do that. It seems like a real chore and I doubt I could stick with it whenever life starts to intrude with the inevitable projects and social activities. I've focused on cutting down on some of the foods I really enjoy: breads and sweets. So far this is working reasonably well for me (down 32 pounds since I started).

    I've tried to change my mindset into something I can stay with long term, just being someone who avoids breads and sweets. I worry that food diaries, cheat days, and occasional food binges will lead me back into my old style of overeating.

    Just throwing this out for comment. I'd appreciate any of your thoughts or suggestions.

    Some people do very well without logging. I don't, even though I have been in maintenance for over a year. I will probably log for the rest of my life. It's a tool I learned before coming to MFP, though I was not as diligent then. Using my food scale and logging keeps me accountable. However, everybody has their own way of staying accountable, even if you choose not to log.

    It it's ain't broken don't fix it. If not logging works for you and you're still losing weight then stick with that.
  • blankiefinder
    blankiefinder Posts: 3,599 Member
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    I find that logging is more useful than just counting my calories. When used with a food scale (as it should be!), it really lets you see portion sizes, and where you might be getting a LOT more calories than you'd like. When you log your rice and see that it is triple the calories of your meat and veggies for example, you might decide that maybe you'll cut back your rice to a half serving, and eat more of everything else for a better bang for your calorie buck. (A more filling meal that might match your macros better)

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