Is Anyone Else Here Not Really Tracking Their Food Seriously?

FunkenWagnel

This has had me curious for a while. Some days, when I remember and can be bothered, I track my food on this site/app. I like to be reminded of what's in food

My other question is, if you're not terribly worried about tracking your food, why do you use this site? Personally, I'm mostly interested in tracking my results and getting into discussions and reading about health/food/fitness topics.

glevinso

I am not trying to lose weight, but I do keep an eye on how much I eat. I don't log anything in my diary, but I did for about 15 weeks over the past summer. I still use the database when I need to quick eyeball something calorie-wise.

I use this site now mostly for food and exercise related banter...

FunkenWagnel

Hi! I'm a bit like that too, I'll go through periods where I'll track more heavily if I think I need to or am curious about my eating habits.

I am trying to lose weight at the moment, so just being on this site helps me to focus on what I want to achieve

ana3067

no, because then i'm wasting my time on this website. I don't halfass my workouts, I'm not going to halfass my logging.

LoneWolfRunner

I don't log anything

Christine_72

I log everything I eat. The good and the bad. Not just for the calories, I like to hit my macros as well

Asher_Ethan

I just started logging everything and I'm taking it very seriously. Mostly because the bar graphs are really cool and I like analyzing them.

Daiako

I'm not logging seriously, or often. I maintain my current weight easily so until I'm ready to move the scale up or down I'm not too focused on it.

I make use of the forums here, goof off on my wall, and am part of a handful of groups. There is more to MFP than the diary function.

SnuggleSmacks

I actually stopped tracking. I found that when I track, I push the numbers. I eat right up to the point of maintenance, and if I exercise, I track that too, and eat back those calories. I end up making it almost like a game to see how much food I can pack in those numbers. I guess it's hard to take too seriously since I don't have much to lose, and I'm lifting and don't want to inhibit muscle growth.

But I find that I'm eating less when I don't track, because I'm paying more attention to my body's signals instead of planning out an entire day's worth of food to maximize my macros and cals. I've actually lost almost 3 pounds this week just from only eating when hungry. I've even included potato chips, Bixby bars and ice cream, and haven't weighed any portions, so I'm pretty proud of myself. I'm going to see if this trend continues.

FunkenWagnel

ana3067 wrote: »

no, because then i'm wasting my time on this website. I don't halfass my workouts, I'm not going to halfass my logging.

Fair enough. Different things work for different people It's funny; I find I eat slightly better and lose weight more steadily when I don't track as much. I have no explanation for why that is, except maybe it makes a difference mentally for me?

FunkenWagnel

Asher_Ethan wrote: »

I just started logging everything and I'm taking it very seriously. Mostly because the bar graphs are really cool and I like analyzing them.

I do like the graphs

FunkenWagnel

Daiako wrote: »

I'm not logging seriously, or often. I maintain my current weight easily so until I'm ready to move the scale up or down I'm not too focused on it.

I make use of the forums here, goof off on my wall, and am part of a handful of groups. There is more to MFP than the diary function.

So true!

FunkenWagnel

SnuggleSmacks wrote: »

I actually stopped tracking. I found that when I track, I push the numbers. I eat right up to the point of maintenance, and if I exercise, I track that too, and eat back those calories. I end up making it almost like a game to see how much food I can pack in those numbers. I guess it's hard to take too seriously since I don't have much to lose, and I'm lifting and don't want to inhibit muscle growth.

But I find that I'm eating less when I don't track, because I'm paying more attention to my body's signals instead of planning out an entire day's worth of food to maximize my macros and cals. I've actually lost almost 3 pounds this week just from only eating when hungry. I've even included potato chips, Bixby bars and ice cream, and haven't weighed any portions, so I'm pretty proud of myself. I'm going to see if this trend continues.

I'm wondering if that's the case for me, too? Sometimes I see how much others are tracking, and weighing their food as well, and wonder if I should be doing more with it? But I think I'm a bit like you, and maybe that's why it doesn't work as well for me?

I have lost weight the past few weeks. A few years ago, I joined this site weighing less than I do now, with only about 4 kgs to lose, but a few months back, I put on 6kgs more than that, due to a bulging disc and resting on it. I also had other things going on in my life causing stress, that meant I wasn't looking after myself.

Now I'm back on here focusing on things, I've lost some of that weight I had gained, and am much happier for it I eat mostly healthy, exercise lots (til now it's just been cardio because my back wasn't ready for strength at all, but I have eased into doing some strength over the past few weeks) and if I crave something, I have it.

I try to make the best choices for my body, but the cravings are more for my mind; giving into them in small amounts seems to let me keep losing weight and not beat myself up for it.

niknak7743

Tracking makes me obsessed and makes me eat more just because I have calories left. I stop listening to my body when I track.

FunkenWagnel

niknak7743 wrote: »

I stop listening to my body when I track.

I think this might be me as well.

Mech9

I wish I didn't have to track every calorie. Right now I'm only 4 months in and still trying to learn healthy portions and the calorie count inside of certain things. Due to that, I weigh out everything.

If I could get to a point after reaching goal where I intuitively know how to eat within maintenance without logging everything, then I wouldn't feel the need to log every calorie. Then I'd be happy as long as my weight didn't start to slide.

But I think that's the point of learning healthy habits: so they actually become habit. I don't think the point is to "calorie count for the rest of your life or else you can't portion your food properly" because then I wouldn't have learned anything useful.

JiveDoc

I think I would go bat---t crazy if I had to log what I ate and thankfully I've never had to. I am trying to regain some pounds I lost when I got sick, but I know how to do that without logging.

I'm just here for the food porn.

inchwormbyinchworm

I did not need to track my first year, as I joined a gym and that made a big difference. This year my goal is to run recipes through a calorie counter and learn portions. I had lost about 25 lbs before joining MFP, so that makes about 45 lbs overall in 13 mos.

FunkenWagnel

Mech9 wrote: »

But I think that's the point of learning healthy habits: so they actually become habit. I don't think the point is to "calorie count for the rest of your life or else you can't portion your food properly" because then I wouldn't have learned anything useful.

I think that's definitely possible

JiveDoc wrote: »

I think I would go bat---t crazy if I had to log what I ate and thankfully I've never had to. I am trying to regain some pounds I lost when I got sick, but I know how to do that without logging.

I'm just here for the food porn.

Good luck with your weight gain!

inchwormbyinchworm wrote: »

I did not need to track my first year, as I joined a gym and that made a big difference. This year my goal is to run recipes through a calorie counter and learn portions. I had lost about 25 lbs before joining MFP, so that makes about 45 lbs overall in 13 mos.

Great job!

FunkenWagnel

herrspoons wrote: »

I log but don't weigh or measure. The weight's coming off at an acceptable rate without that level of detail.

Awesome!

kershaann

I log everything love this site! I am using it now to gain some more muscle.

FunkenWagnel

kershaann wrote: »

I log everything love this site! I am using it now to gain some more muscle.

I love this site, too Good luck with your goals!

Alatariel75

I'm actually trying to log everything at the moment. Since November, I only logged on days where I was being 'good' (subjective term) and wouldn't log on days where I was eating whatever I wanted. Unsurprisingly, I didn't lose any weight between November and 2 weeks ago. Gave myself a kick in the *kitten* and have been logging everything again and have lost 2kg in 2 weeks. But of course, my eating has been a lot better because I've knuckled down. I suck at intuitive eating though, I'd intuitively eat an entire buffet.

Unknown

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FunkenWagnel

Alatariel75 wrote: »

I'm actually trying to log everything at the moment. Since November, I only logged on days where I was being 'good' (subjective term) and wouldn't log on days where I was eating whatever I wanted. Unsurprisingly, I didn't lose any weight between November and 2 weeks ago. Gave myself a kick in the *kitten* and have been logging everything again and have lost 2kg in 2 weeks. But of course, my eating has been a lot better because I've knuckled down. I suck at intuitive eating though, I'd intuitively eat an entire buffet.

Great job!

FunkenWagnel

billieljaime wrote: »

i am currently on a one month ban of logging and it is driving me nuts cant wait till april first when i log again...you know...science and such

I'd love to hear how it goes!

kindrabbit

I log religiously at the moment. I have about 19lbs to loose. I wonder if maybe once I hit my target I'll relax a little bit or even stop but until i get there and see how easy it is to maintain I think logging obsessively is the only way for me. I'm an all or nothing kind of person!

I'm also enjoying the forums. I came to 'fitness' late in life and I have so much to learn and it's a great place to find like minded people to learn from

tomatoey

I track it seriously. However, I only got really serious about my deficit last week, lol. But that's ok, because I've been putting effort into my workouts, and things seem to be tightening up, may not have been a bad thing. I don't have too much to lose - a bit of regain after injury - so it's not really stressing me out.

FunkenWagnel

Karen_libert wrote: »

I log religiously at the moment. I have about 19lbs to loose. I wonder if maybe once I hit my target I'll relax a little bit or even stop but until i get there and see how easy it is to maintain I think logging obsessively is the only way for me. I'm an all or nothing kind of person!

I'm also enjoying the forums. I came to 'fitness' late in life and I have so much to learn and it's a great place to find like minded people to learn from

I'm so glad I asked about this, it's making me realise different people respond to different ways of approaching things.

tomatoey wrote: »

I track it seriously. However, I only got really serious about my deficit last week, lol. But that's ok, because I've been putting effort into my workouts, and things seem to be tightening up, may not have been a bad thing. I don't have too much to lose - a bit of regain after injury - so it's not really stressing me out.

Sounds like it's working! I have the injury regain stuff I'm dealing with at the moment too, injuries suck!

kindrabbit

SnuggleSmacks wrote: »

I actually stopped tracking. I found that when I track, I push the numbers. I eat right up to the point of maintenance, and if I exercise, I track that too, and eat back those calories. I end up making it almost like a game to see how much food I can pack in those numbers. I guess it's hard to take too seriously since I don't have much to lose, and I'm lifting and don't want to inhibit muscle growth.

But I find that I'm eating less when I don't track, because I'm paying more attention to my body's signals instead of planning out an entire day's worth of food to maximize my macros and cals. I've actually lost almost 3 pounds this week just from only eating when hungry. I've even included potato chips, Bixby bars and ice cream, and haven't weighed any portions, so I'm pretty proud of myself. I'm going to see if this trend continues.

I cant wait to get to this point!! On my first week I did exactly as you say - I did the math to try and fit as much food in as possible. I did the same on slimming world. It was a challenge to see how much food I could eat for as few syns as possible.

I'm hoping that when I get to my target I'll be experienced enough to be able to maintain as you do. Congrats!

tomatoey

FunkenWagnel wrote: »

Karen_libert wrote: »

I log religiously at the moment. I have about 19lbs to loose. I wonder if maybe once I hit my target I'll relax a little bit or even stop but until i get there and see how easy it is to maintain I think logging obsessively is the only way for me. I'm an all or nothing kind of person!

I'm also enjoying the forums. I came to 'fitness' late in life and I have so much to learn and it's a great place to find like minded people to learn from

I'm so glad I asked about this, it's making me realise different people respond to different ways of approaching things.

tomatoey wrote: »

I track it seriously. However, I only got really serious about my deficit last week, lol. But that's ok, because I've been putting effort into my workouts, and things seem to be tightening up, may not have been a bad thing. I don't have too much to lose - a bit of regain after injury - so it's not really stressing me out.

Sounds like it's working! I have the injury regain stuff I'm dealing with at the moment too, injuries suck!

Ah, sorry Yeah, they really do! It's annoying and frustrating to have to do rehab and work around them. But, patience = progress (vs. rushing it and making things worse). Hope you're feeling better!