How accurate are you?

StarvingAuthor

I'm just wondering how extreme vs how lax some of you may be with logging! This seems like it might be a fun topic. :-)

I'd say extreme is when you crack an egg and weigh that out (rather than taking the average off of the carton (e.g. 80 per egg) and lax is not logging little things (like creamers or anything under, say, 20 calories)!

I'd say that I'm more of a mood type of logger. For example, some weeks I may log my coffee creamer but other weeks I just kind of forget or don't bother because I find it to be irrelevant (10 cals) with not much concern over how far over my goal calories I am. However, other weeks I will log everything and anything that comes near my mouth without fail and be extremely strict about how many calories I take in!

Sophsmother

I've only been at this for 2 weeks so I'm still pretty militant about logging and weighing everything I eat. I'm really hoping to stick with it for the long haul. It makes such a difference.

PeachyCarol

I crack eggs and weigh them and log Splenda, but I don't log the 2 pieces of sugar-free gum I chew every day.

uvi5

I've calorie counted for most of my life (guestimating). Finding MFP and learning what I am now learning, I got a scale (not digital, maybe next month). I am seeing what a difference and enjoy knowing what I'm taking in. I am now logging my sweeteners/diet drink mixes, coffee, measuring condiments and my vitamin supplements. I log all other food, weighing my solids (bread included), but some things like an egg, yogurt (in small containers) and such, I go by what is on the container. I'm rather enjoying the challenge of learning to do this. Great idea for a thread!

marissafit06

I weight most things. I for sure don't weigh eggs, but I do weigh out cheese and snacks. I don't log vitamins or gum.

stealthq

First off, I live alone, so any food I buy or make is almost guaranteed to be 100% consumed by me. Makes things easier.

I don't weigh anything in where a calorie count is given for individual pieces and the pieces are pretty consistent (like oreos) or where the count is for a whole package. Errors will average out over time.

I don't weigh spices unless it's something with a decent calorie count like curry paste.

I don't log Splenda packets, though maybe I should. I know I use 5-6 every weekday and 1-2 every Sat and Sun.

When I make a recipe, I don't weigh individual portions unless I've made it to share. I'm going to eat it all anyway so who cares if I got a bit more one day and a bit less the next.

I weigh everything else if there's a scale available. Nuts, vegetables, nut butters, meats, ice cream, you name it, I'm weighing it.

TimothyFish

I log based on what it says on the package. If I'm going to trust them to give me the right calorie information, I might as well trust them to give me the right weight information. I will weigh or measure something on occasion, just so I know what a serving looks like, but once I know what it looks like, I can tell from looking at it. I don't log creamer and a few other things. If I weren't losing one to two pounds a week right now, I might track my calories more closely, but I don't see the point of stressing out over it, since the stress free method is working well.

TheVirgoddess

I guess I fall into the "extreme" category. I weigh everything I can.

I've lost 72 pounds so far. So extreme seems to work well for me.

MandySue05

I have my days where I log everything..then other days I'm just like...eh I wont log that. depends on my mood lol

Angieh0811

I am extreme as well, I log and weigh everything I possibly can. I even have a food scale at work. It is working for me so I will continue being "extreme".

carolynmo1969

Extreme. I log the cream in my coffee that is carefully measured. The only reason I'm not weighing food is that the battery in my scale is dead and I would rather go to the gym at lunch than go battery shopping. Extreme.

samhennings

The only thing I weigh is cereal, I cant judge it at all.

Otherwise everything is by eye/guesstimate/whatever the packet says.

I do tend to go for the higher calorie option when I search for things in the database.

Im sure this is blasphemy for many, but Ive lost 2 stone and maintained for 2 months now this way so either by natural gifts with judgement or pure luck it seems to be working for me!

That said, while I am fairly relaxed about how I log, I make sure I log absolutely everything

tiona83

I log extreme if I am not loosing or feel I have a deadline for something (i.e. wedding) Now I am trying to log to loose slowly so I am in the habit of knowing what I will be eating when I am maintaining. I have yo-yoed my weight since I have hit my goal weight.

dawnna76

I weigh almost everything. I have been at this long enough though that a egg is just that an egg. not concerened with weighing each. I do weigh my liquid egg whites though. I also dont weigh my coffee cream but I did for a long time and now i just eyeball it.

Leana088

After 2,5 years of weighing I can pretty much eyeball everything with good enough accuracy.

Some things I don't eyeball. I take the total weight of the package and divide it by the weight of the serving sizes. Example: 100g package of nuts, 25g = 1 serving. 100÷25=4 servings p/packet.

I divide the packet into 4 (without weighing), and each time I eat 1/4 of it I just log 25g. Actual weight may be more, it may be less, but if I plan on eating the whole packet eventually anyway, it evens out.

annette_15

I weigh anything not in a package. I dont weigh pre cut slices of bread or eggs etc, but all liquids, meats, veggies etc gets weighed unless I'm not home. If I'm cooking for both my husband and myself I usually weight my portion of meat and starch and just eyeball veggies when they're done. I dont log gum, small bites from taste testing, coffee and anything I perceive to be less than 10 calories. If I feel like I've nibbled a lot I'll quick add something at the end of the day

DawnieB1977

I weigh pretty much everything, although I don't weigh eggs. I eat eggs every day, and on the box it says an egg is 85 calories. Chances are some are more, some have fewer calories, but since I eat 2 eggs pretty much every day it probably evens out.

I log an apple as a medium apple, which is apparently 154g. Sometimes it weighs say 144, sometimes 156, again it evens out. Ditto bananas.

I weigh ham, cottage cheese, cheese, peanut butter, yogurt etc (these are things I'm thinking of off the top of my head). I don't weigh bread, I go by the package for a slice, same with crackers.

I'm losing weight after my third baby and I'm being super strict, although I wasn't went I lost weight after my 2nd baby, and I'm not losing weight any faster now. So I must've been good at guesstimating back then because I lost 66lbs!

JohnBarth

I weigh everything to the gram or tenth of an ounce with the exception of cooking spray, the 4-6 pieces of sugarfree gum I chew daily, <5 calorie drinks and the tums I chew at night as a calcium supplement.

I am pretty militant about serving sizes as well. I don't weigh the soup in the can, but I will convert the "about two" servings to 1.77.

Francl27

I weigh and log pretty much everything except 0 calorie stuff and I don't weigh my Greek yogurt cups or my 10g chocolate bars.

My egg have been from 44g to 60g for a large so yeah, I weigh those as well (except when I'm cracking it directly in the pan for fried eggs, then I don't bother).

melodyesch

I am 7 weeks in and I weigh/measure every single thing I can except coffee creamer. I only drink coffee at home and use the same size cup every time. I measured it for the first week and it turns out that the color I like my coffee is right at 1 tablespoon. So I'm OK with maybe being off a few calories one day to the next, especially since I drink 2 cups at most per day.

rungirl1973

I log everything that has calories. I weigh nothing.
I've lost 73 lbs total, 22 lbs since the 2nd week of January. It's worked for me.