Do you log every morsel?

JenniferInCt

Yup. I even log my gum (5-10calories depending on the type) and seasonings because for example my serving of oregano is like 8calories. I find all these little things add up. 4pieces of gum can be 20-40cals, plus other little things throughout the day. However, i also wouldnt be upset if i was over my calorie goal by that little amount.

Although there have been times ive had one chip, or one small bite of my bf's sandwich or ice cream. But its not an everyday thing, or even a weekly thing so i let it go. If at some point i stop losing, ill tighten those up.

daaaaaanielle

I log everything except seasonings. When I say seasonings, I'm really referring to salt and pepper since those are my go-to seasonings. I put no more than a pinch into/onto things that need them and generally my diet is very low in salt to begin with so I don't worry too much about these. Other seasonings that might have calories in them, I gauge whether it's worth it. Sauces, yes, I always log these. Herbs and spices, generally not. I'm trying to leave a bit of headroom under my goal (my goal is already set higher than it could be because I'm not looking for overly fast weight loss) of 100-ish calories which means that even if I do get a bit heavy with the seasoning, it's not going to be pushing me over.

PeachyCarol

Almost always. Yesterday, I had 2 small pretzel sticks I didn't log because I couldn't figure out how to. I'm not overly worried about the calories.

I don't log pepper because I don't use it in great quantity. I do log my other seasonings, though. I also don't bother to log lemon juice accurately, I just settle for the generic 1/2 lemon juice yields entry. It's probably close enough.

ArkMom35

I try my very best to, yes. Every now and then something slips through the cracks though.

7lenny7

No. I don't bother with low calorie condiments like mustard, or when having something like a few baby carrots, or coffee or tea.

Also, at the end of the day, if I'm sitting with several hundred calories left in my budget I might not log things. Yesterday I ended up with 600 calories left in my budget so I didn't bother logging a couple crackers and some cheese.

Jgasmic

Pretty much, and I weigh most of it, too. I don't measure the super low-cal stuff like mustard or hot sauce, but I record that I ate it. I like having a full record of everything. It also keeps me honest and makes it easier for me to turn down the mindless snacking and the nibbles here and there since I know I will need to log it. But mindless snacking is my downfall, I could easily eat 500 calories in a day outside of my meals without even thinking about it, so I'm trying to train myself to think about it.

ChrisManch

I don't log diet drinks, that are only a couple of calories. If I am making a salad I'll measure and log the dressing, tomatoes, onion, cheese etc. but don't log the lettuce.

Everything you log has a margin of error, its not an exact science. The calories per gram in say, an apple, will vary with the variety, how much sun it got, how long it has been stored etc.

You are never going to be able to log exactly every calorie you consume, so not logging a few lettuce leaves isn't going to add much to the error.

It is important though, not to overlook snacking. A handful of peanuts, a few teaspoons of sugar, a few grapes, a sweet - can quickly add up to significant calories. If you tend to graze between meals, logging everything can help you think about what you are actually eating over the day.

Also, you might think, "its healthy so it can't be calorific", but that small glass of no-added sugar fruit juice might have the equivalent of 5 or more teaspoons of sugar in it. Logging it shows you how many calories there are,

ruggedshutter

I will probably be more strict about it as I get closer to my goal and once I start maintaining. As for right now, I don't log everything unless it's over 50 calories. Veggies like carrots, celery and lettuce I usually don't log. I will log fruit like cantaloupe if it is in enough of a quantity to add to my day.

lauracups

Didn't use to, being MUCH MORE aware of it now. Part of the learning procees. Yeah especially when not wanting to throw out expensive food finishing those last few bites on kids plate...ADDS UP. If I'm not honest about the logging I can't b%!#$ about the number on the scale.

vinerie

Yes, but I really don't see how this can last! So time consuming to input recipes, etc. But I don't see another solution, so I do it.

vinerie

blankiefinder wrote: »

One thing I do with things I'm grazing on is to weigh the package at the start of the morning, write the grams on the package, and then weigh before I go to bed and then make sure my logging is accurate.

Good idea!

avskk

Yes, unless it's something I've already logged many times and am 100% sure is less than four calories. A paper-thin onion slice on a sandwich might not get logged. Grabbing a stray spinach leaf and popping it in my mouth won't get logged. A tiny splash of lemon juice in my water or tea doesn't get logged (unless I'm having several in a row, then I'll log 1-2Tbsp). Less than a tablespoon of fish sauce in a stir-fry may or may not get logged. I don't log bouillon cubes unless I'm eating at least half the recipe I've made with one (meaning if I use a buillon cube to make four servings of something I don't log ".25 cube," but will log ".5 cube" for a two-serving meal).

I don't have one of these instances every day, and if I have more than one in a day I'll adjust my log (splash of lemon in tea followed by an extra onion slice on my sandwich = quick-add five or ten calories to my log). Otherwise, every single thing I eat gets logged as accurately as possible.

scottacular

flippy1234 wrote: »

Do you guys log every single thing you put in your mouth? I cut up some watermelon earlier and ate a few pieces. I didn't log it. I grab an almond here and there. (we have them in a bowl on the counter). Etc...anyway, you get the idea.

Almonds are a good source of fat, but that means they're quite calorie dense so you really should log them. You're probably okay with a small amount of watermelon though. Personally I don't log vegetables, spices (as long as I'm only using a pinch or two) or the squash I use to make my greens drink somewhat bearable. Everything else is logged though, you have to be careful those little nibbles here and there don't add up to being an extra meal you're not logging or realising you're consuming. At least if results don't go as you want, you'll know the likely reason why and can start logging those little things if they become a problem.

JenD1066

Yes. If it has calories, or fat, or sodium, or carbs I log it. One almond, one marshmallow would get logged just like one Snickers bar. Oooh- Snickers.....

Toadstool_

Nearly everything. All food, including low calorie things like lettuce, fruit, tea etc get jotted down. It can all add up very quickly. The only things I don't tend to log are herbs and spices.

ndj1979

I log 99% of everything I eat ...

Mezzie1024

I log everything, but I'm not 100% accurate as I don't often use a scale and I am sometimes not the cook/preparer of my food. I'm still losing at the predicted rate, so my estimates must be close enough. Were I to stall, my first step would be to start weighing and ask for recipes.

trisH_7183

Everything except garlic,iceberg lettuce & herbal tea.I measure my homemade salad dressing, & just about everything else.

sapphire1166

Yes and no. I'm only counting calories right now, not macros. I don't log my diet coke or black coffee. I don't log any salt or pepper I add to my food. I don't log if I sneak two blueberries while I'm preparing my daughter's snack (but I do if I "sneak" two blueberries 5 times that day).

However when it comes to calorie-rich foods, I ballpark how much I might sneak. For example, if I eat all of a grilled chicken sandwich from Wendy's and also take 3 french fries from my husband's plate, I might log eating "1.1 servings" of the chicken sandwich. Not scientific by any means, but I don't do it often enough (like once very other day) to make me feel horrible and I figure I'm overestimating usually in the long run, so no harm no foul.

higgins8283801

Not everything.

If I taste test something, I don't log it.

It never screwed me because I still lost and reached maintenance.

bewarethedog

Not everything. Occasionally I'll have a bite or two of something like chicken or watermelon while making my kids' lunch and not log it. I also don't log my diet coke or the one piece of lettuce on my salad. I also don't eat back most my exercise calories to account for this. So far I'm still losing weight, so I don't see the need to be any stricter with myself, but if I start to plateau I know the first thing to fix.

kindrabbit

I log everything. It's in my nature. If I didn't I would worry. My brain would itch!

IAmTheGlue

I log almost everything. I try to be really mindful about what I'm eating. Even if I have a day where I feel like I ate too much, I make sure to not only log it but to also hit the complete button so I can see the damage done. Oddly enough, I never eat above maintenance so even what I felt like was a bad day shows projected loss.

dirtyflirty30

Yes - the small stuff adds up. There's a WW saying - BLT (Bites, Licks, Tastes) should all be logged. One thing I've carried with me from that program, lol.

harpsdesire

Generally. I've missed things here and there, but on average the only think I don't log is 0-calories drinks (unsweetened tea, water, seltzer and so on)

jennifer_417

Occasionally I'll allow myself a single bite of something without logging it. Otherwise, yes.

BigLifter10

Yes. It ALL adds up, faster than you realize.

AndiDurall

I log everything except my iced tea. My husband makes it and it is just tea bags steeped in water, no sugar or anything like that. I weigh and measure everything on my food scale. It can be a pain. I have even started not trusting the serving sizes on recipes. I used to use measuring cups and followed what they said a serving size was...until I made a recipe and measured that way and ended up with half the amount of servings that they had said. So now I measure the container before I put the food in it to cook then measure it when it is done, subtract the weight of the container and then divide by servings so I know exactly how much I get. The first time I had to weigh out an actual serving of shredded cheese, I was very surprised. I was so much in the "it fits, it counts" school of thought before. I even tried to log a slice of apple that I ate one day while I was getting them for my kids. I couldn't find a serving of 1 apple slice though. Haha.

Unknown

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SToast

Those little bites here and there are exactly what will halt your progress. If you don't log everything you are wasting your time.