Trial run - stopping the logging

LivingtheLeanDream

5th July 2015

I've decided to take a logging break (I need to see if I can go it alone now) and will report back with my findings in 4 weeks.
During some of that time I'll be on holiday (cruising Scandinavia and Russia whoop *\o/*)

I've been successfully maintaining my goal range for approx a year and I feel ready to stop logging my foods as I'm a mindful eater anyway.

Wish me luck!

I'll report back beginning of August :-D

bwogilvie

Good luck, and enjoy the vacation!

Llamapants86

Good luck!

85Cardinals

I think this is an awesome idea, glgl!

nxd10

Good luck! I'm sure you'll do great.

middlehaitch

Enjoy your cruise! If you have been maintaining for a year you will do fine not logging.
Just remember you will probably gain about 5 lb water weight on the cruise. It will be gone about 10 days after you return home to your usual routine.

Cheers, h.

(Just cruised and travelled for 3 month and only gained 2 lb once i had list the water. I never worried about eating - my body knew my portion sizes and wasn't letting me over eat)

galprincess

Have a fab holiday

LivingtheLeanDream

@middlehaitch Thanks, but we've done several cruises and since I joined MFP I haven't gained more than a few pounds which have disappeared within a few weeks as its mostly sodium. We walk loads on holidays in general and I don't eat the abundance of breads/bakery items they have on offer - learned the hard way a few years back when I gained 6lbs eating everything in sight! I wouldn't do that again as it took me 2 months to get that off - I lose weight extremely slowly.

And well done on being away so long and hardly gaining at all

FitPhillygirl

You'll do just fine on Vacation without logging. You already have good eating habits and attitude that it will take to do it. Relax and have a nice time on your Cruise.

LivingtheLeanDream

Day 2

It's strange after 3 years of logging my meals every day to not do that now ...mentally though I'm still totting cals, but i feel that's sensible the aim is to keep a slight deficit, around 2000 gross cals keeps me right, on vacation there won't be a deficit, I reckon I'll average 2500 cals most days but hey I'll cut myself some slack, it's only for 2 weeks and the food will be awesome...I can cut on my return. (We walk loads and Fitbit will be giving me 2500+ TDEE for high steps days which are pretty standard for us - anything over 23k)

3 more sleeps til the hols.....

nxd10

How do you possibly walk that much every day? I just got back from a vacation and did walk 12 miles/day - 25000 steps. But that was hours and hours and hours of walking. Regular straight walking is 3.5 miles/hour. When I'm really booking for my after dinner stroll it's 4 mph.

On the other hand, pace varies. My husband and I walk together. It ticks me off because he gets solidly 40% more steps than I do on the same walk. I walk more smoothly and also have a longer stride. I have always doubted he actually burns more calories.

2wise4u

Have a great vacation.

LivingtheLeanDream

@nxd10 I run for 60 -70 mins before work = 12-13k
after work hubby and I walk = 4k
the rest is me at work and doing stuff around the house. I'm just pretty active in general
Ps I'm short and when hubby and I walk together I do alot more steps than him as I trot along to keep up with him lol..for my 4000 steps he gets about 3200 with his long stride.

LivingtheLeanDream

My highest steps day on holidays was 27k walking around Copenhagen for about 6 hrs, some leisurely some nicely paced/strolling

Average steps on hols = 17k

My brisk walking speed is 4mph according to mapmyfitness

The weigh in won't happen until Monday to give me a few days to get rid of the sodium. ..I'm feeling slim though, clothes fitting the same etc - I was fairly careful with my food choices whilst away.

Had the best time away with perhaps the best itinerary yet

cwolfman13

I've maintained for over two years without logging...so long as you are mindful and maintain healthful habits, it's really pretty easy.

LivingtheLeanDream

@cwolfman13 you've done great and so far, so good for me too

dopeysmelly

I've stopped logging for over a week now. cwolfman13 is right - it's been easier than I expected, because I've developed a pretty reliable structure for eating (I don't like the word "rules", but I guess that's what they are really), which works for me.

I'll still weigh myself every day though - it's my first line of defense in maintaining my healthy habits.

LivingtheLeanDream

@dopeysmelly good for you weigh ins are the best way to keep an eye that all is well .. wishing you continued success

kellygirl5538

YOu will need to start logging again...someday lol

LivingtheLeanDream

@kellygirl5538 I prefer to be optimistic and say no I don't think I will - I know not everyone can do it but I'm actually doing great, I weighed in after hols and am still 1lb within goal range limit, I gained 3lbs and most of that will be sodium as its early days. I have a 5lb +/- goal range so I feel I did not bad at all considering I had two weeks of unlimited food, it shows I can practice mindful eating well

kellygirl5538

RunRutheeRun wrote: »

@kellygirl5538 I prefer to be optimistic and say no I don't think I will - I know not everyone can do it but I'm actually doing great, I weighed in after hols and am still 1lb within goal range limit, I gained 3lbs and most of that will be sodium as its early days. I have a 5lb +/- goal range so I feel I did not bad at all considering I had two weeks of unlimited food, it shows I can practice mindful eating well

Over a long period of time you will. Get back with me in a year without logging.

ExRelaySprinter

RunRutheeRun wrote: »

I'll report back beginning of August :-D

It's a good idea actually.
Will be back to see how you got on!
Good Luck!

CJsoon

RunRutheeRun wrote: »

Day 2

It's strange after 3 years of logging my meals every day to not do that now ...mentally though I'm still totting cals, but i feel that's sensible the aim is to keep a slight deficit, around 2000 gross cals keeps me right, on vacation there won't be a deficit, I reckon I'll average 2500 cals most days but hey I'll cut myself some slack, it's only for 2 weeks and the food will be awesome...I can cut on my return. (We walk loads and Fitbit will be giving me 2500+ TDEE for high steps days which are pretty standard for us - anything over 23k)

3 more sleeps til the hols.....

Hey what's your Fitbit name will love to have you as a friend

LivingtheLeanDream

@CJsoon heres the link to my fitbit https://www.fitbit.com/user/28TV3Z I'm ruthc69 I'll look out for that FR

LivingtheLeanDream

Home from holidays 5 days and just showing a 2lb gain from the cruise WOOOT wooot to me that is amazing, as I was eating a LOT every day lol....the walking everywhere really helps

sijomial

I stopped logging food a month ago (under lots of stress at work and very short of time).
Maintained weight easily without any great thought or effort - it probably helps I'm not an emotional or stress eater.

Then went away for a 4 day break which included eating just about all food either fried or in buns (or fried and also in buns!) and drinking far more than normal. As usual for me when on holiday/vacation I gained at about a pound a day - half will just be temporary bloating.

So now doing a little experiment to see if I can also lose weight without logging.

LivingtheLeanDream

@sijomial Would love to hear how you find not logging after a while then too

sijomial

RunRutheeRun wrote: »

@sijomial Would love to hear how you find not logging after a while then too

At first it felt a bit weird and a bit unsettling. All my adult life (that's a very long time!) I've slowly gained weight when I didn't pay attention to what I eat so there was a fear factor I suppose. We are creatures of habit and logging became a habit.

For most of my routine meals logging wasn't a chore but the logging of more special home cooked meals or complex meals such as buffets was always a P.I.T.A. so not logging those is a pleasure.

I've always been a daily weigher so that's normal for me - I'm also very relaxed about daily weight fluctuations I see on the scales which helps.

Really most days I've just eaten by feel and instinct but from time to time I pause and ask myself why I'm about to eat something. Along the lines of "eating because you are tired?", "eating because you are gready?", "eating just for fun/taste?", "isn't just a taste of something nice just as good as lots of something nice?".

Not always bound by the answers I give myself - nothing wrong with eating simply for the pleasure of eating as long as it's not all the time. Just a case of being self-aware.

Have some concerns about not tracking macros but in reality our bodies are marvellously adaptable and I do (mostly) eat well.

Pinnacle_IAO

I stopped logging 2 years ago.
I have managed to maintain my weight after losing 100 pounds. I logged for so long that it's just a second nature. I can look at food and know the approximate calorie count and macro balance.
Logging totally changed my life, and without logging my food intake, I never would have reached my goals.
I see my diet today more as internal, subconsciousness logging...if that makes any sense.

LivingtheLeanDream

@sijomial and @Pinnacle_Fitness thank you for your comments , I also find myself asking similar questions, am I really hungry etc, I do feel as long as I keep up my fitness (which is second nature to me anyway now), and as long as I watch out for those little cheeky snacks that can creep into my day (more often in winter and when bored), then all will be well. The weighing in often will keep me on track, I'll make adjustments when and if necessary. I'm not one for binge eating, never was. I gained my weight in the first place over a period of years and years bit by bit and was only slightly into the overweight category ref bmi to begin with (it was 26 back then). I just needed to learn about consuming less calories than I was burning. My frequent mantra is, knowledge is power

Pinnacle_IAO

RunRutheeRun wrote: »

@sijomial and @Pinnacle_Fitness thank you for your comments , I also find myself asking similar questions, am I really hungry etc, I do feel as long as I keep up my fitness (which is second nature to me anyway now), and as long as I watch out for those little cheeky snacks that can creep into my day (more often in winter and when bored), then all will be well. The weighing in often will keep me on track, I'll make adjustments when and if necessary. I'm not one for binge eating, never was. I gained my weight in the first place over a period of years and years bit by bit and was only slightly into the overweight category ref bmi to begin with (it was 26 back then). I just needed to learn about consuming less calories than I was burning. My frequent mantra is, knowledge is power

Well said!
I know I never want to be obese again, and yet, my weight has a way of creeping up, up, up, so if what you're doing is working, the proof will be that weight-in reading.
When my weight trends up, I go right back to logging, and that has not happened in a year or so.
Again, good luck!