Do you still track daily?

ginalove1960

middlehaitch wrote: »

@stickkop there have been threads on the pos and cons of WW vs MFP. A search may give you the info you are looking for.

Cheers, h.

ginalove1960

I have been in more or less maintenance phase for the last 3 months. I have no problem continuing to track all my meals and snacks. I have such a large appetite that I feel I have no other choice than to track everything for the rest of my life, otherwise, things will most likely get out of hand. And, unfortunately, I live in an extended care facility, where all my tracking is very public, and out in the open.

ginalove1960

ginalove1960 wrote: »

I have been in more or less maintenance phase for the last 3 months. I have no problem continuing to track all my meals and snacks. I have such a large appetite that I feel I have no other choice than to track everything for the rest of my life, otherwise, things will most likely get out of hand. And, unfortunately, I live in an extended care facility, where all my tracking is very public, and out in the open.

When I say "public", I mean out in an open, and full dining room.

cwolfman13

I haven't kept a physical log or diary for almost three years...that doesn't mean I don't pay attention though.

B_TEEN

Great topic as this is something I'm currently reassessing. Tracking became a cohabit with my change in diet; so the idea of abandoning the system leaves a small sentiment of fear. I'm motivated to stop tracking because my primary method was estimate/guesstimate, which isn't really accurate, and I don't rigidly meal plan+prep. To be clear, I'm getting the results I desire.


Perhaps, I give it a shot to see if the lack of tracking results in noticeable food choice or weight changes. It's good to see others chime in on this issue

cgvet37

I don't find it hard or inconvenient. The only meal I have not tracked, was a cheat meal. I normally know what I'm going to eat the next day, so as I'm watching TV in the evening. I'll log everything.

janicelo1971

i have maintained within 8 pounds over the last year or so and still log daily...i dont weigh my food all the time, but when my weight creeps up i go back to that. i keep the scale out!! i dont eat out a lot so its not that difficult for me to eye ball food sizes any longer...i think I'm at 1020 days of logging...

Protranser

I've been in maintenance for 4 months, but stopped logging about 2 or 3 weeks ago to see how i do without all the metrics.

I weigh once a week now ( down from daily.) i am definitely still mindful of keeping up with my exercise; i made sure to find a routine I'll continue indefinitely.

If i end up gaining too much over time, I'd like to see if i can lose without tracking.

lorrpb

You need to track until you get accurate enough at estimating to meet your calorie goals. It might be a few months or forever. I'm not at maintenance yet and am 21 months along on my journey. I stopped tracking after 3 months, and have lost every month since. Every few months I might track for 1-2 days, and every time I've been right on the nose with my calories & macros. I realize most people can't do this. Perhaps as i get into maintenance I'll decide to track again for awhile to help me gauge what I can/should be eating at that point. My point is, no one can tell you how long to track, it depends on how consistent (similar) your eating is from day to day and how accurate or honest you are in estimating. It's different for everyone. Try not logging for a month and see what your results are. A week is too short to evaluate based on the scales, because weight can fluctuate a few pound in a week so any change might not be related to not tracking.

Anniebotnen

I've been maintaining for about 18 months. I still log my food most of the time, but usually just estimate quantities. I log what I plan to eat every morning, and don' always change my log unless I happen to majorly deviate from the plan, so it's very quick and easy. I don't log at all on vacations, when eating out or having people over for dinner. If my weight does creep up, I'll be more meticulous about tracking accurate quantities until it comes back down. This has worked well, I have never been more than 3 lbs above my goal weight, and usually stay a couple of lbs under.

dlmciver

I pre-log daily in MFP to help make better food combination choices and balance my macros. I also like the data to refer back to if I see inconsistencies.

snowflake930

28 months on maintenance. Log food & exercise daily still. Do not weigh and measure food. Weigh daily too. The same time each morning. I have to do this to keep from regressing. The statistics for regaining all the weight back, and for some, gaining even more than they lost, are over 80%. My goal is to keep the weight off, now that I have finally become a "normal weight".

But, as with most things related to weight loss/getting healthier, it is an individual thing. Do whatever works for you.

Numerio

Absolutely! MFP is my bible! I feel healthy as a horse, but sick as a dog if I miss one day!

srcurran

I have been maintaining for 11 months and still track every day. If I didn't I likely would have gained some back. It's for the rest of my life.

dlmciver

Word.