Does anyone track offline?

ReaderGirl3

I think MFP is great, but now that I'm back to tracking my calorie intake, I've spent quite a bit of time entering items that have incorrect calorie information to my food diary, realizing the calorie counts are off, deleting said entries from my food diary, and then having to manually input new ones (going off the packages I have). The whole process is grating my nerves. Today, as I entered my second 'corrected' entry I had a possible light bulb moment-since I only track calories (not macros), why can't I just write down my calories in a notebook? I'm having to double check all my packages anyways, so this seems like it would eliminate a lot of hassle. For the things that don't have packages (veggies etc), it takes just a few seconds to google and then I could start a small list of these that I frequently eat, with their calorie numbers.

Does anyone else track offline in a notebook or something similar? How do you like doing it this way? Is there a negative to this I'm not seeing?

Ready2Rock206

I have a FitBook.I also track here though.

shinycrazy

If you are just tracking calories, maybe just enter quick calories? Then you aren't fiddling worth the details. Downside is they aren't labeled.

FitPhillygirl

Back when I first needed to lose weight I wrote everything down. I don't track anything now.

ReaderGirl3

shinycrazy wrote: »

If you are just tracking calories, maybe just enter quick calories? Then you aren't fiddling worth the details. Downside is they aren't labeled.

That may be a great alternative to what I'm doing now, thank you! I don't care if I have the names of the foods I eat written down somewhere, just that I'm tracking the calories. I think I'll try this and see how it goes

endlessfall16

Tracking stuff on a notebook is all I do, and a bit of Excel

" it takes just a few seconds to google and then I could start a small list of these that I frequently eat, with their calorie numbers." Eggxactly !!!

I have two pages on my notebook with bookmark for the major items.

Eg

pork 2.3 cal/gram,
rice 1.3,
beef 2.5

The rest comes from bottle, package

...you got the idea.

ReaderGirl3

endlessfall16 wrote: »

Tracking stuff on a notebook is all I do, and a bit of Excel

" it takes just a few seconds to google and then I could start a small list of these that I frequently eat, with their calorie numbers." Eggxactly !!!

I have two pages on my notebook with bookmark for the major items.

Eg

pork 2.3 cal/gram,
rice 1.3,
beef 2.5

The rest comes from bottle, package

...you got the idea.

Thanks for input, good to know this way works as well!

Afura

I have lots and lots of index cards with random foods and weights written on them, I just grab one, write it down, and then log it later, if it's a food I don't normally eat, I'll write down the calories next to it.
As much as I like writing things on pen and paper, I'd be too finicky about how things are laid out, I'd want to change the format, etc. and probably drive myself nuts redoing it. Let's not get into the math of adding things up. 2+2=18, right? Whatever ends up working best for you, though!

rileysowner

Once you have corrected the calories then you don't have to do it again. Frankly, I have found correct calories for almost all the foods I use, but I may have to look through a few entries to find them. Having done this for a while now, I have not had to correct information in a long time primarily because the foods I eat tend to be the same group of foods and once I have them, I am good to go. However, the only number I really care about is calories, and sometimes fiber.

Machka9

I used to track off-line back in the mid-1980s before I had a computer.

When I got a computer, I started tracking in an Excel spreadsheet.

Then I tried out a few other online programs similar to MFP, but didn't like them very much because they were difficult to use.

And when I signed up here, I figured I'd be here for just a few weeks because this one was likely as difficult to use as the rest ... but I was very pleasantly surprised to find how easy MFP was to use, how extensive the database was (some of the others didn't have Canadian or Australian foods), and how accurate things were.

In the first couple weeks, there is a bit of searching and entering, but once you've got a collection of what you usually eat, then it's just a matter of clicking "Quick Add" and selecting the previous day or last Tuesday or whatever ... then making minor changes as necessary.

And now I've finally got a smartphone, so I can use the barcode scanner ... I'm finding that rather fascinating.

Nicklebee93

When i first started to track calories i wrote everything down in a notebook. I lost 20 pounds that way. For me MFP is easy because, in general, i eat the same things daily. Only thing that's different on a daily basis is dinner.

Whichever works for you When I'm out and about it's easier to just put it in my phone instead of having to carry a notebook, or trying to remember. I almost always forgot something i had when out.

trina1049

If you prefer writing down your calorie info. check out the link for a notebook called the DietMinder. I use it along with MFP to keep notes and track my sleep, exercise, etc.

amazon.com/DIETMINDER-Personal-Fitness-Journal-Exercise/dp/0963796836

rainbow198

I've been using a notebook and pencil for the past 4 and a half years to track what I eat, my workouts for the day, my measurements (once a month) and any notes for the day.

I go through one notebook every 6 months. I was doing it that way since before I knew about MFP and I lost half my weight (40 out of 80 lbs) tracking this way. It was working great for me so I decided to continue.

It may seem like a lot of work, but for me it is not at all. I eat almost all of my meals at home, plus I tend to rotate a lot of the same meals so I have my macros and calorie counts already broken down.

Now that I'm maintaining I just plan and track what I eat mainly, not so much the calories and macros although I am very aware.

kshama2001

ReaderGirl3 wrote: »

I think MFP is great, but now that I'm back to tracking my calorie intake, I've spent quite a bit of time entering items that have incorrect calorie information to my food diary, realizing the calorie counts are off, deleting said entries from my food diary, and then having to manually input new ones (going off the packages I have). The whole process is grating my nerves. Today, as I entered my second 'corrected' entry I had a possible light bulb moment-since I only track calories (not macros), why can't I just write down my calories in a notebook? I'm having to double check all my packages anyways, so this seems like it would eliminate a lot of hassle. For the things that don't have packages (veggies etc), it takes just a few seconds to google and then I could start a small list of these that I frequently eat, with their calorie numbers.

Does anyone else track offline in a notebook or something similar? How do you like doing it this way? Is there a negative to this I'm not seeing?

I don't experience your issue. A lot of what I eat is whole foods, and I get the syntax for them from https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods and then match them against MFP system entries. When I buy a new packaged food, I check the package against MFP entries the first time I use it and then it is there in my Recent foods.

On the rare occasion that I find a system entry with a decimal or units error (for example liquid measurements instead of grams), I send Support an email and they generally fix it within 24 hours.

kommodevaran

I don't count calories anymore, so I don't know if this is helpful, but I plan and log my meals in a spreadsheet (open office). It's more about not running unexpectedly out, preparing for shopping trips, getting in variety and reducing waste, as well as keeping me mindful of intake, than being exact, and it's working; I've been at my desired weight for 18 months now.

butterfli7o

I use a notebook too I keep it in my purse and find it easier and quicker to just jot down calories. For me it just works better than signing into MFP every time I eat something. I still Google calorie amounts if I don't know, but I write it down. I don't see a downside. *Edited to say I also felt the same way as you, the process of correcting and finding the right item gets on my nerves, and I would stop tracking altogether because it became such a hassle sometimes.

ReaderGirl3

butterfli7o wrote: »

I use a notebook too I keep it in my purse and find it easier and quicker to just jot down calories. For me it just works better than signing into MFP every time I eat something. I still Google calorie amounts if I don't know, but I write it down. I don't see a downside. *Edited to say I also felt the same way as you, the process of correcting and finding the right item gets on my nerves, and I would stop tracking altogether because it became such a hassle sometimes.

I ended up buying a notebook this morning and have started using it-really liking how easy it is so far

gobonas99

for whole foods, i use the entry that matches the usda data. for packaged foods, I scan the barcode using the MFP app on my phone. for restaurants, I estimate and choose an entry that looks close to what I think it should be. then all those selections are in my "recent" list. I very rarely have to actually manually create an entry. Takes me all of 5-10 minutes a day to log.

jame0529

I like being able to flip through the pages of a small notebook to see how I've been doing and what I've been eating if I need ideas. Then a couple times a week I'll go on MFP and input all of my meals. I just can't seem to decide which method I like best, so I do both!