Should I count calories?

vladiii02
vladiii02 Posts: 9 Member
edited December 1 in Health and Weight Loss
I noticed that I'm always counting the calories I eat,I feel like I have no life, just busy all the time with my cellphone,
from counting calories.
Is it really possible to live this way?
When my friends talk to me, I just ignore them, because I am busy with my cell phone.Is this normal? How do you manage to count calories?
I'm really not against it, but its important for me to understand how to do it right,
How to count calories right way?

Replies

  • pcpop7
    pcpop7 Posts: 161 Member
    Yeah echoing above. It takes seconds to add what I've ate and usually while I'm eating it or just after. Not sure how it is taking you so much longer.

    Perhaps once you have a good list of recent foods and recipes it will be quicker for you ?
  • vladiii02
    vladiii02 Posts: 9 Member
    I dont know, maybe i'm just broken.
    I gave myself a rest period of about a month.
    Maybe I'm just not ready from starting another diet.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,455 Member
    I remember feeling that way in the beginning. Then I looked at the cost/benefit and honestly looked at what the problem was (in my mind.)

    The problem was I didn't like the discipline. So I stopped logging. Within a year I had gained back 15 pounds that I had to lose all over again.

    I looked at the actual time I spend and it's about two minutes per meal, total. I write down the number on the food scale as I prepare it and then enter it. Simples.

    It's worth it to me to be able to eat without anxiety. Is it one more thing on my ToDo list? Yes. I can live with that.

    If you are out, leave the phone in the pocket until you get home. Just like I don't answer the phone when I'm with friends, I don't log food when I'm with them either.
  • crista317
    crista317 Posts: 22 Member
    I used to think it was time consuming, as well. Now, I plan the night before what I'm going to eat the next day. So tonight, when I'm winding down for the night, I'll log all my meals for tomorrow. It takes only a few minutes, and if I tweak anything it only takes a couple seconds to go back in and change it. Maybe that would be helpful to you?
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Can you share your routine? I'm unusually detailed (I log on two different sites and cook most of my own stuff so I use the recipe builder a ton) and it still only takes me ten minutes a day or less to log calories.

    I spend 5-10 minutes each day pre-logging the next and then I spend maybe 2-5 minutes either adjusting weights or making minor changes during the day.
  • fr33sia12
    fr33sia12 Posts: 1,258 Member
    I pretty much know what I'm going to be eating for my meals except for dinner, so pre log everything and then just change the weights of the foods when I've eaten them. I find it takes a few minutes.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    With minor variations, I have the same breakfasts and lunches, cook dinner three-four nights a week, and have leftovers for dinner the other nights. Once I had all my frequent foods in my Recent, logging takes just a few minutes per day on the days I am not creating new recipes.

    If you are going out to eat a lot, and eating new foods a lot, this is when it is especially important to log, as food from US restaurants is often surprisingly high in calories.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    What's taking so long? It takes me very little time. But I know the starting process can sometimes take longer and then you get the knack and have your foods saved. What seems to be the time consuming part?
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,691 Member
    During the first few weeks, it took a bit of time (like maybe 15 minutes a day) to log my calories because I was looking stuff up ... but now at some point around lunchtime, I "Quick Add" my lunch and snacks, and make minor changes as necessary ... and then as soon as I know what's for dinner, I add that. Whole process takes less than 5 minutes of my day. Maybe slightly longer if there's something completely unique.

    I do all that with a computer ... but have recently discovered the barcode feature on my new phone. On Saturday, my husband was making tacos for dinner. He had all the ingredients sitting out on the counter and in a matter of minutes, I had scanned them all and had my dinner logged. :)
  • sunnybeaches105
    sunnybeaches105 Posts: 2,831 Member
    Is everything in your life this difficult or is it just counting calories? Maybe I'm reading your post wrong, but this really isn't all that hard. Your attention span and focus may need some work.
  • Cynsonya
    Cynsonya Posts: 668 Member
    This is the way I look at it. I started this
    January 6th. I spend approximately 5 minutes a day logging my food. I don't exercise. I've lost 45 pounds.

    So basically I've lost 45 pounds for under 11 hours of "work."

    I'll take it and continue to log!!!
  • Betzaidahenry
    Betzaidahenry Posts: 7 Member
    You get use to. Add your meals the night before and make a plan. The next day you don't have to keep recording your meals or snacks. Then at night do it again for the next day.
  • ReaderGirl3
    ReaderGirl3 Posts: 868 Member
    I pre-log in the morning, before I start the day. And if I have time I'll pre-log the next day as well (I already have tomorrow planned out). Then I go into the day with a plan of action. If something changes/comes up, it only takes a few seconds to edit/adjust my food diary.
  • goldengirl111
    goldengirl111 Posts: 684 Member
    What is pre log and why?
    2011rocket3touring wrote: »
    I'm a oddball but I enjoy logging my calories. It feels like playing a video game where I try to match numbers/macros.

    Me too.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    goldengirl111 wrote: »
    What is pre log and why?
    2011rocket3touring wrote: »
    I'm a oddball but I enjoy logging my calories. It feels like playing a video game where I try to match numbers/macros.

    Me too.

    Pre-logging is just logging meals before you eat them. Many people log the food they plan to eat the next day the night before.
  • goldengirl111
    goldengirl111 Posts: 684 Member
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    What's taking so long? It takes me very little time. But I know the starting process can sometimes take longer and then you get the knack and have your foods saved. What seems to be the time consuming part?

    The system is slow. I wish mfp was faster.
  • Sharon_C
    Sharon_C Posts: 2,132 Member
    Don't log while you're with friends. Log when you have down time. I pre-log most things. Takes me at the very most 5 minutes a day to log my food.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    It's only time consuming in places that have bad coverage. Otherwise, yeah, it takes 2 minutes.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    goldengirl111 wrote: »
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    What's taking so long? It takes me very little time. But I know the starting process can sometimes take longer and then you get the knack and have your foods saved. What seems to be the time consuming part?

    The system is slow. I wish mfp was faster.

    I don't find that so, but I never log on the app. It could be.
  • ReaderGirl3
    ReaderGirl3 Posts: 868 Member
    edited May 2016
    goldengirl111 wrote: »
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    What's taking so long? It takes me very little time. But I know the starting process can sometimes take longer and then you get the knack and have your foods saved. What seems to be the time consuming part?

    The system is slow. I wish mfp was faster.

    I actually don't log my food intake on MFP anymore. Lots of people like their system but it frustrated me. I'm just here for the entertaining forums :D
  • mathiseasy
    mathiseasy Posts: 165 Member
    goldengirl111 wrote: »
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    What's taking so long? It takes me very little time. But I know the starting process can sometimes take longer and then you get the knack and have your foods saved. What seems to be the time consuming part?

    The system is slow. I wish mfp was faster.

    Mine might hang for a second if I'm adding a ton of stuff but nowhere near as time consuming as what the OP is saying. I still have my iPhone 4s though and it is an old model. Do you have a slow internet connection on your computer or is your phone an older model?
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,455 Member
    edited May 2016
    The site hangs on IE. Try a different browser, and an ad blocker. Long-running scripts are the culprit in my experience.
  • vladiii02
    vladiii02 Posts: 9 Member
    Thank you for the comments and help,
    I will continue to count calories and I will not let myself fall out.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    edited May 2016
    i'll be honest, it takes me less than 1 minute a day to log my food. AND i pre-log in the morning so i know exactly what i'm eating that day. If i ever want to change things out, it takes an additional... 30 seconds?

    I just can't see how it's taking this long unless you are starving hungry and sitting there crunching all the potential possibilities you can eat at that moment in time. In which case i have to say this is probably not great for your mental health.
  • Madelinec117
    Madelinec117 Posts: 210 Member
    cmriverside wrote: »
    The site hangs on IE. Try a different browser, and an ad blocker. Long-running scripts are the culprit in my experience.

    That makes sense to me - I very seldom use IE and have not problems with MFP running slow. It takes less than 5 minutes to log each meal into MFP.
  • Madelinec117
    Madelinec117 Posts: 210 Member
    cmriverside wrote: »
    The site hangs on IE. Try a different browser, and an ad blocker. Long-running scripts are the culprit in my experience.

    That makes sense to me - I very seldom use IE and have no problems with MFP running slow. It takes less than 5 minutes to log each meal into MFP.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    goldengirl111 wrote: »
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    What's taking so long? It takes me very little time. But I know the starting process can sometimes take longer and then you get the knack and have your foods saved. What seems to be the time consuming part?

    The system is slow. I wish mfp was faster.

    What are you using? I use the Opera browser on desktop with https://adblockplus.org installed and it's not slow for me.
  • shank35l
    shank35l Posts: 102 Member
    vladiii02 wrote: »
    I dont know, maybe i'm just broken.
    I gave myself a rest period of about a month.
    Maybe I'm just not ready from starting another diet.

    Don't start or end a diet. Change a lifestyle buddy. ;)
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