How do you motivate yourself to keep logging?

thatdesertgirl777

Seeing results (scale and non scale) are always the best motivators for me. I just recommend reminding yourself to be patient constantly. It's easy to give up if you expect all your progress to happen overnight. Consistency and focusing on your goal one day at a time should help.

85Cardinals

I like to imagine I'm on a perverse reality show, that it's all a silly game. Also I like numbers, and honestly it's fun for me to weigh the food and then log it, see how it adds up. Like solving a mystery! Also it helps me lose weight.

callsitlikeiseeit

i logged every day for almost 2 years.

i dont anymore. still losing weight. i keep a rough mental tally, and after this long, know what i can get away with and what i can't.

that said, if the scale stops moving for more than a couple of weeks (which has always been normal for me), I know where to start to look for the problem

sarahfeelingood

I feel for you OP. I've been off and on, never more than a few days at a time for years. This time around I'm mentally not "starting and stopping". I'm still going and if I didn't log a day then I log the next day like the "mess up" never happened. I don't try to keep a streak or perfect record. That would inevitably fail. I also had to come to the conclusion after taking an intentional break from counting calories for about 6 months, that while I CAN lose weight without counting/logging, it's a lot harder without concrete numbers and evidence of the deficit. For example, you could cut out soda. If you're a big soda drinker that might make a deficit for you that results in weight loss without counting a single calorie. But most of us here require more than that. While you can make changes such as the "no more soda" change and slowly make a deficit, I have come to the conclusion that the inconvenience is worth the effort because I KNOW it WILL work if I do it. You may have to adjust here and there, but if you do log your meals and eat at a calorie deficit, you WILL lose weight. Knowing that it may be inconvenient, but it's just about guaranteed to work, pushed me to a place where logging is now worth it. Just like getting up for work is worth it when you earn a paycheck. I came to this conclusion after reading some stuff by this guy named Pete. Here's his website, and he has a book I'd like to get too: www.straightforwardfatloss.com
Also, he's into counting macros but I personally don't worry about that for now. Best of luck! Friend me if you want!

Sarah

Tracie5225

This is also my 2nd time but as I need to re-lose the weight I gained I am determined to keep with the logging. I am on day 51 so far. There have been a couple of times where I was eating out and so I quickly guess my calories and just entered once, but I also tried to over estimate it so it was realistic.

I like the idea of entering my meals in advance, when I have more time. It also helps to see how many calories I am planning for the day so I don't find myself over my allowance. If there are any changes to the day I can always amend them.

The longer you log the easier it gets as your main foods are easily accessible. Also the more you log the more it will help you and it will become part of your daily routine.

I think of it as a vital part of my day and it is without doubt the best weight loss tool to get me to my goal.

Orphia

It's literally 2 minutes less time scrolling on Facebook per day. Bonus!

Dar_Line86

Having friends helps me to stay motivated and helps me to be accountable.

KetoneKaren

Some people find that logging is easier (and they are more compliant) if they pre-log the entire day's food and then stick to the plan. You can always change an entry if you ate more or less or something else. This is also a good strategy if you are going to a restaurant in the evening and you know what you are going to order. Decreases the chance of impulsively picking something you don't really have calories banked for (leading to regrets later).

Edited to add: I see that someone else already mentioned pre-logging, sorry.

runningforthetrain

Because I know I will get fat and quickly if I don't log.