Am I always going to have to weigh, measure and log?

luckypony71

In 2014 with the help of MFP I lost 78 pounds (actually it took 2 years). Slowly I have been putting the weight back on. This week I am at 183lbs. That is a 28 pound gain in 2 years. At this rate I'll be back to 200 by 2017.

I did not go back to my old habits of eating fast food or a lot of junk. I just ate more with a splurge on the weekend. I still go to the gym 5 days a week. I lift and do cardio.

Logging today made me realize how quickly the calories add up.

I am back to weighing, measuring and logging. Will I always have to do this? Is there a secret to maintaining after the loss?

leanjogreen18

I'm hoping I don't have too but I'm ok if I do.

I eat the same foods pretty much over and over so I'm hoping I can maintain by eating the same foods as when losing.

cmriverside

Some people can. I'm not one of those some people.

I have to log. I've been maintaining a 70ish pound weight loss more or less for nine years. If I don't log, my five pounds of winter weight turns into 15.

Whatever works for you.

There is a "Maintaining Weight" subforum, you could take a peek in there.

2011rocket3touring

I've come to terms with the fact that I will have to log. The problem with not logging is you'll (me) tend to slip.
....it's better than buying fat clothes again.

seska422

I know I'll always have to do this If I want to keep off the weight. I've regained before and I don't want to do so again.

I'm just glad to have the modern tools to log and weigh.

luckypony71

2011rocket3touring wrote: »

I've come to terms with the fact that I will have to log. The problem with not logging is you'll (me) tend to slip.
....it's better than buying fat clothes again.

I am at the point where I need bigger clothes. That is what got me logging again.

Lounmoun

I probably will have to log for a long time... maybe the rest of my life.
Did you continue to log after reaching your goal and monitor your weight for awhile or just stop right then?

Hornsby

I'm gonna go with a hard maybe.

not_my_first_rodeo

I've been trying to lose weight for most of my adult life. I am 47. The times I have succeeded have been the ones where I logged. I've come to terms with the idea that I will need to log my caloric intake for the rest of my life if I ever want to lose this weight and eventually to maintain a healthy weight. But that's me.

You know you best.

everher

I'm hoping I won't have to, but I will if I have to. I'm a former yo-yo dieter.

One of the problems with me in the past was when I would go into maintenance I would loosen up.

I have a good ways to go before I hit maintenance again, but I don't plan to continue to log religiously.

I do plan to eat consciously, be mindful of my portions and what I'm putting in my mouth, and continue to weigh myself at least once a week if not daily.

I probably will log the odd day where I'm eating out or feel I'm eating something different than usual or having a treat.

However, if the above plan doesn't work I'm willing to log and weigh for the rest of my life if I have to.

But I really think before it wasn't that I wasn't logging it was that I wasn't being mindful of my eating, I wasn't weighing frequently to know what was going on with my weight, and I was having far, far too many treats and cheat meals / days.

Unknown

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CSARdiver

Check this site out: http://nwcr.ws/

This is the National Weight Control Registry and they have detailed accounts of those who have lost and maintained. There are multiple common factors for those who have successfully maintained their goal weight:

98% of Registry participants report that they modified their food intake in some way to lose weight.

94% increased their physical activity, with the most frequently reported form of activity being walking.

There is variety in how NWCR members keep the weight off. Most report continuing to maintain a low calorie, low fat diet and doing high levels of activity:

78% eat breakfast every day.
75% weigh themselves at least once a week.
62% watch less than 10 hours of TV per week.
90% exercise, on average, about 1 hour per day.

NEOHgirl

It's too easy to fall back into bad habits and unhealthy portions if I don't log, so for me it is permanent. Besides, if you start gaining weight again, and you haven't been logging, there is no data to analyze, so you won't really know what changed. I'm working too hard to lose the weight to risk gaining again just because I don't want want to weigh, measure & log. It's just what I do now, like combing my hair or brushing my teeth. It's part of my routine, so I plan on doing it forever.

Also, you've tried maintained without tracking, and you started gaining again, so my guess is that you will have to always do it. The good news is you know what you need to do, and you have the tools to do it *_*

Edited to fix typing errors.

middlehaitch

When you break down your gain it is less than 200 cals extra a day over the 2 years. That is an easy amount of calories to go over without noticing. An extra glass of wine, a cookie, a few extra grams of this and that throughout the day.

I have been maintaining for over 6 years without consistent counting, food weighing, or body weighing.

I learnt my portion sizes and stick with them, eyeballing most of the time. I will occasionally reenforce this by weighing food for a few days.

After a year of counting calories I had a good idea of the calories in most food I ate so balance calorie dense foods with those lighter in calories.
If I know I am making my no holds barred lasagna for dinner, lunch will be a salad with prawns or tuna, yogurt and fruit, or cottage cheese and veg, that way my day balances out.
If I am out with the girls for a fun boozy lunch I will reverse my eating.

My weight gain is always stomach first so as soon as I get out of the shower I can see if I am starting to gain. I can also feel it in my clothing, except those deceitful yoga pants that are always accommodating, and I can tell by how my arms fit into my side

I, like a lot of other maintainers, have a weight range, mine is 5lbs, if I start to get near the top or bottom of that, or feel my mid section getting chunky (as I rarely weigh myself), I cut my calorie dense portions slightly for a couple of weeks.

That, my own experience, is the best I can give you for a secret to maintaining.

I do not have to count, I am luck that my appetite and calorie needs are compatible, others do. Either way is good and you just have to work out the balance that will work for you.

Congrats on your loss and catching your gain early.

Cheers, h.

jennifer_417

I will probably will have to log my food for the rest of my life, but I think of it as a trade-off. I have to log, but I won't get the heart disease, diabetes, etc., that runs in my family.

kommodevaran

Weighing and logging is a great tool for accurate portion control and learning food awareness. Whether you have to keep doing it, depends on how much you get out of it. Some people can't stop, won't stop, and are happy to keep weighing and logging. (I got bored from it in summer -15 and have just been meal planning/logging loosely in a spreadsheet.)

I don't know if maintaining without logging qualifies as a secret, but it's a skill one can aquire. From what I have seen on these boards, there are a few common traits for successful long time non-logging maintainers:
They recognize and respect their hunger and satiety signals, or at least know how much food is appropriate for their needs.
Their diet is predominantly home cooked and based on real whole foods. Eating patterns tend to lean more towards regular meals than nibbling through the day.
Their diet (including portion sizes) is pretty consistent from day to day, but often allowing for seasonal cut/bulk cycles.
They weigh themselves regularly, or use some other kind of measurement (clothing, mirror, tape measure etc) to monitor their weight, and take action if their weight goes beyond a set range.
They are at least lightly active and enjoy their chosen exercise.
They seem to not worry about their weight or have hangups around food choices, but enjoy good food and eat in a relaxed manner.

peaceout_aly

luckypony71 wrote: »

In 2014 with the help of MFP I lost 78 pounds (actually it took 2 years). Slowly I have been putting the weight back on. This week I am at 183lbs. That is a 28 pound gain in 2 years. At this rate I'll be back to 200 by 2017.

I did not go back to my old habits of eating fast food or a lot of junk. I just ate more with a splurge on the weekend. I still go to the gym 5 days a week. I lift and do cardio.

Logging today made me realize how quickly the calories add up.

I am back to weighing, measuring and logging. Will I always have to do this? Is there a secret to maintaining after the loss?

Eventually you should be able to get the hang of it. I've been logging what I ate far before using MFP (back in third grade I started counting calories, terrible!) and it became a habit. As I grew up, I measured everything, got accustomed enough to it that I could eye things out, and now I can basically guesstimate my days instead of logging. I pre-log and then if I have X amount of calories left at the end of the day, I have macros memorized to the point that I know what will fit. It gets easier, and you get to the point of maintenance where it's okay to be a little off - especially when working out.

Christine_72

At least once or twice a month i say I'm going to stop logging, but i never do... I can't stop, I think I'm addicted

CharlesScott78

Well, I can only say this for me - but I am sure that I will need to log my food daily for the rest of my life. Well, if I want to stay at my goal weight. I had lost 340+ lbs after a lifetime of severe obesity. I am 6'2" tall and at my highest I weighed 562.3. I got down to 215 and kept it off for about 6 years. I was even in People Half their size. After several years, I thought - I got this. I stopped focusing on the things that made me successful. I gained back 200 of those 340 hard lost pounds before I woke up, put my ego aside and got back after it. I am logging daily - I am down 44 lbs. Someone told me one time, your body is a merciless deadly accurate calorie counting machine.

There was a study that looked at people that kept food logs. They found that across the board, they underestimated their actual calorie intake by between 250 and 1000 calories per day - with the average being 395 calories. Keep in mind, that is people like us TRYING to log accurately.

I am having to learn this hard lesson twice. I damn sure don't want to have to learn it a 3rd time.

I wish you the very best!

Charles

kbmnurse

Yep.

CharlesScott78

kbmnurse wrote: »

Yep.

Short - sweet and to the point.

LivingtheLeanDream

Some will and some won't. ... personally I don't have to log /weigh foods any more - almost 4 yrs at maintenance and lasting good eating/workout habits are formed. I will always step on the scales regularly though.

Machka9

Over the past year, I log for a week or two, and then not for a week or two, then back on for a week or two, and so on.

spiriteagle99

Generally I am able to maintain a consistent weight without measuring or counting calories. I know which foods make me gain weight and which don't. I exercise regularly (walking, hiking and running) so I burn a lot of calories. I cook most of our meals, with only an occasional meal out.

Where I get in trouble is when I travel. DH and I spend 2-3 months on the road every year, sometimes more. We eat out a lot more and usually exercise less than when at home. I'll also indulge in treats on a regular basis, either because it's easy (ice cream makes a great late lunch) or because "it's vacation". So I'll almost always gain weight on a long trip. Then I have to pay close attention to my diet for a while to lose the weight I gained. But I know it's temporary. As long as I eat mostly healthy, continue to exercise, and avoid over-indulgence in sweets, I'm fine. It helps if you weigh yourself regularly, so you know whether you are still on track, but for me at least, the constant calorie counting and hyper-focus on food will end soon.

JaydedMiss

I think i have learned enough to know the calories in most the meals i eat, And should be able to use that knowledge of portion sizes for life once i hit maintenance.
I imagine id still log maybe if i have new recipes or every little bit if i notice weight creeping up to find the issues, But Id think ill personally be okay. I guess it depends on how much you've learned while you lost.

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goldthistime

Something that worked for me in the past (before MFP) and I'm trying again right now, is adding a serving or two of fruit or vegetable to every meal and snack.

ahoy_m8

I identify with your post, OP. I take breaks from tracking. Sometimes really long breaks. Without changing food choices or exercise volume/intensity, loosening up on portion size and an extra glass of wine here and there invariably leads to weight gain. Maybe sooner, maybe later, but eventually. My secret, if you want to call it that, is to limit the damage by jumping right back on calorie counting when I'm up 5 lb.

realcalm

As long as this app is available, logging is so quick and easy that I'd say "if in doubt, why not just do it?" I am also finding that the daily step on the scale is crucial. Disclosure - I'm not yet at goal weight.

californiagirl2012

Once you KNOW portion sizes and have an awareness of food you don't need to log, the ability to learn that is different for each person. If you pay attention to what you are logging you should be able to learn this over time.

Rocknut53

Always_Kriss wrote: »

unfortunately i am probably going to be one of the people stuck weighing my food for the rest of my life.
im only 30... sure wish i was 50 or 60 so i didn't have so many years so be stuck doing this. weight loss is honestly a nightmare, i havent had time to enjoy a single moment of it cause all im doing is making sure i don't gain.
#pointlessendevours.

Your comments made me laugh. I wish I had started weighing and logging my food when I was 30. I wouldn't have been 190 pounds at 60. Trust a 63year old yo yo dieter that finally got it right, weighing and measuring is a small price to pay for weight loss success. It will become second nature for you and at some point you may be able to just put on your plate what you need to maintain a good weight. Until then...the scale is your friend. I will log til I die now because I never want to fat again.