How and when do you log your intake?

shelbydodgeguy

-do you mostly log food on your computer or on mfp app? I have short term memory issues, so I developed a habit of keeping a notebook and pen for jotting down my foods and weights on paper which I then log on the computer at my earliest convenience. I've got finger joint issues/hand pain and it's just easier than fumbling with a phone app for me. Plus I'm one of those people who doesn't live attached to their electronics 24/7.

-do you plan and pre-log your most of your meals or do you decide what you want in the last moment? I don't pre-log but I do pre-plan a lot of meals, buy accordingly, and weigh everything so I'm as accurate as possible. The only things I can pre-log consistently are things like my coffee or bacon & eggs as I make them exactly the same every time.

-do you log once a day, say, at the end of the day or log every meal separately throughout the day? I try to log after every meal but sometimes I wind up logging at the end of the day if I get tied up with other things.

-if you log once at the end of the day, how do you remember servings sizes and weights of everything? This is why I have a notebook; I wouldn't remember otherwise. I also have to keep notes about other things relating to life as well or I'd never remember anything.

-when you cook meals/recipes from scratch do you log the ingredients as you weigh them while you cook or do you write the ingredients and weights down and then log them later? or just memorize the weights and log later? For large recipes I weigh and write down each ingredient while prepping and cooking then input it as a recipe on here to calculate the total calories and figure out portion sizes. For small recipes - things like single serve omelettes I just log the individual ingredients precooked.

-in case you try to hit your macro goals, does it take you more time to adjust the ingredient quantity in order to have the right macro percentages while staying within your calorie goals? The only goals I watch like a hawk are carb limits and getting enough protein. If I'm over protein by a good bit I'm fine.

-how do you deal with recipes that contain other recipes as ingredients? 99% of the time I'm cooking everything from scratch. This is a scenario I haven't run into yet.

-when you cook multiple servings of anything at once do you put them into different containers or do memorize the weight of one serving and then measure one serving using the scale? Once I've got a dish completed and everything calculated I jot down the size of one portion. I don't separate into different containers. Then I can just weigh out a portion next time I want one and adjust accordingly if I want a half portion or two portions or whatever.

-and most importantly, how the hell do you manage to cook for yourself and others at the same time (considering the people you cook for are not tracking their intake with you)? Say, you're making a multiple ingredient dish for yourself and your partner/friend and they are not dieting and clearly need a bigger portion than you, how do you divide your dish between while making sure you get the right amount of everything? I have plenty of free time. Heck, about half the time I'm making completely separate meals for myself. Cooking is one of the few hobbies I can still enjoy and I often start prepping and planning hours in advance so I can take breaks and rest as my pain & fatigue levels go up & down. And if there's not enough of something I wanted because everyone else devoured it I can always find something in the fridge quick and easy to make to get me around my goals for the day. I don't stress out about it; life's too short.

njitaliana

I always fill in my diary in advance, so then I don't have to think. I keep a meal list. On Sunday or Monday, I will log what I'm eating for the next 4 days. Then I do it again after 4 days. I just eat whatever it says for the day. I even do that before I go out to eat. I look up the menu online, add what I'm going to order to my diary, then just order from my diary when I get to the restaurant. Makes is easier for me--and I don't get tempted by the menu when I'm hungry.

njitaliana

PS:
I cook from recipes. I log the entire recipes here under "recipes" so I just click on that food each time I eat it. The prep takes more work, but then I don't have to do any work most of the week.

I don't always adjust my macro goals. Sometimes. Esp if I see I will be too high in carbs.

I always have dinner leftovers for lunch. I always make 4 servings, so I know to have 1/4 of the recipe each time.

My husband and daughter eat the same size portions as I do. They know to take 1/4 of the meal. If they want more food, they have a salad, which is always made and in the fridge. I do the same if I am still hungry.

kami3006

-do you mostly log food on your computer or on mfp app? I prefer logging on the app because it's easier to find foods already in your frequent/recent lists since you can actually search them. I find it easier to create recipes on the website though.

-do you plan and pre-log your most of your meals or do you decide what you want in the last moment?I log meals before I eat them and I do weigh everything that I can which is 99% of what I eat. If it's a particularly high calorie meal then I log it earlier in the day so I can work my day's calories around it. My midday meal cycles though a few different things so they're already right there in my list and quick to find.

-do you log once a day, say, at the end of the day or log every meal separately throughout the day?Separately throughout the day unless I'm working calories around something particularly calorie dense.

-if you log once at the end of the day, how do you remember servings sizes and weights of everything?I never do this.

-when you cook meals/recipes from scratch do you log the ingredients as you weigh them while you cook or do you write the ingredients and weights down and then log them later? or just memorize the weights and log later?I make a list of the ingredients and write the grams down as I add them to the recipe. Then enter them in mfp. After five years of logging most of the recipes I use are already recorded; I just need to adjust measurements and serving size. I also use the total weight as the serving size so 1 serving = 1 gram. It's much easier.

-in case you try to hit your macro goals, does it take you more time to adjust the ingredient quantity in order to have the right macro percentages while staying within your calorie goals?I focus on protein and plan on eating something with that macro in each meal and my snack. I let the rest fall where they may. Fat is easiest for me to hit and I don't care about carbs either way.

-how do you deal with recipes that contain other recipes as ingredients? I create a recipe that comprises any other recipes needed. Only has to be done once.

-when you cook multiple servings of anything at once do you put them into different containers or do memorize the weight of one serving and then measure one serving using the scale? I use the total weight as the serving size so 1 g = 1 serving.

-and most importantly, how the hell do you manage to cook for yourself and others at the same time (considering the people you cook for are not tracking their intake with you)? Say, you're making a multiple ingredient dish for yourself and your partner/friend and they are not dieting and clearly need a bigger portion than you, how do you divide your dish between while making sure you get the right amount of everything?I eat the same thing as my husband who is much bigger than me (foot taller and 100 lbs heavier) and my teenager. I simply weigh my food as I plate it to fit may calorie goals. For particularly dense foods, I give myself a portion that fits my calories and sometimes supplement with a side dish a lower calorie food such a more vegetables. It really hasn't been an issue to eat the same things as them.


*Unless it's a new recipe, which is rarely the case, I spend about five to ten minutes a day logging. This is including actually weighing my food. It's not something that I give much though to anymore.

Chef_Barbell

oat_bran wrote: »

From the responses I got, it looks like many people who spend the least time logging:

-eat the same things every day or eat a relatively small variety of foods no
-eat a lot of pre-packaged foods, especially single-serving foods or foods where a serving can be easily measured without weighing not really
-cook only for themselves/eat differently from the other members of the household
-estimate a lot the weights/serving sizes Nope we eat the same things, family of 7.
-don't pay attention to macros I pay attention to protein.
-mostly plan their meals and snacks in advanceNot usually

Gisel2015

@oat_bran

oat_bran wrote: »

From the responses I got, it looks like many people who spend the least time logging:

-eat the same things every day or eat a relatively small variety of foods; Not really, I seldom eat the same food (too boring) and I do have variation.
-eat a lot of pre-packaged foods, especially single-serving foods or foods where a serving can be easily measured without weighing: NO, most of the food is prepare at home.
-cook only for themselves/eat differently from the other members of the household. NO, I cook the same for everybody. Only the portions may be different.
-estimate a lot the weights/serving sizes: No, I don't estimate "a lot" of the weights or servings when I cook at home.
-don't pay attention to macros: I pay attention to macros all the time.
-mostly plan their meals and snacks in advance: Not in my case