Tips for Keeping on Track

iansharp16179
iansharp16179 Posts: 2 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Hi there,
I've tried calorie counting before and I've always struggled with keeping on track. Typically I forget to track a day or two, or I have a bad day in terms of my diet, and then I get discouraged and fail to stay on track. This time around I'm wondering what others do to stay on track, or get back on when they mess up. Any tips?

Replies

  • myersmeganl10
    myersmeganl10 Posts: 15 Member
    I also do calorie counting and used to get discouraged if I had a bad food day but it’s important not to beat yourself up over it. One day is minuscule in the grand scheme of things. I started looking at food in terms of meals instead of days. If I intake a large amount of calories in one meal I just make sure my next meal or snack is something healthy and low in calories. Hope this helps and you can do it just one meal at a time!
  • angrygato
    angrygato Posts: 17 Member
    One other thing you can do, which is kind of on the other side of the spectrum that @myersmeganl10 mentions, is look at your intake over a longer period of time. I love the reports that MFP can do, so I can see trends in what I'm eating and where I may need to make adjustments. Sure, it'll show bad food days but you can see them along with all of your good days.

    I also try to meal plan - I don't typically count calories when I'm doing it but I'll focus on things that I know are nutrient-dense but also enjoyable. I also try to anticipate when I might indulge (for example, we're having a mac and cheese party tomorrow and I definitely plan to have some!) and then make adjustments around that.

    To help with actually logging meals, sometimes along with my meal planning I'll do this in advance so I can see where I'm at, and where I might be able to make adjustments on the fly.

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