I wanted to lose approx 113 lbs to get to top end of government published weight range for my height. I’m 6’2” tall and wanted to get to 195- started about 308. I got to 205 without logging but was stuck there for about three months. So I started logging etc and reached my 195.
Seems like that only last five minutes though! I stopped logging thinking I had a good handle on consumption and even if I was off a little I was now in “maintenance.” My weight went back to 206 in a couple of months!! Granted it was holiday time and I expected to gain a few lbs.
Tried to lose again but after seeing no movement for a couple of weeks I went back to logging. Now I’ve lost a few lbs already.
So my question for those who reached their goals and stayed there - do you think I’ll have to log forever?
Replies
Some people also choose to log but don't have to.
Some people log some of the time.
Some people (like me) don't have to log their food to maintain weight or correct weight drifts. I don't hate it BTW, I just don't get any benefit from it. I do need to stay mindful of my calorie balance though.
That was a longwinded way to say maybe!
Probably a good idea just to carrying on logging for a while and when you choose to experiment stopping logging continue weighing yourself but monitor your weight and set an upper limit that triggers action before a drift becomes a major slide.
Logging for me is so ingrained that I simply cannot stop. Even on the rare days I say I won't log (my birthday or Christmas) I find myself putting a rough guess in. I am just a bit anal I guess, and like routine and discipline and numbers.
If you find logging a chore then you will need to find a way to confidently measure your calorie intake. There are people who do it, but I think it takes a lot of trial and error.
That was another long-winded way of saying maybe
And that sums up my thoughts about it too.
I've tried to not log.
I can't do it.
Luckily I have most of my meals and foods vetted now so I can log food pretty quickly. It's worth the time and effort for me...I really don't like that bathroom scale but I don't mind using a food scale and logging. No idea what that's about.
I don’t like logging particularly and so I’m not at the moment. But I am likely to go back to it. At the moment my intention is to maintain. If my weight does creep up it won’t be the end of the world because I’m at the lower end of a healthy weight for my height and am doing a lot of lifting so would hope to increase my muscle mass if I do put on a few pounds. Just trying to find a balance that’s right for me and my mental and physical health.
I do weigh myself every day though. That’s my check without the logging.
Amen. I'd far rather have a block of cheese and bread, but that sat fat number stops me.
I’ve been on mfp since 2012 and I haven’t logged for the last 2-3 years and guess what the weight crept back on so gradually but now I’m at my heaviest and having to start over again. ( my profile pic is when I was light last time)This time it’s got to stay off , I’m 40 now and I do not want the health issues that can come from me wanting indulgent foods.
This time when I hit my goal I need to weigh myself once a month to stay within a range and mindfully log ( keep an eye) on the calories I’m eating. If I go over I’m going to log more stringently before I get to this state again.
You may be able to not log if you still eat the same things but I find our brains have a skewed idea if portions and forgetful of what has been previously consumed.
I've been in maintenance for over 6 years and don't log anything. I usually put on about 10 Lbs over the winter and holidays, but I take it off in the spring. Basically I have certain rules for myself, and exceptions to those rules and so long as those exceptions don't become the rule, I'm fine.
I eat well for the most part nutritionally, exercise regularly, and monitor my weight on the scale weekly. 10 Lbs of actual weight gain is my intervention point. When I need to cut some weight it's usually a matter of cutting out a few snacks, and that's about it.
After getting chronic migraines which come with increased appetite and complete and total exhaustion, I ended up almost 35 pounds up. I WISH I'd had the mental strength to log during this time to at least slow the creep.
I find that coming back to it, I pretty much know how much to eat still, so the habits and "eye" for it are still there if I'm mindful. I'm still logging right now to make sure that I maintain focus, and also to make sure that I eat ENOUGH for the killer workouts I'm doing.
Anyway, for you, I would say log for at LEAST a month once you get to maintenance. Get used to that number of calories. Very roughly log high calorie days like holidays and a random day here and there as a sanity check. Weigh yourself with something like Libra which smooths out the daily fluctuations and when your "real" weight gets more than 3-5lbs high then start logging seriously again
We'll just call this recomp shall we? Some people aim to do this
I think in terms of developing habits.
While in caloric deficit did you take time to remove "bad" habits that caused you to eat in surplus? Did you replace these habits with "good" habits to help you eat in deficit or maintenance?
Some people can do it, but I note that most who are successful are active in some sport so there's a good amount of padding on the CO side of the equation.