Does anyone else find it so boring and uninspiring to keep track of all your meals/calories.
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I make it kind of a game...I tend to "pre-log" at the beginning of the day what I'm going to eat all day, so it's all like "how much can I eat and still stay within my calories, etc."? If I pre-log everything and find I have lots of calories left, then I like knowing that if I'm hungry there's still room for more. It also gives me some kind of weird satisfaction to delete things if I didn't eat them or eat them all. Like if I log that I'm going to have 5 ounces of chicken but then I'm full after 3, it's like money in the bank because I didn't "spend" all my calories! I know it's kinda dumb, but it helps me keep logging because I know if I didn't log (when I don't log), I'm not as successful with my weight loss.11
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I personally find it way more boring and uninspiring to be overweight, so I don't mind it.
Not everything useful in life is going to be thrilling. I find it beyond tedious to do my taxes, but believe me, I get them done.8 -
@vegasgirl0825 are you my doppelgänger?2
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@spiriteagle99 I had to Google doppelgänger. I like the sound and meaning.😊
Not wanting to sound redundant, I find logging freeing and not at all burdensome. I like to "spend" within my means. The only way to know how much I spend is to log, write down or keep a tab in my head. The app makes it easier to log. If for some reason I am in the place with no internet I still keep track of my CICO. Once you learn the "ropes" it takes minimal effort and time.1 -
Kind of .... I don't know that i've ever been bored with it, but it can be frustrating and tedious, especially when you aren't seeing the progress you hope for. Of course there is a means to the end, but some days I just resent having to log my food. Especially if you are in a cycle of disordered eating, or practice self-hate - there can be really hard days coming to terms with logging meals.
I hope you keep trying and find a way to make it fit in your life where it feels helpful and worth it!1 -
No.
There are lots of things that I routinely do that are more boring and uninspiring than food logging, even though I'm now retired so mostly can do what I want to, and no longer even have one of those inconvenient job things that takes up hours and hours every day, some of which were boring and uninspiring. Plus, the 10-15 (max) daily that I spend logging has kept me at a healthy weight for almost 5 years now, and it was much more boring and uninspiring to be obese every single second of every day for the preceding 3 decades or so.
Adulthood has moments of necessary tedium. I'd suggest learning to find ways to feel happier while doing the necessary ones, or your life is going to be one of (1) quite boring and uninspiring stuff really often, or (2) generally unsuccessful in practical terms.
If weight loss (or other weight management) is your goal, you don't to have log your food to do it. It's just one relatively straightforward way, but there are others. Maybe one of them will suit you better. I hope you can find one.2 -
Put in the work, it's good to have it documented so you can look back and see what does and doesn't work for you.0
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It looks like the OP put in as much effort in this thread as he did in his attempt at logging. 😂8
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It’s literally 5 min a day for me. And I too mostly prelog and then adjust. I find it fun. But no matter what it takes such a small amount of time that I can’t imagine caring even if I found it boring. I’ve logged every day for a bit under 2 years. On my birthday the log was “birthday 6000 calories” ( lol....I just ate as much of anything I wanted. It’s my only cheat day). 73 pounds gone and have maintained for 11 months now.2
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I find it reassuring. Since I plan my meals in advance, it's not hard to just input them, and seeing I can eat what I like and still stay under calories wise makes me feel I can actually keep this up.1
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not when i first started and had a weight loss to meet, i actually enjoyed doing so then but, once i did meet my goal and was just maintaining my weight, i did end up getting blah about logging everything and just stopped doing so...bad move cause i am now back to lose them 24lbs all over again cause well my eyes and brain weren’t very good at keeping myself in check like logging my meals here was.. Don’t give up, yes at first it is tedious & kinda boring doing so but, once you get your repeat foods & repeat meals logged in, it’s not that bad to log everyday, especially since you can use the quick tool and copy from your prior days to help speed things along..3
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Logging definitely takes far less time than it did way back in the beginning. I find it provides the extra bit of accountability that I need.1
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It's a game for me, too. Logging has allowed me to lose 58 lbs in this past year pretty painlessly. (I didn't even join for myself, I only started because I'm caregiver for my disabled brother w/moderate dementia and diabetes. I wanted to get him in as healthy a place as I could, but still feed him the comfort food he's always loved. Annnd... since he's dieting, I'M dieting! )
Tracking what he eats let me gradually tweak old family recipes into versions that taste nearly the same, but are within the guidelines his dietician recommended for him. He's lost 35 lbs and cut the amount of insulin he needs by more than half, yet still gets his lasagna, french fries, mac & cheese, etc. He even gets ice cream every day. (Sure, the lasagna has veggies and chicken hidden inside instead of ricotta and sausage, and the french fries are air fried, but the portions are satisfying, so he's happy!)
If you can figure out how to make it fun, you'll be all set.6 -
It’s a habit you have to form. It’s not fun but it really helps me see things I need to work on or whether I can make room for something that’s a s of treat. More you do it more you learn the tricks0
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Comparing what my life was at 280 lbs just 11 months ago and now at 183 , simply by counting calories and logging every day, I would say it's pretty damn exciting and inspiring!6
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I actually love logging, but I think it is because it gives me some sense of control. I plan my meals for the day early and log them in the morning, and I like being able to have numerical data attached to what I consumed, as well as a pretty good idea what the scale will do in the coming days.
A few years ago, I lost a lot of weight logging, and stopped when I reached my goal. Eventually, I found that not keeping track of my calories led to a loss in accountability for me, and surprise surprise... here I am again.
It’s not for everyone, maybe.. but I think if you can get into the swing of it, you might find that you enjoy it, too!6 -
I like closing out my diary at night and it telling me what I may weigh in 5 weeks.1
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Not at all! I find it interesting, and it hardly takes anytime at all. Also, I weigh everything in Metric units, so I finally am getting a good understanding of the Metric System,2
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To each their own. 🤷🏻♀️ Logging doesn’t bother me in the least beyond being exhausting when my depression is bad. Take away that factor and I look forward to the sense of accomplishment.
What *does* get aggravating is having to prepare separate meals for Hubby & me in order to track accurately.1 -
Boring is an interesting way to describe it. I never expected logging my food and figuring up calories to necessarily be "exciting" so the fact that it's a little boring was never a disappointment to me. Keeping a budget is not exciting, nor is paying bills or brushing my teeth but I do those anyway as well.3
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I find it exciting and inspiring after weighing myself every morning to know that I am able to maintain my weight by logging everything that I eat daily.
Thank you, MFP!4 -
I find it boring too so I stopped. But I eat in a predictable way so I do have a rough idea of the cals I’m consuming. I’m not trying to lose at the moment. I may go back to logging when I want to lose.1
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