Not logging food. How to lose weight while away from home?

standout00
standout00 Posts: 150 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm not logging food because my dietician worked out what 1,500 cal a day would look like on a visual menu plan. That's becoming hard because I'm not sure how many calories I'm actually having and whether I'm under protein and over carbs, fat. For a fact, I know that when I was logging food before I was always over carbs wise. Now I'm not sure how I'm going to lose weight
not knowing how many calories I've had for the day/carbs/fat/protein and other nutrients.

Any ideas as to how I can lose weight without weighing food and counting carbs/protein/fats and other micronutrients?

Thanks.

Replies

  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    Why does your dietitian not want you to log? If it's part of treatment for an ED, I think you just need to trust the process and ask those questions of the dietitian.

    You can definitely do alternatives like write down what you eat (without cals, in a notebook or a word doc) and then adjust based on results, but if you are under treatment in which logging is considered risky/a bad idea, I'd run that idea by the professional or professionals you are working with. Fats/carbs/protein are not something you need to know for weight loss--instead, if you are having difficulty with hunger despite eating a reasonable amount, change up your foods to emphasize those that are more sating for you.
  • standout00
    standout00 Posts: 150 Member
    It's wasn't my dietitian's idea to get me off counting calories. It was someone else's idea. When I've weighed everything and logged food I lost weight at a slower rate but I did lose it. However that someone possibly wasn't happy with my weight loss rate. What's an ED??
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,739 Member
    Well, you can do 1 of 2 things. Follow what your dietician says for 4 or so weeks, not log the calories, and see if you lose weight or follow what your dietician says for 4 or so weeks, log the calories, and see if you lose weight.

    If you logged and lost weight in the past, why change it? Who's this person giving the non logging advice?

    DO you have an ed?
  • standout00
    standout00 Posts: 150 Member
    Redordeadhead wrote: »
    Eating disorder. Why do you have to do what "someone else" says?

    I don't have to do what someone else says.
  • standout00
    standout00 Posts: 150 Member
    glassyo wrote: »
    Well, you can do 1 of 2 things. Follow what your dietician says for 4 or so weeks, not log the calories, and see if you lose weight or follow what your dietician says for 4 or so weeks, log the calories, and see if you lose weight.

    If you logged and lost weight in the past, why change it? Who's this person giving the non logging advice?

    DO you have an ed?

    I much prefer to follow what the dietician says and log the calories.

    Because the main person for the house where I live thought that I haven't lost that much weight and that it was going up instead of down.

    It was the main person for my house that doesn't work there anymore.

    No, I haven't been diagnosed with one.
  • standout00
    standout00 Posts: 150 Member
    glassyo wrote: »

    If you logged and lost weight in the past, why change it?

    That happened because the former main person for the house I live in thought that it took me a long time to log food.
    Weighing it, double-checking that the weight is right and only then logging it.


  • bubus05
    bubus05 Posts: 121 Member
    edited December 2020
    Using an app to log food is a great tool for accuracy calories macros etc but in the end it's just a tool, much like like a calculator. I sometimes play this game, I estimate the calories macros of a given food then check on the app if I was close. It is not rocket science, even if first you will get it completely wrong you will learn from it, adjust your mental calculations. Eventually you will be close enough to have a reasonable estimate, that is if using an app is not possible for whatever reason. The main rule I follow generally speaking if it looks too good too delicious or sweet just eat less of it or best dont eat it at all.
  • standout00
    standout00 Posts: 150 Member
    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    standout00 wrote: »
    glassyo wrote: »
    Well, you can do 1 of 2 things. Follow what your dietician says for 4 or so weeks, not log the calories, and see if you lose weight or follow what your dietician says for 4 or so weeks, log the calories, and see if you lose weight.

    If you logged and lost weight in the past, why change it? Who's this person giving the non logging advice?

    DO you have an ed?

    I much prefer to follow what the dietician says and log the calories.

    This is confusing, since the original post seemed to be saying that you were not logging/weighing food based on the advice of your dietitian. If you want to log and the dietitian is all for it, log.
    Because the main person for the house where I live thought that I haven't lost that much weight and that it was going up instead of down.

    Why should you listen to this person re your weight or eating choices?

    That probably wasn't a good idea because for the former main person in the house however much I've lost wasn't good enough.

    Originally I was logging food but the former main person in the house thought that it was taking me too long to log food so I stopped logging it for a while but now I'm paying for the mistake of not counting calories...

  • standout00
    standout00 Posts: 150 Member
    cmriverside wrote: »
    What kind of home are you living in where there is a "boss" or "main person" who tells you not to log food. That is very intrusive, regardless of your living situation. If you're on the spectrum, maybe talk to your counselor about how to handle that - it's not that "main person's" business.


    I live in a government house with other housemates. Well that's good to know that it wasn't that main person's business however now is a bit late for that.
  • standout00
    standout00 Posts: 150 Member
    bubus05 wrote: »
    Using an app to log food is a great tool for accuracy calories macros etc but in the end it's just a tool, much like like a calculator. I sometimes play this game, I estimate the calories macros of a given food then check on the app if I was close. It is not rocket science, even if first you will get it completely wrong you will learn from it, adjust your mental calculations. Eventually you will be close enough to have a reasonable estimate, that is if using an app is not possible for whatever reason. The main rule I follow generally speaking if it looks too good too delicious or sweet just eat less of it or best dont eat it at all.

    I much rather prefer to know the exact calories rather than an estimate of calories...
  • standout00
    standout00 Posts: 150 Member
    Redordeadhead wrote: »
    standout00 wrote: »
    cmriverside wrote: »
    What kind of home are you living in where there is a "boss" or "main person" who tells you not to log food. That is very intrusive, regardless of your living situation. If you're on the spectrum, maybe talk to your counselor about how to handle that - it's not that "main person's" business.


    I live in a government house with other housemates. Well that's good to know that it wasn't that main person's business however now is a bit late for that.

    I don't understand what a "main person" is and why it's any of their business whether or not you log your food or how long it takes you. How old are you? Do they have some sort of responsibility over you?

    I would say if you had success before with logging and tracking, then stick with that. We all have to find a way that works for us personally and is sustainable, so if you felt that was good for you don't let someone else stop you.

    A "main person" is the key support worker for the house that I live in. I reckon that honestly, it's non of their business whether I log my food or not... It's not their business either how long it takes me to lose all my extra weight. I'm in my 30s. They handle everything from appointments to the problems in the house/ any repairs that need to be done as well.

    That's a good point!
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,204 Member
    edited December 2020
    standout00 wrote: »
    glassyo wrote: »

    If you logged and lost weight in the past, why change it?

    That happened because the former main person for the house I live in thought that it took me a long time to log food.
    Weighing it, double-checking that the weight is right and only then logging it.
    I'm not sure how long you were logging, but in my experience, it takes quite a bit of time just at first (while learning), but gets faster with more experience/skill (and once your "recent foods", meals and recipes (if those apply) are set up).

    Unless you are so seriously obese or with such a major weight-related health problem that your *doctor* tells you means you *must* lose weight fast, then slower weight loss is just fine. (And if your doctor tells you you must lose fast, she or he should be providing close medical supervision to avoid nutritional problems or health complications from the low calorie intake).

    As you're discovering, there's no need to listen to 3rd parties who are not nutritional experts.

    Wishing you much success!
  • standout00
    standout00 Posts: 150 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    standout00 wrote: »
    glassyo wrote: »

    If you logged and lost weight in the past, why change it?

    That happened because the former main person for the house I live in thought that it took me a long time to log food.
    Weighing it, double-checking that the weight is right and only then logging it.

    I'm not sure how long you were logging, but in my experience, it takes quite a bit of time just at first (while learning), but gets faster with more experience/skill (and once your "recent foods", meals and recipes (if those apply) are set up).

    Unless you are so seriously obese or with such a major weight-related health problem that your *doctor* tells you means you *must* lose weight fast, then slower weight loss is just fine. (And if your doctor tells you you must lose fast, she or he should be providing close medical supervision to avoid nutritional problems or health complications from the low calorie intake).

    As you're discovering, there's no need to listen to 3rd parties who are not nutritional experts.

    Wishing you much success!

    I've been logging food last year as well as this year. Maybe not all foods are in my food diary yet... My doctor told me to lose weight but to lose it at a normal pace because I'm not morbidly obese. I'm obese category 2.
    That's so true!
    Thank you!
  • standout00
    standout00 Posts: 150 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    [quotea="bubus05;c-45593645"]Using an app to log food is a great tool for accuracy calories macros etc but in the end it's just a tool, much like like a calculator. I sometimes play this game, I estimate the calories macros of a given food then check on the app if I was close. It is not rocket science, even if first you will get it completely wrong you will learn from it, adjust your mental calculations. Eventually you will be close enough to have a reasonable estimate, that is if using an app is not possible for whatever reason. The main rule I follow generally speaking if it looks too good too delicious or sweet just eat less of it or best dont eat it at all.

    Pleasure is not wicked or sinful. Yes, balance is important: Nutrition, calorie level, satiation, more. Happiness and enjoyment are part of that balance. (The idea that all delicious foods are high in calories and low in nutrition is part of the mythology: Many nutritious, delicious things are calorie efficient and healthful, when opening one's mind beyond "only sins are pleasurable".)

    Just my opinions, as always. [/quote]


    Thanks for the insight! I prefer to know the exact calories I've consumed rather than a pretty close estimate of them.
  • Dogmom1978
    Dogmom1978 Posts: 1,580 Member
    bubus05 wrote: »
    Using an app to log food is a great tool for accuracy calories macros etc but in the end it's just a tool, much like like a calculator. I sometimes play this game, I estimate the calories macros of a given food then check on the app if I was close. It is not rocket science, even if first you will get it completely wrong you will learn from it, adjust your mental calculations. Eventually you will be close enough to have a reasonable estimate, that is if using an app is not possible for whatever reason. The main rule I follow generally speaking if it looks too good too delicious or sweet just eat less of it or best dont eat it at all.

    For most of us, the plan to deprive ourselves forever (or at least until goal) of foods we enjoy is simply not sustainable. Been there, done that and failed about a billion times. It’s much easier, at least for me, to enjoy all the food I like and simply weigh it and track it. This way, I can eat what I enjoy and STILL lose weight.

    For once, I have stuck with it for more than 2 months. I am down over 30 lbs with about 35 more until goal and I don’t have to worry about what happens when I go into maintenance. I will be able to eat exactly like I do currently, but slightly more calories.

    @bubus05 last time you posted regarding winging it, it wasn’t going so well for you. Have you tried accurately weighing and tracking yet to see if that helps you begin to lose weight again?
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    If you were logging for very long, you probably have a good idea of what you ate to stay within your calories goals. You could even print some past good diaries to guide you at times when you can weigh and log all your good. It’s mostly about portion control. For example, if you had 2 eggs for breakfast, a salad for lunch, a protein and veggies and a glass of wine for dinner, you know you can’t eat all that plus 6 slices of bacon, a pile potatoes , 5 drinks, and cake and ice cream , and a bag of chips and still meet your calories. Don’t make it more complicated than it is. 🤗
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