Keep forgetting to track 😩

MFPMagpieNI

How can I get into the habit, quicker… is there any trick to tracking every single thing? I can meal plan and add in but update changes? I just can’t seem to find my way with tracking food… I’m new (though I’ve had the app for years!!) my intention is new, any help greatly appreciated

AnnPT77

Other than patience, persistence, and intention? Not that I know of.

Any new habit takes time to establish. (Patience.)

Keep working at it, and performance improves. (Persistence.)

None of that will happen if we don't fully commit to it. (Intention.)

I get that this is hard, especially at first. (I've been calorie counting for 8+ years, though I'm much more relaxed about it in year 7+ of maintaining a healthy weight, realistically. It was hard at first, now it's pretty automatic and habitual.)

If you want to get the results, keep working to establish the habit, and you'll get there. Meanwhile, be patient with yourself - beating yourself up about it burns zero extra calories, and feels icky.

Best wishes for success!

sollyn23l2

You have to make it a part of your routine... i.e. you don't eat the meal until it has been entered. Keep it the same. Every day. You also have to be responsible enough to hold yourself to it. If you can't do that... well... it would be a pretty rough go that would probably be unsuccessful.

herringboxes

You could set reminders on your phone a few times a day to be sure you’ve remembered.

If it’s important to you, you’ll find a way.

paperpudding

stick a big note on your pantry and your fridge and you work lunchbox or your wallet if you buy food?

I find written reminders help me get into something before it is an established habit

MacLowCarbing

When I sit down at the end of the night with my coffee I am trying to get into the habit of planning out my next day-- what I'll cook, what I'll eat, etc. That might change sometimes, I can always change it up later but I feel like doing it the same time when I'm used to having my coffee reminds me to plan ahead. When I wing it I tend to get my macros all out of whack.

kshama2001

sollyn23l2 wrote: »

You have to make it a part of your routine... i.e. you don't eat the meal until it has been entered. Keep it the same. Every day. You also have to be responsible enough to hold yourself to it. If you can't do that... well... it would be a pretty rough go that would probably be unsuccessful.

This could be a very effective way to make it a habit. @PAV8888 had great success with never having a bite until he logged it.

Here's an article on using discipline and baby steps to create habits. (Note: language and examples are "salty.") http://www.wisdomination.com/practical-discipline/

cmriverside

I used to get all the way to the checkout line and then remember that I had re-usable grocery bags -at home.

Then I started putting the bags on my front door knob so they would get out to the car.

So now they are in my car.

I would get all the way to checkout and realize I had grocery bags. In the car. Oh well.

Then I started making myself go out to the car and get them and leave my full cart by the checkout.

Pretty soon I started remembering them as soon as I got my cart, since I was used to putting them in the bottom.

After a while I didn't have to go back to my car.

Now it's a practiced routine. It took a while, though!

Same with logging food. I think maybe logging food is one of the more difficult tasks to learn, because it made me come face to face with the Why of my being obese. Humans tend to avoid unpleasant things. I had to re-frame that into, "I really don't want to be over-weight. This is going to help me. Stay the course."

Dr_Jay_23

I got into the habit because my rule for myself is "If i don't track it, I can't eat it" I have to track it before I eat it.

lynn_glenmont

Do you have a food scale?

I do, and I know I have to weigh food as I'm preparing it if I'm going to log it accurately. And I have to record it when I weigh it if I'm going to log it accurately. So either I log it as I weigh it, or I jot it down on a pice of paper to log it later.

Other strategies needed for food you don't fix yourself, but it created a habit for me.

R_Bedard

In the morning, I log what I am having for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I use approx amounts for my dinner since I don't quite know yet. ie. Estimate grams of broccoli for dinner. Then after I prepare the item and have weighed it, I adjust at night. Doing it all in the am gives me an idea of estimated calories I will eat and where I need to lower or up proportions.

LadyJBugg

I have a heck of a time sticking to it myself. Mostly because I haven't ever done it long enough to build a proper database on my phone/cloud so I don't have to search and read every single thing I log- I can just type,tap,and go. I'm diabetic, so there are VERY real and immediate consequences if I don't log properly, since if I'm not logging, I rarely even look at the nutrition info for what I eat.
I'm doing really well this week.
It's taken me 6 years to get to this point, because I had no discipline, zero accountability really(even though I would get constantly reminded by my husband).
It wasn't until recently, when my husband brought it home in a big way : logging food means I can get pregnant. No logging, no baby.
Like others have said....find something meaningful to tie it to, write reminders EVERYWHERE(but move them around regularly so you don't get used to them, that's when they blend into the background and stop working), I personally loathe the "no log, no eat" thing, for the simple reason of liking my food to not be cold, and sometimes logging takes a looooong time. I'm not allowed to drink anything but water, and no dessert, until I log though.
Much luck!

Cats_fitness_journey

You got this 💪💪

scottfittnesspal

I’m just starting and have the same concern. Until I’ve made tracking a habit, I’m taking pictures of what I’m eating and or the label as it happens. When I have some time to track, no later than before bed time, I track it then delete the picture.

no1racefan2

If I don't have time/forget to track right at the moment, I just weigh it and write it down. I'll do this for a whole day if necessary, and then go back and log everything at once.

I'll write it down as I'm preparing a meal, eat like normal, and then log it at some point. Breakfast I usually write down and then log when I get to work. Lunch I'll log while I'm on lunch break. Afternoon snacks I'll log when I'm back at work. Dinner I usually write down ingredients as I cook and then create a recipe and log it after I'm done eating.

Eat_smart_75

Hi there! I have a hard time keeping up with tracking as well. The dietician that I work with suggested tracking the majority of what you are going to eat the night before. I’m not great at meal planning but you said you are so maybe that will help?

Retroguy2000

OP isn't forgetting. It's just not important enough for them. As evidenced by having the app for years, and not responding here to all the tips.

It takes me one or two minutes to update a new day. I have a lot of saved meals which are instant access. And nearly all the other items are in my recent list. If it's something new and not something I'm likely to have again, or no time soon anyway, I use one of my private "Generic Stuff 100 calories" entries which have X or Y calories from protein, and I add X of those Stuffs to equal the item/meal calories.

AnaKam

Don’t be too hard on yourself. In the beginning, just think “progress, not perfection” until you have the habit down. Be patient with yourself. Also, a couple things that helped me was prepping ready made meals (like sheet pan or slow cooker) and have those somewhat regularly to make it easier (never sacrificing on enjoyment 😉), to have them saved for easy logging; and also telling yourself you can’t eat the meal until you log it first. Try planning what you’re going to eat for the week- breakfast, lunch, dinner & snacks. Weigh them ahead of time, stick in the fridge, maybe even keep separated in the fridge by day (Mondays meals, Tuesdays… etc) sounds like a lot but pick the ideas that work for you and do them until it becomes automatic.

sadaffaheem

For me, logging is the single most effective tool to weight loss because it helps me not feel doom when I make mistakes and celebrate all the little things that make weight loss possible. Helping me learn from past and look forward. For this reason, I give myself stickers on my calendar to boost accountability.

SafariGalNYC

You have a phone? Set a reminder.. ⏰

september192023

This is what works for me: I set phone reminders and calendar reminders. The more "in-my-face" it is, the more I'll build the habit.

Maybe post-it notes with your shoes or vehicle keys? LOG YOUR FOODS!

Don't be too hard on yourself, you know that you want/maybe need to log, keep trying!

Retroguy2000

OP hasn't been back to the site since the day after this topic was created. Like I said, it's just not important enough for them. A little ironic considering all the tags in the OP.

Change requires effort.

Jthanmyfitnesspal

@Retroguy2000 : So true! Not motivated to read the responses to your own post is not motivated, indeed!

kshama2001

september192023 wrote: »

This is what works for me: I set phone reminders and calendar reminders. The more "in-my-face" it is, the more I'll build the habit.

Maybe post-it notes with your shoes or vehicle keys? LOG YOUR FOODS!

Don't be too hard on yourself, you know that you want/maybe need to log, keep trying!

I'm amazed at how much phone reminders help. For years, I've struggled off and on the create the habit of weighing daily as this keeps me on track, but it didn't happen until I updated the setting in Happy Scale (iphone weight trending app) to remind me every morning. I pick up my phone, see the reminder, and do it.

I also have a reminder to take my melatonin, etc., at night, and, an hour later, to brush my teeth.

Oddly, I don't have a reminder to log my food. I'm pretty good about that, but could be better.