Is it worth logging days when everything goes wrong?
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Dude, I suggest logging all the things. Even on binges. Then later on, when you're back on track, go over it and review what happened. Don't just look at that day, look at patterns. Did you get low protein or other nutrients the week before? Were you on your period (if female), did you skip something you usually had (no coffee for breakfast on Monday = a bad day for me), or did you have something you normally don't (eating too many carbs early in the morning for me is a bad thing, sets off cravings big time)? If it keeps happening, look at the pattern, and when you can think of it, use the food notes section to keep track of anything unusual in your life: family visitors, trips, sick kids, unusual stress, demands on your time, whatever. These things can help you discern patterns that throw you off your plan and help you fix the problems that are sabotaging your success. If you notice that you "always" have a "plateau" right before a major milestone, then look at your logging. Are you having more cheats? If so, that's a clue to your mental state. None of us radically change our bodies without having some emotional / mental health issues around it. This is YOUR data, it belongs to you. It is your key to understanding yourself. Why would you rob yourself of the critical information you need to evaluate your process? It's not like not logging will magically make it all have no calories. It's not like looking at the numbers is REALLY any more shameful than the extra inches on your hips or waist. No one will get through this without slipping up occasionally. The key is this: Did you learn from it? Or did you take the cheapest, crappiest, worst possible advice in the history of the world, "Let's ignore it and hope it goes away."? Choose wisely.0
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I think those are the MOST important days to log. That helps me to keep on track.0
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Yes, it's worth logging. It's naive to "reset" and start over. It's also naive to avoid logging the "special occasion days". That's labeled denial. You're still eating, right? Just because it's not logged doesn't mean it equals 0 calories for the day. How many people avoid logging their "over" days, special or not, only to complain a few weeks later that they've seen no weight loss? Logging everything keeps one honest, and helps one make sense of their progress.0
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Always log everything! I've learned that some days when I think I've completely blown it I've really done way better than I expected. Then there are also days that I think that I have, and I have, went wayyyy over board.
MFP isn't your nanny, shaking her finger in your face telling you that you should be ashamed of your mistakes. MFP is a ruler or measuring tape, a tool, that helps you get the job done. It helps you gauge what you are putting in, what you are working off, and what changes you need to make.
Food is not the enemy. Weight loss and lifestyle change is all about developing a healthy relationship with food.
There are many people on here that have lost 50, 75, 100, 200 pounds. These are the opinions and pieces of advice that I believe have the most value. After all, they must be doing something right!0 -
YES!. We ALL have those days. The only way to change the bad habits is to take accountability for them. It will imprint in your mind what was good and bad during the day. when you look back at what you ate or didn't eat it will reinforce your healthy eating habits and make you more aware of what you need to do to be the person you want to be. NEVER give up on YOURSELF!0
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Yes. Or else you will simply think that having the odd day off is fine and before you know it, your previous hard work has gone out the window!
Log everything from the stray grape in the fridge to the sweets your friends shared with you and you will get a proper picture as to where those calories are coming from.
If you don't log, what's the point of being on here?0 -
Dude, I suggest logging all the things. Even on binges. <<snipped>>The key is this: Did you learn from it? Or did you take the cheapest, crappiest, worst possible advice in the history of the world, "Let's ignore it and hope it goes away."? Choose wisely.
^^This - by @action_figureI think those are the MOST important days to log.
^^that from @seltzermintHow many people avoid logging their "over" days, special or not, only to complain a few weeks later that they've seen no weight loss?
^^Bingo - from @socomaryFood is not the enemy. Weight loss and lifestyle change is all about developing a healthy relationship with food.
^^ and this from @Keshisdsp0 -
People rarely learn when things go well , more often than not they are forced to learn their lessons when things go wrong.
This is a lesson and it needs learning or you will be doomed to repeat it. I don't have an unhealthy relationship with food or exercise but I am struggling badly with regards to giving up smoking, so I can empathise with your struggles. Sometimes we need to hold our hands up and admit our failings when we let them happen. Nobody lit a ciggie for me this morning and put it in my mouth and it's a struggle I have to come to terms with, sweeping it under the carpet won't help0 -
So I had one of those days. Those days when you have no idea why you're even trying to eat healthy, so you just... give up. I have never been a "binge eater", so that doesn't quite describe my day, but I was easily 1000 calories over my goal. Easily. And I didn't work out. Well, I did do 2 lunges. While carrying bacon to the computer.
Is today even worth logging? Should I really re-live every mistake I made and catalog it? Do I really need to see the "if every day was like today, you would weigh xxx in 5 weeks!" Or should I just pretend it never happened, go to bed, and wake up fresh and back on my routine when I go back to work tomorrow?
Thoughts from someone else who's had a fail day?
If you don't log it you're cheating yourself.
And denying yourself the opportunity to learn from your mistakes.
If you have one of those days when you go a couple of thousand over your cals, log it. Next time, you'll look back and think "I've had one of them recently, time to get back on it". If you look back and it shows nothing went wrong, you'll allow yourself to deviate again more easily. New behaviour patterns require feedback (both positive and negative) to establish them. Don't rob yourself of a potential part of the mechanism.0 -
Yes. It's not only that it's worth it, but you have to do it. I am guilty of not doing it, but I am starting. Logging these days helps you see a. the pattern of your eating (which can help you prevent it) and b. it helps you see what kinds of foods you turn to, helps you see what stuff you should get rid of (aka. you always binge on white bread - get rid of white bread, replace with something else) and helps you measure your binge accurately (perhaps you eat less than you think?). I am sure there's more than that but that's all I could think of.0
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I had one of those days on Saturday, & didn't log it because it was just going to be too annoying (ate out, had a little bit of everything, an indeterminate amount of wine... etc.) but I've logged other days where I messed up. Once you do it, it's not so scary! (& sometimes you even realize you haven't messed up THAT badly)0
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An Observation
Everyone complains on MFP about Derps, Mean People, Special Snowflakes, Angry Denial Types, Rasperry Ketone pushers, and other Silly Topics
You know what is cool about this thread...
This is one of the most
1. Constructive
2. Helpful
3. Interesting
Threads I have come across in a long time!
Good luck everyone! :drinker:0 -
I think it's worth it to do your very best to log everything as often as you can. Here's why - at least once a week I see people posting on here asking for help with plateaus and supposedly unexplained gains then you go and check out their diary and see days where they don't log anything and when confronted many admit that they had a bad day and were too embarrassed to log it.
If you don't use the tools correctly, they won't work correctly for you.0 -
yes0
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As everyone has said. Log your good days AND your bad days. You will learn a lot about yourself by doing both and it might drive you to learn different coping strategies for said bad days. Ranging anywhere from learning how to not indulge quite so thoroughly, skimp so heavily, to learning that sometimes its ok to say fuggitall and do whatever for one day and know it isn't going to set you back to square 1 unless you let it. Good luck to you.0
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Reference - One of the best threads!0
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Log it in no matter what. We all fail at some point, but the good thing is, we can always START over! Don't GIVE UP!0
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I log and weigh every day regardless of how good or bad it was. If you ignore the bad stuff, you have nothing to reference as to where you went wrong or what things are affecting your weight. For example, if I have a high sodium day and show an extra pound on the scale, and then the next day I'm back down 2 pounds, I can attribute that fluctuation to my sodium intake. I also use the note section to log which day of my period I'm on. If I gain 5 pounds and then a few days later it's gone without any significant effort on my part, I can see that that is a natural fluctuation from water weight retention. Basically, I use the scale to monitor how things affect my body and not because I really believe I am gaining or losing that much weight overnight. If it stays consistently down for a few days, then, yeah, it's probably because I actually dropped those pounds.
I know a lot of people are anti-scale. What I think is important is to use it as a tool for learning how things affect your body, and not as an indicator of success or failure. You know when you've succeeded by looking in the mirror, not by looking down at a number on the scale or the label inside a pair of jeans.
Edited to add: When I don't know exactly what the stats are on what I am eating (e.g. because I am eating out a place that doesn't post the numbers or I know the stats but I'm eating random stuff at the Jason's Deli salad bar and it's not all easily measurable), I tend to overestimate. I'd much rather assume something was more than it was, and get back on track the next day, than think it's less and continue to put myself further into calorie debt.0 -
Is today even worth logging? Should I really re-live every mistake I made and catalog it? Do I really need to see the "if every day was like today, you would weigh xxx in 5 weeks!" Or should I just pretend it never happened, go to bed, and wake up fresh and back on my routine when I go back to work tomorrow?
Thoughts from someone else who's had a fail day?
Yes, log it. Then just move on and pick yourself back up!0 -
It might not be as bad as you think! I have had MANY days where I was sure I totally was over by 1000, then when I log everything I find out I was only over by 200-300. I like knowing, but I think there's no harm in not logging it if it's going to cause you stress. Just do better today. One day isn't going to derail you if you don't let it. Unless you ate, like 50,000 extra calories!0
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I personally don't. I suffer from disorder eating tendancies and on days where I have restricted heavily (less than 600kcals) or binged heavily (eaten easily 3500+ kcals) I don't log, because it just helps continue the bad cycle - I'd rather just forget the day and try and get back on track, not have a reminder.0
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I never log on days like Thanksgiving and Christmas because I have very few cheat days and I am NOT putting everything I ate out there...It's called a cheat day for a reason. I have been here for a year and 10 months and I think by now I know what I'm doing and I am 5 pounds from goal. You do what you want, personally I would not and I would start over the next day.0
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Log it anyway. I was pleasantly surprised by my cookie binge the other day. It was less than I thought. I had a whole ton of junk as I was just so tired and when I am tired like that I need junk. I was well over calories still but under 2000 so not really as bad as I thought. Log it, and move on. At least that way you can track what might have influenced any fluctuations0
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I log my "bad days" because they usually aren't as bad as I think, and I learn what I can fit into a "good day" for the future.0
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I just have to say that " I Love" that you typed that you did 2 lunges while carrying bacon to your computer!! lol ...... nothing like a good sense of humor!! lol, love it!! ............ to answer your question though, I usually don't log on days that I screw up and eat whatever I want but today for some reason I did, I think I wanted to see the actual damage today to see if maybe I could make up for it in exercise and not eating the calories a few days this coming week. With that said, I say, " do what ever makes you feel happy ". As long as you get back on the horse after you fall off then you'll be fine, that's what counts
I agree, I think that's just the most hilarious image. From now on, when carrying bacon I will always do 2 lunges, no matter where I am, in tribute to that comment....0 -
I have had "that kind of day" for the past month. I just stopped logging and ate whatever I dang well felt like eating. Cried in the shower last night at all my hard work the previous 2 months gone down the drain. And why?? Because I went over my calorie goal and I knew it, so I Thought, "I'll just skip today and do better tomorrow, I'm doing so well otherwise!" Yea....famous last words. My advice: log it! I'm starting over today. 0
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OK. I logged it. And it was worse than I thought it was. I was 1500 calories over my goal.
However.... it was useful because the harm wasn't where I thought it was. Apparently you can eat half a pound of bacon for breakfast, and still be able to recover just fine. After my 8th slice of bacon, I gave up. I shouldn't have. It was what I ate AFTER that bacon that killed me. Not saying the saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, etc was great, but as far as pure calories go... bacon is actually reasonably low! Once again, I'm not saying bacon is good, I'm saying, I shouldn't have said, "Oh, I f***'ed up by eating half a pound of bacon, I'll just eat what i want for the rest of the day because it's screwed to hell and back anyways".
^^ Exactly the reason you should log it anyway. You learned a very good lesson, and are on your way to getting rid of the 'all-or-nothing' mentality.
Had you taken the time to log the bacon, you would have seen that your whole day wasn't blown before you said screw it, and ate all the junk afterwards. And you would not have been truly hungry after all that fat and protein.
BTW Bacon IS good!
And calories eaten do not just simply disappear by calling it a reset day. If you don't at least make a note or add x number of quick calories, then you forget about a binge day and a month later you are up a lb and don't know why. But there are a few unlogged days that you forgot about, or selectively remember as 'not that bad'.
It is all about honesty and accountability to yourself.0 -
Boy, is this the thread I needed today. 4 DAYS of overeating and not logging while on a camping trip. 4 pounds gained. Today, I will try to recreate atll that was eaten and the amount of exercise done during the last 4 days. Thanks for reminding me that honesty is truly the best policy. Back to a real, sane sense of the world and my need for food. Hoping it will last until lunch. One day at a time, one meal at a time. Thanks for the helpful posts, y'all.0
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I saved back some calories nearly every day this past week, knowing I was going to have a nice restaurant dinner on Saturday night. I ate lightly on Saturday and logged everything, but made the conscious decision not to log dinner. After reading this thread I rethought that decision and went back to add all the food I ate that night, just to see. Even attempting to overestimate the amount of food I had, I still came in under my DAILY calories, never even dipped into the saved calories I'd set aside all week. Lesson learned: log everything! I could have had a 2nd beer with dinner last night!0
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LOL - "carrying bacon to the computer", you made my morning! :laugh:
I know how you feel and I've had some scary days where I haven't logged. Problem is that I then haven't logged for a week... and fallen off track. I've tried to really make it a daily habit, just like the conscious eating.
Recently I had a bad day, my husband was away (no one watching) and I pigged out. Felt bad, but I logged it and guess what - it wasn't actually anywhere near as bad as I thought... I was over, but I don't think it would have thrown my week off. And I think I still lost weight that week.
I'd say do it, don't advertise it, but you need to acknowledge it's there.0
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