How long can you keep up with logging

Skrib69

For me it was a way of learning about portion control, good foods, calorie dense foods et al and now it is just a habit. I don't weigh everything but I have developed a pretty good idea what 30g of cheese looks like, know I can eat as much vegetables as I can cram in, and at what point on the pattern in the bowl is the right amount for my porridge at breakfast. You just get to know these things. Then it is just a question of building your own foods list over time; instead of 5 minutes it now takes 1 or 2.

Have you got the app on your phone or tablet??? Without these I would agree that it is a pain in the butt to get out the laptop and log, but the tools are there. Failing that, logging is possibly just the wrong tool for you or more fundamentally you haven't found the right motivation yet. I knew for several months that I needed and wanted to do something about my weight, but it was a question of tools and motivation. Once I found those, it worked!

Tools are easy to fix; the motivation has to come from within you - only you can do it!!

paperpudding

I have logged every day for almost a year - bar a 3 week period when I went overseas and was too hard to do with any measure of accuracy at all while on holiday.

I dont find it time consuming - but I must admit I take shortcuts now - every banana I eat, for example, is roughly the same size so I don't measure each one. If I have jam on toast I know I use about same amount each time so I just call it same amount as last time ,etc.

twixlepennie

While losing weight I logged every other day, since I was doing alternate day IF (JUDDD). When I first transitioned into maintenance I started doing straight calorie counting and did it during the week/took weekends off.

Now I've been in maintenance for several months and I'm not currently logging, because right now I'm maintaining within a three pound window without the fuss of keeping a food diary. But, I weigh myself every day and keep a very close eye on what's going on. If the scale creeps up over my maintenance window then I'll start logging again, until things get sorted out and stabilized again. This is my plan for the rest of my life.

Ninkyou

I'm currently at 201 days. I have a couple people on my FL that are in the thousands. I'm always impressed by their dedication to living healthier.

SlinkyAndHerAmazingBunsOfSteel

2 years and 4 months! :bigsmile:

Fuax75

239 days so far

HollisGrant

I've logged for 8 months and know i need to keep it up for a long time. I'm basically lazy and addicted to sweets and can easily snack a whole day's calories at work. The accountability has turned my whole life around.

I also like logging because it has educated me about how some innocent looking foods are calorie bombs: 11 raisins, a spoonful, have 130 calories. 3 spoonfuls equal a meal's calories. An apple is a better snack.

One of my goals was to wear jeans that looked great and be able to tuck my shirt in instead of trying to hide my fat stomach. I absolutely do not want to go back to being overweight, but know that could easily happen.

pkw58

I will log until I am called up yunder. Logging gives me great comfort. Not to mention keeping the excess weight off.

editorgrrl

if i log on and try to get a little info for the day...receive a positive word or give one...its been a good day.

I heart this.

MinnieInMaine

I take a few breaks here and there (weekends away, vacations) but I log pretty much every day. It can be tough in the beginning when you're estabilishing your routine but I think once you get used to it, the process becomes an easy habit to keep.

OP, from what you said, I think the problem is not the logging itseflf but more that you're trying to be so precise. I know a lot of folks are strict about weighing and measuring things and I even give that as advice if someone is stuck, but in the long run, it's not something I would worry about. Here's the thing, you're trying to make good habits for life, right? Well, will you be weighing and measuring things for the rest of your life? Obviously not. I leanred it's not for me and it's obviously not for you either.

So you have to learn to eyeball things as accurately as you can, and maybe set your calorie goal 50 cals lower per day to give yourself some wiggle room for the little tastes and bites (like that little bit of sauce you mentioned). For instance, say you want some macaroni. Measure it in a cup measure, then weigh it to see how much it comes out to. Now that you know about how much that works out to, from now on you can just measure it with the cup measure. Same with other dry things like cereal.

If you know that you're eating one of 3 pork chops in a container that is labeled as weighing 1.25 pounds. Then you can guesstimate that your pork chop is about 6.5 ounces (1.25 x 16 / 3 = 6.67).

Google for more tips on visually guesstimating portion sizes. You gotta do what works for you!

edryer123

I try to at the very least log my breakfast because it is usually a good indicator on how I will do the rest of the day. I felt like you did and it had gotten to the point where I was obsessing over every little calorie. I had to step away for a while and gain some perspective. I have gained weight back because I didn't log for a long time. I up to day 90 now. I haven't been trying to really lose because I have been trying to get the eating under control first. I haven't logged everything in those 90 days, but I stopped gaining at that was step one.

SezxyStef

logging is like a job...interesting.

How long can I keep it up...as long as I have a place to log.

I mean really in this day and age with tablets, netbooks, laptops and smart phones how can it be hard?

Esp when you pretty much eat the same thing a lot....as for the weighing the food that's easy too....it takes an extra 2mins to push some buttons.

I always say "you want it or you don't"....

summerrose36

I started back in 2011 joining MFP and I met some "not so encouraging" people. That made me lose interest and I stopped logging and closed out my account.

December 2012, I reopened a new account and I did not log into it until December 2013. What crack the whip was the medical scare I had. It was time I start taking care of my health so I can live a long life.

Im still working on my husband but it is one step at a time for him.

Dissecti0n

It's not hard. You can easily set up recipes etc. It takes moments to log when your preparing food. In reality you're just making excuses

No one is making excuses. Its unrealistic to think you are going to have to log for the rest of your life. Not to mention how inaccurate it is. If I eat someone elses cooking I dont know every single spice they put on it, I can't weigh out every single squirt of ketchup that is like OCD. I understand to an extent but its tedious logging every single spice and ****.

Dissecti0n

logging is like a job...interesting.

How long can I keep it up...as long as I have a place to log.

I mean really in this day and age with tablets, netbooks, laptops and smart phones how can it be hard?

Esp when you pretty much eat the same thing a lot....as for the weighing the food that's easy too....it takes an extra 2mins to push some buttons.

I always say "you want it or you don't"....

Its not hard since this site saves most of your foods and if you eat the same stuff everyday its obviously easy. But when you first start out you have to build up the food inventory.

Dissecti0n

I started back in 2011 joining MFP and I met some "not so encouraging" people. That made me lose interest and I stopped logging and closed out my account.

December 2012, I reopened a new account and I did not log into it until December 2013. What crack the whip was the medical scare I had. It was time I start taking care of my health so I can live a long life.

Im still working on my husband but it is one step at a time for him.

I think the inaccurate information on all the forums even calorie counter can be very discouraging.

skinny0000

Be deliberate about what you input and what you output. That means a log for most people.

skinny0000

"No one is making excuses. Its unrealistic to think you are going to have to log for the rest of your life. Not to mention how inaccurate it is. If I eat someone elses cooking I dont know every single spice they put on it, I can't weigh out every single squirt of ketchup that is like OCD. I understand to an extent but its tedious logging every single spice and ****."

Why is it unrealistic? This app and forum make it easier than it's ever been to keep track of what you eat. It isn't about being perfect and getting every single spice recorded, it's about being deliberate and getting a good idea of where you stand for the day.

Calliope610

logging is like a job...interesting.

How long can I keep it up...as long as I have a place to log.

I mean really in this day and age with tablets, netbooks, laptops and smart phones how can it be hard?

Esp when you pretty much eat the same thing a lot....as for the weighing the food that's easy too....it takes an extra 2mins to push some buttons.

I always say "you want it or you don't"....

Its not hard since this site saves most of your foods and if you eat the same stuff everyday its obviously easy. But when you first start out you have to build up the food inventory.

OMG, you mean logging and the resultant weight loss may require some personal effort? Oh please, say it ain't so!!

Love4fitnesslove4food2

I did it for ~6 years and only took 1 break this summer and that was a matter of personal choice in order to get to a better mental place with food/my body.