Do you log zero calorie foods in your dairy?

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Replies

  • rosettafaery
    rosettafaery Posts: 102 Member
    I try and log everything I eat so I have a good idea what my intake is.
    I tend to also weigh everything out or follow the portion suggestion. Trouble is when my hubby cooks he is very much a "I'll just add a bit of this, and a load of that" never know for sure my in take at those meals but I try and estimate as best I can!
  • mikedenali
    mikedenali Posts: 181 Member

    *hi my name is Pseudomuffin and I'm an intermittent food logger :cry:

    lol...I hear you:ohwell:
  • ossentia
    ossentia Posts: 96 Member
    As others are pointing out, I refuse to let logging become tedious for me so I do not log things like spices and "zero" calorie items (though I rarely have "zero" calorie items). It may work great for some to log everything, but one of the things that has made this plan work for me is its ease. I'm not about to compromise that for a few calories here or there.

    That said, I only log half of my exercise calories partly for this reason. I also tend to taste while I cook, and I just won't keep up with this plan if I have to stop and log while cooking.

    I think what it really comes down to is that if what you are doing is working for your lifestyle and you're losing weight, great! If you're not seeing the results you'd like to see, then it's probably time to adjust.
  • FreshKrisKreash
    FreshKrisKreash Posts: 444 Member
    one pickle = 4 calories
    hot sauce = 0 calories

    yes on the pickle no on the hot sauce.

    I don't log mustard ether. :)
  • amy8400
    amy8400 Posts: 478 Member
    Water is the only true zero calorie drink, but I still log it because I want to track my fluid intake.
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  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    I don't track drinks where the calories are negligible.
  • leggup
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
    I log everything. Diet soda, pickles, hot sauce, dried spices/herbs, fresh herbs and spices, medicine, a mouthful of celery. Why?
    1. Sodium. It adds up fast and a lot of low/no calorie items are loaded with sodium.
    2. Patterns. I can track my weight and see how my choices and cravings affect my day. Did I lose a lot of weight I added garlic to everything? Was I able to add basil to my eggs instead of salt to flavor them, or did I just crave more salt later? Did that hot sauce cause me to chug soy milk?
    3. Diligence. Not logging 2-5 calories here is a slippery slope. Sure, you'd have to neglect to log 5 calories for over 700 days (or 2 years) to gain a pound. But if you eat 2 pickles and then hot sauce with chicken on a bed of lettuce every day, it adds up. It also makes you more likely to get lazy with other low calorie foods,
    4. Vitamins and Minerals. MFP tracks your nutrition in addition to calories. I like that I know I'm getting enough potassium, Vitamin A, and Iron. Not logging those small things means you're not getting an accurate picture of your vitamins and minerals.
  • bdwill83
    bdwill83 Posts: 8 Member
    I don't log lettuce, spinach, mushrooms, etc. I don't log coffee itself but I do log the creamer (milk or powder).
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  • somerisagirlsname
    somerisagirlsname Posts: 467 Member
    I wish that there was zero calorie dairy....
  • asciident
    asciident Posts: 166 Member
    I try to record everything I eat or drink, although very occasionally I will skip it if it's just one sip/bite (trying something my husband has for example). I'm mainly concerned with calories, but I'm also keeping an eye on my macros and sodium intake, and more data is better imo.

    edit: also, part of the reason I record almost everything is that part of my goals with mfp is to be very honest with myself about how much I'm eating.
  • BackToWeddingWeight
    BackToWeddingWeight Posts: 7
    Yes, add them because although they might not have calories, they do have other things such as sodium, vitamins, etc. Also if you have enough they will have calories.
  • bciloveme2014
    bciloveme2014 Posts: 213 Member
    I log everything including vitamins. I take vitamin C 500mgs. I was very surprised when I learned that it has 9 calories. a calcium gummy has 15 calories.
  • stormyxpony
    stormyxpony Posts: 157 Member
    what about water? I drink the Sparking water and it has Zero everything.
  • greatfoodlady
    greatfoodlady Posts: 38
    Yes, if it goes in your mouth....log it!! I keep track of more than just cals. Both of the items you listed are probably high in sodium, which is something I watch closely. You'd be surprised at the places sodium lurks....baby carrots for one! Totally threw me for a loop! And just about EVERYTHING has some type of cals in it, even if it says <1g. Enough of those "less thans" add up to something eventually. Example: a pack of splenda. If you aren't tracking other things and don't want to waste the time logging "little stuff", then I would suggest leaving yourself a small handful of cals at the end of the day to cover for those "zero" cal foods. Good luck on your journey!!
  • Nachise
    Nachise Posts: 395 Member
    Log it all. You will not get a full nutritional picture if you do not log everything. Veggies contain a lot of nutrients and contribute to your carb count. Condiments like hot sauces contribute to sodium counts, which can get pretty high.
  • krennie8
    krennie8 Posts: 301 Member
    I log pretty much everything except I don't log my daily coke zero, nor do I (generally) log tea (from bags, no added sugar/milk). I did add them on at least one occasion, but at 2 cals each, I decided that they weren't worth the login, since I generally only drink half the coffee I add in the morning. So if I have a cup of tea later, I figure it's a tradeoff. Not to mention, 2 cals won't put me over. If I ever have 10 cups of tea in a day though I'd prob log that. But 1-2? Not so much.
  • Andrew_peter
    Andrew_peter Posts: 94 Member
    Everything but spices, water, and the odd diet soda. I'm an all or nothing kind of person though so even slacking on recording a stick of gum just sets me up for getting lazy towards logging in general.
  • saraparkes
    saraparkes Posts: 1 Member
    I log all of my "0" calorie foods, including my morning vitamins. It matters a whole lot if you are looking at your nutrition percentages. I was able to determine that I wasn't getting enough iron daily.
  • jmv7117
    jmv7117 Posts: 891 Member
    I haven't been logging zero calorie foods like pickles and hot sauce. I figure it shouldn't make a difference since they are essentially "free" items. Just wondering if any of you log them in.

    EDIT: Diary*

    lol you'd think they would allow you to edit the subject line, not just the body of the post :ohwell:

    I log them and all 0 calorie foods including my dietary supplements. This helps me track sodium and other important nutrients.
  • jmv7117
    jmv7117 Posts: 891 Member
    This thread has taken an unexpected turn (I guess that just goes to show how much I have to learn!) ... as I was thinking the same way, "... it's ONLY 5 calories.... who cares?!?!" But now I can see some value in tracking sodium, etc.

    I am a little concerned that tracking every piece of gum, 0 calorie soda / lemonade, etc. could become laborious...

    I record everything that goes in my mouth whether it has calories or not. It is not as laborious as you would think. For some things, it is as simple as changing the number of servings after the original serving entry.
  • jlynnm70
    jlynnm70 Posts: 460 Member
    No I don't log every tiny thing. If I did that I'd go nuts. That is why I don't freak out at the end of the day if MFP says I'm under or over a little bit for the calories of the day. I'm at 1200 - which some of you say is too low, but I'm short and not very active at work (desk all day!) - so what if I eat an extra 30 calories in freebies - I figure somewhere between 1200-1300 is my range. I also don't log every single second of exercise. So if I do 10 push ups 3 times a day - and some lunges or something else at my desk that literally takes me minutes (sometimes seconds) to do - I even out by the end of the day. I've been consistently losing for the last 8 weeks and I currently only worry about calories and kind of eyeball the fat intake but don't stress it on a daily basis - nothing else - I have low blood pressure and cholesterol so I don't care about sodium at all - heck if I didn't eat it - I'd have no blood pressure LOL - and if I eat something super high - I usually know it anyway (ie. Chinese food or Pizza).
  • jmv7117
    jmv7117 Posts: 891 Member
    I don't log coffee (drink it black). And I only sometimes log raw or boiled veggies. If it has sauce, I log that. My understanding of a "free" food, is not that it doesn't have *any* calories, but that the amount of calories it has does not compensate for the amount of calories it takes your body to digest it.

    For those not logging coffee, it comes in at 2 calories and 5 mg sodium per cup. Four cups a day is only 8 calories but that 20 mg of sodium can be a problem for those on a low sodium diet. Another problem, not logging foods with low calories leads to later problems like "I'm doing everything right but still am not losing weight". During the weight loss phase, I think it is important to log everything as a learning experience that will help keep the weight off during maintenance where logging more than likely for most is not needed. I imagine that logging comes into play again when bulking but I'm not sure.
  • luca15306
    luca15306 Posts: 111 Member
    I log everything apart from water and herbs and spices, as everything else definitely adds up. I do things I eat often as recipes, such as salad at lunch and then it splits the portions. This is really helpful for 'zero' calorie salad, because even though its mainly water, the calories add up easily. All my zero calories add up to a 200 calorie salad. Then I add sauces alongside on each day.

    I also find that logging, as it is mainly for my own use helps me to be more honest, there's no point logging at all if you aren't going to list everything :)

    best of luck everyone
  • KatiesNewGoals
    KatiesNewGoals Posts: 29 Member
    I don't log everything. If I have ketchup with my meal or a little sauce, I don't log it. I usually do log butter, if I have it on waffles or toast, but don't log olive oil when cooking. I definitely log coffee beverages if I'm having a latte, but I don't log a cup of coffee. For me, it works, but do what works best for you! :-)
  • jmv7117
    jmv7117 Posts: 891 Member
    I log everything including vitamins. I take vitamin C 500mgs. I was very surprised when I learned that it has 9 calories. a calcium gummy has 15 calories.

    I take a large number of dietary supplements daily, actually twice daily, and have done so for a few years now. Before I even start the day, I know these will cost me 35 calories and 5 g of carbohydrates for the day. Some have recommended to eat back the entire calorie burn which I don't but if I did, that 35 calories would put me over instead of at my daily food goal. So, it is important to log.
  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,096 Member
    I don't log coffee (drink it black). And I only sometimes log raw or boiled veggies. If it has sauce, I log that. My understanding of a "free" food, is not that it doesn't have *any* calories, but that the amount of calories it has does not compensate for the amount of calories it takes your body to digest it.

    For those not logging coffee, it comes in at 2 calories and 5 mg sodium per cup. Four cups a day is only 8 calories but that 20 mg of sodium can be a problem for those on a low sodium diet. Another problem, not logging foods with low calories leads to later problems like "I'm doing everything right but still am not losing weight". During the weight loss phase, I think it is important to log everything as a learning experience that will help keep the weight off during maintenance where logging more than likely for most is not needed. I imagine that logging comes into play again when bulking but I'm not sure.

    If someone tracks their potassium the logged coffee helps with that. Potassium is something that most people don't get enough of so for me every little bit helps.
  • quentinhayesgreen
    quentinhayesgreen Posts: 3 Member
    As alot of you have commented, I too log everything. I feel it will help me later down the road if I get stuck. If I see that I have controlled caloires but my sugar consumption has gone up then I will use that to cut down on sugar. I guess it's a personal decision. My wife only logs calories but I try to scan the different components going in so that I can keep up with everything. Good luck!
  • jmv7117
    jmv7117 Posts: 891 Member
    what about water? I drink the Sparking water and it has Zero everything.

    Municipal water has 5 mg sodium per 8 oz. Some bottled waters have other micronutrients like calcium. We use filtered municipal water as a beverage so I record that sodium. I'm not sure it gets filtered out.

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