Ugh....just can't keep logging

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  • Iwishyouwell
    Iwishyouwell Posts: 1,888 Member
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    I used to count calories back in the day. I hated it. I do not like having that kind of relationship with food.

    It was much easier for me to just count carbs when I was low carbing. I did that off and on for years.

    This current weight loss journey, which I'm about 130 lbs into so far, has seen the first 40-50 lbs go with carb counting and then when I stalled out on that, I switched to intermittent fasting for my deficit.

    I haven't lost a single pound this time around counting, logging, or weighing anything. I feel you on the tedium.
  • smelius22
    smelius22 Posts: 334 Member
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    OP I am totally on the same page. I hate logging! It just seems like such an exhausting thing to do and it's aggrivating to find the food you're looking for.. Is it correct? Was it made with the same ingredients I used? How much was my friggin serving size? I have no clue.

    I have found it easy to log my own recipes with the recipe builder so that is nice, but I still have to go through the process of creating the recipe and figuring out how many it serves, etc.

    As most on this site would say though: suck it up, butter cup, or don't lose the weight. Which is probably why I haven't lost any weight lol.
  • kshadows
    kshadows Posts: 1,315 Member
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    I used to do really well for a few days and then give up. Then I scrolled through the "photos only success stories" and I got SERIOUS about it. I'm on 53 days straight and I can't remember what it was like to eat something without logging. Keep at it!
  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
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    It's only tedious at the beginning. If you're consistent for a couple weeks, you'll have a lot of items in your 'recent' and 'frequent' lists, and it becomes quite fast to log.


    What do you think giving up will accomplish?
  • Ftw37
    Ftw37 Posts: 386 Member
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    Logging serves several purposes for me.

    If I want to eat something, I log it first to see if it will allow me to stay within my macros. If not, I don't eat it.

    Logging allows me to see long-term trends in my eating habits.

    Logging gives me a feeling of self-control.
  • Bounce4
    Bounce4 Posts: 288 Member
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    I must do it. It is the key to my success. I have never had a plan work without it.

    I do OK for breakfast, lunch, and snacks. They are individually prepared and entered on my own time. Suppers kill me. KILL me. I hate the recipe building part. It is difficult and time consuming and four days a week is a kid cook meal so I'm helping them and - man - just an awful process for me. There are kids milling around for this or that - it is the time of day we all come together for the first time and they need me. 80% of the time I just use something already in the database that seems close and call it good. That is better than nothing.
  • krawhitham
    krawhitham Posts: 831 Member
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    I'm with you OP. It's completely tedious and horrible and boring and makes me think too much about what I'm putting in my mouth... but that's the point.

    I also hate gyms, and I've been going every day since Jan 1st. I figure I dug myself into this hole, and this is the best way to dig myself back out. But, once I'm out of the hole I will have the knowledge of how much meat I should be eating in one serving, how many calories are roughly in a handful of chips, and I'll be able to run out doors and do yoga and activities I love 100% of the time while maintaining my goal weight.

    It's just getting to that point that I have to put my head down and tolerate the tediousness of it all, the tediousness of learning! But, the community here is amazing and that makes it a lot easier to cope with the struggle and frustrations :)
  • pinksmama
    pinksmama Posts: 40
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    It's more about being accountable, if you're seeing the amount/what you're eating in black and white, you tend to make more account for things than just mindlessly eating.

    It takes extra time out of my day but then again so does exercise, eating thoughtfully, making meals instead of the microwave.. it's just one of those things that makes good sense in the long run if you're on the journey to making some changes.. which also takes extra time :wink:
  • Kevalicious99
    Kevalicious99 Posts: 1,131 Member
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    I have found that cause I eat the same 50 food items I just have the items there and reuse them over and over, yes I hate long grocery shopping trips so this makes it much easier. Logging for the day is like less than 5 min.

    It keeps me accountable .. and on track.

    So .. think about it this way, is that time not worth knowing that you will get to your goal by doing it ?

    I think if you dug deep .. if you don't want to log and make that little bit of effort, you cannot blame anyone but yourself for not succeeding in your goals.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    I was pretty sure I was motivated to lose weight until the whole "log everything you eat" came into play...anyone else just finding it an absolute beating to log every day? Is it psychological? I go great for a few days, a week, then....YAWN! Just can't bring myself to do it! I don't mind logging my exercise, but logging food is just.....:yawn:

    you are saying you do not have ten minutes a day to log your food?

    If you find it boring then you obviously are not really motivated to lose weight..
  • lucypeaks
    lucypeaks Posts: 96 Member
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    Definitely irritating but certainly helps me become more aware of what I put in my mouth, and where I should make a better nutritional choice...
  • mrsfyredude
    mrsfyredude Posts: 177 Member
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    I think if you dug deep .. if you don't want to log and make that little bit of effort, you cannot blame anyone but yourself for not succeeding in your goals.

    Let's make something clear, as I've seen this a couple of times in responses....I'm not looking for anyone to blame, and I don't. I'm a big girl, mom, wife, ex-military, and hold a full time job, I take all of my responsibilities seriously. I've never, and never will I, blame anyone for something that is totally MY doing.

    Thanks to those can can sympathize with the whole "logging" thing, and as I said....(for the billionth time again) ....I'm gonna start trying to do better. :ohwell:
  • salladeve
    salladeve Posts: 1,053 Member
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    I also get tired of logging. If you eat the same thing often enough you get to know how many calories they are. I take a break from logging at times, but keep a check on my weight ( I'm in maintenance). I generally eat the same things and know what meals fit into my daily goals. If my weight goes up more then a few pounds and few days logging usually brings it back down.
  • ezloshead
    ezloshead Posts: 167 Member
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    Logging is actually my favorite part. I never realized what i was actually eating until i could see all the numbers. And i could never stick with any other diet before this. The structure is what really helps me keep going.
  • tjhoffman5
    tjhoffman5 Posts: 1
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    I found it hard to log too. Seemed like I was constantly doing it. I've started trying to plan my days a little better so I can spend 5 minutes in the morning logging my meals for the whole day. That gives me an idea of how many calories I have left for snacks. Each evening I log my snacks. It's making it a little simpler.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    You don't have to... a lot of people lose weight just fine not logging. But it means eating 'cleaner' than I like to... so I'd rather log so I know I can afford those oreos, ice cream and pancakes.
  • judyde
    judyde Posts: 401 Member
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    Logging is actually my favorite part. I never realized what i was actually eating until i could see all the numbers. And i could never stick with any other diet before this. The structure is what really helps me keep going.

    ^^ This.

    I guess I am closet OCD, because I love logging. :love: I love the feeling of self control and knowing what I'm eating. I love knowing that if I continue to run a deficit, I will lose weight. I was a finance major, so I guess I just love the math part of it.

    Do you eat a lot of the same things? I tend to copy the same breakfast forward and I may have the same lunch for quite a few days. That makes it a lot easier.
  • Iwishyouwell
    Iwishyouwell Posts: 1,888 Member
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    If you find it boring then you obviously are not really motivated to lose weight..

    If she finds calorie counting boring it means she's not motivated to lose weight?

    And how did you reach this conclusion?
  • cuinboston2014
    cuinboston2014 Posts: 848 Member
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    Just had this conversation with my husband today :)

    I lost 100 lbs about 4 years ago and didn't count calories. I paid attention to what I ate. i ate less. I only drank 64 calorie beer (I know it's not real beer to those particular about beer....) and I moved a lot more. A lot more. I portioned my desserts and swapped unhealthy treats like Doritos for better options like light popcorn.

    I stsalled out at some point and decided to start counting caloriesa nd it's been a struggle for me. I've half assed tried for the past couple of years to lose about 20 lbs and I've really just maintained. I haven't been dedicated to it as I'm living my life and loving it. UNtil now.

    I NEED a change. I am ready to do this. So I started logging my calories again and being more active and I have lost on average a pound a week for the past couple months.

    And now I'm toying with the idea of not counting my calories and not logging for a few weeks. I know what I should and shuoldn't eat. I know when I eat when I'm bored. I know when I eat too much of this or too much of that.

    I also know that logging has made me more obsessive than usual. I know that at the end of the day if I haven't eaten "enoguh" i feel like I should eat even if I'm not hungry. I know that I feel guilty the second I log my calories. I know that I have issues that I need to talk to someone about regarding food etc and logging exacerbates them at times.

    Not everyone is the same. You don't NEED to log calories to lose weight. You do need to have a decificit however you choose to gauge that. It's dangerous to not count and log but it can be done. Eat less of your husband's dinner, eat one less snack, go for an extra walk etc. Use intution if you want.

    Obviously calorie counting works and logging works and there are a million great benefits to it but don't feel shame if you decide to NOT do it - but be careful, too.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    If you find it boring then you obviously are not really motivated to lose weight..

    If she finds calorie counting boring it means she's not motivated to lose weight?

    And how did you reach this conclusion?

    because OP cannot find five minutes a day to log food…five minutes a day out of twenty four hours is like one percent of your day …so if someone cannot find one percent of their day to log their food, I would question their motivation ...

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