Logging Accurately..step by step guide

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Replies

  • Ely82010
    Ely82010 Posts: 1,998 Member
    . I don’t enter my recipes in the MFP database, but I keep them in my Recipe builder for further use (I wish I could edit it without deleting and adding ingredients all over again). So sometimes “homemade” it is really something made at home by the user.

    You can edit individual ingredients even after a recipe has been entered into MFP. I do it all the time if I make a recipe again but need to make a substitution. It is annoying though that you can't change the number of servings once it has been entered. I am too lazy to add and remove though, so I do the math for the new serving size and just keep it in my notebook for the few days until I have eaten all whatever it was.

    I am glad that that system works for you, but it would not work for me. All my recipes are for 2 people (my husband and I), so trying to adjust the serving size would not be convenient or something that I am willing to do. So I just delete and change the ingredients or their new weight, as needed. I keep hoping that the request to individually edit ingredients in the recipe section will be granted by MFP, one of these days.
  • ticribbs
    ticribbs Posts: 120 Member
    bump - to read later :)
  • ravenmiss
    ravenmiss Posts: 384 Member
    This is very helpful, thank you!
  • harribeau2012
    harribeau2012 Posts: 644 Member
    I found this really helpful, thank you....now off to see whether there is an accurate listing for chorizo that has had the fat cooked out!
  • katsiano
    katsiano Posts: 11 Member
    tagging for reference!
  • ittybittybadonkadonk
    ittybittybadonkadonk Posts: 11,634 Member
    great post ...very helpful ...thanks
  • Linnaea27
    Linnaea27 Posts: 639 Member
    Thank you for this post! I didn't know there was a way to edit a previously entered food. I will have to pay more attention to this from now on!

    I'm very particular about weighing some foods that I know I generally eat too much of given the chance-- cheese and bread, mostly. :) But sometimes, I do end up using entries in the database that may or may not be accurate. . . usually only if I've had restaurant food (from a restaurant that doesn't have online calorie info. . . I rarely go out to eat) or if I'm eating someone else's homemade food and I don't have access to a recipe!

    I guess I am guilty of using cups/spoons measurements too often. I'll weigh instead if I can! I do wish it was possible to search for foods in the database that are entered by weight rather than volume-- maybe I'll suggest that in the site ideas board.

    Oh, and while I have a lot of my own homemade stuff, I never share it with the database because it's such a pain to enter!
  • Sherrington737
    Sherrington737 Posts: 9 Member
    If you go to settings - my foods and exercises - my recipes, you can click on the one you want to edit, and change weights or delete individual ingredients. Works in the app anyway.
  • kitlynnJ
    kitlynnJ Posts: 78 Member
    . I don’t enter my recipes in the MFP database, but I keep them in my Recipe builder for further use (I wish I could edit it without deleting and adding ingredients all over again). So sometimes “homemade” it is really something made at home by the user.

    You can edit individual ingredients even after a recipe has been entered into MFP. I do it all the time if I make a recipe again but need to make a substitution. It is annoying though that you can't change the number of servings once it has been entered. I am too lazy to add and remove though, so I do the math for the new serving size and just keep it in my notebook for the few days until I have eaten all whatever it was.

    And today I discovered you can change the serving number as well. I swear I tried that before and it didn't work. Much happier with the recipe thingy now :)
  • MomTo3Lovez
    MomTo3Lovez Posts: 800 Member
    bump...so I can read after work at home :)
  • lindabeth333
    lindabeth333 Posts: 130 Member
    good info
  • MelWilB137
    MelWilB137 Posts: 20 Member
    Thanks....whenever I am not seeing the results I would expect, I try to think of what advice I would give someone else. Needless to say, I wish my advice was as good as yours.

    Cheers
  • BraveNewdGirl
    BraveNewdGirl Posts: 937 Member
    Knowledge is power! Awesome post, thank you for sharing this information!
  • bobbimrn
    bobbimrn Posts: 75 Member
    Thanks so much
  • joan111582
    joan111582 Posts: 21 Member
    Bump to read later.
  • KMasz
    KMasz Posts: 2,710 Member
    Great post! very helpful!
  • pistachiopeas
    pistachiopeas Posts: 165 Member
    This is a great post. Thank you! I have a question: sometimes when I go to log a food I have weighed (let's say raw broccoli or plain yogurt), I find that it is almost impossible to find one of those entries that offer the useful "100 g" or "1 g" options. They will often be measurements from a specific package, etc. So I thought I could fix that problem by just entering a new food, and then I'd have it forever, and as time went on, most of what I ate would be logged that way. But that posed another problem: how to figure out how much protein/carbs/fat, etc in a specific food? Is there a website that has this info? Or is that obsessing too much?
  • schondell
    schondell Posts: 556 Member
    Awesome. I avoid asterisks like the plague!
  • Koldnomore
    Koldnomore Posts: 1,613 Member
    bump for later
  • asciiqwerty
    asciiqwerty Posts: 565 Member
    bump for reference
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    This is a great post. Thank you! I have a question: sometimes when I go to log a food I have weighed (let's say raw broccoli or plain yogurt), I find that it is almost impossible to find one of those entries that offer the useful "100 g" or "1 g" options. They will often be measurements from a specific package, etc. So I thought I could fix that problem by just entering a new food, and then I'd have it forever, and as time went on, most of what I ate would be logged that way. But that posed another problem: how to figure out how much protein/carbs/fat, etc in a specific food? Is there a website that has this info? Or is that obsessing too much?

    That should be on the package or on the company website. When I create a food I enter all info as I watch my macros. Just make sure your serving size is per the package nutritional information in grams...

    I have found just changing that in the edit is often enough to make sure the entry is usable instead of it saying 1 serving, I change the serving to the weight on the package or from the USDA website.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Thank you.....this is so helpful!
  • Koldnomore
    Koldnomore Posts: 1,613 Member
    So nice to see that I'm not the only one who is picky about making sure that I log as accurately as possible ;) A couple of thoughts to help some of the people who had asked questions about some of the methods.. sorry for not quoting but it's a PITA on a cell phone.

    Logging bites: if it's something that I made then I have the weight so extrapolating how much a bite was is easy. Just weigh out a "bite sized" portion and divide by the total weight to get the size of the serving. If its a bite of something that has nutrition information, that's easy too. If you aren't good at estimating use the amount for a tablespoon-that's going to be a good size bite. The toughest things to log bites of are items that someone else makes which have no nutrition information. In time you develop a pretty good sense of the value of various things but when you are just starting out it's tough. I'm with the camp that says that if you have no viable way to estimate accurately then it's probably a good idea to just not eat it HOWEVER, I will occasionally use a well thought out "homemade" entry as long as it has weight, and nutrition amounts OR look online for one that does. The last option to log bites is to use the "quick add" (not the best but at least its something). Depending upon what you are taking bites of the calories could be negligible OR in the case of something like granola or nuts, a bite can be a lot of extra calories!

    For those who are confused about logging when eating out at a restaurant which does not provide nutrition information: I will usually find a similar item at another place that does. In most cases you can at least get close.

    The most important thing to remember about logging accurately is to always try to log as completely as possible and as honestly as possible. If you eat it, log it! If you're stuck then ask someone around here how they would do it, there's always a way.
  • Roseyretired
    Roseyretired Posts: 1 Member
    This was a wonderful, informative post. :smile:
  • Anna_Joys_Journey
    Anna_Joys_Journey Posts: 253 Member
    Great info!

    *bump
  • KatyMiriam
    KatyMiriam Posts: 13 Member
    I wish they'd include the asterisks and confirmations on the app version of MFP. I use my phone or iPad to log my food and I hate that I can't see this info there.

    Totally agree, I use my phone so I actually had't actuallly come across the asterix idea until this thread! Would be very handy to have on the mobile apps. Still even without its possible to get pretty accurate results and obviously we all agree what a massive difference it makes! :smile:
  • Alliwan
    Alliwan Posts: 1,245 Member
    Agree - however my own recipes, which I sometimes have labelled homemade are all carefully weighed measured and logged. I check before I make a new batch that I haven't varied the type or quantity of an ingredient. I will also have weighed the total finished product and worked out how much a single serving should weigh. I do not expect anyone else to use or trust that data but the description 'homemade' will appear in my diary.

    This is where I see a lot of ppl getting ripped about 'logging accurately'. I also cook almost exclusively at home, measure all the ingredients, make a recipe and log it accurately into my diary. I've seen others that do the same and then the MFP community rips them for not logging accurately. How is it not accurate if YOU made it yourself? I don't know why people assume that if it says 'homemade' or whatever its a database entry and not a recipe you made. Dumb.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    Agree - however my own recipes, which I sometimes have labelled homemade are all carefully weighed measured and logged. I check before I make a new batch that I haven't varied the type or quantity of an ingredient. I will also have weighed the total finished product and worked out how much a single serving should weigh. I do not expect anyone else to use or trust that data but the description 'homemade' will appear in my diary.

    This is where I see a lot of ppl getting ripped about 'logging accurately'. I also cook almost exclusively at home, measure all the ingredients, make a recipe and log it accurately into my diary. I've seen others that do the same and then the MFP community rips them for not logging accurately. How is it not accurate if YOU made it yourself? I don't know why people assume that if it says 'homemade' or whatever its a database entry and not a recipe you made. Dumb.

    because if you use another person's homemade how do you know it's the same...

    It's not dumb...and I have yet to see anyone get "ripped" for using an entry like that usually it's a suggestion not to use them and then when they say well it's my recipe people are like oh okay.

    For me personally you will never see Homemade - xxxxx in my diary because none of those are my recipes because I don't share mine nor do I name them homemade...because I don't want to clutter up the database with stuff only I will find useful.

    Why would you do that?
  • cweaver1981
    cweaver1981 Posts: 76 Member
    bump...to read later
  • Mygsds
    Mygsds Posts: 1,564 Member
    Thank you so much for your time doing this . Helped a lot..