Does anyone NOT track their food intake?

MeanderingMammal

On days I've decided to treat myself, I don't track. That is once a week or once every 10 days.

LOL I thought I was cheating myself because I do this too...then I see people here saying they log everything even when they are over eating...

without information how can one make an informed choice? whilst I'm not particularly religious about tracking (I don't go to competing websites and smash their windows etc) I do try to track in general terms as it helps me understand what's happening.

albayin

On days I've decided to treat myself, I don't track. That is once a week or once every 10 days.

LOL I thought I was cheating myself because I do this too...then I see people here saying they log everything even when they are over eating...

without information how can one make an informed choice? whilst I'm not particularly religious about tracking (I don't go to competing websites and smash their windows etc) I do try to track in general terms as it helps me understand what's happening.

I just wanted to clarify I meant to say those days of treating myself...I do track too, but sometimes in those days I tend not to...

GiveMeCoffee

Let's see I got really fat because I didn't track my intake, I spent 5-10 minutes a day now track what I'm eating and have dropped 105 lbs. Think 10 minutes of my day is worth it.

Also what is hardcore tracking? Even if I eat lots in a day that might take 15 minutes...

MeanderingMammal

I just wanted to clarify I meant to say those days of treating myself...I do track too, but sometimes in those days I tend not to...

Understood, it's all about trends and what has a known effect. I tend to not worry too much i I'm over or under goal, as long as I'm about right or under on a weekly basis.

albayin

I read a few blogs about food tracking. Quite a few suggest keeping a food journal, not caloric tracking necessarily but simply write down what you eat every day, then evaluate it over time to see how you are doing. If counting number gets into you, maybe try something like this for a few days to see how it goes? It still records a story of your doing but perhaps takes some stress out of your mind...

ChrysalisCove

I track religiously & plan to continue doing so even once I reach maintenance. I have a history of ED so it is important for me to ensure I am eating neither too MUCH nor too LITTLE. I also log to track my macros so that I can get a better idea of what types of deficiencies trigger overeating or certain cravings for my body.

cwolfman13

I maintained for 11 months without tracking and had no issues...I've tried to do a cut without tracking and it just doesn't work for me as I just naturally tend towards maintenance calories based on my energy levels and the way I feel. I'm in a small cut right now so I'm tracking, but I'm only logging during the week. I don't log weekends as I don't really worry about those couple of days...largely due to the fact that I have my long ride on Saturdays and I can consume upwards of 3200 calories and still be in a 500 calorie deficit position.

Teenie71

That's a funny question to ask on a site that's made for calorie counting.

Plenty of people have successful weight loss without calorie counting, without MFP, etc. With that said, most of the "I stopped losing weight" threads are from folks that either stopped logging or are not logging accurately. If it works for you, fantastic. If not, keep logging.

I dont track anymore. And this is NOT just a calorie counting site. There are blogs, groups to join, etc...

tinavflynn

I always track my breakfast and lunch, and usually any snacks in between. However, I have a hard time tracking dinner. By the end of the day I get lazy and just don't feel like it. I know this isn't the best way to go about it, but I've still lost weight. I make sure to exercise almost daily, so that probably combats any extra calories. Plus I try to leave a minimum of 1000 calories for dinner, not including the calories I earned from exercising. So I usually have roughly 1100 to 1400 calories for dinner after having added my exercise calories.

I hope this helps. I know it's best to track as much as you can, but sometimes you have to do what's best for you.

psychicmedium26

That's a funny question to ask on a site that's made for calorie counting.

Plenty of people have successful weight loss without calorie counting, without MFP, etc. With that said, most of the "I stopped losing weight" threads are from folks that either stopped logging or are not logging accurately. If it works for you, fantastic. If not, keep logging.

I dont track anymore. And this is NOT just a calorie counting site. There are blogs, groups to join, etc...

I agree that its NOT just a calorie counting website and I use it for various reasons. Again appreciate everyones input.

tennisdude2004

I don't track and never have. If you've got a good idea of portion size I'd say give it a try. If you see results keep going, if you don't then re-evaluate the counting.

There's no time limits on MFP - only the ones we set ourselves. Have play around with it.

Good luck

chrisdavey

I tried Eat Stop Eat without tracking. (2 24hr fasts per week)

Turns out I can eat too much if I want to :laugh:

Ended up gaining a bit over 2 months of that experiment. (Not the worst thing in the world by the way, as you shouldn't lose weight indefinitely )

Holly_Roman_Empire

That's a funny question to ask on a site that's made for calorie counting.

Plenty of people have successful weight loss without calorie counting, without MFP, etc. With that said, most of the "I stopped losing weight" threads are from folks that either stopped logging or are not logging accurately. If it works for you, fantastic. If not, keep logging.

I dont track anymore. And this is NOT just a calorie counting site. There are blogs, groups to join, etc...

I agree that its NOT just a calorie counting website and I use it for various reasons. Again appreciate everyones input.

Never said it was ONLY a calorie counting website... :huh:

The_1_Who_Knocks

On days I've decided to treat myself, I don't track. That is once a week or once every 10 days.

LOL I thought I was cheating myself because I do this too...then I see people here saying they log everything even when they are over eating...

If I've decided it is a treat day, I don't want to be sweating the calorie count. No matter how bad I am on a treat day, it's not anything that can't be undone in a few days of being good.

monicapatituccijones

I'm not hardcore about it. I've been doing this for long enough that I can keep track of calories in my head for the most part. I generally eat one of the same three things for breakfast, and lunch of often leftovers from the night before. I input those things because they are already in my meals, and then eyeball the rest. It works for me.

Jenn070608

I do not track calories anymore. I did MFP about 3 years ago and lost over 30 lbs. The calorie counting became too much like work for me. Within 1 year I gained back all, plus another 10. Truth is, I know I won't count calories forever, so this time I am just learning to eat the right foods. I am making this a life change, not a diet.

MFP is still a great tool because I like to track my weight and exercise.

astartig

If I eat out I tend not to track for the day, generally because I really have no clue what to put in. the kinds of places I eat out are not places that are large enough to have a calorie count on their meals.

I'll probably keep tracking even once I get to maintenance because I've realized how easy it is to underestimate what you've eaten.

Rocbola

I usually only track when i change something up. Since i eat mostly low calorie density food, i really don't need to track. If i eat what i want, within the types of foods that i eat now (mostly fruit and veg), i eat just about exactly what MFP says i should to lose weight. Usually around 2100-2300 Cal/day.

hkristine1

I track pretty carefully 90% of the time... the other 10%, I let go so long as I'm still on the downward trend, weight-wise. I get really frustrated when trying to track when I eat out at non-chain restaurants, where I can't find nutrition info on the internet. So, I do my best but don't really worry about it those days.

I also don't weigh/measure my food - but I think I generally try to over-estimate the size of what I'm eating so that I'm "safe" within my calorie allotment.

devil_in_a_blue_dress

Why would you be on this website if not to track food?

Track work outs? Log weight/measurements?


I do not track all the time, depends on what my goals are at the time.

wordpainter09

I vary, sometimes I track, sometimes I don't. I find I can maintain quite well without tracking, although I tend to keep rough count in my head that turns out to be accurate when I put it into MFP. If I really want to tighten up and lose, I usually need to track, if only to better observe my patterns and see where I can cut that I don't care as much about.
I think it depends on what it means to you. For someone with an ED past, tracking can be triggering and difficult, bring up body image issues, etc. For another person it may be just data that helps with their weight loss. It's different for everyone. If it's becoming a burden to you there's probably another way (intuitive eating, food journaling on paper, etc)

losingw8now

I tracked regularly for first 3 months. That gave me a great guide to learn about portion sizes, restaurant meal calorie counts, etc. After a while I felt like you - I just wanted to focus on other things throughout my day and not constantly focus on counting calories. And it takes me much longer than 10 min a day (like someone responded on here) to log my foods. I too, get frustrated at not finding things in the log, or finding so many of the same things with different info that causes me to have to go to websites of the foods and look up the correct and enter it, etc. Very tiresome! And I am not one to eat the same foods often, so they are not on my recent logs.

I think once you get used to what sizes are for portions, measuring, etc. and used to the amount you can eat daily without logging, you can stop and use the website for getting and giving support, tracking weight, etc. If you find yourself gaining weight, you would obviously know that you need to go back to logging. I had stopped for a while and just went on maintenance because I wanted to focus on other things than every thing that goes into my mouth. If you feel that way, it's better to take a break, than keep pushing yourself until you give up completely! Anything that will keep you trying to stay on track and not giving up is what you need to do. Yes, everyone's weight loss journey is their own.

George_Baileys_Ghost

I don't any more. I've lost just a smidge over 60 pounds over the last year, and I'd say the first 3/4's of it was done while counting, but I've been able to consistently keep losing without it. Some can do it, some can't. Try it for a bit and if your weight doesn't fluctuate more than a pound or two, then you should be okay. Just keep an eye on it and be willing to go back to counting if you need to.

Some of you people are so precious.

"This site was designed for counting calories and as we all know, you can never use anything for any other purpose than that for which it was expressly designed. Because them's the rules we just made up!"

saf1040

I just estimate. Works well for me.

KingofWisdom

I've lost ten pounds so far, all from exercising (I was sedentary prior to this) and making better choices in some cases. I do try to pick healthier stuff to eat and I keep calories in mind, but I don't count any of it. It's partly that I don't do the cooking and it seems like it would be a hassle to have everything calculated and partly that I just want to live my life. Counting calories just doesn't appeal to me. I just sorta figured it out as I went along. I started with a 1.5 mile walk 4-5 times a week and have since kept readjusting the distance to increase my weekly losses. Now I'm walking 3.2 miles 4-5 times a week. It seems to be working. Haven't gained back any weight. Still a ways off, though. I actually joined MFP to keep track of my progress as well as to participate in the forum. Reading topics on here actually helped a lot in giving me the motivation I needed to recommit to bettering my health. I also really like the tickers. :laugh:

arainiday1

i have to track..... thats what works for me. i started right after valentines day and am down 12.4 so far. it only works for me and keeps me accountable for what im doing if i track it all. otherwise i will lie to myself and it won't work. i can't speak for anyone but me but i HAVE to track. thats what brought me here :drinker: good luck.

Iwishyouwell

I do not track. None of the weight loss reflected in this ticker was done under any tracking program.

psychicmedium26

I do not track. None of the weight loss reflected in this ticker was done under any tracking program.

Wow great job on your loss!

Iwishyouwell

Thank you!