Is this ok for now?

Leah_62803

You all know I just (re)started a few days ago here. When I first started posting I wasn't doing anything different and I was just trying to psych myself up to start.
The past couple of days I've been doing better. I've not been gorging myself with food every meal. I've been eating smaller portions and looking for little ways to be more active.

I don't want to log my food and exercise right now. Is that ok? For some reason it really intimidates me. I just don't know how to accurately do it. My sister lost weight using WW and talked me into trying that but it was a waste of money for me. It was easy for her because she doesn't cook so she was eating out or eating prepackaged meals. That stuff is easy to log. I don't really know how people log regular homemade dinners. Maybe I'm just being dumb but it seems hard to me.

So for now, do you think it's ok if I just focus on my portions and making healthier choices? Maybe I can start logging food and exercise eventually.

tiggsnanny

I have to log everything, otherwise I would eat the contents of my kitchen cupboards :laugh: if you're good at judging portion size, I think it should be ok.

tiggsnanny

oooops pressed the post button too soon lol

I just weigh everything i'm eating, it's a bit time consuming sometimes, but it works for me, good luck xx

paperpudding

Home made dinners: I just weigh each item as I dish it up, my plate is on the scale and I tare between meat, potato, the next veg etc.

If it is a thing like a casserole that has all ingredients mixed together, I log them as I put them into cooking pan,use recipe builder to record total, and then record my serving.

Cerakoala

You have to do what is going to work for you Not logging my food does not work for me. I either stay the same or gain weight. It is important to know what we are putting into our body and sometimes logging it is a big eye opener The more you start the logging the easier it will become As far as homeade meals they have a great recipe builder on here that I put all the ingredients in and it calculates the calories for me Best of luck

Dean_IsStayinLean

You cannot improve what you don't measure. It's intimidating at first, but MFP makes it easier to log over time.

N3bolt

I know it's intimidating! Just getting the guts to get up on that scale alone makes me cringe but... its worth it in the long run. I started the same way thinking "baby steps", but quickly realized that there was no sustainable impact and then I started measuring my intake and output. At first it felt like nothing was happening then all of the sudden one pound clicked off... then another... then... Tell yourself that it's for you and you alone, your calculations are entries are private but everyone will notice the great results.

Snip8241

Try to be accountable...whatever that means....
I have to log exercise and food because it keeps me on track.

scottkjar

Under the FOOD Tab, you can select RECIPES. Just enter your recipe, and MFP will calculate the calories and macronutrients. Then enter your serving size, and you can now track it. That will make it easier for you in the long run.

TavistockToad

If you don't want to count calories, no ones going to make you... Do whatever you want!

SherryTeach

Look at it this way: is your attitude toward all new skills to not practice them because you don't know how?

yellowsnowdrop

You gotta do what you gotta do. If it isn't right for you then it's not gonna work. personally i just weigh and measure EVERYTHING and mostly log it before I eat it, nothing that hasn't been weighed or measured goes into my mouth.That works for me but NOT for everyone, do whatever you can to be healthier and that includes NOT getting stressed over wether what you're doing is right or not.

Salford_IT_Help

I'm new to MFP but quite organized so will explain what I do in case this helps.

LOGGING HOME COOKING

1) While cooking I keep a pen and paper and electronic scales to hand. Therefore I can use calories on the packet (per 100g) x weight in grams / 100. Some times it's easier as it says 1/2 tin is X calories. While it's simmering I do the maths to find the calories per ingredient and Total calories for the recipe.

2) When I've finished cooking I weight the 'Curry' or 'Chilli'. If it's 3kg I figure ~ 6 x 500 g portions and use Aluminium Foil Containers with lids from Tesco's (10 for £1.50) and portion up say 100 g of rice and 500g of curry. About 600g fits in a container. Or weigh it directly onto a plate or bowl.

3) I take the total calories for the dish and divide it by the portions I've made. 2000 Kcal / 5 = 400 Kcal. Add this to 'My Foods' and add a portion to my diary each time I eat that dish.

NB The calculation of total recipe calories can take 5 - 10 minutes it ~ 10 - 15 ingredients. But this is just done once for ~ 5 or 6 meals. These are also ideal to freeze or take as lunches to work.

The thing I have realised after doing this a few times is that for vegetable and pulse based recipes a big bowl with 100g of rice is 400 - 500 KCal for ~ (500g+100g) big bowl of curry and rice. With chicken, pulse, veg meals with 100g of rice a big bowl is ~ 500 - 600 Kcal.

If you just went with 1 Kcal per gram, where you've added no fat (Ghee or Oil) that would be reasonable for veg and carbs and lean protein based recipes. If one ingredient is high fat (Beef, Oil etc) just add that separately to the diary.

I sincerely hope this helps.

All the best.


Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Nutrition Facts For Foods

eslcity

I personally not a stickler for exact measurements as some MFP people are... I do a little weighing... here and there... when i'm not sure about the size...... but mainly I just make educated guesses... but that is after a lot of practice... (however, i do log in every... to keep track of the food i eat)

I mainly use MFP to remind me to eat better like today I ate pizza... and i found myself thinking to myself... Do I really want to have my MFP friends see me log in that I ate 4 piece of pizza so i ate only 2 pieces

I also use it to remind me to exercise... since I really feel guilty as hell...if i don't log in some type of exercise every day so if i haven't done something i find myself riding my bike or going for a walk at the end of the day... so it doesn't go blank....

Maybe you can use MFP in this way for a while or until you find a more comfortable way for you.... however, know that no one way is right or wrong.. as long as you see results...

--ms

QuietBloom

Look at it this way: is your attitude toward all new skills to not practice them because you don't know how?

^This. I'm willing to bet that you will be posting in 2 weeks wondering why you haven't lost any weight.

doctorregenerated

What is the true reason you are afraid to log?
My guess is that there are two reasons:
1. You are afraid to see what you are actually eating
2. You want to keep an emergency exit available in case:
a. you fail at losing weight
b. you want to eat more without someone - or something in this case - judging you

Figure out why you are afraid to go 'all in.' If you don't address it, that same reason will be your undoing.

sensitivefool

I would highly suggest logging your food. I'm just starting myself and I've found it to be an incredible tool. If you're concerned with accuracy then you could get a food scale. It doesn't have to be perfect and you can set it (your log) so that only you see it. I highly suggest you use this tool.

CommittedAndMotivated

Whew! I am so glad that you asked this question. There is a lot of excellent advice here. I officially stared yesterday. I was not going to log my food but my daughter encouraged me to try it for a week and see if I wanted or "needed" to do it. I was surprised at what I ate and what I didn't eat. I am only speaking for myself. I am going to make the changes necessary to achieve my 85 pound weight loss. Someone already stated this I believe, but they said: you can't change what you don't acknowledge. I am an artist and I don't like being constrained by details...but if what it takes is close examination through logging my life habits, then that is what I will do. I cannot, I will not continue down this road burying myself alive in flesh. Life is too short and precious. I only worked out yesterday because I told myself that I was going to log in. It took me all day and a lot of self talk to get on my bike and go for a ride. It was wonderful!
Again, thank you for asking the question that I was thinking about. I wish you the best of luck; see you at the finish/new beginning line!

Leah_62803

*sigh*

Ok, I'll try it. I guess it's free so it's not like I'll be wasting money like I did on WW. Is the recipe builder thing new? I don't remember that from last time I tried this.

There was no secret reason why I didn't want to log my food. Lol. It's not that I was in denial, or didn't want to be accountable, or wanted an excuse not to lose, or whatever else. It really was as simple as not wanting to spend the time adding up all the ingredients one by one in the tracker.
Thank you to everyone who suggested the recipe builder! I'll give that a try.

missmaex

As someone who comes and goes a bit with logging, for that exact reason of the time and remembering to do it, I suggest just logging for a week to give it a shot.
At the least, it will give you an idea of how your average diet adds up and if your idea of what you are eating is right. If it is, then you may not need to log anyway, and if it isn't, you will know what you need to work on. Then go work on that for a bit, come back in a month, and do the same to check out your adjustments.

Leah_62803

Thanks. I do like the idea that logging everything will make me more accountable for everything I put in my mouth. Like last night I didn't think my dinner seemed "bad" but everything added up to more calories than I thought.

My laziness in logging should end up helping me in some ways. Like at work when someone brings snacks, if I don't feel like trying to log it then don't eat it!