Log For Life?!

seltzermint555

Lots of people say just writing what you eat down, even if you aren't counting calories, keeps you more accountable because you feel bad if you ate 2 cheesburgers, a jumbo fry and a extra large milk shake.

Eh I dunno...maybe using the paper type of food journal does work for some people and that's great. For me it didn't. I wrote down everything I ate in a paper journal for about 5-6 months prior to joining MFP, and it mostly just helped me justify my diet as being healthy/moderate. For example, a breakfast of cereal, piece of fruit, sandwich for lunch, and tacos for dinner with an iced coffee...that could easily be a 1400 calorie day or a 2700 calorie day depending on your choices (cheesy panini from a restaurant vs homemade sandwich, iced coffee with sweetener & splash of milk vs iced blended mocha, etc). I felt like I was just "proving" how well I ate, especially when there would be at least 3-4 different vegetables in each day's entry. During that time I think I lost 3 lb, and I had 100 lb to lose. I didn't really grasp the concept of calories though because my mind was clouded with people saying fruits & veggies are "free foods" on WW and stuff like that...I needed the black and white numbers in front of me to really get it.

Unfortunately OP I don't have any helpful advice though. Like some others have said, I log every day but don't give it too much power over my thoughts and it's become as natural to me as brushing my teeth or showering...just part of what I do. Honestly after being 307 lb at one point and 175 when I weighed in this morning, I am prepared to do whatever is necessary to stay healthier and leaner, and if that means logging with MFP or future sites, apps, etc...I'll do it.

CA_Underdog

So, you've heard it again--like brushing your teeth. Where does your process and mine differ?

I can safely say i drove my boyfriend bonkers

I suspect this bit is key--when I go out to eat, it's transparent to my company that just before bed I'm going to brush my teeth, floss, and log what I ate. What exactly drove your boyfriend crazy? When, just before bed you said, "Give me 20 minutes to check my e-mail and log my day and I'll be right up?"

countscalories

Logging food on MFP requires less physical exertion than lifting a fork.

CatWhispererrrr

I can safely say i drove my boyfriend bonkers

I suspect this bit is key--when I go out to eat, it's transparent to my company that just before bed I'm going to brush my teeth, floss, and log what I ate. What exactly drove your boyfriend crazy? When, just before bed you said, "Give me 20 minutes to check my e-mail and log my day and I'll be right up?"
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Less about the logging and more about the problem I had enjoying the foods we would normally enjoy together without me having to mention how many calories it is, and how many stairs I will have to climb the next day to work off an indulgence. You can't very well enjoy a night out with bread and wine and steak when one person wont shut up about calories! Just sayin, it can be a buzzkill!

Since I have stopped logging, I have not gained... yet. But I feel like it may creep up soon. So I think I will have to log again until I can be accountable! Thanks everyone, these tips and advice are very helpful!

elisa123gal

You're are doing great if you made it two months without logging and maintained.

I've seen peole on here logging t the end of the day. That way you can see what you did and be mindful the next day..but not obesseed with planning and logging all day.

doctorregenerated

It seems that people who have never had a challenge with weight never have to log. It may be because food is just not that interesting to them or they just naturally don't overeat. My husband is like that. He will eat a meal that is absolutely delicious but not finish it because he is full. Then he will forget to eat the next meal. If someone gives him ice cream or cake he will eat the whole thing without blinking. But he will never gain weight because most of his existence is not spent eating or thinking about snacks, food, or tasty things.
He'll never have to log.
Me, however....if there is a great meal, I will eat the entire thing past the point of pain. If there are leftovers, I will eat them because I hate waste. If I am stressed, I will turn to food. This is my default behavior. I can change it like a habit, but that requires constant vigilance. My default behavior - the place where I am most comfortable is always going to be eating too much. Even after the weight is lost, there is always that monster waiting in the darkness for me to open the cage door.
I will always have to log.

beckyjeanleemaddox

If MFP still exists, and I can still type, I'm a lifer. I enjoy it and it helps me to be accountable to myself. I don't stress out about it though but I guess I'm obsessed b/c I don't want to go back to weighing 227 lbs.

logg1e

I'm thinking of having a "thermostat level". Weigh-in once a day and if I'm over X weight then I log that day with a calorie deficit. If I'm under, I don't worry about it.

Alternatively, something that worked for me in the past was to "be on the diet" Sunday until Friday evening and then "off the diet" Friday evening until Saturday night. That worked for ages.

cuckoo_jenibeth

The vast majority of the time, I prelog my entire day at once. Some days, like today, will be unknown until we arrive at event, but most are not. I log the day as I enjoy my morning coffee!

aligatorwww

Most weight loss plans start with advising to use a journal to be more aware of how much you are eating. Also, I know if I'm not logging, I'm not being very good!

CA_Underdog

without me having to mention how many calories it is, and how many stairs I will have to climb the next day to work off an indulgence. You can't very well enjoy a night out with bread and wine and steak when one person wont shut up about calories!

I can see how that would be no fun. I ate out with colleagues at a sushi restaurant last week. This is the degree to which I thought of nutrition for each course: "Drinks--water or tea are calorie-free.", "Appetizers: The soup's salty, the salad's drenched in dressing, so focus on the neglected edamame." , "Main Course: ---", "Seconds: Am I really hungry?" I didn't know the calorie counts of the food. That was for figuring out later when I got home and it was time to log. I don't punish myself with exercise. I enjoy it whenever I can.

Perhaps you could enlist the help of your boyfriend to remind you not to obsess about food? I'm thinking out loud here, but maybe each time he catches you talking about or stressing about food minutae outside your 20 minutes for logging, he gets to feed you three M&Ms as a reminder not to sweat the little things.

aurorareigns

Chances are I'll be logging for life (or at least a long time) because I'm recovering from an eating disorder and if I don't long then I don't eat.

FitOldMomma

Just being mindful (and honest with yourself) about what you are consuming each day is the secret to maintaining a healthy weight.

I don't think it would require exact calorie counting of every single bite, but it would keep you mindful of what you truly are eating each day.

So, if you were to have a meal out with friends and you know you ate more than what you normally would- you'd be mindful that perhaps your next meal could be a bit lower in calories.

Dianemarie65

I think with everything in life somethings can become too stressful. Logging my intake helps me to be more watchful of what I am putting in my mouth. I still have days when I overeat but overall it does help me to stay on track. I am 10 lbs heavier this Summer than what I was last Summer. I can still fit in my size 6 shorts and am content about that. Last year I was compulsive about my weight loss. This year I am a few lbs more than I want to be but it's not the end of the world. You should do what is best for you. If logging your calories is too stressful than find another way to keep track of your intake. For me if I don't log my calories I would be in trouble. I just started using MFP for food logging and it has a huge database of foods. It's much better than the other site I use to be on. Good luck to you on your journey to stay healthy.

hilts1969

I haven't logged for ages(maybe 10 months or so) i weigh myself once a week and have a limit to my weight, if i hit it i may look again but after a while i just know if i am overeating, i have weighed between 168-175 since last year, i did measure myself last month which i should have done earlier and will check this every 6 months or so

Logging everyday once you have reached your goal seems a bit sad really, if it is a lifestyle change then there is no need

keefmac

I seem to be lucky, not logged calories but still lost weight (by eying up portions).

Alchohol was definitely the biggest gainer for me!.

If you're not hungry for your next meal by mealtims you've eaten too much imho.

BigGuy47

"Forever" and "For life" are long times.

Really long times.

Logging for Life? No thanks. I'd rather wing it.

CatWhispererrrr

Logging everyday once you have reached your goal seems a bit sad really, if it is a lifestyle change then there is no need

Funny -- that's sort of how I feel! Once you learn the way to eat and portion control properly, logging should be optional. I sort of figured when I started logging, it would help me understand, and learn how many calories are in what, portion sizing, and even macros. More of a learning tool than a life long thing. Seems as though everyone is different and will have a different plan of attack!

joolzsd

I think the issue here is not about logging, but about your obsession with talking about it. For example, I went out to dinner last night with my boyfriend. He knows I'm trying to stay on plan and make healthy choices, and he asked if I was finding something on the menu that would work. I told him what I was ordering, and that was it. I logged it when I had a moment later in the evening. I don't even knows if he knows that I log everything, honestly.

As for logging for life - I quit when I reached my goal two years ago. And I regained 40 lbs. This time around, I'm back to logging again, but I also have taken a nutrition seminar at my gym and I have better guidelines on how to time my meals and allocate carbs throughout the day, and focusing on eating more cleanly - and it helps me stay on track on days where I don't have access to log in real time.

Yeah, logging every day can be annoying sometimes, but so is doing dishes and cleaning the bathroom. If this is part of maintaining my body & health, I think that's probably at least as important as maintaining my house. Once I reach my goal (again) I am planning to continue to log. Maybe I will skip days here and there, but I learned the hard way that it's the best way to keep myself accountable.

wgaue

I've a couple of friends that have been maintaining their weight for several years. The one thing they have in common, they still "log" everything. They both keep a notebook of sorts with them, and write everything down. Seems to help