2 TIPS For Newbies

WonderNoodle

I notice a lot of my newbie friends wait until the end of the day to log their food and are sometimes disappointed to see what it all adds up to.

If you HAVE access to MFP via pc or phone throughout the day, log it before are at least after you eat it/drink it. Keeping on top of where you stand calorie-wise keeps you mindful of what you will consume later.

If you DON'T have access to MFP throughout the day, keep a scratch pad in your purse, at your desk, wherever. Keep a running total of your calories so you again, know where you stand and will make more mindful choices.

SECOND....if you see multiple of the same item in the food database, use the one with the most "confirmations". This means other users have checked the label and agree it's accurate. Check your own label when you select a food from the database.

If another user has entered a "ham sandwich with mayo", take the time to enter it yourself. Use your label info for your bread, meat, cheese, veg, mayo, etc. The nice thing about MFP is once you've logged all those components, you can click Quick Tools and "Remember Meal"! Name it "My Sammy"....or whatever and you can use it over an over again!.

Hope this helps a few peeps! :drinker:

kblamo

Thanks for the tips! Sometimes I add something before I eat it to see what it would look like with what I've already had and decide from there based on what I will have left for the rest of the day. Often times I take it right back off and find something else, or just have water!

LokiFae

If you have time, try to plan your day the night before. That's the best tip I can give. It really really works for me to take the 15 minutes, map out my food, and then go to bed without having to think about it anymore. Then the next morning when I wake up, I know that I'll be having a scrambled egg and toast or yogurt with granola and I can just eat instead of fret about what to eat.

vivjay67

I use MFP on my phone all day. It helps me decide on my evening meal based on how many calories I have left by then. I also have an exercise bike in my lounge so if I want to eat something that is say 400 calories for my tea but only have about 350 left - I'll go on the bike for 20 mins to burn up the extra calories so I can have my 400 calorie tea!!

darthgymrat67

That's about what I do. I check the calories first, see where I am, then decide if I want to consume it. I have already discovered that I was consuming anywhere from 1000-2000 calories more than I am now on a daily basis and was wondering why the exercise wasn't paying off. This app is absolutely awesome!!

WonderNoodle

smart choices ladies!

scott24

I log my breakfast in the morning - and then everything I'm packing for the day in terms of lunch, snacks (yes, I used the plural form - several apples/nutrition bar/cheese/veggies) and drinks. I guess that's why the work week is so much easier for me than the weekend. This way I am relatively locked in and can ponder my options for dinner well in advance, also making allowances for a special dinner of sorts if it comes up. Definitely agree that end-of-day logging can be demoralizing!! Good luck to all!!