Am I *too* detailed? (sorta long post, sorry)

wolfchild59

Let me start by saying that I use MFP almost exclusively on my phone, 99.5% of everything I’ve ever done or logged with MFP is via my phone. (until two days ago when I discovered the message boards. lol)

With that said, after reading these boards for these few days I’m starting to feel a bit OCD/obsessive about my logging. There hasn’t been a bite I’ve taken that I haven’t logged in some way or another with the exception of five days on vacation in Mexico last April. Everything from a piece of gum to the spices in every recipe I make is looked up, measured and entered. I only eat something if I know the calories before it goes in my mouth. At parties I’m constantly checking with people to find out the brand names of the foods they’ve bought so I can get as exact as possible on my counts each day and I look everything up before munching it down. If something was homemade and they couldn’t provide me info, I didn’t eat it. I’ve even been known to check the brands of things in my parents fridge when I am entering recipes because I know my mom shops differently than I do.

Actually, from March until about July of last year (save for Mexico), I didn’t eat anything that I didn’t have exact nutritionals on because I wanted everything to be exact. I wouldn’t go to a restaurant unless I could find the nutritional data directly from them or their site and every recipe was calculated out before I would even start making it, at which time everything is precisely measured. It wasn’t until a vacation in July to San Diego with friends that I even went above my base 1200 calories a day for the first time (I wasn’t working out at that time). I didn't have a single binge/cheat day (again, other than Mexico) at all until July. And even in San Diego, there were a few things that I couldn’t find the right info on, so I wrote out the items for each day in a note in my phone so I could look it up later and enter it all, which I did.

And even though since that trip (I reached my largest goal before that trip, which was why I was extra strict with myself about no cheat days) I’ve begun to allow myself the occasional cheat day and over the holidays allowed myself a bit more caloric freedom, I still follow all of the above rules of looking every single thing up first, before I eat it. Even if it’s a food I commonly eat and know the exact calories, I always enter it first, so I’m sure not to forget it and so I see the instant change in my remaining calories. There are times I even map out meals days, or even weeks in advance.

But reading here, it seems like a common theme is that people eat first, track later. Or that not everything they eat gets entered into the log. (just today someone posted an article about how common it is to lie about calories consumed) And I was wondering if that was really the norm, because if so, I'm way outside of the norm. lol

Doing everything above doesn’t stress me out, in fact, I have a lot of fun with the app. Especially when I’m meal planning. I love looking up different foods and seeing how one or the other fits into my day or week. I don’t obsess over the number itself, I just want to make sure that absolutely everything is accounted for since that was the whole reason I downloaded an app to keep track of everything.

But seeing how free and easy most folks here seem to be about it all, I am admittedly starting to get a little self-conscious about the way I log. Does anyone else stay uber-detailed like this on their log or am I being way OCD about this?

kateopotato

I'm like you. Maybe not AS detailed about the spices and a little more easy going on the home made stuff (I always try to err on the side of guessing too many calories for a certain item though)... My boyfriend gets frustrated sometimes and tells me to put the phone down, but now he's starting to track things here too so I think he gets it a little more.

MobiusMan

I read a lot of stress in this post...relax we are pretty much all in the same boat in some fashion or another. Those that aren't are still very helpful and non-judgmental. I too keep exacting logs. It's a function of my slightly OCD and always ADD personality. Rock with what works for you.

christinabgsu

I think if it truly doesn't stress you out and is still fun, you are fine. But that would burn me out!! I have to force myself to *not* be so OCD this time around. Trying to do everything perfectly has been my downfall before. As soon as I would not have one bit of info, I'd feel like it was a lost cause. But if you really are monitoring your emotional state about this and are having fun with the app, do what works for you! And great job on sticking with it for so long!

sue26

I enter every little thing too, and need to know which brand etc. But, saying that, I consider all that to be fun and its the reason that I like the site so much. I even change what I was going to eat for the next meal when i find out how many calories there is in stuff! So I guess i think you are perfectly normal1

california_peach

Except for tracking gum, which I never considered I am pretty much the say way. The only homemade foods I eat are MY homemade foods. 99% of the time I will only eat out at places that have published calories. I do everything in advance or as I eat it. For me I think it is just part of having the phone app and having a laptop. It is always available to me, so I use. Also I am just really driven to make this lifestyle change and that means being aware of what I eat.

If you are OCD then you are not alone.

FabulousFifty

I agree if it isn't stressing you out and you still feel in control, don't sweat it. I was more that way at first and actually more successful with it. I have better days when I plan it out in full in the a.m. But then....life happens! You might want to take at look at yourself if others notice that it is an obsession. Otherwise, keep on keeping on!

VOLume5973

LOL. I enter Sweet n' Low. I try to be as detailed as I can with entering my foods. I think that is very important when working towards your goal.

wpij25

I don't think you are too detailed, I also keep exacting logs...however with the hours I work and the type of work that I do I can not always "log" as I go...I keep my list and have a tendancy to type it in "all at once" halfway through my day, to keep track of my progress.

I can't understand though way anyone would "lie" about their calories/exercise...seems to me like it would defeat the purpose of utilizing this site.

Keep Up The Great Work!!

sarahTV

Since I'm a stay at home mom, I plan my days out right when I log on in the morning, but I always give myself some wiggle room so that if something changes that day, I won't go over. I log everything I eat too, but if it's something complicated (like chicken enchiladas that my husband made tonight) I search for something similar on the site and then leave myself with at least 100 calories at the end of the day to make up for it...tonight I've got 300 left over but I felt like it was a big enchilada. I think it would drive me crazy to spend the time putting all the specific spices in but I don't have the app on my phone and I have 3 kids running around the house so it's not really possible for me to do.

I certainly don't leave food out that I eat...if I have 5 M&M's, they get logged.

Sunny_Skies

You're not being "too" detailed at all! Since it's not stressing you out, you're having fun, and it makes you feel comfortable knowing what's in your food, I say good for you! I also prefer to log everything I eat...there may be times when I eat something very miniscule and don't really know how to log it (like the pieces of mushroom I had tonight) because I know that something like that makes very little difference. If I don't know/can't find the name brand and don't have a copy of it to use, I try to find the closest thing possible. As long it's not affecting other aspects of your life and you enjoy doing this, don't think you're being obsessive at all! Your motivation proves that you are dedicated to making this lifestyle change, and I congratulate you for sticking with it for so long!

Sheltie4

I like to be in control so try to log everything - I lost a lot of weight some years ago and am scared of going back where I was - only want to lose 7 pounds (this time) but an determined not to let it get to 10, or 20, or 50. I do not worry about spices or gum but found myself weighing cucumber at lunchtime - I feel that is a bit OTT - I think it made 2 calories difference. Tonight we are going out for dinner so will be guesstimates and that is fine by me.

I really think whatever works for you is the way to go.