recording calories on bad days

maryrunslikeafox

I just ate SIX chocolate chip cookies which put me about 300 cals over! UGH.. I usually don't go over, but I feel bad about this! However... I LOVE cookies.. a weakness. I am training for a half marathon and today was my "rest" day so I didn't work out at all except playing some wii sports. I usually burn 500-1000 cals while training. I am doing a 9 mile run tomorrow so I don't feel that awful about the excessive cookie eating, but I definitely have some guilt

dconner13

I log every bite. I don't cheat, but I do have days where I allow myself to eat up to maintenance (4x since Jan 4th). Cheating and not logging could very well eliminate my hard earned deficit, why would I not be honest with myself?

Also, since I've been graphing my calorie deficits and weight loss, I'm simply unwilling to screw up what's working great.

That's a good strategy! Your not going over enough to put on what you have worked so hard for and it takes away the guilt a lil bit! I'm stealing it!

charlene77

Ugh, I feel terrible logging if I've gone over, but I do It's a bit of a slap on the face and keeps me honest and accountable.

ashleyjea1985

i used to avoid logging when i went over..


those were the times i was also mad my weight wasnt budging.

i learned if i wanted to lose id have to be honset with myself.. now i log everything

emchamberlain

Can i just bust in here and say that I hate to see people using the terms "good" and "bad" to refer to their eating? Those value judgements don't do anybody any good! YOU are not "good" or "bad" because of what you eat (or weak, undisciplined, lazy, etc, etc.) and repeating the same crap society tells us isn't going to help us get healthy! High-calorie days, maybe?

kwardklinck

It's helpful to know by how much you go over so you can make it up over a few days. I don't always log my cheat meal but sometimes I do just to see how bad I did. Sometimes I'm surprised that it's really not as bad as I thought it was. If I go over by 400 cals, I can just eat a little less and work out a little more for a few days.

kimwig

Log it, learn from it. Otherwise what is the point

Mo120

I log everything too. When I want to eat junk food or fast food, just the idea that I have to log it afterward no matter what makes me want to limit myself, I don't want to see the numbers too high! Plus I like to see with my own two eyes how calories sneak up on me.

After all, logging in everything you eat in a day really makes you aware of what's going on and why you gained weight in the first place, and not logging food would only make me cheat on myself. What's the point of that right! :laugh:

dlaplume2

Yes you need to log everything. It will help you look back and see a patern. Most of the time when people do that (stop logging) they are just going to kill the whole day and use it as an excuse to pig out.
That's what got us overweight to begin with.

Kristie18

I think it is important to log bad days even more than the good. I used to not log when I was unhappy about what I ate, but this time...I LOG IT ALL! It keeps me accountable.

EmilyJ1979

I log no matter what....makes me think twice about whether I really want to eat something.

dzilobommo

Remember it's not the individual days that will make or break your diet, but your ability to be honest with yourself over a period of time.

The MFP iPhone app shows your average daily calories over the course of a week - so on days when I am over, I take comfort from knowing that on average, I can still be under my limit - just need to plan a bit of exercise to make up for the extra calories.

I find that with some planning, I can accommodate indulgent meals quite easily, even into a 1200 kcal limit - on days like this, I just eat less for breakfast/lunch and plan more exercise. And if I'm still over...then I remind myself that I didn't put the weight on in one day, and it's the long term that matters!

JuliBiGoolee

I think its important to log everything that goes in your mouth. Especially drinks...this is where calories can really creep up. I also think allowing yourself ONE cheat meal a week keeps me from overindulging here and there during the week. Knowing I have one meal to be naughty keep me on track during the week, by the time I get to my cheat meal I often still keep it reasonable because I don't want to undo all my hard work the past 6 days. Also, on days where dieting just isn't happening (Super Bowl, great example) I use the "food notes" function on MFP phone app and write "cheat meal" or "super bowl" ect.

sabcooke

Yes I log all the time I want to be true to myself and MFP and if I do have a bad day I make sure I am good for rest of week to balance it out!!

h64em

Log everything! That way if you have an "off" day you can see how many calories over you are and adjust your intake or exercise for the rest of the week. Its surely the weekly goal that matters the most, not the daily one?



Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter

melsinct

I have been logging the good, bad, and ugly. If I have an off day due to circumstances (dinner out, drinks, etc etc) I need to hold myself accountable for that and it drives me to make better choices. Plus, if a month from now I am not losing weight. I could look back in my diary and realize what I did to sabotage myself!

ladybg81

I log everything. I'm afraid if I don't, I'll go right back and I do not want to do this. This for me is a lifestyle change so I have to be accountable no matter what.

FearAnLoathing

The way I feel for myself is what am I even here for if im not going to log it.so i try to log everything that goes in my mouth........lol

jenrios23

I log everything I eat no matter what the outcome will be. If I went over tomorrow is a new day and you start over. At least then you see what you should not have eaten.

cccathyyy

I definitely log my bad days, it helps me realize that when I don't reach my goals it's probably one of those times that I slipped and had a bad day or meal. It doesn't mean that tomorrow is not a brand new day.

edryer123

I tend to log everything and maybe over estimate when I eat out at a place that is local if they don't have the nutrition out. As for "bad" days I log them too just so I can see how over my calorie count I went so that I know how many extra calories I need to burn. For SuperBowl weekend and the Daytona 500 weekend we usually have family get togethers and those were my really off days for the month. Also I logged it as the day went so I stayed on top of it and it helped me curb my tendency to snack blindly.