Whose Life Plan does NOT include logging?

ashlayyy

IM 23 I DONT PLAN ON LOGGING ALL THE TIME EITHER.. BUT THIS HAS REALLY HELPED ME WITH CALORIES SINCE I HAVE STARTED MY DIET.. ESPECIALLY WHEN I GO OUT TO EAT,I JUST LOOK ON THE MENU AND USE THIS APP TO SEE HOW MANY CALORIES ARE IN WHAT I AM WANTING TO EAT... IT REALLY HELPS JUST TRY IT!!!

NPetrakis

When i encounter a meal away from home such as with family or a restaurant that doesn't exactly fit into the system, I just break it down. You know if you had some meat, some mash, assume butter and salt. Or just wing it from something close on the list. The point being, this isn't an exact science so much as it is a change of behavior and a new discipline.

If you expect to eat there again, make it a recipe and store it

If you're diet aware in terms of when and how much is going in and you're aware of the benefits of activity and a healthy approximate calorie deficit, then results will be realized. Stressing over each calorie is unnecessary. I'm sure I'll encounter a flame to the contrary but it doesn't help to obsess over the counter, that isn't quality of life.

If you've been following this site for just say 4 weeks and logged honestly, then you've changed your behavior for the better.
Just keep rolling on.

PetitePerfection

I'm a lifetime logger for sure:) i've been logging for the past year and a half and i have never been overweight. I just do it because I for some reason find it interesting...i guess im weird like that but its probably actually because im working on recovering from an eating disorder. but even before having an ed, i logged....i just got carried away but im doing much better now, all thanks to the wonderful, encouraging people on this website that are focused on being HEALTHY not just skinny but i think i'll always log to make sure i'm getting enough nutrients etc...

Lyadeia

I don't think that I will be logging for the rest of my life, but for right now, it really helps me to see what the calorie and macro content will look like depending on the foods that I eat. As it is now, I am able to plan out a day's worth of foods using my recipes with no issue. I would like to keep that up until I am able to do this with "surprises" like going out to eat.

I plan on getting to the point where I am maintaining, and then getting a better feel for making food choices without logging, and then just tapering off until I can do it on my own. I don't think I will ever deactivate my account though, just in case I need to come back.

SDkitty

I don't plan on logging every calorie for ever but I also found that a lot of things that I didn't think were that high in calories before ended up shocking the heck out of me when I started logging things.

When it comes to meals where I just have no idea what the content is I just log it as best as I can or just skip it and make a note of it on that day's log so I know I most likely went over. I work for progress rather than perfection.

Johnny_Castle

If you take your fitness and weight seriously you need to log. By seriously I mean like professional bodybuilders, models, etc or serious fitness enthusiasts...do you think they just eat whatever they want? No, they log every single calorie they eat. Their diet and exercise is under extreme control.
Now if u want to lose weight, it helps to count calories accurately so you know what works and what doesn't and have a benchmark for how many calories you need until you get to your goal weight...
After that, again if you're really serious you will keep logging to maintain otherwise you'll go back to where you were before.
It all depends on how serious you are ...If you want an okay body you may not need to do all these things. If you want to build and maintain an extremely impressive body you'll have to log.

NPetrakis

I'll agree with Johnny_castle there. The logging should be dictated by a goal.

shakybabe

Could have sworn I'd already answered this but can't find my reply!

In the beginning I logged and worked out cals for everything, since I've discovered I lose faster on gluten free/low carb and roughly how many cals I eat in lunches and dinners with no potato, rice, pasta, bread etc and it rarely goes over my cal allowance I don't bother now if I'm having something I already know won't go over.

I exercise and don't log that either but I do allow 'treat' that day, but don't eat back all my exercise calories and this seems to be working for me so far.... soon as it stops working I'll try and come up with something else to shake things up, but lost 21 lbs so far this way.

KavemanKarg

The more weight I lose, the more I realize calories do not matter nearly as much as avoiding the foods that spike my hunger and my blood sugar.

Since using MFP I have been consistently over my calories, some days by a thousand or more, and have still lost weight consistently. Now I am sure someone who doesn't know a thing about me is going to chime in that I have a high metabolism, but I can assure you I do not. In fact, on the wrong foods, as described above, I will gain weight easily even eating the "right amount" of calories.

I have stopped logging recently, and really only worried about excessive carbs when I did. I may spot check now and then to see what my average daily carb load is.

pnieuw

I logged everything for about six months, until I had met my goal and I was into maintaining my weight for about two months. I rarely log now. Some days I do if I want to check a day's worth of food, but as long as my weight stays withing a few pounds of my end goal, and does not rise, I won't log.

I eat a balance of food, with whole grains, veggies, lean proteins, etc, but I also now know I can have a few chips, or that scoop of ice cream, and not gain weight. My diet, like life, is about balance.

If the day comes where I wake up 10 pounds over my goal and I need a kick in the pants, I may log again, but for now, I've stopped.

fiberartist219

I've already stopped logging, but I'm still losing weight.

I think it's very helpful to log for a couple months or so to teach you about how big portion sizes really should be. Once you get the hang of it and you understand the macronutrients of your food, it's ok to experiment here or there by not logging and see where it takes you.

Jenlwb

I logged until i hit my goal, and in that time i felt that I'd learned a lot about what i eat. I now know how to eat sensibly, and can estimate when i'm having a good and bad day, and exercise accordingly. I've got what i wanted from the site, now i feel i can maintain without logging food. However, i do log my exercise as i find this a motivator.

If you are begininning your journey, I would wholeheartedly recommend you log food. If, as you say, you eat at your parents house and are unable to estimate the calorie content of food there, you might not be ready to judge your own food intake and stop logging. Stick with it, it gets easier, especially if there are foods you eat often.

kittuk86

Never gave it a thought! The day I stop enjoying the process of logging in food , I stop!

Silverkittycat

Never gave it a thought! The day I stop enjoying the process of logging in food , I stop!

I like this.

StatutoryGrape

I don't mind logging...it shames me into making better choices, LOL. If I mess up and indulge (and go way over in calories, fat, etc.), I feel awful about it.