I can't decide if this site is right for me...

xdaysbingefree

I really love the idea of having friends to help keep me motivated here online, but I feel like tracking calories like this is too stressful. Everytime I go over, I feel bad, and I feel like it is making me obsessive over every little bit of food that I eat. Does anyone else feel this way? I can't figure out if this site is actually not for me, or if I'm just being a baby because staying under my calories is too difficult, and it would be easier not to bother.

I also love reading the message boards on here and looking through my newsfeed thing, but I feel like this just makes me spend a large block of time thinking about weight loss, and it stresses me out

I was thinking of just keeping an actual journal of my daily food intake, but not tracking the calories alongside it. Any thoughts on this idea?

theyeta

I wasn't sure about it either, but it turned out to be the best thing for me! I now watch my portion sizes and I really didn't before and I think that is really important as well as watching your calories. This site is also nice for recording your exercise as well. I'm able to update from my phone and everything. This is my first real serious try at weight loss and keeping it off and a few of my friends are on it as well and we try to motivate each other too. I hope this helps...


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toasterlisa

Journaling your food without tracking the calories just won't work.

So, you write in your journal that you ate a Large Banana Cream Pie Blizzard, but you don't remind yourself that it's 1,090 calories, almost your entire day's worth of food?

You need to stay here and buck up! Tracking the calories is what will help you lose weight. You need to be accountable to yourself and only to yourself, but keep at it.

Best wishes on your health and wellness journey,

kbw414

I kept a handwritten journal when I first began losing weight. It worked for me, but I lost weight more slowly. I lost maybe 12 lbs over a summer, with daily exercise. I didn't know about this site then, though. Now that you've used this site and have an idea how of many calories are in serving sizes, you will probably be able to get rough estimates even if you're not using MFP.

purpleipod

I don't really see how you can keep track of your food consumption with the intent of losing weight if you're ignoring the calories.

fiberartist219

I'm not a calorie counter. I did it for several weeks and then decided that it was exhausting. I do log in to MFP daily and chat, but if that is too much for you, then there is nothing wrong with keeping a pen and paper food journal.

If you want some info on learning to eat reasonable portions without calorie counting, "Intuitive Eating" and "Mindful Eating" are good books to read.

nicki_1004

No one "diet" plan is for everyone. I personally love this site. It helps me to keep track of what I am eating and it keeps me motivated. I have tried just writing everything down before and it didn't work. If you're not keeping track of the calories eating and making sure you are within your range it is harder to lose weight. I have struggled with my weight basically all my life. I have tried everything short of having surgery. MFP is perfect for me because it is free, it tells me what I should be eating and calculates everything for me so I don't have to figure it out, and there are awesome people on here willing to give advise, who are going through the same things or have gone through the same things.
You need to do what works for you. Don't stress over going over. Look at what you did and see if there is something you could have done that would be better. I see you have lost 3 pounds so you are headed in the right direction. This can be overwhelming, my personal situation I was only eating 1 meal a day. So for me I was (and still am) under my calorie intake. I try to do the best I can to eat as much as I am supposed to. Logging my food on here helps to hold me accountable. Once you start getting used to it it is easier to stay within your goal. None of us knew exactly what to do when we started all of us have/had to learn what to do. Everyone is different, what works for one person may not work for another.

kwahom03

it's really stressful at first to count calories like this especially if you've never done it before. i give myself 50-100 calories to play with everyday to go over. its not the end of the world if you go 200 over at first. i think you'll find that over time, you'll begin to almost enjoy counting calories and you'll feel good about what you're putting in your body and you'll rely on this site to keep yourself honest.

Rayman79

...I'm just being a baby because staying under my calories is too difficult, and it would be easier not to bother.

Without wanting to sound rude, yes. You can keep a food journal all you like but if you don't know the calorie content and nutritional breakdown of the foods (and drinks) you are consuming, it will be a lot more difficult to succeed.

My advice would be to stick at it for a little while - once you build up lists of your commonly eaten foods, recipes etc, logging really is a snap! Once you are educated about what you are eating enough to go it alone then great, but this is a great tool to help you learn.

xdaysbingefree

thanks for the honesty guys. how long did it take you to get used to counting calories like this?

robinogue

You know this place is great yet can be a bit overwhelming at the same time. I know how you feel. I've found myself under eating because I don't want to go over my calorie goal. I tend to not be eating enough. Maybe take a few days off from logging but honestly if you want to keep your goals this is the best place to be. I've reached my ultimate weight goal by being here.

jaks97

start logging your meals, if you have the app on your phone scan the barcode it puts everything on your food. The data base is full of 1000's of food. If you are serious about losing weight you will find a way to add your foods. Log your exercise too.

Good luck

leanmachinedream

No one likes the harsh reality check that happens when you realize you're most loved foods are preventing you from reaching your goals.

You don't have to be obsessive over your calorie count to understand the important role they play in weight loss and maintaining. I would stick around for awhile.

Gargwin82

There are days I go over too, I look at what went wrong and try and tweak it. Somedays I knowingly go over, hey you only live life once. Yes I want to lose weight, but I don't want to lose it by sacrificing my happiness. Days you go over a bit it shows you will still lose weight, just not as fast. I read the community boards too, keeping well in mind that what works for one person may not work for me and that's just the way humans work.

In a sense this is a food journal, you get to see what you're eating and look back on it. However it also helps you see sneaky things that appear healthy that actually aren't. Peanut butter being so high in calories blew my mind! I didn't stop eating it but instead of slathering it on I use my tablespoon a slice now. It's still just as good.

Take it easy on yourself, the weight didn't jump onto you in a week, it's definately not going to go away in a week. The easiest way to guaruntee failure is by being too hard on yourself or making the experience an unhappy one. We're all on here to learn and support eachother

Lucinda1013

i just started and discovered the phone scan. Wow! it is so much easier. I am also a newbie and still getting used to it. By what I have seen already, the people here and the site is great.

Give yourself time to get used to it

lmelangley

For me, it's the only way to lose weight. I tend to overeat in portion size, and MFP keeps me honest. It took me a few weeks to get in the swing of things when I first started but, for me, it was the only thing that would work. Good luck to you.

fatboypup

I don't really see how you can keep track of your food consumption with the intent of losing weight if you're ignoring the calories.

THIS

wish21

I think thats what I like about it. I am a lot more careful in planning food now. I don't scarf down 5 pizzas at the pizza place in town w/o thinking twice. I love the accountability. Plus reading and learning about nutrition has become a like hobby! I hope you change your mind about this site. But either direction you go I wish you the best of luck :flowerforyou:

scapez

I never thought I would be a daily calorie tracker, but here I am, happily tracking away.

katie1171

Mfp has been such a life saver for me. If you keep it up, you will see results. We all have good days and bad days, just don't let the bad days get you down!!

STurbs33

I understand where you're coming from. I started counting calories last year (not on this website, but on an app I found on my phone) and after two months I decided it was too tedious and stopped. I gained back half of the weight I lost when I was counting.

It takes a little while to get used to, but there are shortcuts that make it a lot easier. For example, if you eat a lot of the same meals, you can save them as meals and the next time you eat that meal, you'll only have to check it off under the meal section rather than spending time looking up each individual food item all over again. It's the same with recipes too. The first couple weeks are a bit annoying (at least in my opinion) because you'll have to spend time determining those meals and recipes. But once they're saved, it's so much quicker.

I think you should stick it out for a little while longer. If you truly don't like it after a few more weeks, that's fine, but at least you'll have tried it long enough to determine if it is right for you.

sammydiddly

Don't forget that the calorie suggestion they give you is for weight loss. If you go over you still have a buffer of calories that will maintain your weight. Going over is not the end of the world, in fact it is good to go over occasionally, otherwise your body gets used to how many calories you are eating and adapts.

UsedToBeHusky

I had a friend attempt that. But she didn't stick with it long. It is okay to be over in calories. You are already at a deficit so a little over is not going to be too damaging. Don't take this personally, but I'm not really sure your ready to make this commitment to yourself. It should not be stressful, and if it is stressful, then you need to reset your way of thinking about it. Everyday does not have to be perfect. The attempt at eating healthy is just as important as actually achieving it.

love22step

I stressed at first, but then it became a routine and I got over the initial obsession. I even took a week off and went on a vacation. I love it because I know tracking calories is important, but I didn't know how to do it before finding this site, which makes it easy. I also love not following a special diet, because that's too much trouble. I'm sure it's not right for everyone, but it sure works for a lot of us!

gaylelynnbell

This site has changed my life, but I was skeptical at first too! Calorie counting just seemed so 'last century' but it works and it's now second nature to me. If you go over once in a while, it's not the end of the world and you shouldn't be so hard on yourself.

The biggest thing is commitment. If you have that, the sky is the limit!

DixiedoesMFP

Looking at your profile, you are suffering from an eating disorder. So while tracking calories may be the only way to lose weight for some people, maybe you are not ready at this time to track them. Maybe simply keeping a food journal until you better understand your triggers for binging is a good idea for a while.
That being said, how many calories are you allowing yourself? You may be feeling guilty about going over simply because your calorie goal is set ridiculously low. You are 18 and active and not technically overweight....so 1200 calories a day probably isn't the best goal for you (if that is what you are eating). Setting your calorie goal higher may make it easier for you in the long run, though weight loss may not be quite as fast.
I went through a period where tracking everything was making me crave everything I "couldn't" have, so I took a break for a few weeks. Now I log faithfully, but I am also more aware of a general calorie count on a lot of things before I even choose to eat them. Then I can decide if the calories are actually worth it.
Good luck to you.

cherryb75

If I didn't track calories, I'd eat. Everything. I'm not sure what's so stressful about it, but then it's the only way I've ever known to drop some pounds. Back on the old WW plan (before they switched to carbs instead of calories) I could *look* at a nutrition label and know how many Points were in something. I loved it. It was my old go-to. Now they've gone to carbs/protein and I hate it. So I'm here, just counting calories.

Unless you're going to eat the same thing every single day, I don't see any way around keeping track. Take days off here and there and get a break if you need to--I do--but stick with it!

taeliesyn

You may also have your calories set too low, which is making it harder to stay under your allowance.
Your diary is closed, so can't see what your allowance is set at.

onewhodiets

Not very long, because so many foods are already entered in the database. Because of using MFP, I now, for the first time, have a fairly accurate idea of the calories I am consuming. I was really out to lunch before (pun intended). Bringing the facts home to me is the only reason I've had any success.

llamalland

It does take a while to get accustomed to logging your food. And it should make you aware, but not uncomfortable / guilty feeling... If you find that you go over too often (a few extra calories once in a while won't kill you), try pre-planning your days' food, and logging in the a.m. Then, if you see you'll be over, you can re-evaluate the foods you've selected, and do some modifications, or add exercise to even out the bottom line. I think you'll find that you look forward to seeing how the numbers add up- both calories in and calories out!

Good luck, and I'm sure you'll love it here!

abvickrey

No one likes the harsh reality check that happens when you realize you're most loved foods are preventing you from reaching your goals.

^^^this