Do any of you keep a food diary..?

Love_flowers
Love_flowers Posts: 365 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Good evening everyone :bigsmile:

I was wondering if any of you keep a food diary?
Not talking about logging food on the website, more like if you have a special notebook at home where you write dow everythig you consume..? And if you do, how effective has it been workin for you..?

I have done it milions of times before but then I got bored of it and neglected my diet altogether..

But now that I have a very sensibly and healthy relationship with food (well most of the time..) I thought I would give it ago starting 1st September untill i have lost the last 13lbs..
I dont count calories, I will just write in neat everything I'm eating so it's on black and white.

Any comment..? I really hope it works this time..

Thank you for reading :embarassed:
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Replies

  • mehaffeymk
    mehaffeymk Posts: 154 Member
    i count logging food into MFP as my food diary. i have an iphone so i have the app so before i put a morsel of food in my mouth i log it. so same thing as paper i guess because i always have it right there with me.
  • sarahg148
    sarahg148 Posts: 701 Member
    I do both online and written journal. I like to have the option of going back a few days at a glance, etc.
  • Love_flowers
    Love_flowers Posts: 365 Member
    i count logging food into MFP as my food diary. i have an iphone so i have the app so before i put a morsel of food in my mouth i log it. so same thing as paper i guess because i always have it right there with me.

    Nice, I'm glad it's working for you :bigsmile:
  • jzaz903
    jzaz903 Posts: 306 Member
    MFP is a food diary.
    It's the same... I log everything I eat, and all my friends can see it.
  • Love_flowers
    Love_flowers Posts: 365 Member
    I do both online and written journal. I like to have the option of going back a few days at a glance, etc.

    Do you recomend the journal thing..? Does it make you think twice before consuming something?
  • Love_flowers
    Love_flowers Posts: 365 Member
    Nobody else..? :flowerforyou:
  • LCoombs45
    LCoombs45 Posts: 6
    I like that I can just log everything immediately with MFP on my iPhone. Actually, the other day I thought about eating a chocolate chip cookie, so I logged it on my diary and was so disgusted by how many cals/fat were in it that I didn't eat it!!
  • Punchabear
    Punchabear Posts: 42
    This is what I use for a food diary.
    Between the thought of adding whatever I eat in, plus my friends on here seeing it, MFP always crosses my mind when I am thinking about eating something. I'd definitely say it helps.
    This works for me, but physically writing it down may further reinforce the effects. Worth a shot! :happy:
  • Lushaholic
    Lushaholic Posts: 62
    No, Just on here, but im going to give it a try! Thank you.
  • AquaFitQueen
    AquaFitQueen Posts: 218 Member
    Ive found the "add notes" section on the MFP diary helpful. As far as notebook and pen..well, that lasts for about a week. It was highly recommended in my last eating disorder treatment, but I find I stick to the computer/phone better than I do a bulky pen and paper. But I do use the "add notes" thing to make note of stressful days, hard days, days when the binge demon wants out etc.

    Find whatever works for you and do it!
  • cruzcrzyMarie
    cruzcrzyMarie Posts: 251 Member
    I use MFP for my food diary. I have a dumb phone, so I record from my laptop.
  • jmalone71
    jmalone71 Posts: 34 Member
    I log everything online, to me it is an online journal, i don't get the difference between writing on paper and logging it online , what is the difference ? To me , i love the online part it makes me even more aware because it shows the calories.
  • AquaFitQueen
    AquaFitQueen Posts: 218 Member
    I log everything online, to me it is an online journal, i don't get the difference between writing on paper and logging it online , what is the difference ? To me , i love the online part it makes me even more aware because it shows the calories.


    Well, in treatment, the goal of the diary was not to count calories but to note the time, the amount and the FEELINGS...ugh. Probably why I didnt like it very much lol. Its more of an emotional connectiong/disconnection from food. :)
  • crystalflame
    crystalflame Posts: 1,049 Member
    I've done the journal thing, and it didn't work for me. At all. Calories were estimations, and I had no idea about carb/fat/protein ratios. I like this because I can prelog what I think I'm going to eat for the day and adjust to get a balanced, nutritious day without overeating.

    If that's what you like and you think it will work, definitely go for it, but keep in mind there's a lot of advantages to a site like this where you have more tools and the accountability of friends.
  • printererror
    printererror Posts: 48 Member
    I don't like all the math. :embarassed:

    I've heard of another food diary idea where, instead of counting calories, you take pictures of your meal. That way you get a visual look at how much you have eaten instead of looking at numbers.
  • kookyxox
    kookyxox Posts: 10 Member
    I have done for yrs but like you i can start to neglect it. I find it helps though as you are writing down everything as you see how (A) you can survive on good food in healthy amounts without feeling hungry and (B) if you have eaten junk it makes you think more.
  • quill16
    quill16 Posts: 373 Member
    I log on MFP and have kept a food diary for over 20 months now. For me it works and I am planning on continuing it for the rest of my life. I read several articles on losing weight statistics. At least 95% of those who lose large amounts gain it back. Most of those who do not gain it back keep food diaries. I am determined to be in the 5% maintenance group.
  • Love_flowers
    Love_flowers Posts: 365 Member
    I don't like all the math. :embarassed:

    I've heard of another food diary idea where, instead of counting calories, you take pictures of your meal. That way you get a visual look at how much you have eaten instead of looking at numbers.

    Uuh this sounds interesting, please do tell :flowerforyou:
  • sullykat
    sullykat Posts: 461 Member
    I used to log everything in a journal and it worked, but then I just got bored and tired of it... managed to gain 10 lbs. I said "no more! there must be a better way to do this!" I went on the hunt, and found MFP. I find this works so much better for me. I can see everything I eat from day to day. It gives me my progress. It is relatively accurate. AND I find it like a mini challenge to log in every single day. I am at 166 or something like that, and I can't let it slip! A pen and paper just does not give me that challenge.
  • Love_flowers
    Love_flowers Posts: 365 Member
    I like that I can just log everything immediately with MFP on my iPhone. Actually, the other day I thought about eating a chocolate chip cookie, so I logged it on my diary and was so disgusted by how many cals/fat were in it that I didn't eat it!!

    Amazing, well done for not having the cookie :bigsmile:
  • anacsitham5
    anacsitham5 Posts: 810 Member
    I log everything in my food diary on MFP before I eat it. It keeps me more accountable because I see the numbers in black and white. If I wrote down I had popcorn in a journal it wouldn't look so bad, but if I log it in MFP and it shows that the popcorn had 4 tbsp butter and 4 tbsp parmesan cheese it would show about 30g fat and over 600 calories. Different story altogether.
  • Love_flowers
    Love_flowers Posts: 365 Member
    This is what I use for a food diary.
    Between the thought of adding whatever I eat in, plus my friends on here seeing it, MFP always crosses my mind when I am thinking about eating something. I'd definitely say it helps.
    This works for me, but physically writing it down may further reinforce the effects. Worth a shot! :happy:

    Yes but that still leaves the possibility of cheating, does it ever happen to you?

    I think I will give it one last chance
  • Love_flowers
    Love_flowers Posts: 365 Member
    I log everything in my food diary on MFP before I eat it. It keeps me more accountable because I see the numbers in black and white. If I wrote down I had popcorn in a journal it wouldn't look so bad, but if I log it in MFP and it shows that the popcorn had 4 tbsp butter and 4 tbsp parmesan cheese it would show about 30g fat and over 600 calories. Different story altogether.

    You defenetly have a good point there :smooched:
  • Love_flowers
    Love_flowers Posts: 365 Member
    I used to log everything in a journal and it worked, but then I just got bored and tired of it... managed to gain 10 lbs. I said "no more! there must be a better way to do this!" I went on the hunt, and found MFP. I find this works so much better for me. I can see everything I eat from day to day. It gives me my progress. It is relatively accurate. AND I find it like a mini challenge to log in every single day. I am at 166 or something like that, and I can't let it slip! A pen and paper just does not give me that challenge.

    Thank you for your reply :flowerforyou:
  • Love_flowers
    Love_flowers Posts: 365 Member
    I log on MFP and have kept a food diary for over 20 months now. For me it works and I am planning on continuing it for the rest of my life. I read several articles on losing weight statistics. At least 95% of those who lose large amounts gain it back. Most of those who do not gain it back keep food diaries. I am determined to be in the 5% maintenance group.

    Wow thats what I call persistence and patience :flowerforyou:
  • Love_flowers
    Love_flowers Posts: 365 Member
    I log everything online, to me it is an online journal, i don't get the difference between writing on paper and logging it online , what is the difference ? To me , i love the online part it makes me even more aware because it shows the calories.


    Well, in treatment, the goal of the diary was not to count calories but to note the time, the amount and the FEELINGS...ugh. Probably why I didnt like it very much lol. Its more of an emotional connectiong/disconnection from food. :)

    Exactly.. Besides Im not counting calories, its more about psychologically challenging myself and my mind to eat rationally and moderate portions.
  • lwagnitz
    lwagnitz Posts: 1,321 Member
    I will write it down on paper, just because I like the physical act and satisfaction of writing it out. But, I'm not as religious about it. I find myself often writing down my goals for the week, month, or year, not just in terms of weight loss goals, but others as well. Just something I do, and always have.. probably always will. Something quirky I have I guess
  • Love_flowers
    Love_flowers Posts: 365 Member
    I will write it down on paper, just because I like the physical act and satisfaction of writing it out. But, I'm not as religious about it. I find myself often writing down my goals for the week, month, or year, not just in terms of weight loss goals, but others as well. Just something I do, and always have.. probably always will. Something quirky I have I guess

    Thanks, i get that satisfaction too (if I have eaten well mind you :embarassed: )
  • petiteLady89
    petiteLady89 Posts: 198 Member
    no, this is my food diary. Although when I start working I will probably carry a small notebook with me to jot everything down so I don't forget. I don't have a smart phone. I do all my logging on the computer, or my sons ipod once in a while.
  • addaline22
    addaline22 Posts: 114
    I have to. If I dont write it down and see what I am consuming- I loose all controll. or worse, I forget and eat more.

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