How do you guys consistently track you food?

anexus323

How do you guys consistently track you food? I mean seriously? I always forget to write down my food and then I forget what I ate by the end of the day. How do you stay motivated to track your diet?

DexterDarko

I log it when I'm eating it. I can't eat without thinking about counting and logging lol.

Seriousmom3

i log directly after eating...i also pack my lunch and plan my meals ahead of time. it helps

xBellaCx

I have the phone app for this site so I just throw whatever I eat after I've eaten, it's nice and quick.

AZKristi

Practice? Discipline? I mostly enter my food the night before and try to stick to that - it really helps me make sure my diet is balanced rather than just trying to figure out what will "fit" on the go. I also tend eat the same things pretty often. If I eat a piece of candy or something at work, I keep the wrapper in my pocket as a reminder to enter it when I get home.

sh4690

MFP Mobile! Lol

Or I just average tbh and add quick calories on roughly what I remember.
I can usually keep track but there are days when you do forget.

KidP

I do my best to plan ahead - i usually have my breakfast & lunch pre-entered each day, and often dinner too. If i eat something not on the list, i add it via laptop or phone.

alittlemopo

I log while eating or right after, I have the app on my phone and my kindle, plus I log in on the computer if I am near one.

1Fizzle

I use the app....This is a big help in not only tracking, but helpful in selecting low calorie options when I go out.

skylark94

iPhone app and I log immediately before or after eating. If I know what I'm going to have later it the day, I will pre-log it.

zaph0d

Calorie counting is not for everyone

LuckyMe381

I preplan my meals so i log everything first thing in the morning or the night before and when prelogging if i eat something different then i will log it asap. Also prelogging will let you know that you WILL be in your calorie range

mariiyah

i also log it before or straight after i eat meals.

76tech

I used to carry a notebook and a pen. When I joined mfp I was already in the habit of logging everything that went in my face.

CherryTinsel

I have the app on my phone so I check it sometimes even before I eat it, and I log it as I'm eating it.

Weebs628

I log everything at the beginning of the day so I know what to eat.

leanonshay

I log it before I eat it! If I don't finish what I made then I make adjustments to the servings, but I always start out with a single serving. I find it helps since I use the app for my phone and I can just quickly scan the bar codes.

BrienJD

I try to preplan and log my main meals and I stick to it. Then the only things I have to worry about are snacks. The only thing that trips me up with that is the occaisonsonal unexpected lunch or dinner out with friends. I know that doing it that way is difficult for some people who have actual lives, but since I don't get out much it works for me.

felblossom

It fits in pretty well to my usual habits, as I tend to do a lot of things at once. ie, if I'm home I'm usually right next to my computer so I'll add it immediately, I track while cooking and waiting for something to boil, fry, cook. I occasionally plan out what to eat the next day, especially if I bring my lunch and such, so it's easy to track early. I also have the smartphone app to add any kind of snacks and stuff I grab on the go.

anemoneprose

If I don't log right away, I'll jot things down on a piece of paper and do it later.

jofjltncb6

"...solitary. Just a man alone...with his thoughts...and a smartphone...with an MFP app."

dldnvr

I figure, if the food is important enough to me to put in my cakehole,
then it's important enough to record.

But that's just me

MyM0wM0w

I prelog my food up to a week in advance and that's what I eat. It may vary slightly but I update right a way or send myself a text on my phone so I can refer to it later.

alladream

Many days I eat sort of the same pattern of stuff, like days when I work, so it isn't hard to recall I ate yogurt and flaxseeds for breakfast AGAIN, but if I go away for a week with the rockstar/musician buddies or out to eat a lot in a weekend etc., I make a category called 'best rockstar guess' or something like that where you can use those 'quick calories' or other things, and I just guess how much stuff is, based on the fact that ordinarily I log every tiny thing at home and am used to the fact that an ounce of cheese can be 120+ or so, and if I eat ten crackers and six ounces of cheese or whatever standing around, that adds up to a huge meal. Seems like different things work for different people, but if I didn't log stuff every day, which tells me how many calories are in things that I would never have guessed, I would completely lie to myself myself and guess really low. I think that either making notes to yourself during the day, or apps if you have that kind of thing, might be helpful. I think getting into the habit makes all the difference, just like with anything--especially with things like glasses of water! I write that down at work, since how would i know otherwise if I just fill it up a few times or a lot?? Good luck!

neverstray

You have to get into a habit of doing it right there on the spot. Pull out your phone and log it. I hear my friends say they can't be bothered. At most, it takes 5 minutes. Usually much less time. But, if you can't do that for some reason, remember. Saying you can't remember what you ate is really indicating that you don't pay attentioin to what you eat. I know exactly what I eat because I make very purposeful decisions about it. Even when I eat wrong, it's a very concious decision I make to do that at that moment, so I never forget.

dvisser1

I use the MFP app on my android smartphone when not at home. At home, I write everything on a pad of paper I keep on the counter and log on the computer as soon as I can. Do that for food and exercise.

ashesfromfire

Tracking while eating isn't always an option - if it were, it would be easy to do. During the school year I'm usually out of the house from 8am until about midnight (because I go strait from class to work). What I do is keeping a running total of everything I eat as a Draft text message on my cell phone, adding to it throughout the day so I don't leave out anything I eat. I make note of the time as well so when I do get home and input it I can fill in my diary accurately.

neverstray

Yes. Logging doesn't always have to mean online. Any method is fine. Pen and paper work brilliantly if you can keep it with you all the time.

Tracking while eating isn't always an option - if it were, it would be easy to do. During the school year I'm usually out of the house from 8am until about midnight (because I go strait from class to work). What I do is keeping a running total of everything I eat as a Draft text message on my cell phone, adding to it throughout the day so I don't leave out anything I eat. I make note of the time as well so when I do get home and input it I can fill in my diary accurately.

DavPul

How do you guys consistently track you food?

Log it when you eat it.

I mean seriously?

No, really, log it when you eat it. If you have a smartphone or tablet it's pretty easy to do. I wouldn't joke about this.

I always forget to write down my food and then I forget what I ate by the end of the day.

That's why we log it right away. He's an alternative. Log your food in the morning before you leave the house. You probably have a pretty good idea of what you're going to eat that day.....if you don't that's part of the problem. So pre-log, and then you only have to remember the things you ate that were off track. This is a really good way to do it if you don't have a smartphone.

How do you stay motivated to track your diet?

I look at a picture of myself or I look in the mirror. Then I compare that to how will look if I handle my exercise and diet business correctly, week after week. Also I hang out on fitness tumbler sites for inspirational purposes. Sort of a combo of what I could look like and all the hot women I wanna hang with. Try http://sweatingmyassoff.tumblr.com/

BeckySBowen

Planning out my meals/snacks and having the app on my phone have helped me stay on track. Good luck!

bluebird321

I eat mostly the same food and same portion sizes every day which makes it fairly easy. One day out of the week I take a break and don't log at all.