going over calorie limit

clarkeje1

When you guys go over do you log everything or do you just stop after a while and say "You know what, I went over and that's all you need to know!" Sometimes I'll do that, I'm over like 4,000 or so calories (with fast food, snacks, alcohol combined) and I just say screw it for the day. Does anyone else do this or am I the only horrible person? Be honest!

deb3129

I do not go over very often, but I always log it when I do.

kenazfehu

Sometimes I don't even know if I've gone over because I take a meal or even a day off from logging everything. But I've never purposely skipped logging my meal because I knew it would go over. If I sit down to log at all, I include the good, the bad, and the ugly.

tokataro

I log EVERYthing, even if I drink a whole case of beer. If I'm going to be bad, the least I can do is be honest with myself about it.

LittleMissDover

I log everything, even the bad days, it's only me that I'd be lying to if I didn't.

autumnblade75

You're not a horrible person for doing that. I do it too. I am trying not to, because I want more data. It seems to me that I can tweak my numbers more effectively if I have an accurate count of what I'm actually putting into the system. But I'm not perfect, sometimes I forget, and sometimes I'm just too embarrassed to own up, even to myself. Like, I lost those 6 lbs, but then I gained them (and 2) back, and I haven't logged my weight as higher... Now that I've put it in writing, I feel like I should log it and own up.

CarmenSRT

I may be reduced to sheer guesstimation, but guess and log I do. If I can't look back and see when those times were I might miss a correlation (and hence miss a chance to head those times off in the first place).

shelbiejo

I don't log it. I have a free day on Sunday's and I don't log a thing because I already know I am over and I don't see why I need to waste my time searching for the foods I ate to log...I know I went over. I am accountable for that. I don't need to log it.

loopingcaterpillar

i like to see the ''your weight in 5 weeks will be....'' so everything gets logged

except water, i just cannot be bothered to log water intake

Medwayguy

Quote : I'm over like 4,000 or so calories (with fast food, snacks, alcohol combined) ...

Perhaps you should rethink your goals!

Flixie00

I don't log cheat days, but if I go over unplanned, then I log it.

gingerjen7

I log pretty faithfully, and last Friday when I went over, I still logged everything because I do it for me and I want to see what I'm doing. But, Saturday my sister called me and asked me if I would come to her town because her husband had moved out and she needed some support. I went right away; it's about a 2.5 hour drive, and on the way I hit a deer. So I was stuck there until I could buy one. We did some drinking, at a lot of my niece's halloween candy, ate a lot of stuff that wasn't in the database and I couldn't find any nutritional information for, so I just said, "I'm almost definitely going over, but it's a couple days of my life and I won't be derailed" and then quit trying until I got home. Got home Monday and yesterday I logged everything and doubled up the work outs to make up for the one I skipped. I don't think that makes me a horrible person!

gingerjen7

i like to see the ''your weight in 5 weeks will be....'' so everything gets logged

except water, i just cannot be bothered to log water intake

Seriously? The water logging part is the easiest of all!

tokataro

Like, I lost those 6 lbs, but then I gained them (and 2) back, and I haven't logged my weight as higher... Now that I've put it in writing, I feel like I should log it and own up.

I've heard a lot of other people say they don't log weight gain either. I log my gain, and I log when I lose it back- just because I've already lost those pounds once, doesn't make them any easier to lose the second time, and I still deserve credit!

jeokay20

i purposely dont log in food in the weekend bec its more than likely i go over. but when its during the week i log everythinnggggg in

karllundy

I log EVERYthing, even if I drink a whole case of beer. If I'm going to be bad, the least I can do is be honest with myself about it.

This. Exactly. See all the Halloween candy in my diary the last week.

StefPayne

I log everything, but I do it for myself. I like to see what my pattern is when I am losing...staying the same or even going back up. I don't ever go over anymore because I have just made this a way of life for me and honestly it has been so worth it

BetterCrazyThanLazy

Sometimies screw ups happen after I already closed my diary for the day and my binge is SO out of control that it's even impossible to remember what I gobbled down. Those days are few and far in between and very shameful to admit so NO, I don't log it in...

_april

I log everything except water. No matter how bad, which it often is as I tend to consume tons of sugar.

loopingcaterpillar

i like to see the ''your weight in 5 weeks will be....'' so everything gets logged

except water, i just cannot be bothered to log water intake

Seriously? The water logging part is the easiest of all!

well it's psychological, i can skip logging that, but not my food. skipping something! i'm a rebel :P

MOEMOEONTHERADIO

I log everything. I feel like being honest with myself about my calories is very important. If I didnt then Id probably let myself slip up more often. By being able to go back and say "maybe I shouldnt have had those flautas because they were so high in calories" I can prevent myself from slipping up again. Especially with Alcohol. I actually factor in those calories at the beginning of the day if I know I am going out. I can tell myself, Ive set these aside to drink, I know how many drinks I can have without going over. Then I plan my food and needed cardio around it.

I just think being honest with yourself will prevent future mistakes and help you suceed in your journey.

AllonsYtotheTardis

I log it. I need to see it - then I can decide if it was worth it or not. Sometimes I think "yup - worth every last calorie".... sometimes, not so much. Helps me see it.

ladioffaith

Sometimes I will purposely leave things out of my diary, but then go back and try to log the best I can. Like the time I went to a restaurant for dinner for my dad's birthday. And at the time I was water weight gaining and didn't know what scale reading to trust.

Generally, though, I try to log, even if it is bad. I always find I went over less than I thought I would. Like yesterday. A proud tradition in my workplace is "election night pizza." I had a healthy balanced breakfast that morning, a super healthy chicken salad for lunch, and the pizza for dinner. 2 pieces of plain cheese pizza from a sheet pizza was 388. In fact, I would have been under my calories even with the cookies if I hadn't been up late and decided I needed another 2 slices!

I am the kind of person who likes to see patterns to try to tie them to what I was doing and make healthier choices. Did I hit the vending machine? If so, was that the day I slept in and skipped breakfast? Did I have a 3 p.m. sugar crash? Maybe I should have brought something from home that was more balanced. Why did I choose the chocolate bar? Couldn't I have gotten the same caffeine fix from a diet pepsi and pack of peanuts?

Through all of this I've discovered there's only a week or two in the whole month when I lose weight. That week I lose an artificially high number of pounds due to shedding retained water.

Above all, I keep my diary hidden. Nobody needs to see it but me. There's too much nit-picking on these boards.

SillySkittles

I log everything.

The main reason that I log is because I never once gave a thought to what I was putting in my body and being honest with myself and accountable for it is something that I need to see. If a tree falls and no one hears it....somewhere, there's still a tree on the ground... :S

If I'm going to choose to eat something that puts me over, I tell myself that I need to also own up to it by putting it down. If I can't face it, then I shouldn't be eating it. Plus it helps me come to terms with what food does to my body. If I log something and I feel bad the next day, I'm able to go back and at least have an idea of what it was that I ate the day before and do some trial and error. If I ate a certain thing again and I continue to feel bad, it's my food log and my body trying to tell me that perhaps I shouldn't be eating it, not just for my weight, but because it's also not making me feel well, etc.

The other thing I've been trying to tell myself, is that sometimes there will be those days that I go over. I also have to forgive myself, learn from it and move on. I try not to dwell on it too much because knowing myself means that I know I used to be the person who thought, well if I'm going to be bad, I might as well be REALLY bad, and that's what led me to just not caring what I eat.

stbrad6896

I log EVERYthing, even if I drink a whole case of beer. If I'm going to be bad, the least I can do is be honest with myself about it.

^this. If you're honest and log even all the crap then it might keep you from doing it as much in the future. I usually stay within my calorie goal but you should see the couple days around my birthday! haha. But you know what? I used to be the person who would just say "screw it I already ate pizza today might as well have this ice cream" but now I just can't afford to think that way. If you mess up for one meal, or even one day, make sure you get back on track as soon as possible. Once a week or so I might cut myself a break and eat what I want but honestly I just can't afford to do it for a whole day without making up for it with exercise the next. it's simple cals in vs cals out. you won't lose the weight. Good luck though I hope you can find ways to help with this

RunnerInVT

Im with BetterCrazy.. I havent always (only since Halloween) logged extra peanutbutter cups after going out for the day. I run an extra couple miles and hope for the best!! Too embarrassing. Im a grownup ..not supposed to eat that much candy. Uggghhhh

mizzie1980

Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't. If I know what I ate and what amount, than I will log it. But often, if I'm away on a weekend, it's too hard to log. I didn't make the food and I didn't weigh it, so I really don't have any idea. I try to make good choices and realize that it's going to have it's affect in my body logged or not. Yes, usually I know I'm over on those days, but I'm not deluding myself into thinking that I'm not, so it's all the same really.

larryc0923

Log everyday, everything.

Log everyday. I started MFP about 186 days ago (6 months and 1 week). In those 186 days I have logged 185 days. The only day missed was when we were on vacation and I could not get easily get Internet access and by the time I did I had really completely forgot what I ate.
Log everything. Note that on everyday the food entered is frequently a best estimate. In most cases I estimate in a way that will help me achieve the weight goals. Meaning that if I am not certain if the amount I had was 3/4 of a cup or 1 cup. I will go with 1 cup.

Why so anal about logging? Logging is the most important thing to do because it is the only way a person can be certain if they are making progress. The scale is not a proper measure because a persons weight is a result of what they eat. If you do not measure the calories you eat (and the calories you burn) there is no way to know if you will be gaining or losing weight. For me I did not log what I have eaten for 33 years (since I was 21/22 and at a healthy weight) and gained 100lbs over a healthy weight. This is about 3 lbs a year. Since I have been logging I have been losing about 4 lbs a month. So logging is transformational.

Danardeener

I log everything...I hold myself accountable.