going over calorie limit

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.