Recording when you go over cal goals

marciebrian

I put the "overage" onto the next day's breakfast. I am starting out with fewer calories to burn for the day, but that way it averages out over 2 days.

I like that idea! thanks think I'll try it. As for recording I try to do it as honestly as I can. ONe day I had a few glasses of wine and didn't record but won't do that again.

stargazer008

If I know how much I exactly ate, then I will log it. If I just go crazy, likely I will not know how much of what I ate.

MyM0wM0w

Every frightening bite and I try to write a tickler in the notes of what set off the binge.

RoughDiamondUK

I record it all, except on Christmas Day (I did my best to log, but it was just too difficult to work out as I wasn't the cook)... and when I'm away from home I also struggle to log when the nutritional information isn't provided by the establishment where I eat. But normal daily recording, good AND bad? Absolutely, I log it all.

I went through a phase of trying to keep each day's total right on what I was allowed and adding any surplus to the next day's food, in an attempt to balance it over a week... the problem with that is that once you start doing it, it gets very difficult to ever get back on track again, and you eventually end up going into the next week's allowance too. So I don't do that any more.

I've eaten really, really badly this year. This past week hasn't been as bad as previously, but it still isn't great. But since I've logged all the really bad days/weeks too, I can see the improvement in the past week... and that's helpful to me.

libertygirlfla

I record it all..the good, bad and the ugly, whenever possible. This tool is for YOU and not recording the calories does not delete them from your body. :flowerforyou:

When I simply can't calculate (dinner at a friend's house, for example), I try to estimate as closely as possible and then put it in my comments.

Admittedly, if I'm under my calories and then have a glass of tea with honey or snitch a chip or something from my hubby, I usually don't go to the trouble of adding it. I guess I should, though. It can add up over time even if I am under my daily goal. I think that is more useful for long-term problem identification.

SomeoneSomeplace

I've been doing this for almost a year and used to log every bite as well every single day. Lately I've been giving myself cheat days where I don't log at all. Especially if I'm going out to dinner or something and it's harder to know the calorie amounts anyway. Sometimes I just have days where I need breaks from logging but I don't make it a habit. And on days I do log, I log everything even if it turns into a bad day

WTF7

I do!

jsiricos

Record it all

KANGOOJUMPS

honesty is key.

amyllu

I record everything as well. When I have had a bad day I have been surprised that what I have eaten doesn't actually amount to as much overage as I had thought.

Mrs_Wellington

Its all getting recorded.The good,the bad and the very very calorifically ugly.Thats the point of this,surely. For more years than i care to remember I've lied to myself about what has been scoffed but the truth has been painfully obvious on my body! Well,no more.Truth only from now on,pretty or not.:ohwell:

alison2429

I put the "overage" onto the next day's breakfast. I am starting out with fewer calories to burn for the day, but that way it averages out over 2 days.

That's a good idea. I sometimes close my diary but then get tempted to have something that would take me over my daily limit. This would help average things out as MFP doesn't do it over a week. Thanks for that idea.

ecw3780

Record it all. It is the week as a whole that matters.

phoenixrizez

I JUST did this last night (okay around 2am this morning) and it was EMBARASSING! I made my food diary public for accountability purposes and admitting that I am eating fast food junk (when I am not THAT hungry) has been a real wake up call. If you are looking for friends by the way add me! I could use more encouragement and good luck to you as well!

taso42

Either you're counting calories or you're not.

phoenixrizez

I put the "overage" onto the next day's breakfast. I am starting out with fewer calories to burn for the day, but that way it averages out over 2 days.

That's a good idea. I sometimes close my diary but then get tempted to have something that would take me over my daily limit. This would help average things out as MFP doesn't do it over a week. Thanks for that idea.

SUCH a good idea!! I am going to do that today!! Thanks!

rockerbabyy

i do it - sometimes not right away, but usually by the next day ill have it all logged. even if i go on a crazy "im upset and going to just eat everything in the house" kinda binge, i try to guesstimate how many servings of chips or whatever even though i didnt measure them. its important to me to see my weekly numbers and sometimes my "binges" arent as bad as i though, and totally fixable by the end of the week

Biitchstix

I record everyday except for my cheat days (I have one a week on either saturday or sunday) and if I go over I just make sure I know exactly where I went wrong/what to cut out next time...
Night snacking is usually what gets me so I'm trying to get to bed earlier and eat a bigger breakfast in the morning.

wendybird5

Sometimes I record it all and sometimes I only record until I go over and then the sheer embarrassment and disappointment and shame make stop posting the rest. But I always know which days those have been so though it isn't posted, I know what happened and can see the results of my bad choices. For me the most important thing is that I'm learning from my mistakes and getting better.

meaningful99

To me, the most valuable feature of MFP is the data you create and can then analyze to see what's working and what's not. If you don't log on the days you overeat, your data is worthless.

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

I am really wondering how many people record literally everything you eat even when you have a BAD eating day. I record literally eat bite sometimes it's 2500 cals but I'm being honest. How many others make sure they do this or do you just quit and start again the next day???

Definitely log it and definitely move on after having an off day.

ktrn0312

I record everything the good, bad, & ugly. What's the point in lying to yourself. You must be accountable to yourself first before being accountable to others.

staceypunk

I like to look at data and analyze things. So I make sure to record EVERYTHING, even on those bad days. I love the reports section of MFP.

jonnyman41

I don't always record, usually if I have already added my days stuff and then have a late night snack but I dont actually do that often. I don't use mpf to hold myself accountable, more it is just a tool so that I can aim to stay around a certain amount of calories and if I go over it is not the end of the world, though not something I want to do everyday.

I dont reward myself or kid myself if mpf says I am always good lol

JuliaCarman

Really good thought. It sure makes a difference to see it written down, and you are only cheating yourself when you don't write it down. Look at it, realize what areas were off track, and adjust the next day. After all, this is a journey not a sprint to the finish.

trb85

I record it all.

I've been up to 2k calories over on an exceptionally rotten day. But I log it all anyway. I don't care about other people seeing that on my diary. I'm not here to impress anybody by being perfect every day. Screw being perfect. I'm human, and I mess up sometimes. It's normal.

Like others, I like to look back over my bad days and see what things I could have done without. "If I had gotten the small instead of the medium, I would have been good." etc

NewCaddy

I generally try to log everything (that's the point). I have not been successful with that when I travel, but I now have the app on my phone so I should be better going forward.

8Sam12

I'm an emotional eater so I don't really need to track calories when I go over to figure out where I went wrong. If I'm having a rough time, well I go over. A lot. I do consciously make the decision to do so and it only happens in the evening and then I'll have one large delicious item but usually tracking exactly what I have is too depressing so I normally log "emotional snack - 1000cal" (because it normally more than that). That way I can clearly see that I went far over (it generally puts me over by the amount that snack had because I only do this in the evening) but I spare myself the agony of counting all of it.

sunnyside1213

I was logging everything but coffee. Now I am logging that (2 c) and I am delighted with how much potassium it has.

cavellj

It's important to record everything. It's okay to slip and/or have a cheat day. The more you deny yourself, the more likely you are to continue to over-eat. Use it as motivation to stay at your calorie goal, but don't get down on yourself too much- nobody is perfect, and everyone deserves a break. Plus, if you're not seeing results, you can look back and see that you've been eating more than you should, or not exercising enough. You won't have any excuses to fall back on, other than your own behavior. And, remember, keep good food around the house and you will eat good food. That's the easiest way to stick to your goal.