I quit...

SoViLicious

I am afraid what will happen if I quit logging.

caly_man

i am still too new and a total novice not to be logging

but I'm really looking forward to the day when i can eat and maintain a healthy weight based on "feel"

i think that is what this process is teaching me, how eat proper portions, have a piece of fruit between meals, stay hydrated, and not have to stuff myself once a day.

Francl27

It doesn't bother me, but it's only been 3.5 months. That being said, I'm not logging this week, I'm going in vacations and there'll be no way to weigh anything, and I don't want to spend the whole time analyzing my meals, so I will still eat healthy, just not log.

zerryz

I've internalized my logging food to a point that I I think of it as I think of brushing my teeth or taking a shower; it's not even an option to quit. But I don't keep spreadsheets, or data the way you seem to. I strictly use the MFP phone app. I rarely weigh and often use the existing database with occasionally creating my custom foods. Maybe the added work you put onto yourself tracking is what creates the burn-out feel? Relaxing a bit might help? \m/

Mrsallypants

Take a break every 6-12 weeks for 2 weeks, or every 12-16 weeks for two weeks.

if you do portion control such as using smaller bowls and ensuring you get one serving as opposed to 3 servings of a food, you should do alright and not have to count calories.

EDesq

I just don't "Get It"! I did it My Way for like let's just say 25 years and I got obese and sick. THEN I decided to take 5/10 minutes a day and log My food...I lost 130 lbs and am HEALTHY, Happy, FREE. YEAH, I will give 5/10 Minutes EVERYDAY of My LIFE for a Continued Focus on My Health. I tell you what, 120 minutes everyday of planned exercise will NEVER substitute for eating Right! That's the Mistake so MANY who Fail make...they Do Not know what is Important.

I AM Worth 10 Minutes of Time Everyday...WOW!

smantha32

Not me. When I quit logging I get fatter.
If I have to log forever I'll do it.

CharityGC

I have no problem not counting for a meal, day, or even a weekend. It's nice to take a break.

nogoldilocs

I support you in taking a break. I have taken two, two week breaks in the past 11 months with no regrets. The first time I did it was about 6 months in and I was freaking out a little (I had been so meticulous about it in the beginning, even has a portable scale...too much perhaps). But then I went on vacation for a couple of weeks where it was impractical to log (no internet access, foreign foods, couldn't weigh anything, didn't know what was in it anyway, etc) and I figured after all of the months of meticulousness, a couple of weeks wouldn't derail me. And guess what, it didn't.

I think that there is value in tracking and logging and paying attention but there is also value in just not worrying about it sometimes. The very act of logging for so many months has taught you something about portion control and balance so you will retain some of that, even if you are not tracking everything. Continue to monitor your weight or measurements or whatever else you use to track your progress. Pay attention to your energy and how you feel. But ultimately don't sweat taking a logging holiday.

Otterluv

I'm feeling the burnout here and there, too. But, over the summer I'm going to be doing a lot of camping and backpacking and I have no intention of logging then. Honestly, I won't even get reception to use the app, and I sure as hell am not pre-logging or logging after I get back.

Anyway, I know breaks are coming. This week was a lifting rest week, and my mother was in town, so I didn't hit my macros like usual and didn't get any running in. Next week is back to normal, and my progress won't even be impacted by the little break.

Take a break if you need it, we'll holler at you if it becomes a habit. :flowerforyou:

melindasuefritz

NEVER U DONYT DO THAT
THATS NOT HOW U LOSE WEIGHT

cityjaneLondon

I have never logged. I learnt calorie values 45 years ago when I was at university and had put on a bit of weight. I have internalised them and rarely have to look up values. With MFPs help I worked out that with my level of exercising I should be eating 1700 calories. So I just count them in my head. I do eat very healthily and more or less keep to this plan. - 300 cal breakfast, 100 for skimmed milk, 400 lunch, 200 snack late pm, 400 dinner, 100 alcohol, 200 snack late evening. That works for me. I am a very good cook and weigh everything, but I can't be bothered to. 'log' . I put on weight over the years when I didn't bother to keep track in my head so I do have to keep count, but it's now second nature again.
I have lost 42 lbs and feel terrific.

WinnerVictorious

I'm feeling the burnout here and there, too. But, over the summer I'm going to be doing a lot of camping and backpacking and I have no intention of logging then. Honestly, I won't even get reception to use the app, and I sure as hell am not pre-logging or logging after I get back.

Anyway, I know breaks are coming. This week was a lifting rest week, and my mother was in town, so I didn't hit my macros like usual and didn't get any running in. Next week is back to normal, and my progress won't even be impacted by the little break.

Take a break if you need it, we'll holler at you if it becomes a habit. :flowerforyou:

this is what i was getting at. i am not quitting, though i appreciate the concern. i was simply expressing my fatigue at logging every single day for nearly 11 months, so i am taking a few days off from that to conclude this month. i'm curious about what others did who went through this same thing. it's actually easier for me to log on a spreadsheet because i can use exact numbers from the foods themselves. the MFP diary is so full of redundant and erroneous entries, that i long ago found it more tedious than beneficial for me. i think i just need to free my mind for a few days and start again on May 1st and go on another long logging streak of 8 or 9 or 10 months non-stop.

stubbysticks

I don't really take scheduled breaks from logging but I do take them. As some others mentioned it can become obssessive so when I feel like it's becoming that for me, I know it's time to take a break. One sign is when I find myself not eating something because it's too hard to weigh/measure more than once in a while. Losing weight is important (to me, anyway), but it's not everything and it's ok to enjoy food. In fact, weight loss is much easier if you DO enjoy what you're eating. So I guess bottom line is that when I find that logging takes the enjoyment out of eating, then it's time for a break.

AllonsYtotheTardis

I took a 2 week maintenance break last summer, 2 weeks at Christmas vacation, and I'll be taking another 2 weeks this summer.

I ate roughly at maintenance, and did not track, because I had only intermittent internet access while away from home.

kaylindeschanel

i think the case is individualized for each person, but as long as you don't let yourself go COMPLETELY off the bandwagon, then it should be okay! have a nice break, hope to see you back soon (:

magerum

Almost 2 years since I haven't logged every, single, thing... Um. NoOCD.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

I've taken two breaks. The first one was right after my wedding, so about 5 months in. I took a couple of months off and then when I came back I logged for another 3 months and lost an additional 10 lbs. Took another break, and then came back 6 months ago. I definitely know what you mean about burn out. Both breaks I gained back a little weight, slowly. I think it was around 5 lbs each time. But I didn't log for months, so if you planned shorter breaks you might not have that problem.

WinnerVictorious

Almost 2 years sincevI haven't logged every, single, thing... Um. NoOCD.

magerum

Almost 2 years since I haven't logged every, single, thing... Um. NoOCD.

QFT...

Contrarian

I still watch what I eat, but I don't really feel the need to log. I know what my calorie consumption is, because I did it for a long time, and my diet isn't terribly varied.

Oishii

I have taken what I call sanity breaks when I think it's become obsessive. I've taken breaks to not annoy my mum while I'm visiting. I took a break for Lent once too.

Whatever the main reason for a break, I'm also seeing whether I can maintain without logging, and the answer is a resounding 'No!' I know I could lose or gain without logging, but maintenance is far harder.

etoiles_argentees

don't quit. If you do, I do.

bonjour24

I go through phases. I logged and weighed and documented stuff for ages, so i have a good idea of a healthy portion vs a giant man-plate of food. I stopped logging food and exercise for 6 months because i was over it. gained back about 4lbs, which i don't mind about at all because i think that's not too bad over 6 months (also i stopped exercising because i needed the break).

i think if you need a break then take it. the world won't crumble. just get yourself in a place where you can be arsed to carry on. i relished my break, and i also knew it was temporary so made a point to enjoy it. but when you've been eating healthily for a while, it's difficult to switch to wild abandon and gorge on crap, and i don't think most people do that.

xstarxdustx

I took a break from June 2012-September 2012. Didn't lose during that time and maybe put on a few. Have been back since. I agree with the above-breaks are important.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

I just don't "Get It"! I did it My Way for like let's just say 25 years and I got obese and sick. THEN I decided to take 5/10 minutes a day and log My food...I lost 130 lbs and am HEALTHY, Happy, FREE. YEAH, I will give 5/10 Minutes EVERYDAY of My LIFE for a Continued Focus on My Health. I tell you what, 120 minutes everyday of planned exercise will NEVER substitute for eating Right! That's the Mistake so MANY who Fail make...they Do Not know what is Important.

I AM Worth 10 Minutes of Time Everyday...WOW!

Do you log every single day? Since August 2010? You don't ever get tired of it?

VanCityFit

I took a break for a whopping 6 days and gained a total of 14lbs!!! You would have thought I went to buffets for every meal but I didn't. I thought I was eating smart and just having a slight break....not at all, 8lbs was water weight but I still held on to 6lbs and I will never take a break again!!!

SerenaFisher

I never stop logging. But I do have healthier days and unhealthy days. *shrugs*

LadyPoni

I am one of the obsessed mfp here, still trying to quit using this app. I tried logging only at the end of day but today I broke my own rule (which is 4th day)! Always worried that I might gain back those pounds again. I wanted to quit for good, wanna depend "Stone Age" maintenance. I am going to try again! Hope I won't be back for good and everything maintains in place. Otherwise it would be a side effect of using mfp *my assumption*.

Rarity2013

I think it's different for everyone. I've not been going long, so I need to log regularly. I've done weight loss with a manual food diary before, and found that as I became more aware of my intake, I needed to log less- I just did it automatically. At the moment, I often don't log in over Saturday and Sunday- I just fill my diary out for those days on Monday instead.