Why do a food diary?

runnerblues86
runnerblues86 Posts: 22
in Motivation and Support
I have been exercising when I can but I don't want to do the food diary. I know I have weight to lose, but I just don't think I would keep an accurate diary. Any suggestions?
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Replies

  • lambertj
    lambertj Posts: 675 Member
    Then don't do it. Nobody is going to make you
  • pg3ibew
    pg3ibew Posts: 1,026 Member
    So don't keep one. Check back with us in about 3 months and let us know how you are doing.
  • tsh0ck
    tsh0ck Posts: 1,970 Member
    I have been exercising when I can but I don't want to do the food diary.

    kind of like going to build a wall but deciding to leave your hammer at home.
  • yo_andi
    yo_andi Posts: 2,178 Member
    Simple. It keeps me accountable. When I see the crap, or not crap, I put into my body daily I make much better choices. I can diagnose and solve common issues, like triggers for overeating, causes for bloating and seeing the numbers go up and down based on what's in my food diary is positive feedback w.r.t. how my efforts are paying off.
  • shaynak112
    shaynak112 Posts: 751 Member
    You don't have to :). We are not making you! lol
    For me, it keeps me accountable for what I eat. I have to log every food I eat. Then I see how much bad food I eat, so I try and decrease it. Or I see what I need to eat more/less of. :)
  • skylark94
    skylark94 Posts: 2,036 Member
    If you can't commit to do it right, don't do it. You'd be lying to yourself and will fail.

    Keeping a diary helped me become more aware of what I was eating and allowed me to keep my portions under control and make the right choices and trades. If I want ice cream for dessert, I can look at my calories and see if I need to cut back elsewhere to allow it.
  • kali31337
    kali31337 Posts: 1,048 Member
    then what's the difference between what you were doing before & the change you want to make?
  • scheatwood
    scheatwood Posts: 207 Member
    In the begining, it can be like that. You may only enter one meal or just your food and not drinks, or log your meals and not exercise. But when your dedicated about weight lose, you'll realize you start including everything, down to the vitamins you take and how long it takes to prepare your meals.

    Take it slOw, try just breakfast everyday and you'll be shrouded by the results.
  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
    If you don't think you can, then my guess is you won't. You just have to decide it's important and do it, or it isn't important so don't. Entirely up to you.
  • thescrumisfun
    thescrumisfun Posts: 355
    The biggest reason I do it is that it holds me accountable for my decisions. If I haven't lost anything, I can look back through my diary and see how my eating habits have been - also making it a reality check. Plus, I find myself making better choices when I log or pre-log my day.

    Do the diary for a month and see how your progress goes. You may find it increases your results :).
  • ablazeoflife
    ablazeoflife Posts: 169 Member
    You don't have to keep a food diary. It is there simply as a Tool among many other tools out there.

    Why keep a food diary at all then? --> It helps people self-regulate their intake of certain foods to better their health in a balanced way. It makes people aware of the caloric and nutritional value of things they eat so that they can become conscious in and informed of the decisions they make. It also makes people accountable. It also facilitates others helping, encouraging and giving feedback on your nutritional intake.

    But it is entirely up to you. If you don't need it, you don't have to use it. :)
  • jennifermaffei17
    jennifermaffei17 Posts: 158
    Keeping a diary lets you see what you eat. Most people don't realize how fast calories add up or even what they put into their mouth without realizing it. Adding foods to your diary at the same time you eat them will help you stay on track even if you have doubts.

    While you don't have to do it, I strongly recommend it!
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
    I keep a food diary so I don't have to exercise ...
  • davidjohnb17
    davidjohnb17 Posts: 36 Member
    Simple. It keeps me accountable. When I see the crap, or not crap, I put into my body daily I make much better choices. I can diagnose and solve common issues, like triggers for overeating, causes for bloating and seeing the numbers go up and down based on what's in my food diary is positive feedback w.r.t. how my efforts are paying off.

    I agree, i've only used it for the past 2 days since I started but it's actually really handy to keep track of how you're doing and is good for tracking your progress. If you're struggling to lose weight or if you start to struggle then looking back through your food diary could help you see where changes could be made. As for it being accurate, it doesn't take that long to fill out and the database has pretty much everything in there with accurate nutritional information. I've confirmed this myself by seeing what the diary says is in my food and then looking at the nutritional info on the packaging. Bang on every time :) Good luck!
  • vim_n_vigor
    vim_n_vigor Posts: 4,089 Member
    I had a hard time starting the diary, so I made small goals. First I just logged fruits and veggies. As time went on, there was more and more I logged. I kept my diary private for a while so I could figure out what I was doing.
  • amercer09
    amercer09 Posts: 28 Member
    I think a food dairy helps a ton! I normally try to estimate the best i can. If I am not sure I estimate over what i thought i had. in most cases ppl are eating a ton more calories than they think
  • sbenson1972
    sbenson1972 Posts: 4
    They are right, no one can make you but you would be able to pull so much info from it if you did :) If you aren't losing like you think you should or if you hit a plateau,it's a great tool to make some exchanges or curve an area you are taking in too much of (carbs/fats/etc). Have you tried doing it for the 21-28 day period to see if the action turns into a routine?
  • 126siany
    126siany Posts: 1,386 Member
    Because 80% of weight loss is diet?
  • runnerblues86
    runnerblues86 Posts: 22
    I have changed my eating habits, but I don't track calories. I don't mind "cheating" every once in a while, but I am doing better. Has anyone had success without a diary?
  • smhammons
    smhammons Posts: 115 Member
    I tried diet after diet and would always gain it back because I was not aware of what I actually ate untill I started the diary this is not a diet it is accountablity and a lifestyle change that only you can decide to make good luck on what ever you decide to do....
  • SouffleBoy
    SouffleBoy Posts: 65 Member
    I have been exercising when I can but I don't want to do the food diary. I know I have weight to lose, but I just don't think I would keep an accurate diary. Any suggestions?

    Calorie counting is probably the best method for accurate, reliable and consistent weight loss, which is why most of us on here keep a food diary.
  • runnerblues86
    runnerblues86 Posts: 22
    I think that I will do what vim n vigor suggests and try it privately for a while to see how I am doing. I see the point of it. I should try it to see how successful I am it.

    Is anyone else doing this?
  • WFD1566
    WFD1566 Posts: 5 Member
    The thng that amazed me the most on the food diary was the actual calorie count of the stuff I was eating. Also my sodium intake. I keep mine private but it for me to see what I am taking in and what I am lacking like fiber in my diet....
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    The BEST part of the food diary for me was making me more aware of the nutrition of what I was eating. It's easy to limit how much I eat in a day. But getting enough protein and fat and filling the rest with yummy yummy carbs makes a huge difference in how I feel, and how my weight was lost.
  • 126siany
    126siany Posts: 1,386 Member
    I think that I will do what vim n vigor suggests and try it privately for a while to see how I am doing. I see the point of it. I should try it to see how successful I am it.

    Is anyone else doing this?

    Lots of people have private diaries.

    Mine is only open to people on my friends list.

    You can also put a password on it, so you can give access to specific people while excluding everyone else.

    MFP is really flexible in terms of Diary privacy.
  • justlistening
    justlistening Posts: 249 Member
    Every time in the past I lost/tried to lose weight I just increased my exercise and tried to cut down on my intake w/o a food diary. This time I decided to use MFP solely because the diary was there and has a decent amount of stuff in the database. With just logging my food and not increasing my exercise I have lost 4 lbs in the last 3-4 weeks. Like others said it made me accountable for what I ate. No more (well greatly reduced) a quick snack here and there and forgetting the calories. No more eating because I'm bored etc. I am making better choices also because I know how many calories are in an apple vs. a bag of chips.
  • scarlettesong
    scarlettesong Posts: 108 Member
    If you can't commit to do it right, don't do it. You'd be lying to yourself and will fail.

    Keeping a diary helped me become more aware of what I was eating and allowed me to keep my portions under control and make the right choices and trades. If I want ice cream for dessert, I can look at my calories and see if I need to cut back elsewhere to allow it.

    What she said.

    I thought I was eating healthy, but seeing it there in black and white made me realize trends in my eating habits. How often was I eating out? I'm eating too much sugar. I'm not getting enough protein. This help me slowly change my diet for the better. Healthier foods, less blood sugar crashes, fuller tummy with less food. It was amazing and a real eye opener.
  • Corruptkitten
    Corruptkitten Posts: 157 Member
    When I don't use it I am waaaay less successful. You don't realize how much crap you eat until you log it...at least I don't haha!
  • MamaWannaRun
    MamaWannaRun Posts: 273 Member
    My food diary was a real eye opener.. many foods I thought were ok, just plain were NOT!
    For example, BBQ ribs...not too much meat, not too fatty.. = awful calories...

    I need it for the discipline because without it, I'd be treasure hunting without a map..

    So, no, you don't need to keep a food diary.. but for me, it was helpful..

    I started off with mine private for about 6 months. I share it now only with my friend!
  • MommaSparrow1928
    MommaSparrow1928 Posts: 47 Member
    The diaries are the best tools you have to help track your weight loss..... If you log what you put into your body along with what you're burning FROM your body, you can find a great balance and you'll just start to see those pounds just falling away. I've only been on here for about 5 days and I've already seen some changes. And it's a habit to log into the site as soon as I can after a meal to log what I eat. I have days where I don't log everything I ate till the last thing that day before bed. But if you hold yourself credible for what your putting into your body, it makes a HUGE difference, rather than ignoring it completely.

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