How important is it to "Complete" the diary entries?

TanyaRochelle
TanyaRochelle Posts: 52 Member
in Motivation and Support
I log my food religiously, not so true for logging my water or exercise.
I know 100% that I am getting enough water. and I find it hard to know exactly how many calories I am burning for certain workout videos or personal one on one training sessions with my coach.
But, my real question is: does it really matter if I Complete my daily entry or is that just a formality?
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Replies

  • kenazfehu
    kenazfehu Posts: 1,188 Member
    I find it motivating to complete my entries. I love the message about how much I will weigh in five weeks if "every day is like today".

    But I think we're free to do whatever works. Some days I had no idea about the calories in dinner because somebody else cooked it. I left those days hanging.
  • FluffyNoMore26
    FluffyNoMore26 Posts: 92 Member
    I try to log everything but of course some things slip through the cracks. I agree with Kenazfefu ^^ because it is nice to see if I keep up with what I am doing already I could lose weight in five weeks!! Not important to complete it everyday. Use it more as a guideline to motivate you.
  • krisiepoo
    krisiepoo Posts: 710 Member
    I don't do it. I have my settings set at custom and I don't log my exercise (because I eat less than TDEE and that includes my exercise cals) so when I'm eating 2000 cal days, it says I'll gain weight :) -- more discouraging to me than anything else.
  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
    If you don't click complete, you friends can't look at what you ate and say "cool story bro."
  • _AllieCat_
    _AllieCat_ Posts: 515 Member
    If you don't click complete, you friends can't look at what you ate and say "cool story bro."

    ^^ Pretty much it right there. Haha.
    I don't close my diary out anymore because I don't mind whether or not people comment on my food.
  • boophil
    boophil Posts: 99 Member
    I agree that it is a formality. Do what works best for you!

    On a side note - if you want to accurately track your calorie burn, I highly suggest buying a heart rate monitor (HRM). I have the Polar FT7 and I love it! You can program it with your age, height and weight, and it will accurately measure your heart rate and calculate your calories burned for you. I use mine with every workout!
  • schell81
    schell81 Posts: 187 Member
    I complete my days, I like pulling up the graph on how I'm doing for the week. But if you don't look at your reports I don't think there's much of a need. Besides the "cool, bro" thing
  • kuzurichan
    kuzurichan Posts: 134
    I love hearing the feedback from my friends, so to me, it's very important - and I always read and comment on my friends' diaries as well. :)

    But it's up to you - if you feel it's important, do it. If you don't feel it's important, don't. It's a personal decision. :)
  • TanyaRochelle
    TanyaRochelle Posts: 52 Member
    thank you for the info regarding the HRM. I am also interested in what others have to say about the HRM they use and whether they like it or not.
  • kuzurichan
    kuzurichan Posts: 134
    thank you for the info regarding the HRM. I am also interested in what others have to say about the HRM they use and whether they like it or not.

    I use the Polar FT4 - the version that came out before the FT7 - and I absolutely love it! :) You can read my review here:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/740233-polar-ft4-heart-rate-monitor-a-review
  • bugaha1
    bugaha1 Posts: 602 Member
    If you don't click complete, you friends can't look at what you ate and say "cool story bro."

    ^^ Pretty much it right there. Haha.
    I don't close my diary out anymore because I don't mind whether or not people comment on my food.

    ^^^ This....
    I think if you log 50% to 75% of you food during the week you can learn what your body needs without logging it 100% of the time. I just can’t get into logging some dinner casseroles that I know are healthy already. Way to much work =)
  • Fozzi43
    Fozzi43 Posts: 2,984 Member
    If you don't click complete, you friends can't look at what you ate and say "cool story bro."

    :bigsmile:

    I do mine just because...not reason, just because :bigsmile:
  • SlvrStarr
    SlvrStarr Posts: 47
    I personally don't complete them. I log my food most days to help keep myself on track but I don't need my food choices or macros critiqued. If I don't complete they I don't get the notes from people about going over on sodium or a few extra calories. The goals I have set are recommended by my nutritionist and are around 500 calories below MFP recommendations. I'd close my diary but, since my husband also logs food, we like be able to copy each others journals.
  • gettinfit81
    gettinfit81 Posts: 11
    i use a polar FT? .. love, love, love it! worth investing in!!! :)
  • Flutterloo
    Flutterloo Posts: 122 Member
    I sometimes forgot to hit complete. I often forget to log water, but I know I drink at least 8-12 glasses on a normal day. Sometimes more, hardly ever less. I log my exercise, but if I am unsure on calories burned, I round down some. I don't know how important it is or not, it's just the routine I have gotten in.
  • soulfulsally
    soulfulsally Posts: 326
    If you don't click complete, you friends can't look at what you ate and say "cool story bro."

    LOL, ^^this. The other day I was under my calorie goal and excited about it, but forgot to click 'complete'. No one but me to witness all that glory. I was like, damn it! :laugh:
  • MauC25K
    MauC25K Posts: 40 Member
    I like to hit "complete" after dinner b/c it motivates me not to eat anything for the rest of the night. Not sure why, it's just a mental thing.
  • 126siany
    126siany Posts: 1,386 Member
    I log my food religiously, not so true for logging my water or exercise.
    I know 100% that I am getting enough water. and I find it hard to know exactly how many calories I am burning for certain workout videos or personal one on one training sessions with my coach.
    But, my real question is: does it really matter if I Complete my daily entry or is that just a formality?

    Hitting "Complete" does two things: Publishes your diary on your newsfeed and estimates your weight 5 weeks from now.

    If neither of those is important to you, then don't worry about hitting "Complete". I rarely hit it these days.
  • guardian419
    guardian419 Posts: 391 Member
    I log my food 100% while I'm at work. When I get home, I'd rather spend time with family. Luckily, most of what I eat for dinner is lunch the next day, so I have a rough idea of how much I've eaten.

    HRM. I have a polar FT7, and I've realized I've underestimated the hell out of my workouts... which has led me to under eat. This is an issue for me as I'm doing high intensity cardio AND weight lifting. I'm overweight so I'm still showing gains in fitness, but as I start to thin out it will become more of an issue.
  • chelledawg14
    chelledawg14 Posts: 509 Member
    I use the Polar FT4 HRM and love it! You also program your age, weight, etc to get your calorie burn for any cardio I do. I think the FT7 has a few bells & whistles I had no use for. I'm hoping to get the FitBit Ultra for Christmas so I'll also have that to track how I do. It's good to have an HRM - as an example - on my elliptical at home for 30 minutes it will tell me I burn 609 calories whereas my HRM says 267 or so and even my Android App on my phone only says 300. I can't imagine if I didn't know any better and I was using the machines to give me my calorie burn!

    I do log whatever I eat and drink, although some days I may forget and remember the next day to add something. I don't always close out my diary everyday, either, especially because I haven't been doing so well of late with being sick, fibro kicking in & my exercise being down, overall really off my game & even I have no need to be reminded! LOL
  • agthorn
    agthorn Posts: 1,844 Member
    If you don't click complete, you friends can't look at what you ate and say "cool story bro."

    ^^ Pretty much it right there. Haha.
    I don't close my diary out anymore because I don't mind whether or not people comment on my food.
    You can turn off the auto-posts about completed diaries if you still want to see the "If every day were like today you'd weigh X in five weeks" but don't want it on your feed every day.
  • suzieq08
    suzieq08 Posts: 2
    It just keeps me accountable to myself and it becomes a "habbit" no different than brushing my teeth. Information and commitment is power.:smile:
  • Anna800
    Anna800 Posts: 639 Member
    I complete my days, I like pulling up the graph on how I'm doing for the week. But if you don't look at your reports I don't think there's much of a need. Besides the "cool, bro" thing

    What graph is that?
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    I thought if you didn't "complete" your diary, that the system automatically did it for you at midnight (as if you had clicked "complete" then). So in other words, it doesn't change whether or not it is published to your wall, it just changes the timing. (As for whether or not it is published to your wall, that is a separate setting.)
  • PayneAS
    PayneAS Posts: 669 Member
    But, my real question is: does it really matter if I Complete my daily entry or is that just a formality?

    All that button does is is post to your newsfeed that you are done entering in stuff for the day. Then others can click on the "See Diary" (if your diary isn't private that is) and check it out.

    I hardly ever remember to press the button anymore. If my friends are interested in my Diary, they know how to get to it.
  • david_swinstead
    david_swinstead Posts: 271 Member
    All the report graphs and everything still work fine if you don't complete your diary.

    Like someone else said, all it does is estimate your future weight lsos and publish your result onto your news feed. It doesnt affect reports at all.
  • heykaraoke
    heykaraoke Posts: 191 Member
    I like to hit "complete" after dinner b/c it motivates me not to eat anything for the rest of the night. Not sure why, it's just a mental thing.

    Yup, this. I pre-log all my food for the day and then hit "Complete." It's my way of telling myself, "Okay, that's it, you can't have anything that isn't logged for today."
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
    I never complete mine. Some days I have calories left over and then fill up the end with food from the following day. Mine's more of a guideline to stay in a set limit over a certain number of days rather than have each day be exactly the calorie limit. Plus, if I did that I'd end up going under a lot of days trying to stay perfect.
  • larsjules
    larsjules Posts: 1 Member
    Correct me if I wrong but isnt there a place in "Settings" that you can make diary completly private. You can choose who sees you food choice...everyone, friends or private.
  • survivor1952
    survivor1952 Posts: 250 Member
    If you don't click complete, you friends can't look at what you ate and say "cool story bro."

    LOL, ^^this. The other day I was under my calorie goal and excited about it, but forgot to click 'complete'. No one but me to witness all that glory. I was like, damn it! :laugh:
    You can hit the left button and go back days to complete your food log. I do that all the time if I forget to complete a day. Also if I go away for a weekend it allows me to fill in for the days I was off. So for the day you missed here's your glory...Good Job!!!

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