overwhelmed with logging on here

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jordanhillary
jordanhillary Posts: 46 Member
in Motivation and Support
By logging I mean logging food/exercise.

Anyone else feel like it's just so much information to add each day?!

Half the time I can't even find what i'm looking for! And no, I don't want to spend any more time trying to figure out how to log my exercise that isn't already in the system.

GAH!

Replies

  • UrbanSpaceman75
    UrbanSpaceman75 Posts: 31
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    It is a bit of a hassle, especially at first. But it gets easier as you build up a list of things you've added recently. Unless you eat completely different food all the time, you can add in your regular food and snacks easily enough.

    Logging exercise is always going to be more difficult, because there's just no way that MFP can know how many calories you (in particular) have burned doing that particular exercise - although there are gadgets that can help with this and give better figures. I've heard it said (but don't know if it's true) that MFP is too generous as regards exercise calories. But exercise is only about 20% of the battle if the intention is to lose weight - it's really eating that makes the difference.

    So yes, logging what you eat can be a pain. But it depends how much you want to see results and improvements in your overall health as to whether it's worth doing. My experience has been that logging has shown me which foods I regularly eat are much higher in calories than I thought, and which I can eliminate or cut down on without too much trouble. And that kind of information was definitely worth the time and trouble in logging food to find out.
  • lozadee
    lozadee Posts: 89 Member
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    Once you've done it for a while the routine kicks in - I try to log in advance which usually prevents me from eating some stuff.

    the barcode scanner on the iphone is priceless and the whole process is completely worth doing especially when the graphs start going in the right direction
  • CaptChad75
    CaptChad75 Posts: 115
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    I work on a boat and or travel all week and I've found it really convenient to use my iphone MFP app and as I go along I just scan the barcode on the snacks I take a long with me. Takes a lot of the work out of the calculations and I only have to enter whole foods like apples and bananas manually.
  • FattieBabs
    FattieBabs Posts: 542 Member
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    I found it overwhelming at first, but then started to build up a list of regular meals and recipes which cuts down the time. I also tend to preplan meals as much as I can so that I know roughly what my daily cal intake will be... I also find the scanner brilliant. I t gets easier!
  • jordanhillary
    jordanhillary Posts: 46 Member
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    Thanks guys :flowerforyou: ... You're all right. If I really want this, I just need to suck it up and do it. Also, I agree with MPF being to generous with exercise calories.
  • dmarhal
    dmarhal Posts: 30 Member
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    Yes, it's a hassle to a degree, but it also makes me think how badly
    I want to eat if I have to go and enter it! And it has SO made me aware
    of all the senseless, thoughtless eating I was doing before. Those
    calories really add/added up! Stay strong and patient and hang in there!
  • Leisalynn84
    Leisalynn84 Posts: 113 Member
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    If you have a smart phone the barcode thing is awesome! 99% of the time it has all the correct info when I scan things. After I was on here for a few weeks I found that I basically ate the same stuff all the time so I rarely have to add new foods.

    Before I had the app I would forget to log things or feel like it was a hassle to get on the computer every time I ate, now I use my phone most of the time and it has made a HUGE difference!

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