Goal met ..Should I stop logging?

beaches222
beaches222 Posts: 437 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Okay I need help on whats next for me. For all of you that met your goal did you stop logging? I met my weight loss goal however I would love to lose maybe 3 more pounds just to have that cushion for gain. I am afraid to stop logging as I dont think I am strong enough for that. Any suggestions?

Replies

  • Kristie18
    Kristie18 Posts: 332 Member
    Congratulations on your goal! when I met my goal, I stopped logging and began to gain again. I guess everyone would be different, but I find that I am not disciplined enough to stop.
  • victorious27
    victorious27 Posts: 250 Member
    Honestly, just try it. Monitor your weight when you stop logging and see how it affects you.

    Nothing hurts to try. :wink:
  • beaches222
    beaches222 Posts: 437 Member
    Thanks Kristie for responding. I really dont think I am discipline enough to stop either. I have lost and gained back so much that I don't want to go down that road again.
  • peterdt
    peterdt Posts: 820 Member
    95% of people who lose weight put it back on. It's a fact. Keep logging.
  • Car0lynnM
    Car0lynnM Posts: 332 Member
    Congrats on meeting your goal!! Remember, this is a lifestyle change. I would keep logging. Change your goal to lose the extra 3 pounds, and when you reach that, change your goal to maintenance. Your calorie goal will reflect that and give you a few extra calories for the day. Keep logging what you eat, and you shouldn't gain back. Good luck!!
  • peterdt
    peterdt Posts: 820 Member
    Also, since you lost weight you needed calories consumption is now less to maintain for your smaller body and when you exercise you are also burning less calories if you are doing same intensity (the heavier you are the more calories you burn when exercising). I've heard that 3 months minimum you should continue to log to adjust to this new change.
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
    Okay I need help on whats next for me. For all of you that met your goal did you stop logging? I met my weight loss goal however I would love to lose maybe 3 more pounds just to have that cushion for gain. I am afraid to stop logging as I dont think I am strong enough for that. Any suggestions?

    It's a good question and something I wonder about. How will you stop going back to old eating habits etc?
  • hipsdontlie1
    hipsdontlie1 Posts: 294 Member
    I would definitely keep logging at least until you feel like you can approximate calories really well, because it's very easy to go over without realizing it, if your not tracking. Since you have obtain your weight lost goal, i suggest maybe creating other goals. Like perhaps a body fat % goal, a fitness goal (run for however many minutes straight or a weight lifting goal). I would definitely stick to logging though!
  • Lyssa62
    Lyssa62 Posts: 930 Member
    mfp is stuck with me now. if I were to stop logging ..I'd gain it all back. I've done it before. I just need to figure I'd be writing in a journal or spending way too much damn time on facebook if I weren't here..so here I shall stay. I will be maintaining for the rest of my life. I'm gonna need somebody to write my departing post the day I die.
  • k121777
    k121777 Posts: 306
    I wouldn't stop logging. Keep logging and making yourself accountable. Otherwise you will gain it back over a long period of time. (Like I did, but have almost lost it all again and this time I'm going to keep logging!) If you don't log, you might get FOOD AMNESIA! LOL!
  • WinnerVictorious
    WinnerVictorious Posts: 4,733 Member
    Okay I need help on whats next for me. For all of you that met your goal did you stop logging? I met my weight loss goal however I would love to lose maybe 3 more pounds just to have that cushion for gain. I am afraid to stop logging as I dont think I am strong enough for that. Any suggestions?

    logging should become a habit. logging is all about knowledge. why would you want to stop knowing what you're putting in your body each day? even if you don't log daily on MFP, you can log in a notebook or a spreadsheet and then login to MFP every few days and do a "data dump" into your diary.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    I've been maintaining about a year and a half.. I eased back on logging. I stopped logging on weekends and holidays at first, then sometimes took a week or two off here and there. Took a month off when I had a stress fracture. I always come back to logging because I know I don't intuitively crave the kind of nutrition I need to continue to exercise as hard as I want. So I log to make sure I'm getting enough fat and protein, because if I let my body decide on it's own, I'd eat nothing but carbs, carbs and more carbs.
  • beaches222
    beaches222 Posts: 437 Member
    Thanks to you ALL for your suggestions! Looks likeI will continue logging. You guys are wonderful!
  • chaosathena
    chaosathena Posts: 5 Member
    I would keep logging. You can change your goal from losing weight to maintaining it. After all, you're in an amazing new body; you have to learn what it takes to keep it going!

    Congratulations on meeting your goal! =)
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    I have been maintaining for over a year, and I still log every day!
  • foleyshirley
    foleyshirley Posts: 1,043 Member
    Okay I need help on whats next for me. For all of you that met your goal did you stop logging? I met my weight loss goal however I would love to lose maybe 3 more pounds just to have that cushion for gain. I am afraid to stop logging as I dont think I am strong enough for that. Any suggestions?

    I would definitely not stop logging yet. You still have to get an idea of where maintenance will be for you. You may be able to stop logging eventually, but I would keep it up for the first few months of maintenance. I'm not there yet, but that is what I intend to do.
  • BenChase
    BenChase Posts: 169
    i met my goal months ago and i stopped worrying about how many calories i take in, but i still log everything just to keep track of it, but i never stop eating just because i hit X amount of calories, if i'm hungry i eat and log what i ate, let my calories fall wherever they may, and i've found by doing it this way i have started to "learn" about how many calories to eat in a day without trying, almost every day for months have fallen between 3,300- 3,600 calories without even trying (i am very active this is maintenance level for me) (rarely) some days are 4k+ and some are only 2k+.... so honestly now i could stop logging and probably not gain/lose anything but i keep logging anyway,it's become part of my life,and i don't plan on shutting it out just because i can, but not everyone is the same, i would advise to at least log for a few months like i have, it's great to know you have naturally balanced out what you eat and without trying to stay within a certain range you still do anyway :wink:
  • UnstopableMother
    UnstopableMother Posts: 8 Member
    Experts claim that if you keep the weight off for 2 years after your weight loss goal is met it will stay off as long as you maintain your new habits so You need to keep it off for those 2 years then it will be easier. So i would definitely keep logging to keep yourself on track you worked hard to reach this goal you owe it to yourself to do all you can to keep the weight off. Congratulations!! to you I'm proud of you I don't know you but i know the hard work that goes into weight loss.:happy:
  • newmooon56
    newmooon56 Posts: 347 Member
    Same here- almost- Im about 2 lbs from goal (tho now I wonder if that was the right number, but anyway..) I did stop logging a few weeks ago. I just aint feeling it any more - BUT- and heres MY big condition - I got this.

    What do I mean? I mean I believe I have learned how to eat. Also I have changed my tastes. I dont want junk that makes me fat, I dont want food that makes me feel bloated or sluggish. I want fruit, veggies, and good whole, clean food. I like prepping and preparing. It used to be so I could be proud of my diary and in that pride I became good at it.

    Now its my lifestyle. I started in July and I believe its true, after all that time new habits are born. Can I regress and go back to junk and eating too much of even the good stuff? Im sure that could happen. BUT - Im working out and loving it, loving my body and how I feel.

    IF I screw up and start to gain I will go right back to logging and trimming out the problems that caused that backwards motion.

    Bottom line- Im not going to force myself to log (when its so time consuming and has become a bore) when eating correctly comes naturally now, portions and all (I still measure calorie dense foods like nuts, cheeses and dressings).

    So thats up to you and your comfort zone.

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