Do you log every single item...

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  • cds2327
    cds2327 Posts: 439
    everything for me!
  • TheMaidOfAstolat
    TheMaidOfAstolat Posts: 3,222 Member
    I log everything...including my vitamin (it contains most of the iron I need daily).
  • 00trayn
    00trayn Posts: 1,849 Member
    I thought I was neurotic for logging my couch drops (my allergies are bad this week). Turns out there are 15 calories each in them! And i'm guessing sugar since they're sweet. I'll be happy when my allergies are gone, for both my health and my diet!
  • CherokeeBabe
    CherokeeBabe Posts: 1,704 Member
    Pretty much, the only thing I leave out occasionally is a single leaf of lettuce on sandwiches and no-cal diet soda(if I only had one), but I then increase my water intake automatically to make up for the diet soda. If I have more than 8 oz of soda, even diet, I do start logging it.
  • hepkitty
    hepkitty Posts: 132 Member
    I try to log everything the first time I use it, since I am constantly STUNNED at how many calories (or sugar, or sodium, etc) are in different things I would have previously considered healthy or at least okay foods.

    If I log it and a typical portion size for me is under, say, 10 calories, I often don't log it later on (particularly if I'm loading a meal with lots of elements to it). That's me being lazy and I know they add up, and if I started having unexplained weight gains then I'd probably start logging more precisely, but it seems to work for me because if I tried to force myself to log everything I'd get sick of logging stuff and then I wouldn't do it at all!

    I also try to measure things when I can so I am starting to get a more accurate idea of how much a teaspoon, cup, or 100grams looks like for different foods which is helpful !
  • pianoteacherevan
    pianoteacherevan Posts: 55 Member
    I stopped logging all together. I find it takes up too much of my time on a daily basis. I feel like I have a good sense of moderation and what it is that I am eating. I logged for a good couple months, and now I've learned to maintain a balanced diet without going overboard. On my training days, I eat an extra meal. I consider a small meal 400 calories and a large meal 600-700 calories, and keep a mental note of how much I eat everyday. For instance I know two eggs and two toast are 350 calories, and that bowl of cereal is another 250 calories. Thus breakfast was 600 calories. That's on a training day. I think my system works for me, but wouldn't for most people.

    I don't like to feel like I'm obsessing over my calories, and I still want to enjoy my food. So instead of sitting at my computer and logging my calories while I'm eating, I put on some Family Guy, and relax.
  • njjswim
    njjswim Posts: 178 Member
    I try to log everything. Lots to consider. I like that the program will show how much sodium you ate too...


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    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Nutrition Facts For Foods
  • melgibson
    melgibson Posts: 702 Member
    I log EVERYTHING. Because it ALL adds up :o)
    ALL food and ALL drink.
    Otherwise I'm just cheating myself!!

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    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Weight Loss Tools
  • steffi1686
    steffi1686 Posts: 119 Member
    I pretty much log everything except for when I occasionally forget to add my diet dr. pepper. And I don't log when I use a pinch of seasoned salt or take vitamins.
    Once I ate 5 raisinettes but I couldn't be bothered trying to figure out how many calories that had since 5 is a long way from the serving size of 1/4 cup. I also had a calorie surplus that day so it wouldn't have made much difference.
  • allykat8
    allykat8 Posts: 237
    I try my best to log everything in. But if I forget something small I don't worry about it. I don't want to become obsessed about every calorie. Just know I need to be around my goal is OK and I am still seeing results.

    Example:
    I feel it is ok to skip a veggie, fruit, or something with LESS than 100 calories.
    It is not ok to skip a candy bar, hamburger, steak, etc.

    :)
  • marii92
    marii92 Posts: 77
    I log everything from meals to a sip of soda. The only thing I don't log is the EVOO 1 calorie spray and the colon cleanse powder which is 38 calories per tsp. But I only have 1/4 of that tsp 'cause it tastes awful and I rarely have it.
  • gummibaehr
    gummibaehr Posts: 143
    I don't log gum.
    Or when I have a nibble or a sip of something for taste testing purposes.
    Or my fiber pills (that I take occasionally).

    Everything else goes in the log!
  • pkgirrl
    pkgirrl Posts: 587
    I don't log sweetener, and calorie free beverages or condiments. If I use a tbsp of chopped onion, or a mushroom in something I'm cooking, I don't always log it either. I'm a little lazy, but I've set my daily cals a little high (1700) and don't eat my exercise calories, so I average between1200-1400 most days, and I'm okay with that =)

    I'm young though, and very active, so I respect that some people need to be a lot stricter with their logging =)
  • ractayjon
    ractayjon Posts: 365
    I log everything except my Diet Dr. Pepper. Even things like pickles that are basically Free food I log. If I go over on my calories, I want to know exactly where it was.

    Pickles have a huge amount of sodium so if you are tracking sodium you may want to add those....I agree even free foods....it all adds uo!

    To answer the post -- yep, everything...i even add 1 bite of my kids dinner - -little bites add up!!
  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
    I confess I don't log samples at the grocery store.
  • MercuryBlue
    MercuryBlue Posts: 886 Member
    I don't log black coffee or tea (coffee is only 5 calories), gum, hard candies (unless I have more than 1 a day, of course), or lettuce. If I make a sandwich with turkey breast, mustard and cheese, I'll log everything BUT the lettuce.

    Overall, the calories in the things I DON'T log will add up to no more than 20-30 calories per day. And I CHOOSE to not log them for psychological reasons- I believe that logging the tiniest little details obsessively is not healthy. As was mentioned previously, nobody ever gained weighed on lettuce and black coffee. For me, this journey is about becoming healthier and more aware of what's going into my body- it's not about worrying and obsessing over tiny details. I don't log them, not because I'm lying to myself or anyone else, but because they are insignificant.

    Besides, at the end of the day, your calorie counts are never going to be 100% accurate. The ACTUAL amount of calories in the food you eat will vary from piece to piece. The logger may say that the apple you're eating is 80 calories- but really it could be 70 calories, or 90. You may have logged 200 calories worth of chicken, but maybe the scale was off slightly. You could be really eating 180 calories worth of chicken, or 220. There's a certain allowable margin of error when it comes to posting nutritional information, too. So really, while you may be logging (for example) 1200 calories per day, chances are you're actually consuming more or less than that. That black coffee or lettuce isn't going to make a lick of a difference in the long term.
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