Do you track EVERY food you eat?

Lisa1971
Lisa1971 Posts: 3,069 Member
edited September 20 in Food and Nutrition
Just wondering if you track every single food you eat or if you have days where you don't. So far I've tracked EVERYTHING and it is definitely leaving me accountable! I have a friend who doesn't track her "cheat" foods so IMO I don't know how that is helping her.

Just wondering what everyone does or doesn't do.

Thanks!
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Replies

  • miqisha
    miqisha Posts: 1,534 Member
    I I log everything I eat...how else are you going to be fully accountable and know if you are going over your calories

    Cheat food or not, I log everything I eat

    Thats the best way, so I beleive you are doing the right thing
  • marioz49
    marioz49 Posts: 51 Member
    Before I found this site yesterday, I was filling in my own weight loss sheet and writing down most things I ate. Although when I did sort of go off track with my eating, I didn't tend to write it down. Now that I am on this site and can track how many calories I have every day, it is going to be much easier and I don't think I will feel like cheating or going off track because I am determined to meet my goals.
  • aapye
    aapye Posts: 9
    I log everything even what I drink and was surprised to find out how many calories that led to.
  • suziblues2000
    suziblues2000 Posts: 515 Member
    Every. Single. Thing.

    Yep, I track everything so I will know how many calories I'm eating.
    Believe me, I still have a horrendous sweet tooth so I still eat lots of sweets! But I still track all of 'em!
  • Mande_G
    Mande_G Posts: 599 Member
    There are only 2 things I don't log: my daily vitamins (i.e. fish oil capsules) and sugar-free gum (maybe 1-2 pieces at most, and not everyday.)
  • oliveoil7979
    oliveoil7979 Posts: 112
    My husband and I log EVERYTHING. I did it at first just to see exactly what I was eating and to get an idea of what was bad, now I do it just to keep my on track.

    There are days I allow myself to "cheat", but because I know about how many calories I eat a day, I limit my "cheat" to something of a certain calorie, so I dont go crazy.

    It has made all the difference in my weight loss journey.
  • StaceG1986
    StaceG1986 Posts: 350
    I still track EVERYTHING, even if it is bad and/or I'm having a special treat, like a bar of chocolate or takeout day (not even half as often as before though), that way you are accountable for everything, and in weeks to come you can look back and see how far you have come :smile:
  • melville88
    melville88 Posts: 137
    i log everything i eat but i only log drinks when they've been alcoholic (as I very rarely drink tea and just drink very very weak squash). xxx
  • lotusfromthemud
    lotusfromthemud Posts: 5,335 Member
    I track every single morsel...including "cheats". Since a cheat is an "every once in a while" thing...the handy reports here help me keep them in check.

    I think this only works if you hold yourself accountable for every morsel, especially at the beginning. That being said, now that I'm a semi-pro at this, I will take a few days off from logging every now and again, but I really value being able to look back over time with the records.
  • kimberly428
    kimberly428 Posts: 237
    YES I do! If I don't then that is when I can overdue it and I need to keep myself focused. :P
  • mama22girlz
    mama22girlz Posts: 291
    I track most things. But If I have a little bite of my kids apple or something I dont always log that, just as I dont deduct when my little one eats 1/4 of my meal. I'm loosing and its working for me. I think once I hit a wall I'll be more careful of what I log. But I don't let myself eat whole snacks ect without logging it. A nibble or a lick I'll let it go, anything more and I log it.
  • xTattooedDollx
    xTattooedDollx Posts: 426 Member
    I track every bite!!!!
  • perrim
    perrim Posts: 117
    I track about 97% of what I eat. I don't do my fish oil or gum or the little 3 calorie candies I have here and there and if I eat some samples at the grocery store or farmer's market or something, I don't count that either only because I am usually under my calorie goal by 200-300 calories and am still on track and doing fine. If I were to plateau or feel like I'm not seeing the results I want, then I'd be more diligent.
  • aproc
    aproc Posts: 1,033 Member
    Sometimes I don't log everything because in the mornings when I use strawberries and such, I don't really measure. So I usually over estimate and put a cup when it was really bout half of that. So when I randomly grab a strawberry later throughout the day I won't log it. And sometimes I just grad one or two nuts or small random things that I don't log.
  • Sunshinechic
    Sunshinechic Posts: 31 Member
    To stay accountable I track all food and drinks. If I bite it I write it:laugh: I find myself asking "do you really want to eat that?!?! This site really keeps you conscious of what you're putting in your mouth:smile:
  • sniffles
    sniffles Posts: 295
    I don't track vegetables actually. Never have. I track fruits though.

    Everything else I log...
  • cruisegirl
    cruisegirl Posts: 43 Member
    Yep -- I log in everything I eat. If you leave out something, then you've messed up your calorie count for the day. It's really not that hard once you get used to it. MFP keeps your old foods you've entered, so that makes it easier too.

    You can do it!!
  • melathon
    melathon Posts: 246 Member
    I do track everything. Some mornings, I drink ~100 cals of cream and sugar in my coffee, and that adds up!
  • marioz49
    marioz49 Posts: 51 Member
    To stay accountable I track all food and drinks. If I bite it I write it:laugh: I find myself asking "do you really want to eat that?!?! This site really keeps you conscious of what you're putting in your mouth:smile:

    I like that 'if I bite it, write iti'
  • Mom2Emery_Liam
    Mom2Emery_Liam Posts: 149
    I track about 98% of what I eat. Sometimes I'll have a cracker or munch of something my kids are snacking on. I usually mentally add that onto my total. MFP has me at 1230 cals a day so an extra 100 of little munches isn't going to sabotage my process. If I eat more than one or two crackers, then I def log it. I also log any drink w/calories like my coffee w/creamer.
  • seventeenlucky77
    seventeenlucky77 Posts: 92 Member
    I have logged every single thing I have eaten since I started on MFP. Really helps me to see what I am eating and know when I should hold back on certain things. It has also helped me with portion control.
  • sarahsmom1
    sarahsmom1 Posts: 1,501 Member
    Yes I tried the other way looking everything up and writing it on paper putting on the fridge got old real fast now its a snap and I also put everything on my chart whither I want to or not or I feel guilty.
  • bethinagain
    bethinagain Posts: 282 Member
    I log every little crumb that enters my mouth! If I take a bite of something, I will enter it at .16c or 1/4 oz. depending what it is! It has made a world of difference in my weight loss! Thank God for MFP!
  • snookeroo
    snookeroo Posts: 2,116 Member
    I track EVERYTHING!
    Only thing is that I find it hard to track things that aren't in the database. I'll try to find something close or, for example, tonight I had a cheese steak from my local sub shop (it was delicious) and I basically entered everything in seperately... roll, sliced tomato, pickles. cheese, ketsup, ect. I wish every place had their nutrition info available! I don't say, "Oh well it's not in the database so I won't log it". You have to account for it the best you can.

    But when I cook at home or eat ready made stuff, it's easy.

    But, you gotta track EVERYTHING or you're just cheating yourself.
    You wouldn't run 5 miles and log in that you ran eight...
  • sparklebritches
    sparklebritches Posts: 46
    A lot of my meals are home cooked. I omit the onion and garlic and things like mustard or vinegar. Sometimes I decide to have a little fiber before bed and don't log that but I am always aware of where I stood for the day when I close out.
  • angkelley
    angkelley Posts: 1
    I have a question about eating out. I like to eat Chinese food. I usually get chicken and brocolli with white rice which isnt too horribly bad for you. How would you track those calories? I know when I did weight watchers, they had guides to tell me how many points I had when I chose to eat out. Are there any tools like that available on this site or no? Or does anyone know how to track eating out?
  • karen366
    karen366 Posts: 141
    You bet I do...it wasn't easy logging that piece of birthday cake tonight(went over calories), but life happens and tomorrow is another day!
  • MiniRose2B
    MiniRose2B Posts: 53
    I track everything on better days, but If I fall off the wagon and cheat I stop logging, I mean who wants to remember rolling in the dirt feeling the wagon wheels run over them? ; (
  • funkyspunky871
    funkyspunky871 Posts: 1,675 Member
    I don't log cheat meals and I don't log things like lettuce and mustard or even tomatoes on sandwiches. I don't ever get to my calorie goal anyways, so I mentally add, let's say, a hundred calories to my total for the small things. I don't log drinks either, but that's because I only drink water or coke zero (which has nonsignificant amounts of sodium and it's made with splenda, so no sugar).

    I also don't really log meals that I can't find any specific nutritional info on. I find something on MFP that's close enough and log that, and mentally note that it could be a little less or a little more than what I thought.
  • MattySparky
    MattySparky Posts: 771
    everything, absolutely.
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