Food & Exercise journaling

viviennemayer
viviennemayer Posts: 29
in Introduce Yourself
I just want to say I really have a hard time doing this on a daily basis although it really is helpful to me. It's the best tool for me to keep and stay on track for my calories but I simply avoid it sometimes. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to do this more effectively? Right now I don't have a good reliale system in place and I don't have a cell with apps to keep up at the current time on any activity or meal. Soo frustrated with journaling!

Replies

  • viviennemayer
    viviennemayer Posts: 29
    Jus to be upfront or "real" I am sarcastic sometimes. So I'd like to say, thanks for all the advice and input, it's been extrememly helpful.
  • ExcelWithMel
    ExcelWithMel Posts: 192 Member
    Have you looked into Weight Watchers Simply Filling Plan? You can probably sign up for a 1-3 month online membership and get all the tools, advice, and plans. It's a really easy plan to follow as long as you don't eat out a lot, and I like to use it because it doesn't make you track everything. It keeps you mindful of your hunger signals, but also sets some limitation on treats so I think it's very beneficial and you don't have to obsess about tracking.

    If you want to stay with MFP, my suggestion is get 7-10 days of tracking down, know what fits within your food guidelines and eat that stuff all the time. I tend to make 3 meals at once - maybe a beef, a chicken, and a fish. Then I eat them for the whole week and the repeat with a new set of items. The copy yesterday's meal is a real time saver for me.
  • Robin_Bin
    Robin_Bin Posts: 1,046 Member
    Journaling was one of the hardest parts for me too. MFP makes it easier -- I don't have to calculate as much, but it's still not something I enjoy. On the other hand, I like these message boards and some of the good and friendly advice I've seen here. I like seeing the indicator on my tracker moving in the right direction. So altogether it's easier for me to log here than one of the old, paper systems, and I'm motivated by my goals, but also by some of the social interactions.
    Good luck!
  • chanxays
    chanxays Posts: 2
    i find inputting all the foods really tedious but i must say it has helped me lower how much food i shovel in my mouth because of having to keep track of it all. makes me more aware of what i am eating and how many calories as well. if you dont have an app or a cell phone to log your food through out the day, keep a little note book with you and write down what you ate and drank with descriptions. if you eat out at a restaurant, write down the food item and the name of the restaurant and when you get to a computer... you can log your food and also look up the calories and nutritional value and fat content in the my fitness pal food database. hope this helps you out! good luck with your goals! never stop trying! :smile:
  • NaomiJFoster
    NaomiJFoster Posts: 1,450 Member
    I usually do can get breakfast and exercise logged on in the morning. But lunch, dinner, and any other activity has to wait until the end of the day. I just make a point to remember what I ate when I was away from the computer or unable to log on my phone. I'm not a phone-person anyway, so I prefer to use the computer site. You just have to make it a point, make it a priority. It doesn't take too long once you get in the habit. Maybe find a certain time of day that works for you...like when you're checking your email or hopping on facebook, cut out 5 minutes of that and log on here instead?
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
    Jus to be upfront or "real" I am sarcastic sometimes. So I'd like to say, thanks for all the advice and input, it's been extrememly helpful.
    Sometimes the forums are really busy, with many threads being started around the same time, and threads get pushed off the first page before people notice them. Also, it's the "introduce yourself" forum, so the people looking more to give advice may not be looking in here. :smile:

    I have to say, once you ave the foods that you eat most often added into your diary, it becomes lot easier as you can use the "most used" and "recent" tabs. That's a huge time saver. Also, if you eat a meal, and are likely to eat it the same way again, you can save all the components with the "my meals" function. My breakfast is nearly always the same, so I can easily remember that, and for lunch, I usually just quickly jot down the numbers I need to remember. Eg. today, I had a tortilla wrap with tzatziki, cheese and salad. I weighed the tzatziki and cheese, and jotted those numbers down. I just remembered that I had the wrap, half a tomato etc. Other than that, I think it just gets quicker and easier as you get used to it. I do it all on my computer, and it probably takes about 10-15 mins a day.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,418 Member
    I takes me 3 minutes per meal to input food. Like any other new thing, there is a learning curve. Once you figure out the system and get your foods dialed in, it becomes easier.

    If you are unable to get to the computer, write down on a small notepad what you've eaten and keep it with you until you get to the computer. I have never had a phone app, I've done it all on a laptop.

    It's super important to get in the habit of logging food, since it is so easy to go over by several hundred calories if you aren't paying attention.

    After a while you'll be able to do it in your head, but at first you've got to keep track.

  • ryker789
    ryker789 Posts: 255 Member
    I'm having a hard time as well, so I decided to write it down in a notebook throughout the day, then input it all when I have time. This has been working better. Good luck.
  • viviennemayer
    viviennemayer Posts: 29
    Thank you so much for the valuable info! I'm getting a small notebook tomorrow. AM no prob, the rest of the day is what suffers most especially if I'm out and about. The notebook seems to be a handy tool and I think that may help bunches. :)
  • ajourney2beme
    ajourney2beme Posts: 181 Member
    If you KNOW what you are going to eat I would track it as early as possible. Like I know I'm going to have an omelet with a bunch of my normal veggies in it for breakfast, so while I am adding in something, or just browsing the forums I will put that in for tomorrow. Same with if I know I am going to make a specific recipe for dinner during the week I will use any down time I have to add in the recipe for when that time comes. Once you get a list of items going in your favorite it doesn't take long to log on MFP at all which is one of the reasons i really like it.

    Good luck!
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    Wireless technology
    16805905_8d945c48a0.jpg

    Coupled with some sort of stylus-like writing instrument
    bic.jpg

    ....just might hold you over till you can get on a computer...
  • BearDreams
    BearDreams Posts: 6
    Ha ha! I love it., very true. Its the best way to keep track and then you can log it all later on when you have a moment. Its my biggest thing too, finding the time to enter it all or even just jot it down regularly. Good luck on getting the consistency going :)
  • Markus_7
    Markus_7 Posts: 165 Member
    New to this concept of detailed fitness/diet tracking and goal setting...seems pretty great. My buddy got me to join today, and my group of friends are working on goals/improving our lives as a team...very effective so far and I encourage whoever reads this to try to form/join a group of like-minded/goal-oriented people for support & accountability.
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
    I just do it while I eat. But, I'm super geeky. I always have a device by me where I can punch in what I'm eating real-time.
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
    Journalling is the single most important thing you can do to lose weight. It really is just math. The next most important thing is weighing and measuring your food IMHO. Then you know what you're journalling is correct.
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    Wireless technology
    16805905_8d945c48a0.jpg

    Coupled with some sort of stylus-like writing instrument
    bic.jpg

    ....just might hold you over till you can get on a computer...

    Whoa! Is that the new 100 sheet wireless notepad??? Ohhhhh, and the Bic medium blue round stic?? I usually wait until the new models come out and then pick up the previous model...so now I'm hoping to find a deal on a 75 sheet pad.
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
    I always make a plan ahead of time that fits my calorie and macro goals, and I make sure to eat what's on that plan and only what's on that plan. If I have something extra, I write it down and log it later.
  • sandradev1
    sandradev1 Posts: 786 Member
    Wireless technology
    16805905_8d945c48a0.jpg

    Coupled with some sort of stylus-like writing instrument

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/BIC-For-Her-Medium-Ballpoint/dp/B004FTGJUW

    ....just might hold you over till you can get on a computer...

    Corrected it for you Taso :laugh: :flowerforyou: for any ladies that have had problems writing with 'HIM' pens for all these years.

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