Do you "lie" on your food diary?

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Replies

  • Deipneus
    Deipneus Posts: 1,861 Member
    One thing I admire about people on MFP is that I've never once see a diary where anyone drank more than a glass of wine or one beer. It's an amazing record considering the large number of people here and the fact that no one lies.
  • ginijor
    ginijor Posts: 13 Member
    You can lie, but the only one you are kidding is yourself. As much as it pains me, I log everything. It makes me more accountable for what I eat.
  • ginijor
    ginijor Posts: 13 Member
    LOL Superbowl Sunday all my calories were from beer.
  • ginijor
    ginijor Posts: 13 Member
    One thing I admire about people on MFP is that I've never once see a diary where anyone drank more than a glass of wine or one beer. It's an amazing record considering the large number of people here and the fact that no one lies.


    LOL Superbowl Sunday all my calories were from beer.
  • MizTerry
    MizTerry Posts: 3,763 Member
    I don't lie on mine, but I recently had to close it because some folks felt that their way was perfect for all. Yeah, it ticked me off because I didn't ASK.
  • Cait_Sidhe
    Cait_Sidhe Posts: 3,150 Member
    I used to. It didn't work out well for me.

    Edited to clarify: I lied to myself about portion size. I didn't just make up stuff to put in my food diary.
  • Babeskeez
    Babeskeez Posts: 606 Member
    I dont lie on my food diary. I have nothing to gain (or lose) by doing that.
  • mrsjas2000
    mrsjas2000 Posts: 908 Member
    no point lying you are only hurting yourself, I never eat back my exercise calories and I also try to be at 1200 or less calories wich my Dr. said was fine for me. But today I think I only had about 800 calories and I find it funny that so many people will say good day, I know it wasn't a good day, I just wasn't hungry and it doesn't happen everyday.
  • I may not log the food right away but I definately don't lie when I do. My breakfasts and lunchs are usually pre-planned so I log them before bed for the following day. Today they had cookies at work and I ate three of them and I made sure I logged them as soon as I got home because I needed to plan how much to eat for dinner. I didn't go over but if I did I'd have a short evening workout to burn that off.

    I made a promise to myself that I would log everyday. It can be a tedious activity but it helps in the long run. In the past inconsistent logging has been my downfall because I tend to overeat if I don't track and measure my food. I need to know how much I'm eating!

    I will admit that if I eat something small like a few raw carrots I wont make it a priority to log because it's not a big deal.
  • badtastebetty
    badtastebetty Posts: 326 Member
    I definitely get lazy with my food logging. Right now I am trying to be consistent and log everyday. I usually skip a lot of the veggies I eat, because well... they're veggies! And I eat a ton of them. But I always log the high calorie items (dairy, meat, grains)
  • Sqeekyjojo
    Sqeekyjojo Posts: 704 Member
    I see some food diaries where people are consuming less than 1000 calories a day...multiple days in a row. And these aren't "small" people. I'm wondering if maybe they are fudging it? I mean...can someone really be healthy eating 900 calories a day??

    I try to log everything that I eat. Even if it means admitting that I made a bad choice. I just don't understand how people can live on that little.

    Nope. I record everything I eat and drink. Even if it gets me criticised, whether because its not 'clean enough' to have an opinion or because it's too low. This isn't some fantasy dieting league RPG.

    And don't forget that, to use the rather unpleasant concentration camp analogy some people are so fond of - there were fat people in them. When they went in. It took time to lose weight, even with genuine starvation. It's why fat is seen as attractive in many poorer countries, because it's a protection against famine. So those big people could be easily eating under, because even eating nothing at all, it would still take time to use the body's fat stores.


    So don't instantly dismiss someone as cheating. It's not far removed from assuming a successful weight loss has to have been with surgery, amphetamines and eating some bat**** crazy secret combination of foods instead of hard work and consistently effective choices.
  • cmfruin2012
    cmfruin2012 Posts: 157 Member
    If it passes my lips -- it goes on the log - spices and all -- I use the build a recipe function and everything. I have had this attitude since day one. I have only had one occasion when I didn't log -- and it was a night of cocktails while out with my husband. And I felt extremely guilty for not logging. I am too afraid otherwise to NOT log. I don't want to give myself permission to cheat on myself. Because I am afraid if I do it once -- then I will find an excuse to do it again....and then again. And well, that's what got me to this point in the first place -- for not mindfully eating.
  • elyelyse
    elyelyse Posts: 1,454 Member
    Probably, because you just can't eat that little for that many days in a row without binging on something. And I doubt they record the binge.

    Those people are the ones whose weight never changes, too.

    I haven't read all the replies but I need to reply to this: I have absolutely eaten under 900 calories for multiple days in a row, not lied on my diary, and not followed it with binging. Now, I am not saying that 900 a day is the healthy way to go, by any means, but I have had stretches of sub-1200 days since beginning my journey in July and they didn't result in out of control, undocumented binges.
    eta: almost 90 pounds lost so i didn't "destroy my metabolism" either

    Also. I've got a girl on my friends list who binges a few times a week. She records every bite.
  • JerseyGirl081
    JerseyGirl081 Posts: 98 Member
    Some people are restricted to those amounts of calories by their doctors for certain medical conditions but for the rest of us NO NO NO! That is way too little and you cant expect to be healthy or even lose weight properly and expect it to stay off.

    My diary is all true. I log everything. The good, the bad, & the ugly. No lies in my diary. Thankfully, I am not much of a calorie counter and dont care one bit if my calories are over which they usually are :) Hasn't impeeded my weight loss at all.
  • Tercob
    Tercob Posts: 151 Member
    I log everything, there is no point in lies. You aren't going to lose the weight if your cheating(yourself). If you dont want people to know everything you eat then make your Diary private.
  • CeCe_711
    CeCe_711 Posts: 35
    NEVER. Every single item I eat, whether it is one bite...I add it in..why cheat yourself?

    This. Im still not losing and my net is often below 1000, im still not losing, but im also doing Insanity and losing inches.

    I'm in the same boat. I generally eat 1K or less per day. My body is transforming itself...I'm losing inches in my waist and hips. I use other people's food diary's for tips. Most days I'm looking to see if I can get an idea for a low cal dinner or snack. You shouldn't use it to criticize what other people are or aren't eating.
  • nathan6878
    nathan6878 Posts: 115 Member
    I try to stay as honest as possible on my food diary, but still only get in around 900 to 950 calories a day? But there are some day usually during the weekends that I may not log foods at all, and know that I go way over calorie limit!!!
  • Mokosh
    Mokosh Posts: 23 Member
    One thing I admire about people on MFP is that I've never once see a diary where anyone drank more than a glass of wine or one beer. It's an amazing record considering the large number of people here and the fact that no one lies.
    Ahaha, I've drank 2 times since I'm here, once it was 0.7 l other time around 1 liter of wine :) I wish it wasn't that much... :)
  • julesxo
    julesxo Posts: 422 Member
    I think they are inaccurately entering portions or forgetting something. Or they are just not logging it all.
  • Probably, because you just can't eat that little for that many days in a row without binging on something. And I doubt they record the binge.

    Those people are the ones whose weight never changes, too.

    I tend to seek out friends who are active, who eat normal amounts of food (or even excessive amounts!) and still lose weight or maintain where they are. If I see a friend starving themselves, I will usually say something and if they ignore it I'll unfriend them.

    For me, this site is all about positively reinforcing my decisions to eat well and exercise. I'm down almost 30 lbs so far so I know it's working. I don't need anyone who might interrupt that momentum chatting with me.

    That is kind of body policing of you, isn't it? Not everyone who eats little is miserable and "tiny" and weak, mind you. I spent a lot of time eating 1000kcals per days and I was not miserable at all.
  • SweetestLibby
    SweetestLibby Posts: 607 Member
    So far I've tried to stay as honest as possible. sometime I won't do it right then - like Saturday I spen all day out on a date so I logged what I had that morning but I didn't finish it until later that night. With eating out I try to find the best possible guess of what isn't listed.

    I also include the "bad stuff" too. Fig newtons, doritos, and icecream for dinner on sunday night? Yep.

    I also do High-Lows on occasion. 1500 cals one day, 1100 the next, 1000 the following, and then 900 the last day. it's absolutley intentional.
  • Chrissie_R
    Chrissie_R Posts: 224 Member
    never!! :smile:
  • 1two3four
    1two3four Posts: 413 Member
    I see some food diaries where people are consuming less than 1000 calories a day...multiple days in a row. And these aren't "small" people. I'm wondering if maybe they are fudging it? I mean...can someone really be healthy eating 900 calories a day??

    I try to log everything that I eat. Even if it means admitting that I made a bad choice. I just don't understand how people can live on that little.

    Yes and no.

    Everything I eat I log. There's a gap right now because I was away from my computer and a few days I logged on paper and I've been too lazy to find the notebook. So that's the "no, I don't lie". However, that's not to say I won't shuffle calories. I ate pie and ice
    cream Monday and according to my log I'll still be eating it on Saturday. That's the "yes, I lie" part.

    If I am EVER under my calories it was because I was too ill to eat much or in a situation where I was unable to eat for example, stuck in an ER with no snacks or money and I couldn't until I got home at 9pm and I ate as much as I possibly could before bed and ended up several hundred under my goal.

    As for people eating under 1,000 calories I believe they exist... I would be incredibly hungry if I were in their shoes. I definitely don't see the point of not logging every single bit of food though.
  • jenniferswooten
    jenniferswooten Posts: 137 Member
    I log it all...the good, the bad, and the ugly. Its going to show on the scale anyway. If I didn't log it all, I'm only hurting myself.
  • rm7161
    rm7161 Posts: 505
    As for people eating under 1,000 calories I believe they exist... I would be incredibly hungry if I were in their shoes. I definitely don't see the point of not logging every single bit of food though.

    People with eating disorders definitely do exist. That's why anorexics look the way they do on the calories they consume.

    What I don't believe, is someone who is obese, regularly eating 1000 calories and staying obese. If that were true, anorexics wouldn't exist. There is a study out there that refutes this bit of weight loss myth as well. What is happening is exactly what you say ... they don't see the point of logging every bit of food and that is what makes up the balance of the calories. There is even a name for it. Diet resistance.
  • ThatSoundsHard
    ThatSoundsHard Posts: 475 Member
    Since I started logging I try to log everything before I eat/drink it. I do forget things but I try to keep it as real and honest as possible. I really only do this for myself to keep track and keep myself accountable. What's the point if I'm not honest?
  • binknbaby
    binknbaby Posts: 207 Member
    Well, I think there are four different categories of people who don't put every blessed little thing on their diary.

    1) They are lazy or forgetful, and simply neglect to log. Not intentionally being "deceptive", but sorta defeats the purpose of having a calorie counter if you don't fully utilize it.

    2) There are only certain foods they don't log, since they are extremely minimal calories/macros and are annoying to log. Things like herbal tea (without cream or sugar), medicine and supplements, spices, etc.

    3) They are actually, purposefully lying, trying to appear to be "on track" but not actually following what their diary reads. They may ashamed/embarrassed to have others see what they've eaten, and if their profile is public, they want to avoid judgment.

    4) They are not trying to be deceptive but they are underestimating portion size, and mistakenly putting in lower-calorie items rather than the full amount of calories they actually consumed. That would mainly be a lack of understanding how much "2 oz" or "150g" or "1/8 cup" actually is--and what it looks like on the plate.


    But it's also completely *possible* for them to only be eating 1000 cals a day. That's called an eating disorder... :indifferent:

    Seriously, though, that's not healthy and they should eat more, if that is, in fact, all they are eating.
  • Confuzzled4ever
    Confuzzled4ever Posts: 2,860 Member
    Probably, because you just can't eat that little for that many days in a row without binging on something. And I doubt they record the binge.

    Those people are the ones whose weight never changes, too.

    I tend to seek out friends who are active, who eat normal amounts of food (or even excessive amounts!) and still lose weight or maintain where they are. If I see a friend starving themselves, I will usually say something and if they ignore it I'll unfriend them.

    For me, this site is all about positively reinforcing my decisions to eat well and exercise. I'm down almost 30 lbs so far so I know it's working. I don't need anyone who might interrupt that momentum chatting with me.

    Wrong... you can eat that little and not binge.. I did it for an entire month.. Of course I didn't do it intentionally, and I'm not claiming it's healthy and I did lose weight (*how can you not lose weight eating that little???) I don't have an eating disorder.. my lack of eating was a response to life events and I didn't even realize I wasn't eating. i'm active, I was hiking at that time and jogging and other things. I ate normal foods, just not enough of them.

    It's crazy to not feel hunger, but some people don't. It's a fact. That does not mean i stuff my face at night and lie about it. It means I need to train my body to expect to eat and be fueled, so it reminds me to eat if I don't. It means I have skipped so many meals that my body is not expecting food and isn't looking for it. Not a good thing. Ya'll can say that i had to know or I was starving myself or i'm a liar, i've been called it all already, but i didn't know, I wasnt' paying attention. Still to this day if I don't pay attenion I forget to eat. Skipping a meal or two does not lead to over eating for me or bingeing. My tummy is only so big and can only hold so much food, so there is a point where i'm full and it's the same point if I skipped the previous meal or not.

    I don't lie.. if my diary reflects 800, that's what i ate, if it reflects 2000 that's what i ate. I am accountable to me, I am trying to maintain health moreso then weight loss. My journey is mine.

    I know what I am doing is working.. I've lost weight, lost inches and gotten my medical stuff fixed. I still struggle to eat enough, but it's getting easier everyday. I am grateful to those who encouraged me on here and understood what I was dealing with and gave me good advice and encouragement. Instead of those who just told me what an idiot I am and how can i do this to myself and how easy it is to eat more calories. It's not always that easy, just like it's not easy for some to eat less calories.

    I was told repeated.. add granola to your breakfast or eat nuts.. ok.. example.. this morning.. I added some granola to my yogurt.. I haven't eaten since.. I'm not hungry.. so my calories for the day so far are under 200. How is that helping me eat enough? When I eat those calorie dense food I am full and I don't want to eat. I ate that yogurt about 4 hours ago. I'll eat my greek salad now that I am thinking about it.. but that's less then 100 calories too. I eat clean, becuase that's the food I like. It tastes good.. it also means I have to eat a lot in order to eat enough. It's hard.

    Everyone's starting point is different, but our goals are the same. Understand, accept and encourage or don't say anything.
  • QueenofScott
    QueenofScott Posts: 305 Member
    No.......never! What would be the point of journaling my food if I lied about it? Of course, my diary is closed, so it is a record for Me.
  • mumtoonegirl
    mumtoonegirl Posts: 586 Member
    I see some food diaries where people are consuming less than 1000 calories a day...multiple days in a row. And these aren't "small" people. I'm wondering if maybe they are fudging it? I mean...can someone really be healthy eating 900 calories a day??

    I try to log everything that I eat. Even if it means admitting that I made a bad choice. I just don't understand how people can live on that little.

    I am one of those people and I log every single thing down to the amount of oil I use for my roasted veggies. I eat very healthy, very balanced (protein and veg at every single meal). I cannot figure out how I keep it that low to be honest but I am below 1000 and have been all week since I started logging my food. There are days where that is enough and there are days (depends on my cycle) where I need more food. But I don't bing, I eat healthy and to satisfaction.

    I am very active, I work out 5x a week doing cardio and strength training.
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