Do you track your food?

beautifulregardless
beautifulregardless Posts: 145
in Introduce Yourself
I can't seem to stick to tracking my food. I track my first meal and after that I usually forget to do it.

Do you ?
«13

Replies

  • Ghiizhar
    Ghiizhar Posts: 10 Member
    Don't take this as being "snotty" or smart alecky, but this program is based on tracking calories in vs out, so it would be kinda pointless if meals are not recorded.

    With that said, I do miss recording meals a few times on weekends, but am "religious" about it during the weekdays. I have consistently lost a pound or so a week since beginning this past January....
  • legacybush
    legacybush Posts: 78 Member
    If it's really bothersome/time consuming for you to track every single piece of food then simply calculate how many calories you ate that meal/day in your head and use the quick-add calories feature.
  • TheCaren
    TheCaren Posts: 894 Member
    I track everything. In fact, when going to restaurants, I look ahead of time on MFP what my best food options are and then track them before I go. I can always delete or modify later if I eat something different. Nothing like getting home feel proud you had a chicken salad for dinner and finding out it had 1100 calories in it. Knowledge is power.
  • Deipneus
    Deipneus Posts: 1,856 Member
    I can't seem to stick to tracking my food. I track my first meal and after that I usually forget to do it.

    Do you ?
    I do. It is a tough habit to start but I've been doing it so long it's automatic. I know I have to limit my calories to maintain my weight and the only way to do that is to know how many I've eaten. If I could estimate it without tracking, I would never have gotten fat.
  • ncl1313
    ncl1313 Posts: 237 Member
    I log at least once, sometimes twice per day. I log all my meals in the morning since I've got the whole day planned. If something changes, or I eat something in addition to what I've logged, I either add it that night or the next morning. I also don't see how MFP would be much benefit if you aren't tracking calories. It's just a matter of making it a habit, like everything else.
  • FrnkLft
    FrnkLft Posts: 1,821 Member
    If you want to be successful tracking your food, you should try to plan your meals a bit more. Might help, but if you're going to be serious about loosing weight you have to be serious about tracking what you're eating (regardless of whether or not you go over your limits).
  • lovemitch125
    lovemitch125 Posts: 257 Member
    I track absolutely everything, everyday. Even on cheat days. If I don't record something on cheat days, I make a note of it so I don't forget. I keep my iphone with me all of the time, and even when I eat out, actually I use it more then to see what I am eating and/or drinking. If you don't want to log all day, plan out your day of meals when you wake up or the night before, if it changes, make changes before you go to bed. That way you aren't spending all day on here, but honestly I have not missed recording anything since I started 3 months ago. It becomes a serious habit.
  • beckty
    beckty Posts: 118 Member
    If it's really bothersome/time consuming for you to track every single piece of food then simply calculate how many calories you ate that meal/day in your head and use the quick-add calories feature.

    This is SO true! I can't believe how high in calories/fat some "healthy options" end up being. I too check ahead on restaurants. Even if I make a poor choice, at least I know going into it.
  • mgmlap
    mgmlap Posts: 1,377 Member
    Pre-track your food..it will help you to get into the habit. Doing anything new ...takes time for it to become a habit..stick with it..There are very few days where I do not track..
  • ddjjpm
    ddjjpm Posts: 22 Member
    I log everything. I like to log ahead for the day so that I know where I will end up.
  • smnassise
    smnassise Posts: 22 Member
    YES! It's a habit like any other.
    It isn't easy at first, but I NEED to do it. When I first started I couldn't believe how many pitfalls were out there. One cookie from Cosi (a place my work orders lunch from all the time) is 360-390 calories!!!! For ONE STINKIN COOKIE!!! I can have 4 ounces of a rib eye steak and a small baked potato for the same calories!
    Good luck!
  • lovemitch125
    lovemitch125 Posts: 257 Member
    I track everything. In fact, when going to restaurants, I look ahead of time on MFP what my best food options are and then track them before I go. I can always delete or modify later if I eat something different. Nothing like getting home feel proud you had a chicken salad for dinner and finding out it had 1100 calories in it. Knowledge is power.

    I completely agree with this and do exactly the same thing. It becomes very easy to do and I love it. Because I almost never have to give up a restaurant. Even things as bad as California Tortilla, I get kids meals :)
  • grdaze
    grdaze Posts: 195 Member
    I want to answer the OP but I'm stuck on the avatar ... is that your nipple hanging out? It isn't ... it is ... it isn't ...
  • briabner
    briabner Posts: 427 Member
    I track my food religiously! This seems to be the only way that I actively know what I am consuming and how much. It also helps me that I have the app on my phone as well as work on a computer all day so I can have MFP open all day.
  • imhungry2012
    imhungry2012 Posts: 240 Member
    I track absolutely everything, everyday. Even on cheat days. If I don't record something on cheat days, I make a note of it so I don't forget. I keep my iphone with me all of the time, and even when I eat out, actually I use it more then to see what I am eating and/or drinking. If you don't want to log all day, plan out your day of meals when you wake up or the night before, if it changes, make changes before you go to bed. That way you aren't spending all day on here, but honestly I have not missed recording anything since I started 3 months ago. It becomes a serious habit.

    ^^^This
  • 1223345
    1223345 Posts: 1,386 Member
    I track it in a notebook that I keep in my kitchen. It is kind of a pain in the rear tracking it in here.
  • krickeyuu
    krickeyuu Posts: 344 Member
    The point of this site is to track what you eat and see your patterns, your strengths and weaknesses and calories in vz. calories out. This is how you take control of your life--seeing the patterns of eating, drinking, exercising, etc. It is not the only way,but I think it is the best, most successsful way to lose weight and get fit and healthy.

    I log 99% of my days. When I go on vacation twice a year I do not log that. Sometimes, if I have a lot of things that I have to look up, I might wait unitl Saturday to log last Tuesday's dinner, for instance, but I do log it. I log overages, I log excess drinking binges, food binges. How else will you see where you need to make changes?
  • javonjay76
    javonjay76 Posts: 48 Member
    I'm trying my best to do it! I'm slowly getting better at it. MFP has one of the best tracking tools so I always can find what I ate on it. Don't beat yourself up over it. I have it on my computer at home and I have the app on my phone. Some people take pictures of what they eat and track it later. Remember its a habit you have to get into. Do get discouraged, eventually it will set in and become second nature to you. Just don't stop doing it.

    I like to think of my calories as money. Who don't love spending $1500 (calories)/day. Whatever works for you go for it. :):wink:
  • ExcelWithMel
    ExcelWithMel Posts: 192 Member
    I often track the night before what I plan to eat the next day. Yes, I have to make adjustments but then I am at least on plan to hit my right calories/macros and I don't miss anything because I forgot to log it, or feel like I am constantly trying to remember to log my food.
  • TrailRunner61
    TrailRunner61 Posts: 2,505 Member
    If you are at a healthy weight, are in maintenance, do OK anyway, without logging, then I don't see why it would matter.
    If you're not losing weight, haven't reached a healthy weight, etc., then put in the effort to find out where you can improve your diet. You're the one in control here.
  • willdob3
    willdob3 Posts: 640 Member
    I do track my foot but I'm not currently weighing/measuring it. I cook simply & can guess well enough at half a bag of veggies, a serving of protein, etc. I've weighed/measured every single thing in the past and, if I stop seeing results, I will do it again.
  • PamelaGatorMom
    PamelaGatorMom Posts: 348 Member
    I log EVERYTHING!! in fact it doesn't go in my mouth until it's in my app (especially if I'm eating out) It is SO VERY IMPORTANT to log everything, and I would avoid using the quick calorie adds!

    It all comes down to commitment!

    DO or do not there is NO try!!
  • LoosingMyLast15
    LoosingMyLast15 Posts: 1,457 Member
    I want to answer the OP but I'm stuck on the avatar ... is that your nipple hanging out? It isn't ... it is ... it isn't ...

    after reading this post i had to check - it's not it's a tattoo on her chest.
  • badtastebetty
    badtastebetty Posts: 326 Member
    I used to find tracking to be a pain as well, I've found planning out the basics of my day the night before helps a ton. I know the majority of what I will eat, and have wiggle room for if my day doesn't go exactly as planned. I also don't stress to much on weekends about tracking super accuartely.

    I also find, eating basic natural foods makes tracking way easier because there are no hidden ingredients (though some find packaged foods easier to log, to each their own).
  • Hexahedra
    Hexahedra Posts: 894 Member
    I track everything I eat, that's the whole point of MFP. There's only about 350 calories of difference between putting my body on starvation (which halts/reduces fat burning) and sedentary weight maintenance (which allows fat loss when exercise is added).
  • GemT67
    GemT67 Posts: 8 Member
    Record them ! You just need to get into the habit :wink:

    I find adding all 'known' or expected calories at the start of the day and then add or amend where things change is best for me.

    If you cant log at the time, just keep a note somewhere of exactly what you ate and add it when you can even if it means you go 'over' for the day :happy:
  • peleroja
    peleroja Posts: 3,979 Member
    I track every bite I eat. I weigh or measure absolutely everything, log it, and then eat it. Like one of the other posters, it doesn't go in my mouth until it's tracked on the app. If you don't have an accurate view of how many calories you're eating, it's virtually impossible to know what kind of deficit you're eating at.
  • montana_girl
    montana_girl Posts: 1,403 Member
    Yep, I track everything I eat. Most days I pre-track and put in as much as I know/plan on eating and do a "quick calories" estimate on what I think I might be eating for a meal or snack. That way I know throughout the day how much I can and can't eat. Works for me! :happy:
  • 970Mikaela1
    970Mikaela1 Posts: 2,013 Member
    Yes. I usually am a week ahead.
  • fabry12
    fabry12 Posts: 32 Member
    I force nyself to track food the same day otherwise I forget. The whole point of MFP is to make you aware of how much food you have everyday so that you can adjust to whatever is needed for you to loose weight.

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