Logging every little thing?

happy_jax
happy_jax Posts: 289 Member
edited September 21 in Food and Nutrition
Just thought I would ask, as I am quite intrigued...do you all log every little thing into your diaries?

I only wonder because I am a serial nosey-parker and love looking at what other people have had for their dinner (seeing if there are any good ideas too! hehe) but usually at the end of my day, I will have a huuuuge long list of ingredients I have used that day, okay only 3 for breakfast, 8 - 10 for lunch, but then almost always about 20 for dinner.

And I'm not a total greedy pig if that's what you're thinking :laugh: some of the ingredients are only say, 2 calories each - a seasoning, or something, but to me, I think it all adds up...? Plus I like to know what I've eaten that day if I'm looking back.

I was just intrigued - do people really just have like a plain chicken breast and bread as their evening meal...? My version of that would involve masses of various vegetables/salads, marinades, maybe some houmous etc...

Of course, each to their own...but being such a foodie, I couldn't imagine life without BIG FLAVOURS! Perhaps it is just a log of convenience? Only counting the things with the highest calorie content...?

Just wondered what people thought! :happy:

Replies

  • balance9
    balance9 Posts: 160
    My 2-cents...I think we can get a little OCD about the whole thing Spices? Parsley? It may just be that some haven't figured out how to use the recipe or meal tools where you can combine all of those things into one entry. I also agree with the whole 'foodie' thing..I'm one too.....lots of GOOD food. A chicken breast and rice for 3 meals a day isn't going to cut it for me either
  • dgroulx
    dgroulx Posts: 159 Member
    I just try to keep under my goal by about a one or two hundred calories instead of logging every little thing. My coffee cream is about 30 calories. I'm not going to get a measuring spoon to see if it is exactly a tablespoon. Same with salad dressing. Mine is 40 calories for two tablespoons. I drizzle it on and probably don't use one tablespoon. I don't count one slice of tomato on a sandwich if an entire tomato is only 40 calories.
  • modernchic
    modernchic Posts: 2
    Since I have joined (couple days ago) I have been logging everything. The reason why I have chosen to do so is I want to make myself aware of what I am eating. After 2 weeks I will not be so strict. I eat a lot of fish and veggies. I am not going to slice down a tomato for calories. I feel as long as I am eatinf fresh produce and shopping on the perimter of the market I am on the right path.
  • MLgarcia3
    MLgarcia3 Posts: 503
    I put everything in there.. spices and all.. I'm trying to pay attention to my sodium intake.. I don't find it time consuming or anything, so I don't mind adding everything individually
  • Clew
    Clew Posts: 910 Member
    I usually don't log spices or condiments that have negligible calories (vinegar for example) UNLESS there's sodium in it. I also get lazy about drink mixes - the ones I use are 30 calories and I usually only use half in a whole bottle of water :}

    For things I eat a lot I (homemade hummus or homemade salad dressing, etc) just set up a recipe on the recipe tab - then I only have to enter one thing instead of the whole list over & over :)
  • jbug100
    jbug100 Posts: 406 Member
    I too love cooking and complex flavor, but I try not to micromanage the calories. If I'm not sure of the exact calorie count, I err on the high side and that makes me more careful for the rest of the day. I also think that the more time you spend with this program, the more accurate your count becomes. Don't count parsley calories. It's a waste of time!
  • inskydiamonds
    inskydiamonds Posts: 2,519 Member
    I always put everything, as sodium is something I'm watching.
  • Hughes39
    Hughes39 Posts: 169
    I dont really log spices because my boyfriend doesnt measure them our when seasoning things. its usually just "season to taste".
    everything else i try to log unless it isnt in the system and i dont have the nutrition facts for it.
  • Shawna35
    Shawna35 Posts: 65
    I track everything. Otherwise, it is self-defeating for me. My goal with MFP is to learn to make healthier food choices and do better with portion control. Tracking sodium is also so important for weight loss that I include seasonings as well.
  • boomstick13s
    boomstick13s Posts: 70
    I would log by ingredients, but it just takes longer! Usually thee's something the same or close enough in the database I'll use it instead. I'm not going to let 5-10 cal on my log deter me, it's about keeping me close to my goal not exactly at it.
  • stormieweather
    stormieweather Posts: 2,549 Member
    I log it all (except seasonings if their calories are 10 or less). My daily dairy is often 2 pages long :tongue: Those little calories can add up pretty darn fast!! A splash of olive oil, a pinch of cheese, a small handful of olives, a drizzle of dressing and BAM!! 500-600 calories and 20g of fat inhaled! So yes, all of it gets logged (and planned ahead of time).
  • hartsmart
    hartsmart Posts: 141 Member
    right now i'm logging everything b/c i am trying to lose some weight AND get a handle on my eating habits. logging everything for me makes it easier to stay away from little 'tastes' of things that i'm not really all that interested in (per my OLD habits) b/c i don't want to have to log tiny bits of this and that. However, hubby and i tend to eat in ALL THE TIME due to our current budget, and we generally go for easy dinners: frozen entrees, chicken breast with some sort of sauce, pasta, veggies...no gourmet meals, here.
    And if we do go out, I usually just pick something close to what i had from the database...I don't go crazy with the specifics, but thinking about logging a peanut butter cup has been keeping me from eating them, so that's my plan for now!! :)
  • Mookz0r
    Mookz0r Posts: 143
    well, you've probably already seen mine :wink: but the answer is yes and no. I do add everything except for salt, pepper, herbs (it's leaves, after all and always worth 0!). I also don't add lemon juice because for the quantities I use for dressings and in my water, it's 0 cals anyway.

    In my baking, I even count the hundreds and thousands (not literally!)
  • starstealing
    starstealing Posts: 104
    i don't track things like seasoning and spray butter. now, creamer, dressing, hummus, etc. even veggies - i'll definitely log.

    the reason i don't log things like seaoning/spray butter is because more than likely, it's 2-10 calories that i probably burned off walking to and from my car on the way to work or something. i keep my activity level setting at "sedentary," any way...
  • stringcheeze
    stringcheeze Posts: 286
    I log it all (except seasonings if their calories are 10 or less). My daily dairy is often 2 pages long :tongue: Those little calories can add up pretty darn fast!! A splash of olive oil, a pinch of cheese, a small handful of olives, a drizzle of dressing and BAM!! 500-600 calories and 20g of fat inhaled! So yes, all of it gets logged (and planned ahead of time).

    Same here. If its something that's high fat, calories and/or protein (peanut butter for instance), I'm extra careful in measuring that because it'll take such a huge chunk out of my daily totals in one go. Something like a clove of garlic, I'm not nearly as nit-picky over.

    I generally know the average of what I consume for breakfast, lunch, and snack(s), but dinner can be up in the air. I plan dinner out here based on what's in the fridge/freezer before I even make it so I don't run into any "oh crap, that was how many calories?" moments after I've already eaten it.
  • melodyg
    melodyg Posts: 1,423 Member
    I log about 99% of things. I do not log seasonings... but usually when I am using a number of seasonings it is from a recipe where they were included in the calorie count. I don't always log calorie-free drinks (unsweet tea or coffee) but I try to remember to put them in. One reason I am comfortable not logging every single calorie is that I usually try to stay 100 calories or so under my daily goal (which is set to lose 1 lb/week so I figure anything under that is a little bonus).
  • kennedar
    kennedar Posts: 306 Member
    I log everything with the exception of spices, salt and pepper. If I am making a sandwich, I might not add the slice of cucumber or lettuce because they are so negligable in calories, however I do count everything else. If I eat even one jelly bean, it gets added. The olive oil on my salad, of course its added. But the Italian seasonings that I just sprinkled over the chicken I am not going to worry about.
  • TateFTW
    TateFTW Posts: 658 Member
    My argument against logging every little tiny thing is that I hardly ever get right to the limit of my calories. I'm not worried if 2 cals of this or 4 cals of this get past when I'm 100-300 cals short every day. Now when it comes to my nutrients, I like to log everything to know exactly where I stand for carbs, fats and proteins. I don't like to let those slide.
  • Paige1108
    Paige1108 Posts: 432 Member
    I try to log everything. I like my food mostly naked, so yes I can eat a plain chicken breast with plain steamed broccoli. But I try not to make myself crazy, I can get a little OCD. if I squeeze a little lemon juice on before baking, I probably wouldn't log that. But if I add a tablespoon of raisins I will log those. I'm trying to find the balance between what is honest and what will make me crazy.

    If you like logging everything I say do it. Information is power. MFP is your tool, use it the way that works for you, not in a way that works for someone else.
  • Mookz0r
    Mookz0r Posts: 143
    yeah, you see, those "little extras" were the reason I needed to start logging... the mouthful of pasta in sauce that I'd finish off the children's plates... the single bite of cake...

    Plus, I'm NEVER under my goal by 100!
  • MzBug
    MzBug Posts: 2,173 Member
    About the only thing I don't log is spices. I don't add salt so I don't have to worry about that. I will list a condiment as tablespoon(s)when I may only use half that (ketchup, mustard, mayo, dressing). Oh, I don't log black coffee... I do log the cream that I put in first thing in the morning though. I like the big flavors too, when using marinades and such I log those in. Most of the time I like to use the KISS method of cooking....Keep It Simple Stupid.
  • jenialynn
    jenialynn Posts: 14 Member
    Variety is the spice of life and you're right all those little thing add up!!
  • rfialkiewicz
    rfialkiewicz Posts: 183 Member
    I add what I measure.

    When I'm cooking I don't usually properly measure spices, I toss, pinch, and dash.

    But otherwise, yes, I tend to add up every little thing.
  • bekkyhughes
    bekkyhughes Posts: 63
    I dont bother putting the sweetners that go in my tea on, as they're 0.4kcals each. It's 1.2 kcals per cup which won't really hurt.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories