No time to log calories

JuroNemo14
JuroNemo14 Posts: 101 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello lads,

Very often, I would eat something, and more often than not, go do something else in a hurry (such as going to college, or going to classes). Even eating at college, I often have to glance at the packaging to guess the amounts of calories, but it never seems to stick, as I simply forget to log, or don't have time until the night.

This usually results in me 'not logging' because it just feels like an obstacle in my stressful student life. Anybody have any tips to make it easier/faster/more fun to log calories?
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Replies

  • GenF32
    GenF32 Posts: 184 Member
    C'mon, really? It takes all of a minute to add something in. If you're serious enough about tracking, then you'll find the time like the rest of us do.
  • gobraves47
    gobraves47 Posts: 213 Member
    Plan your meals/log in advance when you can. I've heard of some people taking pictures of their plate to remind themselves of what they ate so they can log it later. If you eat the same thing from day to day, it's easy to copy a meal
  • rachaelgifford
    rachaelgifford Posts: 320 Member
    Just log as you go - I am working two jobs (equivalent to just over the hours of one full time job) and completing a masters degree at the same time as logging and exercising.

    Use the app, do it as you go and you are sorted :-)
  • angel79202
    angel79202 Posts: 1,012 Member
    If you have a smart phone its so easy..you can even scan packaged foods..
    or you could pre-log your food in the am and just make changes if u have to..
  • evilfairies
    evilfairies Posts: 98 Member
    I find pre-logging helpful on busy days. Just plan what you're going to eat the night before, log it, and then try your best to stick with the plan. Any modifications can be fixed later on.
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  • TomZot
    TomZot Posts: 165 Member
    Scan the labels with your phone with the MFP app. Done.
  • spatulathumbs
    spatulathumbs Posts: 125 Member
    You had time to make this post.
  • 81Katz
    81Katz Posts: 7,074 Member
    Moment of truth ...

    If you have time to sign in and post on the message boards I am sure you have time to sign in and log food.

    or write it all down in a notebook and log in spurts during the day or at the end of the day. But as you go would probably keep you in check with your food more.
  • Moonbeamlissie
    Moonbeamlissie Posts: 504 Member
    Sounds like you are not ready to make a lifestyle change. Logging food takes a second to log I can't imagine ANYONE not having time!
  • 0067808
    0067808 Posts: 119 Member
    If you log regularly, your 'favourite foods' will be there for you to simply click on - so you don't need to go into the database and look them up. It gets faster if you use the site to log regularly.

    I think everyone can find a few mins to log; if you really want to do it you'll find the time - if you don't you'll find an excuse.
  • 5ftnFun
    5ftnFun Posts: 948 Member
    But you had time to post a topic. Go figure. :huh:
  • thesifter
    thesifter Posts: 107 Member
    ..... I hear excuse........ If you really want to log, MFP on your mobile device is the easiest way , especially once you have collected up your most commonly eaten foods, make the effort , you'll be pleased you did. Busy stressful student life? I run a business, feed a farm full of animals , work full time, run my kids around, socialise a little too much AND study. um.... I make time.
  • KrazyAsianNic
    KrazyAsianNic Posts: 1,227 Member
    Hello lads,

    Very often, I would eat something, and more often than not, go do something else in a hurry (such as going to college, or going to classes). Even eating at college, I often have to glance at the packaging to guess the amounts of calories, but it never seems to stick, as I simply forget to log, or don't have time until the night.

    This usually results in me 'not logging' because it just feels like an obstacle in my stressful student life. Anybody have any tips to make it easier/faster/more fun to log calories?

    I can see your point of view. I always start recording then get busy and caught up doing stuff and eventually say **** it!

    Recording is really for you to know how much you are eating and burning, and to see where you can make changes. I personally don't stress about recording but try to now and then to see how I do. The best tips I have is to pre-record. Plan out your meals and prelog them when you have time the night before or morning off, and make your changes later that day/evening. If you cook alot, making your own recipes help a lot too.
  • igotabulletproofheart
    igotabulletproofheart Posts: 104 Member
    Plan your meals the night before and stick to the plan.

    Check my plan for tomorrow as an example, I did it just now and am going to sleep soon. It helps me only eat what I plan and stick to my macros/calories.
  • thesifter
    thesifter Posts: 107 Member
    But you had time to post a topic. Go figure. :huh:

    and ^^ this!
  • JaneAero
    JaneAero Posts: 95 Member
    If you dont have a smart phone/app do what I do, when Im eating out and about or pushed for time and dont want to go to my computer and log it, I send myself a text with a description of what I ate , the quantity and send it to myself in a text message, then when I get home and its convenient I work out the calories and log it.
  • stumblinthrulife
    stumblinthrulife Posts: 2,558 Member
    It's not that you don't have time. It's that you choose to spend the time you do have doing something else.

    Very important distinction, and it's amazing what you can achieve when you come to terms with that fact.
  • RoyBeck
    RoyBeck Posts: 947 Member
    Come on now! If your serious you'll log.
  • skylark94
    skylark94 Posts: 2,036 Member
    Lack of planning ends in failure. Think about what you should be eating ahead of time. Take a few minutes out of your day to do a little research and have a few option in mind ahead of meal time.

    Do you have a smartphone? Tablet? The MFP apps make it all ridiculously simple to log every meal in under a minute.
  • socioseguro
    socioseguro Posts: 1,679 Member
    Plan your meals/log in advance when you can. I've heard of some people taking pictures of their plate to remind themselves of what they ate so they can log it later. If you eat the same thing from day to day, it's easy to copy a meal

    this

    I prepare my lunch for the week on sunday afternoon and i pre log every evening the entire next day. It has been very helpful to me.

    Good luck in your journey
  • suziepoo1984
    suziepoo1984 Posts: 915 Member
    As someone else mentioned, if you have a smrtphone, its super easy to use the App. Else any day in the week, once a week, when you have some free time(which i am sure you could easily find), pre-plan and pre-log meals. This will also result in lesser time planning what to eat on that particular way. Just follow the diary ;)
  • JuroNemo14
    JuroNemo14 Posts: 101 Member
    Look guys, I appreciate the 'really? If you're serious...', but the stores that sell my products have products that often are not in the database(not US). I usually manually add the food, then log in on my app, and try to log the amount of stuff I can recall.

    That, plus I'm kind of lazy (I won't deny that ;) ), stress-filled, and very forgetful. If you ask me to log my salad, I probably will put in 300 calories, where it could have been 100, due to me not remember how much everything weighs.

    Nonetheless, thank you guys. I'll probably get a new smartphone soon, so that should help make this much faster.
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
    The only reason I started logging food was the technology and database advanced to the point that entering information was easy on my phone.

    OP indicates he's getting a decent phone, so that should help tremendously. Good luck.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,989 Member
    Hello lads,

    Very often, I would eat something, and more often than not, go do something else in a hurry (such as going to college, or going to classes). Even eating at college, I often have to glance at the packaging to guess the amounts of calories, but it never seems to stick, as I simply forget to log, or don't have time until the night.

    This usually results in me 'not logging' because it just feels like an obstacle in my stressful student life. Anybody have any tips to make it easier/faster/more fun to log calories?
    It's called paper and pencil.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    You could save the nutrition labels until you have time to log. Sure it sucks to carry around trash, but if you want to log, and do it seriously, you do what it takes to get it done.
  • laserturkey
    laserturkey Posts: 1,680 Member
    If you can find time to brush your teeth, take an occasional shower, do your laundry, surely you can find time to log your calories. Heck, you can jot things down on paper while you sit on the toilet! Being too busy is a lame excuse. It really takes hardly any time at all.
  • Donald_Dozier_50
    Donald_Dozier_50 Posts: 395 Member
    SOLUTION - Just don't bother and come back and try it again when you are ready to lose weight.
  • JuroNemo14
    JuroNemo14 Posts: 101 Member
    Okay okay guys, I get it. Maybe I should have posed the question differently.

    It's not like I'm not trying (I have been doing this for quite a while now, but not very consistently).

    I'm asking whether you have some 'tips' (like pen and paper (which I didn't think of), taking pictures of labels, etc) to make logging easier for a person who has no smartphone, and only has access through it on his computer*.
  • Lochlyn_D
    Lochlyn_D Posts: 492 Member
    I found that planning my meals for the week was the way to go. Then I knew what I needed to eat to stay on track. Leave yourself a few hundred cals each day for a bag of chips or whatever you want to snack on.

    You can print out your daily food diary. Print a week in advance and keep it with you.

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