When Do You Stop Tracking Your Meals

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toddgaines
toddgaines Posts: 130
in Food and Nutrition
So I am nearing the end of my weight loss journey. I have lost 62 lbs, reached my goal weight, and completely changed my diet and lifestyle. My problem is that I no longer feel the need to track my food. I am now constantly aware of what I am eating, and what I need to eat to maintain my weight, and so I have pretty much stopped tracking my food. I feel bad about not using the food diary, like I am cheating, or cutting corners.

I still use the food tracking system when I am unsure about something, or need to make a decision about what to eat, but it's definitely not every day anymore. I worry a bit that I will slip back into my old habits, but I am such a different person than I used to be, so I am pretty confident that I can manage my diet on my own now.

My question is, how long are others using the food diary for? Do people typically still use it when they are in maintenance mode?

Replies

  • ChubbieTubbie
    ChubbieTubbie Posts: 481 Member
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    I'm not in maintenance mode yet, but I think by the time I reach that point, I will know what my limitations are and not need to track my food anymore. Even now, after only 6 weeks of counting, I can remember the calorie content of most of the food I eat and keep a running total in my mind. As long as you aren't gaining any of the weight back, I think it's ok not to count.
  • Amarillo_NDN
    Amarillo_NDN Posts: 1,018 Member
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    if you want to maintain and/or lose, you will never want to stop stracking what you eat.

    With that said, you will find over time, you will should have a routine and have a good idea what you eat with out counting the calories, but just remember, if you don't track it, you can forget you ate it then eat another.
  • msemejuru
    msemejuru Posts: 229
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    I track when I am in maintenance because of habit. Since you have adopted a new lifestyle you don't need to keep tracking if you want to stop. You can always track tricky times like holidays or weekends so that you don't go over in hidden calories. You may also want to begin tracking again if you have more than a five pound weight gain so that you can find out what the culprit is.
  • Amandac6772
    Amandac6772 Posts: 1,311 Member
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    I think Im one of those people that will always have to track my food. I suffer from portion distortion...lol! If you feel like you have handle on it, go for it. You can judge if you need to go back to using the food diary if you start creeping back up weight wise.
  • azlady7
    azlady7 Posts: 471 Member
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    I will probably use it forever. Just like you I worry I will lose all my weight then eventually gain it back if I dont watch my cals. But thats just me. I have decided to make tracking my lifelong habit. If you feel confident then dont worry about it, but the minute you see yourself getting out of control, which hopefully will not happen, then I would immediantly start tracking again. At least keep tracking your weight and continue exercising! Grats on meeting your goal!!
  • ssmom
    ssmom Posts: 128 Member
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    I reached my goal and stopped tracking what I eat. I do still log my exercise so I can see how much I am getting and I weigh myself every few days. If I see I've gained a pound or two I know what to do and don't stress it too much. Just keep yourself in check. I find myself mentally totaling the calories of the food I'm about to eat but I don't always keep track. You should know by now about how much you should be having at meals and snacks with or without exercise.
  • orange_avocado
    orange_avocado Posts: 232
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    I reached my goal weight once, and the pounds crept back within 3 years. Part of that was due to some change of life situations (moving, new job, etc) but a lot of it was because I didn't have a good idea of what I could eat and how much I should exercise once I wasn't "dieting". This time, I plan to continue tracking my meals until I have a good idea of how much food I need to eat once I'm no longer trying to lose. Then continue my weekly weigh-ins and track only if I find that I'm gaining/fluctuating greatly.

    Constant vigilance is your best bet!
  • greeneyedgirl407
    greeneyedgirl407 Posts: 1
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    I'm still at the beginning of my weight loss journey, so I applaud you for your success. That being said I don't have personal experience with your question. However, several of my friends who have reached their goals and are in "maintenance mode" have shared some of theirs tips with me on this subject. One of my friends only tracks around holidays and events where there is more "food exposure". Another friend only tracks one day a week. He doesn't have a specific day, just picks one at random and records everything that day. His logic is that each day he consumes about the same food and exercises as much so it's a "snap shot" of his week. If he's in check with that one day, then he should be on target for the rest of them also. Good luck!
  • ErinMarie25
    ErinMarie25 Posts: 733 Member
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    Hmm, I honestly don't know what I am going to do at that point. Lol
  • toddgaines
    toddgaines Posts: 130
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    Thanks for all your comments.

    I'm definitely still exercising, in fact even more than before. Currently training for a 5K race, and doing some weight training. I still weigh myself a lot, in fact probably too much (I am a daily weigh-er). My wife is also about mid journey, and is tracking, so it's not like I have the option of eating bacon cheeseburgers every night, we are really committed to eating healthy, and only keep healthy options in the house now. I do go over in calories from time to time. Like yesterday I competed in a 2K race and we went out for breakfast after. But those days are like once a month now, instead of being 5 or 6 days a week like they used to be. I've worked so hard for the last year to get where I am, I don't see myself giving all that up for food at this point.

    I actually just set a new goal for myself. Figure if I have a goal to lose the "last 10" I might be more motivated to track my food for now.
  • jimmydeanbakker
    jimmydeanbakker Posts: 333
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    I'm like a robot, and know exactly what I'm going to eat and how many calories I'm going to put in my mouth, but I still track. If you can maintain your weight without tracking, more power to you; however, if you see yourself slipping, please don't hesitate to track. I see so many people with the power to lose the weight, but don't have a clue about staying at that weight. I don't want to pay my goal weight a visit, but I would like to live there for awhile. Besides, having everything I eat documented is proof when my wife ask, "Who ate all the Skinny Cows?"
  • edorice
    edorice Posts: 4,519 Member
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    Some people eat fairly the same things daily. Some people are able to mentally track their calories. I'm not at that point yet. You may be able to do that very soon.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    I stopped tracking after several months when I got a real good feel on what I needed to do & how much I eat. So far so good. If things creep up on me I'll track again.

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