Anyone have tips for going without logging

Makoce
Makoce Posts: 938 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am going on a flight for 10 day trip to CA to stay at my boyfriends house soon.
He doesn't have a food scale and they eat a lot of fast foods and calorie dense foods.

This is going to be my first time not accurately logging since I started a year ago and im nervous.
Calorie counting/weighing is the only thing keeping me from binging/being accountable

Should i up to maintenance for that time?

any tips?

Replies

  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    work out as often as possible to give yourself a buffer.

    use your eyeball to guesstimate your portions. don't feel the need to finish your whole take out meal or ask for seconds. find low calorie options, and be smart. ask for dressing on the side, etc.

    and YOU are what keeps you from binging. be accountable to yourself.
  • featherbrained
    featherbrained Posts: 155 Member
    Use your hand to estimate portions (google would be my best advice, becasue I can't remember the different sizes exactly!). carry a little notebook and pen with you, and just log using that, just so you can keep up with where you're at (don't even have to have calories, just write down what you eat; seeing it will help keep you mindful!) I would say you could buy a little pocket scale, but if you don't know what's in the food you're eating, wouldn't do much good!

    You saw you've been at this awhile though; eat mindfully, eat till you're full, then stop. Make good choices when possible, and enjoy in moderation when you can't. And HAVE FUN! :)
  • rgugs13
    rgugs13 Posts: 197 Member
    Practice eyeballing foods. Use measuring cups or references like the size of your hand to estimate how much you eat. That is what I do most of the time and I am still losing weight.
  • marciebrian
    marciebrian Posts: 853 Member
    well you said yourself you've been doing this a year. even though you have been weighing and logging over the year you've most certainly picked up what a portion size is and you are in control of what you eat.

    Give yourself some credit you've done an amazing job and just make smart choices like you have for the past year ... oh yeah and have fun!:flowerforyou:
  • MeRoHa
    MeRoHa Posts: 95 Member
    Keep a handwritten log of what you are eating. Just by writing it down it will help you to be accountable for the amount of food that you are eating. You can go back and enter that in the log later when you get back. If you go out to restaurants ask for the nutrition information.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    I had epic Hawaiian cruise last month, that I had planned for all year. I knew I would not be able to count calories while I was on the boat, so I planned in advance that I would nom all the noms (with reasonable portions, I didn't stuff myself), hit the onboard gym, and let the chips fall where they may.
    I gained 10 lbs, got back to counting when I got home, and that was that.
  • redheaddee
    redheaddee Posts: 2,005 Member
    Pack the food scale if it is that big of a concern.
  • clairedrose
    clairedrose Posts: 121 Member
    There's a lot of sensible advice here. I managed a two week vacation in "Eataly" by watching portions, making choices and I still had awesome meals. I did it by splitting portions, skipping stuff that I didn't really want, limiting deserts and walking. I did jot everything down tho I didn't weigh or write calories. You will be amazed at how much you have learned in a year. You can absolutely do this.
  • Spreyton22K
    Spreyton22K Posts: 323 Member
    Awesome tips/suggestions by everyone....another thought will you have access to a computer so you could still log with MFP....obviously is would be an approximation if you use the eyeball method, but as someone else has mentioned taking your scales in your suitcase would help.

    With the styles of food available to you, can you fill up on the least calorific items on the menu.....sorry I'm not from America and don't really know what particular fast foods have on offer. Also would it be possible for you to eat your own food that isn't a trigger for you, even if there is an expectation of joining in with the 'main' part of the family meal, do you think they would be OK if you filled up on low calorie snacks ie carrots, celery, fruit whatever takes your fancy???

    Hope this helps. Good luck and I hope you have a lovely time no matter what!!!!

    Karen
  • GingerLolita
    GingerLolita Posts: 738 Member
    Sometimes I'll raise my calorie budget to maintenance for special occasions if I feel like a deficit is unrealistic. It won't hurt your progress if you don't exceed maintenance.

    When I'm on-the-go, I use my MFP app. If you have a smartphone or tablet, use it to log and check calories at chain restaurants.

    I recommend going food shopping when you first arrive to pick up some healthy snacks to keep at your boyfriend's house. Maybe you two could even cook a few healthy meals together while you're there.
  • MizSookeh
    MizSookeh Posts: 106 Member
    If possible, check out the websites of some of the local fast food places to see if their nutritional info is available. A bit of pre-reading and planning and you might feel a bit more comfortable if you know what you can choose from.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    Practice listening to your body's signals. If you learn to listen, it does tell you when you're hungry and when you've had enough. Pay attention now while you're still logging to what quantity of food/calories makes up a meal for you and how you feel afterward and try to stick to those quantities and those feelings of fullness. Consider it practice for one day maintaining without the logging.
  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member
    You've probably learned quite a bit with logging for a year, so I wouldn't let 10 days without it stress you out. Just use common sense. If you don't think you can do that, pack your food scale and familiarize yourself with the menus of restaurants near where you will be staying.
  • JourneyingJessica
    JourneyingJessica Posts: 261 Member
    Bring your food scale. I don't see the issue. Most fast food places have menus online to make healthy choices easier.

    I don't understand why you can't log your food on your phone... It's pretty easy to do even if you estimate.

    One thing i tend to do when out, is find a similar food. For example i was at a local steak house & had lobster Mac & cheese. Obviously the local place wasn't in MFP but i found lobster Mac & cheese cal info for capital grille another steak house. Perfect no, close enough ~ yep.

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