Logging food is so tedious and awful...

Do you have a smartphone with the app? Honestly, I don't know how people do it without the app. When I'm cooking something complicated, it's nice to be able to scan the barcode and add the amounts as I go.

It's really a matter of just doing it. Once you make it a habit, it won't be so bad. I have taken to pre-logging my day and then adjusting as needed. Change your attitude from "this is awful" to "this isn't so bad" and finally "this is a happy norm."

You are obviously determined, now GO FOR IT

I pre log a few days ahead.

Ive been logging my food off and on for almost a year now. Ive lost a considerable amount of weight (about 75lbs), but have hit the dreaded plateau. Ive made some significant changes in my diet, and have exercised 6 days a week since last March (so not much change there). I know I need to eat less, and with more nutrients, and I know the way to hold myself accountable is to actually LOOK at what Im eating. How do you make it easy, and less time consuming? I thought about just writing what I eat during the day on paper and logging it at the end of the day. What is the least time consuming way for you all? I still have about 130 lbs to lose, and Im certain these pounds aren't going to come off as easy as the first....thoughts?

I have been logging each day since April 10th, 2013. It has never bothered me and now is a 5-minute routine just like brushing my teeth, or washing my hair. No big deal, especially since it has kept me on the straight & narrow and I have lost 45 pounds so far. I don't have any apps and don't miss them....

Logging in food has worked for you so I would encourage you to keep it up. It is worth the effort.

Do you have a smartphone with the app? Honestly, I don't know how people do it without the app. When I'm cooking something complicated, it's nice to be able to scan the barcode and add the amounts as I go.

+1 The app is awesome and saves a lot of time! LOVE the bar code scanner when I'm cooking or eating something different. So much quicker/easier than the search function.

Ive been logging my food off and on for almost a year now. Ive lost a considerable amount of weight (about 75lbs), but have hit the dreaded plateau. Ive made some significant changes in my diet, and have exercised 6 days a week since last March (so not much change there). I know I need to eat less, and with more nutrients, and I know the way to hold myself accountable is to actually LOOK at what Im eating. How do you make it easy, and less time consuming? I thought about just writing what I eat during the day on paper and logging it at the end of the day. What is the least time consuming way for you all? I still have about 130 lbs to lose, and Im certain these pounds aren't going to come off as easy as the first....thoughts?

use the app and multiselect. It also looks like you are consistent and habitual with your eating ways so the app has pre-recorded entries.

To achieve results you need to shock your body considerably not be monotonous with your routine.

I prelog and prepare my food the day before. I find if I have everything ready to go, snacks measured and bagged, meals ready to heat up, I'm much more likely to stick to it. If I have to prepare my meal when I'm already hungry for it, I'm bound to overdue it.

How do you log foods that are homemade? I made turkey chili today and know the ingredients, but really, I have no idea how much of each I ate. I spent 20 minutes online trying to figure out how many calories are in the recipe I used.

That's what the recipe feature is for. In the app, it's under settings > my food & exercise > my recipes. Scan the ingredients, then input the total number of servings.

It's not too hard if you have the app. I find I need to log as I eat, otherwise I will probably go over because I will forget what I ate. The scanner is the best feature because it adds it in quickly with the serving size and what not. Good luck!

I just estimate if it's homemade. For instance, I've made turkey chili before, so I knew the cals in the beans and turkey. I estimated a half tbsp of olive oil to cook with (60cals), and added in another 60 cals for the pepper and onion. I then estimated how much of the total I ate (25 perc) and just logged it using the quickadd calorie feature. Maybe I'm off by 50 cals...but saves me a lot of anguish in logging each ingredient separately. Point being: logging is an art not a science.

I do actually eat very different foods each day. I use the list of foods I regularly eat, yes. How do you log foods that are homemade? I made turkey chili today and know the ingredients, but really, I have no idea how much of each I ate. I spent 20 minutes online trying to figure out how many calories are in the recipe I used. I agree that I need to change my attitude around it. If its something I want to do from now on, I better start enjoying it. Just trying to figure out the tricks to get there. I like the pre logging each day. Ill try that!

Weigh all the ingredients as you add them to your recipe, enter each in the MFP recipe builder, then weigh entire final recipe (might need to weigh baking dish/container before cooking so you can subtract). I enter the weight of the whole final recipe divided by 100 in the "number of servings" field. So if my entire pan of spaghetti weighed 1352g, I'd enter "13.52 servings". Then when I serve myself, if I take a 123g portion, I'll track it as "1.23 servings."

You could enter "1352 servings" and not divide by 100, but I think MFP does some rounding of very small fractions so it won't be as accurate- that's why I do the 100g method.

Sounds like a pain but I think it's kind of fun, and it encourages me to find fun ways to lighten up recipes! It takes like 5 extra seconds to weigh each thing, and saves you from washing a bunch of measuring cups & spoons too. I just scribble the numbers on a scrap of paper in the kitchen as I'm cooking. If you're not using a food scale already, get one!!! When I estimated portions, I did NOT lose consistently and kept giving up out of frustration, for years- until I started measuring like this. Otherwise you truly have no idea how much (or how little!) you're eating.

Most of the time for me while I'm making a meal I just add the calories together in my head as I go along, and then when I'm done making the meal I enter it into the MFP app on my phone under Quick Add Calories. Then I eat! Obviously I'm only worried about calories though.