Curious...has anyone stopped logging food?

melodymartinez
melodymartinez Posts: 65
edited September 22 in Health and Weight Loss
And not because you've gone off track for the day :). I'm just wondering if anyone has stopped keeping track of their food calories on here. I have been on her for over a month and have had great success and have really changed the way I look at food/eating. I am able to feel full and satisfied eating healthy foods. I stock my fridge with fruits and veggies, lean meats, whole grains, etc. I really haven't gone off track much at all. I don't think and plan what I'm going to eat, besides packing my lunch for work. Mostly because I like to eat the same things. So I already know how many calories are in it. Also, when I go out to eat, I don't research ahead. If there are healthy items listed on the menu I always order that, if not I stick to a sald with chicken and light dressing or something similar.

All of this makes me think that I've really made the changes neccessary to go the distance. And maybe I don't need to log everything I eat. Don't get me wrong, I love this site, I don't want to leave and I think it's a wonderful and invaluble tool. I just maybe don't want to be obsessing over every calorie and want things to be focused on the bigger picture of healthy eating. For the last couple days, I didn't log anything and just ate what I was going to eat. I totally stayed on track.

I'm just wondering what others thoughts are on this, thanks!
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Replies

  • Beach_Chica
    Beach_Chica Posts: 111
    I try to always keep log of what I eat. I tend to do well for a while and then I get off track. I like to see where I went wrong or if something I ate or maybe the date I ate it could effect why I munched on something. I just like it for my benefit. I write it in a paper journal as well in case I forget.

    But, to each his/her own.
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
    I've been here about 7 weeks and I'm still logging my food. My main reason is because I was in starvation mode when I started and I'm still having trouble eating enough. For a while I hadn't grasped the concept of "net calories" so I was still eating too little. Even today I'm having a hard time making it to 1200 net calories. But once I've lost the weight I need to and I'm in the maintenance phase I'm sure I won't be worrying about it.
  • inguvap
    inguvap Posts: 85 Member
    I am here for 200 days now and I am still logging. The thought crossed my mind that I should stop and see how I would do but as long as I have my iPhone, I have no problem logging. I am not as obsessed about every morsel of food anymore but still logging keeps me in check.
    Padma.
  • sgeorgia
    sgeorgia Posts: 66 Member
    I've been on here since August and i feel like i may always need to log my food somewhat or at least refer to the database for calorie count of foods from time to time.
    I think this will keep me on track for the long hall, even though i feel like i could eat well without - just not sure i'll ever feel like i can live without some kind of tracking.
  • binary_jester
    binary_jester Posts: 3,311 Member
    I am Type A...and that should pretty much answer that question.
  • Megooo19
    Megooo19 Posts: 199
    I've stopped because I feel like I obsess too much over how little food I'm eating and then feel deprived and then eat too much. But I feel like I know how many calories is in a lot of stuff now and I have a good idea how many calories Ive eaten without having to log every morsel of it.
  • soze
    soze Posts: 604 Member
    I've been on here since August and i feel like i may always need to log my food somewhat or at least refer to the database for calorie count of foods from time to time.
    I think this will keep me on track for the long hall, even though i feel like i could eat well without - just not sure i'll ever feel like i can live without some kind of tracking.

    :laugh:

    I try to track everything everyday.
  • shawnnshinta
    shawnnshinta Posts: 37 Member
    it makes sense really.. after spending many months of logging , you would easily be able to remember the calories that each of your favorite foods have in them. you can just add it up in your head. not that complicated.
    I'm not speaking from experience, but I assume that I would do the same after awhile.
  • KeriD
    KeriD Posts: 324
    Everyday....305+ days in a row....it's working for me! :bigsmile:
  • WildFlower7
    WildFlower7 Posts: 714 Member
    I've been on MFP since end of April of this year (had to delete my old profile cause I couldn't post anymore) and I stopped logging food a LONG time ago. I don't need to now. If you feel educated enough and eat healthy all of the time then I don't really think there's a need unless you want to see it in black and white what you've burnt and the extra calories you have, whihc isn't even an issue now that I'm approaching maintence mode!

    Congrats on your success!!:flowerforyou:
  • potluck965
    potluck965 Posts: 529 Member
    Maybe you'll be alright, but I found that although I have a pretty good sense for my total calories, it really helps me to keep track and be sure.

    Just don't get too overconfident after only a month. This is usually a longer and more arduous journey than that.
  • AdymondNtheRuff
    AdymondNtheRuff Posts: 108 Member
    Ive stopped logging... several different times but what i have learned is my weight is maintained or ill gain a few lbsa if i do no log... so i may not log all day or everyday but i do know i have to log!
  • Jamiecfc1
    Jamiecfc1 Posts: 75 Member
    I have some days when I can't get to my PC to log but even then I write stuff down, on my phone or in a diary or something. Mainly because it helps me stay on track. Maybe in a few months I will feel ready to move away from keeping a log, but I didn't keep one for 47 years which is how I ended up 5 stone overweight! Plus its only a few minutes a day, where is the hassle? And the support from others is great, although it can be a little frustrating to give more than you get back on occasions...!
  • themommie
    themommie Posts: 5,033 Member
    I think for me logging the food helps to keep me on track. I have a ways to go but I am scared of not being able to maintain. I lost alot of weight before kept it off for 4 yrs and then gained it all back due to illness, medication and eating for comfort. So I think even after I have been on maintenance for awhile I will go back to the food log if I start to gain. But every one is different if you can do it without logging go for it . If you start to gain you can always start logging again
  • Cytherea
    Cytherea Posts: 515 Member
    I have gone weeks, even a month without logging. Typically I can't get on because there are people visiting or I am away, and I give myself some leeway and plan to only maintain not lose. It has worked every time.

    I think at this point though, it has become so second nature to log that even when I am at my goal I will still do it, just to keep myself accountable and because it is a good habit. It is very easy to get carried away and have a few extra bites of something or a bite of someone else's food without realizing what you are doing to yourself.
  • LilynEdensmom
    LilynEdensmom Posts: 612 Member
    I log everyday...sometimes it seems obsessive, but I am eating and loosing weight, so why stop
  • bjberry
    bjberry Posts: 665 Member
    I am on maintenance now, but I eat so many different things, plus my husband keeps making new foods that are not in this site, so I enter his recipes into the recipe area. Entering my foods also reminds me to drink my water for the day. I have been on this site since Mar 2010. I may eventually stop recording food, but I am not ready yet. I guess it is each person's choice, but logging foods works for me. Hugs, :drinker: (drink lots of water)
  • UpToAnyCool
    UpToAnyCool Posts: 1,673
    Cheers to you! I hope to get there someday. I eat fairly healthy (mostly produce, whole grains, etc.) but this site made me realize that I had simply been EATING TOO MUCH and NOT MOVING AROUND ENOUGH! I honestly believed I didn't have to keep track of quantities if I was eating healthy food! :laugh:

    So now I have a few rules, like 'No eating out of the serving bowl unless it is salad,' and 'A calorie is a calorie is a calorie' which makes me think twice before wasting calories on alcohol when I can eat something else that will help me hit my iron or calcium goals...

    I will always be curious to log in b/c I like to eat all sorts of different foods and would never remember what the basic counts are for various things - that's just me though.
  • Michelle_J
    Michelle_J Posts: 362 Member
    it makes sense really.. after spending many months of logging , you would easily be able to remember the calories that each of your favorite foods have in them. you can just add it up in your head. not that complicated.
    I'm not speaking from experience, but I assume that I would do the same after awhile.

    I agree here. It is time consuming and if you're able to make the necessary changes w/o logging every calorie, why do it. Personally, I have a long way to go till I'm to that point but once I reach my goal weight I may stop logging it. If you start to gain, start logging again.
    Go easy on me MFPeeps.....I think she's fine not logging. I'm not recommending it to anyone else.....:huh:
  • guardup
    guardup Posts: 230
    I have to second what bjberry said... my diet is very diverse. I love trying new foods. Some meals like breakfast are rather routine. But lunch can change and dinner is rarely the same. I like a diverse diet because I love trying new things... and because it improves my chances of getting vital trace nutrients that I may not be getting elsewhere.

    So because of my diverse diet, I do log my food rather consistently.
  • Rjperron
    Rjperron Posts: 150
    In high school, I lost a bunch of weight using Weight Watchers Points, and I got to the point where I could remember what points I had eaten and stopped logging. I continued to lose, but then when I got to the maintain phase about a year later, I fell off the wagon...and by that point had forgotten a lot! My advice is to feel comfortable not logging everything, but every once in awhile, especially when times get stressful, it might be a good idea to log in for a week or so. For now, sounds like you're doing great!
  • diet45
    diet45 Posts: 392 Member
    I've been on since June and I log everything!!!
  • championnfl
    championnfl Posts: 324 Member
    Always nice to see written conformation of cals eaten. Kind of supports your goal daily.See it to achieve it!!:wink:
  • EDesq
    EDesq Posts: 1,527 Member
    Hello:
    My belief is that if you take for granted that you can Stop tracking your caloric and nutrient intake you are headed for a FALL, No matter how large or small you are. Frankly, it's something Everyone should do...we all would be MUCH HEALTHIER. Everyone that I know who STOPPED logging is Off Track...they May have Stopped for different reasons but NOW they are in the same "sinking" boat. I will never stop, My Health is to important to Me, I NEED to know what is going into My Body.
  • MisdemeanorM
    MisdemeanorM Posts: 3,493 Member
    I joined in March 2008. I took a probably 6 month break and put on about 7-10 lbs. It's not because i don't KNOW I'm overeating, but because I have less accountability for myself for things like if I got fast food or allowed for snacking. I tend to not eat it because I know I will have to log it!

    I haven't quite reached my goal weight yet though (I'm not sure my body really wants to let go of the last 5 lbs or so, and I have put on a lot of muscle in the last 2 yrs so my health and body fat have improved quite a bit), but I think eventually when I am at long term maintenance I will quit logging or log just sometimes to just keep in line.

    (Plus, I'm at my computer all day, so popping over here when I'm eating is no big deal)
  • jessmo803
    jessmo803 Posts: 56
    I think the logging food thing helps a lot. Seeing what you're putting in your body put down on paper keeps everything hmm..well, kind of organized. I plan on logging food until I meet my goal. Good luck in whatever you decide to do!
  • Sdhughes
    Sdhughes Posts: 1
    I have done this as well, in fact, I seem to mostly use this site now for tracking my weekends (so i know how far over calorie goal i went... =/) and for weighing in to keep it in the same place.

    I completely agree with you that this site taught me mostly concious eating, and how fattening ceratin foods were. now that i know these things, there is no point logging in my calories everyday if i already know i am under goal, as that is not the point of any diet. You don't want your diet to become monotonous, boring, and something that you really don't want to do. so don't burn yourself out by being a perfect logger and maybe go down to a couple of days a week to keep you on track, or if you ate something and are not sure of its calorie value =)
  • melodymartinez
    melodymartinez Posts: 65
    Thanks everyone for the replies! I like the different perspectives. I notice that when I check the website obsessively (like when I'm bored at work) I get more anxiety over what I'm eating and it feels like it becomes an obsession. During the weekends, I typically log at the end of the day and don't think much about what I'm eating (always healthy stuff), and at the end of the day, I've eaten much less. I guess I want that mentality of just "checkin in" or checking how I'm doing rather than being obsessive about it. I think there is a balance that I'm still searching for :)
  • modernfemme
    modernfemme Posts: 454 Member
    I think a lot of what people have said is correct: tracking your calories definitely is what helps you to lose weight. Without doing so, some people fail.

    However, with that being said, if you reach your goal and have a grip on your weight, I don't think you have to spend your entire life counting calories to maintain. However you should definitely weigh yourself consistently to be sure you're staying on the path.
  • KellyBurton1
    KellyBurton1 Posts: 529 Member
    I dont as much either, I became absessed big time. To the point I didnt want to eat. Not saying I never do. When I change foods or seems to get off track a little I go back again. Sometimes to keep things in check!
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