My goal is not a # on the scale, but to track daily

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islandlifenc
islandlifenc Posts: 107 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I think all things considered, my number one goal right now isn't a number on the scale, but just staying in the habit of tracking every day.

In spite of my best efforts to keep a mental tally, I've noticed as soon as I stop writing down what I eat, I gradually start consuming a few more calories each day by underestimating (or forgetting) what I've already eaten.

Pretty soon a few dozen extra calories each day starts becoming a few hundred calories each day, and then the pounds start finding their way back. Next thing I know, a few months later, I get on the scale and I've gained five pounds.

I'm not working towards a specific deadline or anything, I just want to be healthy, so for me, for now, I'll consider it a small victory to track every day for, let's say a month.

Anyone else struggle more with staying in the habit of tracking than actually turning down the extra calories?

Replies

  • impyimpyaj
    impyimpyaj Posts: 1,073 Member
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    I'm so with you. When I'm logging my food, I have no problem controlling myself around treats and things, and paying attention to portion sizes (well, except with pizza, but I can't eat that anymore anyway because of the cheese). But I have a hard time getting back into the habit of just logging.
  • shmulyeng
    shmulyeng Posts: 472 Member
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    A couple of months into my MFP journey I noticed the same thing. I was more focused on logging my calories religiously than on the scale. Losing weight was just confirmation that I was eating right.
  • islandlifenc
    islandlifenc Posts: 107 Member
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    I'm so with you. When I'm logging my food, I have no problem controlling myself around treats and things, and paying attention to portion sizes (well, except with pizza, but I can't eat that anymore anyway because of the cheese). But I have a hard time getting back into the habit of just logging.

    Pizza is hard to track! We don't have it often, but we usually get it from a local pizzeria that, of course, doesn't have calories listed on the MFP database. I usually just estimate about 500 calories/slice of pepperoni.

    I think if I can just establish my logging again as a daily habit, the numbers on the scale will start to move down as a natural result.
  • islandlifenc
    islandlifenc Posts: 107 Member
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    A couple of months into my MFP journey I noticed the same thing. I was more focused on logging my calories religiously than on the scale. Losing weight was just confirmation that I was eating right.

    You obviously must be eating right! Wow! 73 pounds lost is quite impressive!

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