Do you log zero calorie foods in your dairy?
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*hi my name is Pseudomuffin and I'm an intermittent food logger
lol...I hear you:ohwell:0 -
As others are pointing out, I refuse to let logging become tedious for me so I do not log things like spices and "zero" calorie items (though I rarely have "zero" calorie items). It may work great for some to log everything, but one of the things that has made this plan work for me is its ease. I'm not about to compromise that for a few calories here or there.
That said, I only log half of my exercise calories partly for this reason. I also tend to taste while I cook, and I just won't keep up with this plan if I have to stop and log while cooking.
I think what it really comes down to is that if what you are doing is working for your lifestyle and you're losing weight, great! If you're not seeing the results you'd like to see, then it's probably time to adjust.0 -
one pickle = 4 calories
hot sauce = 0 calories
yes on the pickle no on the hot sauce.
I don't log mustard ether.0 -
Water is the only true zero calorie drink, but I still log it because I want to track my fluid intake.0
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I don't track drinks where the calories are negligible.0
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I log everything. Diet soda, pickles, hot sauce, dried spices/herbs, fresh herbs and spices, medicine, a mouthful of celery. Why?
1. Sodium. It adds up fast and a lot of low/no calorie items are loaded with sodium.
2. Patterns. I can track my weight and see how my choices and cravings affect my day. Did I lose a lot of weight I added garlic to everything? Was I able to add basil to my eggs instead of salt to flavor them, or did I just crave more salt later? Did that hot sauce cause me to chug soy milk?
3. Diligence. Not logging 2-5 calories here is a slippery slope. Sure, you'd have to neglect to log 5 calories for over 700 days (or 2 years) to gain a pound. But if you eat 2 pickles and then hot sauce with chicken on a bed of lettuce every day, it adds up. It also makes you more likely to get lazy with other low calorie foods,
4. Vitamins and Minerals. MFP tracks your nutrition in addition to calories. I like that I know I'm getting enough potassium, Vitamin A, and Iron. Not logging those small things means you're not getting an accurate picture of your vitamins and minerals.0 -
I don't log lettuce, spinach, mushrooms, etc. I don't log coffee itself but I do log the creamer (milk or powder).0
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I wish that there was zero calorie dairy....0
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I try to record everything I eat or drink, although very occasionally I will skip it if it's just one sip/bite (trying something my husband has for example). I'm mainly concerned with calories, but I'm also keeping an eye on my macros and sodium intake, and more data is better imo.
edit: also, part of the reason I record almost everything is that part of my goals with mfp is to be very honest with myself about how much I'm eating.0 -
Yes, add them because although they might not have calories, they do have other things such as sodium, vitamins, etc. Also if you have enough they will have calories.0
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I log everything including vitamins. I take vitamin C 500mgs. I was very surprised when I learned that it has 9 calories. a calcium gummy has 15 calories.0
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what about water? I drink the Sparking water and it has Zero everything.0
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Yes, if it goes in your mouth....log it!! I keep track of more than just cals. Both of the items you listed are probably high in sodium, which is something I watch closely. You'd be surprised at the places sodium lurks....baby carrots for one! Totally threw me for a loop! And just about EVERYTHING has some type of cals in it, even if it says <1g. Enough of those "less thans" add up to something eventually. Example: a pack of splenda. If you aren't tracking other things and don't want to waste the time logging "little stuff", then I would suggest leaving yourself a small handful of cals at the end of the day to cover for those "zero" cal foods. Good luck on your journey!!0
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Log it all. You will not get a full nutritional picture if you do not log everything. Veggies contain a lot of nutrients and contribute to your carb count. Condiments like hot sauces contribute to sodium counts, which can get pretty high.0
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I log pretty much everything except I don't log my daily coke zero, nor do I (generally) log tea (from bags, no added sugar/milk). I did add them on at least one occasion, but at 2 cals each, I decided that they weren't worth the login, since I generally only drink half the coffee I add in the morning. So if I have a cup of tea later, I figure it's a tradeoff. Not to mention, 2 cals won't put me over. If I ever have 10 cups of tea in a day though I'd prob log that. But 1-2? Not so much.0
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Everything but spices, water, and the odd diet soda. I'm an all or nothing kind of person though so even slacking on recording a stick of gum just sets me up for getting lazy towards logging in general.0
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I log all of my "0" calorie foods, including my morning vitamins. It matters a whole lot if you are looking at your nutrition percentages. I was able to determine that I wasn't getting enough iron daily.0
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I haven't been logging zero calorie foods like pickles and hot sauce. I figure it shouldn't make a difference since they are essentially "free" items. Just wondering if any of you log them in.
EDIT: Diary*
lol you'd think they would allow you to edit the subject line, not just the body of the post :ohwell:
I log them and all 0 calorie foods including my dietary supplements. This helps me track sodium and other important nutrients.0 -
This thread has taken an unexpected turn (I guess that just goes to show how much I have to learn!) ... as I was thinking the same way, "... it's ONLY 5 calories.... who cares?!?!" But now I can see some value in tracking sodium, etc.
I am a little concerned that tracking every piece of gum, 0 calorie soda / lemonade, etc. could become laborious...
I record everything that goes in my mouth whether it has calories or not. It is not as laborious as you would think. For some things, it is as simple as changing the number of servings after the original serving entry.0 -
No I don't log every tiny thing. If I did that I'd go nuts. That is why I don't freak out at the end of the day if MFP says I'm under or over a little bit for the calories of the day. I'm at 1200 - which some of you say is too low, but I'm short and not very active at work (desk all day!) - so what if I eat an extra 30 calories in freebies - I figure somewhere between 1200-1300 is my range. I also don't log every single second of exercise. So if I do 10 push ups 3 times a day - and some lunges or something else at my desk that literally takes me minutes (sometimes seconds) to do - I even out by the end of the day. I've been consistently losing for the last 8 weeks and I currently only worry about calories and kind of eyeball the fat intake but don't stress it on a daily basis - nothing else - I have low blood pressure and cholesterol so I don't care about sodium at all - heck if I didn't eat it - I'd have no blood pressure LOL - and if I eat something super high - I usually know it anyway (ie. Chinese food or Pizza).0
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