Ugh....just can't keep logging

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mrsfyredude
mrsfyredude Posts: 177 Member
in Motivation and Support
I was pretty sure I was motivated to lose weight until the whole "log everything you eat" came into play...anyone else just finding it an absolute beating to log every day? Is it psychological? I go great for a few days, a week, then....YAWN! Just can't bring myself to do it! I don't mind logging my exercise, but logging food is just.....:yawn:
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  • Taterpoof
    Taterpoof Posts: 416 Member
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    Does it help a lot? yes..is it completely necessary? not always. I'm one of those people who does not have a long enough attention span to log my calories. I just exercise a lot and eat whenever I want to. I'll count once in a while to see what i am actually consuming and make sure it's an ok amount (usually 1800 - 2100 calories). It has definitely slowed down progress compared to when I was counting, but I'm more happy not doing it and as long as there is at least a little progress, there is no need for me.
  • Therealobi1
    Therealobi1 Posts: 3,262 Member
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    I was pretty sure I was motivated to lose weight until the whole "log everything you eat" came into play...anyone else just finding it an absolute beating to log every day? Is it psychological? I go great for a few days, a week, then....YAWN! Just can't bring myself to do it! I don't mind logging my exercise, but logging food is just.....:yawn:

    its highly annoying and my other half and daughter think i am strange, but it really doesnt take that long. In the end it will just form part of your normal day. If you can do it without logging like some try it, but for some of us logging for now has been successful.
  • cloverfield4
    cloverfield4 Posts: 52 Member
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    Yep, it's a drag. But everyone I see on this site who's been successful either continues to log religiously or at least started out logging strong. So I'm going to follow their lead and keep at it!
  • Shuuma
    Shuuma Posts: 465 Member
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    It's tedious and not exciting, but I absolutely have to do it. I have a horrible sense of proportion and everything is a trigger food for me (for now). When I log all my food, fiddling around to meet macros, I feel a sense of accomplishment and hope that I can actually conquer this bad relationship with food I have developed.

    I take 15 minutes in the morning to log my exercise and all my food for the whole day. Then I just follow my log. It's easier for me and I am much more likely to succeed. I have even thought "Wow, those wavy Lays look amazing! Let me see if they're in my log. No? Let me see if there's room in my log? No? I'll have some tomorrow, then."

    Prior to using MFP, I wouldn't think twice about opening the Wavy Lays and inhaling every crumb in some kind of land speed record.

    MFP is saving my life and logging is part of it. Just my perspective. (It's totally not exciting, though. :wink: )
  • anewdesign
    anewdesign Posts: 187 Member
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    i am totally with you. logging is like, THE biggest pain in the butt. the only thing bigger is my actual butt.

    however - i have found it to be the only way for me to really hold myself accountable for what im eating, and what im burning. some days its really hard to be honest with yourself - yes, i did have an extra serving of chocolate cheerios for my snack. but if i dont log it, it didnt happen, right? sadly, that is the opposite of true. the scale will log it for you.

    i started fresh again this week - told myself if i really want this to work (and good lord, do i want this to work) i need to be honest with myself. yesterday i even logged the TWO ketchup crispy minis i had from a colleagues snack bag. (only 28 calories - but those can add up!) and i logged all my condiments and dressings too. still came in under goal, if barely. gotta see it - not just eat it.

    as an added bonus, if you keep your diary detailed, when you are feeling stuck or you hit a plateau, how nice will it be to go back into your log and see what you were doing that worked? maybe you forgot about a great meal you had all the time that was low calorie but kept you satisfied.

    end of two cents. thank you. :)
  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
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    dont forget about the meals and recipe tools to help make it go faster. From my personal experinece, that is the only way I have had success, but thats not to say you would be the same, alot of people just do the intuitive eating things and it works for them
  • ashmarie8722
    ashmarie8722 Posts: 247 Member
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    Different people work different ways. For me I start my goals slow, and then it builds easily. For example, just try to log breakfast all week without missing, If you log more great. But it gets quicker and less of a pain. It just becomes habit :) I usually log while I cook. Good luck.
  • mrsfyredude
    mrsfyredude Posts: 177 Member
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    I'm actually pretty good with breakfast and lunch. I don't do a lot of variety for either. But if hubby is not on shift and he cooks, a lot of the time I don't know what he puts in his "creations" so I have to guess. I'm going to try and be better (she said again for the trillionth time). :blushing:
  • dakotababy
    dakotababy Posts: 2,406 Member
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    It takes like 2 minutes to do an entire day. Those 2 mins a day have changed my life the most, even above the 30 mins a day I spend exercising. Solution - suck it up and do it anyway.
  • caitconquersweight
    caitconquersweight Posts: 316 Member
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    It takes me maybe 15 minutes total to plan my entire day. After it's planned, I just use it as a reference. It makes me want to snack less, it curbs binges, and has made me more creative with meals. It's essential for me. I can't trust myself to not give in to temptation.
  • hill8570
    hill8570 Posts: 1,466 Member
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    I'm actually pretty good with breakfast and lunch. I don't do a lot of variety for either. But if hubby is not on shift and he cooks, a lot of the time I don't know what he puts in his "creations" so I have to guess. I'm going to try and be better (she said again for the trillionth time). :blushing:

    By and large, I'm not a fan of the "quick calories" feature, but if the alternative is not logging at all better to guess high and log a quick calorie entry.
  • spicegeek
    spicegeek Posts: 325 Member
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    the diary is a tool - and I guess everyone gets to use it in a way that best suits them

    Some people open theirs up to be accountable

    Some people record every crumb they consume

    I take the approach of giving myself a 1200 allowance ( step away from the key board - I know 1200 is really low ) BUT - I do not bother recording the milk in my coffee, the 4 or 5 carrots I may munch on, the mint I ate - stuff like that - I expect I am about 200 over what I actually record - I`m losing weight - I`m eating at LEAST 1200 - I`m not driving myself batty measuring and recording every crumb - I accept as i get closer to my goal weight I may have to tighten up this regime but for now I`m losing weight and feel great.

    I also eat more of less the same thing every day so the quick copy options make the diary a snap to fill in
  • kerryradz
    kerryradz Posts: 81 Member
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    I think it can be a bit of a task sometimes but once you've been using it for some time a lot of your regularly eaten foods are stored on your search so it's a lot quicker to log your meals. I tend to plan my meals for the following day the night before so i'm not rushing around in the morning before work trying to scan things or before every meal. This works 90% of the time but of course there are days were I don't fancy what I've already entered into my diary so I just change it up then. I'd say if you haven't got a strict deadline or anything for weight loss then just take it or leave it but if you do have goals you want to reach by a certain time you'll benefit from tracking your cals. .:flowerforyou:
  • happysummerrunner
    happysummerrunner Posts: 66 Member
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    Pre-logging can help, but then it can be annoying when you change your mind and eat something else and then have to switch it. Other idea: take planned breaks from logging. Re-charge. Start again. Good luck!
  • LB30
    LB30 Posts: 109 Member
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    I find I really eat a lot of the same basic foods over the course of a week or two so I find logging pretty quick and easy. Once you've built up a 'frequent foods' or 'my meals' list, logging is just a matter of selecting the item and verifying the portion size. For me, weighing and measuring is the worst, most time consuming part. But if I don't do it, my scale is pretty quick to let me know. If you're getting the result you want without doing it, you're fine. If not, its worth taking the time to do. Best of luck.
  • NikkiSixGuns
    NikkiSixGuns Posts: 630 Member
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    It annoys me on rare occasion... But mostly I don't mind. More than anything I see tracking my calories & macros as important - just as important as tracking how I spend my dollars.
  • ninav1980
    ninav1980 Posts: 514 Member
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    I jus keep a running daily total in my head. Works better for me
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,679 Member
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    Anything worth achieving takes effort and sacrifice. If you don't want to do it then don't. But don't complain about failure if choosing not to log doesn't get you to your goal either.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • Eric_DeCastro
    Eric_DeCastro Posts: 767 Member
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    I'm taking a weight management class and we log everything we eat, I'm logging even more with MFP and I think it's a great thing. you can really see where you go wrong if you don't get the weight loss you expected for that week. it's a great tool and log everything. I can't see not logging everything.
  • chelso0o
    chelso0o Posts: 366 Member
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    I use my phone app, and it has become increasingly easier the longer I do it because I tend to eat a lot of the same foods pretty consistently. Also, I noticed that I am losing more consistently when I pay attention. It's a trade off. Either log and lose, or don't and don't-- for me. I'd rather be cognizant of my choices, and this helps me stay on track because I focus more on my caloric intake and I KNOW that if I am eating and logging appropriately then I am not gaining fat, and any changes on the scale are a temporary gain of water weight. I dunno.... it just helps me so I'm doing it.

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