Stressed out by logging when accidentally eating too much

yasoyyo
yasoyyo Posts: 15
in Motivation and Support
Hi all!
So on one hand I like logging my food because it gives me a sense of control or certainty about where I stand diet-wise - both when it comes to nutrition and weight loss. On the other hand, on occasions when I give in to temptation and "accidentally" eat way above my calorie goal, logging those things and seeing the red numbers sometimes really freaks me out and makes me feel like my diet is ruined and I'll never reach my goals.

I know it's an overreaction, but seeing it in numbers like that somehow has a strong influence on me. Does anyone else feel like this? How do you deal with it? Occasionally I've simply avoided logging things when I know I'm above my goal, but I know deep down that avoidance is no solution...
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Replies

  • kshadows
    kshadows Posts: 1,315 Member
    I ALWAYS log everything, no matter what it is. I've gone over my calorie goal by 500+ before but I still log it. Why? So I know what NOT to do.

    Just remind yourself that one day won't ruin anything and move on. Maybe work in a little extra exercise for the day if it helps you feel better. Unless you're going way over every day, you're doing fine.
  • Pensworth
    Pensworth Posts: 31 Member
    You've stated it pretty succinctly. Some days when I eat a ludicrous amount, and it just keeps going, I decide whether or not to log it. If I do log it, it is more out of morbid curiosity than anything else. When I don't log it, it doesn't change the fact that it's in my body...

    Logging dutifully can help to keep yourself accountable for what you consume. I find the belly ache to hold me accountable enough on its own. Sometimes logging the carnage is just rubbing salt in the wound. Or you can use it to gain perspective and take a step back, and regain control of the situation.
  • moviestarsara
    moviestarsara Posts: 66
    I feel the same way. I HATE seeing my calories in the red.

    I just log it and stay off the app for the rest of the evening. I'm not hurting anyone but myself when I'm not accurate with what I'm eating.
  • thankyou4thevenom
    thankyou4thevenom Posts: 1,581 Member
    Yep. I get that. I know today is going to hurt like so much as it's a treat day. How I deal with it is keeping the rest of my days under.
  • CBSARGE
    CBSARGE Posts: 14 Member
    Freaks me out a little too...I've finally settled on the fact that as long as I have 5 or 6 days in the black each week and only a day or two in the red...I can live with that. I sold myself on the fact that doing that is reasonable and if I stick to that, I avoid the possability of stopping my calorie count all together. Hang in there, keep going and NEVER QUIT! Hoorahhhh
  • jess_erin
    jess_erin Posts: 69 Member
    You could try focusing on your weekly total.
  • MysteriousMerlin
    MysteriousMerlin Posts: 2,270 Member
    MFP is a tool to help you find balance in your diet. That's it, just a tool. If you go over, you go over. You know what to do differently tomorrow. Don't obsess, you're a work in progress and it takes time to find out what will work for you. :flowerforyou:
  • klkateri
    klkateri Posts: 432 Member
    I was told by a trainer once that if you eat an abundance of calories like once a month it can actually help. Our bodies get used to when we eat a certain way but when we over eat it makes our bodies go "Whoa!! What's all this... we gots to burn this off!". Now, I'm not saying that we should overeat all the time but once in a while is normal.

    I do log though even when it's over just because I want to be honest with myself and see how I am trending. As long as I'm under more than I'm over... I'll take that as a win.
  • Marcia315
    Marcia315 Posts: 460 Member
    I ate a pint of Ben and Jerry's. Now that was scary to see the total.
  • establishingaplace
    establishingaplace Posts: 301 Member
    I have at least one day a week where I purposely eat close to maintenance or over. I figure I am going to be doing this for awhile, and I need something sustainable. Strict logging 7 days a week is not sustainable for me. I dine out at a lot of non-chain places where I can't necessarily estimate what I'm eating or don't want to.

    Having that day means it's easier for me to commit to 5-6 days of strict logging. And it has not hindered my progress. I have been at this for two months, and this is THE most successful two months of "dieting" I have ever had in my life.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    I have at least one day a week where I purposely eat close to maintenance or over. I figure I am going to be doing this for awhile, and I need something sustainable. Strict logging 7 days a week is not sustainable for me. I dine out at a lot of non-chain places where I can't necessarily estimate what I'm eating or don't want to.

    Having that day means it's easier for me to commit to 5-6 days of strict logging. And it has not hindered my progress. I have been at this for two months, and this is THE most successful two months of "dieting" I have ever had in my life.

    This!^

    I'm going to have good & bad days. Just like life.....stuff happens.
  • madhatter2013
    madhatter2013 Posts: 1,547 Member
    I ALWAYS log everything, no matter what it is. I've gone over my calorie goal by 500+ before but I still log it. Why? So I know what NOT to do.

    ^^^THIS^^^
  • alisonmarytuck
    alisonmarytuck Posts: 68 Member
    I treat those red numbers as an opportunity to learn more about the choices I make and the impact of those choices. It helps me to consciously take smaller portions when in situations where I am likely to go over - parties: family events etc. That reduces the impact and I feel pleased with myself instead of a failure. I then consciously try to keep within or even below for the next few days and I try to up my walking if possible
  • rak173
    rak173 Posts: 105 Member
    I have just started and am still deciding how I want to deal with my logging. As of now, I log everything. I feel that when I go over and log, it helps minimize how big that red number gets.

    Probably in a couple more weeks, when I am move in the groove of this, I will switch to only strictly logging 5-6 days a week. I eat at a lot of non-chain restaurants on the weekends too and even when I try my hardest to log those meals, I know they are likely inaccurate.
  • rowlandsw
    rowlandsw Posts: 1,166 Member
    I do a mini freak out but log it all too, i also just figure it's going to happen once in a while and as long as it isn't a daily or weekly thing to just let it go and be more careful.
  • ntdcruz
    ntdcruz Posts: 19 Member
    I've done that too (the pint of ice cream)... have no control with Ben and Jerry's and can no longer keep it in the house...:smile:
    However, looks like it hasn't hurt you. Congrats on the weight loss!
  • Lilymay2
    Lilymay2 Posts: 2,525 Member
    Good comments :happy:

    I log everything too. I want to see what I am doing wrong or right!! I know that the 290 calories of almonds I eat every day is a lot of calories ....but I could be eating something worse. I am Yeast and dairy sensitive.... so if I can eat it I sometimes eat too much of it at a time.
  • Mrsfreedom41
    Mrsfreedom41 Posts: 330 Member
    I eat too much at times also but it is better to log it than not log it. I know it can be discouraging to see how many calories you have consumed, but how else are you going to keep track of your food intake. Be honest with yourself, it is the best way. Good Luck.:drinker:
  • yasoyyo
    yasoyyo Posts: 15
    Thanks for the responses! :D I agree with what you're all saying - taking a step back and realising it's just one day and won't matter in the grand scheme of things is probably the best thing one can do in order to stay on the right track. It's so tricky at times, though! But I'll breathe through it and let it go.

    These days I'm also aiming for eating somewhat more than I did at my last weight loss attempt, and I'm noticing that it's making a big difference in my progress - in a positive way! Having more calories makes me stress less and makes it that much easier to stick to it.
  • GiveMeCoffee
    GiveMeCoffee Posts: 3,556 Member
    It doesn't bother me if I'm over, what is in my diary is just data. There will be good, bad and extremely ugly days it's life, if I wasn't logging all of those then I would be more upset because then I would be lying to myself.
  • WorkInProgress323
    WorkInProgress323 Posts: 114
    I hate the red #'s too. Sometimes I want to raise my total calories just to avoid seeing red numbers :embarassed:
  • sodakat
    sodakat Posts: 1,126 Member
    I ate a pint of Ben and Jerry's. Now that was scary to see the total.

    Now that's funny. I've made mistakes when logging, like putting in 500 of something instead of .5 (point five) and wow does that make the daily total red! Eating a pint would be more enjoyable than a logging mistake though.
  • Savlona
    Savlona Posts: 84 Member
    I try to look at a whole week at a time rather than one day. I'm regularly in the red at weekends, but over a week it evens out.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    That's exactly why I do log it. As a reminder that if I keep eating that way, I'll gain weight back.
  • Alsvic
    Alsvic Posts: 93 Member
    Man...What is it with Ben and Jerry's they got me in trouble with my doctor?

    I log everything all the time I don't freak out about the red numbers but I am disappointed in myself when it happens. I started on MFP in early February. On my first visit to the Doctor she was very happy that I had lost 18 pounds, this was the first time I had actually lost weight prior to a Doctor Visit.

    So she was asking me how hard it was to log my diet and was there any issues with what I was doing. I explained to her that the previous Saturday was bowling night and I had 11 beers that night. and was kind of disappointed in myself. She ask me how I felt after drinking 11 beers. I said I was kind of embarrassed to log that I drank that much beer and the calorie total was off the wall. Her reply was, You knucklehead I was asking how you felt when you woke up after drinking 11 Beers.

    She then proceeded to tell me I didn't get to 350 pounds by eating 2000 calories a day. 56 years of bad eating habits can't be erased over night and I need to realize that the occasional lapses should be expected.
  • judyde
    judyde Posts: 401 Member
    I log everything, good or bad. Even if I'm at a local restaurant and am just guessing, I take my best guess and log it. As others have said, it's educational, and helps you make better choices. Painful as it is, when you see what you'd weigh if you ate that way for 5 weeks should help guide your choices in the future.

    Sometimes it can help you to NOT freak out. I pre-logged my Thanksgiving dinner (I knew what the menu would be) and rearranged it to be "only" 1,750 calories over maintenance. That's a half pound of weight. So I knew even with that enormous feast, in the long run, I was only going to gain a half pound from that day of eating.

    And someone wise once pointed out, "whether you log it into MFP or not, your body is logging it." So you're just lying to yourself if you don't log it.
  • autumn_moon86
    autumn_moon86 Posts: 13
    When I have a bad day, I go to this article:

    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2012/08/16/get-over-it/

    It helps me remember that it's okay and to get back on track!! :smile:
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
    It is a good measure to keep you in check. It is so very easy to overeat. This way you'll know ahead of time if you are about to go over your limit.
  • Sharon_C
    Sharon_C Posts: 2,132 Member
    I log on MFP then take that number and input it into an Excel spreadsheet that I've created. It calculates my calories eaten and my calories burned (I get that number from my Fitbit) and then calculates my deficit (or non-deficit at times). That way I look at it on a weekly basis and not a daily basis. As long as I have more good days than bad, I'm okay.

    Maybe if you look at it from a weekly perspective and not a daily perspective it will help.
  • rides4sanity
    rides4sanity Posts: 1,269 Member
    Look, don't make an excuse and say you accidentally ate too much. Generally when we do it, we know we are doing it... That being said if you choose to go over it isn't the end of the world, just do better tomorrow. I do hate seeing red and it bugs me that 0 is red not green...

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