Tracking calories forever!

becky10rp · May 2014

I reached maintenance about 6 months ago - and still log daily.

It's easy - and it keeps me in check.

I'd rather spend a few minutes keeping on top of 'this' (food, exercise, LIFE) - than have my weight creep back up again.

I consider it a very small 'price' to pay.

meltedsno · May 2014

I've been logging every day since July 1, 2013. I can't see NOT logging. It has become a part of my daily routine....like brushing my teeth, combing my hair, taking a shower etc. I have the MFP on my Iphone and have used it extensively when eating out .... I can enjoy my meal AND know that it fits into my menu plans for the day. I log my lunch at work.... I log my snacks and dinner meals at home... for me, this has become the "NORMAL".

If this is what I have to do the rest of my life, it is a small price to pay. I will be 59 years old in July and for the first time in my entire life, I am what is considered "normal" in weight. I have always been atleast 25 lbs overweight as a kid.... at my highest, I weighed 270lbs... I have literally lost 1 whole person -- weigh-wise -- and I will NEVER go back there again. My adult children are seeing a mother they never, ever saw. I am discovering parts of my body that I never knew existed. I have hipbones!!! I've NEVER felt them before. I attribute all this to logging.

Throughout my life, I would eat whenever my "mouth" wanted something in it... never mind the fact that the tummy was full... anyone ever have that feeling?? Your stomache isn't hungry but the mouth is??? I think for me it is because I used food as a comfort zone rather than eating for survival. I still suffer from "hungry mouth syndrome" but logging makes me think twice before I put anything in it... yep... logging is now my way of life... :-)

healingnurtrer · May 2014

Tracking calories has helped me see what my meals need to look like. I'm planning on weaning myself off of tracking slowly. (Especially when I'm just eating at home, eating my normal foods/ portion sizes.)
I don't hate tracking, I think it's interesting but I just won't always do it as diligently as I do now.

I DO want to track really accurately through my next pregnancy however because I want to try to get my Macros right then. (Specifically- make sure I'm getting enough protein which I struggled with last pregnancy). And to make sure I'm not gaining more than I need to.

Anyway- here's how I'll wean off of the tracking. I'll start probably by not tracking one day a week while trying to eat normal food (not like a cheat day but eating the right amount of calories). And I'll just keep track of my weight and make sure I'm not gaining back doing that. Then I'll probably quit tracking breakfast because I usually eat the same couple of breakfasts and I already know what the calories/ macros are for those meals... Anyway- I'll just keep dropping days/ meals of tracking, monitoring my weight to make sure I'm maintaining. Then eventually I'll only track new meals, or a day if I'm interested in how it looks. And if I do start gaining weight I'll get back to tracking every meal everyday till I get back on track.

Sorry that was so long and rambling but I wanted to give you some hope that if you're hating tracking and feeling depressed about always doing that you don't necessarily need to. As you learn more you can be more relaxed about it in time. Good luck!

healingnurtrer · May 2014

I had a similar thought to the OP the other day and it scared me because I don't WANT to keep logging forever. (For those who have found it becomes part of their daily lives, that's awesome, but it's just not something I can sustain because I don't have the will to do it indefinitely)

However, I am gradually finding that my eating patterns are changing anyway. I build my meals around protein and I know what foods will pack a load of calories but not keep me full. Or which foods will give me an energy spike but make me feel sluggish and irritable once the crash wears off. I'm finding new recipes I love and new lunch choices in the work week.

Every so often I will go out somewhere or have a day where logging is difficult - I use these as "practice" days for when I'm not logging. What I'm practicing is identifying what are the better menu choices (so salmon, poached eggs and avocado for breakfast instead of French toast with syrup), and also mindful eating - i.e. listen to my body telling me that it's full, so I don't overeat.

Only time will tell, once I've entered the maintenance phase, whether this will work out. But I don't see how I could end up piling all the weight back on if I have changed the way I eat and exercise, because I will know if I'm falling back into bad habits and make the effort to change that. I'll continue to weigh myself once a month with my trainer and if I'm putting fat back on, then I'll take steps to lose it again (including temporarily logging if I need to). I can't see it being possible to gain back the 30kgs I want to lose in a month, so I'm not too concerned about putting a bit of weight back on while I'm trying to find a balance in maintenance.

This. Said it better than me.

AglaeaC · May 2014

I understand what you're saying...however, the simple act of not logging in some capacity can take you out of maintenance fairly early. It depends on how accountable you are to yourself. If you are truly staying on track and watching what you consume and how you stay active then you will keep a good handle on yourself when you get to maintenance. The reason so many people who have lost weight only to find themselves back in the same predicament later is because they reverted to old habits.

Then they haven't adapted to the lifestyle change. The way I interpret "lifestyle change" is permanently altered habits. And if one keeps acting according to the new healthy habits, it really shouldn't be a problem and one should be "on a roll" simply because of it. I will keep tracking as long as is necessary to feel confident I've established permanently healthy habits, but of course will also observe, be mindful about my actions in the years to come.

It's called paying attention to one's self and that I see is the core of a healthy lifestyle. If things start going down the drain, there's no reason not to be able to stop it from happening, by going back to tracking again. And once the downward spiral has been stopped and one is confident in being back on track, the daily logging can be seized.

Also, if one's nutrition is that tied to stress and what not, it might be beneficial to go to the root of the problem and find out why one medicates those things with food, because in such a case I view it as a symptom only. In the end, it seems like healthy habits weren't fully incorporated then.

Ldbg289 · May 2014

My dad asked me when I was gonna quit counting calories, I still have at least 25 pounds to lose, and that's just until I re evaluate my health and my appearance and such. I informed him I'd never quit counting them the way I am now, maybe I'll not be as strict once I hit goal but I found something that works to get my health back in control so why walk away? If I did that I'd go back to my old ways and it was my old ways that got me in this mess in the first place.

skyfall91 · May 2014

I like logging and have the app so once Im at goal weight (still 30lbs away lol) il just carry on as normal and keep logging through my phone for ease x

AglaeaC · May 2014

I agree with a lot of the others who have responded. I've been maintaining for about two months. Is it sometimes a pain to still log everything? Sometimes. Would it be more of a pain to re gain my weight? Yes!! I cannot be trusted and I've seen too many people slowly start to gain if they don't log.

If you've maintained for two months only, I don't think it's long enough yet to be sure you are eating the correct calorie amount to stay in balance, so yes, you should be tracking. But if you have maintained successfully for half a year to a year and there are no huge changes in your daily nutrition, I would call it a day then and declare myself done establishing healthy habits. I just wrote a comment about observing and that's what I'd start from this point on.

fitfabforties · May 2014

I've been counting calories since January 2012 and I will be counting them forever......I've already gained 10-12lb since getting to my lowest weight and it's driving me crazy....I'm trying to get those off.....so I know that I have to do this till the day I die.....

...the sad thing is that, I no longer enjoy eating, especially when I can't accurately figure out the calories in what I'm eating.....such as eating out.....I rarely cook from scratch because I live alone and can't be bothered to be honest.....food is now viewed as just something to keep my alive rather than something to be enjoyed.....

amcook4 · May 2014

I think I will also have to be a forever monitoring. IN the past I have lost a decent amount of weight, then I thought I "had it down" and could go without. Well, I put the weight back on and then some. So I'm back to logging and loosing again. Maybe in a few years I can give it up, I just know I need something else to keep me accountable, since I've proven myself to not be able to do it on my own.

AglaeaC · May 2014

I think this different for everybody, when I initially hit maintenance I was still logging every day / every meal.
Eventually mentally I hit a wall and couldn't accept that logging was going to be an 'for the rest of my life' thing.
I had to test what I've learned about portions, eating, etc to see if this is something I can do without the aid of a scale.

Currently I log Mon-Fri and take off the weekends and that's what works for me.
Eventually I'd like to gradually stop logging during the week as well but since I'm currently in re-comp mode and lifting heavy I need to make sure I'm meeting calorie needs during those sessions.

Thanks for posting! I hadn't even considered the gradual outphasing, but it's a great idea.

Zaftique · May 2014

I think once you hit goal and are able to keep maintenance for a good year, you would be ok with ceasing the log - if only because suddenly tight clothes would tell you it's time to hop back on the logging train!

Ang108 · May 2014

I still have 98 Lbs. to lose so I don't know why I'm worried about this yet, but the thought that even after I reach my goal weight I will probably have to weigh food/ track my intake for the rest of my life kind of depresses me. It's like those of us who have been overweight can never really be normal again. Whereas people who haven't don't have to worry about fitting in that "Big Mac Meal" They want. They just eat it...With a milkshake. I know I have at least a year to go so I'm hoping that maybe after doing this for a year I will get used to it and it will become like second nature. Any people on maintenance have any issues with this?

I am not on maintenance, but have weighed and logged all my food for over a year and plan to do so especially in maintenance, because most people say that maintenance is more difficult than losing.
I have taken a bath or shower every day for about 60 years, brush and floss my teeth several times every day because it's part of my lifestyle routine. It takes longer than logging my food and I don't complain. Spending an extra five minutes on logging to stay in control of my weight is not such a big deal for me. Somebody else's mmv.

Bry_Fitness70 · May 2014

I'm not among the recovering obese and have been just maintaining on MFP since I started a year ago. I track primarily to ensure I'm consuming the correct balance of macros; the calorie tabulation is something I only pay attention to because I don't want to have a deficit on exercise days, so I need to ensure I'm eating back my calories.

Logging your diet is a burden, just like brushing your teeth, showering, clipping your nails, etc. are. Like these activities, I don't consider it an option not to do it.

Tabbitha1968 · May 2014

I used to believe the same thing, I thought it was unfair that "I have to do blah blah blah" when other do such and such, but now that Ive done those things, I realize that Im doing what is necessary "for me" to reach my goal and maintain. It doesn't matter what other people do, the only person it really matters is to me. I think its a matter of acceptance and once you accept this is what "you" have to do it makes it so much easier.

cbirdso · May 2014

I've been maintaining for about 2 years now, THANKS TO TRACKING. I do take little 'rests' now and then because of vacation, Christmas, visits from out of town relatives, whatever... but try to eat the same during these times as when I'm tracking. However, during these times, I do notice the scale inches up very slowly, so I realize it is easy to fool myself that I am keeping within my TDEE, but the scale says 'NO'. Then, I start tracking very closely again and the scale goes back down.

So, basically, if I have to track for the rest of my life, I have accepted it is like brushing my teeth, or doing the dishes, or paying bills. I have to do these for the rest of my life, too.

RWTBR · May 2014

No, "normal" people don't just eat garbage all the time and never work out and stay fit and trim. That's a misconception if there ever was one.

And, yes, it may require a lot of work for us to lose weight and keep it off, but look at the alternative. Besides, anything worth having takes work.

And why not count calories? Doing so will allow you to hit your goals! Change the way you look at this.

ninerbuff · May 2014

If you've gained weight because you didn't track your calories, then it's logical that you'd have to keep track of them to keep it off. Some will figure out portion sizes and what meals are high calorie, but in general most people fail in weight loss because they become complacent.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Laurenjenai · May 2014

I just recently commented about something like this. I Have lost about 64 lbs now, I am at a point where I don't want to lose anymore weight. I find it hard to eat enough calories actually. I love to work out now, its second nature, so the only way for me to maintain would be to either eat more, like I should, or cool out on exercising so much, but I know I cant do that. The only time I ever reach my daily calorie goal or get anywhere near it is if I eat a little junk every now and then. Its so weird...but yes, after a while exercising and eating right will definitely be second nature. You will know what you can/cant or should/shouldn't eat. You will know if you put in enough work on your own, but if not then tracking will be your only option.

paulawatkins1974 · May 2014

If you are getting depressed about having to log your food for the rest of your life, you have deeper issues than logging food. If you know that you can't do it without the use of an AWESOME app like MyFitnessPal, then you use the tools available to make yourself like the 'normal' people (whatever that means).

Personally, I think of it as a game to see how close to my calorie number every day. Using MyFitnessPal has changed the way I live, but IT IS A GOOD CHANGE and I will never want to stop using it, because I too have issues with food (I love eating). My will power sucks, but having people around you helping you along makes all the difference in the world. My wife and I got many of our friends and family using MyFitnessPal and FitBit Zips and we love the motivation we all give each other on a daily basis. I share my food logs and get harrassed about eating 3 slices of pizza when I should have only had 2. I get made fun of because I'm 5,000 steps behind my mother-in-law so I get on the treadmill and knock out 10,000 steps to get back ahead. IT'S A GAME and a challenge to me with the added benefit of a healthy lifestyle, fewer medical problems, less fat, etc.

Change your mindset about it and you will do fine. It's not a chore, it's a tool to help you maintain your weight once you reach your goal.

^^^ This is cool. I love your social aspect.

Also, there are many ways to track. Once you reach your goal and get into maintenance, you can do things like, just log your food at the end of the day, and rely on memory and eye-balling portions. So, it's easy and quick and you don't worry about it as long as your weight stays where you want it. Many people do it this way. There's much more forgiveness in maintenance. Some people say it's harder, but I find losing way harder and more precise, where maintaining, you have a lot of slop. You don't have to be so precise. It takes 3500 calories over maintenance to gain 1 lb. That's a freaking lot of extra calories. You can't mistake that even eye-balling your portions, unless you're just really dumb. So, many people find that maintenance is easy because you have a lot of slack on both sides of your maintenance calories.

Well this sounds a little more doable. Right now, after every meal, I'm rushing to the room or to my phone to start logging my food. Even when I pre log, if while I'm eating I change something a bit, it's right to the computer. I'm not depressed, I guess that's a strong word. Right now it's more of a joke in my house. "Oh Mommy gotta go log her food. BRB" But just hoping that eventually, it will get easier where maybe I can remember and just log once a day etc. I love mfp anyway, my friends are great I'll never totally stop checking in. Just hoping the logging part will take up less of my life once I've hit maintenance.

cbirdso · May 2014

After reading some of these posts, I have to agree that line between 'US' and 'THEM' is very faint if non-existent. I know many thin people who have never been overweight in their lives, but it is because they CAREFULLY watch what they eat and MAKE a POINT to exercise regularly. They calculate in their heads from experience how much they can eat and don't go above that even if pressed or it is something delicious to them. My brother is one of these people. He has never had a weight problem, but he weighs himself regularly, is always mindful of portions and works very hard to keep in shape. This is no different than what you or I need to do to keep off the weight.

paulawatkins1974 · May 2014

It's like those of us who have been overweight can never really be normal again. Whereas people who haven't don't have to worry about fitting in that "Big Mac Meal" They want. They just eat it...With a milkshake.

Really!?!?!

I am 53 years old. From the time I was 13 and a friend went on a "diet" I have been paying attention to what goes in my mouth and what stands on the scale.

So many overweight people believe that thin people can eat whatever they want and stay thin. Totally not true!!!!! Thin people stay thin because on a day to day basis they eat fewer calories than overweight people. Yes, very occasionally I have a Big Mac, but mostly I have a Cheeseburger, no fries, or pop and even that is a rare occurrence.

I can state without looking up online, the calories in a donut, cookie, big mac, milk shake and if I have any one of those today, I will be unlikely to allow myself to have one tomorrow.

I stand on the scale almost daily and if my weight goes up then I know that today is NOT a Big Mac day.

It sounds brutal, but it's not, it's just being aware of healthy choices and unhealthy, high calorie eating.

We thin people have the same base metabolic rate as heavy people. That's the benchmark, if our metabolism is higher (for most people) it is because we supplement our lifestyle with a LOT of exercise.

My genetic background has just as many people who store fat as anyone else. The rest is how and what we eat and how much we move around.

Almost everyone who is thin works just as hard as you are in order to stay thin.

I didn't mean to say naturally thin people eat alot. I know they eat less than big people that's why they're not big. Most of them though don't have to run to the computer after every meal to log what they just put in their mouth. I'm just hoping that the "normal sized peoples" mentality may some day be achieved by me so that I can live life knowing what's enough to eat, and having the control to stop. If that makes sense.

Sabine_Stroehm · May 2014

It's like those of us who have been overweight can never really be normal again. Whereas people who haven't don't have to worry about fitting in that "Big Mac Meal" They want. They just eat it...With a milkshake.

Really!?!?!

I am 53 years old. From the time I was 13 and a friend went on a "diet" I have been paying attention to what goes in my mouth and what stands on the scale.

So many overweight people believe that thin people can eat whatever they want and stay thin. Totally not true!!!!! Thin people stay thin because on a day to day basis they eat fewer calories than overweight people. Yes, very occasionally I have a Big Mac, but mostly I have a Cheeseburger, no fries, or pop and even that is a rare occurrence.

I can state without looking up online, the calories in a donut, cookie, big mac, milk shake and if I have any one of those today, I will be unlikely to allow myself to have one tomorrow.

I stand on the scale almost daily and if my weight goes up then I know that today is NOT a Big Mac day.

It sounds brutal, but it's not, it's just being aware of healthy choices and unhealthy, high calorie eating.

We thin people have the same base metabolic rate as heavy people. That's the benchmark, if our metabolism is higher (for most people) it is because we supplement our lifestyle with a LOT of exercise.

My genetic background has just as many people who store fat as anyone else. The rest is how and what we eat and how much we move around.

Almost everyone who is thin works just as hard as you are in order to stay thin.

I didn't mean to say naturally thin people eat alot. I know they eat less than big people that's why they're not big. Most of them though don't have to run to the computer after every meal to log what they just put in their mouth. I'm just hoping that the "normal sized peoples" mentality may some day be achieved by me so that I can live life knowing what's enough to eat, and having the control to stop. If that makes sense.

And I think she's saying that many, if not most, lean people spend a lot of time and attention staying lean.

paulawatkins1974 · May 2014

It's like those of us who have been overweight can never really be normal again. Whereas people who haven't don't have to worry about fitting in that "Big Mac Meal" They want. They just eat it...With a milkshake.

Really!?!?!

I am 53 years old. From the time I was 13 and a friend went on a "diet" I have been paying attention to what goes in my mouth and what stands on the scale.

So many overweight people believe that thin people can eat whatever they want and stay thin. Totally not true!!!!! Thin people stay thin because on a day to day basis they eat fewer calories than overweight people. Yes, very occasionally I have a Big Mac, but mostly I have a Cheeseburger, no fries, or pop and even that is a rare occurrence.

I can state without looking up online, the calories in a donut, cookie, big mac, milk shake and if I have any one of those today, I will be unlikely to allow myself to have one tomorrow.

I stand on the scale almost daily and if my weight goes up then I know that today is NOT a Big Mac day.

It sounds brutal, but it's not, it's just being aware of healthy choices and unhealthy, high calorie eating.

We thin people have the same base metabolic rate as heavy people. That's the benchmark, if our metabolism is higher (for most people) it is because we supplement our lifestyle with a LOT of exercise.

My genetic background has just as many people who store fat as anyone else. The rest is how and what we eat and how much we move around.

Almost everyone who is thin works just as hard as you are in order to stay thin.

I didn't mean to say naturally thin people eat alot. I know they eat less than big people that's why they're not big. Most of them though don't have to run to the computer after every meal to log what they just put in their mouth. I'm just hoping that the "normal sized peoples" mentality may some day be achieved by me so that I can live life knowing what's enough to eat, and having the control to stop. If that makes sense.

And I think she's saying that many, if not most, lean people spend a lot of time and attention staying lean.

Yes! And That's what I hope to be able to achieve without actually "tracking" everything. Working hard no problem. My post was about tracking everything. right now, it's a joke in our house. Every time I finish a meal instead of jumping up to do the dishes, i'm jumping up to go "track" just hoping to learn how to live without that and make healthy choices on my own. Hoping that after a year or so, I will have more of a normal outlook on food.

cbirdso · May 2014

OP said: I didn't mean to say naturally thin people eat alot. I know they eat less than big people that's why they're not big. Most of them though don't have to run to the computer after every meal to log what they just put in their mouth. I'm just hoping that the "normal sized peoples" mentality may some day be achieved by me so that I can live life knowing what's enough to eat, and having the control to stop. If that makes sense.

OP, speaking for myself, I don't think I can ever get to the point where mentally, I know what's enough to eat and never have to put effort in pushing the stop button. If my short term memory goes, I will really be in trouble because I can ALWAYS eat and ALWAYS have room for more. Only seeing it written down and added up do I mentally know that I have eaten enough. I have accepted this about myself and don't even think about it as a chore I can't manage. We all have different talents and skills and if I have no talent to gage without help of tracking to stop eating, I can accept that.

crepes_ · May 2014

Yes! And That's what I hope to be able to achieve without actually "tracking" everything. Working hard no problem. My post was about tracking everything. right now, it's a joke in our house. Every time I finish a meal instead of jumping up to do the dishes, i'm jumping up to go "track" just hoping to learn how to live without that and make healthy choices on my own. Hoping that after a year or so, I will have more of a normal outlook on food.

I used to hate tracking for this reason, but it all changed after I got a smart phone. Is that in your near future? It makes tracking a whole lot easier. Barcode scanning, a few taps of the finger, and my entire dinner is logged in 10 seconds.

Or could you use a little notepad or text yourself the portions of what you're eating and then log it later on? Tracking should be as painfree and simple as you can possibly make it, so that it can remain a sustainable part of your life.

montana_girl · May 2014

To the OP - Have you thought about pre-tracking? If you have been doing this for any length of time, then you probably already have a good idea what you will be eating throughout the day, so why not just track in the morning and then adjust only when needed? I have been doing it this way for over a year and it's a lot less hassle.

That said, I have been tracking my food intake for 10 years now (7 years with Weight Watchers and 3 with MFP), so it's very much a habit for me. And if it helps to keep the weight off, then I will continue to do it until the end of time.

I would like to get to the point that I didn't feel it necessary to do it every day. During the work week, I tend to eat the same breakfast and snacks, with lunch being leftovers from the healthy dinner the night before so really don't need to track on weekdays. Would love to get to the point where I just track on weekends, holidays and vacations (more to keep myself from over-indulging and going into denial about what I'm eating). That's my eventual goal ... but if it doesn't work out that way, oh well.

maryjpoppins · May 2014

I've been a vegetarian for years and have been eating mostly "clean" (no processed foods) and exercising more for the past few months... It's been a lifestyle change, and I track occasionally just to see what I eat on an average day.. The healthy food and workouts have become second nature, and even if I eat unhealthy for a day or so I still lose or at least maintain my weight. I think once you get into the habit of being healthy, tracking isn't necessary.

KateK8LoseW8 · May 2014

I still log, and will forever. However, I'm much more willing to guesstimate than I was when losing weight. I'm okay with portioning out approximately half or putting things in a measuring cup instead of weighing, or go to restaurants 1-2x a week without calorie information and guess, which I didn't when I was losing. If I gain a little bit, I cut my portions a little bit, or increase my activity a little bit. No big deal. You don't gain 80 pounds overnight, so as long as you keep an eye on your weight and make adjustments as you need to, maintenance is straightforward. Maybe you won't have to track forever! Maybe you could track Monday through Friday and go without on weekends, as some do. For now just focus on the task at hand and don't worry too much about what you'll do in the future. You'll figure it out.

47Jacqueline · July 2014

My dietician want's me to stop tracking. She's pretty level-headed and I agree with her, but I developed this habit of tracking and it's almost second nature. She suggested I try it for a day just to see, but I haven't been able to do it yet.

I'm happy with my maintenance level, tracking takes very little time now. I'm just not ready to stop. An old BF used to tell me not to wait until I'm ready to do something, but rather do things before I'm ready so I can move on. Tracking is a relatively innocent obsession. I'm still thinking about it. ;-)

Tracking calories forever!

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