Logging food messing with head?

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reneeot
reneeot Posts: 773 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I find that if I log AS I eat throughout the day. It messes with my ability to not be concerned about eating. I'll look and think "I've only eaten 400 calories", so then I start thinking"I'm hungry." Or if I only have 300 calories left for dinner, I think "that's not enough I'm going to be starving". Or if I have macros short to eat I'm compelled to eat the deficit!

Anybody else have had this problem?

So now I simply write down what I eat and then log at the end of the day. Now I have nothing compelling me to eat more or less. I just eat with peace of mind. And you know what, I"m usually right on target with my macro's! I think it is also helping me to realize I'm eating the way I should naturally. Its become a routine, habit to eat a certain way.

:flowerforyou:

Replies

  • sheedy17
    sheedy17 Posts: 128
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    I log my meals before I leave the house before my workout and work, I plan my breakfast, lunch and then supper, so I know my numbers and what I may need to fill with a shake at break, or some fresh fruit at lunch that I get at the grocery store
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
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    Nope, I prelog everything I know I have to eat to meet my macros. Then if I have any calories left over, I eat whatever I want as I see fit.

    I'm not very successful when I log as I go or log at the end of the day.
  • flumi_f
    flumi_f Posts: 1,888 Member
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    I logged my food for over a year and at some point noticed, I was eating up my cals and not listening to my hunger signals. As I'm doing 5:2 (5 days at TDEE / 2 days at 500cals),

    I decided to not log on normal days (TDEE) and only really count the two fast days (500cals) in July and see what happens.

    I haven't gained anything in the last two weeks and was plateauing before, so no effect there yet. But I feel less focused on food all the time and that is a good thing. The full /hungry feeling is coming back too.
  • rsclause
    rsclause Posts: 3,103 Member
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    I like to log as I go or even ahead of time. At the end of the day, and during, I can see if I am under and decide if I should have that beer or not. If I am going over, so be it but I may elect not to eat as much if I know ahead of time.
  • MisterZ33
    MisterZ33 Posts: 567 Member
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    Nope, I prelog everything I know I have to eat to meet my macros. Then if I have any calories left over, I eat whatever I want as I see fit.

    I'm not very successful when I log as I go or log at the end of the day.

    This.
  • shadowofender
    shadowofender Posts: 786 Member
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    I have that problem! I think it's more because then I see the numbers all big and bold on my screen. And they're color coded. And I freak out about it.
    I had to start hand writing everything and that helps me get over it. It took a lot of concentration to get my mind set to a point where I could deal, and even now I still can't log on here with regularity. So I know where you're coming from. It's a hard thing to handle because if you're trying to hit the numbers, then you have to think about them. But thinking about them is stresful and it's this cycle of crazy talk in your head.
  • rhoule76
    rhoule76 Posts: 217 Member
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    I log everything in the morning (workdays). It just makes it easier for me.
  • ShaunaLaNee
    ShaunaLaNee Posts: 188 Member
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    I pre-log all of my food before I eat, having a plan for my entire day helps me not obsess on it all day, and gives me hard fast rules for what I can eat today.
  • sfbaumgarten
    sfbaumgarten Posts: 912 Member
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    If I log the day before, it doesn't really mess with my head. I already have my day planned, food ready, macros worked out... No big deal. This is the norm for my weekdays since I bring my breakfast and lunch to work. I plan it, I bring it, I'm stuck with it unless I really want to go out of my way to deviate and go out for food.

    I don't worry about macros on the weekends so I really only worry about my calorie goal. That makes things a lot easier on my brain too.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    I find that if I log AS I eat throughout the day. It messes with my ability to not be concerned about eating. I'll look and think "I've only eaten 400 calories", so then I start thinking"I'm hungry." Or if I only have 300 calories left for dinner, I think "that's not enough I'm going to be starving". Or if I have macros short to eat I'm compelled to eat the deficit!

    Anybody else have had this problem?

    So now I simply write down what I eat and then log at the end of the day. Now I have nothing compelling me to eat more or less. I just eat with peace of mind. And you know what, I"m usually right on target with my macro's! I think it is also helping me to realize I'm eating the way I should naturally. Its become a routine, habit to eat a certain way.

    :flowerforyou:
    I think that's a very healthy way of doing it. I do something similar and also find I do fine without focusing on the numbers, especially if you look at the weekly averages instead of just daily totals in isolation.
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,598 Member
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    I log obsessively; whenever I am getting ready to consume something I check the calories first and see if it's permitted, and if so, how much. Trying to go to restaurants is a nightmare, but for this I have poverty to fall back on to beg off of it lol. So yes logging everything is a mindf*** and I have basically just accepted the insanity of it. My stomach empty/full signals got messed up a LONG time ago due to... let's call it family issues andovercontrolling parents. So here I am all these years later all screwed up and I slowly got fat due to having my internal regulator broken on top of hypothyroidism. I'm never going to be normal. At least now I'm not going to be a blob any more; that's the best I'm gonna do, I think. :/ Blah.
  • maizerage66
    maizerage66 Posts: 367 Member
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    I log several days ahead if I have to. Nothing better than forcing yourself to eat what you already logged...
  • AsaThorsWoman
    AsaThorsWoman Posts: 2,303 Member
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    I do feel this way sometimes.

    You are not alone!

    I hate when I'm getting close to my calorie goal and hungry and start feeling super guilty for going over just a bit, or like poor me if I suffer the hunger.
  • Flyingfree83
    Flyingfree83 Posts: 60 Member
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    I save my meals and do a two week rolling menu. It's simpler and I'm less likely to overeat. Then any exercise I add at the end of the day.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    I log several days ahead if I have to. Nothing better than forcing yourself to eat what you already logged...

    haha this...but there is some flexibity there as well...and it makes it easier to know what to take out of the freezer that morning

    I won't log as I eat or after I am done for the day....wandering into territory of over eating there.

    I too look at my weekly goals and not my days in isolation and that is why weekly logging helps a lot more than daily, at time of consumption or worse after it's eaten.

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