Log For Life?!

I'm going to assume that even if not with MFP i'll be logging for life if no other reason than to keep myself aware of my habits in case i slip back into the bad ones. Love your avatar by the way.

Sorry, I'm not much help. I've been logging for over three years now. It's a simple habit for me, like brushing my teeth, and it doesn't stress me out at all. I enjoy cooking and eating all kinds of food, and logging hasn't prevented me from enjoying life at all. I honestly would have no problem logging for life, since it's so easy for me - almost like a game rather than a chore. For someone like you, who IS stressed by logging, maybe you should just trying intermittent logging. Do your best to maintain on your own, and when you feel yourself slipping, come back and log again until you've got it under control again. Maybe that could work for you? :flowerforyou:

Whenever I've stopped logging, I've maintained for awhile, but then slowly began regaining. The folks I've known who kept it off super long-term either continued to log or attacked more ambitious fitness goals.

> I became OBSESSED with logging, and EVERYTHING I put into my body, to the point where eating was barely enjoyable

Logging everything is the point, but if you say you were OBSESSED and eating was barely enjoyable, could you perhaps switch to a routine where you simply spend 15 minutes logging before bed as you probably already spend a few minutes each day picking up clothes or doing the dishes?

Could you talk to a counselor why you stopped enjoying eating?

There are other logging tools and systems--weight watchers, portion systems--but if you tend to obsess about food in one system I suspect you would do so in another sooner or later. Talking to a counselor about why you were stressing about the foods rather than simply logging them may help you get past this.

I only count calories, i don't log them here i write them down, I think if it means i will never go back to being in the 300's i can do it the rest of my life, but i don't think i would have to..at this point i know pretty much the amount of calories in everything i eat.

I shifted to maintenance about 3 months ago, and I fully intend to continue logging both my food and my weight for the rest of my life. I have proved to myself that I cannot trust myself to say "enough is enough" -- my body just says "more, more, more".

I weigh everyday and use math to trend the raw data. With this knowledge I *know* that I have gained about 1 pound per month for the past two months. That works out to only 150 extra calories per day, but it is enough to notice on a weight chart. So this month I am cutting back and I *will* lose those 2 pounds without undue stress.

I log still because it doesn't bother me. But if I were going to go without logging I'd go about it in a couple of ways. I'd either a.) set some rules for myself. Like only one dessert item allowed per day. Or must get in 5+ servings of vegetables. Or whatever you think will help you keep calories in check. Or b.) I'd eat intuitively but keep weighing in weekly, and if the scale starts to climb go back to logging for awhile.

I lost 50 pounds about 10 years ago without logging before or after (managed to keep most of it off, and came to MFP and lost more while logging extremely diligently). So it's possible to stop logging--or never log in the first place--but I was just thinking this morning how logging actually makes my life easier anymore. I don't really have to think about anything with MFP doing the calculations/math for me. So I see myself keeping at it indefinitely.

I hate logging with a fiery passion but every time I stop logging I end up gaining weight because it is just way to easy to lose track of what you are eating.

So even though I hate logging I've come to peace with the fact that if I want to maintain my weight I gotta log.

YMMV but that is how its ended up turning out for me.

Lots of people say just writing what you eat down, even if you aren't counting calories, keeps you more accountable because you feel bad if you ate 2 cheesburgers, a jumbo fry and a extra large milk shake.

Eh I dunno...maybe using the paper type of food journal does work for some people and that's great. For me it didn't. I wrote down everything I ate in a paper journal for about 5-6 months prior to joining MFP, and it mostly just helped me justify my diet as being healthy/moderate. For example, a breakfast of cereal, piece of fruit, sandwich for lunch, and tacos for dinner with an iced coffee...that could easily be a 1400 calorie day or a 2700 calorie day depending on your choices (cheesy panini from a restaurant vs homemade sandwich, iced coffee with sweetener & splash of milk vs iced blended mocha, etc). I felt like I was just "proving" how well I ate, especially when there would be at least 3-4 different vegetables in each day's entry. During that time I think I lost 3 lb, and I had 100 lb to lose. I didn't really grasp the concept of calories though because my mind was clouded with people saying fruits & veggies are "free foods" on WW and stuff like that...I needed the black and white numbers in front of me to really get it.

Unfortunately OP I don't have any helpful advice though. Like some others have said, I log every day but don't give it too much power over my thoughts and it's become as natural to me as brushing my teeth or showering...just part of what I do. Honestly after being 307 lb at one point and 175 when I weighed in this morning, I am prepared to do whatever is necessary to stay healthier and leaner, and if that means logging with MFP or future sites, apps, etc...I'll do it.

Logging food on MFP requires less physical exertion than lifting a fork.

You're are doing great if you made it two months without logging and maintained.

I've seen peole on here logging t the end of the day. That way you can see what you did and be mindful the next day..but not obesseed with planning and logging all day.

If MFP still exists, and I can still type, I'm a lifer. I enjoy it and it helps me to be accountable to myself. I don't stress out about it though but I guess I'm obsessed b/c I don't want to go back to weighing 227 lbs.

The vast majority of the time, I prelog my entire day at once. Some days, like today, will be unknown until we arrive at event, but most are not. I log the day as I enjoy my morning coffee!