How often do you log meals?

Been on for 5 weeks only and its an obsession. So I log everyday. I log before I eat so that I am not tempted to eat more. I only skip logging if I no idea about calorie content of food. Example, if I eat at a friend's place or at a restaurant. Even then sometimes I log in an equivalent food from the database and overestimate the cals, just in case.

I have logged every single meal for 165 days. I never forget (it is fully a part of my life now because I am very committed). When I say logging is a part of my life it has become like brushing my teeth. I would never skip brushing my teeth, and I would never skip logging.

In the past I would skip logging a few meals, then 1 meal once in a while would turn into a meal a day, then eventually I stopped logging and gained everything back. So for me, I log every single meal I eat. I started skipping because I had in my head "You've gotten good at guessing anyway, so you don't need to log it all" That was way too much of a slippery slope for me.

I log my day in advance. If it's not logged, I don't eat it. If

EVERYDAY
220 days.....havent forgot yet........
Keeps me grounded so I dont forget how hard it was to lose the weight.......and now trying to beat the odds and maintain.

I log my meals every day after the meal is complete, usually. With the access to this app via computer or mobile device, it is pretty easy to do and is less confusing if you do it right away. In addition, if you do it as you go you can get an idea of the direction your macros are going in and adjust later meals to compensate and meet macro goals. In fact, constant logging and tracking is the only way I come close to my macro and calorie goals.

dlanghart wrote: »

I'm curious to know everyone else's experience logging meals. My questions are:

Do you log your meals everyday?
How often do you forget (if you do) to log your meals?
How long have you been logging meals?
What causes you to keep logging or what caused you to stop logging your meals?

Thanks for any insight!!

Yes, I have been logging every day for 124 days.

I try to be completely honest with my log. I don't believe I've ever forgotten an entire meal. However, I've probably missed a few snacks or drinks along the way.

I keep logging food and exercise because it is working. I see the evidence. Logging food motivates me to exercise more because I see those calories expended. It also motivates me to look more deeply into my nutrition and make sure I'm supporting my exercise correctly. It is a challenge for me to hit the protein goal without completely blowing the cholesterol and/or sodium goals.

Knowing I'm going to put everything in my log keeps me accountable. It is easier to walk by the office doughnuts when I tell myself "You're NOT putting that into your log." Crazy? Maybe. Seems like I should be saying "Don't eat that. It's bad." but I'm not there yet.

Another benefit for me is when I'm planning on eating out. If I know where I'm going, I like to look at their website ahead of time and decide what I'm going to order and pre-log it. I make a better decision when I'm not staring at the menu, hungry, and drooling over the deep fried mega burger (or whatever). Knowing I've already committed it in my log makes it easier to stick with that choice in the heat of the moment. Obviously, this is much easier if they have nutritional information on their website.

Once I reach my weight goal, I plan to maintain for a while and keep logging. However, I eventually want to wean myself off the logging routine. I hope to train myself to make better choices and know my limits without having to be so focused on it.

If that doesn't work... then I'll go back to logging.

After every intake.....