Calorie tracking (online) is getting tiresome...
Replies
-
SingingSingleTracker wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »SingingSingleTracker wrote: »Not logging - no matter how good of an accountant one is - is like guessing at how much gas you put in the car. No fuel gauge. No reading on the gas pump of how much you put in. Just blind faith.
Eventually it leads to what the forums are littered with - failed attempts to lose weight and keep it off.
Best of luck with not logging. 5 minutes a day is all it takes - at most.
It is quite possible to learn how to eat without logging...
Yes. Most have been eating for decades without logging. Then they end up on MFP (or another site) wondering how they have gained so much weight. ;-)
Just sayin' my orchestra of small violins are bowing away on the strings playing "cry me a river" for those who think it is such a laborious and tiresome task to spend only 1 - 5 minutes a day keeping tabs.
Routine leads to long term success...
LOL...I haven't logged over 1.5 years...I'm just fine and have had plenty of success. It's not about the logging...it's about adopting a healthful lifestyle to include knowing what and how much to eat as well as regular exercise.
I think so many people miss the boat here and think logging is the "lifestyle"...missing the boat...missing boat.
Also, don't think for a second that logging and keeping a food diary has any higher rate of success than any other "diet" plan...it's all about the same...about 95% of people fail to keep the weight off long term...because they ultimately fail to adopt a healthful lifestyle. Nothing to do with logging or not logging
0 -
It doesn't. As evidenced by the daily return of folks who are "trying again", and "fell off the wagon" etc. etc. etc. What works is making REAL changes. if logging helps folks get there all the better.cwolfman13 wrote: »SingingSingleTracker wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »SingingSingleTracker wrote: »Not logging - no matter how good of an accountant one is - is like guessing at how much gas you put in the car. No fuel gauge. No reading on the gas pump of how much you put in. Just blind faith.
Eventually it leads to what the forums are littered with - failed attempts to lose weight and keep it off.
Best of luck with not logging. 5 minutes a day is all it takes - at most.
It is quite possible to learn how to eat without logging...
Yes. Most have been eating for decades without logging. Then they end up on MFP (or another site) wondering how they have gained so much weight. ;-)
Just sayin' my orchestra of small violins are bowing away on the strings playing "cry me a river" for those who think it is such a laborious and tiresome task to spend only 1 - 5 minutes a day keeping tabs.
Routine leads to long term success...
LOL...I haven't logged over 1.5 years...I'm just fine and have had plenty of success. It's not about the logging...it's about adopting a healthful lifestyle to include knowing what and how much to eat as well as regular exercise.
I think so many people miss the boat here and think logging is the "lifestyle"...missing the boat...missing boat.
Also, don't think for a second that logging and keeping a food diary has any higher rate of success than any other "diet" plan...it's all about the same...about 95% of people fail to keep the weight off long term...because they ultimately fail to adopt a healthful lifestyle. Nothing to do with logging or not logging
But I agree with you that logging isn't the lifestyle, nor the change that actually needs to be made.0 -
brightsideofpink wrote: »A break from logging here and there has been a good thing for me at least. When others talk of "cheat days" I look forward to non-logging days, maybe 1-2x per month. I don't stuff myself silly, I don't skip an exercise routine, but I may eat a meal at a restaurant and not stress trying to figure out if the steak was 4 oz or 6 or if my green beans were cooked in butter or steamed.
And your non-logging days are GREAT practice for the future. Where as their "cheat days" I believe aren't.0 -
But you do have a gauge - hunger! It's a good gauge!SingingSingleTracker wrote: »Not logging - no matter how good of an accountant one is - is like guessing at how much gas you put in the car. No fuel gauge. No reading on the gas pump of how much you put in. Just blind faith.
Eventually it leads to what the forums are littered with - failed attempts to lose weight and keep it off.
Best of luck with not logging. 5 minutes a day is all it takes - at most.
There are going to be some people who cannot lose weight or maintain weight without obsessive calorie counting, but don't kid yourself: Most thin people in the world do not require an app to log every bite of food.
It isn't necessary. It isn't required. Many people lose weight without it and most thin people remain thin without it,
0 -
Logging is just ONE of the tools that gets "us" thinking about portion control... once you have that down... it becomes about thinking of food as fuel. This is a lifestyle change tool... NOT a short term, "fix" it isn't duct tape...SO... if you are closing in on the long term goals.. time to re-evaluate and set some more goals.. IF you can achieve this... WHAT else is out there for you to conquer???0
-
This content has been removed.
-
you're tired logging after 3 1/2 months? I don't think logging food is that big a deal, I've been doing it for 2 1/2 yrs, granted I get the odd day when I just can't be bothered and when I feel like that I don't. But I'm also not wanting to gain back the weight I lost so logging keeps me accountable to myself and when I see the scale fluctuate I KNOW its not because of how much I'm eating, its because of other reasons.
Maybe take a break for a week and you'll come back with renewed vigour ready to log again...or maybe you're one of the lucky ones who wont need to log? just keep an eye on your weight and you'll know
0 -
Last night was a busy night. Didn't feel like cooking so I said f-it let's get McDonald's since I haven't had fast food in a while. I was hungry literally an hour later even though I had a double quarter pounder, fries, and half my wife's chicken sandwich the hour before. Relying on how hungry you are probably does work well if you're eating steamed chicken, broccoli, and fresh fruit almost exclusively. To eat more flexibly it isn't always reliable.But you do have a gauge - hunger! It's a good gauge!
BINGO. Which is why many of us suggest limiting the heavily refined convenience foods. 0 -
OP, I understand - most weekend I cannot find time to come in and log. I have been trying to use the recipe builder here on MFP - but I do customize everything so much nearly every meal it would be a pain to truly log every single thing.
I've recorded the common foods in my own diary so i don't have to use the search tool. I've also done some common meals - ones that won't change. I just added my recipe for giant meatballs - but i left off the pasta because I don't always have them with pasta. So, there are some convenient ways to help. I almost never record spices though; because those depend on my mood for the day and varies.0 -
I'm in a good groove, and for the most part I know that I'm staying in my goal calories every day (and +/- my misses are not something I care about).
I have to say that it's easier to eat right, exercise and get good sleep than to login every day and lookup complicated meals that I either make at home or request at a restaurant (give me as much vegetables as you can and just "this" much chicken, salmon...).
I've been doing this for 3.5 months now - and I'm definitely on-track to all my goals, but the more comfortable I am with doing calorie calculations in my head, the more work it is to log it here.
It's been a great education - so I don't regret doing it for as long as I have - but sometimes I just want to eat the same thing just so I don't have to add another "meal" into the system.
The plus side is that I've got likely only 3 more months to go - including a month of plateauing. I should be hitting my goal weight around the end of January and crossing the century mark (100 pounds lost) between New Year's and the Super Bowl. I wanted to hit 100 pounds lost in 6 months - but I'm trending closer to 95 - and I am not going to cut any more calories or add any more exercise just to hit a speculative number.
Good luck to you in reaching your goal!
If you don't log your food and it works for you that is great. If you find that you stop losing you can always start logging your food again. Not a big deal.
I'm not sure I will be ready to stop logging my food until I am at or very near my goal weight. I may not stop then. I've been trying to lose weight for years and thought I was eating okay so didn't need to log for a long time. I didn't lose weight with that method. I didn't gain either. So I'm back to logging food and losing weight again.0 -
grandmothercharlie wrote: »As said time and again on this site, do what works for you. Me? I'm logging.
Spot on!
I know that if I don't log I gain weight. The best I achieved before calorie counting was zig-zagging between chubby and fat.
That doesn't mean everyone has to log forever. It's probably a great educational tool for everyone to log for a while though, takes away all those excuses and reveals a lot about portion sizes.
Logging is a tool that isn't needed at all by some, needed for a while by others and needed all the time by some.
BTW - logging doesn't mean I have to stick rigidly to daily or weekly goals. I eat for enjoyment as well as nutrition!
0 -
Then don't log. I have just started losing and I find logging too cumbersome. I just look up foods I'm not sure of, but I rarely log a full day or even a full meal.
I know how many calories are in a tablespoon of oil, for example. And approximately how many are in a carrot or an apple or a cup of kale or chicken. Logging it isn't going to change that.0 -
I definitely don't trust myself. I have fallen off the wagon too many times lol0
-
I wish I could trust my body. Unfortunately, I have a hard time distinguishing between "hungry" and "want more" which may feel the same, but are NOT!0
-
Your logging is sporadic already so don't log. But the bigger issue is why is a 47 year old male eating less than 1000 calories a day and trying to lose 100 calories in 6 months???0
-
I think so many people miss the boat here and think logging is the "lifestyle"...missing the boat...missing boat.
Also, don't think for a second that logging and keeping a food diary has any higher rate of success than any other "diet" plan...it's all about the same...about 95% of people fail to keep the weight off long term...because they ultimately fail to adopt a healthful lifestyle. Nothing to do with logging or not logging
Oh my goodness, I so agree with this!!0 -
We are all on our own path, discovering what works for you is the process. Goals are important, but remember how you got there. Best of luck on your journey!0
-
+1 me tooNeed2Exerc1se wrote: »I think so many people miss the boat here and think logging is the "lifestyle"...missing the boat...missing boat.
Also, don't think for a second that logging and keeping a food diary has any higher rate of success than any other "diet" plan...it's all about the same...about 95% of people fail to keep the weight off long term...because they ultimately fail to adopt a healthful lifestyle. Nothing to do with logging or not logging
Oh my goodness, I so agree with this!!
0 -
Good point! This was my first thought as well...then got sidetracked by the other guy.GiveMeCoffee wrote: »Your logging is sporadic already so don't log. But the bigger issue is why is a 47 year old male eating less than 1000 calories a day and trying to lose 100 calories in 6 months???
0 -
Last night was a busy night. Didn't feel like cooking so I said f-it let's get McDonald's since I haven't had fast food in a while. I was hungry literally an hour later even though I had a double quarter pounder, fries, and half my wife's chicken sandwich the hour before. Relying on how hungry you are probably does work well if you're eating steamed chicken, broccoli, and fresh fruit almost exclusively. To eat more flexibly it isn't always reliable.But you do have a gauge - hunger! It's a good gauge!
But you have other skills and tools to help you distinguish actual hunger from feeling like eating more food. Common sense probably told you that an hour after McDonalds wasn't really the time for another meal.
I'm not arguing that it's hard to learn to moderate your intake well without logging, especially while eating 'junk food'. Just that it's a skill like any other and I think most of us were born knowing how and can re-learn it with some diligence and practice and 'rules' for ourselves. Those rules might be 'no snacking between meals' or 'vegan til dinner' or 'south beach diet' or IF or all kinds of things that help us lower our intake without logging.
Though if you prefer logging, that's ok, too. It's just not the only way.
0 -
Last night was a busy night. Didn't feel like cooking so I said f-it let's get McDonald's since I haven't had fast food in a while. I was hungry literally an hour later even though I had a double quarter pounder, fries, and half my wife's chicken sandwich the hour before. Relying on how hungry you are probably does work well if you're eating steamed chicken, broccoli, and fresh fruit almost exclusively. To eat more flexibly it isn't always reliable.
I'm very glad you made this post.
Intuitive eating without calorie counting is far, far easier to pull off if the majority of your diet consists of nutritionally dense, mid-to-low calorie foods that have more volume and bulk. This is why many people lose on a vegan based diet without calorie counting, while eating to satiation.
I am not a calorie counter. But I would have to be a calorie counter if I consumed daily a more standard diet. From my experience I can eat two cans of tuna fish, with a little olive oil or mayo, and a cup of cooked spinach and not be able to finish it in one sitting and be stuffed for many hours.
Yet eat two to three times as many calories in Wendy's, for less food and be craving (which is different than hunger) food a couple hours later.
If there are folks out there who lost, or maintain, without counting calories but subsist on a standard western diet, content and meal timing wise, while doing so, more power to you. I'm not sure I could and frankly it sounds miserable to me, so I wouldn't want to try.0 -
I think that most people who are on MFP are here because the standard methods of trusting our instincts haven't worked for us.
Sure, millions of people in the world don't count calories and don't gain weight. But we wouldn't be here if we were them.
For me, my downfall was snacking. I would eat relatively healthy, moderately-sized meals, or, more often, not enough healthy food. Then I'd snack in the evening and consume an entire chocolate bar or an entire bag of cookies in one sitting. Yes, really. And not just occasionally, either -- somewhat regularly. I don't have a mental off switch when it comes to sweets. And since cookies and brownies are calorie-dense but not filling, I could keep eating lots of them without ever feeling full.
So logging and tracking is useful for me because it helps me curb that bad habit that got me here in the first place. That's not everyone. YMMV. But that's me.0 -
Last night was a busy night. Didn't feel like cooking so I said f-it let's get McDonald's since I haven't had fast food in a while. I was hungry literally an hour later even though I had a double quarter pounder, fries, and half my wife's chicken sandwich the hour before. Relying on how hungry you are probably does work well if you're eating steamed chicken, broccoli, and fresh fruit almost exclusively. To eat more flexibly it isn't always reliable.But you do have a gauge - hunger! It's a good gauge!
Yes. This!!!
0 -
I think that most people who are on MFP are here because the standard methods of trusting our instincts haven't worked for us.
Sure, millions of people in the world don't count calories and don't gain weight. But we wouldn't be here if we were them.
For me, my downfall was snacking. I would eat relatively healthy, moderately-sized meals, or, more often, not enough healthy food. Then I'd snack in the evening and consume an entire chocolate bar or an entire bag of cookies in one sitting. Yes, really. And not just occasionally, either -- somewhat regularly. I don't have a mental off switch when it comes to sweets. And since cookies and brownies are calorie-dense but not filling, I could keep eating lots of them without ever feeling full.
So logging and tracking is useful for me because it helps me curb that bad habit that got me here in the first place. That's not everyone. YMMV. But that's me.
This too! Logging helps me enjoy a small treat without going overboard. As many above have said, and rightfully so, if you make healthy choices, and don't eat treats or fast/convenience foods, then you can listen to your body. Unfortunately I sometimes find myself in situations where I am not making the calls (going with my sons' team to a restaurant or eating at a dinner party, etc) and sometimes I just want the treat/non healthy food. Logging gives me the flexibility I want and the accountability I have to have.
0 -
I am also tired of logging, but for me, not logging will eventually lead to a gain and I am also tired of that last 20 pounds and losing the same 5 pounds over and over.
Instead of logging here, you could keep to healthy portions and keep a small notebook by your couch. Then every evening, write down what you ate that day. You would have a record of what you had if you want to review in case of a nice loss or a gain. The problem with this would be remembering that cookie, bit of candy or extra latte. One or two of these won't make a difference, a couple most days might.0 -
Everyone has their reasons for being here and the tools that this site provides.
Logging to me is a chore - but given how low I am maintaining my calories, and that my progress is being documented for a potential paper on weight loss - I have committed to doing it until I am done.
I lived 43 years without being fat or having to log my food. I gained weight because my body/brain chemistry got messed up and my appetite must have somewhat spiked, and my body was converting testosterone into estrogen.
I know what I am eating, and since my diet is so basic in food content, I'm not worried about going over (and certainly not going under) when I don't log. But given that many of my meals are combination of mixed vegetable sides with a small portion of protein, it's not as easy to log as going to XYZ and getting something that's already in the database.
Once I finish my maintenance plateau (post goal weight stabilization), I'm done with the calorie logging. I love my fitbit, and I know how to eat healthy at home, restaurants and even fast food (which is possible, though limited).
I also am at peace with my very very low metabolism, and know that my body doesn't need much in terms of calories. I have a fitness routine I can maintain for the rest of my life, and the only thing I don't yet know is what is the calories I can eat to maintain a certain weight once I've decided to stop losing weight.
That will be a critical log period because there needs to be at least a month or more of monitoring to see what is the correct intake given a consistent caloric output.
I'm not worried about rebounding. I've only been fat for 5 years, have completed marathons and accomplish pretty much anything I can put my mind to. Gaining the weight was frustrating - but part of the side effects of the medication and my illness was listlessness and a certain degree of acceptance.
As I said, there is possibly a book/paper being written about my journey - from my perspective and more importantly the medical issues that are best covered by a doctor / dietician.0 -
Then I'd snack in the evening and consume an entire chocolate bar or an entire bag of cookies in one sitting. Yes, really. And not just occasionally, either -- somewhat regularly. I don't have a mental off switch when it comes to sweets. And since cookies and brownies are calorie-dense but not filling, I could keep eating lots of them without ever feeling full.
So logging and tracking is useful for me because it helps me curb that bad habit that got me here in the first place.
This is me, except I don't say I am void of the switch, it's just certain sweets make it so much easier to not use that switch. And I also stopped qualifying it as a "bad" habit, and instead embrace it fully.
Which is why logging/tracking isn't palatable to me. If I'm going to have some cookies, or ice cream, or cake that I enjoy, I'm going to eat it until I'm content. If I took a moderation approach, using logging to allow small servings of those foods, it would feel even more restrictive, and difficult to manage, than just not having it at all.
I think that's a cruel difference between those who find freedom in logging in order to have a little of those treats more regularly, and those who find having just teases of the foods we tend to over consume to be more burdensome. It's awesome that there are different approaches that can work for us all.0 -
Iwishyouwell wrote: »It's awesome that there are different approaches that can work for us all.
Yep. If it's working for you, that's the most important thing. We're all different.0 -
I may not always log in the future, but I will always weigh. When they bury me, they'll have to stick my scale in there with me. I figure I can get a pretty solid handle on how many calories a portion of food has and make a quick rough calculation, but my eyes will always be bigger than my maintenance calories.0
-
\\Iwishyouwell wrote: »It's awesome that there are different approaches that can work for us all.
Yep. If it's working for you, that's the most important thing. We're all different.
Why can't they replace the flag with a like button?
0
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.6K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.3K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.5K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 431 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.6K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.8K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions