Weigh & Measure EVERYTHING vs. It's just one day!!!
Options
Replies
-
Yep! Consider for example people who might decide not to eat the various dishes prepared by family during holidays or turn down items specifically because they'll be a pain to log. The math still has to work out but hopefully you don't get so lost in the calorie counting trudgery to the extent that you can't even relax and enjoy an excellent day
I agree with this. Sometimes you just can't be sure how the food was prepared or how many calories are in it. So in that case, "it's just one day/meal" makes sense. You can't get fat in ONE day... but on the other hand... if "It's just one day" happens a lot, then that could be a problem.0 -
I weigh food on holidays even though I know it's going to be more than I typically eat. I like to know how many calories I'm putting into my body. Not only that but I need to count carbs due to being insulin resistant and hypoglycemic. During the holidays, it's even more important for me to track/weigh due to all of the extra treats that are high in carbohydrates.0
-
sheepotato wrote: »
If you are bothering to log your food, log everything as accurately as you can or it's a wasted effort. That includes logging your high calorie 'cheat' days, it's just about inputting accurate information. If your log isn't fully filled in, it's as useless as being empty.
The 'it's just one day, enjoy it' advice is usually directed at the people who still have the all or nothing attitude that makes them feel like if they are not on target everyday that they might as well scrap the whole plan. For it to be a sustainable thing you have to accept that you are not going to have only perfect well balanced meals every single day and never overindulge again.
I agree. I probably have an off-the-rails day once every 10-12 days because I enjoy drinking and socialising, and I track everything. Sometimes it goes over 4,000 calories for the day and I'm on around 1,600 normally. I am really glad I've tracked all my greedy days because I now have the data to prove to myself that going off the rails doesn't seem to interfere much with my weight loss.
Sure, I'd lose faster without the greedy days, but I'm patient and I'm confident that I will be able to handle real life (which will always involve dinner parties, eating out, etc for me) in maintenance without going back to my old ways.
0 -
Out of a purely mathematical perspective, there are three scenarios, weight unchanged, weight lost, and weight gained.
If you even stuff out over a desired time frame so that you do (total energy in) < (total energy out) you should be losing weight.
One can of course discuss in complicated ways these simple phenomenons, but I think I prefer simple. We never eat 1754 kcal or burn 329 kcal when we estimate and log those amounts anyway, so it all evens out.0 -
The weight loss process is a long one for some of us. Sometimes we reach points where we are like, "Enough of this! I need a break!" So, we take one.
If you are committed enough, you can indulge and get back on track without any major harm done.
Everyone has bad days, too. Find anyone who spent a great deal of time working to accomplish something and I promise you: They had bad days. There is no reason to send yourself through a whirlwind of emotions over something that is done and over. That's craziness. Just chalk it up and move on.
Also, assuming one is physically able, losing weight is primarily about wanting to lose weight. People can't buy that desire. We can't talk them into it. They want to undereat or they don't...and whatever they choose, they should be happy with it.
So, yeah, if you want that Key Lime Pie, go eat it. Have a piece for me!
It might not be the responsible, healthiest advice, but it's a long road, lol.0 -
fearlessleader104 wrote: »The correct answer is 12.
What do I win?
Actually, the correct answer is 42.0 -
The weight loss process is a long one for some of us.
...
So, yeah, if you want that Key Lime Pie, go eat it. Have a piece for me!
It might not be the responsible, healthiest advice, but it's a long road, lol.
Out of a physiological perspective it may not be the smartest move, but here on MFP it isn't seldom that I see the mental-health aspect of this journey almost ignored. If something keeps us happy and balanced, how can it be bad for us in the long run? A slice of pie might put such lightness to the steps that no cold and harsh treatment of self could ever achieve.0 -
fearlessleader104 wrote: »The correct answer is 12.
What do I win?
Actually, the correct answer is 42.
0 -
Weigh and measure everything on a daily basis. Splurge on holidays and special occasions (my birthday, thanksgiving and Christmas)0
-
Look, think about it this way. There are healthy and naturally thin people out there who clearly don't think twice about what they consume at a party or on a holiday. And they can do that because their natural eating and exercise habits over time have put them at a comfortable, easy to manage weight. A thin person isn't going to suddenly be overweight because they have three slices of pie and a bottle of wine at their family holiday party. They may feel crappy the next day, but then they will return to the healthy lifestyle that has supported them for years without even thinking about it. Any temporary gain will drop over a few days.
That is really the ultimate goal here. I don't know about anyone else, but I for one sure as hell don't want to be obsessing over calorie counting my whole life. I want to be able to eat intuitively and enjoy special treats and engage in fun healthy exercise without worrying about how I look or the number on the scale. MFP is a means to that end because tracking food can help you learn how much you really need and where you may be accidentally eating too much. Right now I'm not there yet, so MFP helps.
For example, using MFP has given me a good perspective on the actual calorie count of a big meal, so now at a Christmas party I can be more mindful of enjoying myself but not STUFFING myself and getting that uncomfortable, way-too-full feeling because MFP has taught me that means I consumed likely close to a 1000 calories and that is no good!
So the answer, as many folks have said, is really that both are true. On a day to day basis if someone isn't seeing success it is often because they aren't logging everything and are eating a lot more than they realize. But ultimately, if you are doing things right, you should never need to stress about or miss out on a happy occasion, because your overall good eating habits will balance out any temporary gain and your mental state will be a lot better when you can enjoy special times in your life!0 -
There is no perfect ratio. It's going to be different for everybody. The key is the mindset. When "it's just one day" starts being used as an excuse or justification… then it's happening too much.squirrelzzrule22 wrote: »Look, think about it this way. There are healthy and naturally thin people out there who clearly don't think twice about what they consume at a party or on a holiday. And they can do that because their natural eating and exercise habits over time have put them at a comfortable, easy to manage weight. A thin person isn't going to suddenly be overweight because they have three slices of pie and a bottle of wine at their family holiday party. They may feel crappy the next day, but then they will return to the healthy lifestyle that has supported them for years without even thinking about it. Any temporary gain will drop over a few days.
That is really the ultimate goal here. I don't know about anyone else, but I for one sure as hell don't want to be obsessing over calorie counting my whole life. I want to be able to eat intuitively and enjoy special treats and engage in fun healthy exercise without worrying about how I look or the number on the scale. MFP is a means to that end because tracking food can help you learn how much you really need and where you may be accidentally eating too much. Right now I'm not there yet, so MFP helps.
For example, using MFP has given me a good perspective on the actual calorie count of a big meal, so now at a Christmas party I can be more mindful of enjoying myself but not STUFFING myself and getting that uncomfortable, way-too-full feeling because MFP has taught me that means I consumed likely close to a 1000 calories and that is no good!
So the answer, as many folks have said, is really that both are true. On a day to day basis if someone isn't seeing success it is often because they aren't logging everything and are eating a lot more than they realize. But ultimately, if you are doing things right, you should never need to stress about or miss out on a happy occasion, because your overall good eating habits will balance out any temporary gain and your mental state will be a lot better when you can enjoy special times in your life!
And this^^^ 100,000%
0 -
I think it varies per person and what they're comfortable with. Personally, I think that if people decide to "splurge" over the holidays and end up with a pound or so damage, it gives them extra incentive to "get back to it".0
-
Echoing the "its different for everyone" sentiment.
It depends on how much "damage" you can do in that one day. If going all out means you naturally eat 200 calories more than your maintenance, you could get away with it more often than someone who would naturally eat 2000 calories above maintenance when they splurge.
For me, I try to keep it to truly special days (my birthday, dh's birthday, anniversary, easter, halloween, thanksgiving, christmas eve, christmas, and new years eve). So that's 9 days out of the year where I really just don't pay attention to what I eat. There may be a few others that I add in where I'll eat up to maintenance.0 -
I thought the answer was 37.0
-
Some people have a hard time being honest with themselves. For them, I think it is helpful to weigh everything, because they have no opportunity to lie to themselves. But all that matters for weight loss is that calories consumed is less than calories burned over time. People who can do that without weighing their food are better off because there are always situations where they can't weigh their food and they may be unprepared to eat properly. I expect that people who don't weigh their food are less likely to overeat on feast days, but as long as you don't have a feast more than once every few weeks, you can make up for it by eating in moderation the rest of the time.0
-
squirrelzzrule22 wrote: »Look, think about it this way. There are healthy and naturally thin people out there who clearly don't think twice about what they consume at a party or on a holiday. And they can do that because their natural eating and exercise habits over time have put them at a comfortable, easy to manage weight. A thin person isn't going to suddenly be overweight because they have three slices of pie and a bottle of wine at their family holiday party. They may feel crappy the next day, but then they will return to the healthy lifestyle that has supported them for years without even thinking about it. Any temporary gain will drop over a few days.
That is really the ultimate goal here. I don't know about anyone else, but I for one sure as hell don't want to be obsessing over calorie counting my whole life. I want to be able to eat intuitively and enjoy special treats and engage in fun healthy exercise without worrying about how I look or the number on the scale. MFP is a means to that end because tracking food can help you learn how much you really need and where you may be accidentally eating too much. Right now I'm not there yet, so MFP helps.
This is so true. It's not realistic to think you're going to be able to weigh/measure and log everything you eat for all eternity. If you look at this as more of a 'lifestyle change' than a diet, you'll be able to enjoy special occasions without letting it spill over to overall day-to-day poor eating habits.
I lost 5 pounds since Thanksgiving and I've probably had at least 6 occasions where it was impossible to weigh/measure and log. The important thing was that I was able to enjoy every cocktail and every morsel of food I consumed, and got right back on track the next day.
0 -
To actually answer the question if people plan to feast then they can subtract calories from other times like 50-100 calorie drop for a few weeks to make up for your feast. We all plan to feast at least a few times a year.
You could use exercise as a means to burn extra calories for your feast but we all know how much harder it is to exercise calories over just not eating something.0 -
Don't log a couple dinners out of 30 and say you're trying to lose weight and someone will point it out for sure. - BFDeal
I could see this if the person is pleading, "Why, why, why?" For a complete answer one needs a complete diary. If you can live with the plateau and an incomplete answer, go ahead. Skip days.0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.6K Introduce Yourself
- 43.5K Getting Started
- 259.7K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 393 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.3K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 938 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions