Is Anyone Else Here Not Really Tracking Their Food Seriously?

Hi! I'm a bit like that too, I'll go through periods where I'll track more heavily if I think I need to or am curious about my eating habits.

I am trying to lose weight at the moment, so just being on this site helps me to focus on what I want to achieve

Asher_Ethan wrote: »

I just started logging everything and I'm taking it very seriously. Mostly because the bar graphs are really cool and I like analyzing them.

I do like the graphs

SnuggleSmacks wrote: »

I actually stopped tracking. I found that when I track, I push the numbers. I eat right up to the point of maintenance, and if I exercise, I track that too, and eat back those calories. I end up making it almost like a game to see how much food I can pack in those numbers. I guess it's hard to take too seriously since I don't have much to lose, and I'm lifting and don't want to inhibit muscle growth.

But I find that I'm eating less when I don't track, because I'm paying more attention to my body's signals instead of planning out an entire day's worth of food to maximize my macros and cals. I've actually lost almost 3 pounds this week just from only eating when hungry. I've even included potato chips, Bixby bars and ice cream, and haven't weighed any portions, so I'm pretty proud of myself. I'm going to see if this trend continues.

I'm wondering if that's the case for me, too? Sometimes I see how much others are tracking, and weighing their food as well, and wonder if I should be doing more with it? But I think I'm a bit like you, and maybe that's why it doesn't work as well for me?

I have lost weight the past few weeks. A few years ago, I joined this site weighing less than I do now, with only about 4 kgs to lose, but a few months back, I put on 6kgs more than that, due to a bulging disc and resting on it. I also had other things going on in my life causing stress, that meant I wasn't looking after myself.

Now I'm back on here focusing on things, I've lost some of that weight I had gained, and am much happier for it I eat mostly healthy, exercise lots (til now it's just been cardio because my back wasn't ready for strength at all, but I have eased into doing some strength over the past few weeks) and if I crave something, I have it.

I try to make the best choices for my body, but the cravings are more for my mind; giving into them in small amounts seems to let me keep losing weight and not beat myself up for it.

niknak7743 wrote: »

I stop listening to my body when I track.

I think this might be me as well.

Mech9 wrote: »

But I think that's the point of learning healthy habits: so they actually become habit. I don't think the point is to "calorie count for the rest of your life or else you can't portion your food properly" because then I wouldn't have learned anything useful.

I think that's definitely possible

JiveDoc wrote: »

I think I would go bat---t crazy if I had to log what I ate and thankfully I've never had to. I am trying to regain some pounds I lost when I got sick, but I know how to do that without logging.

I'm just here for the food porn.

Good luck with your weight gain!

inchwormbyinchworm wrote: »

I did not need to track my first year, as I joined a gym and that made a big difference. This year my goal is to run recipes through a calorie counter and learn portions. I had lost about 25 lbs before joining MFP, so that makes about 45 lbs overall in 13 mos.

Great job!