logging food entries

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sharonzivi
sharonzivi Posts: 2 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I love the program and have been doing it since April 26...i am tired getting of logging and weighing food. Do we have to consistantly do this to see proper results?

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  • barbecuesauce
    barbecuesauce Posts: 1,779 Member
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    Weight loss is a numbers game. Weighing and logging makes achieving the numbers easier imo. If it's driving you crazy, stop. Just pay attention to what you're eating and get back on here if you start to maintain or gain.
  • LolaKarwowski
    LolaKarwowski Posts: 217 Member
    edited May 2015
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    sharonzivi wrote: »
    I love the program and have been doing it since April 26...i am tired getting of logging and weighing food. Do we have to consistantly do this to see proper results?

    Definitely yes. This is something you have to be committed to. Weighing my foods really doesn't take that much effort. In the mornings I weigh my food, take a picture of the numbers (and food), then when I have time during the day I log everything in. I try to do so in the mornings when I am at work and have 5-10 minutes free that way if I get close to going over I can save a snack for another day.

  • bpetrosky
    bpetrosky Posts: 3,911 Member
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    Maybe cut back on weighing low calorie items that would only be a few calories difference, and just log the higher threshold for that item. For example, if you use a green onion in a meal that is only going to come between 7-15 grams and only 1-3 calories difference, just log it as 15 g and carry that over next time you use it.

    Or with some items like cereal, just weigh to be sure you're under the target weight, and log the target. So your target is 60 g, you actually weigh 58, but you still log the 60 because you're carrying that over day-to-day. You're just saving a little time with recording and data entry.
  • SlimBride2Be
    SlimBride2Be Posts: 315 Member
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    I suggest just carrying on weighing. It's not that much hassle and it keeps you on track. Loosening up your regime just leads to sloppiness which leads to you coming back here and wondering why you aren't losing! Not worth it.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    sharonzivi wrote: »
    I love the program and have been doing it since April 26...i am tired getting of logging and weighing food. Do we have to consistantly do this to see proper results?

    You are tired of logging on a calorie counting site after a month?

    Let me ask this...has it worked so far?
    Do you think you can estimate your foods and portion sizes well enough now, after a month, to maintain a defecit

    Why don't you test yourself ...guess the portion size for the next week and weigh it too...see how out you are, write down both versions

    I still can't stop weighing and logging after a year, 3 months at maintenance, because I still get it wrong
  • Mutant_Toad
    Mutant_Toad Posts: 17 Member
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    I get tired of it sometimes. Lately, I haven't been doing it and I'm still losing slowly. I have a lot to lose though and I'm pregnant. So it's probably a little different for me than it is for you. I know that after the baby if I were to stall in my weightloss, then I would have to tighten up my logging/weighing. The closer I get to my healthy weight, the less calories I have to guess at. So I guess it just depends on your specific situation.
  • shadowfax_c11
    shadowfax_c11 Posts: 1,942 Member
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    There are times when I would love to grab whatever and not stop to weight it out. Then I remember that that is what got me to over 270 pounds and I weigh out my food. I've been doing this for over 50 days. (not counting the week I was doing it without MFP.) I so far am down 20 pounds over all.

    If you want to be successful you have to stick to the program, even when it is hard. No cheating. No letting things slide. No "rewarding" yourself with a big meal. Just do it.

  • bpetrosky
    bpetrosky Posts: 3,911 Member
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    I hope you discuss your dietary plans with your Ob/gyn. It's important that you are getting the nutrition you need for yourself and your child. Now is not the time to take broscience seriously.
  • ncboiler89
    ncboiler89 Posts: 2,408 Member
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    sharonzivi wrote: »
    I love the program and have been doing it since April 26...i am tired getting of logging and weighing food. Do we have to consistantly do this to see proper results?

    No it is not necessary. The only thing that is necessary is eating at a deficit. However many of the people that start a thread bitching about not losing weight have no idea how many calories they are consuming because they aren't weighing or logging their food. Most people are bad guessers as to portion sizes and the number of calories in a food item. Those that are very good at it can get away with not logging.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    You're tired of it after a month? I mean, you can stop, but you probably won't like those results very much.
  • sharonzivi
    sharonzivi Posts: 2 Member
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    shadowfax_c11 wrote: »
    There are times when I would love to grab whatever and not stop to weight it out. Then I remember that that is what got me to over 270 pounds and I weigh out my food. I've been doing this for over 50 days. (not counting the week I was doing it without MFP.) I so far am down 20 pounds over all.

    If you want to be successful you have to stick to the program, even when it is hard. No cheating. No letting things slide. No "rewarding" yourself with a big meal. Just do it.
    Hi there...usually I dont respond to posts, but after reading yours, felt I did need to respond. I dont have much weight to lose and am just trying to slim down a bit. As far as no cheating or no rrewarding yourself, I do not believe in That theory. Good for some people, but not me. In order to stay focused and on track I do understand how important tracking is. For me having a bit to cheat on like ice cream ir chips is the way for me to stay on the program. Just saying having to be so strict with yourself sucks. Its important to enjoy a bit too As long as u can control yourself. May not be the right state of mind for sime people though. But I appreciate your input. Thank u
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    Both are optional, but weighing your food is more optional than logging your food. When you don't log your food, it is very easy to forget that you ate something or to allow yourself to eat mindlessly. Of course, the whole point of MFP is to provide a tool that you can use to log your food and exercise. But as far as losing weight, once you know about how much you need to eat at each meal to lose weight, if you keep eating that much and no more, you'll lose weight.
  • Nicshtik
    Nicshtik Posts: 36 Member
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    At first a weighed my food obsessively, I had to learn what a proper portion was. Now that I know what a single serving of most foods that I eat looks like, and my brain/body is used to the smaller portion sizes I only really weigh food if its something new.

    And logging, meh. It depends. If I am eating the same-old-same-old, I might log once or twice a day to stay caught up. If I am eating out and don't necessarily know the calorie counts/nutritional density of the foods I am eating, I log before I order and use it as a planning tool (ie: bring me a box with the meal because I know that this has to be at least 2 servings).
  • Mutant_Toad
    Mutant_Toad Posts: 17 Member
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    bpetrosky wrote: »
    I hope you discuss your dietary plans with your Ob/gyn. It's important that you are getting the nutrition you need for yourself and your child. Now is not the time to take broscience seriously.

    No one said anything about broscience. My doctor knows perfectly well how I'm managing my nutrition and even encourages me to lose half a pound a week for the first two trimesters. Half a pound a week for me is over 2000 calories a day. I also walk 3-4 times a week for 40-60 minutes and do Pilates twice a week and eat back half my exercise calories. I'm ten, almost eleven, weeks along and have lost five pounds. Meanwhile the baby is growing with a very healthy heart rate. Minor weightloss during pregnancy is okay if the person is as heavy as I am and their doctor okays it. There is no broscience about it.
  • bpetrosky
    bpetrosky Posts: 3,911 Member
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    That sounds good. I was just saying it is best to have your ob/gyn or doctor on board with your dieting plans while pregnant. I've seen women talk about 1200 cal diets and only later state that they're pregnant, but it was ok because they saw it on the internet. You're making informed choices with your doctors' input, which is great.
  • getup25
    getup25 Posts: 119 Member
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    If you use a computer, you can copy a meal from a specific date. You still need to weight and measure the amounts though. When I use my ipad or iPhone I can copy a meal from yesterday. I find this helps. You can also create your own meals so it's easier to copy from day to day.

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