Do you log when you've been "bad"?

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  • ald783
    ald783 Posts: 690 Member
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    Sometimes I'll go back and log as best as I can remember/estimate, other times I just move on to the next day. It's good to hold yourself accountable and all that but I don't always find it beneficial to go back and track every beer or nacho I might have consumed. Some days I know I ate or drank way over my daily goal and I don't consider it a screw up, those days happen, I just don't need a precise calculation of the full extent of the caloric damage.

    There are ways to be accountable without always tracking. But everyone has different ways to go about things.
  • sealightdolphin
    sealightdolphin Posts: 43 Member
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    I log everything. I want to see my patterns of eating, that are healthy and not. I had pizza the other day. I was shocked when I saw how many calories where in it, but I still logged it. That day I worked out for a hour extra to get the calories from it off.
  • Kexessa
    Kexessa Posts: 346 Member
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    Sometimes I log the "overages" and sometimes I don't. The only reason I log is to keep my calories under control. I have zero ability to judge calories on my own. Like this weekend Saturday I had 2 bottles of wine in addition to food, Sunday I had a beautiful T-bone and baked potato, after a breakfast made by my husband. It was a holiday weekend here in the US. I didn't log any of it because I don't care. I wanted to have a good time with my friends and family, not obsessively worry about every calorie I put in my mouth. Yesterday I started logging again like normal and it will stay that way probably until Thanksgiving.
  • JayRuby84
    JayRuby84 Posts: 557 Member
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    I would like to say I log everything, but I don't. I feel ashamed of letting control go and seeing it "on paper". Logically I know I should log everything.
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,931 Member
    edited September 2015
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    I don't any more - It makes me try to make up for it and was leading to unhealthy habits. Knowing the number doesn't change that I ate it... and I'd like to just move on and do better.
  • christymedarismcfarland
    christymedarismcfarland Posts: 6 Member
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    When I went on vacation, I didn't log. I work hard and track 95% of the time. This summer, I had big plans to log everything on our 10 day Hawaiian vacation. But, we were so busy, and I didn't want to stop in the middle of our activities and write in food. I didn't go overboard, but I enjoyed everything about our trip, including food.

    Most always though, I log my daily intake, for better or worse. Reading posts above confirm that it's a good idea. Plus, I love that OVERALL, I'm doing fine. Everyone is going to have a bad day, or a hungry day, or a splurge day. You wouldn't be human if you didn't. Accept it, start fresh the next day, and look back over a few weeks or a month via a report, and you'll see those days here and there are not the normal.
  • lessismoreohio
    lessismoreohio Posts: 910 Member
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    No, I just make corrections the next day and move on. Others log; this is something that each person decides for themselves.
  • CJ_Holmes
    CJ_Holmes Posts: 759 Member
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    Yes, because I want data. When I don't lose, I can look and see that 4 Saturdays in the month at 3000 calories undid my deficit. I hate that feeling of "I'm doing everything right- why aren't I losing?" I'd rather have the whole picture so I can make choices based on accurate info rather than feelings. If you only log days where you are on target, then if you aren't getting results you will look at your journal and be confused about why. Or, you can look and see that a few high calorie days didn't actually get in your way at all, and they will bother you less. A lot of us have shame all tied up in food- I would suggest trying to avoid using words like "good" and "bad" and see if you can untangle some of that for yourself.
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
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    Yes, I log when I'm bad, just to stay in the habit. I have no shame.
  • barbecuesauce
    barbecuesauce Posts: 1,779 Member
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    Yeah. Mostly because I've only been maintaining for a month and I don't know where my level is exactly. I did take off holidays when I was losing, but I don't think I'll skip logging now that I'm in maintenance. It's too easy to forget that you were over your calories and later wonder why you gained a pound or two.
  • griffinca2
    griffinca2 Posts: 672 Member
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    I log regardless; if I over ate (at a night out, etc., I do my best to log how much I ate. Keeps me accountable to myself. Lost the weight I wanted to so use MFP to make sure I stay on track (and the weight sneak back on). B)
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
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    I always log. Always. Sometimes I make a decision to eat what I want, but I still log. And almost always - except maybe Christmas week - I'm still under for the week even though I'm over a day or two. Because my body is smart enough to know that when I've stuffed myself one day, I am probably not hungry the next.
  • alt5057
    alt5057 Posts: 62 Member
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    I typically always log it. But I was at a wedding last weekend where they had a bunch of delicious food - cocktail hour, dinner and desserts - and decided ahead of time that I was going to enjoy the day. I didn't log there because I wasn't going to spend the whole reception on my phone logging one of this, one of that. So I just enjoyed it...knew I would probably be up a little the next few days (from going over my goal and water weight from what I assume is higher sodium than I am typically eating).
  • North44
    North44 Posts: 359 Member
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    Sometimes if I'm just eating small amounts of too many different things I won't log it because it's just too complicated. That doesn't happen too often though.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
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    North44 wrote: »
    Sometimes if I'm just eating small amounts of too many different things I won't log it because it's just too complicated. That doesn't happen too often though.

    Yeah that's when I use quick calories and estimate, lol.
  • spzjlb
    spzjlb Posts: 599 Member
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    christymedarismcfarland wrote: »
    When I went on vacation, I didn't log. I work hard and track 95% of the time. This summer, I had big plans to log everything on our 10 day Hawaiian vacation. But, we were so busy, and I didn't want to stop in the middle of our activities and write in food. I didn't go overboard, but I enjoyed everything about our trip, including food.

    Most always though, I log my daily intake, for better or worse. Reading posts above confirm that it's a good idea. Plus, I love that OVERALL, I'm doing fine. Everyone is going to have a bad day, or a hungry day, or a splurge day. You wouldn't be human if you didn't. Accept it, start fresh the next day, and look back over a few weeks or a month via a report, and you'll see those days here and there are not the normal.

    I am just curious - Did you gain weight during that vacation to Hawaii?
  • goldthistime
    goldthistime Posts: 3,214 Member
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    I used to stop logging on days when I ate a bunch of junk. Too embarrassed for all my MFP friends to witness my indiscretions. But that led to binge thinking..."If I'm not going to continue logging today anyway, I should wolf down some x,y and z that I haven't had in forever". I eventually found that I have to keep my diary private to be completely honest. Constant logging, a lower deficit and small treats have helped me immensely. I haven't had a day that I would consider to be truly "bad" since closing my diary.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    Log it and move on.
  • karyabc
    karyabc Posts: 830 Member
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    goldthistime wrote: »
    I used to stop logging on days when I ate a bunch of junk. Too embarrassed for all my MFP friends to witness my indiscretions. But that led to binge thinking..."If I'm not going to continue logging today anyway, I should wolf down some x,y and z that I haven't had in forever". I eventually found that I have to keep my diary private to be completely honest. Constant logging, a lower deficit and small treats have helped me immensely. I haven't had a day that I would consider to be truly "bad" since closing my diary.

    there you go, we all have to find what works for each! congrats on closing your diary I guess B)
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,897 Member
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    bw_conway wrote: »
    Stay rooted in reality, as painful as reality often is. Denial and playing games with yourself will not improve your life in any way, and this especially applies to your diet. I don't ignore bad eating habits any more than I would ignore bad spending habits - failing to balance your checkbook because you made a few bad buying decisions will not improve your financial standing.

    Well said!

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