Whos Developed bad logging habits over time?

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Spiderkeys
Spiderkeys Posts: 338 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
I no fan of logging but always still do to maintain.

But from years ago when joining, I used to log everything immediately after biting it, weight food, calculate every possible excercise activity, gets food brand descriptions, and logon here and log 7-8 times a daycorrectly, etc. etc.

3 years later, i'm still logging, but now just once a day, usually at midnight if I forget, I start from the most recent meal to waking up that morning, can't bother logging (low calories) veggies anymore, now even barely log my excercise unless it was an really extreme day. And all I take note now is calories comsumed, other info like sodium, Carbs, sugar, no longer interests me.

Anyway everything still working as planned (no gains), but can't stop logging but wonder how bad it can still get...
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Replies

  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
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    If you are able to manage your intake without logging, it's fine to only do it for a general idea of your intake. As long as you aren't gaining you are doing things right. If at one point weight starts creeping back, you know to tighten up your logging. As it stands, don't worry about it.
  • KareninLux
    KareninLux Posts: 1,413 Member
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    I started only about 80 days ago and am halfway through my planned weighloss. At this point I feel like I will need to log everyday for the rest of my life. OP, I hope/hope it is the kind of logging you do. Once a day just as a relaxed monitoring routine. It only take a minute and if it will help keep the weight off then I will be happy to do it.
  • Spiderkeys
    Spiderkeys Posts: 338 Member
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    My weight loss mode only lasted 10 months, rest has been maintaining, despite my increasing inaccurate I still have no plans to stop yet anytime soon.
  • Dnarules
    Dnarules Posts: 2,081 Member
    edited January 2016
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    Well, I assume you are at a good weight and maintaining. If you don't have to log as religiously to maintain, I think that is a good thing. I hope to get there some day.
  • canadjineh
    canadjineh Posts: 5,396 Member
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    I have started to hate logging after 2 yrs of maintenance, but from experience if I don't log my food a couple times a week I tend to sneak in too many carbs combined with my fats ("it's just this little bit, this one time") and my weight creeps up. It really does keep me more accountable, but it's a boring PIA! Especially since I make a lot of different food and have a hard time finding it in the lists, then items drop off my personal most used foods list to add the new stuff. Because really, some of us do cook with bull kelp, pepitas, and nopales (just not in the same recipe, lol)
  • charmmeth
    charmmeth Posts: 936 Member
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    I have decided on a maintenance weight range and have also decided that I will now only log when I hit the top of it and stop when I get back to my last goal weight. I weigh myself every day and also find that I am much more aware of when I am eating too much (mostly when I eat out, which is tricky to log anyway).
  • vivmom2014
    vivmom2014 Posts: 1,647 Member
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    I'm very sporadic with logging now that I am in maintenance. I log exercise calories. I don't ever hit the "complete entry" for the day.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
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    I hate logging. But I am not ready to take the training wheels off yet.. Plus since I am still a "body in transition" and exercise changes every couple of months it is not a good idea not to keep up with my goals in a "guestimate" manner either...

    So I will be here for quite a while longer.
  • blue_eyed_fi
    blue_eyed_fi Posts: 24 Member
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    I was on here for over a year (different username) and found logging great and did it immediately too. Lost over 30 pounds this way. Found that way more accurate than I have been recently. Had decided I could go it alone and left mfp but found I was starting to start bad habits. I was snacking more etc....Rejoined 2 weeks ago and back to logging again. Only want to lose the 5 pounds I gained over Christmas and New year and down a pound already since back to logging. It really does work if done properly only I feel!
  • darlasowders
    darlasowders Posts: 3 Member
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    I'm discovering that logging is necessary for me, but if I could get away with not doing it (without lying to myself), I would.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
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    I terms of logging out my day and use the app, I'm okay. My problem is I take a lot of extra licks and bite now. I definitely didn't do that when I first start this business...though I probably wasn't as good of a logger then either. Meh.
  • Billy323
    Billy323 Posts: 182 Member
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    After my initial loss where I ended up at a weight I was content with I would hop on the scale once a week and adjust my diet as needed. It's only when I no longer cared that I put more weight on. When my mind was it it I would bounce from 215-230 and back down. Most of the time I she all of that weight in a weeks time by doing a boat shed. For me tracking calories cannot work as a long term solution to maintaining so I stuck to the scale.
  • scrittrice
    scrittrice Posts: 345 Member
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    darlasowders wrote: »
    I'm discovering that logging is necessary for me, but if I could get away with not doing it (without lying to myself), I would.

    Same here. It frustrates me so much, but I have portion-size creep after I don't log for a while. Maybe someday.
  • besee_2000
    besee_2000 Posts: 365 Member
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    I lost the good weight in maybe 9 months. I had no goals. In fact I started it because other coworkers were doing it and I was curious. I have been overweight since puberty and figured why not. Lost 15-20lb and was pretty happy. I wanted to hit 100lb but with my clothes I was having hard enough time finding dress pants in my size. So I maintained at 115lb logging 6days a week and having one off day for sanity. Started to workout for more calories and build muscle and I haven't seen that number in over a year. I struggle being as uptight about logging everything other than for macros. Today I'm heavier and pants fit a bit tighter but I feel healthier and for the most part happy with my body. I do know though that I can't go off the charts because I do into "shove everything in my mouth" mode. If I don't track the calories they don't exist. So a lifer here in one way or another.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
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    I log every day as soon as I'm able after eating. When I got sloppy my weight creeps up, even though I very very very rarely have to adjust my eating in response to what I have logged. Only exception is logging after breakfast - I sometimes skip because I eat the same thing most days. So I'm on MFP app or site 3 or 4 times a day.
  • 20yearsyounger
    20yearsyounger Posts: 1,643 Member
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    I can't say bad logging habits but I'm a little looser these days. I'm not as gung-ho measuring the exact second I think about eating something nor do I pull out the food scale to measure every single thing, just meat and alchohol :). This works good for me though. I'm just trying to get an idea of what I am eating so that I don't eat as crazy as I used to. So far working just fine.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    edited January 2016
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    I don't really understand. Are you describing a problem? Do you feel you are logging more than you need? Or do you feel you have gotten too lax about logging? Seems to me the output is allright - you are maintaining your weight, so input - food intake, exercise - is good enough. When logging feels more of an annoyance than a help, it's time to stop.

    I was prepared to log forever - but I stopped preplanning/tracking (counting calories) this summer, after maintaining for 9 months, the last few months on Fitbit, because it suddenly felt boring, time consuming, inaccurate/unreliable, unnecessary, difficult to hit my appetite. I felt that I had learnt everything I needed to know about food choices and portion sizes from calorie/macro counting for 18 months - but I still plan/log (what, not how much) in a spreadsheet, and I weigh certain items, mostly to avoid running out at the wrong time.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    scrittrice wrote: »
    darlasowders wrote: »
    I'm discovering that logging is necessary for me, but if I could get away with not doing it (without lying to myself), I would.

    Same here. It frustrates me so much, but I have portion-size creep after I don't log for a while. Maybe someday.

    Same here. It's too easy to add an extra dollop of this and that when you don't weight it.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
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    Right now I'm on a logging break, week 3 and I hope that I keep on doing as well as I am. I'm still mindful of what I'm eating and mentally tot up my cals...so far so good!
    After being on MFP for almost 4 yrs I just feel that I don't want to keep having to log my food, not when I know what I'm doing.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    The balance between accuracy and sustainablility changed when I got to goal.
    I'm a lazy logger and often go for weeks without logging unless I have some specific goal in mind.
    I find I can maintain without logging but to lose temporary weight gain (holidays, vacations....) then logging helps me get back into my maintenance range.

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