Tired of diet and tracking macros

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kianrashidi123
kianrashidi123 Posts: 39 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am sick of tracking macros on MFP for the past couple of months! Its actually really frustrating... I feel like im getting addicted to logging in every hour or so. As bad as that sounds lol
Anyone has any suggestion what to do?

Replies

  • robertw486
    robertw486 Posts: 2,390 Member
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    Try just using your body scale and quit tracking. Unless you have a really specific goal, most diets have a decent bit of flexibility in the macros, and since weight fluctuates some anyway, it's not as if exact intake ensures exact results.

    If logging is too much hassle, quit logging. I'm thinking about doing it myself, and just here and there using the app to do the math on macros for portion sizes so I can make sure I'm hitting minimums for protein and such for recovery.
  • bobkat80
    bobkat80 Posts: 347 Member
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    I've found that if I plan ahead by putting the next day's meals in the night before I do better at meeting my calorie goal and my macros. That way I can move things around and add or subtract as needed before I start eating anything. Then you only need to go into your food diary at meal times to see what is next to eat and to tweak the amounts as needed.

    Don't quit logging, that's not the answer. When I stopped logging I went back to old bad habits.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    Plan the day before. The only thing you need to pay attention to are
    1 calories
    2 protein.
  • kianrashidi123
    kianrashidi123 Posts: 39 Member
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    robertw486 wrote: »
    Try just using your body scale and quit tracking. Unless you have a really specific goal, most diets have a decent bit of flexibility in the macros, and since weight fluctuates some anyway, it's not as if exact intake ensures exact results.

    If logging is too much hassle, quit logging. I'm thinking about doing it myself, and just here and there using the app to do the math on macros for portion sizes so I can make sure I'm hitting minimums for protein and such for recovery.

    You are right. I think im just going to make sure i get enough protein
  • kianrashidi123
    kianrashidi123 Posts: 39 Member
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    bobkat80 wrote: »
    I've found that if I plan ahead by putting the next day's meals in the night before I do better at meeting my calorie goal and my macros. That way I can move things around and add or subtract as needed before I start eating anything. Then you only need to go into your food diary at meal times to see what is next to eat and to tweak the amounts as needed.

    Don't quit logging, that's not the answer. When I stopped logging I went back to old bad habits.


    Yes but its a bit difficult for me as im not 100 % certain that i can eat the specific food the next day
  • tomteboda
    tomteboda Posts: 2,171 Member
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    There's a lot of obsession on this website with getting TONS of protein, far more than the USDA or most actual nutrition scientists recommend. If its a major hassle, just eat a generally balanced diet and you'll probably do fine.
  • Duchy82
    Duchy82 Posts: 560 Member
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    Take a logging break, attempt to continue eating the way you have been, i.e. keep all the good habits you have built. Monitor the scale if it's going the wrong way start logging again. I take logging breaks because of the same reasons and just go back to logging after a month or so.
  • pstegman888
    pstegman888 Posts: 286 Member
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    I keep a casual eye on my macros, and as another poster mentioned, if you just shoot for the protein, everything else falls into place. However, sometimes I have a carb-heavy day due to cravings or schedule, and instead of trying to balance everything out on the same day, I simply make the next day a high-protein day. By the end of the week, I'm pretty well in balance without obsessing about it. It's not a science experiment, it's real life; nothing has to be exact. Relax! Just concentrate on logging for a while and don't worry about macros, or look at the weekly tally instead of daily.
  • crb426
    crb426 Posts: 657 Member
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    You could try going a week or so where you don't track. By now you should have a good idea of what to eat. You know what has protein and what's low in calories. You should even have a good idea of how much you should eat and when. Consider it a test for your future, see if you've "studied" enough to pass. I mean, eventually you want to stop tracking, right?

    You could still pay attention to the scale, so you're not completely alone. But why not try it out?
  • shadowfax_c11
    shadowfax_c11 Posts: 1,942 Member
    edited January 2016
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    I really only worry about the calories. I look at macros but I don't obsess over them. Yes I do think about food and logging a lot. But then again when I wasn't losing weight I also thought about food a lot. I'd rather be thinking about it the way I am not instead of the way I used to.
  • IdLikeToLoseItLoseIt
    IdLikeToLoseItLoseIt Posts: 695 Member
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    I don't pay attention to macros at all and so far it's working for me. If I'm in a deficit, I lose weight. You have to find something that is sustainable for life. If you're making yourself miserable, it's not going to work long term. What works for one person may not be right for you, so find a way to make it enjoyable - FOR YOU.
  • chastity0921
    chastity0921 Posts: 209 Member
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    tomteboda wrote: »
    There's a lot of obsession on this website with getting TONS of protein, far more than the USDA or most actual nutrition scientists recommend. If its a major hassle, just eat a generally balanced diet and you'll probably do fine.

    @tomteboda Right?! Recommended is 0.8 g/kg body weight (AND). Or 1.2-1.7 g/kg if you are doing a rigorous program and trying to gain muscle, according to ACSM. I have seen people saying 1 g/lb on here.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    Try a different approach for a while?
  • robertw486
    robertw486 Posts: 2,390 Member
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    tomteboda wrote: »
    There's a lot of obsession on this website with getting TONS of protein, far more than the USDA or most actual nutrition scientists recommend. If its a major hassle, just eat a generally balanced diet and you'll probably do fine.

    Though I have no issue with people that choose higher levels, it just seems rather excessive to me. And often stated as absolutes when in fact for most of us there is probably a really wide range that will work. I did most of my muscle building on what many here would consider the very low side of protein intake.

    I'm all for people doing what works for them. And despite that, it seems that at times people can get offended if someone offers something that isn't the (assumed) community norm.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    Yes, just take a break from logging. Most people eat the same or similar foods over and over. My guess is that you'll find that you can easily put together your meals/portions and maintain a good eating pattern without actually counting up each gram.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    jemhh wrote: »
    Yes, just take a break from logging. Most people eat the same or similar foods over and over. My guess is that you'll find that you can easily put together your meals/portions and maintain a good eating pattern without actually counting up each gram.

    I've been on a "break" since July, and I'm maintaining well doing just that :D
    Consistency over accuracy :)

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