I feel compelled to log everything. Does anyone have "logging fatigue"?

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  • Rocknut53
    Rocknut53 Posts: 1,794 Member
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    I quit logging for 3 years and here I am again many pounds heavier than when I quit. I hope I can stick with this time...I'm too damn old to keep doing the yo yo dance.
  • jelenacrnic
    jelenacrnic Posts: 15 Member
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    vrojapu wrote: »
    Logging is the only thing that helps me self-regulate, so I plan to do it long-term. I pre-log and then do a quick check through at the end of the day to clean up the info (add what else I ate and remove what I didn't), so I've cut down the time I spend doing it to a minimum.

    But more than even self-regulation, I think that for me it's a healthy habit because if I pre-log, I stay aware when I stray from the planned food intake and try to minimize it, which I wouldn't otherwise.

    Me too :)
  • brenn24179
    brenn24179 Posts: 2,144 Member
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    I hate it also but I hate being fat more so I log, such an inconvenience, those dirn skinny people don't have to do it!but it is what it is
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    joey4014 wrote: »
    That's not a bad thing: it's the best way to be accountable. I log mine in the morning for the day and do my best to follow it. Logging backwards doesn't work for me.

    Same here. I don't understand people logging after they've eaten it. I'd imagine they'd get a few nasty surprises doing it that way..
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    I've been maintaining for going on three years this spring and haven't logged a thing. Here's the thing, you know from logging what is appropriate for you...so it is irrational to think you will gain weight if you keep up with what is appropriate for you both in regards to food and exercise.

    I'm still very mindful of what I'm doing and I've maintained the healthy habits I developed while losing and have had no issue. I weigh in regularly and keep an eye on the trend...if I notice that it's creeping up, I simply take a look at what I'm doing and cut back a little or increase exercise a little or both.

    I plan to live a good 40-50 years longer and realistically, there's no way in hell I was going to log forever...so I made up my mind to just go with what I know and keep up with the good livin'...so far, no biggie.

    Honestly... it really depends. Some people can get away without logging because they eat the same way most of the time, other can't. I'd say it's harder for women too as appetite can vary depending on the time of the month (mine surely does). And it's probably much easier to maintain without logging for very active people too. Guessing people who don't have much of a sweet tooth probably have an easier time too...

  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    edited January 2016
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    Francl27 wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    I've been maintaining for going on three years this spring and haven't logged a thing. Here's the thing, you know from logging what is appropriate for you...so it is irrational to think you will gain weight if you keep up with what is appropriate for you both in regards to food and exercise.

    I'm still very mindful of what I'm doing and I've maintained the healthy habits I developed while losing and have had no issue. I weigh in regularly and keep an eye on the trend...if I notice that it's creeping up, I simply take a look at what I'm doing and cut back a little or increase exercise a little or both.

    I plan to live a good 40-50 years longer and realistically, there's no way in hell I was going to log forever...so I made up my mind to just go with what I know and keep up with the good livin'...so far, no biggie.

    Honestly... it really depends. Some people can get away without logging because they eat the same way most of the time, other can't. I'd say it's harder for women too as appetite can vary depending on the time of the month (mine surely does). And it's probably much easier to maintain without logging for very active people too. Guessing people who don't have much of a sweet tooth probably have an easier time too...

    It surely depends, I think so - I have come to some of the same revelations, while some of your arguments can be used for the opposite opinion. I have a greedy desire for sweets, but I don't eat it very often; it's much easier for me to control intake of ordinary food, and I feel I have a larger margin of error than I would have had if I had eaten sweets regularly, even if I could have just a moderate amount. I don't eat the same things every day, but I eat much in the same way from day to day, I really like that (no more mini-starvation-binge cycles). I have never noticed any difference in appetite or even mood through my cycle. I am sedentary, that means I don't have to adjust intake from exercise days to rest days.
  • KareninLux
    KareninLux Posts: 1,413 Member
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    Interesting thread. Still losing so can't really contribute yet.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,871 Member
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    Francl27 wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    I've been maintaining for going on three years this spring and haven't logged a thing. Here's the thing, you know from logging what is appropriate for you...so it is irrational to think you will gain weight if you keep up with what is appropriate for you both in regards to food and exercise.

    I'm still very mindful of what I'm doing and I've maintained the healthy habits I developed while losing and have had no issue. I weigh in regularly and keep an eye on the trend...if I notice that it's creeping up, I simply take a look at what I'm doing and cut back a little or increase exercise a little or both.

    I plan to live a good 40-50 years longer and realistically, there's no way in hell I was going to log forever...so I made up my mind to just go with what I know and keep up with the good livin'...so far, no biggie.

    Honestly... it really depends. Some people can get away without logging because they eat the same way most of the time, other can't. I'd say it's harder for women too as appetite can vary depending on the time of the month (mine surely does). And it's probably much easier to maintain without logging for very active people too. Guessing people who don't have much of a sweet tooth probably have an easier time too...

    The same things or the same way? I don't eat the same things day in and day out, but I'm all about good livin' so my diet at large is very healthful...that's the key...there has to be a new "normal"...you can't go back to anything resembling the SAD and expect to maintain a healthy weight...the SAD isn't good livin' and maintaining a healthy weight is a bi-product of good livin'. IMO, people who really struggle do so because they fail to actually adopt a healthier lifestyle in general...which includes regular physical activity.

    That's not to say I don't have indulgences...we have pizza night out every few weeks and we usually have weekly outings with the kids for which we may or may not have the healthiest of meals...but it's also only one meal. Last night I took the boys to see monster trucks and I ate a big fat hot dog and polished off their fake nachos...not healthy in the least, but it's pretty irrelevant to the way I live most of the time.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
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    I've been logging several years and I like it. There are times I get tired of it, but then I back off the forums and just keep plugging. Other times I am more into it.

    At this point I could probably stop and maintain, but I find it a very useful tool and it takes about as much time as brushing my teeth.
  • Lynzdee18
    Lynzdee18 Posts: 500 Member
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    Francl27 wrote: »
    Yes but for me it's totally worth the inconvenience. When I'm too lazy I just do quick calories though.

    I agree with Francis. I behave when I am more aware. When I do the quick calories I try to make sure to over rather than under estimate. Logging makes me feel in control in a part of my life where I had lost control for most of my years....
  • cthakkar1985
    cthakkar1985 Posts: 137 Member
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    I went through the same dilemma and here's my conclusion. Let's say you're at your goal weight and you stop logging. Now, let's say over the course of a month you end up gaining 3 pounds or so because you ended up eating more than you thought because of "eyeballing" your caloric intake. It's going to take 3 weeks of strict dieting in a caloric deficit and exercise to lose that 3 pounds. Would you rather do that or spend 10 minutes/day logging your food? Also, for long-term health reasons, I like to know what I'm putting in my body and make sure I'm getting the right nutrients. I reached my goal weight, stopped logging and gained ~30lbs. I think I'll be a lifetime logger.
  • mamadon
    mamadon Posts: 1,422 Member
    edited January 2016
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    I have logged my meals every day for over three years. I know I will start to regain if I don't. Totally worth it. I pre log except for the weekends.
  • Jetta1492
    Jetta1492 Posts: 47 Member
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    Back in Dec 2013, I hit my goal weight and had lost about 35 pounds. After hitting my goal weight, I stopped logging. The weight slowly returned. I am now back to my previous weight. I have logged my food on and off for years, every time that I stop, I gain weight again. I am back to logging everything that I eat. From now on I am going to make a lifestyle change, that includes logging all the time, even after reaching my goal weight. It has become so easy to log food. I remember, back in college, writing down everything that I ate in a notebook and manually calculating the day's totals. Now that it is much easier, there is no reason not to keep track.
  • motterotter
    motterotter Posts: 701 Member
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    Omg yes logging fatigue is a real thing thank you for saying what I was thinking
  • FatMoojor
    FatMoojor Posts: 483 Member
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    Logging fits perfectly in my way of life so I doubt it will ever become a chore for me. I normally batch cook up lunches for the week and eat the same thing for 5 days at work.
    We plan out our dinners for the whole week, so I know what I'm having each night and generally breakfast is the same on week days but a bit different on the weekend.
    The phone app finds recent foods really quickly and it normally takes me 10 minutes of an evening, when I'm watching TV with the wife to prelog my whole next day.
    I then know my "free" calories which I normally use on biscuits in the office, which again takes a few minutes to log.
    I found it a lot harder at the start where I had to spend ages finding entries which matched the numbers on the packets of lentils or spagetti etc.
    But now it's all in my history it's easy to find.
  • BenOsen3
    BenOsen3 Posts: 121 Member
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    I'm trying but I find logging tedious. I'm good for 3-4 days and then end up skipping a day.....
  • joaniegray
    joaniegray Posts: 88 Member
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    I've maintained a 35 pound weight loss for 3 years and logging is the best way for me. Like many, I have gained my usual 5 pounds over Christmas but with logging I will lose that (so easy to gain and so hard to lose). However, I log on my own excel chart using the weight watchers points as I only have to count to 26, so much easier than all those calories! I can copy paste a lot and it's very easy for me to "chart'. I also weigh in weekly with a group (not weight watchers, only did them for a year as too expensive for me.)
    Charting and weighing in with a group - for me, seems the only way. Also I enjoy the charting of the fruits and veggies, keeps me aware as it is so easy to forget to eat as many as I should per day.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
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    I take notions, like currently I'm having a logging break, this is week 4 and I'm doing ok. I lack confidence in my ability to stop logging totally but hopefully over time that will come. I've been maintaining my goal range for almost 3 yrs.
  • Ibeachlover
    Ibeachlover Posts: 66 Member
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    I hit the logging fatigue very early on, and have stopped. While I do see the advantage of tracking, I just can't / don't want to spend the time doing it. For one, I think the exercise part, for me, is a waste of time as I have it all in my head and know what to do. Also, not sure the tool calculates calories spent correctly for aerobic exercise, too high..thoughts? As far as food logging, it is helpful, but again, I know what to do, and I personally don't find spending time logging as a tool to keep me in-line. I do find this site useful for getting information and inspiration from others...seeing what can be done.
  • dubird
    dubird Posts: 1,849 Member
    edited January 2016
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    Christine_72 wrote: »
    joey4014 wrote: »
    That's not a bad thing: it's the best way to be accountable. I log mine in the morning for the day and do my best to follow it. Logging backwards doesn't work for me.

    Same here. I don't understand people logging after they've eaten it. I'd imagine they'd get a few nasty surprises doing it that way..

    Yeah, sometimes there are, but it's easier for me to log as I go rather than pre-log. What if I logged a specific chicken dish, but my husband and I crave beef instead? I'd have to go in a change my entry and research what meals I could put together that would be the same calories, etc. It's much easier for me to have a calorie limit for a specific meal and go from there. If I go over, I go over. I learn what foods made me go over, log it, and move on. It doesn't happen nearly as often as it used to, but as long as those types of meals are infrequent, no harm done.
    Ibeachlover wrote: »
    I hit the logging fatigue very early on, and have stopped. While I do see the advantage of tracking, I just can't / don't want to spend the time doing it. For one, I think the exercise part, for me, is a waste of time as I have it all in my head and know what to do. Also, not sure the tool calculates calories spent correctly for aerobic exercise, too high..thoughts? As far as food logging, it is helpful, but again, I know what to do, and I personally don't find spending time logging as a tool to keep me in-line. I do find this site useful for getting information and inspiration from others...seeing what can be done.

    General advice is not to use MFP for calculating calories burned from exercise because you're right, it's off. If you do, only eat back about half of what it says.

    And if you know what to do and don't need to log, then don't. No one says you HAVE to log all your food to lose or maintain weight. It's just that for a lot of people, simply the act of logging what they eat, even if it's a guesstimate, helps them keep a better track of what they've done that day. I know I'll mentally under-estimate what I've eaten for the day if I don't note it down in some way, shape or form. Eventually, I'll hopefully get to a place where I don't' have to log, but for now, it's a simple and quick tool that keeps me on track.

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