Gum calories.....Seriously!

I log mine (loosely), I chew about 10 pieces a day (sugar free and some of those are nicotine gum), I also drink about 8 cups of decaf black coffee (4 calories) which I also log...its not about the calories, its knowing what I was doing when I look back....this is the way I'm doing it, its MYfitnesspal. If you don't want to thats fair enough but if others want to why knock them?

ETA. would you log a 50 calorie sweet?? Now would you log a 50 calorie sweet but ignore 5 sticks of 5 cal gum, 5 cups of 4 cal coffee, 2 cups of iceberg lettuce and a quarter cup of cucumber............

but as i said its not just about the calories

I keep track of every single thing. Its just my way. It shouldn't really bother anybody.

I log everything I eat. All normal activities are included in lifestyle - sedentary, lightly active, active, very active so I log no activities unless it is sweat inducing, planned fitness related (and over 100 calories).

If I don't log the 5 calories from the mint (did I just have 1? or did I have 5?) then I'm allowing myself an excuse to not log something.

What else did I not log? The left over crackers on my daughter's plate? The 10 blueberries I put in my cereal? The 15 calorie drink? A tsp of suger in my coffee? The oil I cooked that chicken with? The breading I coated it with? The 3, or was it 4, tablespoons of ice cream from the carton while serving my husband? The single donut hole I snagged in the lunchroom? The 1/2 tin of mints I polished off while working? If I don't log each of those miniscule items, I have eaten what may very well be 495 calories MORE than I expected and completely demolished my deficit.

That is why people don't lose weight and then wonder why.

I'm pretty sure I burn 1950 calories a day too.

I record gum because I am counting carbs, each piece of gum (sugarfree Orbit, anyway) has 1 carb in it (I usually chew 2 pieces at a time), so that is 2 less carbs that I can have that day. Restricting my carbs to 20 a day, 2 carbs is a lot for just gum.

Careful! gum is a gateway snack! It can lead to larger and more un-logged calories. Next thing you know the rational is "this is sugar free. not logging it." "this says diet on the box. not logging it.""this says Weight watchers on the box. not logging it." "this says Fat free on the box. not logging it." The next thing you know there is nothing on your log and you starve to death while eating 5k un-logged calories.

Seriously though I believe that many folks are here to unlearn some bad habits and to learn new and healthier habits. So yes, the uber strict "log everything" is a good idea for most of us. It helps us not get into the habit of a bite of this and a taste of that and a diet cola, nah I'll just log the actual meal I'm having later.

For instance after I started logging everything I realized I was eating 200 calories of mints a day. Sure it was helping me quit smoking but getting mints with lower calories was also a good idea.

Yup. I log little things like gum and Jelly Belly jelly beans (though I admit I don't log my Crystal Light that I add to my water...I think that would just discourage me from drinking water altogether...) but I don't log every day activities like cleaning, walking the dog, etc. I was overweight when I was doing those things - I don't think they're contributing to my weight loss now.

But - to each their own. As somoene pointed out, it's MY Fitnss Pal - we all need to figure out what works for our own lives.

I counted the calories it took to type this post......am I doing wrong?....lol

You win..for funny response of the day!!!!

i log my gum... as strict as you want to call or as much as you want to bash it, it works for me. i log my gum because i could have and used to go through a ton of gum in a day... now i try to keep it at a minimum because once i started realizing how many calories those pieces of gum could have added up to i realized that, "wowza, i dont need all that gum".

now, you want to ask me if i log unloading my dishwasher or walking around the grocery store? no i do not. those are what i consider my lifestyle. i only log my kick-butt workouts or my walks that i take at work on my breaks.

judge me if you want to for logging my 5 calorie gum but i do what works for me... and i'm getting results that i'm pretty darn proud of.

Exactly! you go girl!

I log mine (loosely), I chew about 10 pieces a day (sugar free and some of those are nicotine gum), I also drink about 8 cups of decaf black coffee (4 calories) which I also log...its not about the calories, its knowing what I was doing when I look back....this is the way I'm doing it, its MYfitnesspal. If you don't want to thats fair enough but if others want to why knock them?

ETA. would you log a 50 calorie sweet?? Now would you log a 50 calorie sweet but ignore 5 sticks of 5 cal gum, 5 cups of 4 cal coffee, 2 cups of iceberg lettuce and a quarter cup of cucumber............

but as i said its not just about the calories

I AGREE!!!

And by the way, the last time I did chew gum, I DID LOG IT! I had 5, pieces at 10 cals each.. That's 50 cals okay? It matters to me! So joke it up why don't ya??

Oh my gosh too funny! I totally agree. If you are being that strict with your self you will never be succesful.

That's rather presumptuous don't you think...this weight is coming off, and more medical issues aside its staying off. If you read my post you will see that I believe its about more than simply calories. And I'm not that strict...If I want something I have it but I account for it

But where do you draw the line. You won't log gum at 5 calories...even if you eat 2 or 3 (or a pack?) So that means you won't log the black coffee at the same calories or the cup of lettuce at a mere 8 calories, the 1/4 cup of cucumber, the 3 cherry tomatoes, the celery stalk, spring onion, a radish.....before you know you could be up to a couple of hundred a day because well its only a few calories and its just not worth being that strict is it? Hmmmm....