I can't track my eats

msciaobella
msciaobella Posts: 40 Member
edited September 29 in Food and Nutrition
This is so confusing, I don't even know how to ask it or if anybody will understand. I eat a generally healthy diet; LOTS of fruit, vegetables, salad; moderate amounts of light soymilk, peanut butter, protein powder, and cereal. The problem is, I never actually sit down for a meal. When I'm hungry (or bored) I open up the fridge and get a piece of zucchini bread, an apple, a slice of cheese, or a handful of cereal (not all at the same time, throughout the course of the day). It really adds up on the calories, but sometimes I don't even know how to track it because it is homemade, or I just grabbed "a handful of it".
I seriously do this without thinking before I even have time to measure out a reasonable portion, and make sure it is actually what I wanted to eat in the first place. I also end up being really bloated because my stomach is processing so many different "little bites" of food within a short period of time.
Does anybody else have this problem? How do you slow yourself down and make a meal that can actually be tracked? I just want control back in my life and it is driving me insane. I over-restrict in the mornings, because I had overeaten the night before and am still bloated. It is a vicious cycle. How can I break it? Thank you for any help!!

Replies

  • Ichbinceiling
    Ichbinceiling Posts: 97
    Theres a recipe maker tool on this site. I know my friend used it to track her healthy lasanga. As for the other things, I measure out portions and put them into containers or baggies. Then I can just open the fridge or cupboard, take one of those pre-sorted portions out and eat away. When I'm done, then I track. Hope this helps!
  • CallejaFairey
    CallejaFairey Posts: 391 Member
    Theres a recipe maker tool on this site. I know my friend used it to track her healthy lasanga. As for the other things, I measure out portions and put them into containers or baggies. Then I can just open the fridge or cupboard, take one of those pre-sorted portions out and eat away. When I'm done, then I track. Hope this helps!

    totally was thinking the same thing, create your recipes on here so you know exactly what they work out to, and preportion the other stuff, or buy stuff already preportioned.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,336 Member
    I think you need to come up with a pattern for eating. This snacking constantly which amounts to mindless eating will put on weight. I would plan out your meals, measure things up and actually sit down and eat. If you are not sitting down and eating, you should not eat.
  • ItsLessOfMe
    ItsLessOfMe Posts: 374 Member
    I just try not to make or keep unheathy things in my house. Kinda makes me a slave to my house but I've gotten used to it so I dont even want it when I go out, Instead I keep fruits and veggies for quick grab snacks. It was really a decision that I had to make for myself when i was sick of it and wanted a change
  • kellymarie619
    kellymarie619 Posts: 50
    Besides just forcing yourself to sit down and eat meals, the only thing you can really do is try to plan your randomness. That sounds weird, but it can be done. When you buy something split it up into individual containers or baggies. If you have a calculator it will only take a few minutes to figure out the correct calorie count, then write it on the baggy. To make it easier, I would get a food scale as well. Also, do what Ichbinceiling and CallejaFairey suggested, put your homemade items through the recipe maker tool and then split it by the number of servings. The key to success is really in preparation and if you aren't prepared you can end up grazing your way past your goal number quite easily.
  • beckyinma
    beckyinma Posts: 1,433 Member
    I think you need to come up with a pattern for eating. This snacking constantly which amounts to mindless eating will put on weight. I would plan out your meals, measure things up and actually sit down and eat. If you are not sitting down and eating, you should not eat.

    I think this is correct. You may say you are eating healthy, but I bet if you took the time to track every single thing, you'd find differently. This is a lifestyle change, you have to change the way you think, act and EAT. You can't go on mindlessly eating. It's awesome that you eat tons of fruit and vegis, but you still need to accurately track it if you want this to work. And you need to ask yourself if you are REALLY ready to make it work, if the answer is yes, then you will be able to make the habit changes necessary to take the time to measure, and accurately quantify all that you are eating. You can do this, but mindlessly hitting the fridge every time you're snacky isn't the answer. Put some thought into it, and measure your food, it really doesn't take that much time. Check out this post I found the other day, that puts it into prospective: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/279296-why-i-have-no-problem-tracking-and-weighing-food-for-the-res
  • msciaobella
    msciaobella Posts: 40 Member
    I think you need to come up with a pattern for eating. This snacking constantly which amounts to mindless eating will put on weight. I would plan out your meals, measure things up and actually sit down and eat. If you are not sitting down and eating, you should not eat.

    ^^^I think this will help a lot... I do way to much eating while standing up. Thank you!
  • rat70
    rat70 Posts: 129 Member
    I don't know how you are tracking but I have found the iPhone app really great. It means I can track straight away without having to turn the computer on etc, etc. It syncs with the website.

    The other advice here is spot on so I won't elablorate but a great saying is "Fail to plan, plan to fail"!

    Good luck!
  • girlinahat
    girlinahat Posts: 2,956 Member
    A combination of what others have said -

    start to cook meals - then freeze portions - I buy those foil takeaway tubs and make lasagne in portions. Really pay attention when you're cooking (this bit you can do standing up!!!) and focus on it - it makes you more aware of what you are preparing to eat.

    Sit down at a table and eat. Do not watch TV, read or do anything other than enjoy the food you have prepared. The process of preparing a meal and then sitting down to eat it actually prepares your body to receive it - the brain sends signals to the stomach to start generating digestive juices and sends saliva to the mouth - if all you are doing is constantly snacking your body will not be ready for it - hence the bloating. We could all do with paying more attention to the processes and slowing down our enjoyment of food (I am a firm believer in the enjoyment of food and not just to give my body nutrition)

    If you must snack - prepare those snacks in advance, measure out portions, weigh them and bag them. Learn how big 1oz of cheese is and eat no more.

    Try logging what you are going to eat for the day before you eat it. By doing this, you know what you have to spare and what you are going to have to earn through exercise.

    Lastly - if you are eating lots at night, this suggests you are not eating enough during the day. have a big lunch.
  • shelbyfrootcake
    shelbyfrootcake Posts: 965 Member
    You could try weighing an average grabbed snack size piece of everything and keep it stuck to the fridge. That way next time you grab a handful of cereal/piece of cheese/veg you'll already have the info to hand about it's value to enter on here.

    The added value is that with the calories etc staring you in the face you might be less likely to grab a naughty something.
  • Rilke
    Rilke Posts: 1,201 Member
    There is a lot of information out there about mindful eating. This page is a good place to start:

    http://zenhabits.net/mindful-eating/

    There is also an excellent book titled "Eating the Moment", along with many other books on this subject.
  • djkymba
    djkymba Posts: 174
    I don't really have a lot to add, those are great suggestions. I just wanted to say that I used to be that way too, and by using a lot of the suggestions that others have posted I've slowly changed to a "meal" eater and less of a grazer. I feel more in control of my eating, which is a confidence booster. Give it a try, I think you'll like it!
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    I find logging all my food at th estart of the day helps too. You know the sorts of things you usually go for from what you put in your post. so log the half dozen snacks with your meals at the start of the day, and see what you come to calorie-wise, and then amend as neccessary, maybe this will help you think about whether the snacks are worth it or not.
  • car01ine
    car01ine Posts: 12
    Maybe if you are going to keep snacking on the cereal keep a 1/4 cup measure in the box so you don't just grab a handful you grab a measured amount and so making it easier to track, Def use the recipe maker to measure that zuc bread, I think you'll be suprised how it all adds up in the end.

    Good luck
  • otgrouch
    otgrouch Posts: 21
    Maybe try tracking you snacks or meals ahead of time.. I do this especially if I know I'm going to eat out or know I'm going to eat more at one meal than at the others.. WHen you see how many calories everything is ahead of time if there's something you really want you can add it in and work around it..
  • bloodbank
    bloodbank Posts: 468 Member
    I only have about 1 sit-down meal per day. Everything else I eat is in handfuls or bites. For homemade stuff, use the recipe feature. For everything else, invest in a kitchen scale - I might eat a handful of berries, a scoop of nuts, or whatever else, but I can always track it because I just toss it on my handy scale, see that it's xnumber of grams, and munch away.
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