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Is weighing/logging everything necessary?
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BrunetteRunner87 wrote: »I guess what I would like to know is why I see so many posts on here where people insist everything has to be weighed or logged, what is the reasoning for that, and why can't someone be successful without that?
People can, and are, successful without that. They aren't the people posting asking for help with why they aren't losing.
Let's say that 75 out of 100 people are successful without weighing and logging everything. Those 75 aren't the ones posting and asking for help. When the other 25 post to ask for help, they are told to weigh and log everything. That would make it look like everyone was given that advice but it's only going out to 25% of users - the ones who are having problems and need to figure out why.
Counting calories isn't 100% accurate but there are ways to improve the accuracy of estimations.
The goal is to find a way of controlling calorie intake that works for the individual. Some need tighter tracking than others. If it ain't broke, there's no need to fix it. If it is broke, the easiest first place to look for the issue is the "calories in" part.8 -
mom23mangos wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »mom23mangos wrote: »BrunetteRunner87 wrote: »
I am sure that there are people who haven't logged everything and still manage to lose weight or maintain. I guess what I would like to know is why I see so many posts on here where people insist everything has to be weighed or logged, what is the reasoning for that, and why can't someone be successful without that?
Because although SOME people MAY be successful losing/maintaining weight without logging, you are pretty much GUARANTEED success if you do. Most people will take the guarantee over the chance.
Well, that's a sweeping and incorrect generalization.
Yes, I'd agree with the sweeping generalization, but I'd say 90% correct (hence why I a said "pretty much" guaranteed). As the OP mentioned, there is still some estimation involved. We do not have 100% accurate ways to log calorie burn, so numbers may be slightly off. But, barring some medical condition, if a person inaccurately weighs/burns calories the same way day after day, they will be able to manipulate their caloric intake sufficiently through logging to lose weight.
Without logging, you truly are just guessing.
But just as with other methods of dieting, having to weigh and measure and log every bite you take will cause some to give up. Some will see this as not worth it. You still have to actually do it. It has to be something you are willing to stick with. While it may get you the best guess as what you are consuming, it is very far from a guarantee of success.0 -
BrunetteRunner87 wrote: »I know that CICO is typically the key to weight loss, but can you be successful without all of this? Who wants to have to weigh and log or even just log everything they put in their mouths for the rest of their life?
I don't think most of us here expect to weigh and log everything that passes our lips for the rest of our lives. It's about learning self control, portion sizes, and how to pay for high calorie foods and meals so that it doesn't affect your weight long term. It may take some of us years, others a shorter period of time. But somewhere along the line, most of us who are obese fell prey to crappy pre-packaged foods which are calorie dense and not very filling, filled with sugar, salt, artificial flavors, and do not know how to lose weight or keep it off. Some of us here will lose the weight, then go right back to doing things the way we used to do. You see those people every day in the "starting again" posts because they lost the weight then re-gained it. It's not about being chained to this site and a food scale the rest of your life.
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People can, and are, successful without that. They aren't the people posting asking for help with why they aren't losing.
Let's say that 75 out of 100 people are successful without weighing and logging everything. Those 75 aren't the ones posting and asking for help. When the other 25 post to ask for help, they are told to weigh and log everything. That would make it look like everyone was given that advice but it's only going out to 25% of users - the ones who are having problems and need to figure out why.
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This makes a lot of sense to me. I think my biggest fear after seeing all these posts is that I can't be successful if I don't weigh/log everything that goes into my mouth. I did that for years and would have great success for losing weight but never kept it off because I got tired of logging and weighing everything. I'd prefer to just develop a healthy relationship with food and eat mostly good foods and I am hoping to hear from these people who have been successful with that. But as you said if they are successful they probably aren't posting!
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snickerscharlie wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »mom23mangos wrote: »BrunetteRunner87 wrote: »
I am sure that there are people who haven't logged everything and still manage to lose weight or maintain. I guess what I would like to know is why I see so many posts on here where people insist everything has to be weighed or logged, what is the reasoning for that, and why can't someone be successful without that?
Because although SOME people MAY be successful losing/maintaining weight without logging, you are pretty much GUARANTEED success if you do. Most people will take the guarantee over the chance.
Well, that's a sweeping and incorrect generalization.
How so?
If you log your calories accurately and completely you actually *are* guaranteed to be able to track how much you are eating, and therefore know if you really are in the deficit required to lose weight.
Don't know how that can be disputed.
If I misunderstood and the post meant "if you log your calories you will know how many calories there are" then I will concede the point. I took it to mean you'll be successful at weight loss. That's a whole 'nother ballgame.0 -
Spliner1969 wrote: »BrunetteRunner87 wrote: »I know that CICO is typically the key to weight loss, but can you be successful without all of this? Who wants to have to weigh and log or even just log everything they put in their mouths for the rest of their life?
I don't think most of us here expect to weigh and log everything that passes our lips for the rest of our lives. It's about learning self control, portion sizes, and how to pay for high calorie foods and meals so that it doesn't affect your weight long term. It may take some of us years, others a shorter period of time. But somewhere along the line, most of us who are obese fell prey to crappy pre-packaged foods which are calorie dense and not very filling, filled with sugar, salt, artificial flavors, and do not know how to lose weight or keep it off. Some of us here will lose the weight, then go right back to doing things the way we used to do. You see those people every day in the "starting again" posts because they lost the weight then re-gained it. It's not about being chained to this site and a food scale the rest of your life.
I don't know if I will have to weigh or log for the rest of my life, but right now I'm working on the assumption that I will. I don't want to be 300+ ever again and if that means I have to put the effort in day in and day out, then that is what I will do.11 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »mom23mangos wrote: »BrunetteRunner87 wrote: »
I am sure that there are people who haven't logged everything and still manage to lose weight or maintain. I guess what I would like to know is why I see so many posts on here where people insist everything has to be weighed or logged, what is the reasoning for that, and why can't someone be successful without that?
Because although SOME people MAY be successful losing/maintaining weight without logging, you are pretty much GUARANTEED success if you do. Most people will take the guarantee over the chance.
Well, that's a sweeping and incorrect generalization.
How so?
If you log your calories accurately and completely you actually *are* guaranteed to be able to track how much you are eating, and therefore know if you really are in the deficit required to lose weight.
Don't know how that can be disputed.
If I misunderstood and the post meant "if you log your calories you will know how many calories there are" then I will concede the point. I took it to mean you'll be successful at weight loss. That's a whole 'nother ballgame.
The post meant if you log your calories accurately and log how much you burn through exercise as accurately as possible and actually use those numbers to eat less than you burn (yes, you actually have to do it), then you will pretty much be guaranteed weight loss.
Not arguing that many people find it too much work (myself included) and stop doing it and then are not successful at losing weight. Or people do log accurately and still eat more than they burn because they can't find ways to feel satiated. That happens as well. But what I meant is, if you want a guaranteed way to lose weight...weigh your food accurately and log it, log your exercise and make sure your total calories for the day/week are less than what you've burned. Success.1 -
BrunetteRunner87 wrote: »I see so many posts where people complain they haven't lost weight and then everybody comes in saying that EVERYTHING HAS TO BE WEIGHED AND LOGGED.
I know that CICO is typically the key to weight loss, but can you be successful without all of this? Who wants to have to weigh and log or even just log everything they put in their mouths for the rest of their life?
Weighing food is important because most people don't have a clue what a serving size actually looks like. When I first started, what I would have guessed to be 3oz was more like 7-8oz. That's a major difference in calories, especially if you are looking at items like grains or meats. It is also important for people to get a realistic grasp on their calorie burn, as many people don't burn nearly as many calories as they think they do (for example, people who cycle at a moderate pace, 9-12mph) may think they are burning 300-400 calories for 30 minutes. Chances are they are burning something more like 100-150. If you add all of that up, that means that people could be burning 300 calories LESS and eating 400 calories MORE. That's a total of 700 calories in the red; if you're eating that much over your TDEE, you'll gain a pound in a week.
I think that once you start to understand, visually, how big a serving size is, then you probably don't need to weigh and log everything. Also if you eat the same things all the time (Like I always have an egg, toast, and cup of tea, which I know by heart is ~240 calories, and lunch is half a sandwich, which is about 200-300 calories), then you don't need to weigh/log, because it's going to be about the same all the time.
If you are capable of losing weight without logging/weighing everything, then good for you! Apparently you are doing something right! If you are not losing weight, then chances are you are overestimating/underestimating your exercise/calorie intake and need to start weighing/counting/logging everything.
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My goal is weight gain so I don't know if this answers your question. For years I thought I was unable to gain weight. Then I came here and started logging and weighing and realised I just hadn't been eating enough. It was that simple. I'd been overestimating the size of portions and amount of calories.
I don't know if I'll do it forever- I've almost reached my goal and have a better idea of how much I need to eat and what it looks like. But at the moment I don't mind doing it,it only takes minutes each day and also helps me keep track of protein,carbs and fats
If it's not working for you or you find it counter productive,don't do it. People have been dieting successfully for years before the internet or apps like this.2 -
BrunetteRunner87 wrote: »I see so many posts where people complain they haven't lost weight and then everybody comes in saying that EVERYTHING HAS TO BE WEIGHED AND LOGGED.
I know that CICO is typically the key to weight loss, but can you be successful without all of this? Who wants to have to weigh and log or even just log everything they put in their mouths for the rest of their life?
I recently started a new diet plan aimed at runners. The idea is to eat enough carbs to fuel workouts, but to lose or maintain at a good weight for you to run without extra pounds weighing you down. The diet is based on 10 categories of foods that are supposed to balance in ratios at the end of the week. So assume you eat 55 servings in a week (obviously you're going to eat more but just assume), 10 should be vegetables, 9 should be fruit, 8 should be seeds and nuts, 7 should be lean meats and eggs, and 6 should be whole grains. Then if you want you can have 5 servings of dairy, 4 servings of refined grains, 3 servings of unhealthy meats, 2 of sweets, and 1 fried food.
I feel like, yeah logging and weighing would be important if I was planning on doing some kind of figure competition or even a weightlifting competition, but if I'm following this type of diet, not eating when I'm not hungry, and developing a positive relationship with food, isn't this better than weighing everything the rest of my life? Weighing and logging can really get you bogged down with numbers or exercising extra just so that you can eat extra pizza that day.
Is there anyone here who has not logged/weighed everything, but seen success?
Calorie counting is just a tool...people use all kinds of different tools and/or diets to lose weight. I would say that it's also not a lifetime kind of thing for most people...it's a teaching tool. I did count calories to lose weight, but I haven't logged anything in about four years and have more or less maintained and lost weight when needed without logging...calorie counting just taught me awareness and over the course of my weight loss I learned how to eat, proper portions, and learned a lot more about nutrition...but it's just one of many tools.5 -
I weigh and measure and log everything. Even if 0 calories. Example: We had left over chili and my husband went to log it and said to me "that's about 1/2 cup, right?" I told him I thought it was at least a cup. Turned out once we measured it, it was 1 1/4 cup ... that's a big difference when you are trying to lose. I don't trust my "eye judgment". Good Luck everyone!5
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The first time I lost all of the weight I weighed my food for a week based on all the posts I saw on MFP, then tossed the kitchen scale into the back of a cabinet and have never used it since. I do try to log and guess my intake when I feel like it since I like seeing the data on my Fitbit dashboard, but weighing/measuring hasn't been necessary for me thankfully. It works for some people, so more power to the ones that do it every day.
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BrunetteRunner87 wrote: »stevencloser wrote: »BrunetteRunner87 wrote: »I see so many posts where people complain they haven't lost weight and then everybody comes in saying that EVERYTHING HAS TO BE WEIGHED AND LOGGED.
I know that CICO is typically the key to weight loss, but can you be successful without all of this? Who wants to have to weigh and log or even just log everything they put in their mouths for the rest of their life?
I recently started a new diet plan aimed at runners. The idea is to eat enough carbs to fuel workouts, but to lose or maintain at a good weight for you to run without extra pounds weighing you down. The diet is based on 10 categories of foods that are supposed to balance in ratios at the end of the week. So assume you eat 55 servings in a week (obviously you're going to eat more but just assume), 10 should be vegetables, 9 should be fruit, 8 should be seeds and nuts, 7 should be lean meats and eggs, and 6 should be whole grains. Then if you want you can have 5 servings of dairy, 4 servings of refined grains, 3 servings of unhealthy meats, 2 of sweets, and 1 fried food.
I feel like, yeah logging and weighing would be important if I was planning on doing some kind of figure competition or even a weightlifting competition, but if I'm following this type of diet, not eating when I'm not hungry, and developing a positive relationship with food, isn't this better than weighing everything the rest of my life? Weighing and logging can really get you bogged down with numbers or exercising extra just so that you can eat extra pizza that day.
Is there anyone here who has not logged/weighed everything, but seen success?
Putting every food in categories and counting over hte week how many servings of each category you had isn't bogging you down with numbers?
Not to mention that there's no guarantee that that'll actually put you in a deficit.
Not really, because at the end of the day I just put tally marks next to the category in my planner and at the end of the week I add them up. And I also suspect that once I do this for a while, it will be like second nature for my diet to be 20% vegetables, 18% fruit, 15% nuts and seeds, and so on. And while it doesn't guarantee a deficit, on any day that I haven't eaten sweets or refined carbs and I don't eat when I'm not full, I come in around 1500-1600 calories.
Another thing I thought of is when people have to weigh everything, at the end of the day it's still going to be an estimate of how many calories are in that food or how many calories you burned, it's never going to be 100% exact.
I am sure that there are people who haven't logged everything and still manage to lose weight or maintain. I guess what I would like to know is why I see so many posts on here where people insist everything has to be weighed or logged, what is the reasoning for that, and why can't someone be successful without that?
Merely answering your question, I think most people insist on that because, it is assumed you'd be using the application/website, which well, does count calories, if someone doesn't want to count calories as accurately as possible ( which comes with weighing and logging ) then they can of course try other methods but... what's the point to use this site then??1 -
i find that weighing/measuring and logging my food for a time helps me get in the mindset of what serving sizes should look like, such as 4 ounces of meat or a half cup of rice. just knowing that a cup of rice is like 200 calories is helpful to me, even if i'm not logging my food, to eat less rice!
i don't measure/weigh/log everything all the time, but i do pay attention to my portions. and just knowing a basic breakdown of food content is really helpful too- like knowing which foods are high in carbs, protein, fat, etc, can really help too. it's about retraining your mind to look at food in a different way. you can still enjoy foods, just use moderation!1 -
I personally adhere to the idea that you should be as accurate as you need to be in order to be successful and not drive yourself crazy. I've been told that body builders will go as far as separating egg yolks from whites and weighing each separately. That's a bit too far for me. But I do prefer to log fairly accurately because "eat less" has always seemed so vague to me. If you're losing weight without being accurate or without logging then great! Keep doing what you're doing. But if you're not losing then logging accurately would be the place where I would start.1
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BrunetteRunner87 wrote: »Is there anyone here who has not logged/weighed everything, but seen success?
My dh lost 30+ lbs without eating a special diet, logging food/calorie counting, exercising. He just ate less than he used to.
I am most succesful using a food diary to log everything fairly accurately. Seeing the numbers is the easiest way to lose weight for me.
What everyone needs for weight loss is a calorie deficit. Using tools like a food diary, a food scale, a particular diet plan or increased activity can help you create the correct deficit for you and lead to success.
If someone is not losing weight and asking advice here then reccomending they log and weigh everything more accurately is a helpful tip rather than guessing how much they should eat or are eating. It has nothing to do with their relationship to food or if they want to compete. Calories are the basis of weight management.1 -
BrunetteRunner87 wrote: »stevencloser wrote: »BrunetteRunner87 wrote: »I see so many posts where people complain they haven't lost weight and then everybody comes in saying that EVERYTHING HAS TO BE WEIGHED AND LOGGED.
I know that CICO is typically the key to weight loss, but can you be successful without all of this? Who wants to have to weigh and log or even just log everything they put in their mouths for the rest of their life?
I recently started a new diet plan aimed at runners. The idea is to eat enough carbs to fuel workouts, but to lose or maintain at a good weight for you to run without extra pounds weighing you down. The diet is based on 10 categories of foods that are supposed to balance in ratios at the end of the week. So assume you eat 55 servings in a week (obviously you're going to eat more but just assume), 10 should be vegetables, 9 should be fruit, 8 should be seeds and nuts, 7 should be lean meats and eggs, and 6 should be whole grains. Then if you want you can have 5 servings of dairy, 4 servings of refined grains, 3 servings of unhealthy meats, 2 of sweets, and 1 fried food.
I feel like, yeah logging and weighing would be important if I was planning on doing some kind of figure competition or even a weightlifting competition, but if I'm following this type of diet, not eating when I'm not hungry, and developing a positive relationship with food, isn't this better than weighing everything the rest of my life? Weighing and logging can really get you bogged down with numbers or exercising extra just so that you can eat extra pizza that day.
Is there anyone here who has not logged/weighed everything, but seen success?
Putting every food in categories and counting over hte week how many servings of each category you had isn't bogging you down with numbers?
Not to mention that there's no guarantee that that'll actually put you in a deficit.
Not really, because at the end of the day I just put tally marks next to the category in my planner and at the end of the week I add them up. And I also suspect that once I do this for a while, it will be like second nature for my diet to be 20% vegetables, 18% fruit, 15% nuts and seeds, and so on. And while it doesn't guarantee a deficit, on any day that I haven't eaten sweets or refined carbs and I don't eat when I'm not full, I come in around 1500-1600 calories.
Another thing I thought of is when people have to weigh everything, at the end of the day it's still going to be an estimate of how many calories are in that food or how many calories you burned, it's never going to be 100% exact.
I am sure that there are people who haven't logged everything and still manage to lose weight or maintain. I guess what I would like to know is why I see so many posts on here where people insist everything has to be weighed or logged, what is the reasoning for that, and why can't someone be successful without that?
Someone can be successful.
I don't see what your issue is, though. For people struggling, the idea of logging everything is helpful so that they can see the impact every bite of food has on their total caloric intake. Those little things people don't think of add up. Very, very persnickety logging has a way of paying off for people -- especially sedentary people -- in that they can learn to become more mindful should they decide to not log as meticulously at some point in the future.
As for me? I like weighing my food. I feel like my body is some grand science experiment that I'm manipulating and shaping as I go along. It may all be ballparking, but I like the feeling of exerting some measure of quantitative control and like having numbers to crunch.
Some people don't like that.
I really don't see why there has to be a divide between the people who benefit from logging and those who don't.6 -
I have done it both ways. I did use MFP at first as more of a "food diary" to keep accountable after my first baby, I didn't realize I had to actually weigh things until I was trying to gain weight and it wasn't happening. Apparently I am a big underestimator, so that was eye-opening.
Second time around (after my second baby) I logged a handful of times but decided to do without. For me, it worked (my margin of error is also HUGE due to nursing not everyone has that flexibility). Now I am bulking/bodybuilding without tracking. It is hard.. progress can be slow at times.. but I am getting there and not gonna lie, it feels so awesome not to have to track anything!
I will add, tracking on MFP, even for a short period of time, taught me portion and calorie awareness. Which definitely helps estimate the cals without logging0 -
I don't think you have to log/weigh the rest of your life, but I do think it's important when trying to lose weight. I successfully gained weight not logging my food. I tried losing weight without logging my food, but continued to gain weight. I successfully lost weight (42 lbs!!) logging my food. It works because you have to be truthful about what you're eating. I've been in maintenance for almost 1 year now. i don't log/weigh everything anymore. I eat a lot of the same things, so I can eyeball a lot of my food. I usually start my log each day so I have an idea what snacks I can eat at night staying within my calorie goals. Sometimes I finish my diary...sometimes I don't. However, it does help you see how many carbs, protein and fat you're eating. I like to pay attention to those items.
I'm a runner too. I ran 20 miles yesterday, and didn't log a thing. When I go on vacation, I don't log, but I sure as heck do when I get back since I usually have 8 to 10 lbs to lose.
Yes, it's hard at 1st and it requires you to be honest about what you're eating. I was very hungry my 1st 2 weeks. Its like quitting smoking. However, it works. So, if you seriously want to lose weight, it's worth the effort. Now that I'm fit and healthy, I feel better than I did in my 20s.0 -
BrunetteRunner87 wrote: »I see so many posts where people complain they haven't lost weight and then everybody comes in saying that EVERYTHING HAS TO BE WEIGHED AND LOGGED.
I know that CICO is typically the key to weight loss, but can you be successful without all of this? Who wants to have to weigh and log or even just log everything they put in their mouths for the rest of their life?
I recently started a new diet plan aimed at runners. The idea is to eat enough carbs to fuel workouts, but to lose or maintain at a good weight for you to run without extra pounds weighing you down. The diet is based on 10 categories of foods that are supposed to balance in ratios at the end of the week. So assume you eat 55 servings in a week (obviously you're going to eat more but just assume), 10 should be vegetables, 9 should be fruit, 8 should be seeds and nuts, 7 should be lean meats and eggs, and 6 should be whole grains. Then if you want you can have 5 servings of dairy, 4 servings of refined grains, 3 servings of unhealthy meats, 2 of sweets, and 1 fried food.
I feel like, yeah logging and weighing would be important if I was planning on doing some kind of figure competition or even a weightlifting competition, but if I'm following this type of diet, not eating when I'm not hungry, and developing a positive relationship with food, isn't this better than weighing everything the rest of my life? Weighing and logging can really get you bogged down with numbers or exercising extra just so that you can eat extra pizza that day.
Is there anyone here who has not logged/weighed everything, but seen success?
You don't have to log or weigh a thing if you don't want to, but you do have to eat at a calorie deficit to lose weight. For me, logging and weighing food is fun, takes little time, and helps me to stay on track to maintain my weight. My portion control meter has pretty much been broken my entire life, and I don't expect that it will be fixed anytime soon. What is fixed is my unhealthy relationship with food, my desire to maintain my weight and the fact that I have maintained my weight for three years now (I've never maintained like this before).
By the way, specialized diets might help some medical conditions, but they won't help you lose weight unless you eat at a calorie deficit. The only magic to any diet is the magic you give it. I gained 30 pounds over a five year people while running because I ate too much.
If that special diet helps keep you satiated and you are eating the right amount for your weight management goals, then I'd say everything is a-okay for you.
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