GUYS! Logging caloric intake is difficult!

2»

Replies

  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
    I, too, have built up a diary of commonly eaten foods and specific meal recipes over time, so logging is usually fairly easy. I tend to log as I go - it only takes a few seconds - since that way I don't forget to include something and it never gets overwhelming.

    For the main meal of the day which is dinner, I pre-log everything I'm having as 1 gram or 1 oz, whichever is appropriate. That 'holds' the entry on my diary page for me. I do that anytime before dinner, once I know what I'm going to be cooking that day.

    So then when I'm serving dinner, I just have to weigh my portion of whatever it is and then change the entries in my log from 1 to whatever the weight ended up being. Only takes less than a minute to do, and I've found that the easiest way for me.
  • Theo166
    Theo166 Posts: 2,564 Member
    Success comes from simplifying your options, instead of eating something new and different, stick to your go-to foods that are already logged into your history and you know the calories. These foods can be logged in a matter of seconds using your 'Recent' list of foods.

    When you do eat something off plan, just enter the total calories using the 'Quick Add' feature, and don't bother with the macros. This approach also just takes a few seconds.

    I also use substitutes. If I have a soup in my recent list that's close to what I had today, I'll use it again instead of making a new entry. This approach isn't perfect, but it won't throw off your macro totals like just adding total calories.
  • RaphaBianchi
    RaphaBianchi Posts: 51 Member
    I generally tend to have the same breakfast and lunch every so fill that out in advance. I then know how many calories I have left for dinner/snacks so calculate those as I go. For meals where you don't know the exact quantities of each ingredient you can generally estimate the quantities in cups. Not perfect but easier than guessing the weight in grams.
  • Ford85622
    Ford85622 Posts: 3 Member
    Once more, Thanks for the excellent input. There is a lot of really helpful experience here. I think I'll have to come to terms with the fact that I am not going to be able to get around devoting more time to logging food. Thankfully I've learned quite a bit which should make my effort more efficient and effective.

    One last question:

    Do you have a favorite thread in the MFP community? Have you found a set of message boards any more helpful than another?

    Thanks!
    Dillon

  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
    edited March 2017
    Ford85622 wrote: »
    Once more, Thanks for the excellent input. There is a lot of really helpful experience here. I think I'll have to come to terms with the fact that I am not going to be able to get around devoting more time to logging food. Thankfully I've learned quite a bit which should make my effort more efficient and effective.

    One last question:

    Do you have a favorite thread in the MFP community? Have you found a set of message boards any more helpful than another?

    Thanks!
    Dillon
    Best thread in all of MFP, in my opinion - written by a very knowledgeable person, with solid advice from start to finish: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1
  • Theo166
    Theo166 Posts: 2,564 Member
    After you've done this for 1-2 weeks, you should be settling into a routine and most of your foods will start showing up under the 'RECENT' or 'FREQUENT' tabs, so it's easy to select and adjust the qty.

    If you had almost the same meal for breakfast yesterday, use the Quick Tools link and select 'Copy yesterday' then tweak the amounts or add/delete parts of the meal.

    You don't have to be exact on ingredients all the time, knowing the portion size is probably a better focus. Instead of creating a new recipe for every homemade meal (eg Chili), I'll just pick one from the database and use it to ballpark what I had. Just aim to be on the high side when you do it.

    The different subforums each have their own focus, go where your interests lie. Also look into the Groups area. These are less active but can be very helpful for particular needs, like if you are following a particular diet or exercise strategy. Stay away from Chit-Chat and Fun&Games, they can be a real time sink :D
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
    Theo166 wrote: »
    Stay away from Chit-Chat and Fun&Games, they can be a real time mind sink :D

    Fixed it for you. o:)

Categories