To log or not to log?

Logging is part of the mindful "practice"; to me it's a way to control portions and what I am eating.

Meal plans sound boring and repetitive and don't really take into account variations in appetite.

For what it's worth though, you can absolutely do both.

It's a personal choice. I logged when losing, mostly don't log at maintenance.

I think some people have food issues that logging is not going to work well with (if you get obsessive about calories), but that's not an issue for me.

I think absent that, it's a valuable thing for anyone to do for a while at least. Understanding what you ARE eating helps figure out what changes are needed, if any. It keeps us honest and, yes, helps one become more mindful. You can see patterns with hunger (I don't think daily weight fluctuation is meaningful and would advise against focusing on that).

I've read, and it's true for me, that simply knowing you will have to log it tends to make you eat less, because you do approach it more consciously or mindfully.

I think a lot of people who overeat lack structure and logging creates structure or at least encourages it.

I'd disagree that it encourages all or nothing or obsessive behavior. I think those are traits that some have, and will put into play whatever they do (and which can be worked on -- I tend to both). For me, logging helped get rid of both, as it helped me realize I could eat a healthy, calorie-appropriate diet without going super restrictive, which has been a pattern of mine, and it provided a good structure to channel my impulses into healthy things -- looking at how macros affect training, and trying to find TDEE (NOT focusing on low cals), looking at things like protein and vegetable consumption, stuff like that. (On Chron you really can get obsessive, but for me in a good way.) I think it can help someone whose mind is open to it move past magical thinking about food (oh, no, I ate a cookie, the day is ruined) or good/bad or shame issues and see it as a process and in general apply more logical thinking.

Negatives: I often don't enjoy logging (looking up the foods is a pain in MFP and Chron is way easier but only if you eat only whole foods or things you've eaten before). I don't think it's that big a deal or takes much time once you get into a habit and learn the tricks, though.

For me logging was a tool to get to a place where I could eat similarly just being mindful, understanding portions and avoiding eating outside of meals, and focusing on a healthful diet.

Your list didn't include several of what I see as there biggest plusses of logging:

When you log, you can eat anything that fits (while still hitting nutritional targets, too, ideally), which makes the weight loss process good practice to understand what you'll need to do to maintain a healthy goal weight once you get there. (I'm assuming you don't want to follow a meal plan for the rest of your life.)

The log helps you understand the consequences of off-plan days. Some days, it's totally worthwhile to eat over goal or off plan (special occasion, say), or you just slip. If you log those, it's an opportunity to see that maybe the consequences weren't as bad as you thought (as long as it's rare), or conversely, that your temporary enjoyment wasn't worth its cost, in objective terms. In that way, it can foster calm, realistic analysis, rather than emotional "guilt and retribution" thinking.

Finally, log review is a great tool. If you have hungry or crave-y days, you can look for patterns that might help you avoid that happening (such as eating a bit more protein, or getting a good breakfast). You can also review nutrition over time, and consider how to gradually improve it. You can use varied calorie goals and average over a week, too, if it helps you (some people like to eat less on weekdays & more on weekends, for example).

Logging has helped me a lot. Now in weight maintenance, I eat less than I used to, but with better nutrition and more satisfaction. Hard to beat that outcome.