When do you log?

jgrice
jgrice Posts: 22 Member
edited September 30 in Health and Weight Loss
When I started logging I would obsess about logging everything almost immediately. Now that I've been doing this for a while I can go all day and still accurately recall everything I've eaten for a couple of days. Obsessively logging has trained me to keep a running tally for the day and I usually know where I am on my daily goal without looking.

I tend to not use the phone apps as much and prefer to sit down and log my food from my work PC or when i get home in the evening.

Now I'm working on getting my ratios lined up while keeping a healthy calorie intake.

So how do you log? Just looking for insight into how others do it.

Replies

  • LittleFootHafner
    LittleFootHafner Posts: 302
    I wish I was that good! haha
    I tend to "forget" things that I have eaten if I don't get them down right away!

    I haven't been at it for very long, but I tend to log dinner in the everning, and plan and log my breakfast and lunch for the next day at the same time.... Helps me to keep on track when I know the numbers, and know that I have already logged my food, so why add more?!? ;)
  • ckmama
    ckmama Posts: 1,668 Member
    I log at the end of the day usually. But I do find if I have time I will try to do it after lunch that way I don't have CALORIE AMNESIA:noway:

    Usually when I lay my head on my pillow at night, I will remember something I didn't log.:laugh:
  • cjjones007
    cjjones007 Posts: 602
    I try to log within an hour of consuming it because while I thought I was accurately logging (like you) - I found that when I went back to doing it more immediately that I was forgetting little things that start to add up you know?
  • Queen_Christine
    Queen_Christine Posts: 342 Member
    Most of the time I log at end of day - My story is just like yours - Had to learn to manage logging. Works fine for me now. Now I spend time reading threads and learning from others more than anything else (except exercise). ;)

    Oh, sometimes I write things down to log later too.
  • healthychelsea
    healthychelsea Posts: 62
    I log EVERYTHING in the beginning of the day and just make accommodations later if necessary. My schedule is too busy to log every time I eat, so I just plan ahead, that way I can't mess up, etc.
  • Sbottoms
    Sbottoms Posts: 4
    I obsessively log in pretty much while I am eating the food, especially at lunch. Bad habit!!!
  • msmayor
    msmayor Posts: 362 Member
    I usually will log my breakfast and lunch together (during the week) and my dinner I usually do it after dinner or the next morning....weekends - well I haven't been doing it that long and I soooooo bad logging in on the weekends - but this weekened I will log in even if I'm at Atlantic City - I had a big wake up call when I got the message "msmayor has logged in for 5 days" really I've been doing this for over a month - so that was my wake up - I do not want to start over again......
  • natalie7015
    natalie7015 Posts: 55 Member
    I like to use my personal computer to log, but I can't always get to it right away. I use my phone app more and more, especially making sure I know my calories before I eat dinner as that's when I tend to eat too much. The only thing I don't like is that I can't see any postings or make comments without logging into the website, so sometimes I feel as if I am ignoring my friends when I only use the app. I have trouble logging in from the browser on my phone too. But the phone app is great for me, especially when I am out at a resturaunt and need to see what calories I can post.
  • aprylkemper
    aprylkemper Posts: 123 Member
    I actually try to log everything at the beginning of the day, planning what I"ll have so I can see the ratios, where i need to modify because there's too much sodium, etc. If I don't have the time in the morning to get this done then I log before I eat it for the same reason, because sometimes it makes me see that something isn't worth the calorie price to stay within my daily goal :)
  • bmmadden
    bmmadden Posts: 499 Member
    I usually log my breakfast and lunch and any early snacks first thing in the morning due to planning, once I know what I will be having for dinner I will log it before even eating as well as my evening snack-Im a big preplanner
  • CountryDevil
    CountryDevil Posts: 819 Member
    I obsessed in the beginning as well having the feeling that i had to log it before I even ate. Now, it depends on what I am doing at the time. But generally, I will log things sometime within a couple of hours after a meal.
  • PrairieRoseNE
    PrairieRoseNE Posts: 265 Member
    I don't have an MFP app on my phone, so I try to keep a small notepad handy or a piece of paper in my pocket, to jot down my foods and then log in later on the PC.

    I've become better at remembering - but the notebook helps!! I try to make sure I get everything entered before bedtime.

    I started MFP in Nov. 2010 so I'm pretty good at calculating in my head the calories I'm eating, so I don't have any bad surprises at the end of the day.
  • starracer23
    starracer23 Posts: 1,011 Member
    I'm a SAHM so my laptop or phone is always close by. I log through out the day after each meal/snack. If I am busy (weekends seem the worst) then I log maybe once or twice and just recall what I have consumed. :)
  • KathyEarhart
    KathyEarhart Posts: 94 Member
    I log throughout the day. I do this so I don't forget and I know if I'm getting too many calories for the day. Now if I know the food I'm eating (ie. one of my usuals) then I can wait longer if I need to. If I go out to eat, I log before I even order the food, so I know my calories beforehand. That also tells me if I should eat more of one item and less of another- I cease to be amazed at how many foods that I thought were 'healthy or not as bad for me" really are bad for me. After the meal I go back and adjust the serving size according to how much of it I ate.
  • chocolateandvodka
    chocolateandvodka Posts: 1,850 Member
    at work, i log on the PC after lunch/breakfast/whenever.
    i haven't been as diligent with logging on weekends, but i do try to log as soon as i eat or while eating. if i'm out at a social occasion though, i'm not above taking a quick snapshot of the plate since "calorie amnesia" as an earlier poster put it is very likely! especially when alcohol is involved! but yes, the app version of mfp comes in handy quite often.
  • krystonite
    krystonite Posts: 553 Member
    I'm never without my iPad, iPhone or other Apple consumerist products because I'm an Apple consumerist *kitten*, so I tend to log right after I'm eating or just before.
  • candykay89
    candykay89 Posts: 110 Member
    I log my breakfast and lunch at nights because that is when i decide what i will eat. I also take my lunch to work which helps me eliminating over eating or eating whatever is available. My dinner i log before i make it so that i have enough calories and not overdo it. I am an addict though because i constantly check on my cellphone and online as soon as i get a chance which helps quite a lot.
  • cjjones007
    cjjones007 Posts: 602
    I'm never without my iPad, iPhone or other Apple consumerist products because I'm an Apple consumerist *kitten*, so I tend to log right after I'm eating or just before.
    lol on the consumerist comments - good thing I liked you BEFORE I found out about your Apple addiction :P
  • jennk221
    jennk221 Posts: 85 Member
    I log in the morning and in the evening usually...I try and split my day in half so that I can remember everything! :happy:
  • KateHubb
    KateHubb Posts: 366 Member
    I log usually right after I eat, that way what I had is fresh on my mind. If I'm making something, I will log as I'm cooking by scanning the barcodes of the products I'm using. That's just what works for me!
  • cheeksv
    cheeksv Posts: 521 Member
    I try to log as much as I can in the morning. Breakfast, lunch and snacks leaving dinner for the end of the night. I make a point to log when I am on my home computer so I am not glues to my phone all day ahaha
  • BigBadVooDooBob
    BigBadVooDooBob Posts: 57
    During the week I log stuff in advance because I know what I'm having, weekends I log shortly after eating otherwise I get that Caloric Amnesia setting in!
  • JustMichelleB
    JustMichelleB Posts: 290
    During the week (when I'm at work), I log as I go for the most part. I'll log onto the computer after dinner (at home) and log the rest of my day and exercise.

    On the weekends, my logging is sucky. I don't like the phone app and don't like to log there, but often get busy and forget to log on the PC (pretty good at logging b'fast, lunch, notsomuch with dinner, etc).
  • sunshine77081
    sunshine77081 Posts: 67
    I log in after I ate something or after an exercise so I dont forget.
  • Frannswaz
    Frannswaz Posts: 172 Member
    I'm an obsessive, complusive 'logger'.

    I even log a meal I think I am going to eat just to see how it affects my food 'stats' and if its not helpful I 'delete' from my diary and 'delete' from my plans.

    Think its getting on my husbands nerves...lol
  • krystonite
    krystonite Posts: 553 Member
    I'm never without my iPad, iPhone or other Apple consumerist products because I'm an Apple consumerist *kitten*, so I tend to log right after I'm eating or just before.
    lol on the consumerist comments - good thing I liked you BEFORE I found out about your Apple addiction :P

    You don't like Apple?! *gasp*
  • Evotchka
    Evotchka Posts: 144 Member
    I am logging as I'm eating. It helps me to see the number of calories left for the day and that way I can usually plan better, because I am awesome in cheating myself. I especially like loggin my exercise right after I did it, it's like a reward when it shows me all the calories I can eat again.
    I also like mentioned before love to use the new barcode scanner when I cook, it's easy and fast and a fun toy.
  • kashia09
    kashia09 Posts: 15
    I generally try and log after I do something or eat something so I don't chance forgetting...it also helps keep me on track with how much calorie allowance I have.
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