How long to keep loging food.

DianaGabriela2013 · July 2017

People who have reached and maintained their goal weight. How long do you keep login foods in MyFitPal? I would think after some time you get used to what amounts of foods have approx what calories and know what you can eat in a day of your regular day to day foods etc.
3-4 months? More? Never stop logging foods?

cosmonew · July 2017

I can never stop. I actually use a different system that does not involve logging...but I still track my food. Some people perhaps can...but I KNOW...If I stop keeping track...eventually, I will stop logging in to MFP and then I'll be back in a year or so...trying to lose 50 pounds again. NO THANKS!

seska422 · July 2017

I've had weight regain, plus some, every other time I've lost weight because I didn't stay vigilant. My consumption slowly drifts upward over time. If I want to keep the weight off, I'll need to keep logging. I don't expect MFP to be around forever but I've logged with pen and paper before and I can go back to that if needed.

gothchiq · July 2017

Forever and ever, amen.

jjpptt2 · July 2017

It will depend on the person and what benefit they get from logging.

Yes, I've been at this long enough to be able to reasonably estimate most of my usual foods without having to actually weigh and log them. But the act of logging seems to help me stay accountable, so when I log, that's usually why... not because I have no idea how much I'm eating, but because seeing the actual numbers helps me stay engaged.

OliveGirl128 · July 2017

I've never used MFP to track on a regular basis (my weight loss phase was before I knew about this site). My maintenance plan is-some mental math throughout the day, use my food scale to measure out things that I'm not good at eyeballing, an IF protocol and then daily weigh-ins. These things have kept me within a 5lb window for a little over 4 years now.

Regardless if you continue tracking on MFP or not, you should always have some sort of checks n' balances in place.

Jruzer · July 2017

It's a daily tool of living for me, like checking my bank balance or my gas gauge.

perkymommy · July 2017

DianaGabriela2013 wrote: »

People who have reached and maintained their goal weight. How long do you keep login foods in MyFitPal? I would think after some time you get used to what amounts of foods have approx what calories and know what you can eat in a day of your regular day to day foods etc.
3-4 months? More? Never stop logging foods?

Depends on the person but when I got to the goal in the past I thought I had a handle on it and started guessing instead of weighing/measuring and gained it all back

tomteboda · July 2017

I'm going to be a lifetime logger. It works. Nothing else has.

krael65 · July 2017

Same here. I've lost and maintained through logging consistently. Whenever I let it go and stop logging, I gain weight. I'm back in maintenance now, and plan to log for life.

hgycta · July 2017

I've been logging for 1,735 days straight so far according to myfitnesspal, and it would have been more than that had I not forgotten my original username (which turns out to have been what it is now, just followed by @yahoo.com). Most of those days have been maintenance, simply because it's so easy to get comfortable and lose track of what you're eating. For me, I need constant accountability. If i don't log I'll eat 100 calories over my goals here and there continuously and I'd rather just face saying no to high calorie desserts knowing that I won't step on the scale one day to find I gained all my weight back (and then some).
Sure, some days I don't feel like logging, and sometimes I just want to throw in the towel and go nuts. But I remind myself that every calorie is counted by our bodies whether we acknowledge it now or later, and it's easier to say no to a slice of cake than it is to run on a treadmill for hours later. Luckily we have so many lower calorie options now days that it's not too bad to say no to cake, as you can usually find a delicious lower calorie substitute to satisfy you (even if it's a piece of gum now, and Halo Top/Enlightened ice cream later)!

Just do what works for you - each person has their technique that works best for them!

sijomial · August 2017

I progressively estimated more, measured less and had a few logging breaks.
Then just one day thought I would experiment and stopped logging completely - wasn't a problem to maintain at all.

I tend to gain weight in winter as my cycling distance is far lower (and Christmas of course!) and can eat/exercise precisely enough to lose at a slow rate of 1lb a month. Can also lose a quickly if I choose to for a short duration to correct a post holiday splurge or get to a certain weight for a cycling event.

You don't lose the ability to be calorie aware and if you weigh yourself frequently any upward trend is obvious.

Gaining it all back or gaining a large amount back would mean ignoring the upward trend that is developing right before your eyes and not reacting to it - that's not a food logging issue!

Lillymoo01 · August 2017

I think I will be logging for many years to come to keep me accountable but hoping in time to be able to ditch the scales and no longer weigh everything.

seska422 · August 2017

sijomial wrote: »

Gaining it all back or gaining a large amount back would mean ignoring the upward trend that is developing right before your eyes and not reacting to it - that's not a food logging issue!

When I stop being in an active calorie-intake-policing mode, I "eh, that's not too bad" my way back up to my starting weight plus a few extra pounds for company.

Staying vigilant on a daily basis is what I need. It's great that you can look at a more over-arching timeline. I'm going to use an easy and handy tool to stay on top of my weight rather than try to play catch-up after I've lost ground.

It's not a food logging issue, it's that the tool of food logging is a cheap, easy, convenient way to be comfortable that I can stay in control rather than gritting my teeth and hoping that this time will be different. Much less stress to just keep logging.

sijomial · August 2017

seska422 wrote: »

sijomial wrote: »

Gaining it all back or gaining a large amount back would mean ignoring the upward trend that is developing right before your eyes and not reacting to it - that's not a food logging issue!

When I stop being in an active calorie-intake-policing mode, I "eh, that's not too bad" my way back up to my starting weight plus a few extra pounds for company.

Staying vigilant on a daily basis is what I need. It's great that you can look at a more over-arching timeline. I'm going to use an easy and handy tool to stay on top of my weight rather than try to play catch-up after I've lost ground.

It's not a food logging issue, it's that the tool of food logging is a cheap, easy, convenient way to be comfortable that I can stay in control rather than gritting my teeth and hoping that this time will be different. Much less stress to just keep logging.

@seska422
Agree - different tools to achieve the same end result of being vigilant.
I just weigh myself daily and keep a casual eye on any developing trend and start trimming calories when I get too high a weight (skipping breakfast, making lower calorie lunch choices at work, different or less snacks....).

I'm probably a bit unusual in that although my intuitive eating level is a surplus, and always has been, I've maintained the same way most of my adult life. My weight gain was sudden rather than a slow upward drift. Even in my "fat 20 years" I effectively maintained in a narrow range, just at too high a weight.

paperpudding · August 2017

I agree that it depends on the person.

However my own answer is - indefinitely.

I reached my goal weight at end of 2013 and have continued logging ever since.

I do take a break for a week or so once or twice a year if I am on holidays - and I do practice what I call lazy logging - ie lots of estimations, guestimates, and finding something close enough in data base.

But doing this and weighing once a week to check on real life results is working for me so no plans to stop doing it

dutchandkiwi · August 2017

I just entered maintenance - not planning on giving up the logging at all. We'll see how long I will do this and whether I will do it here. TBH though I actually like logging and having all my data available. I download all my data and have them in a spreadsheet so I track over time as well. Love having that insight

MontyMuttland · August 2017

I've been on maintenance for a little over 6 months having lost around 9 stone before that. It's been the first time in my whole adult life that I've not only got rid of my excess weight but been able to maintain at a healthy weight.
In my case certainly, my continued success is down to logging everything that I consume so I always know exactly where I am with my calories going in versus calories going out.
If you're like me and always struggled with your weight, then I'd recommend continuing to log everything. It keeps you in control.

stanmann571 · August 2017

I would say that anything less than 12 months is probably too soon. But It could be forever.

in the 4-6 month range, you could probably relax logging(1 package vs 578 grams)

Sharon_C · August 2017

Never for me. I'll take periodic breaks but I always come back. I think it's too easy to convince yourself that extra spoonful won't matter or that second helping isn't going to make a difference until you find yourself back where you started. So for me I will always log. I've been logging for 5 years and have no intention of stopping.

inertiastrength · August 2017

I stopped logging from October to February. I had to lose 15lbs come spring. my "you're full" sensor is broken.

How long to keep loging food.

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