Tired of logging every little bite!

Nykkismommy21
Nykkismommy21 Posts: 224 Member
edited November 21 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone. So lately im feeling a bit discouraged,tired or unmotivated to log all my food into my diary.And I absolutely hate feeling that way. I have lost 13lbs in the last 45 days or so...but I do notice that somedays I feel like logging is such a chore. It might be the days im eating more than I should. But I think my calories might be set to low anyway. Idk. I don't eat junk food though. Just more of the health stuff. But ugh sometimes logging it all gets to me. How do you guys stay motivated or how do you ensure to get it all logged in?!
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Replies

  • MegaMooseEsq
    MegaMooseEsq Posts: 3,118 Member
    edited September 2017
    Well, it sounds like you have several options here. You could do something about your diet: move to a smaller deficit or take a maintenance break (go-to link: www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-full-diet-break.html/). Alternatively, you could pre-log, as others have suggested, or try quitting logging for a while but still weighing yourself regularly. Assuming you want to stay in a deficit, not logging means you have to watch your weight trends carefully, but it's certainly possible. The worst that happens is you start trending upwards, catch it within a pound or three, and start logging again.
  • debtay123
    debtay123 Posts: 1,327 Member
    I feel like logging on the ONE thing that has made such a difference- when I just skip logging or eat a meal and just "guesstimate" then I am usually way off and the weight starts to creep up- I think logging does hold you accountable to yourself- it that makes sense. ITA with everyone who says to prelog do it for a day or for a few days at a time then just change as needed. good luck!
  • kelseyllhunt
    kelseyllhunt Posts: 31 Member
    I always pretrack my food in the morning, partly because I'm a single mom who works full time, and it takes a lot of the guess work out of my day. That way, if I want to treat myself, I already know if I can or not. Makes it so much easier, and gets the logging out of the way first thing :smiley:
  • Heather4448
    Heather4448 Posts: 908 Member
    Sounds like prelogging and meal planning may be your best bet.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,303 Member
    edited September 2017
    Logging is somewhat time consuming, but it allows me to eat the most amount of food that I can while meeting my goals.

    And I wasn't meeting my goals without logging.

    So it allows me to succeed; thus motivation!

    Unsustainably large deficits and a way of eating that is too restrictive and unsuitable for the long term may be part of many people's weight loss experiments, but they do tend to lead to burn out and giving up.

    The process of logging (recording what was consumed) should not be conflated with chosing what and how to eat, or the size of the deficit one aims for.

    Are you sure that *logging* is the problem?
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    I feel ya. Mfp is the only thing that has worked for me in the past (lost 25 ish lbs about 5-6 years ago) but for some reason I just can't get back Into it.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    edited September 2017
    Hi everyone. So lately im feeling a bit discouraged,tired or unmotivated to log all my food into my diary.And I absolutely hate feeling that way. I have lost 13lbs in the last 45 days or so...but I do notice that somedays I feel like logging is such a chore. It might be the days im eating more than I should. But I think my calories might be set to low anyway. Idk. I don't eat junk food though. Just more of the health stuff. But ugh sometimes logging it all gets to me. How do you guys stay motivated or how do you ensure to get it all logged in?!

    I rotate between a few breakfast, lunches, and snacks, so I can just copy them from one day to the next or pick them out of Recent or Frequent. I have more variety for dinner, so that can take a little longer. I cook, and I log while my OH does the dishes :smiley:

    How much weight do you have to lose? Some of the problem may be because you are losing weight too quickly. How tall are you and what's your daily calorie goal?
  • boredloser
    boredloser Posts: 119 Member
    I tend to pre-log a day in advance and then make adjustments and changes along the way
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
    Logging gets easier and easier as time goes on since more of your regular foods are already in the recent list.

    Using all the features makes it easier too. Use the restaurant tab for restaurant menus, use the recipe builder, save meals you eat frequently, use the barcode scanner for packaged items. If you have a scale with a tare function, you can just set your plate on the scale, load one food on it, tare it to zero, load your second food, and so on. Using all the functions I can log my food in just a few seconds now. Eating at the Korean restaurant? I always have dae ji bul go gi, two dumplings, a portion of rice, soup, and BBQ sauce. But instead of logging all that I just select the whole meal. Eating spaghetti? If I type "spa" it brings up the noodles, and if I select the noodles it asks if I am also eating Parmesan, spinach, a salad, dressing, meatballs, and sauce. Bought a new food? Scan the barcode. Breakfast? Same as yesterday, just slide right to add it.

    If the problem is that you hate logging because you don't want to be reminded that you are eating too much, raise your calories or add some exercise.
  • shipratsn
    shipratsn Posts: 13 Member
    To be honest it was annoying for me too at the beginning. But when I saw the impacts of diligently data entry, it became a part of my day which now I can not even miss deliberately.
  • Nykkismommy21
    Nykkismommy21 Posts: 224 Member
    I pre-log the day before so I just have to adjust weights the next day. Logging is the best way I've found to maintain my weight loss, so it isn't hard for me to stay motivated. I'd rather spend a few minutes logging than gain the weight back.

    Why do you think your calories might be too low?

    Sorry i havent been on much lateky..I think they may be to low because I dont include the 4-5 miles I walk 5 x aweek. I only eat back some of my dvd workout calories.
  • Nykkismommy21
    Nykkismommy21 Posts: 224 Member
    Well, it sounds like you have several options here. You could do something about your diet: move to a smaller deficit or take a maintenance break (go-to link: www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-full-diet-break.html/). Alternatively, you could pre-log, as others have suggested, or try quitting logging for a while but still weighing yourself regularly. Assuming you want to stay in a deficit, not logging means you have to watch your weight trends carefully, but it's certainly possible. The worst that happens is you start trending upwards, catch it within a pound or three, and start logging again.

    I think thats what I have been doing lately. The taking a maintenance break, for the last week,which seems to be working. I havent gained . I just havent lost either. I think I was feeling a bit burned out. I also am tired of eating the same things lol which i really love anyway, but im a vegetarian who needs cooking lessons or easy recipes. I need to eat more veggies. I think what I discovered was I need to learn how to meal prep too,because im kinda busy with the kids ,so I just grab what i need when im hungry. Sorry im rambling now!
  • macclone
    macclone Posts: 85 Member
    I keep my meal choices limited to make it easier. For example, I have three main breakfasts - fiber cereal, eggs or a protein shake. Lunch is sliced chicken and pepper jack cheese on wheat bread with spicy mustard everyday. Snack are cheese stick, banana or protein bar.
  • Nykkismommy21
    Nykkismommy21 Posts: 224 Member
    You don't have to log to lose weight. But you have to eat less. But you can't eat too little. You've lost quite a bit quite fast. What's your height and weight and calorie goal? And you have to ask yourself a difficult question: Do you resent logging because it's tedious (and you'd eat appropriately anyway) or because it means that you can't just mindlessly eat whatever whenever in unliminted amounts? And are you eating "healthy" food you hate because you think you have to?

    Me? I log what I eat because I plan my meals and it's just as easy to keep it as I eat than to erase it, and it's interesting to look at, and it reminds me of what I like to eat, and it helps me get structure and variety, balanced meals, and save money. BTW, I'm a big fan of meal planning if that was unclear :D

    Hi my current weight is 183. I started on mfp at 196. Was set first at 1200 sedentary. Then started walking my son to school and picking him up,so I moved to 1390. I walk 4 miles a day and don't try to eat those calories and I workout or was working out 20 minute body shred 5x a week ,until i got a cyst on my tailbone that left me on the sidelines for a week. Anywhoo those calories i eat. I have a first goal of getting to 150. And its funny because I had told myself i wanted to lose 20 lbs by Christmas time,i was ok going slowly but surely. I think i got happy with results and kept pushing and got burnt.
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