Do you take days off of tracking?

RedheadedPrincess14
RedheadedPrincess14 Posts: 415 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Okay guys so I’m a goal weight and just working on recomp now and I’ve realized that I absolutely never take a day off tracking even though I have a super good idea of portions and food at this point. I think yes just become apart of my routine! Out of curiosity, does anyone take days off of tracking? I’m considering playing around with a tracking break to see how my intuition will do for 30 days. Has anyone tried this before?
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Replies

  • ladyhusker39
    ladyhusker39 Posts: 1,406 Member
    edited January 2018
    It might be an educational experiment. I'd recommend continuing to weight yourself and maybe use a trending app so you can see how it goes. Let us know who you fare and what you learn from it.
  • MelissaPhippsFeagins
    MelissaPhippsFeagins Posts: 8,063 Member
    Yes, I have done it. I am back at it because I put on 15 or so pounds last year eating stress. When I get it back off, I will probably continue to log for 4-6 months and then log once a week to keep myself on track.
  • WhereIsPJSoles
    WhereIsPJSoles Posts: 622 Member
    I take days off. I’m a person prone to obsessing about food and just coming to terms that I’m “allowed” to not track is probably good for me in the long run.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    Yes. I just watch the scale now.
  • RedheadedPrincess14
    RedheadedPrincess14 Posts: 415 Member
    ladyhusker39 wrote: »
    It might be an educational experiment. I'd recommend continuing to weight yourself and maybe use a trending app so you can see how it goes. Let us know who you fare and what you learn from it.
    100% I would still weigh myself once a week like I do now :)
  • RedheadedPrincess14
    RedheadedPrincess14 Posts: 415 Member
    JaydedMiss wrote: »
    i have been actively trying to work towards taking days off tracking. Im not quite there yet but for me my issue is i get obsessive i have always loved the weight loss math and now that im pretty close to where i wanna be weight wise i know i need to loosen up. I need to practice middle ground, Im currently still tracking the majority but im loosening up on if i want a little ketchup above my calorie goals, Cool ill have a bit of ketchup. Or if iv hit my goal and want a small snack im practicing reaching for low calorie options. Its okay to go over some days basically is what im trying to teach self, If im really hungry or want something. I think its good practice for maintenance to first be okay with going over my goals, While also training myself to reach for healthy options.

    So one day hopefully, Not there yet :p I figure in maintenance ill still track, Just loosely. And adjust as the scale does. And try to avoid the all or nothing mindset i have, Christmas binge was bad. lol. If i can learn to avoid those, Maintaining without tracking will be easier
    I totally relate wth this! ive also found that I’ve gotten quite obsessive with it and that I,super regimented so I’m now in the process of trying to loosen the reigns! We’ll get there!! Going over by even 10 cals used to give me genuine anxiety but now that I’m even thinner than my original goal weight, I know there’s no need to be this pedantic!
  • RedheadedPrincess14
    RedheadedPrincess14 Posts: 415 Member
    WhereIsPJSoles wrote: »
    I take days off. I’m a person prone to obsessing about food and just coming to terms that I’m “allowed” to not track is probably good for me in the long run.
    I know! I’m prone to the obsession so I this is what I need to do
  • Momepro
    Momepro Posts: 1,509 Member
    I did, but I also was intentionally giving allowing mysekf more crap than nornal, because I was on vacation and ther were lits of nrw food options to taste.
  • WhereIsPJSoles
    WhereIsPJSoles Posts: 622 Member
    riverscloud3407 wrote: »
    No. If you save your calories and junk for one day you’re not making any progress. Cheat days shouldn’t exist in my opinion. What makes then better than now?

    Cheat day =/= not logging
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    Since you are maintaining it can be a good time to give it a try. I stopped logging years ago (sometimes I check certain foods or log one day here and there) but mostly I just track my weight and adjust my intake accordingly. I am pretty good with intuitive eating though (in deficit, maintenance or gaining even) .. it can get easier over time with practice, but some people will always need to track.

    You can start by not tracking one day a week, then move to a few days, then tracking only one macro (protein for example).. then maybe move to not at all.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    riverscloud3407 wrote: »
    No. If you save your calories and junk for one day you’re not making any progress. Cheat days shouldn’t exist in my opinion. What makes then better than now?

    Of course you can still make progress with cheat days. You can also make progress without logging at all. Maybe it doesn't work for you, but it doesn't mean it can't work for others.
  • blambo61
    blambo61 Posts: 4,372 Member
    RedheadedPrincess14 wrote: »
    Okay guys so I’m a goal weight and just working on recomp now and I’ve realized that I absolutely never take a day off tracking even though I have a super good idea of portions and food at this point. I think yes just become apart of my routine! Out of curiosity, does anyone take days off of tracking? I’m considering playing around with a tracking break to see how my intuition will do for 30 days. Has anyone tried this before?

    I take every day off tracking. Only thing I care about is what the scale says. If it needs to go down, I eat in a smaller eating window which helps me to reduce calories.
  • slimbyjune18
    slimbyjune18 Posts: 101 Member
    Either log or watch the scale. I stopped doing both and ended up 21lb back on.
  • Lillymoo01
    Lillymoo01 Posts: 2,865 Member
    I have days (normally vacation time) off of weighing my food but on these days I still log, using guesstimate only. I worked hard to get to this weight and want to successfully maintain for well over a year before I begin to loosen up a bit more.
  • DebLaBounty
    DebLaBounty Posts: 1,169 Member
    I reached my goal weight, and kept logging. About a month later, I stopped logging and just tried to continue eating about the way I did while losing weight. Now, three months later without logging at all, I have actually lost another 5 pounds and just hover plus or minus 2 pounds from there. It's weird, but I guess I learned some new habits. I still weigh every morning, so I will know when or if my weight starts to creep up again. Why not try it out?
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    Nope, 1000+ days of logging every day.

    However, I do have days where I guesstimate more than others.

    Keeping logging keeps me maintaining. It only takes two minutes less time scrolling on Facebook per day, so why would I stop something that works?

    I hear you about the switch to maintenance. It really freaked me out when I went over my calorie limit for the first time. I had to come to accept that some days must be more and some days must be less.
  • dutchandkiwi
    dutchandkiwi Posts: 1,389 Member
    Never took a break in 4 years. Totally will admit that over holidays the logging is loose and fast and most likely less accurate, but I never stop logging
  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
    Hot goal in March, kept logging, did well. September/October sort of slid off a little, 4lbs later back logging. Caught it before it got silly.
  • BlueButterfly94
    BlueButterfly94 Posts: 303 Member
    My metabolism can be a bit crazy sometimes, so I'll log basic meals to make sure I hit a calorie goal, and then after that I won't log some foods. At this point I might need to go and see a doctor about it lol
  • amyteacake
    amyteacake Posts: 768 Member
    I sometimes do it. I think it's good for you mentally just to be able to have a day or two off from tracking and logging especially if I'm on vacation or it's my birthday
  • jennybearlv
    jennybearlv Posts: 1,519 Member
    Yeah, I just got back from a nine month diet break. I did step on the scale at least a couple times a week and stayed aware of what I was eating. I gained 15 pounds, mostly over the holidays. I had a ten pound limit, so I'm back logging again. I did log for most of six months before that so I had some practice. I took a day or week off occasionally during that time too. As long as I stay aware of what I'm eating and what I weigh it seems to work for me. If I want to lose I really have to log at least six days a week.
  • RedheadedPrincess14
    RedheadedPrincess14 Posts: 415 Member
    sardelsa wrote: »
    Since you are maintaining it can be a good time to give it a try. I stopped logging years ago (sometimes I check certain foods or log one day here and there) but mostly I just track my weight and adjust my intake accordingly. I am pretty good with intuitive eating though (in deficit, maintenance or gaining even) .. it can get easier over time with practice, but some people will always need to track.

    You can start by not tracking one day a week, then move to a few days, then tracking only one macro (protein for example).. then maybe move to not at all.
    Yeah thank you!!! This is what I’m going to try
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  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    edited January 2018
    I have logged and weighed myself daily for the past 19 months. Lost 38# in 1st 6 months and have maintained my weight over the past 13 doing it.

    Not going to stop now and don't think I ever will.

    I don't obsess about it but it's a habit now that keeps me focused on what and how much I eat so that my weight remains on track.

    I stopped doing this once b4 and quickly fell into bad eating practices that caused me to regain weight and I don't want that to happen again, because I worked too hard to lose the weight, drop my BF and reshape my body.

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