Anybody else get tired of counting calories?
Replies
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Since they are estimates only, why not just wait until you're home and add them?sytchequeen wrote: »stephieleee wrote: »I hate it if I'm honest... Especially when I'm eating with other people and I have to log my food before I forget. I always feel stupid for doing it.
But it seems to be getting the job done so I will stick with it.
this... while I don't hate it, I feel really self conscious getting my phone out and logging when I am out with other people - especially as those particular entries have to be guesstimates. Even more embarrassing is logging at a friends house who just cooked you dinner. Awkward...
Edited to add: A few years ago, after having lost 75 lbs with calorie counting and MFP, I went to a friend's baby shower. There was a woman there who pulled out a portable scale, weighed every morsel that passed her lips, and then logged everything immediately into MFP on her phone.
When I asked her why she was doing this, she responded with a smug superiority that made everyone else there instantly feel somehow flawed and lacking.
Don't be that person.
I log everything I eat at home.
If I'm going to a restaurant I'll look up their menu and calories online (if available) before I go, in order to get a handle on what different items cost calorically. I don't always choose the lowest one, but it helps to know what the options are.
If I'm at a friend's house for a meal, I make a mental note of what I've eaten and then log it as best I can when I get home.
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snickerscharlie wrote: »
If I'm at a friend's house for a meal, I make a mental note of what I've eaten and then log it as best I can when I get home.
I'm glad you can remember what was on your plate when you get home
Not my strong suit. Unless I photograph the food, then I'm "that person"
(I have been known to do the above to aid logging later... I did that at a wedding reception earlier this year)
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Of course I get tired of it. But I know I have very little self-control, so unless I log for example "2 jaffa cakes", then I can easily eat 4, scarfe down a packet of crisps when I don't have the calories to spare, etc etc. I'm not tired enough of logging calories to under my hard work and get fat again because I can't spare a minute to log food.4
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Even if it did bother me to count calories, I got awful tired of being fat for a long time too. Life is all about choices.12
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sytchequeen wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »
If I'm at a friend's house for a meal, I make a mental note of what I've eaten and then log it as best I can when I get home.
I'm glad you can remember what was on your plate when you get home
Not my strong suit. Unless I photograph the food, then I'm "that person"
(I have been known to do the above to aid logging later... I did that at a wedding reception earlier this year)
I said it before (in this thread) and I'll say it again:
I'm a 50 year old woman whose brain has become swiss cheese, and I've never had to log my food in the presence of others.
After a few weeks of experience logging, a person should be able to put together a reasonable estimate in their head for a plate of food, and maybe add 200 calories if you're concerned about underestimating. Then just remember that number. But yeah... log it at home (or at least away from the table).5 -
said it before (in this thread) and I'll say it again:
I'm a 50 year old woman whose brain has become swiss cheese, and I've never had to log my food in the presence of others.
show off... - well, I'm 49 and a half, and I can't 
I'll do what I have to in order to keep logging and keep on track
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elisa123gal wrote: »yes, it is unnatural to think about food so much .. to count every bite. It is like thinking every single time you spend money. being meticulous works.. but it is an unhappy state
Not for me. I like keeping track of money. I would also not think the only goal is to avoid "overspending." It's important to manage money, IMO, to spend wisely, to invest wisely.
I mostly like logging too, although I don't do it all the time, and thinking about food and nutrition. I also like putting together a training plan and monitoring progress with it.
I'm not sure why this is "unnatural," except in the sense that most things we do as humans is probably "unnatural" in some way.8 -
elisa123gal wrote: »yes, it is unnatural to think about food so much .. to count every bite. It is like thinking every single time you spend money. being meticulous works.. but it is an unhappy state
Not for me. I like keeping track of money. I would also not think the only goal is to avoid "overspending." It's important to manage money, IMO, to spend wisely, to invest wisely.
I mostly like logging too, although I don't do it all the time, and thinking about food and nutrition. I also like putting together a training plan and monitoring progress with it.
I'm not sure why this is "unnatural," except in the sense that most things we do as humans is probably "unnatural" in some way.
^This.
I also don't see how this is all a virtue test of sorts.
There is, imo, no universal should/shouldn't when it comes to this sort of thing. There's no objective purity standard. Who set it? To what aim? There are only goals we have for ourselves and behaviors we engage in. We can engage in those behaviors in either healthy or unhealthy ways, of course, but that's entirely individual.
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It’s annoying but I know if I didn’t log, I’d eat 3000 calories daily. I wish I could just look at the food and have it show up in my log automatically3
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sytchequeen wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »
If I'm at a friend's house for a meal, I make a mental note of what I've eaten and then log it as best I can when I get home.
I'm glad you can remember what was on your plate when you get home
Not my strong suit. Unless I photograph the food, then I'm "that person"
(I have been known to do the above to aid logging later... I did that at a wedding reception earlier this year)
I said it before (in this thread) and I'll say it again:
I'm a 50 year old woman whose brain has become swiss cheese, and I've never had to log my food in the presence of others.
After a few weeks of experience logging, a person should be able to put together a reasonable estimate in their head for a plate of food, and maybe add 200 calories if you're concerned about underestimating. Then just remember that number. But yeah... log it at home (or at least away from the table).
I just turned 64, so, yeah. Even I can remember what I ate for dinner a few hours after the fact. The next day might be a challenge, though. 2 -
snickerscharlie wrote: »sytchequeen wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »
If I'm at a friend's house for a meal, I make a mental note of what I've eaten and then log it as best I can when I get home.
I'm glad you can remember what was on your plate when you get home
Not my strong suit. Unless I photograph the food, then I'm "that person"
(I have been known to do the above to aid logging later... I did that at a wedding reception earlier this year)
I said it before (in this thread) and I'll say it again:
I'm a 50 year old woman whose brain has become swiss cheese, and I've never had to log my food in the presence of others.
After a few weeks of experience logging, a person should be able to put together a reasonable estimate in their head for a plate of food, and maybe add 200 calories if you're concerned about underestimating. Then just remember that number. But yeah... log it at home (or at least away from the table).
I just turned 64, so, yeah. Even I can remember what I ate for dinner a few hours after the fact. The next day might be a challenge, though.
Yeah, after a few hours, all bets are off. I can understand losing track of a day full of mindless snacking, but if you're sitting down with an actual meal in front of you, I would think that would be more memorable (and if it's not, I'd have to wonder if it was worth eating ). 1 -
I’m in no hurry, so to avoid getting bored I go on maintanence every 10lbs for a few weeks. I don’t feel as much need to count during this time. Today I’m ending another maintanence cycle. The next month up until Christmas I’m going to be counting again.2
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elisa123gal wrote: »yes, it is unnatural to think about food so much .. to count every bite. It is like thinking every single time you spend money. being meticulous works.. but it is an unhappy state
The goal is to truly not to want to overeat... to have zero desire to overspend. thinking about these things because we can't easily manage them stinks.
Maybe that's your goal and you're experience, but you can't speak for everyone, and seriously, "unnatural" is a very odd word for being mindful of your resources. My goal is simply to maintain my weight, and I can easily manage that (and my money) by keeping track of what I'm spending in calories and dollars. I can't even imagine keeping a budget of any kind without putting some thought into it. I don't find it stinks at all, it's part of life.
I'm very sorry you feel that being in control of important aspects of life (money and food) makes you unhappy, and hopefully you can reach a state of not having to think about those things (if you haven't already) but that is certainly not everyone's goal, nor should it have to be.10 -
snickerscharlie wrote: »sytchequeen wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »
If I'm at a friend's house for a meal, I make a mental note of what I've eaten and then log it as best I can when I get home.
I'm glad you can remember what was on your plate when you get home
Not my strong suit. Unless I photograph the food, then I'm "that person"
(I have been known to do the above to aid logging later... I did that at a wedding reception earlier this year)
I said it before (in this thread) and I'll say it again:
I'm a 50 year old woman whose brain has become swiss cheese, and I've never had to log my food in the presence of others.
After a few weeks of experience logging, a person should be able to put together a reasonable estimate in their head for a plate of food, and maybe add 200 calories if you're concerned about underestimating. Then just remember that number. But yeah... log it at home (or at least away from the table).
I just turned 64, so, yeah. Even I can remember what I ate for dinner a few hours after the fact. The next day might be a challenge, though.
This^^^^^^ I think it's a good mental exercise to remember what I ate at a restaurant or at someone's home.2 -
I do think the strategy of photographing the food on the plate is a good idea for those who have trouble remembering the detail afterward or estimating the portion sizes afterward
Ive never done it but it sounds a really helpful tip.
and at weddings, baby showers,birthday parties, restaraunt outings, just about every event these days, people photograph each other, the cake ,the venue etc - photographing the food could easily be done while taking other photos without looking awkward or weird.2 -
paperpudding wrote: »I do think the strategy of photographing the food on the plate is a good idea for those who have trouble remembering the detail afterward or estimating the portion sizes afterward
Ive never done it but it sounds a really helpful tip.
and at weddings, baby showers,birthday parties, restaraunt outings, just about every event these days, people photograph each other, the cake ,the venue etc - photographing the food could easily be done while taking other photos without looking awkward or weird.
You don't even have to hide the fact that you are taking a picture of your food. I have friends on Facebook that not only take pictures but post many, many meals for all to see. When I see them I am often trying to work out the calories LOL!
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I didnt quite mean hide it - more do it as a natural thing like taking photos of other aspects of the event without it being a MFP or Logging calories thing - even though privately for you that is the purpose of the photo.0
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It's easy enough to count calories most of the time. Sometimes I do get a little tired of logging but taking a few days or even a week "off" really does the trick.
I still eat reasonable portions, and I try to continue to fuel myself with the foods my body needs and has come to crave, but I take a few days to not plan, not weigh, and not log. It does wonders for my state of mind, and so far hasn't stopped me from steadily moving toward my goals. Better to break now and then, than to lose heart and stop altogether.3 -
Lillymoo01 wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »I do think the strategy of photographing the food on the plate is a good idea for those who have trouble remembering the detail afterward or estimating the portion sizes afterward
Ive never done it but it sounds a really helpful tip.
and at weddings, baby showers,birthday parties, restaraunt outings, just about every event these days, people photograph each other, the cake ,the venue etc - photographing the food could easily be done while taking other photos without looking awkward or weird.
You don't even have to hide the fact that you are taking a picture of your food. I have friends on Facebook that not only take pictures but post many, many meals for all to see. When I see them I am often trying to work out the calories LOL!
I think that taking pictures of the food at a restaurant, unless you are a reporter for a culinary magazine, is tacky. And taking pictures at somebody's house is not good table manners and borderline disrespectful in my book. If somebody has trouble remembering pencil and paper will do the trick.
But that is me, and you can Woo me all you want.6 -
Lillymoo01 wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »I do think the strategy of photographing the food on the plate is a good idea for those who have trouble remembering the detail afterward or estimating the portion sizes afterward
Ive never done it but it sounds a really helpful tip.
and at weddings, baby showers,birthday parties, restaraunt outings, just about every event these days, people photograph each other, the cake ,the venue etc - photographing the food could easily be done while taking other photos without looking awkward or weird.
You don't even have to hide the fact that you are taking a picture of your food. I have friends on Facebook that not only take pictures but post many, many meals for all to see. When I see them I am often trying to work out the calories LOL!
I think that taking pictures of the food at a restaurant, unless you are a reporter for a culinary magazine, is tacky. And taking pictures at somebody's house is not good table manners and borderline disrespectful in my book. If somebody has trouble remembering pencil and paper will do the trick.
But that is me, and you can Woo me all you want.
If you don't use the flash, taking a photo of your food at a restaurant is pretty much indistinguishable from looking at a text message. I don't photograph my food (or log) when in a situation where it would be rude in general to take my phone out and look at it. I wouldn't do it at someone else's house at the dinner table, but might in a large-party/potluck situation where people are sitting/eating in various places, and at a time when I'm not interacting with anyone. It doesn't have to be some big ostentatious thing if one follows normal cell phone etiquette.9 -
sytchequeen wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »
If I'm at a friend's house for a meal, I make a mental note of what I've eaten and then log it as best I can when I get home.
I'm glad you can remember what was on your plate when you get home
Not my strong suit. Unless I photograph the food, then I'm "that person"
(I have been known to do the above to aid logging later... I did that at a wedding reception earlier this year)
I think it gets easier to remember the longer you are in the habit of logging. I couldn't do it reliably the first few months, but at some point it kicked in. A side benefit is that knowing I'm going to want to log it later means I have to actually pay attention to what I'm eating in the first place, and paying attention means I'm not mindlessly eating anything and everything. "Do I want this enough to make it worth remembering that I ate it so I can log it later?" 4 -
paperpudding wrote: »I stopped paying attention to calories. I still put my food I The app but if I focus on 0123 I hit the calorie and macro goals easily and am never hungry. 0- sugar, 1–meal sized salad everyday, 2-cups cooked non starchy veggies everyday, 3 hours before bed stop eating. My macros are 55-60% fat, 20% protein, the rest carbs. I’ve lost 26 lbs in 14 weeks on this.
You forgot the 4
0 - sugar
1- meal sized salad
2 - cups cooked non starchy veggies every day
3 - hours before bed stop eating
4 - things above have nothing to do with losing weight.
I don't think the poster was saying those things, in themselves , matter for weight loss but rather that adhering to them was a strategy for her that meant she could follow these and acheive weight loss without counting calories.
It was just a post about personal experience - what she does instead of calorie counting
And since she has lost 26lb in 14 weeks it seems a good strategy for her.
Not neccesarily for anyone else - but she didn't say that it was.
Read the other posts by this person. I'm very confident that's exactly what they're saying.2 -
lynn_glenmont wrote: »sytchequeen wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »
If I'm at a friend's house for a meal, I make a mental note of what I've eaten and then log it as best I can when I get home.
I'm glad you can remember what was on your plate when you get home
Not my strong suit. Unless I photograph the food, then I'm "that person"
(I have been known to do the above to aid logging later... I did that at a wedding reception earlier this year)
I think it gets easier to remember the longer you are in the habit of logging. I couldn't do it reliably the first few months, but at some point it kicked in. A side benefit is that knowing I'm going to want to log it later means I have to actually pay attention to what I'm eating in the first place, and paying attention means I'm not mindlessly eating anything and everything. "Do I want this enough to make it worth remembering that I ate it so I can log it later?"
I've found that true, too (at age 63, and with typical post chemotherapy cognitive issues, besides). FWIW, calorie counting has also improved my ability to remember numbers (without transposing digits) and to do arithmetic, something I've always been pretty marginal at.4 -
lynn_glenmont wrote: »sytchequeen wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »
If I'm at a friend's house for a meal, I make a mental note of what I've eaten and then log it as best I can when I get home.
I'm glad you can remember what was on your plate when you get home
Not my strong suit. Unless I photograph the food, then I'm "that person"
(I have been known to do the above to aid logging later... I did that at a wedding reception earlier this year)
I think it gets easier to remember the longer you are in the habit of logging. I couldn't do it reliably the first few months, but at some point it kicked in. A side benefit is that knowing I'm going to want to log it later means I have to actually pay attention to what I'm eating in the first place, and paying attention means I'm not mindlessly eating anything and everything. "Do I want this enough to make it worth remembering that I ate it so I can log it later?"
I've found that true, too (at age 63, and with typical post chemotherapy cognitive issues, besides). FWIW, calorie counting has also improved my ability to remember numbers (without transposing digits) and to do arithmetic, something I've always been pretty marginal at.
I agree with that (am 74 so I know that some neurons are probably not firing up very well). I keep a mental log of the ingredients and their weight in a salad, or of what I had for lunch and dinner. I find the "remembering" a good exercise for my brain and memory. When recipes have many ingredients, then I use a pencil and a paper to try to be more accurate.4 -
Lillymoo01 wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »I do think the strategy of photographing the food on the plate is a good idea for those who have trouble remembering the detail afterward or estimating the portion sizes afterward
Ive never done it but it sounds a really helpful tip.
and at weddings, baby showers,birthday parties, restaraunt outings, just about every event these days, people photograph each other, the cake ,the venue etc - photographing the food could easily be done while taking other photos without looking awkward or weird.
You don't even have to hide the fact that you are taking a picture of your food. I have friends on Facebook that not only take pictures but post many, many meals for all to see. When I see them I am often trying to work out the calories LOL!
I think that taking pictures of the food at a restaurant, unless you are a reporter for a culinary magazine, is tacky. And taking pictures at somebody's house is not good table manners and borderline disrespectful in my book. If somebody has trouble remembering pencil and paper will do the trick.
But that is me, and you can Woo me all you want.
Well I wouldn't be wooing you ( not getting the 'dare you to woo me' attitude though) - but I disagree.
Restaraunts are public places, no reason you cannot photograph the food.
And at any event where photographing in general is ok and the done thing ( which is just about everywhere) nobody will notice that you photographed each other, a selfie, whatever, and then one of your meal.
I don't see it as tacky or disrespectful and, like Ann said, easy enough to do in subtle manner.
But obviously is just a helpful tip - nobody has to do it if they feel uncomfortable with it.
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cartersmom06 wrote: »Getting tired of logging everything I eat...there has to be an easier way!
Yeah I hate it.. but it's necessary for me.0 -
Logging everything religiously worked for me for years, it helped me feel in control and informed about my nutrition (I love numbers and data), I didn't mind logging in public or in restaurants, I love the recipe builder, eventually it took no effort whatsoever it was just part of my day. I still tell anyone who asks or mentions weightloss that it is the most foolproof, least awkward or invasive way to manage your weight that I can think of. 5 stars, 10/10, A+ method.
That being said, I've stopped logging because my current mental health issues just do not enjoy it. Giving up logging was giving up the control that I once really needed and enjoyed but now I was death gripping to hold on to every day then binge eating when it slipped and right now my brain needs to just chill out and relax. Which is fine. I might gain a bit of weight and that's fine too. Just because a thing works doesn't mean it's going to work for every person at every time in their life and some brains (especially if they have a history of disordered eating) do need to be careful which parts of your psyche that sweet delicious control is feeding.
I'm actually hoping one day I can start logging again, without needing to, just because it's handy to know these things.9 -
Lillymoo01 wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »I do think the strategy of photographing the food on the plate is a good idea for those who have trouble remembering the detail afterward or estimating the portion sizes afterward
Ive never done it but it sounds a really helpful tip.
and at weddings, baby showers,birthday parties, restaraunt outings, just about every event these days, people photograph each other, the cake ,the venue etc - photographing the food could easily be done while taking other photos without looking awkward or weird.
You don't even have to hide the fact that you are taking a picture of your food. I have friends on Facebook that not only take pictures but post many, many meals for all to see. When I see them I am often trying to work out the calories LOL!
I think that taking pictures of the food at a restaurant, unless you are a reporter for a culinary magazine, is tacky. And taking pictures at somebody's house is not good table manners and borderline disrespectful in my book. If somebody has trouble remembering pencil and paper will do the trick.
But that is me, and you can Woo me all you want.
As for taking pictures of food in a restaurant--everyone does it here. I live in Rome and the tourists are always taking pictures of the food, especially the Japanese. The restaurant owners love it, free publicity. When I order something special and it comes to the table, even after 30 yrs here, I'm awed by the beauty, so I take a picture to send home to friends and relatives in Minnesota. It's a bit of incentive to come visit us. As for in someone's home, I'd just say "this looks so delicious, would you mind if I take a photo?" I think my host or hostess would be complimented. It all depends on how you approach it.3 -
snickerscharlie wrote: »sytchequeen wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »
If I'm at a friend's house for a meal, I make a mental note of what I've eaten and then log it as best I can when I get home.
I'm glad you can remember what was on your plate when you get home
Not my strong suit. Unless I photograph the food, then I'm "that person"
(I have been known to do the above to aid logging later... I did that at a wedding reception earlier this year)
I said it before (in this thread) and I'll say it again:
I'm a 50 year old woman whose brain has become swiss cheese, and I've never had to log my food in the presence of others.
After a few weeks of experience logging, a person should be able to put together a reasonable estimate in their head for a plate of food, and maybe add 200 calories if you're concerned about underestimating. Then just remember that number. But yeah... log it at home (or at least away from the table).
I just turned 64, so, yeah. Even I can remember what I ate for dinner a few hours after the fact. The next day might be a challenge, though.
Yeah, after a few hours, all bets are off. I can understand losing track of a day full of mindless snacking, but if you're sitting down with an actual meal in front of you, I would think that would be more memorable (and if it's not, I'd have to wonder if it was worth eating ).
I have a benign brain tumor affecting short term memory and I'm on a high dose of Topomax for migraines. (If you don't know, the nickname for Topomax is dopemax.)
I wouldn't remember the meal either!
But I wouldn't take out my phone. If I don't log for a day here or there, it doesn't bother me. Sometimes I do a quick add, sometimes I don't.5 -
I mean, sure. It sucks that I'll have to do this the rest of my life but you know what sucks more? Being obese/out of shape/out of breath all the time/not actually living life.
I actually had better quality of life at 320# than I do at 141#. At least people didn't tell me I have an ED because I log food.
I feel like most people would disagree, and instead feel that the late-in-life medical complications and reduced life expectancy from being 320 lbs are worse than being told you have an eating disorder.6
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