Do you log gum?

I chew a lot of gum through-out the work day. It's all sugarless gum, but I usually go through a pack every two days and noticed that each stick usually has about 5 calories.

For accuracy reasons, should I be logging each piece?

Replies

  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    When I started weight loss I logged everything that had calories it assured me my intake was on point.

    If a pack of gum is 30 sticks and 1/2 pack a day that is 75 calories.
  • mgookin
    mgookin Posts: 92 Member
    I dont, only because it doesnt affect my weightloss. I have a lot to lose and 2100 calorie limit so I have wiggle room so I dont have to be exact.
  • ShayCarver89
    ShayCarver89 Posts: 239 Member
    I don't. But I'm not as spastic as a lot of people. I'm a 'eat the fry at the bottom of the bag and don't worry about it' kind of person.
  • Gisel2015
    Gisel2015 Posts: 4,187 Member
    edited January 2019
    Nope, I never did, and I never will.
  • WifiresGettingFit
    WifiresGettingFit Posts: 1,773 Member
    I log everything even 2-3 calorie mints. I have chewed an entire pack of gum in one day before. It's 80 calories for that particular pack. Right now I'm running about 750-1000 calorie deficit so 80 calories isn't really going to hinder that much but eventually I'll be smaller and thus running a much smaller deficit around 250 and those little sticks of gum will not only add up but will in fact make a dent into my smaller deficit (especially if I have other things I don't bother to log. )
  • Lillymoo01
    Lillymoo01 Posts: 2,865 Member
    I don't but have always gone by the assumption that the effort of chewing the gum would come close to the calories that are in the sugar-free gum.
  • Danp
    Danp Posts: 1,561 Member
    How strictly you need to log is different from one person to the next.

    My motto (for myself) is to log only as diligently as I need. I want to continue to lose weight but I want it to impact on the rest of my life as little as possible. The less of a hassle it is, the easier it is and as a consequence the more likely I am to continue.

    Up till this point a 'near enough is good enough' approach is still working for me. I can get a way with little things like eyeballing condiments or not logging the 1 or 2 mentos that I ate during a meeting and still continue to lose weight.

    That said I also know as I get down to a healthier, more appropriate weight that this won't be the case. I'll have to be far more mindful of my calorie intake as my deficit 'wiggle room' will diminish. When that happens and my weight loss stalls I'll have to up how stringently I'm logging, at least enough to start losing again.
  • Lillymoo01
    Lillymoo01 Posts: 2,865 Member
    Simple maths
    Average stick of sugar-free gum - 5 calories
    Average calories burned per hour chewing gum - 11 calories.

    Therefore if you are chewing one gum for at least 30 minutes why bother logging it?
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,324 Member
    no. I don't want to live a life where I think about how many calories my gum could be. :)
  • Talan79
    Talan79 Posts: 782 Member
    I log gum. Some days it’s one piece and other days may be 5.
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    Lillymoo01 wrote: »
    Simple maths
    Average stick of sugar-free gum - 5 calories
    Average calories burned per hour chewing gum - 11 calories.

    Therefore if you are chewing one gum for at least 30 minutes why bother logging it?

    This is how I've always felt about it. Not logging it has ever had any impact on my results.
  • Elijah8468
    Elijah8468 Posts: 37 Member
    I never do. I also dont track calories burned either so I just tell myself it balances out
  • frameloss
    frameloss Posts: 92 Member
    Nope! It’s minimal
  • Anniebotnen
    Anniebotnen Posts: 332 Member
    No. I chew quite a lot of sugarless gum, and have never logged it for either weight loss or maintenance. I still lost,and have been maintaining now for 4 years.
  • happytree923
    happytree923 Posts: 463 Member
    I would get crippling TMJ long before I could chew enough gum to significantly impact weight loss.
  • stricklee11
    stricklee11 Posts: 218 Member
    I do. It accounts for 15-18 calories per day.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    i guess maybe if you chew a LOT of it.

    on the exceedingly rare occasions i do, i do not log it.
  • cassiejofthe88
    cassiejofthe88 Posts: 4 Member
    That was a lot of replies! Thank you everyone! It's nice to see the different views on this. When joining MFP they tell you to log everything at the start, I suppose to help build the habit of logging in the foods. I'm interested to see how my snacking habits effect me journey, and I bet chewing gum so much might even be a trigger for my snacking. I guess the only way to see that is to be diligent about logging each piece. But it's good to know that it's not that big of an impact.