MFP Tool or Crutch? Weigh-in

PiscesMan123 · June 2019

Have you ever noticed how challenging it can be to trust your own instincts when you reach your goal weight? I tried weaning myself off counting calories and weighing in everyday. After three days, I just didn't trust myself that I was actually doing the right thing. I jumped back on the scale only to find that I had lost some weight. Yeah. Have you tried weaning yourself off counting calories and weighing-in everyday? How has that worked for you? What games does your mind play?

MaxineMarieM · June 2019

If it worked to get you to your goal weight then why not continue to use it? Speaking from experience on WW hitting my goal ( lost 220 lbs)was not enough I needed to know the next step. Wish I had been on MFP. I would have had some idea what calorie amount I should be eating to maintain. 40 more lbs I will be back to goal thanks to MFP

apullum · June 2019

Some people choose not to track calories in maintenance, but they use the knowledge of calories/portion sizes that they learned through tracking, and are also okay with eating less or more depending on how their weight fluctuates. Others choose to continue tracking. I don't think any of us just instinctually stop overeating. Unless you naturally do not want to eat a lot of calories--in which case you've probably never struggled with your weight--"instincts" are a poor way to determine how much to eat. My instincts led to me having a BMI of 42.

Lillymoo01 · June 2019

I am one that will not trust my own instincts. Like you, if I try to guesstimate then I actually tend to undereat. Weird when I have spent most of my life obese. There is also that real fear that if I do trust my instincts I could easily end up overweight again and I simply do not want to go there. If I have to keep weighing food for the rest of my life to maintain a healthy weight, that is a small price to pay for the benefits of overall health. Time will tell whether I learn to trust myself better though.

425Recess · June 2019

Logging my calories means maintaining and not logging means gaining. It's that simple for me. I weigh every day also. I have been maintaining for almost nine years now. I was over weight before hitting goal (except for brief periods) since I was 10 - many, many years ago. I like this better.

reversemigration · June 2019

There may come a time where I won't find it necessary to track or log, but I don't feel I've gotten to the point of being able to guesstimate calories and portion sizes for things that I don't eat on a daily basis. For instance, my breakfast and lunch are pretty consistent (I feel like a regular in a bar, where I say "the usual" and the bartender slides down a bowl of oatmeal), but dinner varies pretty much every day. Because of that, and because I also find the accountability helpful, it's a useful tool.

paperpudding · June 2019

Well, I've never weighed every day so I didn't have to wean myself from that.
Just continued with my weekly weighing.

Re weaning from counting calories - no I continue to log and to calorie count.

But I do it quite loosely - lots of estimates and logging things as same as previous ones without checking, that sort of thing.

As long as my weight is staying within its 1.5 kg range either side of goal weight , then what I am doing is close enough and is working just to keep some basic accountability and avoid portion creep.

I don't see it as a crutch - just a tool that works for me.

Like, for example, writing a shopping list - you could see that as a crutch and something to wean yourself off.
Or as a tool that works for me so no need to change it - but I do it loosely now.
Eg I might write milk x 3 rather than low fat milk, xyz brand, 600 ml size, 3 cartons - just enough information to work but not more than neccesary.

rheddmobile · June 2019

I’m a type 2 diabetic. I need to know my net carbs at each meal in order to stay healthy. It just makes sense to keep logging for the rest of my life.

You seem to be using the word “crutch” in a pejorative sense, but if you are missing a leg, there’s nothing wrong with using a crutch. It would be silly to hop around on one foot because you were too proud to admit you needed crutches.

seska422 · June 2019

My instincts lead me to one of two things: creeping weight gain or rapid weight gain.

Why would I worry over each bite when I can take 10 minutes out of my day to log so that I know my calorie intake so that I can relax?

Once you learn the ins-and-outs of the process, calorie counting is easy. Why would I pass up an easy way to manage my intake in favor of some nebulous "instinct" that's never worked for me?

Neither method is morally superior. Do what works for you and your lifestyle.

jan110144 · June 2019

I don't know what I will do long term, but early maintenance has been a challenge for me. I find logging is a real help in learning how to modify my eating to maintain my weight. I also find my daily weigh-ins are a good tool to help learn about how changes are affecting weight.

The things I am doing differently are to set a daily calorie allowance based on TDEE and no longer eat back exercise calories. This has changed my hyper focus on MFP and makes it an important tool but not such central focus. I also continue to participate in the community because I receive valuable guidance as I work toward establishing a realistic, permanent way of maintaining.

marysabetournay · June 2019

i've stopped weighing and writting what I eat and I seem to maintain pretty well. For the last 5 months, all is good....I tend to eat the same things all the time so it's pretty easy but, I still jump on the scale twice a week to make sure!

steveko89 · June 2019

Personally, I have no reservations about logging daily permanently. By most user's definition, I've probably been "in maintenance" for the majority of my time on MFP having never strayed beyond the confines of a "healthy" BMI and now focus on improving my physique/body composition within a weight range of 10 lbs or so.

I'm a huge fan of pre-logging, as some others mentioned. It's become a habit to plan out things as much as I can the day before and I firmly believe it helps my wife and I be better organized about planning our nightly dinners at home. Not only does that help us eat healthier but saves money since we eat out less.

jrwms714 · June 2019

MFP is a tool for me ... and an easy one at that. 4.5 years into maintenance, and logging is so simple; helps me plan, is not remotely an inconvenience, given how easy it is to do. Have been logging for almost 7 years now. All my meals are pretty much in there ... just click on them and I'm done, sometimes with an adjustment or two! And I, too, pre-log which is very helpful in planning. For me, all of this is as second nature as stepping on the scale every morning or a good habit like brushing my teeth.

apullum · June 2019

rheddmobile wrote: »

I’m a type 2 diabetic. I need to know my net carbs at each meal in order to stay healthy. It just makes sense to keep logging for the rest of my life.

You seem to be using the word “crutch” in a pejorative sense, but if you are missing a leg, there’s nothing wrong with using a crutch. It would be silly to hop around on one foot because you were too proud to admit you needed crutches.

I love this. For me, MFP is like a medical device. I used to have obesity-related health problems, and now I use this app to help me manage them. That’s not a negative thing, any more than needing medication or medical devices is a negative thing.

VioletRojo · June 2019

I can't trust my instincts because I take a medication that affects my appetite. Left to my own devices I'll either over-eat, or under eat because I'm afraid of over-eating.

hesn92 · June 2019

When I'm not focused on losing weight, I do lazy logging. I mostly throw guesstimates of portion sizes on there. I might not create a recipe but instead just search for whatever it was that I made and log that and assume it's close enough. When I come up to a day where logging would be a pain (maybe we go to a family bbq, or go out of town etc.) then I just skip logging for that day. Still works for me.

CJ_Holmes · June 2019

Logging works for me and many people. There's a narrative that if we are successful we shouldn't "need" things like logging, or scales, or accountability. But in a busy and complex world, it seems to me the most successful people use all sorts of tools for time management, health, housekeeping... you name it. I think using systems like lists and logging not only keep me organized and on track, they actually free up my mental energy for more interesting and creative things.

kami3006 · June 2019

jrwms714 wrote: »

MFP is a tool for me ... and an easy one at that. 4.5 years into maintenance, and logging is so simple; helps me plan, is not remotely an inconvenience, given how easy it is to do. Have been logging for almost 7 years now. All my meals are pretty much in there ... just click on them and I'm done, sometimes with an adjustment or two! And I, too, pre-log which is very helpful in planning. For me, all of this is as second nature as stepping on the scale every morning or a good habit like brushing my teeth.

^ Six years in and I feel the same.

CharlieCharlie007 · June 2019

I weigh myself every six weeks when I go to the dietitian. I log, mostly.

phred_52 · June 2019

When I originally got back to normal weight, 160lbs from 200lbs, I never really weighed myself much. I just read labels on foods and went from there. Portion size and enough to maintain. Unfortunately I let myself go again, so starting over.

craigo3154 · June 2019

PiscesMan123 wrote: »

Have you ever noticed how challenging it can be to trust your own instincts when you reach your goal weight? I tried weaning myself off counting calories and weighing in everyday. After three days, I just didn't trust myself that I was actually doing the right thing. I jumped back on the scale only to find that I had lost some weight. Yeah. Have you tried weaning yourself off counting calories and weighing-in everyday? How has that worked for you? What games does your mind play?

In short, do what you know works and keeps your mind at ease (as long as it's not disruptive).

I reached goal weight over 18 months ago. I've kept at goal weight ever since. I still weigh daily. I still track. I'm not obsessive about either task and they don't consume much effort or energy. (<5 mins a day).

I worked out early on that I had to make lifestyle changes to maintain weight and health. The lifestyle I had before I lost weight was slowly killing me. As a lifestyle it must be simple and cater for all situations.

In tracking, I do not weigh everything (my guestimates are usually enough). It became a refined skill re-enforced by daily practice.

What it has done is highlight when I start to "drift". "Drift" means my moving average over the past month or two has trended towards where I did not want to go. I can then look back over my tracking and see what needs correcting and make the subtle shifts to allow me to "drift" back to where I want to be.

I have learned that if you correct "drift" early, it is far easier than trying to "start over" as I see so many having to do.

So MFP is a tool. It provides an easy way to track data and objective measurements. Like any tool, when used properly, it is a help, not a dependency.

sgt1372 · June 2019

Counting cals w/MFP and daily weigh ins are very effective tools to use to maintain weightloss.

Some people claim to be able to maintain their weight w/o daily weigh-in/calorie counting. I am not one of them and have no complaints about it.

LyndaBSS · June 2019

I was shell-shocked when I saw my macros. Personally, I think it would take me a very long time to trust my gut, unless I was eating the same meals all the time and what fun would that be?

I applaud those of you who have great instinct.

COGypsy · June 2019

I see managing my weight as being very similar to managing my money. I weigh daily and track loosely just like I check my bank accounts and track my balances. If I eat whatever I want and don't weigh in, my weight creeps up. If I buy whatever I want and don't check to see how much money I have, I end up broke way before payday. Checking in on both food and money probably takes less than 10 minutes total of my whole day, so to me, the benefits speak for themselves.

sijomial · June 2019

Have you ever noticed how challenging it can be to trust your own instincts when you reach your goal weight?
My instincts my whole adult life have been to eat a bit more than I actually need. That doesn't change because I do or don't log my food.

I tried weaning myself off counting calories and weighing in everyday.
After three days, I just didn't trust myself that I was actually doing the right thing.
3 days isn't much of an experiment! Not sure why you did both together either - why not try experimenting with one at a time for a number of weeks?

I jumped back on the scale only to find that I had lost some weight.
Never had that problem, I have to make a conscious decision to lose weight.

Have you tried weaning yourself off counting calories and weighing-in everyday?
Yes and no - daily weighing is one of my absolute keys to maintain successfully so I can monitor my trend and stop a drift becoming a slide. They are two very different tools IMHO.
Haven't logged food for years, still log exercise as part of my mindful eating approach. I have a very high and very varied exercise routine which means I eat quite differently day to day, even season to season. I get a lot of dietary freedom on the many days I'm burning 1000+ calories not surprisingly.

How has that worked for you?
Very good, been maintaining (with an odd lapse) under my "intervention weight" for ages.
But that was a return to normal for me. I maintained within a fairly tight range for the 20 years I was overweight too. Calorie counting / weight loss was a specific interlude not the mythical lifestyle change, I didn't need to change my lifestyle I just needed to lose my excess flab and return to maintenance at a lower weight. Calorie counting was a useful educational and accountability tool.

What games does your mind play?
The same games whether I'm food logging or not: I'll make up for over-eating this tasty food "sometime", I'm only right at the top of my acceptable range so I'll fix that "sometime".....

jenilla1 · June 2019

I've been here maintaining at goal since 2011. It's super easy to do and it really works, so why stop? Some people are bothered by the idea of tracking calories and exercise forever, like it's some sort of weakness. I don't have any hang-ups about tracking calories for the rest of my life. It's better to find something that works and stick with it, than to go back and forth, constantly fighting a battle with your weight. It's not a big deal to track, and I don't see it as a weakness or "crutch" at all, so I just keep doing it and it just keeps working beautifully...I'm sailing through middle age with my ideal body because of this. Not giving it up!

bennettinfinity · June 2019

For me, it's better to KNOW that I'm hitting my calorie goals, than to guess - my guessing ability demonstrably stinks.

I've gotten away from logging food a couple of times in the years that I've been using the site - each time I gained weight. Call it a tool or call it a crutch, but it's clear that if I want to maintain my weight loss, I'll need to be a logger for life - and I'm OK with that.

MFP Tool or Crutch? Weigh-in

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