Log or not?

changeisnoww
changeisnoww Posts: 15 Member
edited December 23 in Motivation and Support
This whole week has been so busy and I don't know how to find time to log... I have done mpf before but not sure how to maintain constantly food logging.. when I was younger I just reduced what I ate when I wanted to slim done. I can't seem to do that so easily now I am older so here I am logging. Sometimes it feels kinda nuts logging food.

Replies

  • LyndaBSS
    LyndaBSS Posts: 6,964 Member
    It will become second nature. Within two weeks of logging, I didn’t think about it, I just did it.

    If you’re short on time, try logging a few days in advance. Then, you’ll be all set and only have to do it a few times a week.
  • mtaratoot
    mtaratoot Posts: 14,404 Member
    I carry a pocket note-pad and a pen for all myriad of reasons. Sometimes I will scribble down what I'm eating and log it later. But! You still have to log it!.

    Sometimes it's quicker/easier to log on the app, and sometimes on the website. That's the nice thing about MFP - you can opt how to enter it. For something I've logged in the last month or so, it's WAY easier on the app. I can just start entering it, and it shows up. On the web, it doesn't look as far back, and you have to scroll through pages and use the browser's search function. For a new items, especially if I didn't make it myself, it's way easier to review on the web and try to pick the best fit.

    Steps to success:
    1. Weigh what you eat.
    2. Log what you eat.
    3. Log your activity.
    4. Keep yourself in a deficit to lose weight.
    5. Keep a balance of surplus/deficit to be around zero to maintain.

    It doesn't take much time usually. The thing that takes the most time is for new foods when there are so many entries in the database, and so many of them are WRONG. Make the time to do it. Or don't -- it's YOUR journey!
  • 88olds
    88olds Posts: 4,539 Member
    Most of my food diaries have just been crude pen and paper lists with what I ate and numbers. When you’re starting out the number crunching can be pain. But it gets easier as you get a data base of your favorites. It’s ok to start slow. Just keep a list of everything you eat and drink with calories. Find a way to measure the portions. A food scale is best but you can add that later if need be. Fill in the numbers as best you can when you can. A food diary is about the best thing you can do.
  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,237 Member
    I log everything and have logged everything for the almost 8 years I’ve been here. Good, bad, and everything in between. If I don’t have the info, I make a good faith estimate.

    It takes almost no time. The more you log, the less time it takes as the foods you have already logged will come up on your recent/frequent list automatically.

    My appetite will forever exceed the number of calories I need to maintain my weight. I will be logging forever.
  • Katmary71
    Katmary71 Posts: 7,161 Member
    Logging gets better with time. I usually log on my phone and aside of the beginning selecting database entries it goes faster. I usually log everything before or right after eating unless I'm out-and-about and am not weighing, then I make best estimates at the end of the day. I use a notepad when building recipes then log later. Recipe builder and Meals make things a lot easier after initially doing, there's no way I'd enter my daily lunch salad every day when it has the same stuff, it'd take forever!
  • changeisnoww
    changeisnoww Posts: 15 Member
    Thank you everyone... that was what I needed to hear. I will sort my recipes out. I will stick with it. Thank you for helping me. X
  • missysippy930
    missysippy930 Posts: 2,577 Member
    It’s pretty easy and only takes a few minutes out of the day. I figure, if I have time to eat it, I have time to log it. Staying at a calorie deficit is all it takes to lose weight at any age.
  • ellie117
    ellie117 Posts: 293 Member
    Before it became a natural habit, I had an alarm set on my phone as a daily reminder to open the MFP app and log my food. It helped and now it's just normal.
  • Diatonic12
    Diatonic12 Posts: 32,344 Member
    changeisnoww wrote: »
    Thank you everyone... that was what I needed to hear. I will sort my recipes out. I will stick with it. Thank you for helping me. X

    It won't be long and you'll find it very relaxing. Think of it as the one place that belongs all to you. It's all fun. Really.
  • Healthydiner65
    Healthydiner65 Posts: 1,448 Member
    Take it one day at a time! It will become a habit eventually! I have been logging over 2500 days and it has helped me control gaining weight! I lose very slowly so I have to keep at it! You’re doing great!
  • Shortgirlrunning
    Shortgirlrunning Posts: 1,020 Member
    I pre-log. Either the night before or first thing in the morning. It helps me to have a plan for the day plus it means I don’t have to worry about it much throughout the day, just the occasional change or adjustment.
  • GreenValli
    GreenValli Posts: 1,054 Member
    Yes, I log. That is very important for me to do. I will not lose unless I am very accurate and consistent. With the ability to log using my computer or my phone it is easy for me to do, but once in a while, I get too busy to log and it shows on the scale!
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