Will I have to log forever?
Replies
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It sort of depends on how high or low your maintenance calories are. If you don't burn many in the first place you will probably always have to log. If you burn say 2000 then you may not have to be as strict about logging once you have established habits and portion control.1
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I just did (too much lol!) math.
According to MFP at slightly active I would need 2480 cals for maintenance. I work out 5-6 times a week burning approx 450-600 cals so I typically add that in as I do it.
Now, trying to lose 1 lb a week, I’m eating approx 2200-2300 cals/day. This is to lose 1 lb/week approx (2480-500(for weight loss)+350(approx daily exercise). I am losing again - I’ve already moved about four pounds in < 3 weeks.
What astounds me is that it is likely that when I wasn’t logging I was eating 3800+ calories to gain ten pounds in ten weeks while working out!! I knew I was snacking here and there but wow- did those little snacks add up!!5 -
I lost 2 years ago and still log daily. I have relaxed a bit in the sense that I don't weigh all my food I guestimate but I believe I will always need to log my daily food. My observation has been that those who lost smaller amounts tend to maintain more naturally. Those of us who lost large amounts seem to be in more danger of slipping back to bad habits. I could be totally out to lunch on that but it just seems that the worse your old habits were the easier it is to fall back in to them. Either way it's a small price to pay.8
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Onedaywriter wrote: »What astounds me is that it is likely that when I wasn’t logging I was eating 3800+ calories to gain ten pounds in ten weeks while working out!! I knew I was snacking here and there but wow- did those little snacks add up!!
And that is why I have come to terms with the fact that I may have to log forever. I, for one, cannot be trusted with eating a "reasonable" amount of calories when I don't log. But perhaps if you are very mindful of your snacking and you continue to weigh yourself at least a couple of times a week, you won't repeat this cycle.5 -
It sort of depends on how high or low your maintenance calories are. If you don't burn many in the first place you will probably always have to log. If you burn say 2000 then you may not have to be as strict about logging once you have established habits and portion control.
I don't see how this makes a bit of difference. My maintenance calories are closer to 3000-3500 daily, but because I expend a ton of energy during workouts its very easy for me to consume that many, or more. If I wasn't conscious about how many calories I was consuming it would be very easy to go over and gain weight.2 -
Just because you've reached most or all of your goals doesn't mean you won't need most of those very same structures that got you there.8
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I see myself logging for life, I honestly can't imagine not weighing before eating or while making a recipe and when I'm out I'm mentally trying to figure out calories. I think if she stole my scale and I couldn't get a new one I'd stick to my main meals knowing they're in my calorie range. Trying out new recipes and eating other's meals would be the most difficult, I was floored when I logged eggs Benedict and saw calories after a brunch which I rarely have!1
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It sort of depends on how high or low your maintenance calories are. If you don't burn many in the first place you will probably always have to log. If you burn say 2000 then you may not have to be as strict about logging once you have established habits and portion control.
I don't see how this makes a bit of difference. My maintenance calories are closer to 3000-3500 daily, but because I expend a ton of energy during workouts its very easy for me to consume that many, or more. If I wasn't conscious about how many calories I was consuming it would be very easy to go over and gain weight.
Well think about it. Your calorie maintenance level is about twice what mine is - if I have an extra 15 grams of cereal in the morning (the difference between what my measuring cup says is a cup and what the gram#/cup on the box says), cut my bread a bit thicker for toast, decide I would really enjoy a glass of OJ (a mere 150-200 calories total) - doing that more days a week than not will cause me to gain weight. This is the plight of older, smaller people6 -
It sort of depends on how high or low your maintenance calories are. If you don't burn many in the first place you will probably always have to log. If you burn say 2000 then you may not have to be as strict about logging once you have established habits and portion control.
I don't see how this makes a bit of difference. My maintenance calories are closer to 3000-3500 daily, but because I expend a ton of energy during workouts its very easy for me to consume that many, or more. If I wasn't conscious about how many calories I was consuming it would be very easy to go over and gain weight.
It looks like there are limits to how much appetite will rise in relation to increased energy expenditure.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29897822?fbclid=IwAR2sHS301q7igWvdVR64QwUD6-N58rGBbr1TYPgO6IXdQDVwmkpxMXlYrYc
^Flock found that putting a group on 1500 calories of exercise created a 500 calorie deficit, but at 3000 calories of exercise, it was a 2,000 calorie deficit. That suggests around 1,000 calories a week, appetite stops having a relationship to exercise calories out.
There's also the math in how much of an overcompensating deficit an active person could generate to do a "one day diet" and go back to maintenance with no disruption to Leptin (it seems to take 2 or 3 days for the body to respond to sustained deficits). So a 3500 calorie person could have a very light day of 1,500, losing over half a a pound of fat versus the 2,000 calorie person on 1,500 losing 1/7 a pound of fat.0 -
It sort of depends on how high or low your maintenance calories are. If you don't burn many in the first place you will probably always have to log. If you burn say 2000 then you may not have to be as strict about logging once you have established habits and portion control.
I don't see how this makes a bit of difference. My maintenance calories are closer to 3000-3500 daily, but because I expend a ton of energy during workouts its very easy for me to consume that many, or more. If I wasn't conscious about how many calories I was consuming it would be very easy to go over and gain weight.
Personally I find maintenance far easier with a big calorie allowance boosted by high activity levels and a lot of exercise - it does make a difference for me but of course that's not universal.
It allows me to eat in the style and portion sizes that I enjoy the most (roughly speaking 3 meals and 3 snacks a day) so I hit a fairly natural balance. I could of course eat more than that c. 3,500 but don't feel the need or desire to.
In winter when activity and exercise drops (especially cycling volume) I find it harder and most of winter I skip breakfast to compensate but still gain a few pounds which I lose again in Spring as my cycling volumes steps up.
For most of my (long!) adult life my desired eating level has exceeded my actual needs and I've had to watch and restrict my eating but taking up long distance cycling (most of which doesn't greatly boost my appetite) has meant my output has caught up with my preferred eating level.3 -
I think I will. At least in some shape or form. I’ve been here for nearly 5 years and probably 3 in maintenance.
I’ve got to the point where if I’m at home, doing normal sort of things, not logging feels weird.
Also, the mere act of logging makes me think twice about reaching for that 2nd / 3rd / 8th biscuit, whether it’s “formal” logging such as here with calories counts and nutrition info, or just keeping a list of what I’ve put in my mouth.
That said, I’m also at the point where “if I’m on holiday, I’m on holiday” and not only do not log, I don’t even try to keep track. The “damage” is never that bad (<800g / 2 weeks actual gain is I think my worst) and can easily be sorted.1 -
I plan on logging for the rest of my life. I need to do it in order to track my carbs (type 2 diabetic) and it gives me peace of mind. My scale weight can vary wildly from day to day, and knowing my calories lets me know that I haven’t really gained or lost that amount of fat.
I do think it’s possible to give up logging, or to cut back on how often you weigh yourself, but very difficult for a formerly obese person to do both. If you don’t log you need to be aware of whether or not you are still within your goal range so you can take action quickly if you start regaining. It’s the people who stopped paying attention who end up here trying to lose the weight all over again.1 -
for me it's yes. It only takes few minutes a day and every time i log on it's a reminder of why is it I do what i do4
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HappyGrape wrote: »for me it's yes. It only takes few minutes a day and every time i log on it's a reminder of why is it I do what i do
Same here! I eat 80% the same meals any way so it's just a simple copy and pasta. (pun intended)2 -
Forever is a long time!
I have logged for last 6 years of maitenance - but I do log loosely and I do take short periods off logging - eg when on vacation.
Will I do this forever? - who knows?
But I plan to do it for the foreseeable future and continue it indefinitely.
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Today, I put some peanut butter in a cup, and stuck the spoon back in the jar to get more.
Until I saw the scale underneath said I'd already hit my serving size.
This is why I'll probably have to keep logging for the forseeable future. Peanut butter (and olive oil, and butter, and honey I put in tea) lies. I'll at least have to log the high-calorie things, and monitor weight, even if I don't log everything.3 -
Onedaywriter wrote: »I wanted to lose approx 113 lbs to get to top end of government published weight range for my height. I’m 6’2” tall and wanted to get to 195- started about 308. I got to 205 without logging but was stuck there for about three months. So I started logging etc and reached my 195.
Similar stats here...6'2", started at 282lbs and it took a year of very honest logging to get to 178lb (I was aiming for a few more but my BMI is healthy now rather than obese and my face was starting to look "gaunt" and "haggard" according to family). I've being on maintenance for five weeks now and currently feel like I need to log absolutely everything. Maybe once I get used to the new calorie levels/increased portion sizes I'll be able to relax a little but at the moment I'm scared of falling into old habits. I certainly feel like I'll keep logging for ever as it keeps me mindful of what I'm eating (I try to log everything before I eat it and then make a choice about whether to have it or not!). The size I got to before starting to lose weight shows that I have no self-discipline without MFP reminding me how quickly calories add up. I look on logging as a minor inconvenience with a huge benefit so I'll keep going for as long as I feel I need to. I'm sure everyone's different so go for whatever works for you – if you find it's not working you can always change. Good luck!
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