Whose Life Plan does NOT include logging?

KayteeBear
KayteeBear Posts: 1,040 Member
I see sooo many people here logging calories and I mean, it's a great idea and all and it helps...but I try it...and it's sooooo hard to figure out the calories anyway in some things especially when eating at parents houses or somewhere other than home.

And really, I log for a while then I stop. I don't plan on counting calories for the rest of my life so why should I rely on it now? I mean, I'm only 19. I have many years of my life left that I would have to log calories if that's a big part of how I'm losing/maintaining my weight.

I personally would rather just make healthy choices and eat healthy stuff like fruits and veggies and not worry about how I should drink almond milk instead of dairy because it's a few calories less or how I shouldn't drink full fat milk because of the high calories or high fat.

Anyway, does anybody's weight loss/maintaining plan NOT include logging calories constantly?
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Replies

  • FairyMiss
    FairyMiss Posts: 1,812 Member
    i do not plan to log for ever either, i will probably even tapper off soon, and just log for a week every few weeks to see how i am doing.
  • You can use this tool for weight loss, hit your goal weight, log at maintenance until you get the portion control thing down
  • darrcn5
    darrcn5 Posts: 495 Member
    Nope, mainly because I know it works. Also, once you have your foods/recipes well established, it literally only takes 5 minutes out of my day to log.
  • Dexy_
    Dexy_ Posts: 593 Member
    If you don't want to do it, don't. But that really is what the foundation of this site is.
  • annabellj
    annabellj Posts: 1,337 Member
    I did ww for a couple yrs and they had a plan they called core. it doesnt include any processed foods and you can eat as many fruits and veggies as you like. you dont have to track your pts or calories that way. i like to eat dessert a lot so this helps me keep focus
  • greeeek
    greeeek Posts: 12 Member
    I think if what you're doing works, that's great!

    I'm a logger. Only because it helps me. I used to be a binger & now that I'm more conscious of what goes in my mouth, I've started eating healthier and usually do well with my caloric intake.
  • havalinaaa
    havalinaaa Posts: 333 Member
    You can use this tool for weight loss, hit your goal weight, log at maintenance until you get the portion control thing down

    I plan on doing this, and then maybe checking up on myself for a week every couple of months for a while, then hopefully no more logging.
  • dashnigma
    dashnigma Posts: 35 Member
    I do not log calories either. I am trying to log my exercises, but kinda gave up on that too. I use this site as motivation and a reminder, but I do not use the tools provided much. My goal is not to lose weight, just to tone up and get in better cardio-vascular shape. With that, I am trying to make healthy choices and get increasing activity-but calories are not on my radar.
  • Purpleflipflops
    Purpleflipflops Posts: 563 Member
    Mmm, I kind of see myself logging forever. Maybe not as hardcore as I am now, but just to keep myself accountable and really measure my intake/outtake.... I mean, I've lived 21 years of my life not counting calories, and now I am overweight and unhealthy, so obviously that hasn't worked out.
  • Actually I quit logging a few months ago.... I'm like you, I refuse to log forever! I use this website to track my workouts, but other than that, I workout hard and I eat well.... This is the lifestyle that I WILL commit to for the rest of my life and tracking is just not a part of that for me!
  • You can use this tool for weight loss, hit your goal weight, log at maintenance until you get the portion control thing down

    I plan on doing this, and then maybe checking up on myself for a week every couple of months for a while, then hopefully no more logging.

    Seems like the point of the site anyway

    I will probably constantly be on a bulk/cut cycle and will log for a very long time xD
  • fridayjustleft04
    fridayjustleft04 Posts: 851 Member
    Why should you rely on it now, you ask. Well, if you're overweight, that could mean that you're not a particularly good judge of what you're eating. I know I wasn't. I thought I was making relatively healthy choices until I started logging. What I learned from logging was that I consistantly overserved myself. I mean, huge portions. (Do you know that a serving of cereal is 3/4 cup? Does anyone eat that much?!) Basically it just opened my eyes and taught me to pay attention. Now that I've been doing it for awhile, I can estimate fairly accurately how many calories are in any given food, and pretty much eyeball a serving (i.e. one cup, a tablespoon, etc.) You don't HAVE to do it, but it really teaches you a lot, and after you've learned all of the above, you don't have to rely on it.
  • questionablemethods
    questionablemethods Posts: 2,174 Member
    I'm not really focusing on weight loss--more on maintaining my current weight. I wouldn't be sad if I lost a few more pounds, but I'm done stressing about it.

    I log about once a week. The rest of the time, I just journal what I eat (and how I slept, how I felt, what I did for exercise, etc.) in the notes section. I find that when I worry about tracking every calorie, I get waaaaay too fixated on each calorie and each gram and each macro and it just isn't healthy. So, then I swing the other way and basically throw caution to the wind.... and gain weight back.

    So, I'm trying this as a middle ground. Still keeping myself honest, being mindful of my intake, while not getting worked up about it.

    ETA: This is not to say that carefully weighing and measuring doesn't have its merits--it certainly does for people with limited knowledge about the caloric content of food or how much a serving of meat, bread, cereal, etc. actually is. However, I've been successful at calorie counting for over a decade (off and on, as previously mentioned), so I pretty much know how much a portion is and I am pretty good at estimating calories. The log just serves to make me feel a bit nutty, which I don't like.
  • I don't think this was meant to be a lifetime commitment but an aid to people serious about weight loss. I don't log every day and not every log is exactly accurate. It's basically just made me more aware of the amount I'm eating. Calories add up faster than most people think!

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  • KayteeBear
    KayteeBear Posts: 1,040 Member
    Actually I quit logging a few months ago.... I'm like you, I refuse to log forever! I use this website to track my workouts, but other than that, I workout hard and I eat well.... This is the lifestyle that I WILL commit to for the rest of my life and tracking is just not a part of that for me!

    That's what I do. I just log my workouts because it's part of my motivation. I want to be able to look back on the week and see all the workouts and calories burned (even if they aren't completely accurate). Some days I seriously workout JUST to track something for the day so I don't have to look back and feel bummed out. haha
  • Why should you rely on it now, you ask. Well, if you're overweight, that could mean that you're not a particularly good judge of what you're eating. I know I wasn't. I thought I was making relatively healthy choices until I started logging. What I learned from logging was that I consistantly overserved myself. I mean, huge portions. (Do you know that a serving of cereal is 3/4 cup? Does anyone eat that much?!) Basically it just opened my eyes and taught me to pay attention. Now that I've been doing it for awhile, I can estimate fairly accurately how many calories are in any given food, and pretty much eyeball a serving (i.e. one cup, a tablespoon, etc.) You don't HAVE to do it, but it really teaches you a lot, and after you've learned all of the above, you don't have to rely on it.

    I have to disagree with you. Being overweight doesn't necessarily have to do with not being a good judge of what you're eating. For me it was not having the time to exercise for years and consistently going out to eat or getting takeout! Did I think that I was making ok choices? NO, but I still did it and used every excuse in the book as to why my jeans were getting tigher and tighter. and tighter. I think most people KNOW what is healthy (regardless of if they want to admit it or not) it's just taking the time and spending the money to make those heathier choices!
  • KayteeBear
    KayteeBear Posts: 1,040 Member
    Why should you rely on it now, you ask. Well, if you're overweight, that could mean that you're not a particularly good judge of what you're eating.

    I guess maybe part of it is that I'm not really overweight... I'm in my healthy range (I think) just a few pounds heavier than i wish to be so I'm not seriously trying to lose weight hard core. I'm trying to find habits that will work for the rest of my life because if I'm doing something and can't see myself doing this a year from now then I give up.

    I do eat fairly well right now. I eat pretty close to proper portion sizes and usually don't go back for seconds and try to eat not a lot of processed foods, etc.

    FOR ME, it just works better not to log right now. I know there are some people who are at the beginning or middle of their weight loss journey and I can understand logging for that. I'm just wondering about people if they plan on logging long term.
  • I'm gonna be logging for a while because I am still learning about calories and food. Sometimes I'll find that I guesstimate and I am WAYYYY off. So I don't trust myself yet. When I do, I'll stop logging. xo
  • AdAstra47
    AdAstra47 Posts: 823 Member
    Why should you rely on it now, you ask. Well, if you're overweight, that could mean that you're not a particularly good judge of what you're eating. I know I wasn't. I thought I was making relatively healthy choices until I started logging. What I learned from logging was that I consistantly overserved myself. I mean, huge portions. (Do you know that a serving of cereal is 3/4 cup? Does anyone eat that much?!) Basically it just opened my eyes and taught me to pay attention. Now that I've been doing it for awhile, I can estimate fairly accurately how many calories are in any given food, and pretty much eyeball a serving (i.e. one cup, a tablespoon, etc.) You don't HAVE to do it, but it really teaches you a lot, and after you've learned all of the above, you don't have to rely on it.

    Yes. This. Exactly.

    MFP is really just a training tool. Like training wheels on a bike. Some people can get on a bike & ride right away. Good for them. That's like people who can just decide "I'm going to lose weight" and then do it.
    But others need someone behind them to hold the bike for a while. And some need training wheels for a while. Eventually, you can take 'em off. But they're helpful in the beginning.

    I am learning to correctly estimate serving sizes and portions, and I am learning which foods have how much protein & carbs (which are the two things my doctor has me watching). After about 9 months, I still log every single thing every day, but lately if I have to wait all day & log everything at once, I can still pretty much predict what my totals will be, just from experience and doing the math in my head. I imagine that eventually I won't need to log in at all, unless I run across an unfamiliar food & need to look it up.
  • kjannan
    kjannan Posts: 248 Member
    You can use this tool for weight loss, hit your goal weight, log at maintenance until you get the portion control thing down

    That's what I'm planning to do.
  • Tonnina
    Tonnina Posts: 979 Member
    Mmm, I kind of see myself logging forever. Maybe not as hardcore as I am now, but just to keep myself accountable and really measure my intake/outtake.... I mean, I've lived 21 years of my life not counting calories, and now I am overweight and unhealthy, so obviously that hasn't worked out.

    Lol Yeah I'm in this boat. I don't find it hard... It's probably the easiest part of weight loss. I'd rather log food than not. Personally if I don't log I feel off or like I'm cheating myself in this journey. After I hit my goal I'm still going to log, probably out of habit, but mostly to ensure I don't go overboard and get back out of shape. :drinker:
  • Dexy_
    Dexy_ Posts: 593 Member
    I agree that if one is overweight, you can eat all the healthy food you want and never lose weight. That's what I used to do and was so frustrated. Once I joined MFP I saw how off my portions were and I will continue to log until I have my portions right and I can trust myself not to binge on anything :)
  • CMmrsfloyd
    CMmrsfloyd Posts: 2,380 Member
    I plan on continuing to log for the next 17 lbs of weightless, then through a pregnancy to help me monitor healthy weight gain and nutrients, then to get the baby weight off and for a maintenance period. Maybe another pregnancy, not sure yet if we'll be done at 3 ornot. ;). The more I log, the more I learn. I'm constantly amazed at how many things I can estimate pretty well in my head, but I also know there's plenty more to learn. I was never conscious of portion sizes or calories before and that didn't turn out so great. LOL. Anyway, once you get the hang of how thins add up it might be easy enough to stop logging and just use the common sense that you've learned. Even if you're not tracking each little thing, if you started to gain you should have the knowledge of how to cut back in a healthy way to level things back out again. Personally I really enjoy logging and like I said, I plan to continue for quite awhile b/c it's a huge eye opener and so helpful in me seeing how to really be successful reaching my goals. But it's not for everybody.
  • I like logging, and peaking at other people's diaries for idea's


    “If you can't control your peanut butter, you can't expect to control your life.”
    ~Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes

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  • I love logging because when I submit it at the end of the day it tells me where I might be in five weeks. I find this motivating either way; if it's good, yay for me! If it's up, time to forget about that day and get back on track.

    I worry about the total calories for the day, but don't obsess over every item of food. I tend to make sensible choices, but do have a blow out every now and again. Then I just make a guestimate like others here have suggested.

    For me, logging is helping and because I have the iphone app I don't find it a chore. I just log as I go.

    Good luck, whatever you decide to do.
  • Kim55555
    Kim55555 Posts: 987 Member
    I havent got much to lose now and basically if I'm out by just a few hundred calories it will mean the difference between losing or not losing. So its important!!

    When i'm at maintenance I'll continue to log for a while (maybe 6 months) and just keep eating my healthy clean diet, keep exercising and I'll be fine. After a while I'll probably stop logging. I'll continue to weigh myself once a week and take notice how my clothes are fitting so as to prevent weight gain.
  • megz4987
    megz4987 Posts: 1,008 Member
    I'm not logging now because I'm going to log for the rest of my life.
    I'm logging now so that I can SEE what it is I'm eating, to learn for the rest of my life how to read a nutrition label, to know what to look for, to know what SURPRISE has 600 calories that you swore could only possibly be 250. I have never had a healthy relationship with food whether it be too much or too little and through MFP, I'm learning to have a good one.

    I like logging and if I so choose to log forever (here, elsewhere or on paper) it still won't be a chore for me. I enjoy it.
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
    My plan is to log while I'm losing so that I get a good idea of proper portion sizes and learn how to make the most of my calories. Once I reach my goal weight, or maybe even before that, I plan on only logging once or twice a week to make sure I'm on the right track.

    Right now I'm not trying to lose because I'm pregnant and I'm listening to my body. I logged a couple of days and found that I was coming in just under my maintenance amount, so I'm not worried about how I'm doing. I'm eating healthy foods. Some days I'm sure I'm over my maintenance amount, some days I know I come in under. What's important for me right now is that I listen to my body. I don't need to stress over counting calories, I've got too much going on.

    But once I'm at a point where I'm trying to lose weight I'll log most days because I know it really does help. When I first started here my problem was that I was under-eating so logging helped me to make sure I was eating enough. I know I'll need that help again when I start exercising again.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    I personally would rather just make healthy choices and eat healthy stuff like fruits and veggies and not worry about how I should drink almond milk instead of dairy because it's a few calories less or how I shouldn't drink full fat milk because of the high calories or high fat.

    Sounds like a perfect plan.
  • claire_xox
    claire_xox Posts: 282 Member
    I've logged every ounce of food (including gum) for about 170 days now, It's not something I intend to always do but the more I do it the more I just know how many calories are in my regular foods and can guess unfamiliar foods quite well ..the more you log, the less you need to rely on it cause you learn about food :)
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