When you have a bad day... or couple of days in a week...

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stephabef
stephabef Posts: 936 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Do you ever log some of the calories as quick calories or log some of what you went over on the next day? I had a pretty bad night last night, and I'm tempted to quick add some calories today to make up for it. What do you think?

Replies

  • crzyone
    crzyone Posts: 872 Member
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    I dont carry calories over to the next day...I keep on the same day consumed.

    However, sometimes I do the quick add of calories if its all the same thing. Like today, I have had a bad day and eaten five ice cream bars at 100 calories each...throughout the afternoon....I just logged it as quick add because I have never looked these bars up to see if they are in the database, but I will know what it is later because ice cream is the only thing I splurge on and do that for.

    Do whatever works for you....
  • stephabef
    stephabef Posts: 936 Member
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    There's an option to quick add calories in your diary - just calories and not any of the macros.

    I'm talking more the day after, to make up for it. I had a bad night last night, so I was thinking about logging some of it today to balance it out, even though I consumed it yesterday.
  • Gemmageldmacher
    Gemmageldmacher Posts: 45 Member
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    I'm a newbie on this amazing site, and I had a really bad day the other day, my first while logging on here. As "penance" made myself sit down and enter in every conceivable thing I could think of that I ate. Maybe it's the Catholic in me, but the guilt and seeing in plain sight what I had done worked. Let me tell you - I will think twice before I eat three packages of buttered ramen noodles in a sitting again!!
  • stephabef
    stephabef Posts: 936 Member
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    I feel even worse since my diary is open to my friends!! For some reason, though, I've been out of it lately.
  • rosebarnalice
    rosebarnalice Posts: 3,488 Member
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    I log it--as closely and accurately as I can-- even when it's not pretty.

    For me, logging not only keeps me honest about HOW MUCH I'm putting in my mouth [particularly in those times that I'm not exactly proud of] but WHAT I put in there. Was it french fries? chocolate? booze? an entire box of cookies? a bowl of pasta alfredo?

    Being honest about the WHAT and not just the how much helps me think about the WHY -- why did those fries seem like the right thing to do? Do I need to stop buying cookies? Is it some situation or group of friends or set of activities that triggers certain cravings or poor decisions?

    That's where the value of logging lies for me.
  • wolfchild59
    wolfchild59 Posts: 2,608 Member
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    You'd only be lying to yourself. A food diary is meant to be a log of everything we ate in a day. If I ate 4000 calories yesterday (which I did) then only logging half of those for yesterday and spreading out the rest to other days is pointless. When I go look back at what I ate for any given time I don't want to see 2000cal on a day I really ate 4000 and see 1800 on days I really ate 1400 just because I didn't want my diary to look bad for one day.

    I have cheat days every now and again and I log every last thing I eat that day. Then I get back on track with my normal eating habits the next day and log that. It helps to see trends in weight loss/gains/plateaus and is just generally what these diaries are here for.

    I read so many weight loss studies that talk about how weight loss studies aren't actually accurate because people don't properly track what they're really eating and I just wonder why they're bothering participating in the study if they aren't going to be honest with themselves and their food logs. So that's how I look at myself and my logs. They aren't there for anyone else, they're there for me to know what I'm eating and what I'm doing. I know what I ate and when, so falsifying my diary isn't going to change what I ate or when, it'll just make it harder for me to see things I've done right and wrong when I look back on it all.
  • FITnFIRM4LIFE
    FITnFIRM4LIFE Posts: 818 Member
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    You'd only be lying to yourself. A food diary is meant to be a log of everything we ate in a day. If I ate 4000 calories yesterday (which I did) then only logging half of those for yesterday and spreading out the rest to other days is pointless. When I go look back at what I ate for any given time I don't want to see 2000cal on a day I really ate 4000 and see 1800 on days I really ate 1400 just because I didn't want my diary to look bad for one day.

    I have cheat days every now and again and I log every last thing I eat that day. Then I get back on track with my normal eating habits the next day and log that. It helps to see trends in weight loss/gains/plateaus and is just generally what these diaries are here for.

    I read so many weight loss studies that talk about how weight loss studies aren't actually accurate because people don't properly track what they're really eating and I just wonder why they're bothering participating in the study if they aren't going to be honest with themselves and their food logs. So that's how I look at myself and my logs. They aren't there for anyone else, they're there for me to know what I'm eating and what I'm doing. I know what I ate and when, so falsifying my diary isn't going to change what I ate or when, it'll just make it harder for me to see things I've done right and wrong when I look back on it all.

    This!! 4-sure
  • Lolamako
    Lolamako Posts: 89 Member
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    WolfChild59 said it perfectly!

    I for one REGULARLY snack at night before bed... It sucks and I'm working on it. Sometimes I just don't have it in me to log on and log it, but then I do it the next day, go back and add it to the previous night.
  • ShapeUpSidney
    ShapeUpSidney Posts: 1,092 Member
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    Do you ever log some of the calories as quick calories or log some of what you went over on the next day? I had a pretty bad night last night, and I'm tempted to quick add some calories today to make up for it. What do you think?

    I dont think you can really make up for it, but I'm no expert.

    I just try to be more mindful and eat clean. Sometimes I'll hit the gym harder. Sometimes your body maybe just needed a little extra? Don't over think it, I guess is what I'd say...
  • ShapeUpSidney
    ShapeUpSidney Posts: 1,092 Member
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    WolfChild59 said it perfectly!

    I for one REGULARLY snack at night before bed... It sucks and I'm working on it. Sometimes I just don't have it in me to log on and log it, but then I do it the next day, go back and add it to the previous night.

    omg I have this problem too. The worst is when I was under my calorie goal, and then I get all these compliments. And then the next morning (log of shame), I have to put those last minute cals back in...knowing it puts me over. For shame! lol
  • Elisirmon
    Elisirmon Posts: 273 Member
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    I don't worry too much about how I messed up the day before but I log it all and then am determined to do good the next day anyways sometimes zig zagging your calories help your body burn more as long as it is not more then once a week.
  • KatVaux
    KatVaux Posts: 23 Member
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    I am really glad for this discussion.
    I often do not put in stuff as I bartend and at times I have drinks at the end of my shift. On other days I just stop logging because I'v gone so out of control.
    Wolfchild made me realize something. What's the effing point. If I am serious that I want to be thinner and fitter then I need to stop lying to myself.
    So long story short. Just log it on the day it happens!
  • premiumchilenita
    premiumchilenita Posts: 600 Member
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    This is about you, and how YOU can learn how to eat healthy. We all feel bad when we do badly but that's why we are here. We all want to learn how to have a better and healthier lifestyle. It does YOU no good to lie to yourself.

    It doesn't matter if your diary is on public, I'm sure you've only done it like that so you can have motivation from those around you when you need it. Remember, you're the toughest on yourself, others (hopefully) will only encourage you to stay on your journey.

    Don't sweat it, yesterday was yesterday, and today you can do all the good things :wink:
  • bananamac
    bananamac Posts: 47 Member
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    You'd only be lying to yourself. A food diary is meant to be a log of everything we ate in a day. If I ate 4000 calories yesterday (which I did) then only logging half of those for yesterday and spreading out the rest to other days is pointless. When I go look back at what I ate for any given time I don't want to see 2000cal on a day I really ate 4000 and see 1800 on days I really ate 1400 just because I didn't want my diary to look bad for one day.

    I have cheat days every now and again and I log every last thing I eat that day. Then I get back on track with my normal eating habits the next day and log that. It helps to see trends in weight loss/gains/plateaus and is just generally what these diaries are here for.

    I read so many weight loss studies that talk about how weight loss studies aren't actually accurate because people don't properly track what they're really eating and I just wonder why they're bothering participating in the study if they aren't going to be honest with themselves and their food logs. So that's how I look at myself and my logs. They aren't there for anyone else, they're there for me to know what I'm eating and what I'm doing. I know what I ate and when, so falsifying my diary isn't going to change what I ate or when, it'll just make it harder for me to see things I've done right and wrong when I look back on it all.

    This is exactly what I needed to hear. Log it. Own it. And then know that Future Me can trust that Past Me was straight-up in her logging, when trying to see what worked and what didn't.

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