How long does it take for tracking food to become second nat

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SanDiegoSarah
SanDiegoSarah Posts: 24
in Health and Weight Loss
How long does it take for tracking food to become second nature? What are everyone's tracking habits? Strict at 7 days a week or do you allow yourself some wiggle room? I really WANT for this to become a habit for me because if I don't I feel like I'm choosing to fail. What did it take for you to make this stick?
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  • IvoryParchment
    IvoryParchment Posts: 651 Member
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    Get a smart phone and make the process of logging into playing with your toy.
  • Skinny_Beans
    Skinny_Beans Posts: 405 Member
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    I can't imagine not grabbing my smartphone and logging in my food and exercises now, and i've only been doing so diligently for two weeks. Tracking your food becomes a quick, fun routine as long as you do it for a few weeks :]
  • IvoryParchment
    IvoryParchment Posts: 651 Member
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    I wouldn't skip any days. Don't take the attitude that logging is an unpleasant chore. It's what's going to get the job done for you. Unless you're very obese, the amount you're eating is only a little more than what you need to eat. If you don't measure, there's no way you'll reduce the right amount without overshooting, getting hungry and gaining the weight back. When you're successful, you won't even notice you're eating less than you were.
  • ginamcoyle
    ginamcoyle Posts: 70
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    Having an iPhone really helped me make traking food a habit, anything I eat I track almost immediately. Sometimes if I know I'm going to have a rough day I pre-track what I'm going to eat for the day that morning so I don't stray to etng crappy foods. Works for me haha!
  • Narisong
    Narisong Posts: 191
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    I track mine on my phone and some days I'll plan for the next day the night before. It really helps me to make sure I know exactly where I'm at and makes sure I know what I'm eating that day :-) It's second nature sometimes it's an obsession.
  • StevLL
    StevLL Posts: 921 Member
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    If we bite it we write. Sometimes it's an eye opener. I was over 399 yesterday, but it helps me stay honest. It became habit pretty quick becuase there are so many great folks here I can't wait to get on each day. Show up and make friends and you'll be hooked. Good luck!
  • Le_Joy
    Le_Joy Posts: 593 Member
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    I have a smart phone and I think it only took like 2 months before it was automatic. At like 200 days I automatically grab my phone when I eat something, don't even think about it anymore. I track everything every day.
  • SanDiegoSarah
    SanDiegoSarah Posts: 24
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    Thanks everyone! I'm actually getting a smart phone delivered this week. Perfect!
  • mamagooskie
    mamagooskie Posts: 2,964 Member
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    It only took me a week or so and I was hooked. Can't imagine not being able to log in and track my food. Even when I go on vacation or camping I look for wifi so I can have access on my phone.

    I've been logging in for almost 2 years straight now.
  • IvoryParchment
    IvoryParchment Posts: 651 Member
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    And complete honesty. Your phone won't explode if your calories are over for the day. But you'll be less frustrated in the long run, because at least you'll understand what is going on.
  • justagirl2013
    justagirl2013 Posts: 226 Member
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    I absolutely LOVE the app, because it has the option for you to scan the barcode of the item. So much fun, and so easy (IE a luna bar or packaged spinach :) )
  • Meganalva
    Meganalva Posts: 282 Member
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    It's an absolute habit for me. I've been doing it for a few months now. I have an iPhone like most others and that's what really helps. As soon as I'm eating it or right after, it's in the log :)
  • Leiki
    Leiki Posts: 526 Member
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    I don't get reception at my house, so I can't track on my phone, but I track at home, and it is almost religious. The obsession started about half a week after I started tracking.
  • Blackthorne99
    Blackthorne99 Posts: 250 Member
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    How long does it take for tracking food to become second nature? What are everyone's tracking habits? Strict at 7 days a week or do you allow yourself some wiggle room? I really WANT for this to become a habit for me because if I don't I feel like I'm choosing to fail. What did it take for you to make this stick?

    I recently hit 250 consecutive days of tracking, and if you think about ALL of the foodie holidays between then and now, you can see that it truly is second nature. I log *everything* I eat - the good, the bad and the ugly, and I usually do it BEFORE I eat so that if the calories or carbs bother me, I can make a different choice.

    The hardest part for me has been getting the people I'm with to understand why I grab the iPad at the table. I explain when I'm around new people that I'm not ignoring you - I'm logging my food and I'm doing it for medical reasons. Then I make sure that I don't wander off and check email or FB or MFP so that they can see that I'm taking care of this one important thing rather than burying myself in my electronics instead of interacting with people. People are usually supportive once they know.

    Buffets are the hardest because it's "a bite of this; a bite of that". I try to log nothing smaller than 1/8 of a cup even if it was just a taste. That way if take two tastes I don't have to log it again.
  • SanDiegoSarah
    SanDiegoSarah Posts: 24
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    Thanks everyone!
  • ConnieB1979
    ConnieB1979 Posts: 239 Member
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    Two weeks in and Im addicted.....I grab my phone and log everything! I love the bar code scanner....very convenient!!!! ;-)
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
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    I use my phone so I prelog every morning. Sadly even when i don't log I know exactly how many calories I'm eating as I generally eat the same items and I know their nutritional information by heart now. :)
  • IvoryParchment
    IvoryParchment Posts: 651 Member
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    Cheat on the food, but never on the logging. It's like that old Ogden Nash poem about sins of commission and sins of omission. You don't enjoy the latter, so you should only engage in the former. :wink:
  • princeza9
    princeza9 Posts: 337 Member
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    It took me a week with the MFP website and the iPhone app. Now I can't imagine not logging everything. Good or bad, it's been such a help to see how my choices affect me.
  • MissNations
    MissNations Posts: 513 Member
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    I actually don't have a smartphone and do all logging from my laptop. I try to be as accurate as possible and shoot for overestimating calories and underestimating exercise because I'd rather be pleasantly surprised. I've been logging in for about a month now and I do it as I go (if I'm at home) or at the end of the day (if I'm at work). I really want this to work, so I do it consistently.

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