I've been on and off with food logs, calorie counting, and maintaining a weight loss journal. It just gets a little tedious. How has your experience been? Do you have any tips to keep it going a few months in?
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I've been on and off with food logs, calorie counting, and maintaining a weight loss journal. It just gets a little tedious. How has your experience been? Do you have any tips to keep it going a few months in?
I use MFP, for 625 days non stop now.
I log every bite that goes into my mouth.
Not only does it keep me on track, it also counts my protein, carbs, fats, everything.
I fully intend to keep using it.
I also log my weight in there daily.
That way I can pinpoint exactly how my body reacts to certain foods etc.
It keeps me accountable, like some more things, but this is a biggy for me.
I don't count calories as my goal, but I think it is important to know exactly what goes into my mouth.
And it has this neat feature, where you can scan purchased foods, all over the world and it "knows" what food it is and what is in it.
I travel a lot and buy foods all over the globe, so this is extremely handy for me.
How do you keep tracking a few months in?!
LOL! I've been planning my meals and tracking my daily macronutrists on My Fitness Pal for five years, since two months prior to WLS.
I could not possibly have figured out how much I needed to be eating to maintain my weight long-term without the kind of information this kind of logging provides them.
So how does one do this?
One just does it. It's not a big deal. Really.
I have tracked my eating through MFP for just shy of 6 years. Every bite goes on my daily journal. It has helped me be accountable.
I take it to the extreme, I have an online app that my food intake goes into so that I can keep track of protein, calories etc and exercise and I also have a written diary that I write all my food and the times I eat, also weigh daily and this gets noted even my bowel motions (sorry if tmi - but constipation is still an issue for me). Everything gets entered into both systems - especially any "treat" foods.
The written diary works for me as actually physically writing down what I am eating seems to make me more accountable some how.
I have been doing this since day one - 20 months ago. I don't see me stopping doing this anytime soon - or ever.
While losing I was told NOT to track, just to stick to the protein first, then veggies, then good carbs if room rule. It worked like a charm. Lost all my weight quickly. I hate to track. Hate the time it takes. I'd rather use that time to hike or something. I didn't track after I lost the weight for years either. Didn't gain or lose more than a pound or two, basically stayed the exact same weight.
Now at 4-5 years for some reason it started to get more difficult to maintain. I now track on the Weight Watchers app. It works for me, I'm maintaining and even losing a little more. (I still don't like it.) I really want to reach the point where my healthy eating is so engrained in me I don't have to track. I can't imagine being 95 at the nursing home asking the staff to weigh my piece of meat or something.
I never tracked during my losing phase--it reminded me so much of my past life with WW that I refused to do it. Now, what am I doing? Back at WW and tracking! I think tracking is what helps you to stay accountable so that you know exactly what you are eating.
I track, but was diabetic prior to surgery. SO it's pretty routine.
I used MyPlate by LiveStrong, which is free. I do track it all eveery day. The good the bad, and the ugly, even when I already know I may have made a less than great choice. Honesty matters.
MFP makes it easy and quick to log on a daily basis.
I log everything. It keeps me accountable. It also helps me to stay in the day. ;-)
... AND it helps me turn the page and leave some days behind me that I'm not so proud of. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by WANAGL
I do not track. Like you, I hate it. I tried, but I found it tedious, and not always accurate. If I have fast food, that's pretty easy, but home cooked meals were more of a guessing game, and I'm sure I didn't calculate them properly. The only thing that works for me is weighing every day. That way I know if I need to chill on the junk or can be more lax in my eating.
Yes! I always say to myself, “And the point is...did you learn anything?!?” LOL ;-)Quote:
Originally Posted by Ann2
I have tried over and over. I will track for a bit but can never keep up with it. I also find it tedious. I was able to lose all my weight and have been able to maintain without using a tracker.