Do you journal?

[LapNYC 3]

I've been opposed to it, just because it seems like a chore, I tend to eat things that don't tend to be on food lists, I'm trying to think about food less, not more, and things seem to be going in the right direction.

I definitely see its value when you're facing a plateau or aren't feeling right. But otherwise?

If you do journal, what does it buy you? Which online journaling tool do you use?

[Jachut 487]

I think its a very personal decision, your approach to weight loss. But to me (and I know many will disagree) I think journalling and following rules is just as dysfunctional as overeating.

Human beings were designed with appetites, they were designed to listen to those appetites, eat when hungry and stop when not hungy. Now that's all been lost with the abundance of food we have available and the sedentary lifestyle. But I worked very hard to get to the point where I could eat what I want when I wanted and I really feel, that for me, until I could do that, I was simply swapping one unhappy lifestyle for another. I was not "cured" rather holding the disease in abeyance.

So I dont ever journal, I dont think about what I eat and I dont care if I get 60 grams of Protein in a day or not.

And guess what? Over time, I stopped wanting to eat chocolate for every meal. I learned that sometimes I really did want an apple or a salad. In fact most of the time I fancy healthy foods and the times I want something a bit naughty, then I darn well have it.

I have tried this approach before and had moderate success with it, but the band controls the portion size - I never manged to lose much weight before, just to overcome my overeating for a while. So its definitely not *really* a case of eating whatever the hell you want, you have to really work at being sensible.

Works for me anyway. I dont even know how many calories I eat a day these days.

[DodgerFan 0]

I don't journal...even when the nutritionist asked me to pre-op, I had to write it all down in hindsight. Sometimes I'll keep an approximate calorie tally in my head but just out of curiosity.

And you're exactly right, it feels like a chore. I just want to live.

[monkeymama 0]

This is the first time I am journaling. I like it because it is teaching me about nutrition... I can honestly say there are things that I was eating that I had no idea how much calories were in them. It's been a wake up call... A tool that is letting me see just how I got to be so fat. It seems like all of you who posted are losing well without it so I guess its not necessary for weight loss- just one more tool in the box that some need and others don't.

[iwokeupfat 0]

Yes.. I journal. Try Livestrong.com. It has a huge database of food. It hasn't failed me yet. It even had the wasabi horseradish cheese that I ate yesterday!! It's easy to use. Plus it's a very informative site. I set my calorie limit at 1350 a day and it counts down for me. It has a spot where I can add glasses of Water. I don't go by their recommended daily allowance guidelines because according to Livestrong I'm eating waaay too much Protein. My doc says 60-80 grams a day and that's what I'm sticking with. If I don't journal I might lose track of calories and get back to my old habits. Don't want to do that... nut uh... no way. I am going to succeed this time. It's my last chance and my only hope.

Banded May 3, 2010

Dr. Marc Neff, Cherry Hill NJ

Kennedy Memorial Hospital

Stratford NJ.

[shadst8 8]

Yes.. I journal. Try Livestrong.com. It has a huge database of food. It hasn't failed me yet. It even had the wasabi horseradish cheese that I ate yesterday!! It's easy to use. Plus it's a very informative site. I set my calorie limit at 1350 a day and it counts down for me. It has a spot where I can add glasses of Water. I don't go by their recommended daily allowance guidelines because according to Livestrong I'm eating waaay too much Protein. My doc says 60-80 grams a day and that's what I'm sticking with. If I don't journal I might lose track of calories and get back to my old habits. Don't want to do that... nut uh... no way. I am going to succeed this time. It's my last chance and my only hope.

I too use livestrong.com/dailyplate. Now do I do it every single day--no, but it is great tool to track not just calories but my Fiber, carbs, and sodium (water retention so I have to pay attention to salt) which I cannot do in my head. Now if I have eaten typical foods that I already know the calories and all the other information, then I do not journal. I especially like to use it to pre-plan, like if I am going to restaurant, I go ahead and log so I can see the calories, etc.

When you are reprogramming and unlearning habits, not being cognizant about what I ate helped get me here. There were some days I ate fast food for every meal and even though some of it was healthy, the portion size still packed in the calories. Whether you journal or not I feel is less important than some kind of awareness of what you're eating. If anything journaling provides discipline--which I had lacked.

Your band, your journey, your way...:confused:

Edited June 2, 2010 by shadst8

[twyla420 0]

I journal everyday. I find I forget what all I've eaten in a day...and will think to myself, I've not really eaten that much today. When, I journal, I can look and see what I've eaten and it helps me to make better choices. It holds me accountable. I don't count calories, or protein...etc. I just jot down on paper what I'm having and it only takes a few seconds. It's like a habit now and doesn't feel like a chore. My diet isn't perfect…I still have chocolate cravings, or eat a few chips here and there. It helps me see how my weight reacts to what I've eaten the last few days. Then I can make adjustments.

[vlp1968 83]

I journaled for about the first 4 months postop. I began to feel like it was making me focus on what I was eating too much. I had gotten into a routine of certain foods for 3 meals and 2 Snacks a day. I truely believe I am eating the same, just not writing it down. Works for me. I believe everybody is different, and needs to find what works for them.

[YoungBlackAndBanded 0]

I find that journaling is a good way to lay out, in black and white, what you have comsumed. I tend to stick to pretty much the same foods, and am still in the pre-op phase, but I'm looking at lap-band as a life change, and not as a fad diet. Therefore, I'll journal once in a while, maybe when I'm introducing a new food, but I definately don't plan on making it an everyday occurance, it just feels too 'diety' for me.

[JJLaw08 4]

I don't. I get going on it for a day or two, but get tired of doing it.

[reverie 49]

I do it online at myfitnesspal.com just to help make sure I'm getting all my Protein in. My dr/nutritionist want me to journal what I eat when I get to normal foods (5 days woo) just to make sure I'm eating good stuff. I doubt it will be a life-long thing though.

[marykb 0]

I do it now, but I've never done it before. It always seemed like a chore, like a few other people mentioned. Now I do it every day and it really helps me see what kind of calories I'm eating, Protein, Fiber, etc. It also helps me see if I overdid it one day, so I can be more careful the next.

If I didn't write things down, I would try to track it in my head, like I've done in the past. When I've done that, I really underestimate what I've been eating.