The Importance of a Food Log

[Dee_1111 317]

A very distinguished gentleman asked my a very important question. Do I keep a food log. Now before I answer that , please let say a few things.

I can not stress enough to the Pre-Op's and newly Post-Op's, how important it is to keep a food log!! it is your ACCOUNTABILITY scale. If you don't know how to count calories (I didn't and still don't) keep a log anyway. It will show you just how much or how little of what you are putting into your body each day. Some days will be better than others. Some days will make you see that you need to 'Start Over' and reevaluate what your doing. The Food Log is not to make you feel like a failure or a champion..its there to keep you accountable!! it really works. I do have a calorie count book and I have looked at it numerous times, so I do have an idea of what or how many Cals are in a particular food I eat everyday. Because I weigh 115 lbs, I am allotted a 1,300-1,800 calorie a day intake. Look yours up, the net is full of sites with this info. I know I'm sounding a bit 'High Horse-ish' but it's only because it is such and important part of this journey.

Now I'll step down from that Horsey, I have vertigo..To answer the gentleman's question. Because I am 4 years out, I pretty much can see visually what's on my plate, and know that I have 4 oz of meat, 1/2 cup of berries, and 1 cup of vegs. I have been doing it for a long time now. So NO, I do not keep one anymore. But in my head I'm always aware of how many cals might be in a particular food, before I veer off into strange (food) territory. Its the nature of this surgery to be always conscience of the foods around you. Thank you for listening, and Im now firmly on the ground, and have put my High Horse away for the night..AND SCENE!!!

[Ghopeful 25]

Thts very helpful. I'm 6 weeks post op and use myfitnesspal to log everything tht goes thru my mouth. I've heard of people who stall in loosing and I figure I can look back and see wht I are at particular time in my Weightloss journey.

[loving.life 110]

I would love to eat enough to log lol, broth is all I can have and I can't take more than 1/3 cup twice a day. I used myfitnesspal before and once I can eat I will use it again

[Dee_1111 317]

Thats what Im talking about I journaled my first year like a craze maniac..now when I read it I have to giggle at (my old) self. Man, I strict on my poor pouch. I think I gave it an apology.. thank goodness I lightened up. I think there were some months were I drown the poor thing trying to get my prescribe Water in..now I just drink when Im thirsty. ..sheeez

[melmommy04 23]

Love this thread! I feel ashamed most times logging. Ugh.

[*Misty*Raine* 192]

Thts very helpful. I'm 6 weeks post op and use myfitnesspal to log everything tht goes thru my mouth. I've heard of people who stall in loosing and I figure I can look back and see wht I are at particular time in my Weightloss journey.

One of the nice things about MFP or the one I use is lose it, it's a lil more private, no one can see ur food logs an ur still accountable to ur self, is these apps take the calorie guess work out of it. We put in how much of something we eat, and it does the work for you! It makes it really hard to "mess up" ur calorie counting. It even has a place where u put in what u want ur weight to be and by when, and it gives you ur daily calorie allowance!! I like lose it (the app looks like an orange scale) because it has goals for me to work towards to keep me motivated til surgery. Then they reward you with badges. It's a really cool app.

Point I'm trying to make.... A very sweet gentlemen (who I will leave name less) taught me how to log my foods. And since then, I'm shocked at how much I was actually eating! I didn't think I ate a lot til I seen it on my app. Then it was my wake up call! Like I tell everyone now, I didn't get fat by LOOKING at food.... That I promise you! I'm an over eater!!

Hello my name is Misty and I NEED to log my food so I don't over do it!! :)

[Dee_1111 317]

Who doesn't love Misty!!!..,I think your on your way to being quite successful Ns Misty .ox

[Dee_1111 317]

Bad typer..Ms Misty

[BBdoodle 483]

You are so right !!! GREAT POST !

[melmommy04 23]

I use MFP until I have that one day where I'm logging and I get so totally disgusted with what I've eaten then I don't log for a month or 2. Just the fact that I keep the app on my main screen is starting to serve as a bit of accountability for myself. When I see it, I think about what I've eaten and I smack myself a little (ok not really but you get the idea!) or pat myself on the back. I'm learning though. (:

melmommy04 on MFP!

Nice to meet you Misty, I'm Jenn - The shamed logger.

All of you, pre- and post op, are incredibly inspiring! After my miniature meltdown Monday, if it hadn't been for this forum, these threads I read daily, I probably would have just given up. I understand more and more why people who do not go to support group or participate in forum posts struggle so much with WLS. Thank you all!

[*Misty*Raine* 192]

Who doesn't love Misty!!!..,I think your on your way to being quite successful Ns Misty .ox

Ty Ty Ty .... Am just another ugly ducklin in life waiting to become the beautiful swan that I think I might have ate once! LoL

*teasing*

Thought of the day: Hey vegan...... My food poops on urs! Jus sayin! Lol

[Dee_1111 317]

Thank you all, Jen that why knowledge is power. You will pay it forward when your times comes also. You are in the learning phase. Everything your going threw now, you will pass on to the next 'YOU'. So don't take yourself to seriously. I promise, when you look back, you will roll your eyes, at these disappointments that seem so big and daunting now. Although!!!! try not to keep processed (dead) food near you, its to tempting. You've heard all the experts say to clean out your cabinets and frig, and pre-make your food so that when you get a craving, all you've have is what you made, well I hate to prove them right, but there right, I tried it, got a craving, and nothing but good crap in my frig..I was disgruntled eating that fruit salad, but happy AFTER I finished it, because it could have eaten cheese cake if in were in the frig at the time.

Just the other day, I'm in the my kitchen, just a bitchin' about how sick I am of chopping fricken vegetables, making my lunch EVERYDAY, making shakes. Saw my poor husband trying to sneak out the kitchen!!! Hell I wanted to sneak outta the kitchen with him. BELEIVE ME it gets tedious some days. I just wanna go to a drive thru and get a quick bite, anything that I didn't make myself... just so I don't have to stand in the kitch and chop...arrrrrhhhh...so see, even I still have those days!!...lolol

[melmommy04 23]

Fortunately and unfortunately, I have all the time I need to chop veggies, prepare meals, and graze. Ugh. I have ocular histoplasmosis. I'm blind in one eye completely and have lost a great portion of the vision in my good idea. I no longer work and do no drive. I do still have a license and drive once in a great while but the anxiety and panic attacks are really bad and it's just not worth it. We sold our 2nd vehicle 3 years ago. Quick lunches in drive thrus aren't an option most times, so that one be a missed habit or escape. (:

Chopping veggies... Oh gosh. That's like heaven for me! I'm totally in my element with a knife, cutting board and vegetables any time of day/night.. I struggle with it bc my depth perception is mostly gone at this point... {Cut my left index tonight cutting an onion} But little accidents seem few and far between as long as I have my knives (a couple Amish made completely stainless steel knives), my cutting board and I do have to sit at the kitchen table to chop. If I'm thrown out of this setting, i have some close calls. I take my knives with me if I even think I could be cutting vegetables! (:

We don't keep a lot of processed food in the house. Growing up in southern Indiana Amish and Mennonite are everywhere and home cooking is prevalent. Or at least in my family it always has been anyway. I think the same is true of many people around here. When I say home cooked, I mean home cooked. Noodles. Flour Water and eggs. Lasagna. Homemade sauce, fresh beef or sausage from the local butcher, whole wheat Pasta. Green Beans. The stand on the corner selling them for $0.33/lb. Tomatoes. The old man selling them in the parking lot for $0.25. All fresh from the garden down the road. cheese. Brought in from Pennsylvania or Wisconsin (Amish) and not processed. Butter. The same. Deli meats. For a few cents more than going to a local grocery store, I can get Amish packed (low sodium). We buy pure, 100% OJ. I do buy hot dogs, but I'm weird and so are my kids, so only Oscar Mayer! We buy typically all of our meats, chicken nuggets included, from local butcher/packing place. 100% breaded chicken breast pieces. I don't fry anything anymore. Even got rid of my deep fryer. Lol I have my moments where I want sugar. But I've been using the old, "will an apple satisfy you?" Or orange or watermelon, or some kind of fruit, and if my answer is no, I have another glass of Water and try to forget about it. If the answer is yes, I have fruit. It seems to be working for me. My kids are still nibbling Christmas candy from their stockings, which is minimal to begin with bc I'm the not so nice Mrs. Claus., but that makes me wish I had some if I see them. Lol

A lot of these changes didn't occur until the last 10 months. The meats, poultry, and fish. I was having some major stomach problems but only if I bought meat from grocery stores and Walmart. If I bought it from the butcher, I didn't get sick. I could make it through a meal without becoming violently ill. Well, I noticed my kids also complaining that their tummies ached after the store bought meats. But not when we bought from the butcher. So the beginning of one month I bought everything from the butcher. I wasn't sick once. My kids stopped complaining of tummy aches. It just made a huge difference. After some chatting with people... A couple of them butchers at the grocery stores. A butcher at the locker (local butcher). We came to the conclusion that the preservatives in the store bought meats is what makes us not feel well. Sodium and red dye are BIG additives in store bought meats.. Both of which are not added at the butcher. To me, it becomes processed once anything is added to it.

The knowledge I've gained in the last year is making everything I'm learning now not so overwhelming.