Do You Log Your Food?

[Alex Brecher 10,502]

Many experts suggest logging your food to lose weight. When you log, you know for sure exactly how much you are eating. Logging helps hold you accountable. Also, when you know you’re going to log your food, you may be less likely to sneak in an extra bite or choose a high-calorie treat.

Probably for all of these reasons, research shows that people who log are more likely to lose weight and keep it off.

Still, not everyone does. You may find it boring or time-consuming or inconvenient. You may feel as though you don’t need to. Or you may have started off logging, but now find that you’ve gotten into a pattern where you eat pretty much the same thing every day.

So, do you log? What stage of the pre-op or post-op weight loss surgery journey are you in? Was there ever a time when you stopped logging and went back to it? Please share your experiences – and also the program you use for logging!

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

I still log most days 17+ months post-op. I've lost all my excess weight, but am still a maintenance newbie.

I use My Fitness Pal.

BTW, I think eating the same thing every day may be a way to lose weight well. But it's a dangerous way to try to maintain. It leads to boredom, bad nutrition, cravings and portion creep.

Just my opinion.

P.S. Logging without measuring food portions accurately can also lead to portion and calorie creep.

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

Yes, I log it using MyFitnessPal religiously. It's the only way I know where I stand on my Protein target.

The ironic part is that recording my food has always been the biggest mental block for me. I am sure it goes back to when I started Weight Watchers as an adolescent and my dad insisted I keep my food diary on the refrigerator so he could see it.

After years of therapy and the ease (and privacy) of using an app, I am now a fan of recording my food.

I've even shown the app to some folks who haven't had WLS because I find it so helpful.

[Kindle 8,667]

I'm 25 months out. Reached my lowest weight (12 pounds below goal) about 9 months post and have maintained within 4-5 pounds of that low weight for 16 months.

Other than keeping a rough tally of Protein and fluids in my head, I have never measured or tracked my food. Despite it being recommended, I knew it was something I would never do. Didn't like it with conventional diets and certainly didn't want to do it for the rest of my life. For me, I had surgery so I wouldn't have to. The closest thing to tracking I do is my weekly pill dispenser so I remember to take my supplements every day.

I eat certain things every day....quest bar, Protein shake and Greek yogurt with ground flax seed and apple pectin for the Fiber. Other than that I eat a variety of veggies, fruit, grains and different Protein sources every day....pretty much whatever I'm in the mood for. Eat just until satiated, never full, and after two years I can eyeball my portions pretty well.

[jj7481 363]

I'll admit I logged my food and Fluid for every ounce I consumed during the first 2 weeks post op. However, over the last 3 weeks I have not logged at all. My way of control is measured and weighed portions that I prepare the day before. bought a Jaxx by Fit Fresh "lunchbox." It has 6x 1 cup containers, a pill organizer, and a shaker bottle. The day before I work I measure and weigh 4-5 meals making sure each meal is no more than 4 oz. I have a pretty good idea of how much Protein each meal has then account for a supplemental Protein shake, nor not.

[catwoman7 11,173]

I've logged my food intake for about 20 years. First in spiral notebooks, now on sparkpeople. It drives me crazy if I can't log - it's such an ingrained habit. Plus I love running reports and seeing the changes over time.....or what I weighed in certain years.

[Daisee68 2,493]

Absolutely! And I don't really know how people get through it that don't. Now there are a few meals (like eating out) where I have to just guesstimate as best as I can. It is not 100% accurate on these meals, but it is the best I can do. I have been doing this off and on for years (long before WLS) and have always been much more successful when I do. What I use it for the most is getting to the end of the day (before dinner) and being able to see the macronutrients and what I need to have for dinner (i.e. high Protein, lower carb or I can afford some carbs but no fat, etc.). I am 7 1/2 months post-op. I use Livestrong My Daily Plate (and have for 5 years). I don't know if I will ever be able to get to the point where I can eat reasonably like @Kindle. I just don't know if I have the ability to do that. I kind of hope so but I know that I will always need to double check myself at least occasionally.

[Djmohr 6,965]

I am 16 months post op and very close to beginning maintenance.

I believe the reason I have successfully gotten to this point is because I track everything I consume as I consume it, good or bad. This allows me to adjust throughout the day.

In the beginning I measured and weighed everything. After talking with my nut she challenged me not to do this because she felt like I have a good handle on portion size after a year of measuring and weighing. I do still measure and weigh nuts and Peanut Butter. LOL!

I use myfitnesspal to track my food. It's simple and fast so there is no extra bother.

[goodnuff 239]

I try to. I know it's a tool for success for me but like most other diet tools I buck the system trying to feel "normal". I've been using myfitnesspal for a few months now but have slacked since Christmas. I would love to look at food diaries of anyone that is willing to share!

[careya123 260]

I started tracking on My Fitness Pal a few days ago. (I'm going for my first consultation tomorrow.) It's shocking to see the nutrition in some foods. You can eat well all day, then one little thing will send the calories soaring in the wrong direction.

[mngreeneyes 674]

I am just over two months post-op and I have been using fitness pal since I got off all liquids at 2 weeks. I like that I can check my Protein goals and keep track of my calories. As a few others said, in the past this was a hard one for me on previous diets. I hated tracking although I knew it was good. I am doing a much better job this time since I seem to have had a shift in my thought processes about tracking. For some reason, I used to think it was a pain, but with it online (my FItness Pal) and the app make it easier and takes away the excuse. I also can see the benefits, which wasn't always the case during previous diets. It helps me reinforce the idea that things have changed and its working this time!

[stacyrg1 90]

I started logging the day of my intro seminar in February 2014. I've logged every bite of every day since then. The good, the bad and the ugly. It is what keeps me on track with my nutrition and macronutrients. I plan my meals the night before and log it in to see how my day is shaping up. It's not logged in stone and if I feel like eating something else, I do it. I attribute the success I've had (130 lbs down) to My fitness pal

[CarsonsMom 9]

This is my first post. I was doing well at tracking when I was losing weight (pre-op) before meeting with the nutritionist for 2nd visit. Since then (July 2015) and while waiting to hear whether I'd be approved for the surgery, I have unfortunately stopped and am having trouble starting again. I never heard anything about whether I was approved until end of October 2015, and had to change my date for the surgery since the time they originally gave me was when I was going on vacation. So surgery is tentatively scheduled for end of February 2016. I know I do better when I track. I know this from past weight loss programs. I guess I get too comfortable thinking I know what to do, of course I know I'm lying to myself and slowly start getting back into old habits. Although I found this time it was different. I was able to reign myself in and get myself back on track even though I wasn't tracking. I was using Myfatsecret for tracking. I'm not totally sure I am 100% happy with this site. I noticed a lot of people use my fitness pal. Those of you who do, are you satisfied? Any other apps that people have used any better? I like easy, nothing complicated. Thanks.

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

I've never used the myfatsecret app. But, candidly, I would never, ever, ever use an app with that name. It sucks.

[Alex Brecher 10,502]

Our goal is to create something similar to MyFitnessPal but targeted towards weight loss surgery patients. It's currently a work in progress. Is there anything you would want from MFP that they currently don't offer that would be interesting to Bariatric patients?