Maintenance Question... do you keep logging food?

I would think it would be important to keep weighing in, but as long as you're staying at goal I don't see the need to keep logging food.  Do you find that you need to to stay on target?

i haven't ever stopped so i don't know if i NEED to but sometimes i log at the very end of the day and i find that i'm always within 100 calories of my goal, so i don't think it's absolutely necessary. i've stayed within 4 pounds of my goal weight either up or down so it's been working for me.

I also log at the end of the day now (or even the next day), rather than throughout the day.  But I've only been maintaining for a week, so don't use me as an example! :)  So far, this is working out for me, as I've been weighing myself daily still, and I'm within a pound of my target weight all week.

Clint

Yes, I think logging all meals and calories consumed is important.  I think it lets a person know that he/she is getting the right protein, healthy carbs, and healthy fats at the right time of the day.  Every time I take a week or several days off (such as I am doing this week), things don't go as well for me. 

Congrats on your ability to maintain and not log, however!  I have not been able to achieve that.  I do know there are many successful maintainers posting on these threads that do not log all their meals all the time.

Original Post by pilgrimdude:

Yes, I think logging all meals and calories consumed is important.  I think it lets a person know that he/she is getting the right protein, healthy carbs, and healthy fats at the right time of the day.  Every time I take a week or several days off (such as I am doing this week), things don't go as well for me. 

Congrats on your ability to maintain and not log, however!  I have not been able to achieve that.  I do know there are many successful maintainers posting on these threads that do not log all their meals all the time.

 That's why I still log after the fact... I want to know that I'm still eating the right balance.  But really, I haven't change my eating patterns/style since going to maintenance, I just eat more of what I did before.  And I might sneak in an additional treat or meal as well. :)

Clint

I have been maintaining since January, and I still log during the week, but not on the weekends.  I am not so much worried about eating too much, but I want to make sure I am eating enough so that my metabolism does not slow down.

Just like the previous poster said, I haven't changed my eating style either, just added more calories for maintenance.

I've been maintaining for almost a year and I've found that for me personally, I have to log everyday.  I take the occasional day off and splurge and don't always log that, but otherwise I log everything religiously and it keeps me accountable.  Otherwise I think I'll go nuts and eat everything, lol.  It also helps me eat more health conciously.

Fairly new to maintenance mode so definitely still logging to make sure I'm on track. I'd like to get to the point where I don't have to log anymore but I'm not sure how to do that.

i think that once you are maintaining, you should stop logging & learn to just live like a normal person.  just because you WERE overweight doesn't mean that you will be overweight again.  you need to stop & trust yourself!

you should know how to eat now & how to make better choices, AND always remember...  it takes 3500 calories to equal a pound!  how bad can you mess up by not logging anyway...  LOL

keep weighing in & if that scale starts going up, you know you are either eating too much OR you had alot of sodium.  even if you eat alot one day, it should just blend in.

as always, STAY ACTIVE!  :D

Original Post by snowfence:

you should know how to eat now & how to make better choices, AND always remember...  it takes 3500 calories to equal a pound!  how bad can you mess up by not logging anyway...  LOL

You can't mess up in one go, but plenty of people lose weight then put it back on again over time when they relax. Learning how to eat to lose weight is different to learning how to maintain, but they are both challenges.

You could lose weight without logging by learning different eating habits, and yes you could maintain weight loss too. But just like lots of people like to know what they're eating to calculate their daily deficit, it can be easier to log so you know if you are over or under your maintenance target.

I've stopped logging for almost a month now, but I still calorie count to keep on track on a day to day basis because I know I have a habit of overeating with big portion sizes... Plus I'm still a bit new n' scared to this whole maintenance lifestyle.. having been securely attached to CC for nearly a year (:

I just use the calculator on my cellph when I'm out and about to keep a basic tally of calories I'm consuming throughout the day. I pretty much know how many calories are in the foods I eat plus I can always check on packets and such if I'm unsure! By lunchtime I do a quick 'check' on all the foods so far consumed.. add it up on my calculator and think 'yup, I've got 600-700 calories remaining today'.

I'll do this for a couple of months or so and see what my weight does.. to make sure I'm doing it accuratley. I'm only using CC to log my exercise, as it changes my calorie burn each day, giving me a number I can work around for my food intake to make sure I'm breaking even (well - I usually stick to 200 under to be safe).

I'd just give it a go, not logging your food for awhile. It can be a nice break, and gives you the full set of reins to have a healthy, balanced diet (:

Hi! I'm new to calorie count but began journaling diet & exercise several years ago when I first began working with my personal trainer.

For me, I've found that I do not need to journal all the time and I don't weight myself very often. I do start journaling again though when something feels wrong. It may be that I notice I'm eating and eating and eating or that I feel sluggish throughout the day or that I've been getting headaches. Whatever is out of the ordinary I start journaling again and usually the answer becomes appearant.

I like to keep it written down; but only so you can make smart decisions based on what you've already consumed... me personally I was blessed with a good memory so I was able to maintain for 4 months without making even one log... but if you have a hard time with memory or just want to be safe, I would suggest keeping some kind of notes.

I like to.  Logging it though I tend to still eat less than I would.

Hey Pilgrim I've seen your posts but I think thats a new picture, congrats you look great!

sfredbull:  Thanks.  My shirt-off photos, although important for me as far as an incentive to keep exercising, were a bit over-the-top; old dudes need to keep their clothes on!  LOL

I agree with you about logging and eating less as a consquence.

For May, June, and July, I daily logged calories consumed and had several daily weigh-ins.  In August, I have gone several days at different stretches of not weighing-in and not logging calories.  My weight has definitely been going up and down (up more often than down) whenever I do choose to occasionally weigh-in.

Each one of us is different, but it is becoming very clear to me that I need to log my calories and to weigh-in daily.  I looked at my charts for June and July (especially for July) and I was the model of consistency once I got to my maintenance weight window. 

In August I started playing games with weight loss and gain and had things like birthdays, an anniversary, broken exercise equipment, family reunions, etc. completely throw off my maintenance schedule.  So the upshot is for me that I need to weigh-in regularly and to accurately record my meals and calories consumed.