To log or not to log...

I have decided to join in on the fun! The main boards are full of pre-WLS or newbies and when I was one of them it was great...so...I have decided to socialize more with you all since you know where I am coming from. My thought for today is.... Do you log your intake or do you not? When I first started out I used fitday...got bored...too much trouble to log onto the computer several times a day and weekends...forget about it! too much to do in life besides log in to keep track of my food. For a while after that I would just use a paper food journal that I keep in my purse. Well, I still caring the food journal but I don't use it any more except to log my weekly weigh-in. Logging my food is just a reminder of old dieting ways and I am rebelling! Big time! It is not hurting me at this point. I am still on my downward trend for weightloss but at some point am I going to have to? I have been sticking to a 200-300 calorie limit for my three meals a day and usually don't need (want) a snac****il the evenings when I have a yogurt and/or sugar free popsycle. What about you all? Do you still journal?

Hi Elaine, wonderful to have you here. First off...please tell me that 2-300 calorie limit is PER meal and not for the whole day, right? That is just way too low for the day but about right per meal if you don't eat any snacks. I started out using a paper journal and switched to sparkpeople.com on May 13th and haven't missed a day since. It really, really has become important to my routine and isn't part of a diet mentality for me. It is just normal life now. Thinking about and selecting food like a thin person just isn't natural for me so a tool like an online journal is essential. So what are some of your favorite things to eat? My good old standby's are tuna or chopped chicken with some sort of sauce. That and a protein shake every morning and my day goes well. If I get too far out of the routine then it gets tough. Molly

Sorry...yes, that is 200-300 per meal. I don't feel like I have to focus on food every minute of the day this way. But, at the end of the day I still know that if I had say 600-800 calories I have room for a snack in the evening. I do not snack during the day. Just my protein shake for breakfast, a lunch and dinner when I get home. I do have a snack in the evenings. I just started the method and it has worked so far. I spend less time now thinking and planning my food (obsessing about foud is what made me SMO to begin with) and more time doing other things. Elaine

hum, I also got tired on the main board and joined the December babies a few weeks ago. It's much better here, less people and we are all on the same page as far as the WLS issues. Welcome!!!! To journal or not to journal? for me its a tricky situation. But the bottom line is that I sometimes do and sometimes don't. Dieting and keeping track of my intake is what got me obese in the first place that's why after the surgery I am learning to make better selections. Sometimes I log my intake for a few days into fitday just to make sure I am doing what I am supossed to. Other days, I just don't. I use fit day, as a tool to gauge my intake but I am not addicted to it. It's a personal decision, what works for me, might not work for you. If you are feeling like you are falling off the wagon, loggin your food could help you. Good luck and welcome!

I don't journal, honestly, until I notice I've had a bit of a graze day, or just feel like I'm eating too much, or too little (yes, I have a tendency to under eat when I'm working overtime, like I have been for the past two months). Then I'll hit Fitday or Sparklepeople and chart out my week in advance. Print out those reminders, and stick to it for that week. That is all it seems to take to get me back on track. I've only had to do it about 4 times in 8 months, so hasn't been that bad.

I'm journalling. Since becoming pregnant, I feel it's a must to at least make sure I'm getting enough protein and fats. But also because I've still got 50 lbs to go, I want to make sure I'm not going too far over my cals and carbs.

Elaine- I know what you are saying : "Logging my food is just a reminder of old dieting ways and I am rebelling! Big time!" & "I used fitday...got bored...too much trouble to log onto the computer" BUT i have found that Journaling keeps me honest...I use a notebook type journal called a DIETMINDER i got it at Barnes and Noble...or i think that you can get them on line at MemoryMinder.com--it has really been easy for me ---it makes me aware of everything that i am putting in my mouth. I have only been logging for 3 weeks......for the first few days i was eating normally as i have been for 7 months AND come to find out the peanuts that i was mindlessly eating were 160 calories per ounce 14 grams of fat 5 carbs and 7 protein. AND i wasnt just eating one ounce! I am a slow loser.....but since i have been doing this (no i have not lost enormous amounts of weight) I have lost 10lbs --which is a big deal for me --BUT I have lost a BUNCH of INCHES.....