Charting Calories and Weight in Excel - Am I the only one?

Since I started weighing daily, I started capturing my calories and weight in Excel. SO then I had to chart them (of course)! Hoping to be able to get some scientific insight out of my analysis. So weird, right? I do a lot of analysis for my job (in insurance), so this was natural. Anybody else do this?

I did, for the first year, while I was losing. I also included Fitbit calories burned, and compared calories consumed, calories burned, and weight lost. any given week, it could be off by a little. But over the course of a month, it was extremely accurate.

For me what mattered long term was average weekly calories..and avereage weight. Plus activity. 

I found out that my body need calories cycling... A few days of low calories and a few days of higher (not high..) 

But as I was getting close to my goal..not only how much calories  I ate but the food choices made the scale go down. 

I.e. too many fruits very consitently (not once a week) made me stall...same with grains... Or protein bars... 

The calories in food we eat are estimated. It reality - it is not how much you eat - but how much your body absorbs.  Heavily processed "food" or simple foods like protein shake, protein bars, fruits, yogurt...- my body absorbed and use at close to 100% efficiency.  

With real food proteins and non starch veggies - depends how they were processed- my body could utilize only some of the calories. 

Long term post op - when I felt I could introduce alcohol in my "diet" - that created a whole new issues. 

I wish what you presented was as simple.... 

Right now - I can eat more food and calories and maintain or lose as long as I eat the correct for me foids.  

I did it for the first year or so until I was at goal and not seeing much difference in my charts.

I used bar graphs with weight and calories side by side.

I used my fitness pal for a long time just to track my carbs and grams of protein (i never tracked calories), and weight.

I think it helps. Back 10 years ago, I had to do it from my computer, but now you can do a lot of that right from your phone.....and you can upload your activity automatically with some of the fitness devices....which is amazing for the new people!

Scott

I've been logging my food in sparkpeople for 3 or 4 years.  It can do several graphs - not custom like I could get using Excel,  but a couple that they have show me pretty much what I want to see