Today is the fifth monthly anniversary of when I started logging what I eat. I started on April 15th.
For me, logging has been absolutely vital in learning about my body and how different foods affect it.
** There are times that I don't want to log what I ate because I know it wasn't the best choice and/or the portion size was large. I log those foods anyway.
** There are times (potlucks) that I have to estimate because I don't have a food scale or knowledge of ingredients. I log those foods anyway using my best guess. I try to estimate high rather than low.
** There are times that I'm stressed out and just want to mutch on something continually. I log those foods too.
** There are times that I don't plan and just grab whatever is available which usually leads me to overeat. I log those foods anyway.
** There are times that I don't care about eating healthy and just want some good ole fried fast food. I log those foods too.
** There are times that I just want to indulge myself. I log those foods too.
I have consistently logged everything I have eaten for 154 days no matter what.
The only exception I have to logging everything that I eat, is I allow myself ONE bite of a dish without logging it. I am fairly rigid about this rule because I have to draw a line somewhere or I will gradually expand it (I know me). If I take the second bite then I have to log it. I started doing this because it is a challenge to cook for others and not taste it to see if the flavors and ingredients are correct. Another reason I do this one bite rule is I believe the first bite of anything is the best. This knowledge means I can take one bite of a dish or dessert and be okay with not eating more of it because I know I've had the best bite. (IMHO)
Logging everything means I have proof that I am going as fast as I can with losing weight. I am super frustrated to be losing weight so slow but I look at the facts and don't see a way to speed it up. I have learned that I have to keep lowering my calories in order to keep losing weight. I remember the years past when I would lower my calories to 3000 and the weight would drop off easily. My older body doesn't work as it used to in my youth.
My calories for the past 5 months =
1481 April Average
1320 May Average
1269 June Average
1242 July Average
1174 Aug Average
1136 Sept Average
Which resulted in weekly weight loss =
-1.84 loss weekly April
-1.12 loss weekly May
-0.61 loss weekly June
-0.5 loss weekly July
-0.86 loss weekly Aug = this increased weight loss rate came from bumping my protein % up
-0.61 loss weekly Sept
I am 19 lbs lighter than I was 5 months ago. I eat whatever I want but I just don't eat as much as I used to eat.