Is it actually necessary to write down the type of food and the amount that you eat for each meal?

Seems to me, all that would be necessary to keep track of would be, calories, carbs, proteins and your liquid intake. After all isn't that all that matters as long as you are eating healthy foods?

I would appreciate your thoughts.

I log everything into the MyFitnessPal app. That has a big database of a foods and it tracks calories and nutrients.

I use the MyPlate app, and I think it's easier to just put in what I'm eating, then the app keeps track of the calories, carbs, protein, etc. I do find it very useful.

I guess you don't have to log the type and amount, but I find it helpful for times when I'm going through a stall to look back and see what my diet was like during times I lost well and didn't. Also, it helps keep me honest, as I get further out and my appetite grows, I find myself sometimes wanting to eat more than what a serving size should be.

This is an interesting question!

The only thing I can say is not all cals/macros are the same

Fat is not just fat, carb is not just carb etc, different types of each of the macros will do different things in your body but that's getting too technical (someone correct me if I'm wrong)

Also I know from watching food trends I lose more weight when I eat watermelon vs strawberries although I portion the same cal amounts...

Edited August 15, 20187 yr by GreenTealael

If I only logged the numbers, by the time I got to the end of the day I'd probably forget something. Plus, if for instance, I made a soup and calculated a serving to be 118 calories and 5g protein, I have that for reference when I pull it out of the freezer later.

Also, if you start to struggle and want to talk to your NUT, he/she will want to see the whole log, not just a list of numbers.

Edited August 15, 20187 yr by Orchids&Dragons

I don't really log my food I know I should but it's tiresome and I hate doing it

I use Myfitnesspal. what is nice with this app is you can add your own recipes and it will calculate the protein, carb..... I try to put in EVERYTHING that I eat everyday but I do forget. I am not on a diet but on a lifestyle journey to a healthier weight so even though I watch the protein and calories Its a good guide. Also a note, I am on a supervise medical weight loss program that I have to print off every time I see the surgeon.

My Fitness Pal or similar app is so much easier than figuring out everything on your own. You can use My Fitness Pal as an app on your phone and also login on your laptop or PC (for me easier to navigate). All you have to do is do a search, type the food and pick the one that best fits what you ate. Once you add a food it's goes into a Recent and Frequent catagory. You can add recipes and if a food is not in the database you can add that as well with all the nutritional information. It automatically calculates the nutritional values and at any point in the day you can look at your Nutrient Intake, Calorie Intake with Percentages and your daily Macros. Having the meal and it's nutritional info on hand also helps with future meal prep or when your in a bind and can't figure out what to eat. Just look at past days info and your good.

I log everything. It helps me stay compliant.

I log everything in My fitness pal as I am too lazy to work out if I have any calories left for the day and also the amount of protein etc I have already eaten. Its just easier it does all the hard work for you!

Right now I’m just using an app called “tally” to make sure I’m remembering vitamins/pills and hitting my protein and fluids goals. My NUT doesn’t want me to track calories right now...but I’m only 2.5 weeks post-op!

This is what my “Tally” app looks like:

Tally looks cool. I’m using the Baritastic app.

Preacher, weren't you concerned about reflux? If you log everything you eat, you can find out what foods aggravate your acid production, whereas if you only log the numbers you'll lose those specifics.

I use LoseIt. I have for several years. It’s the only thing that keeps me on the straight and narrow. ?