If Every Day Were Like Today
If you use My Fitness Pal to track your food than you know the phrase “If Every Day Were Like Today…. You’d weigh XXX.X lbs in 5 weeks.” You get to see this prediction after you “complete your food entry” for the day. It is very inspiring when you see it because 5 weeks doesn’t seem so far away and you think I CAN DO THAT. I tracked my food today. I’ve lost some inches and a few pounds from running this past year. I’m not over shadowing that. But I’d really like to get over a “number” hump that I’m close to. I can only do this by reducing my calories and I know this. But easier said than done. I am the master maintainer. I’ve been able to keep my weight with in a 5 pound range for a LONG time. I am ready to get over the hump. And so how do I do this. I track.
I’ve learned some things about taking some regain off.
You can’t go “Turbo” and expect to sustain that path for a long time. Let me explain myself. You can’t get all restrictive and jump into the ”I’m only going to eat hard boiled eggs for three weeks” mindset.
Restriction causes most people to fail in their efforts to lose weight.
So what I’ve learned works for me is if I track. Tracking helps me see what my calories are. It helps me see that hmmm that extra piece of fruit and the second Chai Tea Latte “everyday” is taking me out of my target zone. Note the “everyday” mention.
I am a pretty regimented eater. I get into food routines and live them for a while and then I change into a different routine. It may be related to the seasons and the foods that are available. But there is nothing seasonal about the Starbucks Smoothie habit I got into for a while. When you throw one of those on the tracker a few times in a week the alarms start to sound.
I’m not into restriction or what I “can” and “can not” eat. Like I’ve said before I only eat foods that I like.
So I tracked today to find those places in my current routine where I can change a habit and reduce some unneeded calories. Am I grazing??? No one tracks a graze! And man did I want to graze today.
Tracking today was hard. Why? Well last night I made a plan of attack. I planned out my food on MyFitnessPal. I love MyFitnessPal. It’s so easy. I use it at work on the web or on my iPhone, How easier or more accessible can it be. I like that I can see “this is what I am going to eat tomorrow.” and plan it out. I did that today.
And although it was hard and I had to really fend off some grazing and snack foods. I did ok. Stayed within my calorie plan. But I can see that on a nontracking day I am certainly over my calorie goal. There was a lot of mindless thinking about food today.
So tomorrow I will track again and I’m going to try to do this for the whole week. It’s about being AWARE. Stoping the GRAZING. Stop it. JUST STOP IT!!
So if you are following me and you use MyFitnessPal, head on over and request my friendship on MyFitnessPal. I need you!! You will find me as MyTinyTank.
So tell me. Do you preplan your food on MyFitnessPal for the day? Or do you track as you go and then stop when you get to your target? Do you count your exercise burn calories? Are those calories added to your total target?
I’d really like to know. Please consider leaving me a comment below. Once you do you may be eligible for my monthly raffle. Check out how to be eligible.
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Comments (14)
julia
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I love My Fitness Pal too. I do both: use it to plan my day in advance the night before, but then between the Android app & on my computer, I tweak everything as the day goes by if something has happened that made me alter the plan in any way. I’m also good about logging EVERYTHING that goes into my mouth, even vitamins/calcium chews. I don’t generally “count” those calories towards my daily goal, but I found that it helps keep me honest about always taking them. I also log in my exercise most days, as a way of being accountable, but I don’t usually eat back those calories at this point (I’m 13 months out and at the top of my goal range, but would like to lose another 5-10 pounds).
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my tiny tank
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Hi Julia, thanks for your comment. I find I am doing that too. I pre plan the night before. Then I adjust as the day goes on. I amy not be able to eat that piece of fruit with my lunch and so I may move it off to later at night or even take it off if I dont want it. Even though I am 12 years out I still try to track my food once a month for a week. It is essential for knowing what is going into your mouth!! Keep Tracking!
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Marlene
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I started mfp around dec 28,2012.i also paper track. I love that you can use your smart phone to track and everything is in there. I also barcode alot . I am a habit gal do I usually eat the same things for a month or so then switch it up. I track my burned calories but don’t choose to eat them.i also know that this is not a race.yhis is my life that I am fighting for.i only have this one body to fix so that I can live a long life and learn that food is fuel. I also have learned I am an addict . A food addict and I can overcome it by taking steps and tracking helps me stay in control.
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my tiny tank
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HI Marlene. MFP is right up your aisle! It can so help you understand the relation between the serious exercise you do and how it is affecting your calorie intake. Awareness will really help you!! Looking forward to catching up after your recent adjustment. thanks for commenting and nice to see you on MFP.
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Audra
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I use MFP too. I track as I eat. It is sooo helpful in keeping me honest. If I graze it goes in the tracker. Has to!! I wear the fitbit as well and my walking goes straight to MFP. I am 10 month out from ryn and at goal. I do eat the extra points on most days.
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my tiny tank
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HI Audra, I am a grazer too! I hate tracking grazes!! so in fact using MFP helps to prevent grazing for me. I wont graze because I dont want to track them!! thanks for your comment.
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Tracy
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I am obsessive about MFP! The only time I eat something that has not been logged first is if I hae eaten that thing many times before and I know its nutritional content will fit into my plan for the day. I am only 7 months out, and I hope to continue this practice. It is really my comfort zone. Many times I have made different food choices based on the numbers I see in MFP. I am an accountant – so turning this into a numbers game came natural to me! have a great day!
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my tiny tank
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Hi Tracy. why doesn’t surprise me that you are an accountant! You must LOVE MFP. Tracking, counting, Graphing. Right up my aisle too! thanks for sharing.
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Beth M.
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I’m an MFP fan as well – it seems like EVERYTHING is in their database, and if I’m entering a recipe I love being able to simply scan barcodes from things – so easy!
I log as I eat. Sometimes if I’m contemplating something, looking it up in MFP will talk me out of it. Also, I have a tendency to use one “bad” food choice as an excuse to eat junk the rest of the day (or week?). Sometimes MFP saves me from this problem because I can see that whatever I ate hasn’t actually blown my day, and with a little effort I can still keep my calories for the day within a reasonable range.
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my tiny tank
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Hi Beth, good point. Sometimes we say “Oh I ate that donut!NOw the day is all over. When in fact it is NOT. Track it and you will see just where you are. So you ate an extra Baby Bel. Track it and keep going. thanks for sharing that idea. I like it and it makes sense.
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Molly
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I don’t use MFP but I have been using the weightwatchers.com tracking since I had my surgery (I’m 5 years out). I love the same things about folks have mentioned here (tracking online, iPhone, iPad, barcode scanning). I am a BIG believer in planning and tracking – both from a health perspective and a financial one.
Its been amazing to watch the progress, the challenges, everything unfold over the last 5 years. Tracking definitely keeps me honest and conscious which were two of my biggest challenges pre-op.
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my tiny tank
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Hi Molly. Thanks for your comment. I loved WW tools. Haven’t used them in years but I have many friends who are lifetime members. Sometimes I crash my old WW mtg. Ha. I love people. Keep tracking.
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sonja
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I use myfitnesspal also and I just love it!!!
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my tiny tank
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Hi Sonja, look me up on MFP my name is MyTinyTank!!
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