Keeping a food journal

Posted on September 1, 2015

Keeping a food journal is my secret weapon. Recording food seems to be a very powerful motivator to eat well because it enforces awareness of what I'm stuffing into my mouth. When I have to stop and write it down, have to think, OK, am I eating this because I'm actually hungry or is it fulfilling some other need? Also, seeing how many calories I've had that day helps me answer the question -- if I see have a big calorie deficit, sometimes it's a green light to go ahead and have a big salad or a healthy snack because I must actually be hungry! It seems to have been the key to all my weight-loss successes in the past.

The trickiest thing is exercise. I often go on 2-3 hour bike rides and I just don't believe the calorie-burn estimates. To be off by 15% for a short workout isn't a big deal, but to be off by 15% when you've burned an extra 2500 calories is a huge difference!

Years ago I used My Food Diary and I loved it for the community. Now that there are lots of free options out there it's hard to justify the subscription and I switched to MyFitnessPal. What do y'all use?

Comment Now!

SeanJohnB

01/10/2022 6:29AM

I am looking for a way to tell my phone what I've eaten and skip the 'hand' entry. Any help?

Brielle B.

09/01/2015 8:39AM

I've used MyFitnessPal in the past with great success, and I'm back to using it. I don't really like the site layout (it looks exactly the same as it did in 2011 when I last used it, which isn't REALLY a good thing) and I think that Livestrong's MyPlate is way more attractive and intuitive. I'm also not a fan that apparently in order to check my macros with the mobile app, I have to have a Premium account (but apparently I can check this on the phone with no problem?).That being said, I sorta feel "stuck" with MFP as it has the biggest food database and the most people using it (though I'm not too big on the social aspect of it, tbh). Although, I would like to wring the necks of whoever the people are who add new listings for food already in the database; it drives the data-oriented part of me mad and it's just a pain in the butt. There's no reason for 8 different entries for the same low-sugar ketchup! You guys are nuts!

Peaches likes this comment.

View 1 more comment

Brielle B.

Er, I meant that I can check the macros on the website with no problem! Why in the world I can't check them on the app makes no sense. I can just visit the site in my browser on my phone, like DUH!

Jennifer

On the iPhone, turning my phone sideways shows me te macros for individual entries, and under nutrition at the bottom it shows where I am percentage wise for the day. It does try to sell premium to see foods highest in each macro, but the turning the phone side ways tells me that really.