Shocked by my food log

Posts: 878
7/8/12 3:01 A

I always need more protein. I have to watch my sodium. The food tracker is a good tool.

Posts: 177
7/7/12 11:36 P

OMG, Grebjack! My hair and nails grow soo slowly, and my family says that I've been looking pale and "ill" for quite a while. My complexion has been changing, looking rougher and older. Well, it goes to show that the tracker might actually be right. Looks like I'll be getting more beans. I can't eat nuts (yuck) and my son can't eat them (allergic), so they'll stay out. But, peanuts and soy beans--you bet! :)

Also, to the person who mentioned fish (I'm sorry I don't remember your name. SP won't let me look back...), we do like fish, and we eat it at least once a week. We eat Tilapia most of the time, and we love it. Chef Meg has a great recipe that I've been using for a long time, now. :) i also like tuna and salmon, and whenever we go out for Teppan, I love their shrimp. We'd like to learn how to cook it the way they do. Yum!

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7/6/12 7:06 P

Tracker = Reality check!

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7/6/12 8:26 A

I remember seeing those promotions about gelatin for your nails, now that you mention it.

I actually broke a pair of nail clippers on my nails once. I was trying to clip my thumbnail and I'd marked it but the clipper hadn't gone all the way through, so I rearranged how I was holding it so I could squeeze harder, and heard the snap, but my thumbnail was still intact and the steel handle to the clippers had broken at the bend! I went around snagging everything on my half-cut nail until I could buy a new nail clipper. Weird.

Okay, I've taken this thread way off it's original topic...

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7/6/12 6:30 A

GREBJACK: The information about how protein affects hair, skin and nails just ka-chinged into place in my brain. My hair and nails have always, ALWAYS been thin, dull, and slow to grow. Always wondered why, never found anything that made them better.

This is the first time I've tracked my nutrients, and it's been an eye-opener. I, also, must have gone decades of protein deficiency. And like you, I'm working to correct that now. It's darn difficult even for an omnivore to creatively work in sufficient protein and stay within a weight-losing carb range!

By the way, unflavored Knox gelatin--the stuff that's been promoted to strengthen your since at least the 1960's--is pretty much pure protein. So their claim makes sense. I just looked that up.

Thanks for posting that particular information.

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7/6/12 5:03 A

That is really interesting! All my life it has bugged me that my hair seems to grown more slowly than other people's. I've also been aware that I eat far more carbs than protein. I just have never made the connection.

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7/6/12 2:26 A

I get the protein warnings in my food tracker all the time. At first I really struggled with it,'cause I'm a vegetarian, so more complete proteins (a bean and a grain) meant more carbs. I asked my doctor about it and he said that hair, nails and skin are almost pure protein so if you don't get enough, the first effects are that your hair and nails grow more slowly, your skin turns over more slowly and looks dull and rough, you can't build and maintain muscle as easily, and you don't make as many antibodies in response to infection. He said as long as I'm needing to cut my nails more often than once a week, I don't need to worry about my protein.

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7/4/12 3:13 P

If you like fish, a nice serving of white fish is high on protein and low on calories. I'm having asparagus with smoked haddock topped with a poached egg for dinner.

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7/3/12 9:58 P

BABYNJOE: Another thought on the protein. There's a food supplement called "whey protein" powder available in the grocery stores in the diet section. It comes in a canister. I've not used it myself, but I've read about it and have given it the eyeball a couple times now when I've walked down that aisle.

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7/3/12 9:47 P

BAYBNJOE: I've got the same problem, always coming up short on my protein intake. No, you don't have to eat meat all the time! Make an egg white omelet, or make egg (white) drop soup with low sodium chicken broth and some scallions/chives. Tuna/Chicken sandwiches or casseroles. Greek Yogurt packs a whollop of protein. Snack on almonds, apparently the weight loss nut of choice.

I came up with a pretty tasty "pudding" made from just plain old Cream of Wheat, or one of the Red Mill hot whole grain cereals. Make it with water, cook until it thickens up, sweeten with some Truvia (stevia), add a dash of flavor--cinnamon, ginger, McCormick extracts, vanilla bean--divide into small plastic tubs and refrigerate. If I'm still protein deficient after dinner, that's what I'll have for a snack. It's filling and satisfying, no cholesterol or fat.

Do a general internet search for "foods high in protein" and then browse around. That'll get your creative culinary juices going! If you come up with something that inspires you, please share it with me!

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7/3/12 9:07 P

I'm frustrated! I've been measuring my foods, again, and checking the database against my boxes of food. I've also been entering my own values based on the boxes I get instead of the ones in the database. I am eating more protein that I thought, but I'm STILL short. Wth??? Unless I eat meat all the time (yuck), I'll never be able to meet my protein quota. Maybe I'm not supposed to be 115?

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7/3/12 3:01 P

The first things to fade away when I'm not tracking are fruits and calcium. Then go veggies and water--needless to say, I fill those places with empty calories! I'm so glad I'm concentrating on good veggie recipes and having fruit every morning.

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7/3/12 11:46 A

Yes, it's amazing how many calories are in some foods and how few are in the healthy foods. I just had a huge breakfast - zucchini, mushooms, asparagus, a little cheese and egg whites and some blueberries and it was about 150 cal. On the other hand, some of my former breakfasts, although small in amount of food, were huge in calories (like a starbucks muffin). Tracking really helps me make better choices.

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7/2/12 4:09 P

Even at the most optimistic estimation, I will need 18 months to get to my ideal weight, and then I have to maintain it. Let's say, we'll probably be old and grey before I'm in a size zero. What I love about this site is it's total support (a bit like my underwear), it's about everything, not just what you eat.

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7/2/12 4:02 P

CCICCHANTAL: Probably not wise to watch your weight plummet too fast, anyhow. :) I'm glad to know you'll be around a bit longer, sharing your support and your particular brand of good humor!

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7/2/12 3:20 P

oh I love fruit. before I discovered sparkpeople.com, I tried another eating plan that allowed me unlimited fruit. I was eating pounds of it every day, cutting up a big bowl and just sitting watching the telly every evening with it. Needless to say I lost weight very very slowly. Now, fruit is part of my meals - I am even trying to avoid snacking on it, because I know how many calories-worth I can eat. I have just run my report for the day, and surprise! What I always guessed. If I cut out the rubbish, I actually don't eat that much, I'm well below my lower limit and the report has warned me to eat more. I've put away 1,200 calories today, so won't worry, I'm not going to fade away just yet . . .

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7/2/12 9:33 A

JBSTERK: I could go my whole life and not eat a piece of fruit--and not miss it! Now that I'm learning about good nutritional and actually tracking what I eat, fruit is still hard for me to work in. My solution? I buy 7 pieces of fruit a week, take ONE piece out of the refrigerator every night before I go to bed (or I'll just not think about it the next day), and then make sure it gets eaten the next day. I've also found that the dried fruits sold from the bulk bins at my local grocery store make a good snack--just watch the amount of sugar added for coating.

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7/2/12 7:21 A

exact same experience!

as soon as i monitored my portion intakes, i started losing weight again.
But I didn't snack less. I eat often but little :)

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7/2/12 4:49 A

For me it's always been simple: when I weigh, measure and track, I lose weight. When I don't track, my portions explode and I gain weight. Tracking is still essential for me even though I'm on maintenance. It's really helped me to figure out where I should be in terms of diet and exercise when my goal is no longer to lose weight.

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7/2/12 12:37 A

I found I was surprised by how little I was actually eating. When I first started during the school year, I didn't make my minimum caloric range number. Exams and life got in the way of healthy eating and home-cooking was replaced by on-campus foods. Now I see that I can eat more and still lose the weight. It's been eye opening

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7/1/12 10:57 P

I'm also shocked by my food log. Not by the amount of snacking, but by how few vegetables and fruits I eat. I really have to work on adding many more fruit and veggies to my diet!

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7/1/12 9:38 P

Me too - 167 carbs, really???! Time to make some good bone broth, get rid of the cellulite and stop the "evening" snacks! So hard when we're watching grandkids or a good classic movie. Tomorrow is Monday - back to "normal!"

Posts: 159
7/1/12 4:47 P

I really was shocked when I first started. However, once I started to get in touch with portion sizes and healthy foods, I was shocked by how much I could actually eat and stay within a good range!

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7/1/12 4:28 P

...and THAT Chicchantal, is why I save & freeze all my steaming-poaching-cooking liquids and use them to make my OWN. Soup from scratch is not an intimidating mystery food: it's just cooked foodstuffs in some kind of liquid! The cook controls the amount of salt--HUGE plus--and can season creatively. Leftover meat, veggies, rice, pasta... they all make into delectable soups without a whole lot of trouble.

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7/1/12 4:21 P

I remember a big fuss in the UK media a couple of years ago when it was reported that a fashionable brand of fresh carton chicken soup had more salt in it than sea water. Soup is of course the very worst thing for salt, you just don't notice it.

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7/1/12 3:39 P

Yes Nancy, the phrase "lifestyle change" is powerful. It smacks of a clean slate and going forward with support and being armed with information.
Just want to see the scale move down a bit like everything else...ha ha ha....
Thank You!

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7/1/12 3:39 P

I love the Food Tracker it holds me accountable for the food choices that I have made. By doing so I am more successful and more likely to stay focused on my eating. Those that keep track, weigh, and measure everything that they eat are usually more successful than those that do not. I also keep track of my emotions to make sure that I am eating because I am hungry, and not because I am tired, board, or depressed. I have been known to be an emotional eater so I am doing my best to break that habit. Food for fuel and not for emotional fulfillment.

I usually fall short on my Fat requirement, but I am most surprised by how quickly the calories add up. Tracking is worth the time and effort to be successful.

To all hang in there we are on a journey that may have twists and turns. The set backs will be short lived and we will be successful. Track and do not beat yourself up if you go over, just remember we are human and we falter once in a while. I wish you all great success on your journey to better health and fitness.


Edited by: DAKOTADEBBIE at: 7/1/2012 (15:40)

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7/1/12 2:41 P

I was totally surprised. I've been working out every day, eating healthier foods, and thought I was da BOMB!! Then I started tracking my food and it was a real reality check to see just how much I was eating and how quickly I reached my calorie max for the day. Sometimes I reached it before DINNER! I really had to cut back on portions and juices and snacks.

Jae

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7/1/12 2:35 P

Jennaaw: Yes, it may seem like an unending drudgy-type chore to weigh in and keep track. But this is your health, your life! When you feel resentful over these tasks you have to perform, pull up the image of a person who needs kidney dialysis on a regular basis to survive. That will make keeping track and weighing in look like small potatoes.

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7/1/12 2:31 P

Cchicchantal: That salt thing can be tricky. I just recently figured out, now that I'm rotweillering the challenge to lower my sodium levels, that SODIUM is only salty when it comes in the form of SODIUM CHLORIDE (table salt). The mineral, sodium, sneaks into so many foods without that signature salty taste! For crying out loud, check out a can of regular red-label Campbell's soup! They aren't salty tasting, but they pack a whopping amount of sodium.

...Live and learn. And in this case, learn and LIVE!

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7/1/12 2:29 P

For a lifetime binge eater like me, keeping a meticulous food log AND daily weigh ins are a must to keep me on track. At this point I think I will have to do these two things for the rest of my life.

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7/1/12 2:24 P

Well my large cat, the one pictured, had gained 10% of his bodyweight in 2 months, so the vet said it was time for a diet. To be fair to the cat, we had a wet and miserable winter and he wasn't going out much.

The salt thing is hard isn't it? A lot of people can't even taste it - I remember when I was on a salt free diet many years ago, someone offered me a cereal bar. I took one bite and said 'it's got lots of salt in hasn't it?' and she said 'no' and then we looked at the wrapper and sure enough . . .

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7/1/12 1:39 P

Chicchantal: I got a kick out of how you put your cats on a diet before yourself! Yes, I think I've fed my cats & dogs healthier that I've fed myself, too! Well, OUR time has come! That Food Tracker has become my magic mirror: it shows exactly what's been wrong with my normal diet, and now I can go about correcting and balancing my nutrients. After church today, went marketing--and for the first time ever I opted for the can of organic black beans because the regular can had THREE TIMES as much sodium... hey, for the 20 cents more, I'm worth it.

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7/1/12 1:15 P

I think the food log is absolutely wonderful. It's only my second day on Spark, and yesterday I made myself put in everything I ate. Shock, horror! I was eating as much in unhealthy treats as I was in 'real' food. So today is going much better, and I'm SOOOO glad it's the strawberry season here, because I am eating nearly a pound of them a day, fabulous snack and just loaded with vitamin c. My local supermarket is actually giving a free carton of thick cream away with every punnet of strawberries - and I've turned it down twice. I feel like suggesting they offer fat-free yoghurt to people who don't need the calories. But back to the food tracker, it's so great that it indicates to you where your diet might be deficient. I have been aware for some time that I wasn't eating enough protein although I eat meat and fish, and was quite surprised to see how much more I should be eating.

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7/1/12 10:47 A

The food log, is what helped me lose 46 lbs. If I didn't see what I was consuming, especially in my sodium counts, it would have been disastrous. I did a test of how many calories I consumed in a day, before Sparkpeople. It was eye opening, and dangerous for a person with High Blood Pressure. Anyway my tracker was gold. I started with my breakfast calories and managed the rest, including my snacks, to stay within the calorie range I was given by SP I was into clean eating (no hidden calories) and it was ez peazie from there. Mainly fruits and veges with added proteins and grains, and a small amount of fat. It was said somewhere, that a little fat is necessary for lubrication of joints. Just made sure it was either Olive Oil or butter. And of course I drink plenty of water.

I never seem to have a problem with fiber, my problem is getting enough protein, since I cut back on eating any meat products. I mostly eat fish, and small amounts of chicken/turkey, does everyone see how much the cost of turkey is rising because of people like us wanting to manage our choices?, I never touch red meat, so I try to consume something rich in protein like legumes. I don't eat eggs and dairy products either (lactose intolerant)

Edited by: MJLUVSANIMALS at: 7/1/2012 (10:52)

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7/1/12 10:39 A

me too

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7/1/12 10:26 A

Another option if you're still not getting enough fiber is to use Benefiber or the generic version. It doesn't thicken up when you add it to liquids and there's no taste. You can also use it in cooking. It does have some calories per serving though, so if you're like me you really have to remember to add it to your food log.

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7/1/12 8:47 A

I look forward to the days when, once my tracker's added up everything, there's still room for a serving of ice cream or a glass of wine at the end of the day! You're right-- it's surprising how seldom that happens.

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7/1/12 8:40 A

Love the food tracker. When I get all the fiber/protein/ etc that I NEED I just don't have calories to waste on junk. Why on earth would I eat an Oreo, for example. I don't like them all that much and they do nothing for me. It has made me much more choosy in a good way.

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7/1/12 1:53 A

Thank you Nancy. Sweet potatoes huh? Ok and wheat germ is another one that I haven't tried. I do include nuts and soy edamame, but those seem to rack up the fat. I have been seeing how black beans really bump up my fiber. I love black beans and rice. But you can't eat that everyday. I picked up a couple packs of nuts and seeds today. They seem to get the protein numbers and fiber up. But what about the fat from that? I hear that fats from nuts and seeds are actually heart healthy? Any thoughts? I don't get enough protein either. I have to work at that. Not real big on meat. But I do start the day with 1 whole egg and to 2 egg whites. I put spinach and one fresh mushroom in it. The mushroom has 1 gram of protein! I thought that was cool :) What fruits do you eat? I had blueberries and raspberries and that gave me 4 grams of fiber. And I see an apple gives you 5. I thought broccoli would have more. Would love any other thoughts you might have! Thanks for the help.

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6/30/12 8:30 P

Melissa_114: I've used the Food Tracker almost a month now and also was appalled at how low my fiber intake is--even taking Metamucil fiber caps doesn't add that much. So... check out dried beans like kidney beans and lentils (if you need cooking ideas or instructions, pop me a note--easier to prepare than you might think). Check out wheat germ--it actually tastes kind of nutty and sweet. Sweet potatoes. Dry roasted almonds. Fruits.

I'm also struggling to get enough protein in my daily fare. That Food Tracker certainly has opened MY eyes, too.

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6/30/12 8:13 P

This is the first time that I have tracked my food as well. It is definately an eye opener. The one thing that I am always lacking in is fiber. No matter how I try to find it, it just keeps eluding me! LOL What do other eat to get that fiber in? I am on a low carb diet due to blood sugar issues, so its really tricky to find good whole foods that have fiber? Any thoughts?

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6/30/12 6:21 P

tracking my food daily - for over 300 days now, is the single most important thing i do to lose weight successfully. the calendar is a great tool. you can see a months worth of calories for each day at one glance. its very helpful when you want to look back or figure out whats up if you stop losing. try it

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6/30/12 5:44 P

Grandmaks1: It's been a month for me now... and I was in the same boat (or measuring cup) that you find yourself in. Logging in all my foods was eye-opening. I'm a great cook, but never paid much attention to being a healthy one, so every day in the kitchen is a new adventure for me!

Congratulations on joining this wonderful website community! From your SparkPage, I see we're about the same age with about the same weight and fitness goals. Let's keep up our enthusiasm... and figure out how to make this not just a weight loss program, but a lifestyle change, too.

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6/30/12 5:38 P

I too was shocked by what I was consuming and what my portions actually were. I would fill up a bowl with cereal then stop and measure. Sometimes it was 2 to 3 times what I thought a portion was.
Now I look on the container, measure then use smaller dishes.....this really helped me visualize.
I go a little further and enter my dinner in my log, see the results then make some changes, maybe skip the bun on the hamburger, add more veggies etc.
Scale still not moving but hanging in there, it's only been a week.

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6/30/12 4:52 P

a food log is the single most important tool for me to use.

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6/30/12 4:28 P

i never had any idea about just how many calories i was consuming until i started tracking. :) its a great motivational tool, and helps you stay accountable.

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6/30/12 4:09 P

JENNY160: Is nutritional yeast the same thing as what you buy to make bread? If not, can you describe it for me and let me know what department you find it in? I'm having a terrible time balancing my daily intake of carbs, fats and proteins--always 'way over on the carbs, and never enough proteins. I'm learning slowly, and this nutritional yeast may just be another bullet to add to my arsenel of high-and-easy protein fixes.

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6/30/12 2:33 P

I had EXACTLY the same experience. I would eat carrots and hummus thinking it's all veggies, and then discover that I had eaten 600 calories of carrots and hummus. Now that I've gotten the portion distortion thing under control (I had to buy a kitchen scale and commit to it for a few months) the weight came off almost effortlessly - it really was that one thing.

Congratulations on figuring it out.

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6/30/12 2:28 P

I find on a daily basis that I am under the recommended amount of fats for my calorie intake. We added olive oil margarine or cooking with Sunflower oil (high heat cooking). This was totally shocking as we like lean meats, chicken, turkey and fish. We use non fat yogurt, milk and more. We also went organic in our choice of foods.

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6/29/12 6:31 P

Although this is not within the topic of this thread, this is in response to the people who have mentioned bad knees--

My knee arthritis really did me in recently, so I have added swimming to my routine. After my typical workouts such as walking, elliptical, low-impact aerobics, etc., my knees *ache* the entire following day. After swimming (kicking from the hips, not the knees), my knees feel *wonderful*. It's like physical therapy for my knees while getting a cardio session in. It kind of feels as if the water is elongating the joint allowing body fluid to lubricate the joint. I don't know exactly what's happening, but they feel fantastic afterward.

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6/29/12 6:21 P

I agree that finding vegetarian proteins without overloading on carbs can be difficult. I'm not well versed in this, but a friend with diabetes said something about the effect of the carb on blood sugar is not as bad if the food is a high-fiber carb vs a low-fiber carb. Her diabetes nutritionist gave her the "conversion" rate for carbs with X grams of fiber vs low-fiber carbs. I don't know what the conversion is, but I'm sure it's online somewhere on a diabetes website.

As for getting enough protein, I love to add nutritional yeast into soup and over popcorn. For 2 Tablespoons, it has 45 calories, 8 g protein, 4 g fiber, and 1 g fat. It has a sort of cheesy-nutty flavor, but in soup it makes it seem so creamy. I LOVE it in vegetable soup!

I also tend to add chickpeas and beans to things that don't traditionally have them in the ingredients list, and I add protein powder to my green smoothies.

The rice protein powder I tried had a yucky taste, so drinking it solo was a no-go for me. I ended up switching to a vanilla-flavored whey-based protein powder (which I was trying to avoid due to the casein content) to get 20 g of protein for 120 calories. I use a Vitamix to blend a handful of kale leaves, handful of spinach, 1/2 zucchini or yellow squash, ice, 1 C vanilla-flavored unsweetened almond milk and a banana with the protein powder to get a lightly-sweet, very filling smoothie full of veggie servings. Total around 300-325 calories, depending upon the size of the banana, and this is a *lot* of smoothie if you add a goodly amount of ice.

And I added fish back into my diet (pescatarian).

May Minutes: 360

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750

Posts: 1
6/29/12 5:48 P

The tracker has really opened my eyes as to how unhealthy my diet is - no wonder I am getting fat! Makes it much easier for me to keep track of what I am actually eating and gives me an idea of how much I can have at each meal and make smart choices.

SparkPoints: (32,459)
Fitness Minutes: (39,384)
Posts: 1,414
6/29/12 5:35 P

I'm trying to eat healthy fats: avocado, peanut butter, pecans, olive oil, walnuts. I go over my fat limit for the day if I have 2 half servings of those per day. No fair!

Also, on the subject of sore knees, I recommend walking on absolutely flat surfaces. Avoid even the small hills going up or down - they're really hard on knees. I have found a cemetery, a park and a long street in town where I can walk slowly on level ground. Unfortunately, I have to drive to get to them, but it's worth it.

current weight: 135.4

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128

Posts: 74
6/29/12 12:20 P

To SaraSmile:

Great job on weight! I also have bad knees. Try short slow walks, if time allows adding a little more walking with time. It worked for me. My knees got worse when I stopped exercising. As much as it hurt at first, the walking actually helps decrease the pain after a while. Of course I don't know to what extent your knee problems are, and probably have no right to give advice. I only know what works for me. Best wishes and stay healthy.



Edited by: LPPTOGO at: 6/29/2012 (12:23)

Pounds lost: 22.0

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Posts: 74
6/29/12 12:10 P

I really love the food tracker. With a number of medical problems, it really helps when it tells me that I am actually not getting enough of certain nutrients, such as protein, carbs.,and even fats. It was hard at first, to get all the nutrients in and keep things within my calorie range (1,200). Each day gets easier and I feel great! Thanks, Sparks and members for all the help and support.
Louise

Pounds lost: 22.0

0 7.5 15 22.5

30

SparkPoints: (2,001)
Fitness Minutes: (2,845)
Posts: 65
6/29/12 9:33 A

Me too, I was shocked by how many calories were in my typical somewhat small salad topped with chicken salad.

current weight: 127.8

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Posts: 74
6/29/12 9:05 A

Spark has an ap for tracking food. That was my problem too...But you would be amazed at the things you find in the food tracker. You can also ask the hostest for a nutrition guide. Every food company should have one.

current weight: 138.4

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Posts: 74
6/29/12 9:03 A

The tracker is great. When I track my food I know exactly what to expect as far as weight loss. I have found that eating healthy is harder than exercising. So tracking the fat grams in my food keeps me grounded and motivated to know that what I am doing is right and healthy. When I don't track I don't eat right.

current weight: 138.4

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130

SparkPoints: (68)
Fitness Minutes: (0)
Posts: 1
6/28/12 11:44 P

I just joined the site today and used the food log today. I am the exact opposite. I found out that I'm starving myself. I added extra food to my dinner tonight just to make it to almost 1000 calories. Maybe it's because I'm doing The South Beach diet and I often eat a healthy snack instead of lunch? It was eye opening though!

Posts: 4,323
6/28/12 10:27 P

Tracking nutrition AND fitness can be a real eye opener all right. Amazing how we can deceive ourselves if we aren't accountable.

Pounds lost: 79.0

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83

Posts: 459
6/28/12 5:06 P

Yes, once you start tracking, you realize how little budget you get for a day and how easy to go over it. I know now that if I don't exercise, I will go over the allowed calories, even if I eat sensibly (my daily allowance is 1,244 cal). So I've been putting in 30 - 40 minutes of heart-pumping cardio/strength exercise every morning this week. I am seeing the result -- slowly but surely!
Let's keep going!

current weight: 122.0

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120

Posts: 36
6/28/12 11:06 A

I'm hardly getting in any exercise at all - bad knees and particularly busy season at work make it tough - but because I've been tracking my food, I've still lost 8 pounds. I find myself considering everything more. Plus I have the SparkPeople app on my smartphone, so even when I'm not near the computer, I can use it to track or at least to get an idea of the calories in whatever I'm about to eat. More than once, I've entered something in at the drive-thru to see how much it was, and changed what I was about to order as a result. SO useful!

Pounds lost: 9.5

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98

Posts: 192
6/28/12 10:41 A

I was definitely surprised - I've always been a *pretty* healthy eater, so I figured "how bad could it be?" It turns out that my portion sizes were WAY out of whack - for dinner (a healthy whole wheat pasta with a vegetable-heavy sauce) I would load up a bowl, without measuring. Yikes.

I was also surprised to see how little protein I was consuming. I've been steadily working on getting more protein in my daily eating, but as a vegetarian, it can be tricky.

current weight: 137.4

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120

Posts: 3
6/28/12 8:25 A

That's a great idea! It's a bit harder with dinners though.

I have started tracking before I eat for breakfast and lunch ( both of which I prepare myself), but I have a hard time figuring out where and what I am going to eat for dinner... What if I eat out? What if my fiancée cooks?

current weight: 149.4

164 156.75 149.5 142.25

135

SparkPoints: (358)
Fitness Minutes: (157)
Posts: 5
6/28/12 8:08 A

I am new to this site but I am finding the tracker is really helping me. It is a shocker to see what I had been eating!

current weight: 161.0

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126

Posts: 1
6/28/12 8:01 A

BAYBNJOE,

I don't eat a lot of meat, either, so I get my protein from quinoa (it's a complete protein). I use it in the place of rice. A small hand full of almonds has a lot of protein, too. And the newer meat substitutes have a lot of protein and are much better than they used to be (think: Morningstar, Quorn, Smart Dogs, etc).

current weight: 204.0

220 206.25 192.5 178.75

165

SparkPoints: (8,574)
Fitness Minutes: (12,717)
Posts: 134
6/28/12 7:49 A

I am shocked by the amount of sodium I take in. I am watching it. But, I rarely add salt to stuff. One thing I do wish is that we can copy recipes into the box rather then having to do it indvidually.

Pounds lost: 28.0

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208

SparkPoints: (37,070)
Fitness Minutes: (12,873)
Posts: 2,514
6/28/12 4:54 A

BabynJoe -- yes, unfortunately, milk is considered a carb, IF you are counting carbs because you are diabetic, or pre-diabetic. A cup of milk has 12g carbs, which is almost a complete serving of carbs (15g). So if you can have 15G of carbs for a snack, a cup of milk would be pretty much your whole snack, or 1/4 of your carb budget for a meal.

When I eat greek yogurt (I eat the fruit on the bottom type, but fat free), I count it as my carb serving, NOT my protein serving, even though it is very high in protein.

The tracker is a very useful tool. I like that you can see your nutrient balance each day, and that you can choose which nutrients you want to track, in addition to calories.

current weight: 218.2

218.2 215.4 212.6 209.8

207

SparkPoints: (3,034)
Fitness Minutes: (4,984)
Posts: 13
6/28/12 3:12 A

After my initial horror I am starting to log more regularly and its teaching me that this really all is about the math.

Pounds lost: 5.0

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24

Posts: 43
6/27/12 9:00 P

With the food log, I have learned to stay away from crash diets and take the right amount of calories so that I don't get hungry. But I can say that it can be quite hard especially since some food are not available at the list. This is why I try to prepare my meals as much as I can. Logging it is one of the reasons I have started losing weight.

current weight: 145.2

154 146.75 139.5 132.25

125

SparkPoints: (3,483)
Fitness Minutes: (5,214)
Posts: 10
6/27/12 8:39 P

I am as well amazed by how my daily routine goes when I watch what I eat. I just did egg diet for 4 weeks and sought that my calories will go overboard with all things I ate however some days I did not even hit 900cal.

Pounds lost: 9.0

0 25.75 51.5 77.25

103

SparkPoints: (12,375)
Fitness Minutes: (7,316)
Posts: 433
6/27/12 8:10 P

The tracker keeps me honest with myself. It is weird as I have a hard time eating enough carbs for energy when I thought I was eating too many. Tracking is very useful.

current weight: 269.8

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132

Posts: 687
6/27/12 6:32 P

You can also get a lot of protein from things like beans, eggs and cheese. I don't eat very much meat either so I usually fall short with protein.

I prefer tracking my food before I eat it because it helps me plan out what I'm going to eat so there aren't any surprises. I find that if I track after I eat then I'm usually on the higher end of my calories.

Pounds lost: 29.0

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100

Posts: 177
6/27/12 6:27 P

Turrra (I love your name--LOL),

I've never tried filling in the tracker before I eat! I think I'll have to check that idea out. :)

Also, I keep coming up short on my protein, but I don't eat a lot of meat. I'm good on dairy, but my dietician told me that milk is considered a carb (what??). I've tried rice milk, but I don't think I solved my problem. Protein is my problem. How do I get more in my diet?

I look to the tracker for guidance, but I've found that for it to be accurate, I have input all my foods and info from the labels, myself. I can't rely on the database.

current weight: 126.0

130 126.25 122.5 118.75

115

Posts: 1,572
6/27/12 4:44 P

So true! I'm sure MOST people who don't track calories would be surprised by many days. I know so many people who think they do a great job of eating right, but I see them eating some of the common "calorie bombs" that might not necessarily be terrible for you, but can easily go over your day's calories. I know others who might eat light, but they drink sweet teas and other beverages with calories that add up really fast! It's so important to make sure to log EVERY bite when using a calorie tracker. I've heard stories of those who didn't count little tastes and samples here and there, and that was what was messing them up!

PS - I also like the idea of filling out the log in advance. I often add in what I plan to eat and see how it totals up first. I might end up switching some things after doing that.

SparkPoints: (15,552)
Fitness Minutes: (11,143)
Posts: 248
6/27/12 4:18 P

So many of you have voiced my similar thoughts and experiences with the tracker! I find it vital to weight loss success to track. It can be eye-opening, rewarding, depressing, etc., depending on the day you've created for yourself, and I find it helps me make better choices when I fill things out ahead of time. I tried to fill the whole day out ahead of time a few times, but I find I don't stick to what I had on my plan (the craving/desire changes, or I don't have all the ingredients after all, etc.). I do almost always plan at least the current meal or snack and enter it before I cook/eat it to make sure I am staying in a good range for nutrients and calories. It has also helped me immensely in my switching off of land and air animal meat. I knew getting enough protein and riboflavin would be an issue with that dietary change, so I made sure to track those.

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