Lessons from tracking my food

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9/8/12 12:42 A

Just like SuzyQSings I discovered how carbohydrate driven my eating was. I was also amazed to discover that I was eating a lot less fat than I should. I've also learned that if you eat too little and exercise too hard, you can be counterproductive. I learned that the hard way.

Edited by: MATER88 at: 9/8/2012 (00:42)

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9/8/12 12:09 A

there's a definite pattern to these responses.. tracking and exercising. it's just a smart, sensible healthy way to operate. congrats to all you folks who are succeeding in losing weight. i like seeing your little weight loss tickers, going downnnnnn I started mid week so when I weigh on Sunday i don't know if I will seen any loss yet.

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9/7/12 11:04 P

It's always amazes me how easy it is to lose weight when I track my food and exercise daily.
Cindi

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9/7/12 11:43 A

I never thought just tracking my food everyday and exercising for 30 minutes ( now 90 minutes for me in 3 weeks!) woud have so much of an effect! I have lost 5 pounds in 3 weeks and I am happy with the pace! :)

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9/7/12 2:46 A

Tracking everything on Spark People is the only way I know how to find out how much sodium I'm really getting. I've lost 44 pounds - through portion control, REALLY REDUCING SODIUM, exercise (DAILY) and TRACKING! It works!

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9/6/12 9:04 P

Weighing and measuring and tracking as I go helps me to make adjustments to my evening meal to get the right balance of nutrients and right amount of calories for the day.

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9/6/12 8:55 P

Veggies = low calories
If hungry = eat veggies

Find a way to make veggies ur friend!

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9/6/12 8:37 P

CHECKING IN WITH SPARK IS GREAT ITS KEEP ME ON TRACK...

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9/6/12 7:29 P

Hang in there! It is hard with a busy lifestyle and family, especially a spouse who is not on the same page. I am just starting out too and I need to lose 80 more lbs. I have decided to do the best I can for one day at a time, if I mess up, I am getting right back on. I am a single mom with teenagers and it is hard to cook trying to please everyone. So I decided, I do the shopping, I am cooking healthy, if they don't eat it then I guess I will have leftovers, lol. Goodluck! You can do it!

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9/6/12 4:23 P

this is me too... ...i even have a food scale, but i am so busy with kids and baby, working part time and the endless housework...i really try to make healthier choices, but i dont always have time to weigh and measure...it sucks too that my husband doesnt want to "be on the diet" with me and so who has time to make two dinners? fortunately there are alot of motivating stories on here

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9/6/12 2:59 P

I as a young adult did not have to worry about what I ate, weighing only 100 # when I married. But later, I developed thyroid problelms, gluten intolerance and now diabetes and each event lead to me gaining alittle more weight at the rate of 10 # a year. I have learned that I was eating a lot of junk and way too many carbs as well as having no sense of portion size. Now I am learning by measuring most food items and filling my plate half to three-fourths full of veggies-without cheese or fats.

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9/6/12 2:29 P

I don't have anything new to add. For me tracking what I ate through Spark People helped in two principle ways:

1 - It gave me a better idea of portion size. I didn't realize how much more I was eating in a normal meal than what would be considered an appropriate portion for a man my size and age, etc.

2 - It gave me a better idea of the nutritional value of foods that I typically eat. For example, I love nuts; and I knew they were considered healthy. But I didn't realized that eating a cup of nuts had so many calories and fat. This is related to portion size, but for some foods, I'd assumed they had very little calories; and for others (meat) that they had more.

So I got a better idea of how much to eat of what kinds of food.

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9/6/12 1:03 P

Eat Less.......

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9/6/12 10:14 A

tracking has also clued me in to how carb crazy I am. when I look at the pie chart that really helps me see how I need to balance my nutrition better.

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9/6/12 9:10 A

Tracking makes me more aware of portion sizes (even tho I still ignore them sometimes) and it also helped emphasize the importance of nutrients not just calories. Also the need to plan ahead and schedule some treats in each day.

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9/6/12 8:58 A

I realized just how much I used to eat before tracking. Wow. way too much. Tracking makes me stick with a healthy eating plan- (most times).
Portion size was another eye opener as well.

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9/6/12 8:49 A

I track both the good and the bad. If I slipped up, move on to the next day. I like the fact that I can track on my Blackberry as well. This really does work, you just need to stick to it. dont get lazy or complacent.

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9/6/12 12:52 A

I'm learning it is hard to find exact parameters for the food I am eating. Especially since I eat food I cook myself, by and large. I also learn interesting things like hard boiled eggs have less calories than poached (minimally more so, but.). Which makes no sense but this means I'll use the tracker for a GENERAL idea, rather than something to watch down to the last calorie.



Edited by: ARTEMISTHEGREEK at: 9/6/2012 (00:54)

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9/5/12 11:51 P

just got home from work (second shift), had a snack, and tracked my intake for today.no wonder I came home starving~I didn't eat enough today. 1100 cals. is below my lowest parameter. I'm used to eating LOTS more which is why I'm back here haha.

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9/5/12 10:48 P

You are so right! It is not about accountability to anyone else so much as it is being accountable to ME and hitting my daily goals. I had no idea how uninformed about nutrition I was until Sparkpeople. I am very happy when I tally up at the end of the day and see that I have made good food choices. I feel physically better when I eat right. I am encouraged by the good numbers, but not defeated by the bad, it just makes me do better the next day!

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9/5/12 3:28 P

that I must track my food or I will deceive myself!!!

Edited by: KJEANNE at: 9/5/2012 (15:28)

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9/5/12 1:29 P

I've learned that a chicken salad sandwich and fries at Zaxby's (over 1100 cal) has over twice as many calories as a half Tuna sandwich and chili at McAllisters.

I've learned that it can be difficult to get in the number of calories, carbs, fats, proteins needed a day when you "eat right" all day long. I'm actually eating more real food than before dieting, but my choices before were so poor for every meal, I'd hate to try to guess how many calories I was eating.

I've learned that tracking everything is really not that hard, especially with my iphone app and the amount of information we now have online.

I've learned that I love the feeling of being in control that tracking can give me.

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9/5/12 1:22 P

I know that tracking for me is extremely important. I must admit that when I know I have eaten way too much I do not bother tracking. This usually ends up with me too full and not feeling well. My goal is to track on even those days when I know I ate too much. That way I have to think twice if I really want to eat that cookie my daughter just baked or that handful of pretzels.

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9/5/12 12:58 P

SuzyQ, there are a lot of restaurant meals in the Tracker. Even if it's not the right restaurant, it will get you closer than tracking nothing at all. Also, most large chain restaurants have their nutrition info online.

Complex homemade meals are always a challenge. If you make them yourself, of course, you have a good idea, and many recipes have the nutrition info. Eating at someone else's house, though, the task may not be possible. But you should still be able to track most of the time, and I've learned the hard what when I don't track, I don't lose.

Chris

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9/5/12 12:04 P

Tracking my food is definetly important... but my biggest issue is going crazy by obsessing over the numbers. My biggest lesson is to plan ahead so I can enjoy the foods that are in my "calorie budget" and not stress over it.

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9/5/12 9:54 A

Thank You for that I need to improve I blew it over the weekend and I need to stay on track u inspired me Thank You again

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9/5/12 1:09 A

yes that does help, thanks GramC.

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9/4/12 10:35 P

Hi "Suzy". It is a challenge and tracking can take up time, but so important for success. For eating out, I find that many items are in the list already. For instance, if I go to a Mexican restaurant, I might find another restaurant listed with similar menus. I use those. For recipes...I often enter my own into the recipes and then just list it that way. Often I can find a similar recipe (such as chicken brocolli casserole) and use that. Hope that helps.

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9/4/12 10:24 P

the food tracking is helpful but can be very tedious if not impossible, when you eat a portion of something that has a combination of many ingredients. Especially if you don't know all the ingredients, like when eating out. For ex. We went to a mexican restaurant last night, i wanted to start tracking, but there was no way to "break down" the food i ate. it was a taco, enchiladas, and rice with a lot of stuff in it. I ate about a third of my plate and boxed up the rest. Casseroles, and other homemade dishes with lots of ingredients, are equally as difficult to break down accurately. How do the rest of you do it?

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9/4/12 9:39 P

Tracking my food is about accountability. It's my goal to track my calories no matter what, and to tell the truth when I'm doing it. I would rather err on the high side and know I have been accountable.

The hardest is to be accountable when I have overeaten. But I do it because it's not about "being good" or "being bad", but about telling the truth so I can clean it up and move on. After all, what's going to happen if I quit doing this? Am I going to realize my goals by giving up? Nope, as my family motto says: the only way to the other side is THROUGH.

Slow and steady wins the race!

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9/4/12 7:54 P

from traking my food i have learnt alot.
1) i dont have to starve to lose weight
2) everthing i put in my mouth counts ( i have stopped randomly picking)
3) was suprised to see how many calories in an apple
4) my fave, if i plan my meals in the morning for the day if im good i can still have treats like ice cream

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9/4/12 6:43 P

Thank you Sissy_65 since I began with SP 3 months ago I've only lost 5 lbs. I've faithfully tracked my nutrition and always came under the daily recommended counts. I think you have uncovered what may be the very reason why I'm losing weight so slowly. I'm going to make adjustments starting today and see if that doesn't make a difference! to Thank you again for the heads-up!

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9/4/12 1:47 P

I can become as obsessed with calorie counts. Quickly.

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9/4/12 12:45 P

Tracking really helps me make healthy food choices. I need to track everything or I won't stay within my nutrient ranges. Tracking helped me see how much sodium I am eating and helps me get enough calcium, iron, and protein.

I love tracking my runs using the walk/running mileage tracker. It really motivates me to push a bit harder to increase my effort to see that I am running at a faster mph or burning more calories!

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9/4/12 7:00 A

another lesson to be learned through tracking is not eating enough, i was at a plateau when i decided to start tracking and sure enough i was coming in under my low end of calories, bumped up my calories and weight literally melted off again, good luck everyone!

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9/3/12 10:33 P

For years, I have never tracked my food. I also have maintained the same weight for years, "dieting" on lo-fat foods. Tracking my food made me realize how many calories I was really consuming of these "lo-fat" foods. By revamping my diet and accounting for what I eat, I am finally back to losing!!!! Lesson learned.

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9/3/12 10:19 P

I've learned I can maintain my weight by carefully tracking my food at a specific caloric intake. I allow for two days a month of "wild" eating, each one of those days followed by four days of strict, 1,300-calorie/day eating. It's a formula that works for me, and I'm 60, not tremendously active but not inactive, either.

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9/3/12 8:07 P

I have learned to periodically check food labels of already saved foods. I love Francisco Sliced French Bread which had been 110 calories for two slices, but I was looking at the label yesterday and it is now 120 calories for two slices. I also track every little bite that way when I hit a plateau I can see where I can improve my diet .

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9/3/12 7:07 P

I learned that I wasn't eating the right combination of nutrients most days. I didn't realize there was a "too low" on Low Fat. I learned that eating clean means I have to work harder at eating ENOUGH calories, carbs, and fat.
I learned that no matter how many veggies I eat, I cannot get enough carbs in without eating a couple servings of grain, pasta, or rice dishes.
I learned peanut butter doesn't have to be a forbidden food.

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9/3/12 5:06 P

I have learned not to lie to myself because the only person I am hurting would be me in the long run, therefore I track daily and make sure I note all I have had, good or bad.
I encourage you to keep it daily as this is one thing that will be for you and for your life.

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9/3/12 5:00 P

I have made a decision to track no matter what and when I go into the graph reports, I learn from them. It helps me make better decisions. It is about learning and not putting impediments in front of me. I agree, when I post and do well with my choices, it does make me feel better and I can look back and see what I did well and can then repeat it.
Spark on.

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9/3/12 3:19 P

When I have a bad day and still track the best I can, I can see sometimes that I didn't do as much damage as I thought I did. Which makes me feel a little better and able to get back on track.

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9/3/12 11:11 A

I've really learned where empty calories are coming in for me. Helps me revamp my "healthy"eating and make it count.

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9/3/12 10:17 A

It drives my husband crazy but when I roll out of bed I start asking what do we want for dinner so I can start planning my day. And yes life throws some curve balls but you need to be ready for that spur of the moment event by knowing where you are in your totals for the day!

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9/3/12 10:10 A

Tracking my calories is an eye opening experience, for sure. The biggest thing that I learned is all the "little things" that get consumed throughout the day. For instance, if I'm cooking in olive oil, that's a significant amount of calories and I have to count that. Condiments, the piece of chocolate here or there, it all adds up and it was probably throwing off my weight loss for a long time before I noticed it.

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9/3/12 9:23 A

this has been a real eye opener to me. Never thought I would get into tracking what I eat but I believe it is the single best reason why my wife and I are living healthier and losing weight

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9/3/12 9:11 A

Tracking helps me plan for the day. If I know I'm going out at night, I will eat lighter meals during the day. It helps me make better decisions about what I am actually choosing to eat. And I've learned that it doesn't take long for calories to add up.

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9/3/12 8:52 A

Tracking simply helps me stay on track. When I stay within the wheel of 30% lean protein, 30% good fats and 40% good carbs, I make better choices. Do I really want to use up my carb count by eating that chunk of chocolate cake? Usually I decide no, and will have a single bite instead. I don't blow my carb count with a single bite and I still enjoy the flavor.

Tracking holds me accountable and helps me be fore responsible.

What I haven't figured out how to track, though, are homemade meals and recipes. If anyone has advice for this problem, I'm looking for some.

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9/3/12 7:58 A

1- Calories add up quickly!
2- I now know for sure that I was eating way, way too much before
3- I have to re-learn practical nutrition
4- Eating right is simple, but not easy

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9/3/12 7:48 A

I'm amazed at how many calories/carbs or fats some foods have. I also realized that I have miscalculated serving sizes many times. (I finally got a food scale last Christmas, so I measured what I thought, then weighed, then served myself the correct portion) from time to time I continue to do that, just to test myself.

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9/2/12 11:19 P

I have leaned the nutritional content of my foods and how easy it is to eat right and how easy it is to get too many carbs. It has been an eyeopening experience.

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9/2/12 10:01 P

I've done that before too. Let your awareness be a guide to how much you eat outside of the program. If we're fully aware of what we're doing, we can at least control how much we eat better than if we don't think about it.

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9/2/12 9:45 P

GATAORADE71 - I do the same thing you do - when I eat too much, I stop tracking for the day and start over the next day. It is the most frustrating thing I do to myself and I haven't figured out how to stop it.

I could use some advice from anyone reading this forum.

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9/2/12 8:46 P

Those are great observations. For me, tracking makes me not want to eat out, because I don't have a really accurate way to track it. For example, we went to Bacon Fest today (for my husband) and I had a BLT enchilada. No idea how to track it and I'm not going to even attempt it. But it's frustrating because I know that I don't have the calories left that my tracker says I do, and in fact I'm likely over. But, tomorrow is another day.

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9/2/12 4:24 P

I track my food religously. I need to do it, so I know how much I really eat. Otherwise I under or over estimate. Plus it helps me understand what type of nutrition I am getting, is my protien ok, are my carbs and fat too high... etc...

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9/2/12 4:24 P

Tracking has helped me be aware of how little protein I was eating and how much fat foods have. I am trying to lower my cholesterol and tracking has helped me make better choices...I think about whether or not I really want to see potato chips in my food log as opposed to say...popcorn or pita chips and hummus. Its the motivator to make better choices!

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9/2/12 4:19 P

Dr. Oz suggests eating fresh mozzarella because it's low in salt, fat, and calories.

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9/2/12 3:27 P

It has helped me focus on getting enough protein and fiber. I should probably work harder at eating less cheese, too, because most of it has more salt than I can have.

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9/2/12 2:32 P

i always knew that i liked very nonnutritional stuff more than anything else. Tracking helps me 1 do something other than stuff my face 2 think of the actual value of what i am eating.



dDawn

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9/2/12 1:29 P

I started tracking in April. I discovered I was not eating enough food and needed more protein. I track most days and try to hit the ranges for carbs, fats and protein. I am always delighted when I track my evening meal and find out that I still have a few calories left to enjoy an evening snack. Tracking makes you more aware.

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9/2/12 1:26 P

Just tracking my food makes me think twice before I eat something and think about how many calories I am eating. This so far is helping me stay within my caloric range for the day.

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9/2/12 1:19 P

I was amazed at how little protein and fibre I was getting when starting to track food. I plan my meals (most of the time) to reach all target amounts and have a mini celebration when I reach the 50/30/20 ... Carb, Fat and protien :)

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9/2/12 1:16 P

Tracking for me has just opened my eyes to how wrong my eating habits were. I was swinging past the burger place right before work, piling my plate with more meat than veggies. Not to mention my portion control was all over the place.

I am now using smaller plates and trying to keep to serving sizes. It was hard at first because in my mind I had this notion that 3 oz of steak wasnt going to fill me up at all. Or that only a cup of vegetables was going to be too small. Now that I've been with SparkPeople for nearly a month, I was shocked when I had a wonderful portion-controlled plate and when I ate it, I did not even have to go back for seconds because I was happily full.

Thank you food tracker!

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9/2/12 11:31 A

Tracking really opened my eyes to how much I was eating. When people ask me what diet I'm on, I sometimes say, the paper diet. They look confused, and I tell them I'm writing everything I eat down on paper.

It really keeps me honest and wise about what I put in my body. Like many posters, I was just not aware of how much I was eating!

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9/2/12 11:07 A

tracking has so increased my awareness of just how much junk i was eating without realizing how many "empty" calories i was downing! i am much better now - not perfect, but getting so much better.

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9/2/12 10:32 A

I've learned that smaller portions of food can be just as filling as the stuff I've been eating up to this summer. A bottle of water goes a long way toward completing a meal.

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9/2/12 9:07 A

Tracking has made me realize just how many calories/fat/sodium are in some foods that I once would have eaten without even checking the label. We all know how bad fast food and most pre-packaged foods are, but I didn't realize that they were much worse than I had ever guessed until I started looking it up.

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9/2/12 8:59 A

Believe it or not... I wasn't eating ENOUGH fats and carbs! My protein was fine. I was getting more from non-meat sources than I thought.

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9/2/12 6:51 A

I've learned I'm consuming way too many carbs and fat and not nearly enough protein.

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Fitness Minutes: (6,929)
Posts: 923
9/1/12 3:52 P

My biggest lesson was that just the act of tracking influenced what and how much I ate. Often it just was not worth the time to measure and record that handful of nuts, crackers... whatever. Attention is a powerful tool!

June Minutes: 0

0 36.25 72.5 108.75

145

SparkPoints: (13,021)
Fitness Minutes: (7,230)
Posts: 907
9/1/12 10:52 A

Cheese was my problem...I had no idea of the salt, chlosterol and the fat it contained.
Nw I buy cheese, but I break it down to 1/2 serving and freeze pieces.

current weight: 223.0

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160

SparkPoints: (1,874)
Fitness Minutes: (770)
Posts: 16
9/1/12 5:56 A

I never tracked my food before, and wondered why I kept the same weight for several years. lol Tracking has made me realize how many calories the food that I thought was "Healthy" before actually had. It still is Healthy food, but when I'd eat a larger portion because it's "Healthy", I was actually sabotaging my own weight loss. Now, I can even eat that rare slice of pizza....as long as I balance out the calories throughout the day. AND I'M LOSING WEIGHT!!! Imagine that!!!

current weight: 159.5

168 163.75 159.5 155.25

151

SparkPoints: (135,665)
Fitness Minutes: (159,837)
Posts: 9,191
8/31/12 11:02 P

Everything counts; there's no cheating and no lying to myself. Planning my meals is critical. Rallying from a bad day is easier because I can see all the good days when I ate well!

current weight: 146.0

150 145 140 135

130

SparkPoints: (7,016)
Fitness Minutes: (6,084)
Posts: 54
8/31/12 7:01 P

Have to track EVERYTHING- even the milk in my coffee!

current weight: 198.0

202 190 178 166

154

SparkPoints: (14,243)
Fitness Minutes: (3,206)
Posts: 337
8/31/12 1:01 P

I LEARNED FROM TRACKING MY FOOD IS HOW MUCH WASTED CALORIES I USED TO EAT. NOW I MAKE MORE NUTRIOUS CHOICES.

current weight: 220.4

236 223.5 211 198.5

186

Posts: 427
8/31/12 12:58 P

Honesty, accountibility, respect for my body, new ideas

current weight: 190.6

195 181.25 167.5 153.75

140

SparkPoints: (22,138)
Fitness Minutes: (12,697)
Posts: 331
8/31/12 12:32 P

Things I have learned by tracking my food and exercise~
1. If I don't track, I don't lose.
2. If I have alcohol, even if I plan for it and fit it in my plan, I don't lose.
3. If I don't exercise, I lose half as much or less.
4. If I don't plan ahead, I am more likely to struggle with getting to my my ranges or going over.
5. Tracking my exercise makes me proud of all the work I put in.
6. Tracking my food helps me understand how different foods affect my appetite.
7. Tracking my food & exercise helps me to see how my blood sugar levels are affected.

The list of benefits goes on and on. it's just so worthwhile to track these things, even on the tough days when I didn't stay focused and on plan.

Pounds lost: 52.6

0 27.5 55 82.5

110

SparkPoints: (5,395)
Fitness Minutes: (8,010)
Posts: 109
8/31/12 7:46 A

Tracking really helps me "stay on track." I track nutrition and exercise every day. It makes me accountable. I hate to see when I go over on calories. It makes me make more of an effort to get enough protein and really watch the fat.

Thanks SparksPeople - thanks to you I have lost 15lbs since the beginning of July. My summer clothes from last summer again fit (just in time for vacation to the beach).

June Minutes: 236

0 33.75 67.5 101.25

135

SparkPoints: (38,762)
Fitness Minutes: (45,223)
Posts: 560
8/31/12 6:23 A

Tracking helps me keep honest with myself. When I write down the "good" and the "bad" I can see the results and plan better. When I look at where I am at throughout the day I can deal with cravings better and have more success for the day/week; It is those times that I choose NOT to track that I gain weight or slack off on my exercise. Trackers are a good way for self-accountability. Results take time and are acheivable.

current weight: 204.0

230 208.75 187.5 166.25

145

SparkPoints: (19,888)
Fitness Minutes: (11,921)
Posts: 486
8/31/12 5:43 A

I agree that one teeny-weeny piece of good cheese is better than junk being put into the body. However, I do advocate one "cheat day" a week; it makes you feel satisfied if you allow yourself one day a week to eat something that is forbidden. The trick is to eat a smaller portion. I love walnut brownies - the sinful, chocolate-y type and I allow myself to indulge in half of this brownie and ensure that the other half gets eaten by someone else instead of being put away to be finished later. Works all the time!!

Posts: 1,101
8/30/12 8:55 P

I have learned that there is no place in my life for cheap junk food. I'd rather have a tiny bit of good cheese once in a while than plastic American cheese.

Pounds lost: 0.0

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28

Posts: 123
8/30/12 4:59 P

Maybe sometimes we have to allow ourselves to be human, to not follow the rules....as long as it isn't long term, right? Or just embrace the austerity and pass up the forbidden food?

current weight: 133.5

136 133.25 130.5 127.75

125

Posts: 340
8/30/12 4:58 P

Tracking is time consuming but necessary! Tracking helps keep me within my calorie range, reminds me to each more vegetables and drink more water. It also teaches me about the food I'm eating like what's outrageous in sodium or fat...Thanks SparkPeople!!!

current weight: 188.0

217 197.75 178.5 159.25

140

SparkPoints: (32,858)
Fitness Minutes: (12,628)
Posts: 4,549
8/30/12 3:31 P

it is quite difficult to track food during vacations and festivals.. i had a hard time during the celebrations last week with all the goodies and food.

June Minutes: 0

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SparkPoints: (20,128)
Fitness Minutes: (22,750)
Posts: 636
8/30/12 2:33 P

That happens to me too! I was doing great up until vacation, then came back 7 lbs heavier after 10 days of vacation (despite 26 miles of running over the same 10 days). I have lost 4 of it back in the 3 days since, but it is frustrating to backslide just because I didn't track (or have any will power)!

Pounds lost: 17.0

0 6.5 13 19.5

26

SparkPoints: (21,240)
Fitness Minutes: (18,118)
Posts: 28
8/30/12 12:57 P

Not tracking on vacation can cause weight gain for me.

Pounds lost: 45.0

0 13.75 27.5 41.25

55

SparkPoints: (2,266)
Fitness Minutes: (1,232)
Posts: 15
8/30/12 10:49 A

Healthy snacks are what get me through! Usually a fruit or veggie with a protein. If I don't stay adequately fueled I will not make as good choices! Also tracking cholesterol, calcium & sodium has been eye opening! Especially cholesterol!!! No wonder the doc mentioned it to me at my last physical!

current weight: 146.0

163 154.25 145.5 136.75

128

SparkPoints: (2,048)
Fitness Minutes: (1,081)
Posts: 18
8/30/12 10:41 A

Hello, I'm new to the site, not new to tracking. I know when i track ,my goals are in reach and with in reasonable time frames. It is the only way i stay honest. When i slide i fall in the habits portions don't look so bad, the occasional heavy foods can come around more often and so on. I like this site alot. I've been working out for over 30 years. Now at 45 lifestyle adjustments need to be made to put me where i want to be. I would like to add that I'm all natural and that I'm very proud of that. Being an old dog in the gym really works against your thought patterns some times. The young blood keeps coming in. It took me a good year and a half to set my new direction. I'm in it for the total package. No more bulk then cut weight. Or bulk and can't cut weight. LOL Cardio is a big must for me to prioritize. I have no problem getting in the gym and destroying myself, in a good way. So that is where I'm at. Just switched to my new breakfast 5 egg whites wheat toast and coffee with milk. Its been a long time for the egg whites. I can remember when they came into play. I also remember sucking down raw eggs with my friend after seeing a certain movie and we would do it after every work out. We saw the first run of the movie. Lol My mother thought we were crazy. That was way before salmonella. Well hope i made someone laugh. Ttyl

Edited by: TITANWARRIOR at: 8/30/2012 (10:49)

current weight: 219.0

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195

Posts: 164
8/30/12 8:38 A

Portion distortion is a biggie lesson learned for me too! Also, I didn't know how to splurge within my limits until I got the hanging of tracking my calories!

Great forum!

Pounds lost: 16.0

0 12.5 25 37.5

50

Posts: 4,746
8/30/12 5:14 A

Great forum!
The tracker has taught me SO much!
I had no idea I was regularly eating so many extra calories that my body didn't really need! I was clearly suffering from portion distortion too. And before I started tracking, I was eating a very fatty diet and didn't realize it! The tracker has also let me see that I don't get enough calcium...ever! So I've been able to make adjustments there too. And, of course, when I started tracking fruits and vegetables, it immediately became obvious how few I was actually eating! And when I add them to my diet, my cravings for candy, cake, cookies, etc. go down. So, thank you, tracker and thank you, Spark People!

Pounds lost: 10.0

0 3.75 7.5 11.25

15

Posts: 42
8/30/12 2:26 A

I have been writting more in my food journal. still have trouble because I eat food not listed and that does not have nutrition information. I find it a chore having to list every item in a recipe and look up nutrion information that is not listed on line or in nutrition count books.

current weight: 204.0

235 210 185 160

135

SparkPoints: (1,955)
Fitness Minutes: (5)
Posts: 5
8/30/12 1:39 A

New and been tracking for a week. Didnt realize how much I was eating until I started tracking it. And never drank enough water...certainly not 8 -10 glasses a day like I do now. I've lost 10 lbs so far with eating right and exercising.

Pounds lost: 5.0

0 25 50 75

100

SparkPoints: (15,689)
Fitness Minutes: (9,079)
Posts: 262
8/29/12 3:39 P

Tracking my food has taught me not only about portion and serving sizes, but also how much sodium I was ingesting!!

Pounds lost: 65.0

0 33 66 99

132

Posts: 7,783
8/29/12 2:33 P

I FOUND THAT I WAS NOT EATING ENOUGH FRUITS AND VEGGIES BUT GOING OVER ON CARBS. I HAVE BEEN TRYING NEW VEGGIES AND FIND THAT I CAN REALLY EAT A LOT OF THEM AND FILL UP THAT WAY INSTEAD OF EATING THE HEAVY BREADS, PASTAS AND OTHER SIMPLE CARBS. I STILL DO THE COMPLEX, WHOLE GRAIN ONES, BUT IN MODERATION.

current weight: 218.0

282 261.5 241 220.5

200

Posts: 37
8/29/12 2:24 P

Yes, tracking is the only way that I really see how many calories I have consumed and how many more I can eat for the day. The days that really are an eye opener for me are the ones in which my snack calories are higher than my lunch or breakfast. I need to eat more protein for breakfast and lunch so that I am full longer. I wish someone would create some good healthy snacks that are low in calories; i.e. ice cream, pretzels and sunflower seeds. LOL

Total SparkPoints: 26,539

	25,000 26,249 27,499 28,749	29,999
SparkPoints Level 14

SparkPoints: (21,695)
Fitness Minutes: (13,864)
Posts: 38
8/29/12 1:39 P

Food tracking has been critical for me in losing 30 lbs (so far) while getting enough protein (most days) and other nutrients. But more specifically, choosing to track my iron (and supplementing as needed) helped me go from being rejected by the blood bank three times in a row for low hemoglobin (pre-SP) to being able to donate blood in memory of a friend's husband who recently died. Priceless.

current weight: 145.2

191 178.25 165.5 152.75

140

SparkPoints: (85,942)
Fitness Minutes: (83,658)
Posts: 4,995
8/29/12 12:00 P

Didn't track on vacation and gained 2 1/2 lbs!

current weight: 124.0

156 147 138 129

120

Posts: 119
8/29/12 11:59 A

Tracking my food helps me make better food choices. The calories add up very fast when I reach for the sweets and processed food. I consciously choose healthier options to stay within my daily calorie allotment and I feel better all around.

current weight: 158.0

165 157.5 150 142.5

135

Posts: 1,102
8/29/12 11:06 A

There's a certain kind of resolve I feel when I track as opposed to when I don't. Perhaps it's accountability, not sure, but it works, so I am going to do it!

current weight: 165.4

231 213.25 195.5 177.75

160