Does Logging Food help to lose weight?

[imbettyboop1]

I've been logging what I eat & do for almost 2 years, I'm tired of doing that. My main problem is I can't stop eating after dinner. It's like the kitchen is calling my name. Everything looks so good. That is why I'm at a plateau. I've been at 150 for over a month. Only 20 more pounds to go, LOL. I go to the gym 3 times a week, try to anyway. I'm retired but fairly active.

Moderator edit: subject for clarity

[WilsonFitbit]

Hello @imbettyboop1, welcome to the community forums! 😊

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience! The simple act of recording meals and snacks can not only help you lose more weight, but keep it off for longer, too. Yes, I agree that all that logging can feel tedious at times, but it works! 😁

By spending a few days spotting where those extra calories are sneaking in, you’ll gain invaluable insights. I want to share with you that have helped me to make the Food logging a little easier: 

1. Input your favorite foods once. When you go to log a food, view the “frequent” and “recent” food lists, where the foods you eat regularly will automatically appear at the top for quick and easy logging. “Custom” foods require a bit more work to input, but once you have, they are great for the foods you eat often, but can’t easily find in the database.

2. But also, plan ahead. Use food logging to meal plan. If you know what you’re going to eat for breakfast all week, log it beforehand. It’ll make the process faster, and you’ll be more likely to stick to your healthy eating plan if it’s already recorded.

Here is a Fitbit blog where you can also find more tips to lose weight fast. You will also see a list of a Diet for breakfast, Lunch and Dinner that I think it could be helpful. 

I believe other users will provide you tips and insights as well! 🙌

Please don't give up! You can do it! 💪

[Heybales]

With only 20 lbs to go - 1 lb a week, or 500 cal deficit, is reasonable at this point.

At 10 lbs left, 1/2 lb, or 250 deficit, is reasonable.

Perhaps you are attempting to make deficit bigger and unreasonable, and getting some of the effects like this extra hunger.

Beware the body can adapt and you'll burn less, making this whole effort even harder.

Best to purposely lose weight slower - then have the body force that on you. That's stressful for body then.

Also examine if truly hunger, in which case perhaps different macros would help, perhaps too carb heavy for dinner leaves you hungry, perhaps not enough protein or fat to satiate you.

Or is it boredom.

Some people, especially if they have yo-yo dieted their lives away - recognize they are loggers for life. May be able to loosen up on how accurate they have to be for every items - but they know they have to. Or it turns it to always overeat, always diet, repeat.

[BASILCHIVES]

So if you can't stop eating after dinner, it sounds like that is your problem.    When is your biggest meal?   Are you eating a satisfying dinner?   Honestly it is easier to say NO once in the grocery store than 100 times in the kitchen.  When you plan your meals, plan a snack, a healthy snack,  Hide temptations,  use aluminum foil on refrigerated items so you don't see them, put them out of sight and put fruit,  or yogurt right at the front.   I eat a simple breakfast of a 2 egg omelet with lots of mushrooms, onions and peppers.  I have this with a chicken sausage or lean ham.   Lunch is a bit chunky salad with low fat dressing, a piece of fruit and a low fat yogurt.  Dinner is a lean protein, 6-8 oz of baked chicken breast, lean burger, trimmed pork chop,  or vegetarian burgers, I cook up a lb of broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, asparagus, etc.  So my dinner is high protein, low carb, low fat but has a lot of volume and is filling, I do not snack.  I have lost 2 lbs a week since I started this Feb 1.  I plan my meals the night before and even fill out the food log so I have committed to what I am going to eat.  No last minute scramble or getting into something bad due to lack of planning.

[JuanFitbit]

@imbettyboop1 , as stated on the previous post. 
I think that the situation comes from your "after - dinner - snacks".

A similar thing happened to me a few months ago. Being at home longer than usual, I got "hungry"/"hungrier" a lot more than before. 

I noticed, that this happened, when I was stressed and or bored. 

As I couldn't go out to do some activities after work, being bored, caused me to be hungry at night. I thought it was hunger, but then I restarted my old hobby, puzzles, and the hunger was almost not there anymore. I also decided to drink more water during the day and to eat a bit more fibers at night. 

This has helped me with the after dinner hunger.

Hope the information helps you further. 

[imbettyboop1]

I lost my first 30 pounds slowly so I need to do the same with t his last 20. Thank you for your advice. I'll go back to logging.

Some of my easting is probably boredom. I'm retired, sit some days all day at home doing nothing. Then I get a wild hair and do stuff. All of your advice is wonderful. Thank you. so much for being supportive.

Thank you.

Thank you, I need to do something after dinner besides sitting in front of my computer.

Moderator Edit: Merged posts

[imbettyboop1]

Please explain what you mean by a 500 cal deficit.

I tend to eat a smaller breakfast, medium lunch and then a medium/large dinner. You're right it could be out of boredom or anxiety. My husband's health isn't great & I worry ALL the time about how he is doing. I'm a yo-yo dieter. I do well when I'm accountable to someone when I'm trying to lose weight but Weight Watchers is expensive plus it has changed so much since I last joined. I lost 30 pounds with Nutri system. It is a good program, I just got tired of eating processed food all the time. If I wanted to do that I can buy several products at the local store to fill that bill. LOL. 

I will eat something little, not log it, feel guilty, keep doing it. I went without logging this week, gained a little over 4 pounds. I'm going to New Orleans in June to see friends I grew up with and would LOVE to weigh 140, is that unreasonable? Do you think that would put to much stress on me?

This is a new week, new attitude. Planning ahead seems to help me out, I'll start doing that again.

Thanks for reading, I hope I haven't interfered with your day. Have a good week and be safe.

[Heybales]

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@imbettyboop1 wrote:

Please explain what you mean by a 500 cal deficit.

I tend to eat a smaller breakfast, medium lunch and then a medium/large dinner. You're right it could be out of boredom or anxiety. My husband's health isn't great & I worry ALL the time about how he is doing. I'm a yo-yo dieter. I do well when I'm accountable to someone when I'm trying to lose weight but Weight Watchers is expensive plus it has changed so much since I last joined. I lost 30 pounds with Nutri system. It is a good program, I just got tired of eating processed food all the time. If I wanted to do that I can buy several products at the local store to fill that bill. LOL. 

I will eat something little, not log it, feel guilty, keep doing it. I went without logging this week, gained a little over 4 pounds. I'm going to New Orleans in June to see friends I grew up with and would LOVE to weigh 140, is that unreasonable? Do you think that would put to much stress on me?

This is a new week, new attitude. Planning ahead seems to help me out, I'll start doing that again.

Thanks for reading, I hope I haven't interfered with your day. Have a good week and be safe.

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A deficit - just like with money, taking in less than you spend.

Try to eat within 500 of how much Fitbit reports you burn, a deficit of 500, eating 500 less than you burn. Many ways to view it.

The requirement to fat loss or gain - eating more or less than you burn.

Does NOT include water weight since that is fast changes and obviously no calories in water.

Sorry to hear about stress in your life - for sure don't add to what you can't control by adding stress from diet you can control.

Don't make your deficit more than 500 cal right now, or 1 lb weekly weight loss. When only 10 lbs left, make it 250 cal deficit. Reread posts if that was missed.

Time based weight loss goals are almost always stressful - because fat loss is not linear and therefore most stress over fact it won't always appear to be doing what they desire, as well as fact known and expected water weight fluctuations can make scale weight very iffy.

Are you planning on wearing a sign around your neck for friends to see your current weight, or perhaps a sign stating how much off you are of goal weight? You haven't seen them for that long - you really going to be the one to bring up weight?

If you ever think weight gain, or loss, was actually fat - do the math to see if even possible.

4 lbs change x 3500 cal / 7 days = 2000 calories above maintenance daily.

Did you eat 2000 calories above AND beyond your daily maintenance each and every day for 7 days?

That's what would be required for 4 lbs to be fat gain in 7 days.

So think about that.

Yes, planning is ALWAYS needed in some form - fail to plan, plan to fail; the plans of the wise lead to success; insert favorite saying here.

10 weeks to lose 10 lbs.

20 weeks to lose last 10 lbs.

Nope - you will not be at goal weight by June - don't even attempt it I'd suggest from reading your post.

But do some resistance training - most report comments that they appear to have lost more than reality when doing strength training - you carry yourself better, more confident, ect.

[Glenda · Accepted solution]

Betty,  Take a bubble bath after dinner.  Iron some clothes.  Read a book.  Wait 30 minutes when you think of eating something and do something during the minutes.  It may be harder to stop eating from dinner on through the evening, but if you stop for 30 minutes maybe you can get over it and forget it.  None is easier than a little for me.