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Now I'm down 80 pounds and it's really starting to show, the biggest question I get is, "What's your secret?"
At first I used to say, "There isn't one. You make up your mind, and that's it." But I'm changing my tune.
Now I say, "The secret is tracking everything you eat, either on paper or with an app, such as FatSecret."
I explain that the process of logging your food makes you realize just how much you have eaten, take ownership/responsibility for it, and be aware of how many calories are in common things (such as 4 oz of wine or that creme brulee that's calling you from the buffet).
The other day, my friend took me to the buffet for my birthday and we both had almost the same thing. I had just downloaded the FS app on her phone and was teaching her how to use it with that meal. We were doing fine with the shrimp cocktail and the lobster tails (it's a great buffet with lobster for under $30!), but then she had the wine and the creme brulee and I had the fruit. Her meal was 550 calories more than mine was. All because of those two simple choices. Once she saw it, she couldn't believe it.
This is truly, in my opinion, THE secret, if there is one. Awareness of how many calories things have and your ability to make better choices. Plus my favorite thing, no more "just one bite" moments with this app. I don't log "bites" because I don't take "bites". It's too much of a pain to put down 1/10 ounce of risotto. I'd rather just skip the risotto.
But because I promised myself to log everything I eat, it deters me from having one bite of anything. So no nibbling, no snacking, no licking the spoon when cooking!
Not sure if anyone else experiences the power of tracking food with the same passion I do, but I have already decided that once I reach my goal weight, I will continue to track my food forever. It's fun and easy now. If I don't do it, I feel like something is missing, like I forgot my car keys or I'm naked. It's a bad, uncomfortable feeling. I don't like it, so I will keep it up. It works, so why not??
How much does tracking your food help you stay on track? I'm curious to know if it makes as much of a difference for others as it does for me.
Diet Calendar Entries for 21 July 2014:
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1228 kcal
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Fat: 20.05g | Prot: 69.64g | Carb: 198.29g.
Breakfast: Great Value In The Bag Steamable Vegetables - Sweet Corn. Lunch: Denny's Egg Whites. Dinner: Del Taco Beans 'n Cheese Cup, Del Taco Half Pound Green Burrito. Snacks/Other: Apples. more...
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2221 kcal
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Activities & Exercise:
Sleeping - 8 hours, Resting - 16 hours. more...
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1 to 20 of 41
 Comments
You have done a fantastic job all the way around. Your journal is "right on."
21 Jul 14 by member: toppy24564
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Honestly, the vast majority of my success is because I track my food. If I don't, I will find excuses like "Oh, that dessert wasn't that big" or "That probably didn't even have that many calories." Lying to myself, basically. And I agree, as a food addict, tracking is something I probably will have to do for the rest of my life.
21 Jul 14 by member: PepperMill
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I have found that now I've been doing this long enough that if I don't track, I at least maintain. mostly because I eat aware and by that I mean I know what foods will drive my cal's up and what won't. Like a glass of wine, or dessert over fresh fruit. I know the value of things. But logging prevents the whole eyes bigger than stomach issue that invariably comes with time. Plus there's the whole, I'm still cutting issue for me, which makes logging absolutely crucial to success.
21 Jul 14 by member: Alex_is_Hawks
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I've accepted that I need to track my food for life. The app on my iphone is really what has helped me the most. I will input what I eat immediately and sometimes use it to figure out what food to choose or even plan out my dinner. I log everything---good, bad & ugly. I think it keeps me conscientious of the food choices I make when I am logging it immediately.
21 Jul 14 by member: 2ManyCurves
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Excellent point on the importance of tracking. This has gone so smoothly for me and I have wondered why it seemed so much easier this time, and while I had given credit to having a focus on the goal of why I wanted to lose was #1, I now would agree that the tracking would be the #1 key. Thanks for the insight. Im the same way, able to pass on that broken cookie, taste of something as it is a pain to add the item.
21 Jul 14 by member: TexasTom
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I've just started FS once again, but I couldn't agree with you more, the tracking what you eat is the key in losing weight. Those extra calories make the difference. Great job
21 Jul 14 by member: altagent
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Not that good, I will take that bite and track it. I have even gone back and used a scale to see what a few of one item I ate was, so that I can change it in the food diary. I can have such great days, and then just fall back and say WTH, I am going to eat this or that. I don't know how to stay in the moment and just say no lately.
21 Jul 14 by member: Ginsin
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Tracking has been my 'secret' too. You can't really be accountable if you don't know what you're doing wrong. I don't plan on tracking forever, at least not physically. I currently have 'off' days, or days where I don't physically track on fat secret. I know ball park calories for this or that and try to exercise mindful eating. It hasn't hampered my losses in any way, and it allows me to practice for maintenance lol. It takes a lot of practice to get good at tracking, and after 1.5 years I feel I'm pretty good at it. I haven't really thought about when I will stop tracking, just playing it by ear I suppose. :) I love your revised answer to the question, btw, I always try to encourage people to try and start making positive choices, both with their diet and fitness, and I think your response is a very doable thing for those who are looking up to you and your success. You never know who you may be inspiring or what their potential is. Congrats on your loss!
21 Jul 14 by member: Annabelle3117
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Congrats on the 80 pounds down!
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21 Jul 14 by member: kristyanne3
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80 Down that is awesome you are doing great :)
21 Jul 14 by member: Rockiesfan
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Tracking is a huge component to my successes over the years, too. I can remember opting out of a nibble of something here or there simply because I didn't want to go through the trouble of logging it. Congrats on the 80!!! That's awesome!!!
21 Jul 14 by member: mgrill
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Even though it may sound extreme to commit to tracking my food for the rest of my life, I see how NOT tracking it has gotten me into 130 pounds of excess weight's worth of "trouble". I'm glad that some people can "eyeball" it and not gain or regain weight, and most people in my life without a weight problem can do this and just call it "eating normally". I know my attitudes about food are not "normal", however, therefore my solution to the issue must also not be "normal". The app makes it fun and easy to track my food, and even allows me to plan out a day in advance, especially if a restaurant has a website that posts their menu. Then I can add that item to my food diary and see what that will allow me for the rest of the day. Thank you all for weighing in (no pun intended) on this topic.
21 Jul 14 by member: mrsmole
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Thanks. I loose when I track and gain when don't. Great weight loss, very inspiring.
21 Jul 14 by member: tunalw
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I stopped tracking my food and as a result lost my way and guess what ? yea weight started piling back on
21 Jul 14 by member: kaysilke
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I think it works for me. The times in my life when I tracked my food, I was losing weight. When I wasn't tracking, I was off track and gaining weight. Tracking allows me to know how many calories I have left at the end of the day for my evening snack. Or, I can input the info ahead of time to make sure I can have that special snack. I think I would overeat if I didn't track. Now that I'm in maintenance, I suppose I could try going without it, but I'm afraid. I would feel like something was missing too, and I think I would go over my calories. Without tracking, I wouldn't know if I did or not. I think I would be too lackadaisical with my choices and quantities if I didn't track. Tracking keeps me in the healthy lifestyle frame of mind. If I didn't track, I might lose interest in my healthy lifestyle and could get off track. You know, the more you do something, the more it's a part of your life and who you are. Tracking keeps me being a health-conscious person. I think I will have to track forever.
21 Jul 14 by member: ChristyLA
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I love everything you wrote! I've lost 110lbs. No guilt, just honesty, determination, and tasty (!) healthy food. Congratulations and thanks for the fantastic comment! I did low carb, high fat initially, and now it's low carb, low fat. 40 more to go.... Cheers
21 Jul 14 by member: Catolita
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And I tell folks the same thing...write down what you eat and don't lie to yourself (because what's the point in that?)
21 Jul 14 by member: Catolita
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Congrats on your 80lbs. I can't wait to be at that point! But by you doing it, it inspires me to keep at it. I agree about writing down every strawberry seed!, I find I don't nibble on a bunch of little things bc I don't want to take the time to calculate to that degree! My big revelation was that I had no idea how much fat was in a couple of eggs! No wonder folks use egg whites! I also never realized it doesn't take that much effort to burn some calories. I always invisioned having to work out every day/ all day long, like on Biggest Loser. Since I'm not looking to loose 5-10 lbs a week, I don't mind working out for an hour a day.
Anyways,keep up the great job.
21 Jul 14 by member: kathyeastlick
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Congrats! Your doing great! Doing a Journal for me the secret as well...Keep up the good work. God Bless....
21 Jul 14 by member: MomjjjaLou
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