cshell

I guess this could be in a couple of parts.

1. How many people actually keep track of their body weight and everything they consume each day (including calories)?

2. For those that do keep track, what do you use? Website? Pen and paper? Et Cetera?


I've been using "The Daily Plate" at Livestrong.com since June of 2009. Just wondering if there's anything better or just different out there.

patentcad

It's Diet Popcorn of course.

kayakdiver

I weigh myself once a week on Monday morning. Anymore than that will just drive you crazy.

I don't count or journal food.... If weight loss is the goal it's the best way to make it happen though. Most people don't realize how much they shove in the pie hole.

spooner

One of the easiest ways to track intake and exercise is via Twitter.

Set up a free Twitter account. Make it 'private' if you don't want the random person surfing by what you post. No need to use your real name if you don't want.

Enable updating by phone.

Then whenever you eat or workout just sent a text message to Twitter and it gets posted to your account. Then later when you want to review you have everything in one nice page sorted chronologically.

Dr. Banzai

FYI - Livestrong's calorie counter for cycling estimates about twice the real calories consumed. Just like most do. You'd think Lance would be on top of that.

I use LoseIt! on my iPhone.

sebatl

In 2009, I lost 50lbs using the iphone livestrong app and the website (from 203 to 153 in one year, I am 5'7"). Having a phone app makes a big difference IMO, being able to log right away what you just ate wherever or checking what's less bad in a restaurant, etc...

I used to be a LA hater, now I just dislike him.

brianbeech

How does one effectively estimate how many calories were burned? I'm assuming it would be quite a mathematical task taking in more variables that would be possible to gather. Weight,height,resting heart rate, energy burned in cycling (whether it be a power meter/HRM..etc). I'm curious, because I have Livestrong and my cycling phone app that estimates my calories. Haven't compared them but figured both can't be too correct.

Breathegood

I track my daily progress with my own spreadsheet. All of my excersise stats and weight get recorded daily. I don't record my intake calories, but I do count how many I'm taking in and try to limit it to 2350 calories per day. I deny myself nothing, I just don't go above 2350. Down 35 pounds since February.

cshell

Never tried "Twitter".... I may look into it.

crhilton

The same way you estimate everything about calories... You make broad guesses from the information that you have. I found livestrong's estimates accurate enough to facilitate me going from 179lbs to 165lbs (not major weight loss, but significant).

Once I'm done losing weight I quit tracking. Every now and then I'll think back over what I've eaten, estimate it, and weigh that against how hungry I feel to decide if my eating is off.

I do keep checking my weight, weekly at the same time of day (morning, before breakfast and shower). Otherwise I gain weight. There are better ways to decide if you're gaining fat, but this is the only one that I can't lie to myself about. When my pants get tight "I'm bloated" has worked for me as I gain 10lbs.

caloso

I use www.trainingpeaks.com. The learning curve can be a little steep, but once you get into it, it's a powerful tool.

cshell

i was looking at that. And I can see where you can add your weight each day (Metrics), I can't see where the weight is listed in a chart, spreadsheet, or report anywhere. That was annoying. (or part of the learning curve?)

patentcad

Why bother?

cshell

Over the last 3 years, I've found that the instant i stop tracking my caloric intake, at least in a general form, I start gaining weight. I'll take a week off here and there, and the weight starts coming on. For me (that's the important part), I have to track it all in order to maintain any weight below 190lbs. Sad, but true. Or... weak, but true.

vincejohnston

I use www.fatsecret.com. They have an android and iphone app. I'm pretty good about limiting my intake to 1400 a day, and I'm down 30 pounds since March. I'm 5'6, down to 185ish. Like to get to 160, but I'm plateaued. GRR

Dr. Banzai

https://bikecalculator.com/wattsUS.html

Then I manually subtract 250 daily calories from the recommendation for losing 2 pounds per week. 1360 net calories per day is what I'm running on currently and am dropping weight fast while keeping a 30kph+ average on my rides.

semaj

I'm the exact same way. If I don't track ALL my calories then I start gaining weight. My body just has a natural propensity to eat. I hate you naturally skinny people.

Dr. Banzai

Some people are not naturally skinny. Their palette or instinct tells them to eat foods that are not empty calories. Some do have a higher metabolic rate. Some just naturally drink more liquids to shut their stomach up. I don't put much stock in "eat anything and stay skinny" claims. You eat what is enough for you and you stay thin.

I have two cats. Genetically different. One is skinny one is a big chunk of fudge. I've tried to limit his food, I've made sure they get fed more frequent but smaller meals. Skinny cat walks away from food when he is full. Fat cat will eat anything left in other cat's bowl after he's gorged himself. No amount of behaviour modification is working. He just eats WAY more than the other cat. He's not naturally more skinny, he naturally eats less and if he could talk would say "I can eat anything I want all day long and I'm skinny."

Fat cat would claim BMI charts are wrong.

volball

livestrong.com

Nachoman

I started under valuing all my activity because of this. So if I pedal rigorously for 2 hours, I'll log it in as a one hour of leisurely cycling less than 10mph. If I hike up a mountain for an hour, I'll log it in as 30 minutes of "walking the dog".

Dr. Banzai

Smart. Even with LoseIt! I put my 1:30 50kms ride in as a 12mph ride. Only 950 calories not 1500!

tanguy frame

The more I ride, the bigger my thighs get. I can't seem to loose weight cause the thighs keep growing. And the elastic on my shorts at mid thigh get tighter and tighter.

Dr. Banzai

Yes but those bigger thighs are demanding far more calories than before.

I'll let you in on a little secret about losing weight. Eat less calories than you burn.

Nachoman

that will never work.

cshell

This is all it takes. /\

Now for the best calorie tracking system. Simple as that.