food diary vs fit day, how do you record your food?

  • Hi All,
    I am addicted to food!

    I know what I need to do to eat right. But doing it is a totally different thing. I never cared to do those things.
    Now that I serious about changing my habits, I need to start working with some sort of food diary tool.

    I really liked the my food diary.com tutorial, however, it costs 9$ a month.
    Is there something similiar to that, but free?
    What are your favorite food diary tools, that you have tried?
    Have you ever tried myfooddiary.com?
    pros & cons?
  • I like www.fitday.com . There is a free version, I can customize foods and there are great reports and features.
  • You know, I have a strong food adiction as well... The way I keep accountable to myself is that I simply mark my calendar with a check (I'm thinking about getting some star stickers) on the days I follow the diet.

    I've done all the food diary things, and I always get lazy. At the end of the day, I know if I followed the diet, and so if I cheated (even just a smidgeon) I don't get a check for that day. I increase my goal by saying I'll follow the diet perfectly x days of the week or month, and work to increase that number.
  • Now I know!
    OMG OMG OMG
    Day one: LOOKING AT WHAT IS GOING IN MY BODY
    2389 Calories!!!!!!!!!
    (My dinner was estimated with Fitday, as I ate at a resturant for dinner)
    And my boyfriend just ate a 400 calorie rice pudding cup, I couldn't even look at him, or the rice pudding! Lol, no but for real!
    Anyone who thinks they cheated, needs to see what I did today, (and for the last two years!!!)
    But anyway, I did learn that I was underestimating the calories I ate and that I allow myself too many passes durring the day.
    For example, walking past this department at work today cost me 250 calories. When I should have stuck to my own snacks that I brought (and I ate those too)
    Just ranting and raving peps, please hold back on the lectures though, I'm not doing to well now that I say that, 2389 WOW!
    Well tomorrow is another day. Good Luck to me and all of you
  • I use fitday too. And did it ever add up when I had my hand in the treats at work a few times!
  • Thanks Susan
    Glad to know I'm not alone sometimes.
    I worked out this morning @ the gym
    And I am going to have to stay away from "munchies @ the office"
    Good Luck ALL
  • The sad part is that I brought home about half of the really good food I took with me. One more evening shift ... and I will do better. I've got that Dr Oz guy stuck in my brain this week.
  • I used fitday for a while. And it was very helpful. But I'm an information junkie and found I was obsessing over everything - not just calories, but protein/carb/fibre/fat breakdowns as well. So shortly after starting the Sonoma Diet I stopped with fitday and started writing everything in a journal. So far that's been better (less to obsess over). I have things written down so if I need to look deeper into it I can, but for the most part I know whether I am on plan or not. And the consequences of those choices.

    But I am VERY glad to have found fitday (through 3FC folks) because it did give me a good grounding in nutrition and calories. Without going through that obsessive phase I don't think I would have been so confident to let go.

    Jax
  • I use fitday, too. It's insane how the calories can add up sometimes...

    though it's also beautiful when I see that I've eaten LESS calories than I thought !

    I never get lazy... as I see it, I can't afford to get lazy - if I want to stick with this, I have to hold myself accountable for every single thing I eat. Everyone has a different way of staying on plan, though. I don't particularily care to completely eliminate things from my diet (though I DO often choose not to eat bad food), so I just track everything I eat and make sure I don't go over the limit.
  • 1752 today go me. It really IS crazy how fast they add up!
    I was only hungry for a few hours today after lunch, because someone took my rice cake out of the kitchen. Can you believe it, it's a freeking rice cake people, okay. Keep it up me and all of you.
    Thanks ALL!!!!
  • Fitday or daily plate are good free ones.

    I am a myfooddiary.com user though I can fully say it's been worth the 9 bucks a month. I find it easier to use then the other sites and there are cool targets and graphs and useful message boards.

    Plus there is a little feature that says "If every day was like today you would weigh x in one month and x in 3 months" kinda fun.

    But the other sites will do you just as fine if your on a budget.

    -muse