How do you keep track? Pen&Paper, online, or both?

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  • I do pen and paper. I use one of the small pocet sized notebooks. It is small enough that I can throw it in my purse when I am out and about.

    The reason that I do it with pen and paper, is because of my schedule. If I am out of town or working, I don't have computer access. This way I am abl to write down what I eat immediately...and then figure up the calories when I get a minute.
  • Pen and paper for the same reasons as Aphil but usually only through lunch. Then I keep that # in my head and just add dinner and any afternoon snack to it. Sometimes I go backwards, counting down rather than counting up just to make things interesting!
  • Hey, everyone. I use a free program for my Palm Pilot. I'm new here so 3FC doesn't let me post links until I have 25 posts. But you can send me a message or just go to freewarepalm dot com and look up simple calorie tracker.
  • Quote: DietPower - which is PC based. I log as I go.
    This is the best in my opinion. My problem was that I gave the software away thinking nothing would ever happen to my computer....DOH! It did and now I have to buy the software again because the others don't come close to how indepth this program is.
  • I journal using my day planner but enter it in FitDay later. If I'm out somewhere - like a business lunch and it's not appropriate to whip out my day planner, I'll use the note pad on my cell phone - looks like I'm making business notes but keeps me from forgetting to log my salad dressing
  • I bought a little book at Barnes & Noble called "The Ultimate Pocket Diet Journal." I like it because I can use it both at home and at work - it's a pain at home to boot up the computer and log on just to add in a few foods.
  • I use an Excel spreadsheet, and keep track of calories, fat, and fiber content only. I made my own "commonly eaten foods" list, with the portion sizes figured out. I add to it weekly when trying new things or new brands. I can keep a running total through the day, or can plan out a week of meals in advance.
  • I keep a small notebook that fits nicely in my purse and it goes everywhere with me. And with it I have my CalorieKing Calorie, Fat, and Carbohydrate Counter 2008 edition. They both are small and I take them everywhere. That book is the best thing I have ever found! It has EVERYTHING in it. I like haveing a notebook so I can quickly flip through it if I need to see passed days, weeks, or last month.
  • I have always used pencil and paper in pretty spiral notebooks.
  • Initially, I did both. Well, that got tiring.. and fast.. So, now I just plan out and log everything on to FitDay on the night before.
  • In my online journal, but I'll jot stuff down on paper if I'm away from my computer and then I'll log it later...
  • Quote: I have my CalorieKing Calorie, Fat, and Carbohydrate Counter 2008 edition. That book is the best thing I have ever found! It has EVERYTHING in it.
    Don't you love it?! I have an older version of it, and can't live w/o it. I love that it gives you weight for food, especially for veggies. I weigh everything. I keep it in a kitchen drawer b/c I do a lot of cooking from scratch. So as I'm cooking I'm looking things up and writing them down, something I couldn't do with the computer b/c it's not around the kitchen. This is way more convenient for me.

    I also keep a notebook, it used to be a little one that I carried around with me. Now I keep a little bigger one and keep it next to my bed. Since I work in an office and bring my food for the day, I prepare my breakfast/lunch/snacks the night before, I write everything down that night. When I get home from work, I cook dinner, so I write down what I ate.

    I do look up a lot of info on line, especially restaurants. But for the most part it's all "manual" labor with pencil and paper.
  • Quote: I have an Excel spreadsheet that gets more complicated the more I play with it. I don't work, so most of my week is spent near enough to my laptop to do the entry. And, since I cook most all of our meals from scratch - and try new recipes all the time - all the pre-entered stuff on the other sites wouldn't do me much good.
    I also use an Excel sheet I would be interested in seeing a screen shot of what you use LessEveryDay, heres mine. nothing spectacular but it does all of the adding for me and works well for what I need it for.


  • Quote: Don't you love it?! I have an older version of it, and can't live w/o it. I love that it gives you weight for food, especially for veggies. I weigh everything. I keep it in a kitchen drawer b/c I do a lot of cooking from scratch. So as I'm cooking I'm looking things up and writing them down, something I couldn't do with the computer b/c it's not around the kitchen. This is way more convenient for me.
    I do too! I have a scale and a calculator that I keep right in my drawer and use it whenever I cook (which is pretty much every night except Fridays, thats our "eat out" night!)