I did log in calories on the daily plate before. I didn't really get anywhere with that... mainly because it just seemed like a big pain... Do you all have a favorite way to track calories? I think I'm a pen and paper kind of gal.
Anyway I'm starting tomorrow fresh with calorie counting... wish me luck.
It took some work at the beginning to set up meals and get my normal foods in my "recently ate" list but now it's a matter of a click or two and my food is recorded. I find it much faster than pen and paper because I don't have to do the math myself and it allows you to get some nice charts without having to enter data.
I'm near a computer all day so it's pretty easy to pop over and add what I ate.
For me the hardest part is when someone brings something to school that I could eat and fit in my calories if only I could figure out how many calories were in it. But in those cases I just do my best to make an educated guess.
I use The Daily Plate and it works for me because I'm a computer person and I'm online all day anyway. If you're not a computer person, then I can see that pen and paper might work better. I know several people here use notebooks and seem to be really happy with that method.
I use FitDay and I like it. But you can certainly use the paper and pencil method with a good calorie book. The point is to use whatever method works easiest for you! That way you'll be more likely to stick with it.
I use Fitday PC and it's an excellent way to record meals eaten. Although, like rodeogirl said, it takes about a week or so to get foods in there that you eat often, but once they are, it's fast and easy.
I'm definitely a "computer person", so I track my calories consumed and calories burned using the FitDay website. I find it very easy to use once you get into the swing of it, and it's really helped me in the past. When I lost a lot of weight before, I don't think it's a coincidence that I was tracking my calories - it seems to work excellently for me. I usually log food retrospectively, but I've also found it really helpful sometimes to put food into FitDay in advance of eating it. It sometimes helps me stay on plan to see what I'll be eating on a day, and it also helps me see if I've got any 'spare' calories left over for a treat. I don't do this that often, but if I've got a day where I know I can really plan exactly what I eat, then it works nicely.
As an aside, I'm not familiar with The Daily Plate, but it sounds quite similar to FitDay. Would anyone be able to advise me on the differences between the two? Which one do you prefer? As I said, I use FitDay, but I have one or two gripes with it and would consider switching if there's much of a difference.
I am a pad and pen person, just because I can do it without being on the computer. It is all a matter of personal preferance. The important thing is to do it.
i find it the less confusing of them all, and i have tried most... I also keep a paper copy and find that i am learning the counts of the foods i eat, so that some days i dont even have to bother doing the online version,, i just look back on my previous weeks and see the counts.
There are some good calorie count books available in the book stores,, i used to do it manually using a book many years ago.
I completely agree... the key is to actually do it... no matter how. Thanks for your thoughts... I didn't realize there were so many computerized options.
daily plate ... etc.
That way you'll be more likely to stick with it.
