Writing a food log or not?

[Anne]

I have noticed that many No-S dieters keep a daily log of everything they eat. I am tempted to do the same, but here’s what’s stopping me:

1) I have used food diaries (with or without calorie-counting) before and it’s never really been helpful.

2) I tend to get much too obsessed with food (planning and counting and reflecting on it...). I find it liberating to eat my meal and then forget about it until it’s time for my next meal.

I’d really like to know what others think about this issue, whether you do keep a food log or not. As I said, because of my obsession with food, I have this urge to write it all down, but I’m forcing myself to just leave it alone.

[gratefuldeb67]

My personal feeling is try to just use HabitCal to track your compliance with the NoS habit.
I feel it's the simplest and simple is good.
Good luck!
Debs

[NoelFigart]

IF FOOD LOG=HELPS.
THEN PRINT=FOOD LOG
IF FOOD LOG/=HELPS
THEN=NULL

[wosnes]

If it helps, use it.

If it doesn't help, don't use it.

[KAxelrod]

I agree with folks that if it helps, feel free to do a food log. However, as someone who also obsesses about food, I find that with No S, it's better for me NOT to do a food journal. I did that with WW, and other programs. The nice thing about No S is that it changes my relationship with food, and almost, at times, makes me LESS obsessed with food. Journaling, for me, would reinforce that obsession, something I don't want to do.

[sophiasapientia]

I agree with the others. If it works for you, do it. If not, don't.

I keep a food log but it is an enjoyable, informative experience for me and helps keep me on track. Now, if I had to count calories, fat grams or the like, it would be an entire different matter.

[blueskighs]

Anne,

I started keeping a record of what I ate as kind of a documentation on the NO S diet. I purposefully didn't/don't record food volumes as the point is not to calculate what I eat.

Sometimes people get on the boards and ask ... what do people eat? It is helpful to be able to send them to the Daily Check In threads. Keeping a food log to me is also too much like my old dieting days. I stopped logging in my food and am only going to do it this month to help me acheive a new habit I am working on, just keeping things clear and specific for myself.

But once I am done with this I am also done with logging in my food. It gets old and not much fun. It feels more healthy to not do so. That is just where I am at, I also feel very comfortable with people doing whatever works for them and when I stop logging my food I am sure other people and new people will still do so.

It can be helpful to peruse these lists to get a general idea of how others are handling their plates and/or S days,

Blueskighs

[reinhard]

Some people enjoy food journaling, at least initially. But if you're on the fence, I'd recommend skipping it. I'd certainly skip it if you don't actively want to.

Journaling tends to be fascinating for a few days -- but rapidly becomes a dreaded chore. Even apart from the work involved, you don't feel free, even to a limited extent, because EVERYTHING has to be revealed, exposed, confessed. The feeling of freedom, within clear but generous limits, is one of the biggest pros of the no s diet.

What I'd recommend instead is to use the habitcal to track basic compliance. Then only "journal" failures. That way you get some sense of accountability and a feeling of control, without it being too much work and without it depriving you of all sense of privacy (as long as you stick with the basic rules, you don't have to report anything, though an occasional hello is always appreciated ). I call this "only report failures" tactic "negative tracking" -- it uses the pain of tracking as an incentive to succeed (and limit failure, because there's a world of difference between having to confess a minor slip up -- it can actually be rather heroic if you catch yourself immediately, think Dunkirk -- and an utter rout).

Reinhard

[BrightAngel]

Some people enjoy food journaling.

I call this "only report failures" tactic "negative tracking" --
it uses the pain of tracking as an incentive to succeed.

Reinhard

I love journaling my food in the software program DietPower.
I have now done it for 1537 consecutive days,
and it has become a very enjoyable Habit.

It can be combined with any kind of diet or food plan, including No S.

I enter all of my food,
and DietPower responds by giving me the calories and nutritional values.
It also stores my personal data,
which has been of tremendous use in helping me see through my own Denial.

I don't see recording a lot of high-calorie food as Failure.
I look at that as Simple Accountability.
I ate it. There it is. I see it.
It's over.
Now get on with the rest of the day.

It isn't "Failure" or "Success".
It just is what it is.

As for "negative tracking" --
which uses the pain of tracking as an incentive to succeed.

Pain has never been an effective incentive for me.
Pleasure works far better for me.
I see logging in my food as similiar to how Confession might be to Catholics.
By being Accountable for the food I've chosen to eat,
I free myself from Guilt,
and it is a Pleasure to mentally receive a clean slate.

I also see logging in all my food as a Success,
no matter how much food it happens to be.
Perhaps Everyone can't establish and enjoy such a Habit,
but I've found it possible to do so.

[vmsurbat]

As you can see, everyone has their own take on keeping a food log. I find it to be a HUGE pain and could never do it more than one day. Oh, I tried for a bit longer, but realized I missed many "little" things that I in fact ate and gave up on the whole idea as practically unworkable and overall, unhelpful TO ME.

I think the 3 plates/day and No-S rules are brilliant and very manageable. I do track on habitcal, though--it is enough accountability for me. At the beginning of the month, I mark all S days and known NWS days. Then, I only have to keep track of the other days... Very easy and by seeing all the upcoming S days, I am motivated to keep my N days green.

HTH,

[Blithe Morning]

I've never kept a food log. But the question I have in thinking about it is what is the purpose? As a tool to monitor compliance or accountability, I would think the Habitcal would be better (I don't use that, either).

Monitoring compliance w/ a food journal means going back and re-reading the entries. That can't be healthy for someone who suffers from food obsession.

And regarding accountability, well, since journals are by their nature private and not very accessible they don't really keep you accountable. Not the way the habitcal would being out there for God and everyone and you to see in all its red, green and yellow glory.

If you are trying to get a handle on your emotional state of mind when you eat, the food journal might be a better choice. I can think of other reasons where a food journal might be better than Habitcal but it's best to go into it with idea that you are only going to keep for it a short amount of time (say a week) to - for example - discern patterns. Don't make an committment that is impossible to keep, otherwise you are setting yourself up for failure.

[jessdr]

I came to NoS after a really crazy, restrictive diet, and the most valuable thing I've gotten out of it is getting my head back on straight, and making peace with the idea that it's okay NOT to obsess about what I eat.

Since you haven't found food diaries helpful in the past, and ESPECIALLY since you said you have a tendency to obsess, I'd suggest that you avoid logging what you eat for now. The goal is to develop a normal, healthy relationship with our food, and anything that allows you to continue to obsess will keep you in "diet mode". And that won't help you on NoS!

[Anne]

All your posts are giving me a lot to think about. My final decision is to NOT use a food log. I am already using the habitcal, and I love how simple it is!

During the day, I find myself thinking:†If I eat a snack now, I won’t be able to mark it as a green day. Forget about snacking!". It sounds stupid but I don't care, it works!! (most of the time)

My own decision aside, sometimes I like to see what other people are eating. It gives me a few ideas. Thank you everyone.

[connorcream]

One of the main reasons I couldn't do WW again was the recording of food/points. Though successful 2 separate times, the chore of writing it done became unsustianable for me.

[vmsurbat]

All your posts are giving me a lot to think about. My final decision is to NOT use a food log. I am already using the habitcal, and I love how simple it is!

During the day, I find myself thinking:†If I eat a snack now, I won’t be able to mark it as a green day. Forget about snacking!". It sounds stupid but I don't care, it works!! (most of the time)

My own decision aside, sometimes I like to see what other people are eating. It gives me a few ideas. Thank you everyone.

Someone (sorry, I can't remember the name--he/she does get credit on the sticky post with memorable quotes) wrote "I'm not a snacker." I've found that very helpful on several occasions--it is just so point-blank. No way to fudge around it.

Also, if you really want ideas on meals, just do a post saying "What did you eat today?" and you'll get an idea of the astonishing variety of foods No-Sers eat. As an encouragement, I'll post yesterday's menu (I take Fridays as an S day so it is less typical):

B: oatmeal with dried fruit and nuts, sm. glasses of oj & lowfat milk (because I like it best), and coffee (strong and black). Note: we only have oatmeal once a week because it is not our favorite--just healthy!

L: Homemade beef curry with condiments like mango chutney and lime pickles, Mixed veggies with coconut cream, cucumber salad, plain rice (made in the rice cooker), canned peach half with yogurt sauce. (We live in the Balkans--L is our main meal of the day). And this meal is a little richer than an ordinary day because on Thursday we are out and about until 8:30 at night, so it has to tide us over for quite awhile.

D: Tuscany Lima Beans (delicious: limas, sage, garlic, s&p, drizzle of olive oil), thin slice of edamer cheese, roasted red pepper salad, fresh bread & butter. (I use butter sparingly on bread but I do use it--I like the flavor and richness).

I've been NoSing for almost 5 months now and yesterday I was able to get into a pair of jeans that haven't fit in four years--my third "downsizing" since July!

Hope you find similar success,