How detailed do you get with your logging?

[SpoonT]

I'm curious as to what others are like when it comes to logging their fitness related stats. Personally, I've gone so far as to call it "weaponised autism". I'm still relatively new to all this, I only start working out and looking after myself properly in 2020, but since then I've logged more and more of the related numbers, I have years' worth of data in a spreadsheet to collate CICO and weight logged, apart from PT sessions all my workouts have been logged in an app and as much as I've played around with a couple of different apps I still have all that data. I use all this data too, I have graphs and charts in spreadsheet to track my weight loss progress and if I'm on track, I've got calculations on what I think I should have loss based on CICO (which is never accurate, which just goes to show that both the Fitbit and my food logging is only accurate to a certain degree). Ultimately, all of this has benefited my, kept me on track and focussed, I still have a way to go but this keeps me accountable to me.

I saw this article today Study links fitness apps to disordered eating and obsessive behaviour. I can't help but think it's a little insane, and if they're calling tracking your food disordered eating, then we need some disordered eating in this obese society.

"I spent two days obsessing over what I'd been eating, when I could have been out actually burning off calories." from the article is insane, yea he could've been "actually burning off calories." but any nutritionist or someone in the know will tell your weight loss comes from the kitchen, not from working out. I work out pretty hard, pretty much every day, but my workouts would barely earn me a chocolate bar. You have to really have a good idea what you're eating to not be counting calories if you wanna lose weight, and if you don't wanna lose weight, if you wanna gain, you gotta track to make sure you're getting enough protein.

Pretty sure some people would look at my autistic level of logging and call it disordered eating, but I've got OCD anyway, so I look at it like using it to work for me, rather than against me.

/rant

 

[trespassing_minds]

Hey spoon

I use myfitnesspal for my food logging and if home or taking meals I check weight on everything down to even my scoop of protien this is all loged in my diary.

My workouts i have tracked from the first day I signed up in the gym. I started just using samsung notes now I use an app called strong.

I also got a blog here I update and try add some random humor to it.

To keep me accountable I send my workout log to 3 of my close mates and also all 3 have access to my food diary on fitnesspal

Think being stict about these things gets results

 

[SpoonT]

Hey spoon

I use myfitnesspal for my food logging and if home or taking meals I check weight on everything down to even my scoop of protien this is all loged in my diary.

My workouts i have tracked from the first day I signed up in the gym. I started just using samsung notes now I use an app called strong.

I also got a blog here I update and try add some random humor to it.

To keep me accountable I send my workout log to 3 of my close mates and also all 3 have access to my food diary on fitnesspal

Think being stict about these things gets results

That sounds like the good way to do it. Mates keeping you accountable. I've used strong before that one is pretty good. I currently use Cronometer for food and Alpha Progression for my workouts.

 

[YAT35Y]

I’ve really enjoyed logging my day to day meals and training. It’s something I’ve never done before, and tbh I’ve always been slack with tracking training progression particularly.

I think it’s good for others to see too. See what others are eating, how they’re training etc.

I see a lot of people in the gym who haven’t progressed in the years and years they’ve been going to the gym. Props to them for being consistent, but I personally take my training seriously (not necessarily competitive styles) and I strive to push myself hard every session, which is something I don’t see a lot of from others in the gym.

So that being said, its good to be part of a platform where everyone is on the same page and same level of crazy, and the discussions can be open and free from judgement

 

[ChasetheCase]

I only track my food intake in MyFitnessPal for about a week every few months and try to stick to a similar meal plan. I know I could improve massively in this area, but between work, the gym, and two young kids, it’s already a challenge just getting workouts in, let alone meticulously planning every meal.

That said, I get why people log everything. Having years worth of data to track progress, spot trends, and stay accountable can be incredibly useful. I personally don’t go that deep, but I respect the level of discipline it takes.

As for the whole "tracking = disordered eating" argument, I think it’s a bit ridiculous. If anything, our society could use more structure when it comes to food. Most people aren’t overeating because they track calories too much—they’re doing the opposite. You can train as hard as you want, but if your nutrition isn’t dialed in, it won’t matter. You can’t out-train a poor diet. If you're trying to lose weight, you need to be in a calorie deficit, and if you're trying to gain muscle, you need to make sure you're eating enough, especially protein, difficult to do this well without tracking.

I do agree that some people take tracking to an extreme, but that’s true for anything. If you have OCD tendencies, using that in a productive way, like tracking macros instead of letting it work against you, seems like a net positive. At the end of the day, what matters is whether it helps you reach your goals without making you miserable so you can be consistent with training.

 

[SpoonT]

I only track my food intake in MyFitnessPal for about a week every few months and try to stick to a similar meal plan. I know I could improve massively in this area, but between work, the gym, and two young kids, it’s already a challenge just getting workouts in, let alone meticulously planning every meal.

That said, I get why people log everything. Having years worth of data to track progress, spot trends, and stay accountable can be incredibly useful. I personally don’t go that deep, but I respect the level of discipline it takes.

As for the whole "tracking = disordered eating" argument, I think it’s a bit ridiculous. If anything, our society could use more structure when it comes to food. Most people aren’t overeating because they track calories too much—they’re doing the opposite. You can train as hard as you want, but if your nutrition isn’t dialed in, it won’t matter. You can’t out-train a poor diet. If you're trying to lose weight, you need to be in a calorie deficit, and if you're trying to gain muscle, you need to make sure you're eating enough, especially protein, difficult to do this well without tracking.

I do agree that some people take tracking to an extreme, but that’s true for anything. If you have OCD tendencies, using that in a productive way, like tracking macros instead of letting it work against you, seems like a net positive. At the end of the day, what matters is whether it helps you reach your goals without making you miserable so you can be consistent with training.

Fitting everything in whilst working and kids is definitely the hardest part. My meals would be heaps harder if I didn't have my wife onboard helping me with that.

Absolutely agree with the sentiment of "You can't out-train a poor diet". Be good if more people understood that.

 

[trespassing_minds]

That sounds like the good way to do it. Mates keeping you accountable. I've used strong before that one is pretty good. I currently use Cronometer for food and Alpha Progression for my workouts.

This forum plus the forum chat and a small group keep me so accountable..

I feel if it was just me alone it would be so easy to give up and just do half ****d workouts.

But I see some of the big guys and experienced guys like @YAT35Y and @AK-47s and we can't forget my personal hype man @shaneo75 and I just want to give it my 100 everytime

So accountability go so far