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Ask HN: How and when do you log your food?

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Re: Ask HN: How and when do you log your food?

#11

Post by MalcolmDiggs »

aismail wrote: post #8
MalcolmDiggs wrote: post #5

My Samsung phone came with some "S Health" software preinstalled. Has a pedometer, an exercise tracker and a food log. Not the most complete food database, but seems to work fine. I used to use mypyramidtracker but I'm not sure if that exists anymore.

Apparently that one was replaced by https://www.supertracker.usda.gov/default.aspx . So what is your daily routine around that? When do you log your food?

As far as routine: When I was serious about calorie counting I carried a small notepad (about the size of an index card) and pen in my back pocket at all times. I'd jot down every single thing I ate, right when I ate it (or else I'd forget).

When I'd get home for the day, after I had my last meal I'd pull out my notepad, go to the tracker and tediously enter everything. Just once a day. This worked for me because I snacked a lot, and pulling out the laptop/phone for every single snack just seemed ridiculous. But the notepad was easy and nobody seemed to notice.

Re: Ask HN: How and when do you log your food?

#12

Post by aismail »

MalcolmDiggs wrote: post #11
aismail wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apparently that one was replaced by https://www.supertracker.usda.gov/default.aspx . So what is your daily routine around that? When do you log your food?

As far as routine: When I was serious about calorie counting I carried a small notepad (about the size of an index card) and pen in my back pocket at all times. I'd jot down every single thing I ate, right when I ate it (or else I'd forget). When I'd get home for the day, after I had my last meal I'd pull out my notepad, go to the tracker and tediously enter everything. Just once a day. This worked for me because I s…

Very interesting! I've noticed that some people can just "keep it in their head" (including snacks) for 1-2 days. I guess their memory is much better than ours, heh! I enter it immediately after eating as well. But I use the mobile phone since I don't snack that much.

Why did you care about other people noticing the notebook?

Re: Ask HN: How and when do you log your food?

#13

Post by aismail »

auganov wrote: post #10
aismail wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So you prefer not to exercise to eating more and exercising?

It's kind of hard (if you're not into exercise) to burn more than 400 daily. So given that I burn ~1580/day by default an extra 300 is not such a big incentive to exercise. It's just an extra small meal/snack.

Using http://www.myfitnesspal.com/tools/bmr-calculator, it seems that "by default I burn around" 1.9kcal per day. However I've found it quite easy to hack 700 of them into a day just by exercising for 10 minutes and having more walking meetings. In your case, do you consider walking exercising?

Re: Ask HN: How and when do you log your food?

#14

Post by auganov »

aismail wrote: post #13
auganov wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's kind of hard (if you're not into exercise) to burn more than 400 daily. So given that I burn ~1580/day by default an extra 300 is not such a big incentive to exercise. It's just an extra small meal/snack.

Using http://www.myfitnesspal.com/tools/bmr-calculator , it seems that "by default I burn around" 1.9kcal per day. However I've found it quite easy to hack 700 of them into a day just by exercising for 10 minutes and having more walking meetings. In your case, do you consider walking exercising?

So you burn a total of 2600 kcal day and 700 is from the 10 minute exercise and walking meetings? Sounds like the exercise has to be super intense? Or tons of walking. Well I consider all non-bmr' burn exercise. I rarely even leave my house and when I do it's usually 3 blocks away, so under 20kcal. Fidgeting would probably contribute more lol.

Re: Ask HN: How and when do you log your food?

#15

Post by aismail »

auganov wrote: post #14
aismail wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Using http://www.myfitnesspal.com/tools/bmr-calculator , it seems that "by default I burn around" 1.9kcal per day. However I've found it quite easy to hack 700 of them into a day just by exercising for 10 minutes and having more walking meetings. In your case, do you consider walking exercising?

So you burn a total of 2600 kcal day and 700 is from the 10 minute exercise and walking meetings? Sounds like the exercise has to be super intense? Or tons of walking. Well I consider all non-bmr' burn exercise. I rarely even leave my house and when I do it's usually 3 blocks away, so under 20kcal. Fidgeting would probably contribute more lol.

I actually burn more than that (I average somewhere above 3000kcal), but the 2600 that I mentioned is from mostly passive activities. Did you know that Nelson Mandela walked 7 miles in his cell every day? I don't think working at home should stop us from being more active.

Re: Ask HN: How and when do you log your food?

#16

Post by auganov »

aismail wrote: post #15
auganov wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So you burn a total of 2600 kcal day and 700 is from the 10 minute exercise and walking meetings? Sounds like the exercise has to be super intense? Or tons of walking. Well I consider all non-bmr' burn exercise. I rarely even leave my house and when I do it's usually 3 blocks away, so under 20kcal. Fidgeting would probably contribute more lol.

I actually burn more than that (I average somewhere above 3000kcal), but the 2600 that I mentioned is from mostly passive activities. Did you know that Nelson Mandela walked 7 miles in his cell every day? I don't think working at home should stop us from being more active.

The thing with me is that I'm not so bullish on health (or other) benefits inherent to exercise. So if I was to go out of my way and exercise i'd only do it to eat more. And yea walking around a room is fun, especially if you're locked up in a cell :-D I do that once in a while when I get excited about a new concept.

Re: Ask HN: How and when do you log your food?

#17

Post by jordsmi »

I use myfitnesspal to log food.

Lately I haven't been logging as much since I just eat between the same 2-3 things everyday.

I usually log my day again if I eat something new.

For estimating food I weighed things out in the beginning and how I just eyeball it to be the same amount.

Re: Ask HN: How and when do you log your food?

#18

Post by aismail »

jordsmi wrote: post #17

I use myfitnesspal to log food. Lately I haven't been logging as much since I just eat between the same 2-3 things everyday. I usually log my day again if I eat something new. For estimating food I weighed things out in the beginning and how I just eyeball it to be the same amount.

Which moment of the day do you use to log your food(s)? How did you learn to eyeball your food?

Re: Ask HN: How and when do you log your food?

#19

Post by jordsmi »

aismail wrote: post #18
jordsmi wrote: post #17

I use myfitnesspal to log food. Lately I haven't been logging as much since I just eat between the same 2-3 things everyday. I usually log my day again if I eat something new. For estimating food I weighed things out in the beginning and how I just eyeball it to be the same amount.

Which moment of the day do you use to log your food(s)? How did you learn to eyeball your food?

When I log, I log before/during cooking of the meal. I'll usually plan my meal on myfitnesspal so I know what all to make so that it fits my macros.

And for eyeballing after making the same things over and over and weighing them out, you start to get a feel for how much it is you need. Every once and awhile I'll weigh out what I eyeballed to make sure I'm not going too low or high.

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