30 Days.

yes, logging helps... most definitely.. i remember i did it religiously for soo long.. i think i had like 380 days logged consecutively. then i missed one day, and it reset me, so i got a little lazy.. lol..

 

now i log once every few days to "check my status" on my eating and make sure im close to my goal

Although I agree that for the VAST majority of people, logging food intake on a regular basis definitely does help keep people on track, I am one of the minority of people for whom it has the opposite effect.  Logging food every day makes me feel like I am on a diet... and with that comes all of the mental pitfalls of "dieting".  Even though I don't necessarily change what I eat because I am logging it (and I still have, and log, my under-100-calorie almost daily treat), it makes me WANT to "cheat".  It makes me feel deprived even though I am not depriving myself because if I really want a particular thing for dinner, I just ahve it.  Yeah, I know that's kind of screwed up, but I am 50 years old and went on my first diet at age 12, so that's a LOT of years of (unsuccessful) dieting and that's just the way my mind works. 

I do much better by just striving to honor the commitment I made to myself the day of surgery to eat mindfully (was a boredom and emotional eater) and to make healthy food choices as much as possible (knowing, of course, that I will screw up occasionally).  I randomly select a week about every 5 or 6 months to log what I am eating for a couple of days (I do it on paper first and then enter it on the computer all at once to see the numbers) to make sure I am on track in general.  Most of the time I am very close to, or right at, where I want to be in terms of overall calories and protein/carb/fat ratio.

I just wanted to share that in case other people are reading this thread thinking there is something wrong with them if they are like me and the logging makes staying on track more difficult.

Lora

I suppose I get that too - I couldn't do this forever.  I never have been able to.  This is 30-32 days.  It's shown me how easily I slip into 1200- 1500- 1700 - 2000 and beyond calories and don't even notice it where it happens.  I think I will likely just 'check-in' every so often like you say -- as necessary.  

I've officially been tracking on MFP for 16 days now, Beth.  Although, the past two days, I didn't (per my dietician, I wasn't going to freak about what I ate over the holidays) track EVERYTHING.  These 16 days are the most honest I've been with myself in my 34 years on this planet.

I've lost 8 lbs.  It would probably be more if I wasn't woefully undereating (900-1000 calories a day, usually.  I should be at 1750-1850, based on my BMR, activity level aside.).

It really does work, though.

I am (woefully) sedentary.  I don't exercise unless prodded like a cow.

My BMR is likely in the negative numbers.

MM I will join you. I too am very inconsistent and dont track my food. I would like to lose a good 10 pounds. Starting today I will start logging. Pm me if you have any additional info you want to give me.

myfitnesspal is the first place I've really stuck to tracking.  even if I have to go back the next day and recreate what I ate.  with some little exceptions over these holidays, I think I have done a pretty accurate accounting of what goes into my mouth on a daily basis.  it also talks to my fitbit, which is awesome.

I need to start logging again. It's twofold for me. I either don't eat enough or I way overdo it. To find and stick with a happy medium alone would be nice.