Portion sizes have quietly increased over the past few decades. A 1970s bagel used to weigh 2 ounces, but today it’s up to 4, and a classic cheeseburger has gone from 5.9 to 7.3 ounces.(1) These examples alone are exactly why logging your food is so powerful: it highlights what our eyes no longer notice and can help raise awareness of portion bias.(1) In just a few days, patterns in energy, desire, and progress can become apparent. Read on to learn why food logging is important and how you can make it easier with our nutritionist-guided tips.
Why it’s important to log your food
Not only does tracking your food help increase awareness, but it can also help align your daily choices with your goals. If you’re focused on weight loss, it’s important to recognize patterns between your diet and the movement of the scale. One study showed that participants who monitored their diet daily lost twice as much weight as those who didn’t keep records at all.(2) In an online weight loss study, participants who logged two to three times a day lost significantly more weight than those who logged less frequently.(3)
MyFitnessPal Nutrition Director Melissa Jaeger, RD, LD writes, “Food logging not only shows you what you’re eating today, it can also uncover patterns, habits, and ways to change behavior so your actions better support your goals.”
What you learn from tracking your meals
1. Real portion sizes
When you start tracking your meals, you’ll quickly see how the daily portions add up. That “handful” of nuts, for example, is often more like two or three servings, not one (4). Recognizing actual portion sizes helps you make informed adjustments without feeling like foods are off-limits.
2. Eating habits and gaps
Do you skip meals in the morning just to binge later in the day? Tracking can help you identify patterns in your eating behavior and identify opportunities for improvement so that your eating habits can be better aligned with your goals (5,6). Additionally, tracking reveals which nutrients you’re not getting enough of (and which you might be enjoying a little too much of). Identifying these nutrients quickly will allow you to adjust your diet the next day and set you up for success.
3. Hidden sources of extra calories
Tracking your diet reveals both the nutrients in your favorite foods and the hidden calories that often go unnoticed (2). Condiments, snacks and drinks are often responsible for extra calories, which many people are not aware of. In fact, just a few tablespoons of ketchup can add a surprising amount of sugar to a meal (e.g. a tablespoon of ketchup for this burger adds 20 calories but 4 grams of added sugar to your meal).(7) The goal isn’t to eliminate them, but rather to identify opportunities to substitute with more nutritious options, like a Greek yogurt-based dip, when it makes sense.
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Do I need to keep track of everything I eat, including snacks and condiments?
4. Emotional or environmental eating triggers
If stress sends you straight to the snack cupboard, you’re not alone. Tracking helps uncover emotional or situational eating habits so you can turn triggers into a healthier variety, such as a quick one go instead of chips (6).
5. How small tweaks improve progress
Finally, logging your food highlights small tweaks that can lead to big results. If weight loss is your goal but your extra sugar consumption keeps increasing, tracking can uncover hidden sources, like that morning coffeehouse muffin (6). Once you see them, it’s easier to make simple swaps, like making a homemade breakfast like this one Blueberry Muffin Breakfast Mug Cake to take with you on the go. Remember that every small change contributes to achieving your goals.
Tips for logging your food
Tracking your food intake shouldn’t feel like another thing on your to-do list. Follow these tips to make journaling a part of your routine that you look forward to. Believe it or not, there is a way to make it easy and effective for you.
Use an app to log your food
Old school paper and pen may work for some, but not for all. Use your smartphone and log your food in an app like MyFitnessPal. This user-friendly format helps generate valuable information that can help identify patterns in your eating behavior and increase awareness of behavior changes (8).
Create saved meals, recipes and common foods
Most of us rely on “go-to” meals or familiar foods to make planning easier and help hit our macros. This is great! But if, for example, you have a bowl of Greek yogurt for breakfast most days, save it as a meal in MyFitnessPal. This speeds up logging and also helps you identify where you may need more variety or nutrient adjustments to better support your personal nutritional goals.
Log your food
Some may find it helpful to “write it when you get it,” but time may not always allow this flexibility. What I find works best, especially on busy weeks, is to pre-log my food the night before. This takes the guesswork out of what I eat and ensures my macronutrients are sufficient to meet my goals. Or use functions like Food scan or Voice logging for quick and easy logging solutions on the go!
Measure your portions
Invest in a kitchen scale and measuring cups and spoons to become familiar with portion sizes. Not only will this ensure you are accurately logging your food intake, but it will also provide you with visual cues that you can also use when eating out (1).
Let go of perfection
Adopt the motto: “Better is the new perfect.” Slip-ups happen, but don’t let a cheat day derail your progress. Get back on track and log your food the next day. When you learn the basics of a healthy, balanced eating plan, there is room for flexibility and also for that glass of wine or a piece of cake.
How MyFitnessPal helps you understand your eating habits
Whether you’re a long-time user of MyFitnessPal or just starting out, the app offers powerful tools to help you understand your eating habits over the long term. As registered dietitian Stephanie Saletta, RD, notes, “One of the strongest predictors of long-term success is continuing to pursue it even after you’ve achieved your goal.”9) New features in the app, like meal planning and goal setting, help make maintaining healthy habits easier than ever.” Discover the latest MyFitnessPal tools designed to uncover patterns and increase lasting awareness for positive change:
- Simplified logging:
- Including barcode scanning, Scanning mealsAnd Voice logging Options.
- Nutritional insight:
- Including macronutrient breakdown and weekly trend reports.
- Goal setting and progress tracking:
- Achieve what matters to you, including weight loss, muscle building, and habit formation (e.g., drinking more water) by your personal goals (and their tracking) in the app.
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How to Log Food with MyFitnessPal
Conclusion
Consciousness drives behavior change, and that starts when you understand your patterns. Curiosity about what you put into your body isn’t about restrictions, it’s about understanding how the foods you eat every day support or hinder your goals. Tracking your food is a great way to understand these patterns, but shouldn’t feel like a chore. That’s why the MyFitnessPal team has made sure you reach your goals as smoothly as possible with its new app features.
Remember that success comes from building sustainable habits. Logging your food is just one step that has been proven to work. Try logging your meals for a few days MyFitnessPalYou may be surprised at what you learn.
The post What Actually Happens When You Log Your Food (And Why It’s Important) appeared first MyFitnessPal Blog.
