Can’t stick to food journals

[McLarenette]

I wondered if anyone had the same issue of struggling to keep up with tracking their food and what finally clicked for them?

I really struggle! I have tried MyFitnessPal, ww etc and I find that on days when I’m way over the allocated totals I feel ashamed and don’t want to record it which is ridiculous on a logical level but there we are. I also find it frustrating having to guess some things if they aren’t in the database, plus it’s all super tedious and boring but really it’s the shame/failure thing that mostly holds me back.

Obviously I know the sensible thing would be to regard it all not as self judgement but as useful data gathering from which to spot patterns and make changes but in the moment, I just don’t seem able to see it like that.

Did anyone have the same feeling towards food journals and find something that clicked for them?

I started meal planning and filling in mfp the evening before, became a routine and went from a size 14 to a 6. So it definitely worked, it's such a routine now that I still log my foods just to monitor my maintenance.
If I know what I'm eating the day before I found I don't deviate from this (I realise this isn't for everyone).

I always fail with MFP. It's really fiddly especially with recipes. Have you tried photographing everything you eat so you can see at the end of each day what you consumed? Agree with pp that meal planning is key.

This is the hurdle to overcome. If you can’t be honest with yourself it won’t work. You have to put it all in even if you don’t want to face it. Weight loss is about overcoming this denial. It will hurt and sting to face it at first but it will be liberating honestly to just get it out there and slowly accept it. I’ve been here and the best thing I did was just throw off that shame and face up to it. Warts and all. It helped me move forward

people will come along now and tell you to fast 800 and all kinds of things but if you cannot be honest with yourself and are at risk of binging, these won’t work either.

you have to take the big leap. Only you can see it remember! No one else gets to see what you admit to.

I use MFP and have never not found anything in the database and had no issue with it. I weigh things or scan barcodes no probs. It doesn’t pick up eating out very well though. I do eat the same kinds of things every day though. Even if I couldn’t find it I would work out the calories from the packet and Google and do it that way. I suppose it’s fiddly but I don’t know what I would expect otherwise. It’s not like a personal chef who makes food to a menu. Inputting foods is a chore but gets easier as you get used to it and build a library of usuals. It’s kind of meant to stop you having free reign and is meant to make you think about what you are consuming, so that’s the point of it

I used to use Nutracheck which is paid for app but I found it really convenient. I had a meal called 'Junk' which was 1000 calories or something which I would put in on days when I had gone overboard.

@Menora is right though, if you can't be honest with yourself then no app or tracker or specific diet is going to work.