Tracking programs vs non-tracking

[Whirlybird]

Which types of diet programs are more effective, the ones that have you track all of the foods that you eat or the ones that don’t?

It seems to me that the tracking ones should be more effective but is it really realistic to expect someone to write down every single food and ingredient that they eat every day for a long period of time? I’d think that I’d want to quit that before the diet itself. Any thoughts?

[PamelaPoison]

My sister is really good at monitoring everything that she eats but I personally find it a nuisance and have never been able to do it for more than 2 days

[TroyBurger]

Personally I think they can both be effective, it really depends on what works for you. As PamelaPoison pointed out, tracking works for her sister but it doesn't work for her. If it is something that interests you and you think it is worth trying it out, I say give it a shot. Who knows, it might turn out that you really like doing it and it will help you a lot. That said, if it doesn't work, it's no big deal either. Non-rigid tracking can lead to just as effective weight loss results. You can still pay attention to what you eat and how much you eat and the ingredients in the foods you eat without having to track every single thing. BTW, I'm personally a non-tracker. I can't track either. I gave up after a week.

[TeensyTiff]

Personally I like diets that require you to track what you eat. I have found that when I do not track what I eat, I tend to blow my diet a lot faster. When I track what I've been eating it makes it easier for me to plan meals and choose snacks. It even makes it easier when I food shop. In my experience, the more I've paid attention to what I put in my body, the better choices I make.

[Tony1968]

I had to admit, I'm anti-tracking. It's too much work and too discouraging. If it works for you great, otherwise, I wouldn't sweat it. I've lost weight without tracking.

[JokerzWild]

I'm part of the non-tracking group. Personally I find tracking everything I eat to be really annoying and a giant waste of my time. That said, if it is something that interests you, there are online tools that can help you do it with greater convenience and ease than tracking on a piece of paper.

[brightstar]

I find that tracking programs are great for getting me started and learning about what i should or should not be doing, but as I start to get the hang of the expectations of me, I always end up slacking off on the tracking. It seems inevitable for me.