It’s Monday. You are motivated, refreshed and ready to log all. By Thursday, you’ve got it down: your morning latte, the handful of pretzels from your colleague’s desk, even the quick bite between meetings. Then the weekend rolls around. Suddenly you’re juggling children’s games, exercises, errands and a million other things. Before you know it, it’s 9:00pm and you realize you barely logged anything and honestly can’t remember half of what you ate.
Does that sound familiar? You are certainly not alone. As a busy mom of two, I’ve been there more times than I can count. This happens to almost everyone who logs food as part of their health journey. It’s normal, it’s human, and it doesn’t erase the progress you’ve already made. Missing a day (or a couple) of logging isn’t failure, it’s just part of real life.
The good news? Getting back on track is usually easier than it feels. Experts point out that goal-driven behaviors, such as tracking your food to support weight loss, are not the same as automatic habits, such as brushing your teeth (1). This means that there is built-in flexibility and room to adapt when life gets busy (1).
Ahead, we share simple, realistic strategies to help you get back into logging and make it feel more doable…even on your busiest days.
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Get back to logging in after a missed day
Whether you missed a day or took a break while you went on vacation, we’ll see you. And we’re here to help you get back on track to logging with 4 simple strategies. Bookmark this page for the motivation (and friendly pickup) you need when you’re ready to get it back.
1. Don’t give up
Have you ever returned from a day of sun, cocktails and good food and felt tempted to throw in the towel when it comes to logging? The all-or-nothing mindset can creep in quickly. You know the one: “I missed a few days… I’ll just start over next month.” (2). Science shows that this is one of many cognitive distortions, meaning negative thoughts that try to disrupt our realities (2).
Let’s be clear: you deserved the rest and relaxation that day off gave you! So what you had a few extra drinks or appetizers, you might not have if you logged. It’s okay. This is life and life is meant to be enjoyed. One (or a few) missed entries does not negate the efforts and progress you have made in recent months.
Recognize the thoughts that enter your mind for what they are, thoughts and own the real you (2). Logging your food is a practice you engage in to achieve your personal goals, and let it drive you to start again today (not next Monday).
2. Remind yourself why you’re logging in
Your why matters, and it’s worth revisiting, especially when the all-or-nothing mindset starts to creep in. Maybe you’re logging your food to support overall health, reach weight loss goals, build muscle, stay hydrated, or keep your digestion on track (yes, we see you fiber fans). Whatever it is, it’s valid, important, and exactly what brings you back to apps like MyFitnessPal to track your intake.
Habits take time, usually about two months, to stick, so don’t lose sight of your why (3). Every effort you make, even on the messy or missed days, builds momentum toward results that are worth it in the end.
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3. Estimate and add what you remember
Here’s the beauty of food logging…it’s not a test you’ll be graded on. It’s completely in your control and you don’t have to measure precisely (no one is checking you) to do this. This means that a guest estimate of how much you ate of that bowl of oatmeal logged in your food diary is often better than not logging it. Logging estimates against exact servings can be helpful in spotting patterns and identifying what’s helping (or hindering) your progress toward your personal health goals.
The beauty of using an app like MyFitnessPal is that you can go back a day and insert those estimates. This can be really helpful for someone who has been required to log and is trying to reach a personal milestone. An estimated data point is often better than no data point in this situation. Plus, once logging has become a habit, it can be easier for your internal cue, routine, and reward system to reactivate if you go back in and enter a rough estimate of the meals missed (4).
4. Skip it and start fresh with your next meal
Here’s your halpas: you don’t have to go back and log in the forgotten day if it stresses you out. Remember, keeping a food diary is for you to help you reach your goals. If you missed the whole day after lunch, no biggie. If you start logging again at your next meal, it will recreate the habit loop (4). Wake up and kick start your day with your morning latte and these delicious (and nutritious) Avocado & Egg Breakfast Tacos.
Tips to make logging easy and consistent
Logging shouldn’t be another task on your to-do list. MyFitnessPal Dietitian Emily Sullivan shares, “Keeping track of your nutrition is a great tool to help you reach your health goals. But it shouldn’t feel like a full-time job. Use the available resources and tools out there to make it easy to fit into your lifestyle, and not another stressor.” Keep these tips in mind when you jump back into logging your food.
- Log when it’s fresh in your mind.
Are you finishing dinner and need to do the dishes? Hold the phone (literally) and enter your meal real quick. Doing this quickly in the moment will prevent life from occurring later. Alternatively, you can also log food in advance if you plan meals for the week.
- Use shortcuts that work for you.
Apps are available to take the mundane out of the routine, which means new features are constantly being added to help you quickly and efficiently log your food. If you’re new to MyFitnessPal, or haven’t looked around in a while, features like quick entries, saved meals, recipes, barcode scanning, meal scanning, and voice logging options are helpful.
- Make meals and use them for busy days.
Just finished a salad from your favorite grab-and-go at the everyday lunch meeting? You go! Now tap on the saved meal and make logging work for you.
- Change your mindset.
Embracing the “better, not perfect” mentality is essential when it comes to tracking food intake over the long term. This allows for flexibility when situations arise outside of your control that may prevent you from logging your meals as you normally would.
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Bottom line
Did you miss a day of logging in? Welcome to the club, you are definitely not alone! It happens to everyone and the good news is you can bounce back tomorrow. If you want, you can even enter what you remember from the day you missed, but without pressure.
Food logging is a tool for learning, not a test of willpower. To make it easier, try using a saved meal in your app to skip the guesswork and get back on track quickly. Remember: progress, not perfection, is what wins in the long run. Let the team at MyFitnessPal help you! Open MyFitnessPal and get started today.
The post What to Do When You Miss a Day of Logging (Hint: It’s Not a Big Deal) appeared first on MyFitnessPal Blog.