As in tracking your fasts, not tracking quickly!
I'm not saying, mind you, that you have to jump on this band wagon.
When I first started using Cronometer, I used the free edition and liked it a LOT, just because it was so simple. Find the food, measure, enter. It took care of the macronutrient and vitamin mineral tracking for the day, without ANY of these timing bells and whistles. It did not divide the foods into meals or anything. I loved it.
Then I got enticed after about a month of that into trying the fancier version, and discovered these nuances, including the "grading" of how well I might be doing with antioxidants, bone health support, immune support, etc. I made a few tweaks to supplements and have been guided in some menu choices by this information. But I haven't turned my whole lifestyle upside down or anything.
When I decided to Spring for the "Gold" version of Cronometer, I noticed that they advertise that they can track both your nutrition and your fasting in the same application.
Well, I'd never tracked fasting before, and I figured, "oh, this must be for those who are doing intermittent fasting programs". And I started playing with it, just to see how it operated. I entered my first "test fast" on July 22nd.
I discovered that it doesn't stop you from entering anything else, it's truly just a recording tool. You turn it on in the settings. Then you see on the front page on the web site that you are currently fasting or not. If you want to see your history, or start a fast, you have to go to a separate page, under "Settings." I tried tracking how long I went between meals, say breakfast to lunch. I found that didn't work well for me. You see, it asks you to tell it how long you're going to fast, and I'm not that good at that kind of prediction!
I dropped back to simpler after just a day or two. I now track only the infamous overnight fast. As in "I'm done with supper, let's go 12 hours to breakfast, OK?" And then you have this record of how long between your last sip of biocoffee or stick of sugar-free gum in the evening, and your first sip of coffee with almond milk added in the morning.
I know it's hard to read in the screen capture, as the font is pale gray, but it shows that in the past week, I have fasted for anywhere from 11 hours and 31 minutes to 14 hours and 10 minutes as my "overnight" fast. I aim for 12 hours as as a goal.
What has happened with the rest of eating over the month I've been tracking the fasts, besides of course, paying attention to when I stop and start eating for the day? Supper has migrated slightly earlier, and breakfast a shade later. The meals in between have consolidated a bit. It might be longer between breakfast and lunch some days, shorter between lunch and dinner, and the mid-morning, mid-afternoon snacks tucked in.
It is convenient to have both sets of data available. Cronometer Gold edition automatically timestamps as you enter foods, but you can also alter that timestamp, if you want to enter the day's plan ahead, then just stamp the time as you eat your meals.
The pep talk:
Now let's get out, tracking or not, using this tool or another, and live the very best Monday, August 23, 2021 we can manage, wherever we sit on life's path. Because it's the only one we'll ever get. And life is good.
We can do it! Spark on!✨💖
That’s interesting!
ReplyDeleteSo interesting that I decided to investigate LoseIt’s option to “Show timeline on log.”
Some days I only eat two meals (breakfast, dinner) Other days I eat in the middle of the day. It depends on if/when I’m hungry.
On the days I don’t eat in the middle of the day I will often have Greek yogurt with seeds and dried fruit for dessert. This dessert is often better balanced nutritionally than the things I tend to eat in the middle of the day in response to hunger.
It will be interesting to see if there are certain food or events triggering these two different types of meal “plans.”
I have been able to verify these kinds of patterns in other things. For example, a few months ago I turned on the “Net carbs” in LoseIt. Now, looking back, it appears that if I get started on starches and / or sugars, I have a hard time stopping. The day of such an event, I go way over on my calories. The next day I also go over, but only slightly over the line. It’s not until the third day I seem to settle back down into my preferred eating amounts.
So, while I’ve known for a long time that I have a problem like this with “net” carbs, now I can see it right there in the “net carbs” chart. I don’t have to piece it together from a generic macro report that includes fiber, or guess from the sugar records.
Maybe I’ll similarly be able to see what it is about breakfast that sometimes lets me last until dinner and other times does not. My hypothesis is protein, specifically the presence of Greek yogurt, but let’s find out, shall we???
😁
I knew you'd like the concept... being data-driven like me. Good luck with your discoveries!
DeleteLOL Nerds of the World, Unite! 😂
DeleteThanks. You too! 😉
Will investigate cronometer. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteGood luck. My recommendation would be to try it "free" first, to get your feet wet, so as not to get overwhelmed, but there is a Spark member special of 10% off an annual Gold membership and I'm not sure how long it lasts. "sparkpeople10" is the code to enter. But I'd want to be sure I liked it before plunking down even the reasonable annual cost.
Delete“ Valid until September 1st, 2021”
Deletehttps://cronometer.com/blog/cronometer-welcomes-sparkpeople-users/
Thanks, Anja! So, Barb (and anyone peeking in) you have a week to try the free before deciding! Even if you miss the Spark special, there's a try Gold for a week free offer that's separate.
Delete👍
DeleteAlso, mentioning a PSA that JEANKNEE was able to get 10% credit retroactively, since she paid for the “Gold” subscription before finding out about the offer for SP refugees. She emailed them and they gave her the credit, without any hassle.
So if anyone sees this who already paid full price, hit ‘em up for a credit!
🙂
Interesting coincidence-I have a cronometer day (logging day) on a day you blog about it! Brussels sprouts for breakfast... but after work treat for surviving. Sigh. Hugs and love to you. 💕
ReplyDeleteAlso interesting that I blog about it, and then "get cocky" later in the day? Hugs & love back!
DeleteI stopped tracking in June and have not resumed as my inner rebel is balking strongly. An 18-month program I was/am considering joining asks participants to use MyFitnessPal. Thought I would be starting this program mid-Aug but there are no openings until mid-October -- developed by and monitored by my new Cardio Doc & a team. Taking this break to take care of many household items.
ReplyDeleteI think we all need a break sometimes. I kind of used all of the pandemic as a break. Good luck giving yourself the space and time and letting your rebel "speak" to you... might find some things out!
DeleteInteresting blog and comments. I fast at least 3 days a week. I have to be really mindful when the eating window opens on those days my stomach growls an hour before it does. Most days it's fairly easy. No fasting on the weekends...it's too hectic here. Just eat sensibly and track every bite.
ReplyDeleteSo on your fasting days, are you complete fasting, as in water only? I'm curious. When I was between high school and college (many, many moons ago), I used a "feast-day, fast-day" kind of diet, but my fast days allowed for salads, for example.
DeleteI only drink water. If I eat something, my brain doesn't understand that it's not time to eat. Or...maybe it's my stomach. ;-)
DeleteThanks.
DeleteAwesome
ReplyDelete👍
DeleteI use to track every morsel I ate ... then I rebelled and never got truly back to it.
ReplyDeleteFor me ... Sparks from my laptop took eons to load my food ... that I wanted to eat more out of frustration.
I've been keeping a written paper food diary for a couple of days. But of course there's no scientific data doing it this way.
And life is good.
I worked quite well with pencil and paper, in fact my first big 80 pound loss, "back in the day" meaning 1989, was on WW with paper food diaries. It works. Electronics and the analysis they provide are just measurements. It's the behavior and the body that work, the rest is just figuring out WHAT it was that worked.
DeleteLife is good! I have left off tracking for a while. I just hate it to be honest. It was too hot to exercise for a while, I was having heat related sickness. I'm feeling a lot better now, and getting back into daily exercise. I try to kick a ball up and down the alley for a while every morning, and I walk in place for a half hour later in the day. I was surprised last time I ran in the alley, that I was less winded afterwards! That's the best sort of NSV, and I can only hope that gets better and better. = )
ReplyDeleteOoh, I love your NSV! That is indeed the best kind! I recently noticed feeling more myself, as I worked out, and of course I've been posting the jog interval endorphin blogs... which kind of celebrate it.
DeleteWe each of us have to find what works for us, as individuals. Sharing what we're doing doesn't mean EVERYBODY has to do it our way, but it does give us opportunities to think about lifestyles.
I think I was burnt out on tracking, and during my last year on Spark I was NOT tracking food, to be honest. When they announced its demise, that kind of lit a fire under my flagging motivation and I had to think hard on what I wanted "the rest of my life" to look like.
Still thinking about it!✨💖 Keep Sparking!
For the data oriented, this is truly a "gold" mine! ;)
ReplyDelete😁It is! Quite the treasure trove to dig through, if you're of that bent!
DeleteI PLAN AND TRACK MY MEALS IN THE MORNING FOR THE DAY AND USUALLY AM ABLE TO STICK TO THE PLAN BUT, SOMETIMES THINGS COME UP AND IT CHANGES. I LIKE THE FACT THAT SPARK 360 HAS A NUTRITION TRACKER NOW BUT I AM HOPING THAT THEY IMPROVE IT. I LIKED THE PIE ON SPARK PEOPLE AS IT HELPED ME KEEP MY MACRONUTRIENTS IN ORDER. WE SHALL SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
ReplyDeleteSome of the other tools we've switched to do a good job tracking those macronutrients. I know Cronometer has a circle with color arcs, very similar to Spark's pie chart.
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