Loribell,

When I first started using Fitday, I found it pretty confusing but it's one of those things that the more you use it, the easier it is. I created a lot of custom foods so I can simply choose "Atkins muffin, blueberry" off the list. I've also purchased salads from the deli around the corner from work then taken them home and deconstructed them to get the counts. I created several custom foods from the deli using this method. Now, when my coworkers want to go out to lunch, I simply order one of the several meals that I know and select "Spring St. Deli, small chef salad" from my custom list.

I, too, took a break from recording everything it for a couple of weeks. But I found my weight was creeping up a bit and without the stats in Fitday to tell me what the problem was (too many calories? or too many carbs? or not enough fat percentage?) I wasn't able to determine what adjustments to make. So I went back to recording, and it made it easier.

I log on to Fitday several times during the day and I record things as I eat them. Which only takes a few minutes. Then by the end of the day, I've got it all there.

A new thing I'm doing this week, is use Fitday as my menu planner. I enter foods ahead of time (like three or four days in the future) that I'm planning to have for dinner. That way if I want a huge 900-calorie piece of prime rib for dinner, I plan the rest of my daily calories knowing that it's coming.

About new clothes costing too much, I can definitely feel your pain! I bought new size 12s two months ago that looked so fabulous and are now way to baggy. It's hard to know exactly how many clothes to buy in a given size until I reach goal weight because low-carbing seems to take the inches off so that I'm at smaller sizes even though I weigh more than I did the first time I wore that size. Does that make sense?

I've found a consignment shop that has a good selection so I'm not buying retail so much. Ah, the beautiful suits that I can no longer wear! So, I'm selling my beautiful suits at the consignment shop to defray the cost of purchasing smaller sizes.

Journaling is just one tool. If it doesn't seem to work for you, there are others. But I agree with Kathy, your stats do look great.

Nelle