How to add custom food to Lose It? A Step-by-Step Guide for Accurate Logging

Studies show that consistent food tracking can lead to double the weight loss compared to non-tracking, making accurate calorie logging a critical habit. For those times when your homemade meal or a unique grocery item isn't in the database, knowing how to add custom food to Lose It? is essential for maintaining accuracy and staying on track with your health goals.

Quick Summary

This guide provides comprehensive instructions for manually adding single items and entire recipes to the Lose It! app. It details the process for both mobile and web platforms, covering everything from nutritional data entry to logging your custom meals efficiently.

Key Points

• Accessing Custom Food: Navigate to the 'Profile' section, select 'Foods', and then 'Custom Foods' to begin adding a new item manually.

• Creating a Recipe: For multi-ingredient meals, use the 'Recipes' function under 'Foods' to save time on future logging by batching ingredients.

• Measuring Accuracy: Use a food scale to weigh ingredients for recipes, ensuring precise nutritional calculations for your custom entries.

• Editing Existing Entries: The app allows you to correct incorrect nutritional data on scanned or user-submitted foods by tapping 'Edit Nutrition'.

• Logging Efficiency: Once created, custom foods and recipes are saved to your lists, allowing for quick and easy re-logging with just a few taps.

• Sharing with the Community: You have the option to share custom food entries with other Lose It! members, which helps improve the public database.

Why Add Custom Foods and Recipes?

While the Lose It! database boasts over 56 million items, it can't cover every homemade meal, local restaurant dish, or unique ingredient. Adding custom entries ensures that your food diary accurately reflects your actual consumption, providing a more reliable foundation for achieving your health objectives. This process is especially useful for managing favorite recipes, accounting for specific restaurant meals, and correcting potential inaccuracies in user-submitted data.

Manually Adding a Single Custom Food

For a quick and precise entry of a single item, use the custom food feature on the mobile app or website. This method is ideal for ingredients like a specific type of spice or a product without a barcode in the database.

On the Lose It! App:

1. Navigate to Profile: Tap the 'Profile' icon, typically in the top right corner.
2. Access Food Settings: Scroll down and select 'Foods'.
3. Find Custom Foods: Tap on 'Custom Foods'.
4. Create a New Entry: Tap the '+' icon (on iOS) or the 'New' button (on Android).
5. Enter Details: Fill in the food name, portion size, and nutritional information (calories, macros, etc.).
6. Save: Tap 'Add' (on iOS) or 'Save' (on Android) to finalize your new custom food.

On the Lose It! Website:

1. Log In: Go to my.loseit.com and sign in.
2. Access Settings: Click the gear icon for 'Settings'.
3. Manage Custom Foods: Under the 'Manage' menu, click 'Custom Foods'.
4. Create a New Entry: Click the 'New' button.
5. Enter Details: Add the food name and nutritional information.
6. Save: Click 'Add Food'.

Creating and Saving a Custom Recipe

For multi-ingredient meals that you eat frequently, creating a recipe is the most efficient method. This allows you to log a whole dish at once and adjust the serving size easily.

On the Lose It! App:

1. Go to Profile: Tap the 'Profile' icon.
2. Access Food Settings: Scroll down and select 'Foods'.
3. Find Recipes: Tap on 'Recipes'.
4. Start a New Recipe: Tap the '+' icon (on iOS) or 'New' (on Android).
5. Name and Set Servings: Name your recipe and set the total number of servings it yields.
6. Add Ingredients: Tap 'Add Food' to search for and add each ingredient individually, adjusting the quantity for the whole recipe.
7. Finalize: Once all ingredients are added, tap 'Done' and save your recipe. When logging the meal, you can specify how many servings you ate.

Comparison: Custom Food vs. Recipes

Deciding whether to create a single custom food or a full recipe depends on the complexity and frequency of the meal. The table below helps clarify the best approach.

Feature	Single Custom Food Entry	Custom Recipe Entry
Best For	Single ingredients, unlisted packaged goods, or quick, simple meals with known nutrition info.	Homemade multi-ingredient meals like stews, casseroles, and large-batch dishes.
Accuracy	As accurate as the nutritional information you manually enter.	High accuracy if all ingredients are measured and entered correctly.
Time Efficiency	Fast for single, simple items. Slower for complex meals with many ingredients.	Initial setup takes time, but subsequent logging is very fast and efficient.
Portion Control	Requires a known portion size for the entire entry.	Allows you to log a specific number of servings from a pre-calculated total batch.
Editing	Easy to edit the nutrition of a single item at any time.	Can edit ingredients and amounts by accessing the saved recipe.
Sharing	Can be shared with the community for other users to find.	Can be shared via a web link with other users.

Tips for Accurate Custom Logging

• Weigh your food: Using a digital food scale is the most accurate method for measuring ingredients, especially for homemade recipes. This eliminates guesswork and potential portion size errors.
• Use reliable sources: When manually entering nutritional data, pull information from a trusted source like the USDA food database or a verified food label.
• Edit incorrect data: If you find an entry in the Lose It! database that appears inaccurate, you can edit its nutritional information. After scanning a barcode, tap 'Edit Nutrition' to enter the correct facts from the package.
• Consider community sharing: If you create a custom food that others might find useful, you can opt to share it with the wider Lose It! community. This helps improve the overall database for everyone.
• Log consistently: The true power of custom entries is realized through consistency. Make a habit of creating and logging new items as you encounter them. They will automatically be saved to your 'My Foods' list for quick re-access.

Conclusion

Mastering how to add custom food to Lose It! is a key skill for accurate and sustainable calorie tracking. Whether you are logging a new protein powder or a complex family chili recipe, the app provides flexible tools for precise entry. By utilizing both custom single foods and recipes, and adhering to best practices like weighing ingredients, you can ensure your food log is a true reflection of your dietary habits. This enhanced accuracy allows you to make more informed decisions and move closer to your weight loss goals with confidence. For more detailed instructions on managing your food, you can refer to the official Lose It! support page for Custom Foods.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add custom food on both the Lose It! app and website?

Yes, you can create and manage custom foods and recipes on both the mobile app and the Lose It! website, and your data will sync across platforms.

How do I add a recipe with multiple ingredients?

Go to Profile > Foods > Recipes, and tap to create a new one. Enter each ingredient separately with its quantity, and the app will calculate the nutritional data for the total serving size you define.

Is the custom food I create saved for later?

Yes, once you create a custom food or recipe, it is saved in your 'My Foods' or 'Recipes' lists, allowing you to quickly log it again in the future.

What if I find incorrect nutritional data for a food in the database?

If you are logging a food (especially after a barcode scan) and find the information is incorrect, you can tap 'Edit Nutrition' to correct the data before saving it to your log.

Can I share my custom foods and recipes with others?

Yes, when creating a custom food or recipe, you have the option to share it with the wider Lose It! community, which can be useful for improving the public database.

How do I accurately log a homemade meal from my custom recipe?

When logging a meal from your custom recipe, select the recipe from your list and specify how many servings you are eating. The app will automatically calculate the calories and macros based on the serving size.

Does adding a custom food require a premium membership?

No, adding custom foods and recipes is a feature available to all Lose It! users, including those on the free basic version.

Is there a way to add food without typing everything out?

Besides manual entry, Lose It! offers features like 'Snap It' (AI photo recognition) and barcode scanning for quicker logging, especially for packaged foods.