Anyone else ever wish they could stop counting calories?

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2

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  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
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    I will count calories for the rest of my life. If this isn't something you prefer then you have to develop the habits needed to transition from counting calories to portion control. Hopefully, you are using a food scale, measuring spoons, and cups. As you prepare your food, focus on the size and amount of your portions. Over time, you will be better able to go without counting calories.
  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
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    On my deathbead, I will demand to know the macros of the IV drip
  • Vanessa_Ross
    Vanessa_Ross Posts: 18 Member
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    I will always have to count calories. I stopped recently for about a month and have gained 4 pounds back. I have just come to realize that unless I am counting the calories I have blinders on as to how much I am really eating. Today starts a new day for me and the beginning of the rest of my life. Happy Counting :smiley:
  • leadslinger17
    leadslinger17 Posts: 297 Member
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    Chief_Rocka wrote: »
    On my deathbead, I will demand to know the macros of the IV drip

    lol

    And as someone mentioned grazing is hard... I have to break that habit.
  • mcibty
    mcibty Posts: 1,252 Member
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    Kalikel wrote: »
    No, the goal shouldn't be to count calories for life, lol. It would be the exceedingly rare person who did that, if there is even one.

    The goal should be to learn better eating and exercise habits. The calorie counting should help you learn better eating habits. The exercise logging should get you in the habit of doing it and help you have an idea of how much exercise burns how much food.

    In the end, you want to have a healthier diet, eaten in reasonable portions and have exercise be a part of your life (which should continue for life, as long as you're physically able.)

    If you want to stop, you can stop any time. No gun to your head.

    You should do it because you WANT to do it. If you don't want to work on this, just stop and be happy doing what you do want to do. :)


    THIS.
  • climbing_trees
    climbing_trees Posts: 726 Member
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    You could try keeping a food log where you just write the amounts you eat for a while. Such as "1 large scoop of rice, 2 spoons of soy sauce" without the exact measurements and calories.
    That way you are still mindful about your eating without all the work. And you would be less likely to eat a huge piece of chocolate cake if you had to write down "1 enormous piece of chocolate cake with ice cream" :p
  • gagatcu
    gagatcu Posts: 23 Member
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    I definitely wish I could stop. I actually did stop for the past 3 days, but had so much anxiety about it that I logged back in this morning.
    Hopefully soon, I can learn to let go and just keep doing the healthy habits that I have picked up over the past year and a half. Until then, I'm with ya! Good luck!
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
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    My goal is *not* to, but if it winds up that I need to, I will. It is second nature to me now, so I don't find it cumbersome.
  • mamafelfleh
    mamafelfleh Posts: 17 Member
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    Even if I don't physically count calories by now I know the calories in the food I'm eating so no going back ;)
  • yankeedownsouth
    yankeedownsouth Posts: 717 Member
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    I think I'll end up counting for the rest of my life. Maybe not daily, but definitely often enough to keep myself accountable. I know exactly how to eat to maintain my weight, it's just that I don't seem to actually DO it if I'm not counting calories.
  • nomad1000
    nomad1000 Posts: 206 Member
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    Will I weigh and measure my food forever? Probably not but I will keep track of what I am eating daily for the rest of my life.
  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
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    Isnt wishing that you could stop counting calories better than wishing you could lose a stone when you need to?
  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member
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    I stopped logging a long time ago. I learned discipline and what a true appropriate portion of foods looks like for me. Some people find they can do this, others find they're better off to keep logging. If you really don't want to count calories, try logging just a few days a week to check yourself and see if that works out for you.
  • Cyndal25
    Cyndal25 Posts: 9 Member
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    I like counting calories, no not everyday, but I don't lie about what I ate that day. It keeps me accountable and I like to know my numbers, that way I can look back and see what I ate that week and how much exercise I did to see if that maybe why I had a bad week. No you aren't supposed to count them you're whole life, but if it is what helps you stay on track then "why not?"
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
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    I kind of wish I could start counting calories. I just can't figure out a convenient way to do it.
  • DapperKay
    DapperKay Posts: 140 Member
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    It's debatable, but biologically speaking you will never be able to eat like a person of your current metrics would at an intuitive level. And the catch 22 is that logging calories should in theory help you to learn eating better so that you can one day move off counting, but it becomes the act of counting itself that you rely on so much thus you don't end up learning a thing.

    Very few people master the act of learning how to eat as if they were counting at an intuitive level without actually counting. Your body will fight and will slowly but surely trick you into feeling like you need and should eat more. It does so because of something known as 'Homoeostatic state'. HS is like your 'default' zone. Your body will always try to take you there, most of the times by making you constantly hungry. HS is permanently changed everytime you gain weight. The converse is not true. This is due to a complex set of reasons but directly related to evolution. Modern humans at a biological level are not very different to those of the cave ages. And because food was rare then and humans who were well fed would last longer in the wilder and generally be seen as more powerful and thus make better mates, the body has over time learnt how to "hold on" to fat.

    It's tough and I ask myself this question everyday. The answer is personal I suppose. If counting is difficult for you then slowly try to fuse in alternative methods, like eating clean. I personally think we have to do this for at least 10 years - that would be enough time for the body to perhaps adjust to the new you. But who's counting... :neutral_face:
  • MSeel1984
    MSeel1984 Posts: 2,297 Member
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    I stopped for a while but found I got lazy and lax about what I ate...
    I also continue to do it so my endocrinologist can see what I am eating-especially given that I'm a distance runner and need to worry about fuel/blood sugar.
  • WhatMeRunning
    WhatMeRunning Posts: 3,538 Member
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    Sure.

    I also wish I stop having to keep my bank account balanced.

  • ksy1969
    ksy1969 Posts: 700 Member
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    I will have days that I won't, but long term, most days will be counted. I also have goals other than weight loss though and they require counting calories as well.

    1st Goal - Reverse any metabolic damage created by dieting off and on and binge eating.
    2nd Goal - Gain lean muscle mass without a lot of fat gain. This requires accurate tracking of intake. Knowing what your TDEE is eating above that, but not by to much so the fat cells start refilling. I am 45 not and basically by the time I am 50, I want the body I should have had at 30 or younger. I know it can be done, just a little more work than it would have been a couple decades ago.
  • MelanieRBrace
    MelanieRBrace Posts: 245 Member
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    It's a necessary evil for me.

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