Is Calorie Counting a Sustainable Practice

Csoldano

I lost 100lb while doing very strict calorie counting. Towards the end I stopped tracking so much and eventually stopped. I think the goal of MFP (in my mind) is to help us UNDERSTAND why we gain/lose weight and to know what foods cause us to gain weight and what lifestyle choices allow us to lose weight. I haven't really tracked in a while and I can pretty much tell when I will gain or lose weight based on what I have eaten. It just kind of becomes a skill So no, you don't need to do it forever because it becomes a part of your knowledge base!

I'm on the cusp of 100lb loss and quoted for truth...tracker isn't updated for some reason should be 92lbs

I_Will_End_You

It is not at all sustainable for me. I lasted about....2 weeks. I'm doing fine without it, though.

michelle7673

Here is where I am on it -- at least now....

I will need at least a long period of maintenance logging.
It's really only a few minutes of time in a day, not more than signing onto Facebook, for example. In the beginning it was longer because I tinkered a lot, and frankly was anxious about not being hungry. That's gone and it's more like brushing my teeth.
I think of it more like optimizing; I don't plan to stop making forward progress in fitness, so why stop optimizing my health in terms of what I eat? That's true even if you don't stick strictly to a target in maintenance, but have occasional splurges.
I just think it would be so easy to be 15-20% over on amounts consistently, but, maybe more importantly, to *think* that you only splurge once a week when it's more like 2 or 3 times a week ("but I'm good with what I eat most of the time!"). Logging would catch that.
I could see ultimately using it only as needed, if, for example, I weighed myself every week. Clothes don't work for me; too many have stretch in them and sizes do seem to get bigger! So I could see using if, for example, I went up five pounds or six pounds, measured consistently. But I'm a long way from there at this point.

raqdabells73

I think for me it will be something I do all the time because I want to be able to go back and see what I am eating and compare. It makes me accountable for what I am putting in my mouth.

I need the structure because I have tried going without tracking and went back to bad habits and gained what i lost plus more.

NatureChik1985

I hated counting calories. The thought of counting long term never even crossed my mind. I started paying attention to nutrition and I did all the research I could. I logged throughout the bulk of my weightloss but started logging less and less the closer I got to my goal. At this point I only log out of curiosity. It might not work for everyone, but I have maintained for 2 years.

genofreek

Some people can run with a basic idea of what they're eating, some (like me) need to count. I know how I am; as soon as I stop looking after my numbers I'll be like, 'well, I can have a little bit more since I've been doing so well' or tell myself I'm only going to cheat a bit and do better tomorrow, and then... not do it.

I won't always log every little thing, but right now I'm building the habits I hope to have my whole life, and holding myself accountable for meal quality and portion size is part of that.

SilverLotusGirl

I think it depends on who you are. For me, logging seems to be pretty feasible for a long term thing. I don't always stop drop and log right when I eat, but I do like to keep a pretty good track of what I eat and how I feel. Will I be logging 5 or 10 years from now, who knows, but I do think faithful logging in the beginning can help you learn really good eating habits and discover things about foods and how much you really it. If you confident enough to lose or maintain a weight without logging, go for it. It's not like the MFP police are gonna come spank you for it. If you gain weight not logging, start logging again.

bonjour24

i counted cals every day for over a year. I thought that by then I knew what i was doing and stopped because i got fed up of it. Slowly, over about 6months, i gained back 5kgs. Admittedly I stopped moving as much as well, but i did not control what i was eating with the same gusto as when i was logging. I'd forget about those little snacks i had, and i started grazing more.
I don't want to be calorie counting all the time, but i definitely need to be doing it when i'm training. I don't see me stopping completely at any point in time.

zcheeze

I think tracking & logging is essential at first. Really gives you a good perspective of what/how much you put into your body. I also believe it doesn't need to be a forever thing, for as others have mentioned, you get a good sense of what you should and shouldn't be doing.

I lost a bunch of weight a few years ago, and had stopped counting when I had finally immersed myself into a healthy lifestyle. I should have come back to it when I felt myself slipping tho! (You know what they say about ignorance & bliss).

Tracking/logging is just a tool to be used when you need it. (Right now, I NEED it!)

gracetillman

I lost 60ish pounds a few years ago by tracking calories and then I stopped tracking. After a while all of the other healthy habits I had instituted to lose that weight disappeared. Now it is 2-1/2 years later and I have gained all my weight back plus a bunch. For me I think it is going to have to be forever. However, I am sure there are lots of people who are much more disciplined than I am.

This is me exactly -- right down to the number of pounds lost -- only for me it was 6 years ago and I gained back 85 pounds -- which I am now in the process of losing.

I will have to track what I eat for the rest of my life. It keeps me accountable and it helps me see what I ate and where I might have gone off. If I track I also find I am more aware of my choices -- I honestly write what I eat and I don't want to post bad choices.

This is what will work for me and I am ok with it. If you are having success and not tracking maybe you'll be ok.

coverley54

Wow, i'm only on day 4 of this tracking thing, and this thread gives me lot's to think about, great input here.
My thoughts are this:

UNCONSCIOUS EATING VS. CONSCIENCE EATING

How many Americans can eat unconsciously and sustain a healthy normal weight??? We dont live active lifestyles, we drive cars, sit at computers, tv's etc.......

My guess is very few of us.

It is daunting though to project tracking for the rest of my life...........but what is my/our option?

Not sure if there is one yet, for me personally, so till then i'm sticking to the plan here, determined to reach goal.

SilverLotusGirl

Wow, i'm only on day 4 of this tracking thing, and this thread gives me lot's to think about, great input here.
My thoughts are this:

UNCONSCIOUS EATING VS. CONSCIENCE EATING

How many Americans can eat unconsciously and sustain a healthy normal weight??? We dont live active lifestyles, we drive cars, sit at computers, tv's etc.......

My guess is very few of us.

It is daunting though to project tracking for the rest of my life...........but what is my/our option?

Not sure if there is one yet, for me personally, so till then i'm sticking to the plan here, determined to reach goal.

Why is it daunting? Maybe you won't be on MFP forever but even just writing it down to see what you ate can be helpful. Don't let it be daunting and off putting. Let it be empowering. You're taking control and keeping tabs on things.

SteelySunshine

I can either track my calories for the rest of my life. Or, I can graduate from Metformin to taking insulin shots everyday and developing full blown hypertension and other problems that started that I would rather nip in the bud then let get completely out of control.

DaphneSW

55in13 wrote: »

I don't log, but I do track mentally within the day so that at the end of the day I can say with some certainty whether I was below my goal, roughly at it or above. Then I track across days (again mentally) to be sure most of my days are at or below goal.

There are a few reasons this works for me...
I only eat 2 or 3 meals (sometimes I skip breakfast and do 16:8 IF) and 1 snack each day.
My workday lunch is almost always something I bring in and will be low cal and healthy.
I do not cheat. I have days when I go over the daily goal, but I don't pretend I wasn't over.
I weigh daily. You could say that I am counting calories, but in thousands instead of individually.
I am very committed to getting in shape. I will not fail.

EDIT - IMO, the last reason is the most important.

I love this