Do you ever go a day or 2 without counting and just give your body a break

Squeaky_XO

I do this and it works. Wondering if anyone else does the same

Francl27

How does not counting give my body a break? I'm confused.

But do I eat more some days? Sure. I just eat less the rest of the week to make up for it. And I take a rest day once in a while if my legs are just too sore (if that's what you meant by giving my body a break).

RockLissa

Without counting what?? Calories? I do but tend to consume more than I should.. Struggling a little here..

vball1121

I don't always count calories. By the time you "get-it" you can fall into a routine and use the calorie counter as a check-in rather than a bible. I agree it is freeing knowing you know how to be healthy on your own.

I think this is what you mean? The days i definitely log are my "cheat" days so they don't get out of hand, or days I consume alcohol for the same reason.

fobs13

Yes now I'm.in maintenance as pretty much know my portions etc...

SuggaD

I did. I didn't really gain, but it was a struggle. So I went back to counting (I'm not strict though, I don't weigh anything and I eat out often so its lot of guesstimating). Counting keeps me in check.

SKME2013

I have been successfully in maintenance for about a year now and I still log all my intake. I go though by weekly goals and not daily ones. If I go over one day I make up on another.

aarar

Counting doesn't necessarily mean restricting food or eating at a deficit, so I'm not sure what kind of a break my body would be getting? I've been counting for nearly 1100 days; within that time I've had lots of days where I've eaten healthier foods and many other days where I've binged or eaten pure junk food. I count it all whether I'm under (which is rare) or thousands over. I've been maintaining my loss of 100lbs for 2 years now and it's just part of my daily routine now. It takes minutes out of my day and ensures that I can continue to be successful.

RoxieDawn

Gosh, I am always counting calories even if it does not get logged in the database for a day..

My head knows how many calories are in just about everything now, so not logging it on the diary does not keep me from counting.

_benjammin

Francl27 wrote: »

How does not counting give my body a break? I'm confused.

...

Mental break.
Yes. I take a day or 2 off every couple of months whether I'm bulking, cutting, or maintaining.

joshuasheldon

if I didn't count calories i would eat to little or to much and have anxiety bout it it keep's me eating healthy to get what I need without restricting or binge eating I did have a so called cheat night and it was not good for me I craved more and more for a week took me a few weeks to get back on track i've lost a total of 118 pounds in the past 6 yrs so for someone who use to have a severe eating disorder cheat days dont work for me it's almost like it triggers something in my brain where i want food more and more if I do.

cwolfman13

I haven't logged anything for over two years...but I'm always generally aware of roughly what my calories are...'cuz I'm good like that.

Laughter_Girl

I always log my food and exercise. So, no. When I first started on this journey , a big part of bettering my health included having to log every thing, which I am committed to do for the rest of my life. Do I restrict myself from carbs, sweets, fat, etc.? Absolutely NOT. I just enjoy them in moderation.

LivingtheLeanDream

gia07 wrote: »

Gosh, I am always counting calories even if it does not get logged in the database for a day..

My head knows how many calories are in just about everything now, so not logging it on the diary does not keep me from counting.

+1

MissJay75

Counting and logging has become such a second nature, (and really it only takes me a couple minutes a day) that if I didn't do it, there wouldn't be much of a mental break.

cwolfman13

for me personally, things got a little out of hand in regards to getting a little overly obsessed with things...stopping the logging was the best thing I ever did...my wife agrees.

Unknown

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rainbow198

I've been consistently keeping track of what I eat and my exercise daily since 6 months into my weight loss journey. Even on vacation or special days etc.

For me, keeping a food/exercise journal doesn't take long, it helps me to plan balanced meals/fit in treats, I find it assists me with making better food choices and I like data, so having a reference to go back to and see what I've eaten in the past or to get meal ideas is helpful.

This is apart of my life now and I have been very successful, thankfully. There's no need for me to take a break or stop. It's a habit.

kdz526

I take a break during "special occasions" that I don't want to or am unable to track. Girls weekend a few weeks ago...no logging done. I had fun and tried to make better choices. Going to my moms for a weekend, I have no idea what she is going to plan on fixing or even what goes into the stuff she does prepare. I just make better choices from what I have learned from logging. Camping is another one where I don't log. It is easy to log from home, on my turf, but when I am not the one in control, I will let the logging slack, but do try to make better choices and stick to my norm the best I can.

veephil31

I always track what I eat. However, I will have a day here and there where I give myself a break and allow some "junk food" knowing full well that I will be over my limit. I still track it tough so I can make sure I'm not doing that too often. I also track it out of habit and then it proves to me that eating 2,000 calories one day won't hurt me (I don't do it often, maybe once a month). I think its good to be accountable for your actions. Just because you don't track it doesn't mean it doesn't count