Do you still count calories?

williamwj2014

I haven't for a week but I'm going to start back up on Monday. Gave myself a break for a while and just allow myself to eat whatever I want without having to log it. (at maintenance, have gained but like a pound)

Maries_wine_calories

I've been maintaining for 7 months with the help of my Fitbit. I'm now very dependant on it to monitor my intake vs calorie burns over the course of a week so that I don't gain or continue to lose for that matter. Initially on maintenance it was very "weird" to identify as a person who needed to eat more. As it turns out with my career I'm very active and at least for now that means I can eat exactly my burned calories earned according to my tracker or know when to save some/spend some. Best of luck>

avonchris

christinev297 wrote: »

I can't see myself ever giving up calorie counting. I enjoy it and it has become an ingrained habit which takes but a few minutes a day..

Avon chris I enjoy logging my calories on keeps me in control can see me doing this for a while

tracoleman99

MFP has a default setting that doesn't allow you enough calories. I adjusted them to better suit my needs. (You can do that under 'goals.') BodyBuilding.com has a great article here, which talks about that: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/how-to-lose-weight.html
While we aren't trying to LOSE weight anymore, I do think eating enough calories without gaining weight is really important. I track everything I eat. I like the MFP app because you can easily scan what you eat or log it as you go.

paperpudding

Traveler120 wrote: »

No, I don't count calories daily anymore. The point of logging is to develop an awareness for what amount of food is appropriate. The goal is to eventually eat healthfully and continue to lose or maintain weight without the crutch of logging. Millions of healthy weight people eat healthfully and exercise and manage it all without logging.

I did it once a week for a few months while I figured out what foods I need to make my staples and which will provide satisfaction, enjoyment, energy and all if not most of my vitamins and minerals. I was able to determine how many treats I can get away with and how much exercise I need to continue losing and how much I'd need for maintenance.

Logging forever and ever indicates you haven't really learned much.

I disagree with this.

The goal for you might be to eventually manage it all without logging.

It wasn't the goal for me - my goal was to get within healthy BMI range and then to stay there.
I don't mind logging ( at the imprecise level that works for me as explained upthread) and I consider it an ongoing tool that helps me continue to acheive my goal.

Since I have remained in maitenance for nearly 2 years I consider I have learnt quite a bit - including what works for me to keep me there and that includes ongoing logging.

tlp8rb

ErinSot wrote: »

Or do you feel MFP gave you enough information on your weight loss journies to manage on your own?

I'm not done losing yet but I don't want to be stuck in a world of logging every little thing forever.

Over the past four years I've been at or near my goal weight twice. Each time I decided I didn't need to log my meals and/or calories, and each time - over the course of some months - I've regained much of the weight I initially lost.

I am once again within reach of my goal - 14 pounds to go - but this time I intend to continue to log my meals on MFP, increasing my calories to a maintenance level. Twice burned is twice learned. I do not have the discipline to go it alone. I need the tools (MFP, my Salter Nutrition Food Scale, my FitBit) to keep me on track. I look at it like maintaining my home. Can't do it without tools (screwdriver, hammer, drill, paint brushes, etc.).

By the way - I'm 74 years old, down to 162 from a high of 222, and headed for a healthy weight of 148 pounds.

Sharon_C

I plan to count calories indefinitely. I just know the day I stop is the day I start gaining again. After 3 years I'm fairly accurate at estimating but I still like to log it all. And since I've been logging for so many years it doesn't take long at all because I have so many recipes in there.

mikehardin62

Sharon_C wrote: »

I plan to count calories indefinitely. I just know the day I stop is the day I start gaining again. After 3 years I'm fairly accurate at estimating but I still like to log it all. And since I've been logging for so many years it doesn't take long at all because I have so many recipes in there.

I agree, i think since we DON'T want to return to the previous life...we develop a safety net for our kind. And it is called log all, weigh all...for the foreseeable future! Why through away all that you've worked so hard to achieve! !!!!

mikehardin62

Well said tlp8rb, Thankyou for sharing that and your age, cause it helps me age 53, to understand that its not just age, its discipline, and dedication, and understanding my body thay helps me loose weight and maintenance in the end.

Ang108

SuggaD wrote: »

Francl27 wrote: »

nxd10 wrote: »

I like logging. I rarely have to limit my calories because I rarely go over. Often it tells me I need to eat more or gives me an excuse to eat when I feel hungry but think I've eaten enough. I look at my log and exercise calories and they tell me - YES your body knows what it's doing. Eat.

I have maintained for four years. In the last month I realized I was at the top of my 5 pound weight zone. Dropped 250 calories/day, kept logging and I'm now in the middle of it. I'll pop back to maintenance when I get to the bottom. It takes almost no effort to do. It's worth it.

Definitely NOT the case for everyone. If I listened to my body, I would have gained 20 pounds last year instead of maintaining. That's why I log (and still go to bed hungry most nights).

Well that's no good. You shouldn't be going to bed actually hungry.

There is actually no scientific indication that being hungry is bad for a person. In many countries it is considered to be perfectly normal as well as healthy to step to the meal table hungry, especially since in many countries people don't snack between meals.
I think that especially in the US with it's over abundance of cheap food it has become a belief that a person should not go hungry, but there are more and more indications that it is not good for a body system to consistently do digestive work, because people never have an empty stomach or empty bowels. This means that the body these days never can recover, health, build up resistance. This also means that heart, liver, pancreas and other organs are constantly busy with digestion, even during the night when other work ( like repair and recovery ) should be done.

Shouliveshappy

People who stop counting and gain weight in a short period of time have not truly mastered the meaning of a truly healthy lifestyle. They only managed to maintain due to numbers, but their mind is not tuned to eat in moderation, their mind is not tuned to say "I can still enjoy good food, candies and indulgence in MODERATION"

Stopped counting = Couldn't have been happier.

mikehardin62

Absolutely Right Ang108....I stop intake at 6pm daily. ..my activity begins at 6am the following morning. ..my body receives 12hours average to heal and recover. This is a must in this jurney. Thankyou for shearing my sentiments on the matter.

mikehardin62

O...and by the way, I LONG ALL THAT I CAN CAUSE IT WORKS FOR ME....EVERYTHING THAT GOES INTO DIGESTION MUST BE LOGGED.