MFP Vs Non calorie counting healthy lifestyle
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MFP has been a fantastic tool in teaching people proper portion sizes and what those pesky serving sizes on packaging actually mean. After a while weighing and logging things I could quite easily stop using it and probably be fine but knowing exactly what I'm putting into my body and the changes that come from it are really priceless. Plus the community here is generally great and it's nice to help people along on this journey because it definitely isn't easy2
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It's not as if watching your calories and eating healthy are mutually exclusive. In fact, they don't even really intersect. Eating healthy won't do anything to help you shed excess pounds if you're eating too much, and you'll lose weight on a steady diet of cheeseburgers as long as you're in a calorie deficit. Eating healthy, and counting calories, are two different things you do for entirely different reasons.4
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gabrielleelliott90 wrote: »Hi all, just wondering why you chose MFP over just a healthy lifestyle (not counting calories, eating as much as you want of health foods, eating only when hungry etc).
I've been using CI<CO since the very first time I "dieted" when I was about 17 years old ... 30 years ago. It made sense then ... it makes sense now. It worked then ... it works now.
Back then, I tracked using pen and paper and with as much information as I could locate in books in libraries and in my mother's medical texts.
Now I use MFP.
MFP is easier.
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I have lost weight before, by counting calories and exercising, and by just sticking to meals and walking. When I had to lose weight again, I went back to that calorie counting site - but something had happened. I realised that all the "guidelines" (eat this, not that) contributed to "failure". Finding MFP, where the main focus is calorie counting, paradoxically, became the start of a healthy lifestyle for me. Eating whatever I want, and not going "on" and "off" track - how liberating! The forums here are great. I have learnt so much. Finally lost my excess weight (50 pounds) and kept them off for over 2 years.2
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I am actually incorporating both. My meal times are when I'm hungry. I try to eat midfully and try to stop as my hunger subsides. this mindful eating after it's logged (food logged) pretty much coincides with the calories I'm suppose to eat. Mfp is helpful for sure2
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Honestly, I spent the first 30 + years of my life eating healthy and exercising regularly. And it pretty much worked. However, as I approached my late thirties, even though nothing else had really changed in my habits, I noticed that I'd started putting on a little extra weight over the years.
I'd never attempted to lose weight before because I'd never really needed to, in good part because of my already healthy lifestyle. I've never technically been overweight, but I was heading toward the upper level of the normal weight range. And since I have no intention of letting myself go as long as I have the power to do something about it, I stopped that upward progression by joining MFP and monitoring my intake. I'm still exercising and eating the same way I was before, but logging keeps me mindful of how much I'm eating and helps me track trends over time. It also helps me track my fiber and protein.
It's not magic, but it sure worked like magic for my purposes, and got me back down to where I wanted to be. I've been maintaining at goal now for almost 6 years. As far as I'm concerned, why not MFP?1 -
Sometimes I want to eat without being hungry and calorie counting works great for moments like this
Takes me less than 10 minutes a day
It's little bit like a money budgeting. Some people don't need to count at all and their income is very high, expenditure much lower. Some do great with general awareness. Others like to know where the money are going do better with planning for their future
Sometimes I buy things I need. But sometimes I would buy a dress, near the end of the month, just because I want it! Same with food, sometimes I love a treat and it's great to know that I can afford it.
It doesn't mean I would drink coke zero as it's no calories, just as it doesn't mean I will buy dress just because it's cheap.
It doesn't mean I will buy dress when I need shoes, just as it doesn't mean I will buy cake when I need proteins and other nutrition. My needs for have to be met
But I am likely not to splash out on dress with cost of 2000 euro, as I am not likely to spend 2000 calories on piece of cake. Simply as I can get more enjoyment out of my money if I spend 2000 on few days away for example, or if I have few very tasty but satisfying meals.
It suits me6 -
I find that I can maintain my weight for long periods of time without counting calories but it is difficult to lose weight without counting calories. MFP just provides an easy way to do that.1
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By the way, I still eat when I am hungry, I still eat mostly whole food, I still don't stuff myself even if the calories are there to be spend, counting calories doesn't exclude healthy eating. At all2
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Weighed food and logged for a year, lost 70 pounds. Started "intuitive" eating, gained 70 pounds. Weighing and logging down 70 pounds again. Dont be me. Find what works and stick with it.
I love the answer intuitive eating have to everything. If you can't manage to be slim by intuitive eating, you just aren't slim!
some people get so judgmental to calorie counting but many long term maintainers do either count, or did count and have great calorie awareness.
when I regained weight I stopped counting for year and half, and gained about 30 pounds. To gain this, all you need to do is eat an extra banana and walk 20 minutes less a day. That's all! People complain that calorie counting led them to go crazy when they are off diet but never happened to me. I still ate healthy mostly, just my life was crazy busy and I had no time or thought for exercise and I stopped counting.
I agree - if you find something that works for you stick with it. Ignore what others say, if it suits you and you find it manageable to do - do it2 -
HappyGrape wrote: »Weighed food and logged for a year, lost 70 pounds. Started "intuitive" eating, gained 70 pounds. Weighing and logging down 70 pounds again. Dont be me. Find what works and stick with it.
I love the answer intuitive eating have to everything. If you can't manage to be slim by intuitive eating, you just aren't slim!
some people get so judgmental to calorie counting but many long term maintainers do either count, or did count and have great calorie awareness.
when I regained weight I stopped counting for year and half, and gained about 30 pounds. To gain this, all you need to do is eat an extra banana and walk 20 minutes less a day. That's all! People complain that calorie counting led them to go crazy when they are off diet but never happened to me. I still ate healthy mostly, just my life was crazy busy and I had no time or thought for exercise and I stopped counting.
I agree - if you find something that works for you stick with it. Ignore what others say, if it suits you and you find it manageable to do - do it
That's straight out of the size acceptance movement (weirdo radical arm) playbook. It cracks me up every time. Hilarious reasoning. No, it can't possibly be that you're confusing craving with actual hunger now, could it?2 -
Tried it in the past, ended up just trying to count calories in my head, was more effort and annoying than actually just doing it properly.
Counting calories gives me a lot more confidence in my weight loss. The scales might say I put on 0.5lb since yesterday, but if my calories indicate I actually lost 0.2lb of fat, then I know I've lost 0.2lb of fat and have 0.7lb of extra water weight. It always comes true and shows itself in the next couple days. Counting calories accurately just works.
Oh and also, I love junk food. I go to the pub 1-2 times a week and get a takeaway another 1-2 times. As long as I track it and stay under my goal, I lose weight. Bliss.1 -
GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »HappyGrape wrote: »Weighed food and logged for a year, lost 70 pounds. Started "intuitive" eating, gained 70 pounds. Weighing and logging down 70 pounds again. Dont be me. Find what works and stick with it.
I love the answer intuitive eating have to everything. If you can't manage to be slim by intuitive eating, you just aren't slim!
some people get so judgmental to calorie counting but many long term maintainers do either count, or did count and have great calorie awareness.
when I regained weight I stopped counting for year and half, and gained about 30 pounds. To gain this, all you need to do is eat an extra banana and walk 20 minutes less a day. That's all! People complain that calorie counting led them to go crazy when they are off diet but never happened to me. I still ate healthy mostly, just my life was crazy busy and I had no time or thought for exercise and I stopped counting.
I agree - if you find something that works for you stick with it. Ignore what others say, if it suits you and you find it manageable to do - do it
That's straight out of the size acceptance movement (weirdo radical arm) playbook. It cracks me up every time. Hilarious reasoning. No, it can't possibly be that you're confusing craving with actual hunger now, could it?
I think what they are missing is activity. Intuitive eating works fine if you are at a healthy weight and you are physically active. The problem is that most of us don't have physical activity built into out day. We drive our cars to work, sit at a desk all day, and then sit in front of a television at night while someone else delivers food to our door. Things would be very different if we grew our own food, milked our own cows, walked or rode bicycles to work.1 -
I like the sense of control. You know exactly how much you have eaten each day and as long as you are under your maximum calories for a sustained period of time, you WILL get results.
Plus I can still eat whatever I like, just less of it, and earn extra treats by exercising.3 -
Because I would convince myself that what I ate really wasn't that bad for me and hardly had any calories at all. Didn't matter what I ate, I convinced myself it wasn't so bad. Calorie counting convinced me otherwise. I've been calorie counting for 5 years. Six months ago I decided to try "intuitive" eating. I could do it because I had 4 1/2 years of calorie counting under my belt and I knew the calorie count of everything. I maintained for those 6 months but for me intuitive eating is WAY harder than counting calories. You really have to be disciplined with it. It was a nice break though.
I'm back to counting calories because I want to lost a little fluff for my vacation in May. After that, depending on how I feel, I might go back to intuitive eating.
So I guess my short answer is, I do both, but only because I have the tools that MFP taught me after several years of practicing them to help me intuitively eat.3 -
TimothyFish wrote: »GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »HappyGrape wrote: »Weighed food and logged for a year, lost 70 pounds. Started "intuitive" eating, gained 70 pounds. Weighing and logging down 70 pounds again. Dont be me. Find what works and stick with it.
I love the answer intuitive eating have to everything. If you can't manage to be slim by intuitive eating, you just aren't slim!
some people get so judgmental to calorie counting but many long term maintainers do either count, or did count and have great calorie awareness.
when I regained weight I stopped counting for year and half, and gained about 30 pounds. To gain this, all you need to do is eat an extra banana and walk 20 minutes less a day. That's all! People complain that calorie counting led them to go crazy when they are off diet but never happened to me. I still ate healthy mostly, just my life was crazy busy and I had no time or thought for exercise and I stopped counting.
I agree - if you find something that works for you stick with it. Ignore what others say, if it suits you and you find it manageable to do - do it
That's straight out of the size acceptance movement (weirdo radical arm) playbook. It cracks me up every time. Hilarious reasoning. No, it can't possibly be that you're confusing craving with actual hunger now, could it?
I think what they are missing is activity. Intuitive eating works fine if you are at a healthy weight and you are physically active. The problem is that most of us don't have physical activity built into out day. We drive our cars to work, sit at a desk all day, and then sit in front of a television at night while someone else delivers food to our door. Things would be very different if we grew our own food, milked our own cows, walked or rode bicycles to work.
so you are saying that being fat is an invention of the industrial revolution...I don't think so.
You can be as active as you want but if you over eat you will get fat.
OP I am here because it works...I want to get to a point where I can get away from the logging but will I get there?????
Maybe...if I am iwlling to put in the work to "notice" things like serving size in a visual manner as opposed to a weight on a scale.0 -
I'm guessing that most people who are overweight are overweight because they failed the 'healthy' lifestyle approach, lol... so it's not a stretch to assume that they're going to need some kind of tool to lose weight.
MFP definitely helps getting rid of the 'eating clean' or 'all or nothing' approach and getting rid of guilt when you eat higher calorie food. It fits, it's fine! So it's easier to stick to, as you're less likely to deprive yourself too much.
And yeah, 'eating when hungry' doesn't work for a lot of people, as it's been pointed in this thread.1 -
gabrielleelliott90 wrote: »Hi all, just wondering why you chose MFP over just a healthy lifestyle (not counting calories, eating as much as you want of health foods, eating only when hungry etc). For me, it's because it isn't sustainable as I will be good for a few days even a week, and then just eat all the junk. I will feel deprived even if I have a treat each day. Because of calorie counting I still find I have the mentality to think If I'm eating too much, but at the same time found it freeing not to think about cals. However I choose mfp because it's worked well in the past (profile is of my lowest weight 129lb or a bit heavier) and I can choose what I want to eat without feeling guilty if I eat a few bad things. I actually enjoy logging my food sometimes.
Because 'healthy lifestyle' doesn't equal healthy weight. Eating as much as you want of healthy foods is a very easy way to go over on calories and gain weight. And since most of us have struggled with our weight/overeating-I wouldn't say we're the best at judging when we're actually hungry vs eating for all sorts of other reasons
But, after I had been in maintenance for a while I decided to try intuitive eating. I stopped tracking my calorie intake and stopped using my food scale to measure out portion sizes. It was around this time I also deleted my old MFP account. Within a few months of doing this I had gained around 10lbs. Lesson learned. For me tracking my calorie intake and using my food scale on a regular basis is necessary for me to maintain my weight loss. And hanging out on MFP helps keep me focused 0 -
I did the other way for years. Sometimes I lost, sometimes I didn't. Always regained.
I need to see the numbers or I will eat too many calories.
Logging food also helps me meet my other goals better.
I don't view foods as bad, unhealthy or junk. I don't feel guilty for eating.
I pretty much eat when I am hungry but I get hungry at predictable times so I have planned my eating. I don't find hunger by itself to be an accurate guide.1 -
It's not as if watching your calories and eating healthy are mutually exclusive. In fact, they don't even really intersect. Eating healthy won't do anything to help you shed excess pounds if you're eating too much, and you'll lose weight on a steady diet of cheeseburgers as long as you're in a calorie deficit. Eating healthy, and counting calories, are two different things you do for entirely different reasons.
If they don't intersect, then they are, literally, mutually exclusive.
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