Can I just eat? For my sanity..

distinctlybeautiful

How do y'all handle tracking burnout? Please tell me I'm not the only one who's been here!

I'm either tracking meticulously (or estimating when I have to but still logging meticulously), or I'm on an eating free-for-all with zero tracking. It's not a true deprivation thing because I feel full and satisfied when I track. I think it's just something to do with a desire to eat without such careful attention to eating.

I started tracking and lifting almost two years ago but maybe six-ish months ago I stopped being so consistent, and ever since then it feels like a struggle - albeit it with some really solid, good periods mixed in. But I feel tired. I don't want to give up, but I don't want to have so much focus on weight that I'm not successfully shifting and on trying to get my body to change how I want it to. Any advice?

fiddletime

All I know is the two times I got burned out on the tracking during maintenance, I regained all my weight back plus some in as little as 6 months. Do I want to be constantly trying to lose 20-25 pounds, or do I want to figure out what I need to do to both lose, and then maintain the loss?

Now I know that, for me, I need to track for at least a year after I hit maintenance. I also will need to jump back on for a year (not a few weeks like in the past) when I start regaining. I don't trust myself much at this point, but do know that I trust tracking to maintain. Other people don't need to. So, if you're successful at what you're doing, and it's working, then maybe you don't need to track. If it isn't as successful when you stop tracking, don't stop.

jiim_e

You said you don't like focussing so much on weight you're not successfully shifting - maybe you're on a frustrating plateau and that's making you resent it more? You could try busting the plateau by mixing up your meals (whilst being really careful to hit your nutrient/calorie goals), maybe doing some extra cardio, reduce your daily calories just by 50-100, etc.

Maybe pushing through to see more progress will make you feel better about it?

distinctlybeautiful

Maybe I'll just try a week of tracking calories and nothing else. Maybe a break from the macros will suffice..

courtneyfabulous

I just try to hit my protein and calorie goal, and kind of pay attention to fiber too. No need to worry much about fats or carbs. That approach may help you feel less restricted but still reach your goals.

Also are you at your ideal weight yet? If you have not gotten to maintenance yet after 2 years maybe you need to readjust your calories & macros?

Also you can do 1 completely untracked day per week. Don't pig out those days but just don't track at all.

canadianlbs

distinctlybeautiful wrote: »

I started tracking and lifting almost two years ago but maybe six-ish months ago I stopped being so consistent, and ever since then it feels like a struggle

i found tracking useful when i seemed to be stuck on an unchangeable plateau in that just-ten-more-pounds stage. but about five months in and with really nothing left that i needed to lose, i quit doing it because i almost felt like i'd gotten conditioned to do it whehter i 'needed' or not. people can be very different and have very different relationships/approaches with food, but for myself i did find it got almost psychologically afflictive after a while.

I don't want to give up, but I don't want to have so much focus on weight that I'm not successfully shifting and on trying to get my body to change how I want it to. Any advice?

so is the problem about the tracking, or about the weight loss/scale focus? i can see either of them becoming a burden, but maybe it would help to see if you can isolate exactly which (both?) of them this is about.

lottathought

I am wondering ...because I am guilty of this myself. When you get meticulous...do you find that you repeat the same meals...over and over again? Is it possible that what you are actually doing is craving something a little different? Could you possibly create a little menu diary that is expansive enough that you do not hit these walls?

amusedmonkey

Having been morbidly obese, completely letting go is not an option for me because I'm capable of regaining enough weight in one week of free for all to need 1-2 months to lose back. I do get these days where I just want that "food innocence" back, where I eat without thinking or considering what I'm eating, but I can't have more than one or two days like that. What I can do sometimes is "delayed tracking". I basically eat whatever I want without directly logging (so that my food would not be calorie focused), but do write down the things I eat. I then log them all in at once in the evening when I'm done eating. I do that for a few days until I accumulate roughly 1000 calories of "debt" over maintenance (I do use this strategy sometimes when losing, but then I try to be more reasonable with my intake on purpose, on maintenance breaks it's more relaxed). Once I reach 1000 calories, I have a fast day which takes care of that gain. Of course this would not work for someone who does poorly on fasting, just trying to show you how you could try different things as a compromise. This works for me, I hope you find a compromise that works for you.

distinctlybeautiful

@courtneyfabulous I don't have an ideal weight, but I have gained maybe 5-10 pounds back since I stopped being consistent. I don't know if it's because I've been leaner that I'm so uncomfortable with this little bit of extra weight, but I'm really wanting it gone. I just haven't been successful with remaining consistent for more than a couple weeks at a time.

@canadianlbs I think it's a mix of both. I feel like I'm putting in so much tracking work without seeing the change I want on the scale or even just in my body. I don't care so much about the number if I like what I'm seeing. Back when I first started all this, my goal was maintenance, but I was definitely in a slight deficit because I lost weight. I was also making a ton of progress being a new lifter, so my body was changing. Now that I actually want to lose weight, I'm struggling with the slow results. Then I try to just eat at maintenance, but I'm still in the back of my head wanting to lose and being disappointed that I'm not. I'm not sure how to find balance right now.

@lottathought That's an interesting perspective! I do eat the same things over and over, especially as I've gotten more careful about all my macros as well as fiber, sugar, and sodium. It's easy to find what fits and then keep eating it over and over again. I think that's why I'm considering just tracking calories for a while. That way I can have more variety and pay less attention to exactly what I'm eating while still sticking with some kind of goal.

Machka9

I log, and remain under my calorie limit, for a certain number of weeks at a time.

When I started, I did it for 16 weeks, then took a 1-month break. Then I logged again for another 16 weeks, then took about a 2-month break. Then logged again for about 4 weeks ... and so on.

So I allow myself breaks of a certain length.

I also track calories only, and eat a portion of my exercise calories back. So if I do a lot of exercise one day on a weekend, I can eat just about anything I want. I might have pizza and cheesecake and still be within my calorie limit. Being able to do that means that I'm not feeling deprived.

crackpotbaby

You've been doing this long enough to know what good portions are for you. It's okay to go by feel for a while if that's what you need.

If you find you are slipping you can always start logging again.

Millions of people around the world maintain healthy weight without counting calories.

Myki3012

I don't log if I go out with friends (alcohol heart rate acceleration helps burn a lot in the short term) and sometimes I don't log if I'm just out and enjoying myself. I also don't track on my rest day as a small reward for being so meticulous the other six days in the week. If you've got things patterned down and have had success with the current exercise regime you're running now I see no qualms in relaxing a little with your logging.

jenilla1

fiddletime wrote: »

All I know is the two times I got burned out on the tracking during maintenance, I regained all my weight back plus some in as little as 6 months. Do I want to be constantly trying to lose 20-25 pounds, or do I want to figure out what I need to do to both lose, and then maintain the loss?

Now I know that, for me, I need to track for at least a year after I hit maintenance. I also will need to jump back on for a year (not a few weeks like in the past) when I start regaining. I don't trust myself much at this point, but do know that I trust tracking to maintain. Other people don't need to. So, if you're successful at what you're doing, and it's working, then maybe you don't need to track. If it isn't as successful when you stop tracking, don't stop.

Yeah, don't let it go for six months. As soon as you notice yourself slipping, get right back on until you've set yourself straight again. It's easier to bounce back from a simple 5 pound gain, than it is when you've gained it all back and then some.

I personally find it easy to track, and it really doesn't take much time and effort, so I just keep doing it (been on maintenance for over 5 years.) If there's a special occasion or I'm out backpacking in the wilderness I don't log, but in my day to day life I just do it. It's like brushing my teeth. I just do it. I don't have a bad attitude about it, though. It's not a negative thing to me. If it was the kind of thing that caused me distress it might be harder to stick with.

distinctlybeautiful

@lizery You know, now that I think about it, I can't really remember a time when I wasn't counting calories but wasn't overeating. That opens my eyes to the complicated (dare I say, disordered) relationship I have with food. I wonder if I could do it.

@jenilla1 I've always found it easy too. I like numbers and data and things like that. I think it's that I've started to connect it with a desire for a result I'm not achieving.

ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken

When that happens I eat without tracking, or just jot down what I ate and log it all at the end of the of the day. I decide that staying within my goal is not mandatory and I do not beat myself up for going over. Logging is work., And we all need a break from work sometime. Just don't allow your self to fall off completely. Maybe you could designate one day each week to just forget about logging to prevent the burnout. I have been dealing with this myself lately and this is how I have handled it.

CorneliusPhoton

I managed for quite a while just eating "like" I was eating when I was losing weight, just not tracking. It was doable because I am a creature of habit and eat a lot of the same meals regularly. I just had to remember what an adequate portion size was and stay in the right mindset. Weigh myself every morning, plan a calorie burning exercise for every day, and don't fall back into snacking. Stay busy. I promised myself to get back to tracking when my weight went up by 5lbs.

Well surprise, surprise, here I am up 5 lbs! Finding it a struggle to get back into the habit of tracking. I am currently using intermittent fasting, and have upped my exercise to stop gaining, but as I approach my 1 year anniversary here, not wanting to be a failure, I think it's time to buckle up and get serious again. But I'm just so sick of tracking.

courtneyfabulous

distinctlybeautiful wrote: »

@courtneyfabulous I don't have an ideal weight, but I have gained maybe 5-10 pounds back since I stopped being consistent. I don't know if it's because I've been leaner that I'm so uncomfortable with this little bit of extra weight, but I'm really wanting it gone. I just haven't been successful with remaining consistent for more than a couple weeks at a time.

@canadianlbs I think it's a mix of both. I feel like I'm putting in so much tracking work without seeing the change I want on the scale or even just in my body. I don't care so much about the number if I like what I'm seeing. Back when I first started all this, my goal was maintenance, but I was definitely in a slight deficit because I lost weight. I was also making a ton of progress being a new lifter, so my body was changing. Now that I actually want to lose weight, I'm struggling with the slow results. Then I try to just eat at maintenance, but I'm still in the back of my head wanting to lose and being disappointed that I'm not. I'm not sure how to find balance right now.

@lottathought That's an interesting perspective! I do eat the same things over and over, especially as I've gotten more careful about all my macros as well as fiber, sugar, and sodium. It's easy to find what fits and then keep eating it over and over again. I think that's why I'm considering just tracking calories for a while. That way I can have more variety and pay less attention to exactly what I'm eating while still sticking with some kind of goal.

These 2 statements are conflicting. Either you are putting in a lot of work with tracking and not seeing results because your macros/calorie goal is not correct for your weight loss goals, in which case you need to adjust your numbers so that you get the results you want...

OR you are not tracking properly or being consistent and therefore not reaching your goals because you are not putting in the work or hitting your numbers.

So the problem is either that your plan is wrong, or you aren't sticking to your plan. Possibly both... but either way if you want results you have to fix whatever is the problem.

courtneyfabulous

One more thought- you mentioned having been leaner before so not being happy with your current physique- but are you currently at a healthy BMI? Do you objectively look good? Do you feel good?

A lot of fitness competitors and fitness models and athletes get to a certain leanness at one point that is completely unsustainable long term, but they get used to looking that way or like being that lean aesthetically so it can be hard for them to feel attractive at a normal healthy weight. But they forget how much effort went into being super lean and forget they actually felt pretty bad at that low a body fat percentage (low energy, low strength, worn out).

Maybe you need to evaluate how you really look and how you feel. If you truly do have weight to lose and can lose it while still being healthy then go for it. If you are chasing an impossible goal then revise your goal.

danika2point0

I feel you...I lost 30 pounds, got to my ideal weight, and then got comfortable and had major challenges in staying focused on tracking. Since hitting my ideal weight about a year ago, I've gained 10 pounds. It sucks but I saw it happening and let it happen by being inconsistent with my logging and being comfortable. I won't lie...it was nice not tracking. Of course it was. So, ten pounds is the price I pay for that one year. Now, I am definitely motivated as I realise how I want my body to look and feel (the answer: 10 pounds lighter). Once I arrive at my goal this time, I need to have a maintenance plan, which I did not have before. E.g. a weight range that I can maintain and start tracking if I am on the upper end. It sounds like you might be in a similar place to where I have been this past year. I don't have any major advice, but if you aren't going to track or be inconsistent, maybe try and do damage control; that's what I did the past year. I knew I wasn't tracking but I tried to limit the pounds gained. Good luck x

distinctlybeautiful

@courtneyfabulous Good point! I think when I'm tracking it feels like I'm putting in a lot of work, maybe because I'm trying to be diligent about my macros and other numbers when in the past it was just calories and protein - and maybe because I'm actively wanting to lose weight instead of having a maintenance goal but seeing weight loss anyway. The consistency isn't there, but it feels like a ton of work when I'm doing it. I've been working with a nutrition coaching team online for almost two months now, and we've decided that for this next week I'm going to track calories only. Hopefully that will go well, and then I can go from there. As for having unrealistic body goals, that's not a problem. I've always carried extra fat, even at my leanest. What I mean is that my leanest is not competition-lean or fitness-model-lean, not even close, and I don't want to be that lean.

courtneyfabulous

distinctlybeautiful wrote: »

@courtneyfabulous Good point! I think when I'm tracking it feels like I'm putting in a lot of work, maybe because I'm trying to be diligent about my macros and other numbers when in the past it was just calories and protein - and maybe because I'm actively wanting to lose weight instead of having a maintenance goal but seeing weight loss anyway. The consistency isn't there, but it feels like a ton of work when I'm doing it. I've been working with a nutrition coaching team online for almost two months now, and we've decided that for this next week I'm going to track calories only. Hopefully that will go well, and then I can go from there. As for having unrealistic body goals, that's not a problem. I've always carried extra fat, even at my leanest. What I mean is that my leanest is not competition-lean or fitness-model-lean, not even close, and I don't want to be that lean.

Ok good to have a plan- hope it goes well!

I've never been competition lean either- I probably never will be and not my goal either. It's funny though I do follow a bunch of body builders and fitness models for inspiration though and even their "off season" physiques seem like a stretch for me... my body just loves to hold onto that fat!! I wish I could at least lean out my stomach a little more- everywhere else is looking pretty good these days but my stomach is where my fat makes its last stand apparently haha! But once I lose these last 5 or 10 pounds I'll be good.

Good luck, hope counting calories only helps you achieve your goals!