Calorie Counting vs Intuitive Eating

buglesalmoncatgirl
buglesalmoncatgirl Posts: 43 Member
edited November 16 in Health and Weight Loss
...or both?!

Hi there, everyone.

How do you feel, in your experience, about calorie counting? What about eating purely based on "inner signals"?

In my experience, I am better off tracking and counting calories. When I tried to eat intuitively, I was not consistent, never sure if I was "just satisfied" or whatever number on a hunger/fullness scale of 0-10. I really wanted it to work! However, calorie counting takes away the guesswork for me and I'm used to it.

I gained weight trying to eat freely and intuitively. I lose weight when I count calories and stay at a deficit.

How about you?
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Replies

  • Muscleflex79
    Muscleflex79 Posts: 1,917 Member
    there was a whole thread on this just yesterday - try searching for it.

    but I think you already answered your own question - you (and most) gained eating intuitively and lose counting calories...what more do you need to hear than that??
  • buglesalmoncatgirl
    buglesalmoncatgirl Posts: 43 Member
    Ha! Interesting. Nice to hear I'm not alone.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    I don't count calories, I eat freely, but within reasonable limits. I weigh some foods and count others. I usually eat only when I'm hungry, and I know I'm hungry when I want a meal (real food). Occasionally I eat just because I want to eat ("fun food"). I don't fully trust or understand my satiety signals, so I portion my meals and eat what I planned. I don't worry if I'm eating a little more or a little less, it evens out over time, and I feel fine so I know I'm eating well. I know that I'm maintaining my weight because I weigh myself every day.
  • wizzybeth
    wizzybeth Posts: 3,578 Member
    My gut reaction is that intuitive eating sounds reasonable - however, the nutritional density and caloric values of foods vary greatly!!! For instance, you could eat a reasonably small meal from McDonald's when you're "hungry" - a regular cheeseburger, small fries, and a small soda.

    700 calories.

    That's almost 50% of my calorie allotment for the day.

    2 tablespoons of peanut butter is nearly 200 calories. That's without bread and jelly. Some breads are 120 calories per slice or more - jelly is about 50 calories. A very tiny and not very satisfying meal of PB&J could be nearly 500 calories.

    It is very very easy to go over on your calories while eating "comparatively" small meals unless you weigh your food and count calories.
  • IC1109
    IC1109 Posts: 3 Member
    Intuitive eating has never worked for me and I don't think it ever will... It takes over 14 hours of no food for me to start feeling hungry, so by that I eat too little. If I eat based on the times other people eat (or I think "I'm shaking, whoops, I should eat!") I still eat either too much (underestimate the calories/eating too often) or too little (not feeling hungry). Over the years I've developed the habit of eating more than I need, because I just never felt hunger and had to base eating around other people. On the other side of the spectrum, I can also eat around 3-4x more than I need IN A DAY in one meal, and not feel full. I guess something is broken there haha!

    I have to count calories to manage my weight and nutrition. My partner is quite taller than me but only 30-40 pounds heavier. He is underweight and eats intuitively. His body is very sensitive to nutrition changes. This is another example of under-eating.

    Most people who try to eat based on what their body feels overeat and think they are eating a healthy amount. Stick with counting calories. Maybe that LOOKS like a 300Cal serving, but once you weigh it and realize it's 600-700Cal... You'll be in for a shock!
  • buglesalmoncatgirl
    buglesalmoncatgirl Posts: 43 Member
    Yea I agree. Counting calories works best for me. I wish I was an intuitive eater. Oh well!
  • endlessfall16
    endlessfall16 Posts: 932 Member
    Obviously you need to do what works best for you. However, you should also learn and discover ways to make your life better.

    You put "inner signals" in quotation says you don't have or know it but I think you believe you need it in order to be able to do "intuitive eating". Well, I don't know what inner signal that is but I don't need it. I also put "intuitive eating" in quotes because it could mean many different things to different people.

    I just wrote in other thread that I don't need to count calories nor depend on some signals. I simply fast or eat light to make up for the time I eat fully.

    All the challenge in weight loss is having the discipline to not eat (eat less) when you have to. And why is that such a challenge is how one controls his appetite and some understanding about hunger.
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    If people were good at eating intuitively, why is anyone overweight?
  • Meelisv
    Meelisv Posts: 235 Member
    If people were good at eating intuitively, why is anyone overweight?

    This.

    If i was eating intuitively, i would most likely still be at the weight i used to be, or probably even bigger.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    Intuitive eating works great as long as you don't allow yourself to cheat. The same goes for counting calories. You can weigh all your food and even buy a calorimeter so you can do your own testing, but if you allow yourself to eat too much then you'll still be overweight. I find that counting calories works for me when I am trying to lose weight, but a more intuitive approach works better when I am trying to maintain my weight. I don't ignore calories completely, but if I'm hungry I eat.
  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
    I am leaning toward Lyle McDonald's thoughts on the matter. In the modern first world, no one is eating intuitively, unless they are fat. You are utilizing some form of restraint, either conscious or otherwise, to not weigh 300+ lbs. in a world of 500 calorie bagels, 2000 calorie desserts, and 3000 calorie medium pizzas.
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    If people were good at eating intuitively, why is anyone overweight?

    The one's who are good at intuitive eating are the ones not overweight.

    I'd say my wife is one of them and I'm not.
  • endlessfall16
    endlessfall16 Posts: 932 Member
    If people were good at eating intuitively, why is anyone overweight?

    Same as asking...if calorie counting works, why are there still overweight people?
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I used calorie counting as a short term learning tool...like training wheels on a bike. Eventually, I just learned to ride. I haven't counted calories in about 4 years. I have more or less maintained over that time save for the 10ish Lbs I put on every winter...I strip them off every spring and don't count calories to do so.
  • Wtn_Gurl
    Wtn_Gurl Posts: 396 Member
    I combine the MFP food budget (where we record what we will eat and have eaten) and then pay attention to whether I am truly hungry, and putting those two together, I sort of eat intuitively, i.e. if I know I have some available macros, and how much, I can then know how much I can allow for the next meal. so I use both of those tools together.
  • endlessfall16
    endlessfall16 Posts: 932 Member
    cwolfman, I also started out counting and eating 1500 a day. In 3 month time, it taught me to be aware of calories and the kind of fullness and hunger that comes with this amount. Before that, I got panic when such a hunger hit and I ate and failed to lose lbs.
  • Seffell
    Seffell Posts: 2,244 Member
    Our intuition follows evolutionary ques developed during times when food was scarce and you had to eat high calorie food in order not to die.
    So naturally we find pleasing calorie dense foods.
    And this is pretty obvious if you go out in the street and look around in any developed country nowadays - obesity is prevailing.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    I am leaning toward Lyle McDonald's thoughts on the matter. In the modern first world, no one is eating intuitively, unless they are fat. You are utilizing some form of restraint, either conscious or otherwise, to not weigh 300+ lbs. in a world of 500 calorie bagels, 2000 calorie desserts, and 3000 calorie medium pizzas.

    If everyone is "utilizing some form of restraint, either conscious or otherwise," doesn't that imply that everyone is capable of controlling their weight through intuitive eating?
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    If people were good at eating intuitively, why is anyone overweight?

    Same as asking...if calorie counting works, why are there still overweight people?

    Because they're not calorie counting? Or don't understand the principles of CICO
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    I am leaning toward Lyle McDonald's thoughts on the matter. In the modern first world, no one is eating intuitively, unless they are fat. You are utilizing some form of restraint, either conscious or otherwise, to not weigh 300+ lbs. in a world of 500 calorie bagels, 2000 calorie desserts, and 3000 calorie medium pizzas.

    If everyone is "utilizing some form of restraint, either conscious or otherwise," doesn't that imply that everyone is capable of controlling their weight through intuitive eating?

    No. By using restraint, it is, by definition, not intuitive.
  • Nikion901
    Nikion901 Posts: 2,467 Member
    edited March 2017
    Intuitive eating is what I try to practice when I use the 'plate method' ... half a plate of low carb veggies, 1/4 plate of starchy veggies or grains, 1/4 plate of protein source. Never a fruit at that time unless it's part of the dish. Perhaps a glass of milk if the protein is light on the plate. ... a piece of fruit as a snack midway between meals if I'm hungry ... and a couple times a week a snack after supper of either popcorn or nuts. However, even then I find myself logging the food into MFP and letting the calories fall where they may, just to 'see' how they stacked up.

    If I'm having something that isn't plated ... like a stew or a soup, then 1 have a 2-cup cuttoff in volume for that meal. If it's a casserole, then it depends on the dish, but the volumne is usually between 1 and 1 1/2 cups ... like, a 9x13 casserole holds 3 quarts when filled to the very top ...like in a lasagna dish ... and cut into 12 portions that equals 1 cup volume per serving. I'm working on a lasagna just like described, this one meatless and it comes to 530 calories for a serving as described.

    PS .... so basically, I count calories even when I don't seem to be. The only intuitive part is I stop eating when I'm no longer hungry and I don't start eating until i've been hungry for a while.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    TR0berts wrote: »
    I am leaning toward Lyle McDonald's thoughts on the matter. In the modern first world, no one is eating intuitively, unless they are fat. You are utilizing some form of restraint, either conscious or otherwise, to not weigh 300+ lbs. in a world of 500 calorie bagels, 2000 calorie desserts, and 3000 calorie medium pizzas.

    If everyone is "utilizing some form of restraint, either conscious or otherwise," doesn't that imply that everyone is capable of controlling their weight through intuitive eating?

    No. By using restraint, it is, by definition, not intuitive.

    Explain what an "unconscious restraint" is if it isn't intuitive? And what would be wrong with saying that a person knows by intuition that they shouldn't eat something but they use restraint to follow their intuition?
  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
    TR0berts wrote: »
    I am leaning toward Lyle McDonald's thoughts on the matter. In the modern first world, no one is eating intuitively, unless they are fat. You are utilizing some form of restraint, either conscious or otherwise, to not weigh 300+ lbs. in a world of 500 calorie bagels, 2000 calorie desserts, and 3000 calorie medium pizzas.

    If everyone is "utilizing some form of restraint, either conscious or otherwise," doesn't that imply that everyone is capable of controlling their weight through intuitive eating?

    No. By using restraint, it is, by definition, not intuitive.

    Quoted for truth.
  • BootCampC
    BootCampC Posts: 689 Member
    I have done intuitive eating before , it has worked great. the hard part was removing the old habit of overeating. This will only work if you eat slow and eat unit the hunger subsides. This is much less food than we would think would actually work. I would only consume about 100-200 calories before the hunger would stop. then after 2 to 3 hrs do the same thing. I sandwich could last 4 meals in this manner. you get the idea.
  • HealthyBodySickMind
    HealthyBodySickMind Posts: 1,207 Member
    If people were good at eating intuitively, why is anyone overweight?

    The one's who are good at intuitive eating are the ones not overweight.

    I'd say my wife is one of them and I'm not.

    It's true that some people are able to intuitively eat an appropriate amount of calories for their size and activity level. I would count myself among that group; I've never actually been overweight.

    However asking a question like that on a site that is designed to help people control their intake through calorie counting will add a bit of bias to the response. The main reason people use mfp is to count calories. Although I suppose it's not the only reason.

  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    However asking a question like that on a site that is designed to help people control their intake through calorie counting will add a bit of bias to the response. The main reason people use mfp is to count calories. Although I suppose it's not the only reason.

    Also why I laugh at all the posters who want to argue CICO.

  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    edited March 2017
    The problem I tend to have lies in the terminology and how people attempt to apply it.

    If someone thinks of intuitive eating as just eating what they feel like eating when they feel like eating it, there's a very good chance this will only work with people who have never had a problem managing a healthy weight.

    There certainly are people who can manage their weight using non tracking methods of eating that rely on habit development and/or some other combination of guidelines to help them consume a reasonable amount of calories without necessarily counting those calories, and I think there is a great deal of merit in learning these approaches or some combination of techniques specifically for people who can't stand calorie counting.

    And so yes, if you take "'intuitive eating" to just mean free-wheeling it, it's not a good idea, but there are plenty of valid non tracking methods whereby people can learn to use hunger/satiety and typically some combination of guidelines or strategies to moderate their food intake.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
    I can't/don't intuitively eat because food tastes good. I will probably always need some sort of leash to keep me from gaining my lost weight back.
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