Anyone else stopped counting calories on the app?
Chessbear
Posts: 45 Member
It was too bothersome. Its probably a week, maybr longer, that i havnt counted calories in the app.
I just count calories in my head. Much easier. Probably easier to overeat, but you can get better at counting caloroes.
I just count calories in my head. Much easier. Probably easier to overeat, but you can get better at counting caloroes.
11
Replies
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Yup, I stopped logging calories on MFP and started keeping count in my head a few months back.
Now I need to lose the 20lbs I gained....
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Why do you count calories? Just curious0
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Alatariel75 wrote: »Yup, I stopped logging calories on MFP and started keeping count in my head a few months back.
Now I need to lose the 20lbs I gained....
Same. Basically if I don't log on here I don't know how much I'm eating. So I have to count.11 -
Well I also weigh my food on a food scale. I think that reduces the chance of overeating.3
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Well I also weigh my food on a food scale. I think that reduces the chance of overeating.
Unless you're eating the exact same thing every single day, just weighing food won't reduce your chance of overeating...
From your many posts you appear to have a huge desire to lose massive amounts of weight. If you want to be successful, surely you would use the tools available to you to make success more likely?
Id be more bothered that I was trying my hardest to achieve a goal but not getting the results I wanted (or expected). Not counting or tracking is fine, as long as you don't expect the results you'd more likely get from tracking accurately15 -
I haven't been tracking on the app much lately. As usual that coincides with me not losing anything either. I wish I was good at keeping track in my head.9
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I haven't been logging lately because I have some other medical issues I need to focus on. I am definitely not losing any weight because of it, which is okay because I am not supposed to right now. But I might need to change to tracking again at maintenance calories before I gain too much weight!0
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Nope. It keeps me accountable and makes keeping things on track way simpler for me.
Seems to be working:
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Yes.
But only because I didn't like the interface here. I log and track calories - and this time around macros as well - on a different app.
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Nope, I've been using the app to count and track my calories for two years. I've lost 130lbs. I'll continue using it.24
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Yes, I have stopped, but only partly because it was "bothersome". The main reason was that I had stopped overeating, and learnt to eat appropriately for my needs.
If you just don't want to stop overeating, that's okay. You don't need an excuse. MFP is easy to use if you want to eat less, but very hard if you don't want to change your eating habits.4 -
I am more concerned with macro- and micronutrients than calories, although I do try to watch those. As a borderline diabetic with mild coronary artery disease, I am concerned about fat, carbs, and sodium. I don't want these chronic diseases to get worse. So there are definitely other considerations than calories. In fact, if you read current research, the old calories in/calories expended equation is far too simplistic. The human body is a lot more complex than that. Still, keeping track of some aspect of your food intake is important, whether it's fat, carbs, or calories. If you're estimating, chances are you're being a little generous with your portions. Or at least, that has been my experience. YMMV0
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livingleanlivingclean wrote: »Well I also weigh my food on a food scale. I think that reduces the chance of overeating.
Unless you're eating the exact same thing every single day, just weighing food won't reduce your chance of overeating...
From your many posts you appear to have a huge desire to lose massive amounts of weight. If you want to be successful, surely you would use the tools available to you to make success more likely?
Id be more bothered that I was trying my hardest to achieve a goal but not getting the results I wanted (or expected). Not counting or tracking is fine, as long as you don't expect the results you'd more likely get from tracking accurately
Hey. Yes its true. I want to lose anywhere from 80 to 100lbs.
Most things I eat daily are basics. Like apples and bananas. Rice, spaghetti, meat, etc. My diet is very clean at the moment. Yesterday I fit in 2 chocolate bars into my diet without the app. Worked out fine. Only the day before I overate by about 200 calories. Which was fine too because I did a lot of cardio that day. I do a lot of cardio everyday, at least 80 minutes. But i had rather not ate those 200 calories. The 200 calories came from a tablespoon of olive oil and 50 grams of excess in meat I had not calculate into.
Anyways, but this thread was not for me to explain why I dont count calories in the app anymore. I did already explain why. And being frank, the real reason was that I was overeating when I was counting in the app. Compared to now the overeating is much much less.
Counting calories in the app can work for a lot of people. Not for me though. In the past I have lost about 50lbs without counting calories in the app. I gained it back in 1-2 years because I stopped working out and eating healthy, and of course because I was overeating again.
Anyone else stopped counting calories on the app with similar reasons as mine?7 -
I go through logging/not logging periods. It's very easy to tell which are which when I look at my graph. Fact is, logging is what clued me into what I was doing to myself 3 years ago. Logging is a great tool to keep you in check. For example, during a no-go stretch I started a daily triple triple coffee habit. When I started logging again I went to double double....but guess what? They're almost the same. So I broke the daily habit (again!) And I'm back on track.0
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livingleanlivingclean wrote: »Well I also weigh my food on a food scale. I think that reduces the chance of overeating.
Unless you're eating the exact same thing every single day, just weighing food won't reduce your chance of overeating...
From your many posts you appear to have a huge desire to lose massive amounts of weight. If you want to be successful, surely you would use the tools available to you to make success more likely?
Id be more bothered that I was trying my hardest to achieve a goal but not getting the results I wanted (or expected). Not counting or tracking is fine, as long as you don't expect the results you'd more likely get from tracking accurately
Hey. Yes its true. I want to lose anywhere from 80 to 100lbs.
Most things I eat daily are basics. Like apples and bananas. Rice, spaghetti, meat, etc. My diet is very clean at the moment. Yesterday I fit in 2 chocolate bars into my diet without the app. Worked out fine. Only the day before I overate by about 200 calories. Which was fine too because I did a lot of cardio that day. I do a lot of cardio everyday, at least 80 minutes. But i had rather not ate those 200 calories. The 200 calories came from a tablespoon of olive oil and 50 grams of excess in meat I had not calculate into.
Anyways, but this thread was not for me to explain why I dont count calories in the app anymore. I did already explain why. And being frank, the real reason was that I was overeating when I was counting in the app. Compared to now the overeating is much much less.
Counting calories in the app can work for a lot of people. Not for me though. In the past I have lost about 50lbs without counting calories in the app. I gained it back in 1-2 years because I stopped working out and eating healthy, and of course because I was overeating again.
Anyone else stopped counting calories on the app with similar reasons as mine?
So the next thread we see from you will be in success stories after you've reached your goal, then maintained your weight?11 -
livingleanlivingclean wrote: »livingleanlivingclean wrote: »Well I also weigh my food on a food scale. I think that reduces the chance of overeating.
Unless you're eating the exact same thing every single day, just weighing food won't reduce your chance of overeating...
From your many posts you appear to have a huge desire to lose massive amounts of weight. If you want to be successful, surely you would use the tools available to you to make success more likely?
Id be more bothered that I was trying my hardest to achieve a goal but not getting the results I wanted (or expected). Not counting or tracking is fine, as long as you don't expect the results you'd more likely get from tracking accurately
Hey. Yes its true. I want to lose anywhere from 80 to 100lbs.
Most things I eat daily are basics. Like apples and bananas. Rice, spaghetti, meat, etc. My diet is very clean at the moment. Yesterday I fit in 2 chocolate bars into my diet without the app. Worked out fine. Only the day before I overate by about 200 calories. Which was fine too because I did a lot of cardio that day. I do a lot of cardio everyday, at least 80 minutes. But i had rather not ate those 200 calories. The 200 calories came from a tablespoon of olive oil and 50 grams of excess in meat I had not calculate into.
Anyways, but this thread was not for me to explain why I dont count calories in the app anymore. I did already explain why. And being frank, the real reason was that I was overeating when I was counting in the app. Compared to now the overeating is much much less.
Counting calories in the app can work for a lot of people. Not for me though. In the past I have lost about 50lbs without counting calories in the app. I gained it back in 1-2 years because I stopped working out and eating healthy, and of course because I was overeating again.
Anyone else stopped counting calories on the app with similar reasons as mine?
So the next thread we see from you will be in success stories after you've reached your goal, then maintained your weight?
Losing weight can take anywhere from weeks to years depending on the amount of weight someone needs to lose. I need to lose about 80-100lbs. Thats going to take a while.
My next thread may be about my diet or exercise or whatever. When I lose the weight, yes I will post in the success stories part of this forum.
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livingleanlivingclean wrote: »livingleanlivingclean wrote: »Well I also weigh my food on a food scale. I think that reduces the chance of overeating.
Unless you're eating the exact same thing every single day, just weighing food won't reduce your chance of overeating...
From your many posts you appear to have a huge desire to lose massive amounts of weight. If you want to be successful, surely you would use the tools available to you to make success more likely?
Id be more bothered that I was trying my hardest to achieve a goal but not getting the results I wanted (or expected). Not counting or tracking is fine, as long as you don't expect the results you'd more likely get from tracking accurately
Hey. Yes its true. I want to lose anywhere from 80 to 100lbs.
Most things I eat daily are basics. Like apples and bananas. Rice, spaghetti, meat, etc. My diet is very clean at the moment. Yesterday I fit in 2 chocolate bars into my diet without the app. Worked out fine. Only the day before I overate by about 200 calories. Which was fine too because I did a lot of cardio that day. I do a lot of cardio everyday, at least 80 minutes. But i had rather not ate those 200 calories. The 200 calories came from a tablespoon of olive oil and 50 grams of excess in meat I had not calculate into.
Anyways, but this thread was not for me to explain why I dont count calories in the app anymore. I did already explain why. And being frank, the real reason was that I was overeating when I was counting in the app. Compared to now the overeating is much much less.
Counting calories in the app can work for a lot of people. Not for me though. In the past I have lost about 50lbs without counting calories in the app. I gained it back in 1-2 years because I stopped working out and eating healthy, and of course because I was overeating again.
Anyone else stopped counting calories on the app with similar reasons as mine?
So the next thread we see from you will be in success stories after you've reached your goal, then maintained your weight?
Losing weight can take anywhere from weeks to years depending on the amount of weight someone needs to lose. I need to lose about 80-100lbs. Thats going to take a while.
My next thread may be about my diet or exercise or whatever. When I lose the weight, yes I will post in the success stories part of this forum.
But if you've got the got the tracking part sorted it should be easy! You should have no issues losing weight5 -
Not logging and thinking my mental calculations were right led me right back to square one and old eating habits unfortunately, I definitely have to log to lose the weight and so I'm accountable to myself.7
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Many times and I've gained a majority of that weight back. The only weight I've kept off is the first 15 pounds I lost around three years ago. Since then I've list the same additional 15 pounds repeatedly.0
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I keep track still because I don't want to yo yo back up again like the OP...
I prefer to be an expert at logging and maintaining as opposed to losing the same weight repeatedly.
I was that person for a long time but since I made the decision to log here no more of that for me...perhaps that is what you need to look at...
why you have to lose the 80-100 lbs again...x2.3 -
If I'm actively trying to lose weight then yes I track somehow-either on a site/app or with paper and pen. I can maintain by doing the mental math, (I've been in maintenance for years though so I've gotten very good at it, plus I have other checks n' balances in place as well), but even now, being as far along as I am, could not lose without being intentional about tracking.1
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livingleanlivingclean wrote: »livingleanlivingclean wrote: »livingleanlivingclean wrote: »Well I also weigh my food on a food scale. I think that reduces the chance of overeating.
Unless you're eating the exact same thing every single day, just weighing food won't reduce your chance of overeating...
From your many posts you appear to have a huge desire to lose massive amounts of weight. If you want to be successful, surely you would use the tools available to you to make success more likely?
Id be more bothered that I was trying my hardest to achieve a goal but not getting the results I wanted (or expected). Not counting or tracking is fine, as long as you don't expect the results you'd more likely get from tracking accurately
Hey. Yes its true. I want to lose anywhere from 80 to 100lbs.
Most things I eat daily are basics. Like apples and bananas. Rice, spaghetti, meat, etc. My diet is very clean at the moment. Yesterday I fit in 2 chocolate bars into my diet without the app. Worked out fine. Only the day before I overate by about 200 calories. Which was fine too because I did a lot of cardio that day. I do a lot of cardio everyday, at least 80 minutes. But i had rather not ate those 200 calories. The 200 calories came from a tablespoon of olive oil and 50 grams of excess in meat I had not calculate into.
Anyways, but this thread was not for me to explain why I dont count calories in the app anymore. I did already explain why. And being frank, the real reason was that I was overeating when I was counting in the app. Compared to now the overeating is much much less.
Counting calories in the app can work for a lot of people. Not for me though. In the past I have lost about 50lbs without counting calories in the app. I gained it back in 1-2 years because I stopped working out and eating healthy, and of course because I was overeating again.
Anyone else stopped counting calories on the app with similar reasons as mine?
So the next thread we see from you will be in success stories after you've reached your goal, then maintained your weight?
Losing weight can take anywhere from weeks to years depending on the amount of weight someone needs to lose. I need to lose about 80-100lbs. Thats going to take a while.
My next thread may be about my diet or exercise or whatever. When I lose the weight, yes I will post in the success stories part of this forum.
But if you've got the got the tracking part sorted it should be easy! You should have no issues losing weight
You need to relax.
Guess what, I only ever used the app for a month maybe. My experience with it is that I dont like it.
By your posts it seems that using the app is like having found the holy grail to weight loss. Sorry to dissapoint you, but there is no holy grail to weight loss. Its 100% hard work and dedication.
I would say that the majority of people who have lost weight and maintained weight loss dont use calorie counting apps.
Can you imagine having to put everything you eat every single day into your phone for the rest of your life? Obviously for many people this is no problem, and thats great. But for many others its a no go.
Truly, one year from now when ive lost all that weight and maintained the weight loss, I wonder how baffled you will be. You really shouldnt. Millions of people lose weight and maintain it and dont use any calorie counting apps. They use their common sense. I know there are 350 calories in 100g of uncooked rice or uncooked spaghetti (depending on what spaghetti and rice and from which brand you buy and eat. ) . I know there are about 100 calories in a banana depending on its size. Usually it has a label on the box it comes with saying how many calories it has.
Obviously you wanted some kind of reaction from me. Here you have it.
Like I said before, using a calorie counting app can help many people. And thats great. Just dont act like without it you cant lose weight.
Weight loss is easy and hard, the easy part : eat less and work out more. The hard part is the mental aspect.
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I logged to help lose my weight, stopped logging quite a long time ago and it's no problem to maintain or lose a few pounds if I have an upward creep or if I enjoy holidays a little too much.
You can remain calorie aware without counting. I weigh daily and casually take note of the trend.
Only time I log now is on the day of a big cycle event when I want/need precision over my fuelling.0 -
Nope. It keeps me accountable and makes keeping things on track way simpler for me.
Seems to be working:
mfp keeps track of 4 pages of your most recent foods eaten, so unless your eating different foods everyday all month, it's just a matter of checking a box and changing the amount. most of the time I only have to use the search for 1 or 2 items a day. and if it's a favorite meal its only 1 check box. even then if I'm rushed I use the "add just calories" to record an approximate. (usually this would be a holiday meal) and I figure for a worst case scenario by doubling the previous day's total3 -
I read that one thing successful weight loss maintainers regularly do is log their food. Since I want to be a successful maintainer, I just decided I was going to track my food, pretty much for the rest of my life.8
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I no longer long food and count calories. I tend to get too obsessed by the numbers and it's bit good for me. If I feel I've fallen off the wagon too much I will star counting but as a rule for my sanity I do not log foods4
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Every time I stopped I gained weight.7
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It was too bothersome. Its probably a week, maybr longer, that i havnt counted calories in the app.
I just count calories in my head. Much easier. Probably easier to overeat, but you can get better at counting caloroes.
why bother coming on this app if all you are going to do is tell everyone how stupid the app is????17 -
livingleanlivingclean wrote: »livingleanlivingclean wrote: »livingleanlivingclean wrote: »Well I also weigh my food on a food scale. I think that reduces the chance of overeating.
Unless you're eating the exact same thing every single day, just weighing food won't reduce your chance of overeating...
From your many posts you appear to have a huge desire to lose massive amounts of weight. If you want to be successful, surely you would use the tools available to you to make success more likely?
Id be more bothered that I was trying my hardest to achieve a goal but not getting the results I wanted (or expected). Not counting or tracking is fine, as long as you don't expect the results you'd more likely get from tracking accurately
Hey. Yes its true. I want to lose anywhere from 80 to 100lbs.
Most things I eat daily are basics. Like apples and bananas. Rice, spaghetti, meat, etc. My diet is very clean at the moment. Yesterday I fit in 2 chocolate bars into my diet without the app. Worked out fine. Only the day before I overate by about 200 calories. Which was fine too because I did a lot of cardio that day. I do a lot of cardio everyday, at least 80 minutes. But i had rather not ate those 200 calories. The 200 calories came from a tablespoon of olive oil and 50 grams of excess in meat I had not calculate into.
Anyways, but this thread was not for me to explain why I dont count calories in the app anymore. I did already explain why. And being frank, the real reason was that I was overeating when I was counting in the app. Compared to now the overeating is much much less.
Counting calories in the app can work for a lot of people. Not for me though. In the past I have lost about 50lbs without counting calories in the app. I gained it back in 1-2 years because I stopped working out and eating healthy, and of course because I was overeating again.
Anyone else stopped counting calories on the app with similar reasons as mine?
So the next thread we see from you will be in success stories after you've reached your goal, then maintained your weight?
Losing weight can take anywhere from weeks to years depending on the amount of weight someone needs to lose. I need to lose about 80-100lbs. Thats going to take a while.
My next thread may be about my diet or exercise or whatever. When I lose the weight, yes I will post in the success stories part of this forum.
But if you've got the got the tracking part sorted it should be easy! You should have no issues losing weight
You need to relax.
Guess what, I only ever used the app for a month maybe. My experience with it is that I dont like it.
By your posts it seems that using the app is like having found the holy grail to weight loss. Sorry to dissapoint you, but there is no holy grail to weight loss. Its 100% hard work and dedication.
I would say that the majority of people who have lost weight and maintained weight loss dont use calorie counting apps.
Can you imagine having to put everything you eat every single day into your phone for the rest of your life? Obviously for many people this is no problem, and thats great. But for many others its a no go.
Truly, one year from now when ive lost all that weight and maintained the weight loss, I wonder how baffled you will be. You really shouldnt. Millions of people lose weight and maintain it and dont use any calorie counting apps. They use their common sense. I know there are 350 calories in 100g of uncooked rice or uncooked spaghetti (depending on what spaghetti and rice and from which brand you buy and eat. ) . I know there are about 100 calories in a banana depending on its size. Usually it has a label on the box it comes with saying how many calories it has.
Obviously you wanted some kind of reaction from me. Here you have it.
Like I said before, using a calorie counting app can help many people. And thats great. Just dont act like without it you cant lose weight.
Weight loss is easy and hard, the easy part : eat less and work out more. The hard part is the mental aspect.
The reality is there's very few people who successfully maintain weight loss long term, regardless of what they're doing, and you're not even to that point yet. The weight loss phase is for a very short period of time and it's the easy part. Lots of people are really good at losing weight-it the many years of maintenance that follows is where most crash and burn.
And a year of maintenance is nothing, (which won't start till after you've hit your goal weight and then transition out of the weight loss phase and begin the maintenance phase, so you're actually talking around 2 years out here), but it would be cool if you were able to check in in 5 or 10 years years and share your success
edit: clarity
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dp0
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