"No calorie-counting needed, just "eat intuitively" folks!"

Hungry_Shopgirl

Disclaimer: I love Fitness Blender for their free workout videos. I've been doing them for over two years and still going strong. Their fun, fast strength training workouts have been a huge help in reshaping my body as I get leaner.

However....

The anti-calorie-counting is strong with them. In their latest article (https://fitnessblender.com/articles/not-seeing-results-5-common-weight-loss-methods-that-might-be-sabotaging-your-progress) this is what they say about it as one of the "methods that might be sabotaging your progress":

1) Counting calories or using a meal tracking app
Embrace a plant based diet, and fill up on unlimited plants. Remove processed foods from your diet and focus on fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, and lean meats (or vegetarian/vegan equivalent). Eat mindfully. When you’re hungry, eat, and learn to recognize your body’s signals of feeling full; stop before you feel discomfort. Drink lots of water. Don’t waste time looking for shortcuts; eat for good health. Once you know what a healthy diet looks like, funnel your effort and energy towards making the right choices, not necessarily towards tracking them. A helpful read: How to stop dieting and learn to eat intuitively

And later (again in regards to calorie counting):

(...) focus on eating for good health, for energy and to feel good. If you are making smart food choices and listening to your body’s hunger and full signals, it’s typically not necessary to count or restrict calories, track every macro every day, eliminate entire food groups, or follow any other generally strict diet that has a lot of rigid "rules".

And...

(...) the end goal of any diet or exercise program should be something that empowers you to move through your life healthily and naturally, not indefinitely tethering you to tedious habits and inflexible rules.

Edit to add my opinion: In my view, "eating a healthy diet" might not be enough for maintaining my weight-loss. I know that if I don't log and track what I eat I very easily wind up eating too much of good things. I also get in this mindset where I feel guilty about every snack or treat, whereas if I'm tracking I know I can "afford" it so there's no guilt. However, I am attracted to the idea that one day I might be able to just wing it and not have to track....

What's your take?

Momepro

May work for some people. Didn't work for me.

xOlaf

I don't log at all but I do keep track, mentally, of what I eat throughout the day. It feels like a balance for me because I don't want to just eat whenever I'm hungry (which is almost always). I gained so much weight because of that very reason alone. On the other hand, I don't want to have to take my phone out to log everything I put into my mouth throughout the day. Realistically, I can't do either of those for the rest of my life so I need the balance. That's just me though.

L1zardQueen

I wish. I got fat by eating intuitively.

laura9503

I try to track everything, but sometimes I don't track something I ate that day at the end of the day, but I do add it in my mind. So if I workout late in the evening and I eat something after that, I can't be bothered to log it as I know how much it will add to my daily total by heart. Also, I'm still a bit confused sometimes about the calories MFP calculates based on my information. It says I should eat 2160 a day, but a dietician once told me I should eat between 2500/2700 kcal a day (which to me was very VERY high). I already posted a blog on this topic and people told me that 2300 would not be ridiculously high for me. So if I already went over 2160 but I eat a small snack, it's okay for me not to log.
So: it would not work for me to not count, as I'm also always hungry, but not always sure whether it's 'real hunger' or 'boredom hunger'. By counting, I can see whether I'm still within reasonable limits. I eat quite healthy anyways and I do not track micro's or anything, I just use it for calories.

eleonora1809

I think it works for some people but definitely not me. If I eat intuitively, I don’t lose weight but maintain instead.

sytchequeen

Ok. I don't dislike this statement
When you’re hungry, eat, and learn to recognize your body’s signals of feeling full; stop before you feel discomfort. Drink lots of water.
But a lot of people have a problem identifying hunger. A lot of people eat quickly and don't recognise "fullness" until it's too late.
Tracking and maintaining for a few years might teach someone how to develop a good food-sense, then again it might not. Food is highly individual.

smolmaus

I think their take is just too idealistic. It would be nice if everyone could eat intuitively and get it right but I don't think everyone puts on too much weight by just going HAM on whatever they want and eating "mindlessly" either. That's kind of insulting. For a lot of people you genuinely think you're eating the right amount but you end up gaining anyway and that's where numbers are absolutely invaluable. Again, ideally, it would be nice if you didn't have to log long-term or forever and could make those habits stick without eventual slippage but I definitely don't see how continuing to log is a shortcut or could hold you back from anything.

And to know what a "healthy diet" looks like you have to have a base knowledge of calories and macros so you're going to need to track something at the beginning at the very least or else you're just hitting random buttons arbitrarily labelled "HEALTHY" and hoping for the best.

OCD78

The big thing about tracking, for me, is accountability. For me, eating healthy is like creating a budget and sticking to it. Part of my problem was portion control and another being poor dietary choices. I'd justify eating a bigger meal or snacking by exercising a little harder, eventually the exercise wasn't enough. That meal was like getting into debit with a credit card, eventually the balance far outweighed what I could afford. Tracking may not work for everyone, but it 100% works for me.

susanmc31

I think (I could be wrong) that they are saying this based on some personal experience. Kelly put out a video out regarding her OCD and how it was so bad and she couldn't stop thinking about calories and how much she was eating, she used to track and combined with her OCD it made it so hard to live a life. She said she didn't even have fun at her wedding because of her obsessive thoughts. So she learned intuitive eating and that has helped her OCD tremendously.

It did work for her but even eating without tracking is still too hard for me, it's a goal I would like to reach someday but I am still learning to 'read' my body. I am pretty much on a fixed schedule now of a huge breakfast and huge dinner. It's working for me but I still need to track to make sure I am in a deficit.

h1udd

well I managed fine for 40 years without counting calories before something changed and i got fat. ...... and out of the 7.5 billion people in the world, 30% are over weight, I am guessing that the majority of the 70% that are at a healthy weight dont count calories.

I think its more than possible to live without counting calories ... however counting is a very useful tool for those that want to be a certain size and shape .. myself included who for some reason suddenly became unable to become full, and had a overwhelming desire to eat everything all the time

LivingtheLeanDream

I always will maintain that calorie counting works - knowing the amount of calorie in everything we eat helps us make better choices imo.

However because I have counted calories for so long (since 2012), I now would call myself an intuitive eater, but that's because of the knowledge I have of calories and the majority of the time making better choices.

I'm just wondering how many of us could stick to a super healthy diet/ i.e one thats very restricted! to have success we have to find a way of eating that we can do for the rest of our lives.

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JaydedMiss

I got fat eating when i wanted granted it was non intuitively but very much boredom based. A side effect of tracking calories so long for me personally, If i stop i undereat. Severely. What i have learned has sunk in and its become such a comforting habit to know what goes in my body. Take that away and i 100% undereat. I eat pretty much just fruits+ veg with a little protein sources and fats mixed in. Theres large bulk involved, Some days when weighing i have to add other things just to hit a calorie target safely with how active i am.

My habits have become -near- disordered in the context of how comforting i find tracking, I am lucky and grateful i tend to the healthy range. Just a deficit nthing crazy. Take that comfort away id likely seek it still, And unknown information makes me antsy so id make it known i wasnt eating alot. Counting calories for me is keeping me away from disordered actions i know id do but not control. I dont enjoy undereating or over eating this just ensures calming balance.

With how my habits have stacked over time, Not tracking at all is not an option for me. Loosening up my tracking sure. But ill never be able to stop.

edit to sum it up: with the way alot of people think, Especially the kind of people who would be reading that article, No i dont think itd work. We grow as humans in a world surrounded by thoughts being put into our heads on repeat. It makes our brains a way more complicated place then just "Eat beter and stop when full" Even without us intending it, Simplicity doesnt really work. Wh ydo you think were always looking for the next big secret to fat loss when/before we begin cico mindset. Theres always something going on that allows our brain to lie to us and unless were focused it will and once we find the golden ticket if we let it go we will get lost again. Maybe not in a week, or a year, But i think itl happen. not even just with weight management really....Life in general needs back doors and backup plans to lean on

snowflake954

My take is--it sounds absolutely wonderful! Wait....could it be too good to be true? Hmmmm, think I'll keep calorie counting. It's worked fine for 5 yrs.

cmriverside

Yeah. I did that. After I lost all my weight, I tried that a couple different times. It doesn't work for me. Back to counting calories again and I'm good - still at goal weight ten years in.

infinitynevermore

I eat fast. Always have. In my family, nobody talks during dinner. And I eat most of my other meals on the go or while working. My body rarely tells me that I'm full; the only way I've learned what a reasonable portion is supposed to look like is by tracking.

bmeadows380

can intuitive eating work for some folks? Sure. Will it work for everyone. Absolutely not. Just like counting calories doesn't work for everyone, but for many of us, its the one tool that finally worked. I don't mind putting the idea of intuitive eating out there as an option; where I balk is when its touted as being superior and that calorie counting is evil and should be abolished as though is a dangerous fad diet.

Intuitive eating absolutely does not work for me. I tend to eat fast but even when I try to slow down I do not recognize being full very easily. On top of that, I'm only now slowly learning how to differentiate a mental hunger drive from my stomach's hunger drive. Intuitive eating would be a major downfall for me as it would not in any way address the hunger drive.

Also, its laughably easy to over eat on what they are calling "healthy" food choices. for instance: whole grain, old fashioned oats or even steel cut ones. 150 calories for 1/2 cup. If I measure, I can stay within that calorie range. If I don't measure, I easily eat 2 to 3 servings and all without my body once telling me its full. I could probably eat 2 cups of oatmeal for breakfast and not once feel too full, even if I toss in nuts or dried fruit or whatever. Same thing with my mom's biscuits and gravy. I can easily eat 2-3 biscuits, 4 slices of bacon, a good 2 cups of homemade gravy, and at least 1 egg all before I finally feel even slightly full - and by the time I'm done, I've eaten at minimum 1200 calories for one meal, probably more.

And don't get me started on using nuts as a snack food! I had to warn my sister on that one when she started counting calories and trying to find healthier snacks than her usual doritoes. I warned her to weigh any type of nut that she wanted to snack on to make sure she had a serving size because they are so calorie dense. She was shocked to see that less than 1/4 cup of nuts was a serving size with 170 calories in that! I can say from ample personal experience that I could easily down 1500 calories a day in nuts by myself - I could polish off half a can of mixed nuts and not even miss a beat.

So yeah, I'm happy intuitive eating works for some people. For me? Its a disaster. And trust me, I didn't get obese by gorging myself on French fries and hamburgers. I grew up in a poor family and going out to eat was a rare treat. We grew up eating out of my mothers' vegetable garden and what she preserved from there through the winter!

ccruz985

I am intuitively going to eat like a hobbit so that does not work for me.

tbright1965

Isn't intuitive eating what got most people into the circumstance they want to get out of?

Our bodies want to fill us up with fat and sugar so we can be ready for the season where food is scarce. Our intuition isn't serving us well as we seldom face those lean times these days.

janejellyroll

ccruz985 wrote: »

I am intuitively going to eat like a hobbit so that does not work for me.

It's me!

laur357

I get that people should eat when they're hungry and stop when they're satisfied. Overeating and binging is something I have a lot of problems with, and I'm trying to pay attention to hunger cues instead of eating because I'm bored/happy/sad/stressed and all that junk. But it takes A LOT of mental work and habit changes to get there.

In the meantime, tracking food and calorie counting is something I don't think is unpleasant, and it keeps me from gaining back the 70 I already lost as I learn strategies to be more mindful of my body. And having a log and notes actually helps me identify the foods (or macro split if you want to think of it that well) that work best for keeping me satiated. I wasn't really aware of them before.

Aaron_K123

People who maintain a their weight by "eating intuitively" shouldn't need to lose weight. If they need to lose weight then clearly "eating intuitively" did not result in them maintaining at a healthy weight. I just feel like this is obvious unless I am missing something.

cwolfman13

I don't really know what "intuitive eating" is other than a buzz word...but I haven't logged in 5+ years.

PiperGirl08

I don’t have a problem with the statements. But a lot of people who wind up dieting don’t know how to eat instinctively so it won’t work absent a tool that helps them learn. She is also correct in that a mostly plant based diet allows for increased volumes with far fewer calories. For example, a plateful of spinach vs a couple of crackers.

kimny72

I mean, in a perfect world, yeah we'd all eat "intuitively", listening to our bodies tell us when and how much to eat.

But the world I live in is several light years from perfect, so I keep logging. Loosely sometimes, hardcore other times. Hopefully someday I'll get to the point where I don't need to, but I don't really think it's a big deal if I have to do it in perpetuity.

And ironically, IMHO I think for people who are overweight and have never paid serious attention to their diets, calorie counting and consistent logging is probably a necessity (or at least the best way) for them to get back to being able to eat intuitively. Kind of like relearning how to eat. Not sure why some people have to paint them as two opposing concepts <shrugs>

Aaron_K123

Honestly telling an overweight person that all they need to do to get to a healthy weight is to "eat intuitively" is like telling a person suffering from chronic depression that all they need to do is "cheer up". It is absurdly reductionist and not helpful.

deannalfisher

is there a difference between eat mindfully and eat intuitively? (the former being the one I saw in the initial paragraph posted)

to me, there is a difference - mindful is being aware of how different foods make me feel; what leaves me hungry, what makes me feel full etc

eating intuitively is the whole eating until you are full/satisfied mindset

cmriverside

deannalfisher wrote: »

is there a difference between eat mindfully and eat intuitively? (the former being the one I saw in the initial paragraph posted)

to me, there is a difference - mindful is being aware of how different foods make me feel; what leaves me hungry, what makes me feel full etc

eating intuitively is the whole eating until you are full/satisfied mindset

If I ate until I was satisfied, that would be a half gallon of Southern Butter Pecan ice cream every other day. That's 3200 calories that I really don't need and which would definitely crowd out my eggs, salads, grains, steamed vegetables, fish, chicken etc.

My off switch is broken with certain foods, for real.

leejoyce31

cmriverside wrote: »

deannalfisher wrote: »

is there a difference between eat mindfully and eat intuitively? (the former being the one I saw in the initial paragraph posted)

to me, there is a difference - mindful is being aware of how different foods make me feel; what leaves me hungry, what makes me feel full etc

eating intuitively is the whole eating until you are full/satisfied mindset

If I ate until I was satisfied, that would be a half gallon of Southern Butter Pecan ice cream every other day. That's 3200 calories that I really don't need and which would definitely crowd out my eggs, salads, grains, steamed vegetables, fish, chicken etc.

My off switch is broken with certain foods, for real.

I'm the same way. I think it's because I eat so fast that I can eat so much food before feeling full. Therefore, I log everything daily. On most days, I am able to eat exactly what I pre-log. Some days, I go completely over. But I make sure to adjust intake to average to my maintenance over a 30 day period. Neither my mom nor my sister can eat much at one time. They rarely ever empty their plates. That's a foreign concept for me.

CSARdiver

I was an intuitive eater and maintained a healthy weight and peak physical performance...

...right up the point I didn't.

There is nothing intuitive about eating. Like balancing a checkbook, managing widgets, or any other process successful management requires knowledge about the debits, credits, and influencing factors involved in that process.

I'm not sabotaging my finances by setting goals and making sure I have a strategy and tactics to attain those goals. Likewise I'm not sabotaging my health by setting goals and ensuring my caloric intake is adequate to meet those goals.