Who lost weight without counting cals??

Bopo_Amy

Intuitive eating is a great concept. I eat intuitively and then log.

zeejane03

Bopo_Amy wrote: »

Intuitive eating is a great concept. I eat intuitively and then log.

I ate 'intuitively' and ended up with 50lbs of excess weight It's a great concept, but realistically for those of us who have struggled with our weight-intuitively eating probably isn't going to be that helpful of a weight management strategy.

kshama2001

Bopo_Amy wrote: »

Intuitive eating is a great concept. I eat intuitively and then log.

Intuitive eating worked great for me when I had a limited selection of foods that other people were cooking for me, like when I lived in yoga retreat centers.

However, when faced with the array of foods available in American supermarkets that I am preparing myself, not so much.

jo_nz

Remoth wrote: »

It is definitely possible to change your way of eating and lose weight without counting calories, however I would definitely recommend it to people to count even for short periods every so often. Like for a week every month or two, just to keep portion sizes under control. determining proper portion sizes is key to not having to count calories all the time.

Like Remoth has said, I also find it useful to count calories from time to time, but I don't log/count all the time.
The counting keeps me aware of how many calories are in what I eat, and helps me keep my portions in check.
It's working for me, but I do keep in mind that if it stops working, the first thing I will do will be to log more accurately/regularly.

Dgil1975

I do understand that counting calories could be fatiguing to some, however I think it would be difficult to lose without doing so. Since going whole food plant based the common theme in the well known doctors of that community is that you absolutely do not need to count calories. I haven’t taken them at their word on this and tracking my calories allows me to see that I could easily go over my calories regularly while in a deficit if not weighing and tracking.

But I do agree with the OP, I would rather not have to do the data entry involved with tracking, I just don’t see any other way for success in my case.

spiriteagle99

To some extent it depends on why you are overweight. Looking at your logs helps you figure out where you are eating too much and where you can make changes. That done, you could make significant changes so you lose weight without needing to count calories. It's not easy, but it is possible.

For me, I gain weight when I eat out a lot. I'm okay once a week, but more than that and I gain weight. When I was working and eating at restaurants for lunch every day, it was very hard to control my weight. I gain weight when I eat dessert, especially big desserts, all the time. One cookie is fine, pie and ice cream not so much. I can lose weight through exercise, if I exercise a lot. Years ago I walked to and from work and walked during my lunch hour every day, then hiked on the weekend. I could eat whatever I wanted. Now when I'm travelling and get to hike or run every day, I can lose weight, as long as I'm not eating a lot of restaurant meals. At home I run 5-6 days a week, so I can eat desserts more often without gaining weight. That isn't possible for everyone. It took me years to figure out portion sizes. I was raised in a family where eating seconds or thirds was normal, even expected. I ate almost as much as my older brothers did. That had predictable results. It wasn't until I was living alone that I started learning to cut down the sheer volume of food I considered normal. I still eat more than most women my age and size, but I have it more or less under control. If I keep the above in mind and am pretty strict with myself, I can lose weight without actually counting calories. I just avoid desserts, alcohol, restaurant meals, and large portions, and exercise a lot. In the short term, that works for me.

That said, I've tried to maintain weight loss without logging and I don't usually manage all that well. For me, having the numbers in front of me keeps me a lot more aware of how much I'm eating. It's really easy to indulge a little here, and a little there, until I'm indulging every day. And the weight piles on. After decades of yoyo eating, losing and gaining the same 30-40 pounds over and over, I learned I do better logging my food and exercise. I've kept off the weight for over 5 years since I started on MFP.

amyf2000

OP: I am over counting calories. I did it for about five years. I am also at a healthy weight and only want to lose a few pounds. (I’ve never been overweight, which might make my situation different from others’.) Counting calories worked for me as it does for many people. I’m still searching for something else. I’m not gaining, but I’m not losing either. I’m currently experimenting with lowering carbs. It’s ok to not want to count calories, though you won’t hear a lot of validation for that on MFP. I’m happier not counting, weighing, measuring, and I’d rather be happy than a size 4, as much as I want to be a size 4.

30kgin2017

I am losing weight without counting calories. I am on a meal plan that dictates serving size of food. 170g of chicken is a serve of protein, cup of veggies, slices of. Bread (though we did get a lecture on making sure we cut the bread thin enough to get the given number of servingsetc. I don’t actually weigh mine though, I loook at the weight on the packet of meat and estimate. You need to be close on calorie dense food but things like zucchini or cauliflower not so much.

Mind you I have a fair bit of weight to lose so accuracy isn’t critical at this stage. I am about 1/3 of my way to goal, I suspect I wil have to weigh food when I get closer. I have done it before, bulk cooking is the way to go so you do the weighing and calculating all at once.

peggy_polenta

i lost 126 pounds in 11 months and have maintained it for over 9 years not counting calories. i cut out all white food. no sugar, no flour, no rice, potatoes or pasta or starchy or sugary veg. (like beats or carrots) i kept my carbs to 40 grams or less per day and spread those grams over 4 meals and i also ate fat and protein between meals. i lived off fat, protein and veg. i did not count one calorie, and i can guarantee you i was not in a deficit.

pierinifitness

I lost 17 lbs. in around 40 days during Lent 2019 when I took intermittent fasting for my first test drive. I didn't count calories.

sardelsa

peggy_polenta wrote: »

i lost 126 pounds in 11 months and have maintained it for over 9 years not counting calories. i cut out all white food. no sugar, no flour, no rice, potatoes or pasta or starchy or sugary veg. (like beats or carrots) i kept my carbs to 40 grams or less per day and spread those grams over 4 meals and i also ate fat and protein between meals. i lived off fat, protein and veg. i did not count one calorie, and i can guarantee you i was not in a deficit.

So you lost weight.. but you were not in a deficit. I'm confused. How did you lose weight? So let's just say you wanted to gain weight, what would you do then?

MoiAussi93

I lost a lot without counting calories. You do still have to pay close attention to what you eat. But throughout most of human history, people gained and lost weight without even knowing what a calorie is, so it can definitely be done.

Just cut back on what you eat. Use whatever method you want to do that. Eat a little less at each meal. Or skip your usual snack. Or try IF. Or cut out rice and bread and eat more green vegetables instead. All will result in weight loss as long as you eat less. Try it for a month and see how it works for you.

kimny72

peggy_polenta wrote: »

L1zardQueen wrote: »

karen8787 wrote: »

i lost 126 pounds in 11 months and have maintained it for over 9 years not counting calories. i cut out all white food. no sugar, no flour, no rice, potatoes or pasta or starchy or sugary veg. (like beats or carrots) i kept my carbs to 40 grams or less per day and spread those grams over 4 meals and i also ate fat and protein between meals. i lived off fat, protein and veg. i did not count one calorie, and i can guarantee you i was not in a deficit.

How can you guarantee you were not in a deficit? Inconceivable.

Your diary is set to private. Not buying it.

i don't give a flying *kitten* if you buy it or not. i know what i did. you were not there. you are not me. i do not log and what i decide to enter in my diary is none of your business.

But the question is how can you guarantee you were not in a deficit if you weren't logging? Is there a way to tell?

You're saying that your body defied the laws of physics, that despite giving your body more calories than it needed, it didn't turn that energy into stored fat, it just ceased to exist? I would think it's understandable we'd like to know how you came to that conclusion, isn't it?

PAV8888

peggy_polenta wrote: »

i lost 126 pounds in 11 months and have maintained it for over 9 years not counting calories. i cut out all white food. no sugar, no flour, no rice, potatoes or pasta or starchy or sugary veg. (like beats or carrots) i kept my carbs to 40 grams or less per day and spread those grams over 4 meals and i also ate fat and protein between meals. i lived off fat, protein and veg. i did not count one calorie, and i can guarantee you i was not in a deficit.

Now that I fixed your post slightly for you, please allow me to offer you sincere congratulations on your success and more importantly on the 9 years you have been maintaining your loss.

You don't have to offer any guarantees in order to be able celebrate your own success and share your method to success.

But when you do offer guarantees, then it is unsurprising that people will ask for some supporting evidence. Based on your description, I am sure that the amount of fat, protein and vegetables that you've been eating are way more than what you used to eat in the past. But also, based on your own description, the amount of white food, sugar, flour, rice, potatoes, pasta, starchy and sugary vegetables that you ate is way less. How do you *guarantee* that nine years ago you were not in a deficit?

zeejane03

peggy_polenta wrote: »

i lost 126 pounds in 11 months and have maintained it for over 9 years not counting calories. i cut out all white food. no sugar, no flour, no rice, potatoes or pasta or starchy or sugary veg. (like beats or carrots) i kept my carbs to 40 grams or less per day and spread those grams over 4 meals and i also ate fat and protein between meals. i lived off fat, protein and veg. i did not count one calorie, and i can guarantee you i was not in a deficit.

You can't guarantee that you weren't in a deficit if you didn't actually accurately track your intake. You're contradicting yourself here.

bluesheeponahill

Ive been trying to lose weight for a long time. Counting calories is working for me the best.

Don't starve yourself over messing up one day. for example, MFP says I should do 1200 calories to lose 1 kilo a week. I more like eat 1400-1500 calories. I don't freak out. I just lose more like 0.5 kilo a week instead. I cant do 1200. I get cranky and hungry. Unless I'm out and about all day, 1200 is easy. Its ok to go slightly over. its ok to eat back your exercise calories, and you should, otherwise you'll be hungry all day. weight loss is not an overnight thing. it took me 12 weeks to lose 7kilos. it was hard, but it's working.

lemurcat2

Years ago I lost weight without logging. What I did was write down what I'd been eating, see where the extra calories were coming from, and then ate only at three meals with a preplanned template for what I'd eat for breakfast (usually ate the same thing), lunch (a few options that I changed up or leftover dinner), and dinner (a serving size of meat and small portion of starch with a limited amount of added fat and lots of vegetables). I made sure I was careful with how much fat I added in general, typically ate a serving size of leaner meat, 2 eggs if having eggs, and ate a lot of vegetables and some fruit. At the time my breakfasts were usually oats with berries and some milk. I allowed myself a restaurant meal once a week (lots of good local restaurants where I am), and watched portion size.

If I had not been losing, I had a good enough sense of how much I was eating that I could have cut back easily, but looking back I actually was probably cutting cals a bit too low and lost fast.

I also increased exercise and was very consistent about it (got back into running, biking, and swimming) and then later started training for things.

During my maintenance period I did a plant-based Lent with absolutely no intention of losing weight and ate what seemed like a lot, and yet lost a good bit of weight. Despite my perception, I'm sure I was in a deficit, and I also don't think that staying plant-based would have meant I could never overeat -- it was largely because it was a change of diet and new to me.

After a variety of life issues and bout with depression I became inactive and stopped caring and gained back the weight, although not until after I'd maintained for quite a while. This time I decided that one thing that would motivate me to lose again would be to monitor my diet and calories, as that seemed interesting (keeping detailed records of my training plans and progress with running and such has always been fun and motivating for me). Thus, after losing the first bit (I estimate about 20 lb) doing the same thing I'd done before, I decided to try logging and found I really enjoyed it. I also learned from that that in doing what I thought I'd done before my cals were quite low and I could increase fat in particular, and so I did. And once again I started training again for various races.

On the whole, I find I can maintain comfortably if I am mindful about what I eat, and watch portions and -- mainly -- eat only at my 3 meals (sometimes 2 on the weekends). I do other things like making sure most meals are built around protein and veg and I go through periods where I log for a while or try some tweak to my diet to see how it works. But right now I'm logging again (for fun) since I'm interested in seeing total nutrients at Cron.

lemurcat2

That one did not count calories does not mean that one lost without being in a deficit. And as others pointed out, if you didn't count, and you don't know your TDEE anyway, how on earth can one claim that one somehow knows the loss was without a deficit?

As explained above, I've lost without counting (and without feeling hungry, etc. -- I never did when counting either, of course), but I am positive a deficit was involved, since otherwise would be to defy science.

That's a separate question from whether it's possible to lose without counting (although for me the counting can be pretty interesting).