I stopped counting!

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Replies

  • conniemaxwell5
    conniemaxwell5 Posts: 943 Member
    I think each individual has to find what works best for them. Any activity that becomes obsessive is unhealthy so if the counting became unhealthy for you, you should absolutely take a break from it. Only you can know if that break is temporary or permanent. For me, if I stop counting I give myself permission to over-indulge and then I gain. I don't obsess over the numbers, just keep track.
  • Brutmar
    Brutmar Posts: 85
    I have been thinking about this for a while myself. Mind you I am only two months into getting started so I still have a long road to go but I am already driving myself cray. I feel like I have been depriving myself. I am not saying I am ready to go back to eating all sorts of fried foods or junk foods. I guess my question is should time stop counting this early in the game?


    I would assume not counting could only work for people who have reached goal & have well established routines (ie: exercise). I see that you have achieved some weight loss & would hate for you to backslide (which I find hard not doing even when counting). My opinion - Too early for you to stop counting :) If you're anything like me, it would be back to old habits! If counting has worked, keep at it!

    I've been logging (almost) daily for 1 1/2 years. It's a pain sometimes, but it works. Even when I have a bad day, I log. Keeps it real. When I wasn't logging (in my previous life prior to MFP), it got me fat. And somehow, I don't mind looking @ numbers. It's just what I have to do or I'm terrified I'll go back to who I was before :tongue:

    Best wishes reaching your goal :smile:

    I agree...I believe it would be too early for you to stop. You're doing great!
  • bane0317
    bane0317 Posts: 60 Member
    i found that when I was counting I would focus on what I wanted to eat even when I wasn't hungry. Also, my bloodsugar was worse when I counted constantly. What has worked better for me is listening to my body. I eat when I am hungry. I rarely eat a true "breakfast" anymore. I eat an early lunch and an early dinner with a snack if I need it later. My sugars are more stable and although my weight loss has not necessarily been better I feel better overall.
  • TheRealParisLove
    TheRealParisLove Posts: 1,907 Member
    I won't ever be able to do that. I view my eating as similar to how I budget my money. I can't just intuitively just not spend money, and find myself in trouble down the road. At some point, my cards will stop working and the ATM will stop dispensing cash, so at least with money, I can only go so far before I'm cut off.

    Calories are not as forgiving. I ended up fat in the first place for that very reason. I have just accepted that I will always have to log my food if I want to never gain weight again.

    I hope this works ok for you. I think most of us here will have a different experience.
  • JasminBillings2922
    JasminBillings2922 Posts: 35
    I have been thinking about doing this too! I'm always hungry when I count calories and I'm not even losing much. Last summer I lost 30lbs in 2 months and I wasn't counting, I just ate smaller portions, healthier food, less bread and a lot of water. I also worked out 30ins a day. I think I'll go back to this.
  • TheRealParisLove
    TheRealParisLove Posts: 1,907 Member
    I would like to add you all as friends as I can`t stand counting. I haven`t lost any weight counting calories despite doing it the right way and counting every thing that went into my mouth. My TDEE is 2700 per day. I do not eat more than that! I hate numbers. I now use the EMTWL way. Hoping that will take the fat off eventually. Maintenance is the goal and who can count calories for the rest of their life?

    Please add me!!:happy:

    Just keep changing up your routine. Also, are you using a tape measure to track progress? If you are eating at or near TDEE, you could be losing fat but not losing weight.
  • amsipub
    amsipub Posts: 84 Member
    I only track my food intake during the workweek. I'm not obsessive with it. I can't ever get into the habit of doing it during the weekend, but it helps me mindfully eat during the week. I can eat without it registering that I'm doing it. Things work for some but not for others. I know that when I don't track during the week, then I can easily gain all the weight that I worked hard to get off back on.
  • dsjohndrow
    dsjohndrow Posts: 1,821 Member
    I have logged for over 800 days and I do not know anyone that is working for. I also know that 73% of us will fail, and not even reach 5 years.

    As one of my long time friends on here often says, see you at the funeral.
  • WarriorCupcakeBlydnsr
    WarriorCupcakeBlydnsr Posts: 2,150 Member
    I had to stop counting for a while too. I went to a registered dietician because I was counting calories, eating "right", and exercising but I was gaining weight not losing it and getting frustrated. She said that because of all the dieting I had done in the past I needed to stop eating to lose weight and start eating for nutrition (I was eating all the right foods but not in the amount I needed to stay nourished and I was obsessed) so she set me up on a 1700 calorie a day food plan (she said it can vary between 1650 and 1750 depending on what I eat) but all I have to do is look at the lists of the acceptable foods and eat , per day: 3 servings of protein, 5 servings of whole grains/starchy veggies (I am limited on this and get a little less because I am gluten free), 3-4 servings of veggies (I can have more if I want or am still hungry), 2-3 servings of fruit, 2-3 servings of dairy, and 2-3 servings of good fats.

    I have been doing this since April and have struggled because I wasn't losing still, so I went to see an endocrinologist, turns out I'm early stage hypothyroid and I am insulin resistant, both of which can affect weight loss (I will say I had lost 3 lbs from the time I went for my first appt with the endocrinologist and last week when I went back for my follow up where she gave me my results, so about six weeks) I'm now on meds for my two issues and I am going to track for a few weeks just to make sure that I'm not getting lax in my weighing and measuring and also to see if there are any tweeks I need to do because I do need to eat a little more frequently than I usually do because of the meds (I'm still in the adjustment phase, I did 1/2 dose last week and am up to full dose starting today)
  • ewartluft
    ewartluft Posts: 79 Member
    Counting actually caused me to gain for a while. If my net was under my goal on a given day I would worry that I was going to mess up my "system" and eat until got to the net goal even if I wasn't the slightest bit hungry. I took a couple weeks off and when I came back I lowered my goal a bit. Now I try to stay under but if I'm still hungry after reaching it I eat and ignore the "in 5 weeks you will weigh..." warning at the end of the day.
  • Callmecookie88
    Callmecookie88 Posts: 16 Member
    Be careful. Just like it's easy to go over budget with your money if you don't keep track, the same is true for calories, fat and sugar. Don't live and die by the number, but it does help keep things in perspective.
  • emjaycazz
    emjaycazz Posts: 330 Member
    I think each individual has to find what works best for them. Any activity that becomes obsessive is unhealthy so if the counting became unhealthy for you, you should absolutely take a break from it. Only you can know if that break is temporary or permanent. For me, if I stop counting I give myself permission to over-indulge and then I gain. I don't obsess over the numbers, just keep track.

    Agree with this! I love information--all kinds--and I actually love tracking because it's intriguing how many calories certain foods have. I think the difference is whether or not the numbers rule the rest of your life in an unhealthy manner.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    I think each individual has to find what works best for them. Any activity that becomes obsessive is unhealthy so if the counting became unhealthy for you, you should absolutely take a break from it. Only you can know if that break is temporary or permanent. For me, if I stop counting I give myself permission to over-indulge and then I gain. I don't obsess over the numbers, just keep track.
    This is exactly right. We each need to find what works for us.
    I lost my weight 12ish years ago. No counting then, but I did follow some "principles" (whole foods, no "whites" etc.). I read every label and googled foods to know what I was eating. When I hit my goal weight, and then lost 5more LBS I wondered: now what. Then the loss stopped, and I gained 5LBS (back to my goal weight, oddly). And then I maintained. But I also maintained the principles that got me there.
    I'm counting now.... because menopause is looming, and my metabolism has tanked, but I'm considering stopping it again, because I find that I think about food more.
    I'm still following my "principles"! And with mfp have become even more active, and more aware of my "macros", but yeah, we each need to do what works for us!
  • glennmfelton
    glennmfelton Posts: 3 Member
    Counting all the time became too time consuming. It's time I would rather be cycling, walking or doing 100 other things, I needed a couple of months to reach a goal and learn some new ways to approach meals and snacks that kept calories down. Once those goals were achieved, a check in every few days to make sure my menu plans are still on track is all I need. If I change how I'm eating, or come up with a new recipe, I'll come log it in as a reality check and to keep myself aligned with my goals.
  • norcal_yogi
    norcal_yogi Posts: 675 Member
    ....im the same... no counting. eating intuitively.
  • DenyseMarieL
    DenyseMarieL Posts: 673 Member
    I don't count calories. I think that if I am eating healthy, grab a fruit instead of a granola bar, I think I can maintain.
  • leadiax3
    leadiax3 Posts: 534 Member
    It is brave to trust your body to signal u to eat properly without counting. Wonderful for those who are confident enough to be brave and stop counting. I am just not at that level yet!
  • QuirkyD
    QuirkyD Posts: 68 Member
    I am certainly not an expert but I don't think that not counting would work for a food addict or compulsiev over eater. Maybe but I must throw some caution out to them.
  • igottaworkout
    igottaworkout Posts: 298 Member
    I stopped counting about a week or two ago. I just figured I will give myself a 5 lb buffer and if I gain up to that I will start counting again, otherwise just eat how I've been eating for the last year since I've started logging. I just went through pregnancy and had my baby 1 month ago and lost all the weight I had gained plus 3lb :) I had lost 24lb before getting pregnant and am at -27lb from when I started. I ate at maintenance through the entire pregnancy and gained 22lb overall, then lost 25lb a few weeks after having baby and I've been maintaining that since then.

    I am starting the 30 day shred as soon as my 6 weeks of no exercising (besides walks) are over and am excited to tone things back up. I love mfp and if the weight doesn't stay within my 5 lb buffer I'll definitely start logging again :)
  • holliebevineau
    holliebevineau Posts: 441 Member
    I am afraid to stop counting. I may count calories for the rest of my life. I could easily eat 5000 calories if i am not keeping count!!

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