I stopped counting!

LaurieLynn

Counting is a pain in the butt and just makes me more obsessed with food when I do it. My workaround has been to plan all my meals in advance so I don't need to count anything during the week. I've developed a system for myself, which I call "modular meals" - every part of my meals (protein, vegetable, etc.) has 2-3 possible choices of food item which are equal in calories, fat, protein, carbs, etc. so I can just mix and match and It'll still be the same numbers. Let me demonstrate by showing my meals:

My breakfast contains one 70-gram serving of fruit, half a cup of cottage cheese, and 1 meat. That fruit could be papaya or cantaloupe, which are equivalent, and the meat could be one egg, or two turkey breakfast sausage links, or three strips of center-cut bacon, all of which are also equal. A 12-oz cup of coffee with a tablespoon of regular creamer and a packet of Splenda completes breakfast.

Dinner can be 4 oz of chicken tenderloin or a fish fillet (usually tilapia; it's inexpensive), and this week I'm adding lean pork tenderloin to the menu. All of those are equivalent. Dinner also includes leafy green salads of various kinds with 6 grape tomatoes and 2 tbsp of a lite dressing of my choice. The dressings in my collection range from 40 to 60 calories per serving, all under 3 carbs, so they are fairly interchangeable as well.

Snack is a negligible-calorie vegetable (a few spears of cucumber or zucchini, or two medium stalks of celery) with a tablespoon of lite ranch-type dressings for dip.

So because all my meals are modular like that, I never have to count. The only time I count anything anymore is when adding a new food option to my menu, which isn't often. Also no meal planning and analysis = no need to think about food almost ever. That's helped me break the cycle of a food-centric life more than anything I've ever tried.

I always wanted to do that, but I never got right down to the nitty gritty of it. I thought it would make things so much easier if I had certain things I could pick for breakfast, lunch and dinner and take the guess work out of it. Good for you for actually doing it! I hate counting and that is probably why I am not losing anything.

ktsimons

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.

this exactly!!

emsoquena

I stopped counting about three months ago and I can say that I've lost weight faster than when I was counting calories. The key is to just maintain a healthy diet and workout regularly. I don't go on a day without exercise.

Sabine_Stroehm

Count me among the non counters - maybe. It is probably more accurate to say I don't log. I do keep some ballpark numbers in my head and I have a pretty boring workday lunch regimen and still don't normally snack at work (though I now will have a rare one when offered). I wear a belt almost every day and weigh fairly often (I don't obsess about spikes as long as I get a good reading every few days) so I will be aware of gain before it goes too far. I seem to still be trending slightly down, but only slightly so I expect things like Labor Day grilled ribs and/or brats will balance it out. Only one month at goal, but it is the weight I had for decades up until about 9 years ago.

Now THIS sounds like a lifestyle!

JennBiddy987

I'm terrified of counting calories again - I was dieting March 2011 - Feb 2012 - I ended up getting pregnant in Nov 2011. And finally decided that I needed to stop, I became such a control freak with counting. I didn't want my daughter to be unhealthy. She's now 1, and I'm trying so hard to start counting again but I'm very scared.

nxd10

Good luck.

hesn92

I stopped counting about a year ago. I counted my calories religiously for about 6-9 months (the last 4 or so months I was maintaining) but after that I quit. It became too much of a pain the *kitten*. When I was counting, I wasn't doing a whole lot of cooking from scratch, and now that I am, it's too much of a pain to add up calories for every single meal that I make...

I was fine for a while but in the last few months I've put on some weight. I have no idea how much I've gained, I left my scale at work (lol) but I know my pants are all getting too tight and my stomach is too pudgy. I've been drinking sweet tea like it's going out of style so it's time to kick that habit. I know that is a big part of why I've gained weight in the last couple months... it has a ridiculous amount of calories and I've been drinking tons of it every single day. Other than the tea/soda, etc. not counting works fine for me. I just try to eat healthy, fruits and vegetables, and I don't eat things like chips, cookies, etc on a regular basis, only as treats. As long as I stay active, I think not counting calories is fine.

fitmusiclifeviola

Rather than focusing on the counting (which I often do in a rough estimate kind of way anyways), I have a goal to be able to trust my feelings of hunger, and to learn the patterns of eating that @%#@ that up. For me, I can get on a ROLL of eating a boatload of desserts, and then still feel hungry. Chips and heavy fatty food, and mac&cheese/high carb stuff also can be similar. I still log, but with the goal of testing out a simpler/non-counting method of tracking. My hypothesis is that if I am strict with portion control of my desserts, and limit the # of different ones each night, then I pretty much can eat as I am hungry (another key thing is to be drinking enough water such that thirst is not mistaken for hunger). I may do a track every other day, and then try to rough estimate some of the days I don't track to see if I'm really eating similarly when I track vs when I don't.

I think time of year, amount of time I have for exercise, how much work I have, etc., all factor in to my feelings however. I aim to eat for fuel, and not comfort.

Most of all, I think it is important to be able to believe that however you want your life to look, with counting/without, or whatever aspect you want: that it IS possible to live that way. It can take work to get there, sure, but anything is possible. You don't HAVE to count at maintenance, but being successful while not counting won't happen instantly for everyone.

Rosie5025

This is a GREAT topic! I just started on August 16th and I am at this counting seems all day LONG and its driving not only myself nuts but its driving my husband nuts!
I don't want to do that to anyone around me. What I'm finding out is that its not fun for them to be around me. I obsess over what is going in my mouth all day.
is a complete change from before the 16th of August. Honestly I could care less. I am very driven this time but the counting calories might have to go out the door even this early in the game, I don't want to get stupid with myself or anyone around me.

Love to hear all the stories from this post and how your all coping. It really is all about moving and portions and just being present with your self of what is going in your mouth.

Heres the thing. Although I find this incredibly hard and incredibly sad I did this to My body, I CREATED this. I have to live it and I have to change it in which ever way I choose.

hookilau

I don't count.
If I start packing on the pounds I'll go back to counting, but I find it to be tedious and boring.

ogosh...me too :blushing:
If my clothes start getting tight though, I might pick back up again, but I doubt it :huh:

itsjustdawn

That was part of the reason I started 4:3 that way I don't count like I was. I was obsessed...... every calorie hard to be under an amount or I'd just not eat it.


Now I just dont care. And I'm happier for it. 3 days a week I eat nothing..... suits me. Then I just dont worry the other 4 days. I eat what I want to eat. Simple.


And I still lose weight.

You don't eat for 3 days?

narsgirl79

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.

Girl Meee tooo! I Slowly increase and increase and become dependent on the scale day by day...like Honestly I have NO Self Control! after a while...

But to each their own...Imma be counting for w while...Just Keep on Swimming...:D

TamaraKat

Yep! This is how I roll too

Flowers4Julia

For the first time in 2+ years I didn't count while on vacation this summer.....just 2 weeks!! I did gain a few and I figured them to be water as they are now all gone.

I figure everyone has to find their own system. AND that will change over and over as life goes along.

I say, count when it is important and relax when you can....it will all be okay ????

VeinsAndBones

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.

My thoughts exactly, I can instinctually eat an entire jar of peanut butter in one sitting and not be satisfied...

FitCurves444

I have seasons where I am faithfully logging and there are seasons where I need to take a break. It is when I realize that I need to lose weight that I start logging again, only to see trends, patterns and areas where I need to improve. I support your decision to stop obsessing.

DonM46

A question for all you folks who are stopping counting calories:
Why are you still here?

lambchristie

That was part of the reason I started 4:3 that way I don't count like I was. I was obsessed...... every calorie hard to be under an amount or I'd just not eat it.


Now I just dont care. And I'm happier for it. 3 days a week I eat nothing..... suits me. Then I just dont worry the other 4 days. I eat what I want to eat. Simple.


And I still lose weight.

You don't eat for three (3) days? Nothing???

marniesworld

I hope to be able to stop counting one day, or at least be slightly more laid back about it, but I fear my obsessive personality won't allow it!

I'd like to think it wouldn't cause me to go off the rails completely and eat everything in sight, but I'm not so sure!

sophiemama

A question for all you folks who are stopping counting calories:
Why are you still here?

I commented that I quit counting so I'll answer. I quit counting for about a week and a half. Most days I'm sure I went way over (I went a little crazy and stuffed myself until I felt physically sick) other days I probably ate within my allotted calories. I personally needed that break from the numbers, I've been on mfp for almost a year and the only reason I've been sucessful is because I count and keep track of what I eat. I didn't take that time off because it wasn't working, I took it off because I was noticing some behavior in myself that wasn't healthy. When I decided to quit I had all intentions of coming back and getting back on the ball.



I'm very close to my goal, so for me it wasn't as scary to take that break.