I stopped counting!

Muzzoozal

I think the counting can, at first be a way to learn portion size and about how much you're eating. I like rice but ate several cups during a meal. By knowing how many calories are in a cup and what a cup amount looks like I no longer have to count. It becomes a natural control. My biggest area is snaking at night and seeing the calories to those snacks helped me stop!

gertudejekyl

Why are people even on here if they are not counting calories ?

Donald_Dozier_50

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

Best wishes reaching your goal
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I agree with this post completely. I wish everyone luck in whatever decisions they make for themselves but for me...... counting calories is the only way until I at least reach my weight goal.

wild_wild_life

Why are people even on here if they are not counting calories ?

Same as anyone, except for logging -- groups, forums, to learn, be inspired, and offer support. Logging food definitely bought me here in the first place (I was doing it on the backs of envelopes for awhile) but I still enjoy the site.

Sabine_Stroehm

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

I'd assume because they like MY FITNESS PAL. They enjoy the community support, and the other tools offered.
As I ponder not counting I know I'd stay. Seems to me it would aid in a smoother transition.

pinkraynedropjacki

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???

Yep for 3 days out of the week.... every 3rd day I do not eat a thing. I drink plenty of water. But eat nothing. Counting calories is not needed on those days & I exercise so much that it's not really needed at all anymore on my normal days.

WhoDat5o4

For now counting is good for me because i'm just recently back on mfp after a two year hiatus. After my first few days I realized that my sugar intake was though the roof- no wonder I workout all the time yet don't see results. In the few days I've made adjustments i'm already seeing positive change. I do agree with the majority of you- this is a good learning tool but once you havelearned how to look at food you can Def wean yourself off. I'm not there yet but hopefully will be there eventually.

jackielou867

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.

Same :-)

AJinBirmingham

I've been watching my weight since I was eight years old and I've been maintaining for years, but guess what happens when I stop counting? Every. Single. Time.

wilsoje74

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???

Yep for 3 days out of the week.... every 3rd day I do not eat a thing. I drink plenty of water. But eat nothing. Counting calories is not needed on those days & I exercise so much that it's not really needed at all anymore on my normal days.

Yikes! How do you fuel your workouts??? Sounds terrible.

pinkraynedropjacki

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???

Yep for 3 days out of the week.... every 3rd day I do not eat a thing. I drink plenty of water. But eat nothing. Counting calories is not needed on those days & I exercise so much that it's not really needed at all anymore on my normal days.

Yikes! How do you fuel your workouts??? Sounds terrible.

You don't need to. I've run 10km at the end of a fasting day with noting in me but water. Sound terrible? How? I walk a marathon a day even with nothing but water for the day. You don't NEED to fuel a workout. You are not in starvation mode from it & your body has plenty in reserve.

pinkraynedropjacki

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???

Yep for 3 days out of the week.... every 3rd day I do not eat a thing. I drink plenty of water. But eat nothing. Counting calories is not needed on those days & I exercise so much that it's not really needed at all anymore on my normal days.

Yikes! How do you fuel your workouts??? Sounds terrible.

You don't need to. I've run 10km at the end of a fasting day with noting in me but water. Sound terrible? How? I walk a marathon a day even with nothing but water for the day. You don't NEED to fuel a workout. You are not in starvation mode from it & your body has plenty in reserve.

I get dizzy if I eat only 1200 calories and then start working out. I don't know. Maybe walking and deadlifting 250 lbs are different things.

I'm not against fasting at all. I'm actually for it, somewhat, I just can't figure out how to do it. I've tried and I literally almost pass out in the gym. It just doesn't work for me, I guess.

Yeah well I'd be lucky to lift anything on any day...fasting or not so I don't know. All I know is I have more energy on days where I dont eat. Most of us on 5:2 do.

Dale165

I just started, but I find the counting to be very revealing. It is important for me to know what I am taking in and how much that is costing me in the long run. I figure at some point i should become familiar enough with the caloric value of the foods I eat regularly that I won't always have to count. More importantly, it helps me realize how much extra time exercising it will take to burn off those stupid calories. Walking for an hour just does not seem like a good trade off for a twinkie!

55in13

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

I'd assume because they like MY FITNESS PAL. They enjoy the community support, and the other tools offered.
As I ponder not counting I know I'd stay. Seems to me it would aid in a smoother transition.

Yes and there is a difference between totally stopping and rarely logging. MFP is not just a counting site. That is one of its most used features. The forum discussions on exercise, metabolism, recipes, etc, are very useful whether counting or not.

Sabine_Stroehm

I stopped counting.

I didn't count while I was losing, really.

I decided to not count for a while now as well.

I'm going to keep eating following the principles I believe in (eat (real) food, not too much, mostly plants).
And I'm going to keep moving more.

I'm not enjoying counting. I'm not enjoying all the discussions of "macros" and what not. So I'm going to stop for a while. If the weight creeps up, I'll revisit my decision.

cheers!:drinker:

FindingAmy77

I Feel the same way

Rockstar_JILL

Funny thing....I did NOT count calories, or even use MFP till 2 years later into my journey....I did great to lose 80 lbs. without MFP....I lost the last 10 WITH MFP....I needed to be accountable and find motivating people to keep me going.