I stopped counting!

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  • sayteevah
    sayteevah Posts: 7
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    When I stop logging and start eating intuitively, I feel much happier too. Unfortunately I also get fatter...
  • lessofme43
    lessofme43 Posts: 139 Member
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    I have taken a break while I was on a holiday, and I managed to come out of it having lost according to my goals, so I do think I can do it without counting BUT only short-term. I believe I would slowly slip into the habit of eating more than I should again...I have lived a lot of years being an absent-minded eater and an emotional eater that I think not having to be accountable indefinitely would spell disaster for me. But we all have to find our healthy balance for ourselves, so I won't tell you you're making a mistake. I am always interested to hear about what works for people...being open to ideas of how to do this healthy lifestyle in ways I might not have considered myself before. All the best!
  • GreggAtShack
    GreggAtShack Posts: 2
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    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.
    I haven't been counting calories at all for the last 5 months and have lost 10kg (my wife has dropped 8kg). I mainly came to this site because my wife has stalled on the weight loss and I wanted her to record how much she was eating.

    But to answer the question about needing calories in order to be able to exercise. I've found that on a low carb - high fat diet I don't have a roller-coasting blood sugar and that my body burns fat for fuel more efficiently (as needed). I usually have one or two espresso coffees in the morning with 50mls of heavy cream in each and that lasts me a full day of playing golf (or whatever activity I happen to be doing). I then cook a meal for my wife and I in the evening.

    My body doesn't have have sugar spikes and therefore insulin doesn't trigger and I stay in fat-burning mode rather than sugar burning mode. My body doesn't tell me I'm hungry since I've got plenty of fat to burn and I'm not using carbs to bring up my sugar. My activity levels and power of mental concentration remain high all day.
  • GreggAtShack
    GreggAtShack Posts: 2
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    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 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.
    I believe it all depends on what you eat. I get most of my calories from fat. When I eat fat I get full long before I get to whatever number of calories might make up my daily "allowance". My goal weight is 70kg and 5 months ago I was 89kg (I'm currently 78-79kg). I haven't eaten bread, pasta, potatoes, sugar or grains in that 5 months. I can eat all the meat, cheese, eggs, nuts or vegetables growing above the ground I like. I make sure I put plenty of butter or cream or cheese with the vegetables if I boil them. (I often bake the vegetables in beef dripping or pork lard just so I can increase the fat in my diet and feel full). Rules are: Eat when you are hungry, stop when you are full. One meal a day plus snacks is all I seem to require (if that).

    While my wife and I were not doing anything out of the ordinary in the way of exercise at the beginning of this eating regime, now we have lost some weight we are finding that we also have some more energy to burn and have started going cycling together. I have also started doing some workouts several times a week on my Total Gym. But the weight loss came before the exercise.
  • triniechu
    triniechu Posts: 51
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    I started focusing on my weight loss this past july and lost 13 pounds. There were some days where I was below my calorie intake anda few days a week where I was 200-300 calories over. What I really watch are the type of nutrients i get from each food i eat. I actually watch the food pie and make sure I get enough healthy fats, and protein all day. Carbs I limit to 30g a day. I did that and still lost weight without watching my calories. Good luck! :)
  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member
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    Why are people even on here if they are not counting calories ?


    For the gif's.
  • BrainyBurro
    BrainyBurro Posts: 6,129 Member
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    Why are people even on here if they are not counting calories ?

    duh... didn't you get the memo? this is a dating site masquerading as a calorie counting site.
  • Wildflower0106
    Wildflower0106 Posts: 247 Member
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    A question for all you folks who are stopping counting calories:
    Why are you still here?

    If you google "exercise log app" myFITNESSpal is one of the first links...just thought I would point that out.
  • mamahannick
    mamahannick Posts: 322 Member
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    Maybe non-counters are still here because they enjoy the support and friendship of the other members they've met...genius idea there...
  • hgycta
    hgycta Posts: 3,013 Member
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    Good luck to you!
    I've always wanted to try this, but I've been counting for so long I feel like I'm completely out of touch with normal hunger cues and eyeing portions without measuring cups, I feel like I'd just binge on everything :x And yes, I would be that person to binge on even the healthy food, which may not be as bad, but there is still such a thing as TOO MANY fruits and vegetables :p Maybe one day...
  • grandpoobah12
    grandpoobah12 Posts: 138
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    Maybe non-counters are still here because they enjoy the support and friendship of the other members they've met...genius idea there...

    This!!
  • anro86
    anro86 Posts: 790 Member
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    I am still in the very beginning of my weight loss journey I have lost 10 pounds, need to lose a 19 to get to a healthy weight, and would like to lose and additional 15 after that to feel really good about my weight. So about 35 pounds to go!! For me counting calories has helped an amazing amount- I can actually see what I am eating, how much I should be eating, and eat what I need, not just everything I want. I don't find it difficult or time consuming right now, but once I get to maintenance I think I will have a better understanding of what my body needs and how much I should eat... at that point I will see if I want to keep counting religiously, or ease up a bit. Good luck to you ! Enjoy some stress free time and see how it goes.
  • Cheechos
    Cheechos Posts: 293
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    A question for all you folks who are stopping counting calories:
    Why are you still here?

    I like keeping tabs on the friends I've made here and offering them encouragement. c:
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,472 Member
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    lets do backflips now
  • spfldpam
    spfldpam Posts: 738 Member
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    I am in the same boat. I will have to log the rest of my life. In the past that is what got me gaining the weight back I had lost and more due to not keeping track of what I was eating. I need to log to keep myself in check and I also weigh myself each morning also. I don't obsess over what I eat and if the calorie count is exact...this is for life for me and I have to be flexible.
    Good luck to all those that aren't logging!
    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.
  • ohaston
    ohaston Posts: 218 Member
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    I wish I could do that ... But I have to count .. I think its a good obsession and ppl around me ( co workers and family) know what Im doing and they will offer me something and say "it only has xxx amount of calories" ... I usually decline but I am so thankful that I am so continence of what I'm doing and its the best obsession in the world for me ... And when I don't feel like adding up new calories , I just flip through my journal(s) and look at what I ate once before and waalaaa ... I don't have to really count anything... just eat what I ate then ... its sorta like deal a meal in this case "flip a meal" ... since my journal if full of good foods for me ... I rarely get bored with it.
    Also, I don't always have to get out my measures cups as much either ... I now know "about" how many 1/2 cup servings etc are in my serving spoons ... So I can fix my plate while I fixed the rest of my family's without having to break out the measuring cups.
    Now I do still have to weigh my meats ... but my hubby purchased me a digital scale a few months ago ( when I REstarted this journey) and I use if faithfully!

    But if it works I say "work it"!
  • firesoul19
    firesoul19 Posts: 37 Member
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    I've logged every single day for the past 13 months (mostly on Lose It! app, before I switched to MFP at my sister's request), and finally decided to give it up and relax for a few weeks. My 2 week hiatus ends Sunday, so I'll be weighing myself then to see how I did. I hope I've done alright by just listening to my body and eating when I think I need it. Good luck everyone!
  • lharri0209
    lharri0209 Posts: 128 Member
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    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:
    This is me too. Counting my calories and other nutrients is what works best for me. Portion control has been key as well. It allows for me to be able to have days (occasionally) of eating something that I love such as fried chicken or fries and know that I still stayed within my limits. It feels good to know that I've taken control over my health and that my body acknowledges that with weight loss. May be once I reach my goal weight, I won't be as strict on myself. Until then, I will be counting and logging everything!
  • sillygoosie
    sillygoosie Posts: 1,109 Member
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    I quit tracking when I was about halfway to my goal. I was able to meet my goal and then some. I have had one period where I started gaining but it had to do with other circumstances and I'm now back on track. I find it extremely draining to track every calorie and while my health is very important, my mental health is even more important. I was obsessive and it wasn't healthy. I do believe it is possible to maintain a very healthy lifestyle without obsessing about food and every calorie. This may not work for everyone but I really do think you can be successful without tracking.

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