I stopped counting!

kelly_e_montana

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.

Yes, and restriction and counting can precipitate a life of disordered eating. If one feels they are getting into a pattern of disordered eating, perhaps they should stop counting and maybe even seek professional help. I almost went to my own funeral over a lifelong eating disorder that started with counting.

Luckily I have not binged or purged in quite while and feel I can use counting intermittently but if it's causing someone anxiety, they need to seek more professional opinions, not just weight loss enthusiasts on MFP.

kelly_e_montana

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.

Cool idea! Like it.

CTONDO

I have to count every single day whether I want to stop or not. Every time I stop the pounds creep back on. It will take about a year or two, but they always come back. I can't live with that. I must maintain and count calories everyday to stay healthy and on track with my weight. I hope this doesn't happen to you. Good luck.

rebeccawwalters

I agree. It's too easy to lose accountability.

DebbieLyn63

Since this topic was under the MAINTAINING section, then I can assume the OP is at maintenance.

For the rest of the people who were not at goal and thought that stopping counting was a good idea, I wonder where they are in their progress right now.
Updates would be nice to see.

In seeing various people on here over the past 15 months, stopping counting, and taking diet breaks, generally doesn't end well.


BTW What happened to Wheird? Did he really leave, or just create a new account?

Sabine_Stroehm

I stopped. I didn't really count when I initially lost weight a long time ago. I counted for about a year when the scale went up at menopause. It stopped going up! I stopped counting a few months ago now and the scale has gone down 2-3 pounds.
It really does depend on the person.

nubian218

Well I have lost a lot of weight with counting however Im at a place right now were i kind of no portion control and 3 days a week workout is a must, do I still count calories sometimes but now its not so main focus since I am at a weight I am comfortable at .

soniams

I have been an MPF member for three years. Counting calories was an eye opening experience and helped me to learn how to eat in a healthy manner. Throughout my entire weight loss effort, my approach has been that whatever I do to lose the weight must what I am willing to do to for the remainder of my life in order to maintain my weight. My meals are nearly all home cooked using mostly fresh ingredients. My activities incorporate exercise into my daily habits (walking to the train station for my commute to work). Over the past three years, I think I have developed a healthy lifestyle that I can sustain.

My weight has been stable for a year and a half. While I would still like to lose 15 pounds, my current weight allows me to life the life I would like.

At the beginning of this month I stopped logging my food on MFP. Previously I had been very dedicated to logging; every bite I ate was recorded. But over the past few months, I stopped logging when I traveled. While I ate reasonably well on the road, I also did not worry about gaining a few pounds. They would quickly come off when I returned home and back into my routines. I took another trip at the start of the this month and then decided to not log my foods when I got back home. I have a daily calorie limit in mind and mentally keep track of my total consumption.

I think my well entrenched healthy habits will allow me to maintain my weight. I do weight myself everyday and doing so will let me know when I am outside my five pound buffer. It just feels good to not worry about every single bite and allow myself the freedom to indulge every once in a while.

I've learned a lot about myself and living a healthy life since I began my weight loss journey four years ago. I need to acknowledge the confidence I have to myself and know I am committed to maintaining all that I have accomplished.

nytrifisoul

I stopped counting twice in the past 6 years. Gained 60lbs both times. I wont make the same mistake again now that im back at my goal weight. I know from experience that when i stop counting I eventually gain it all back.

Joanne_Moniz

I have made the decision to stop counting all my calories. I found that I was forming unhealthy habits and was being controlled by numbers. I have no idea how many calories I ate today, or how many I'll eat tomorrow. I'm going to continue like this for a few weeks before I weight in...hopefully I find that I can maintain like this :]

Joanne_Moniz

just watch your macros... a calorie of one food is NOT the same as a calorie of another....fake foods is metabolized differently Today, counting calories does not work

BrainyBurro

just watch your macros... a calorie of one food is NOT the same as a calorie of another....fake foods is metabolized differently Today, counting calories does not work

^ this is wrong and not based on actual science.

Unknown

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SLLRunner

My hat is off to all of you who choose not to count and are able to maintain your weight this way. I am three pounds from maintenance now, but I can't think I'm going to continue to keep track. The reason is because I lost around 60 pounds 12 years ago with calorie counting, but it slowly crept back up over a five year period when I decided I didn't have to count anymore, and I was still working out.

I will do whatever it takes to not gain my weight back.

Sabine_Stroehm

My hat is off to all of you who choose not to count and are able to maintain your weight this way. I am three pounds from maintenance now, but I can't think I'm going to continue to keep track. The reason is because I lost around 60 pounds 12 years ago with calorie counting, but it slowly crept back up over a five year period when I decided I didn't have to count anymore, and I was still working out.

I will do whatever it takes to not gain my weight back.

And this is the key: we each need to do what we each need to do. Good for you!

Veganmafia

love it! it takes courage to change things that don't work for you:flowerforyou: I burn out from it too sometimes but I upped them and now its like whew I can breathe :drinker: high five* and feel free to add me

orlaith2012

I really want to stop counting, my bmi is a little low (18) so I am not bothered too much about a little gain (ED Sufferer here too) but I just need a mental break before I have a mental break down!! How did you do it? all advice appreciated and yes I have a psychiatrist (weekly appointments

Gordie580

When I quit counting my calories, I tend to go down the same old paths and tend to gain weight, as I do less and less counting. I find myself coming back here to get back on track.

sarleee

I just started, but seeing all this, should I quit before I regret?

arcana7609

I am obsessed with logging my food. I think it's fun. When it stops being fun I will quit. I have myself set to lose 1 lb a week, but mostly I am just using this more to track carbs and sugars.

I am not dieting in the traditional sense of the word, so I don't feel deprived or depressed in anyway. I look at this tool as a way to raise my good stuff to meet my goals for calcium, protein, potass etc. and lower the bad stuff sugar, carbs, sodium.

My favorite part is looking at the report and seeing what days my sodium was off the chart and then reviewing that days food so I can avoid that food in the future. The same with carbs, sugar etc.

Amandainyaface

Of course you can maintain like that! I mean, think about it. It's far from everyone who counts everything, and many people (read: i didn't say all, but many) live a healthy, balanced life without a care in the world, and their weight takes care of itself. Most of the time your body will know when it's the happiest.
But I can only encourage you! :happy: If you feel happier without counting, then you should live like that! :laugh:

eva_ruby

I read somewhere that this is an effective method (but obviously your mileage may vary): Weigh yourself every other day after you get up. If you are more than 2 pounds over your goal weight, eat fruits and vegetables (as much as you want) for the next few days until you get back down to goal. Simple, muss-free.

hgycta

I am obsessed with logging my food. I think it's fun. When it stops being fun I will quit. I have myself set to lose 1 lb a week, but mostly I am just using this more to track carbs and sugars.

This.
I'm so glad I'm not the only one who logs for the enjoyment of it
I know it's not good to eat junk food everyday, but it's so nice to be able to eat a small candy bar when you get a craving for it without feeling guilty.

mlogantra76

I stopped counting too but only after I reached maintenance. I lost the weight by counting and not weighing in. I never stepped on the scale. Once I felt I had reached my goal, I started daily weighing and sorta counting. Its working for me. I make adjustments depending on what the scale says. Lately, my tastes have changed and I'm allowing myself to have different things that I might have thought were "forbidden" before. I just watch my portions and monitor my weight. I have not counted calories for a while but I'm aware of what I'm eating, practice portion control, and try to eat lower carb as that seems to work for me.

JoRocka

why do people assume that people maintaining don't count?

I continued to count when I was at maintenance- why? because I can physically eat way more than I should - maintenance on paper for me isn't that high.

Sabine_Stroehm

why do people assume that people maintaining don't count?

I continued to count when I was at maintenance- why? because I can physically eat way more than I should - maintenance on paper for me isn't that high.

I guess because some folks do and some folks don't? I don't count at maintenance. I may check in from time to time, or pre-log something to get a sense of it the first time I'm going to eat it. But that's about it.

nutty4mma

Love this!

Laura3BB

Very interesting thread.
I'm still counting because not counting makes me feel insecure right now. But I do hope to stop counting soon!

NidiaG24

I have made the decision to stop counting all my calories. I found that I was forming unhealthy habits and was being controlled by numbers. I have no idea how many calories I ate today, or how many I'll eat tomorrow. I'm going to continue like this for a few weeks before I weight in...hopefully I find that I can maintain like this :]

I agree with you here. I stop counting calories. I just stop eating certain things like Bread, pasta, rice and most processed foods. But since rice is my weakness, I eat it 2-3 times a month in small amounts

Joanne_Moniz

I have made the decision to stop counting all my calories. I found that I was forming unhealthy habits and was being controlled by numbers. I have no idea how many calories I ate today, or how many I'll eat tomorrow. I'm going to continue like this for a few weeks before I weight in...hopefully I find that I can maintain like this :]

There was a day when we could count calories. Today a calorie of one food is not the same as a calorie of another. There are many items that are low calorie, very low, but have ingredients that will actually cause weight gain! and will prevent weight loss!! So you are making a wise choice! Make sure your macros are set correctly and that you track sugar!!! If you stay within those parameters, you WILL lose all the weight you want!!!!!!!!