Does counting change the way you eat?

togmo

I find counting calories and following meal plans can leave me hungry at the wrong times and sometimes have me eating food even though I don't feel the need to eat. How does counting calories affect your every day life? Do you find that you are too driven by a spreadsheet and have your tummy rumbling when your pal tells you that you have had enough food or when you are planning a big dinner even if you are about to head to the gym or do you find that you sometimes sneak a late night snack in just to balance your macros even though you don't feel the need to eat?

I have done pretty well since joining here and am feeling much healthier and happier. This has been achieved by trying to keep my calorie count under my goal and by starting up at the gym doing some exercise (primarily so that I could eat more but also to try and change my body composition). As I have said I have done well since joining here having dropped to about 93kg (still supposedly about 5-10kg overweight for my body height/age) but I have had to work hard from the day I first started to still try and eat when I am hungry and not to become someone driven by a spreadsheet. having said that I am guilty of all the above things I have mentioned. My guiltiest pleasure is probably those days when I have under eaten and decide to sneak in some chocolate or something at the end of the night even though I don't need it...

astange83

I plan my day out entirely the night before I know how many "free" calories I will have so if I do get hungry and its not one of my 3 times to eat I know what I can have, and if I'm full when it comes to the end of the day meal I may lighten it or skip it altogether if I'm really just feeling stuffed. I follow the TDEE method so I don't record my workouts to eat back those cals so its easier to plan ahead.