Do you expect to count calories the rest of your life?

xoTalim

Once I get to my goal weight, if I go out for the occasional dinner with friends or family, I may not count just cause it's a hassle and I wanna enjoy my night out and treat myself. But for every other day where it's just kinda casual or whatever, then yeah, I plan to for pretty much...ever.

besaro

yes. for me it seems super easy to slide...if I am not diligent the weight will creep I am sure.

Aeramis13

I plan to count for the rest of my life, especially because i plan to spend the next 5-a million years lifting so i can bulk and cut and bulk and cut and get awesome

Colorfan

Ive only been counting this year. I think the longer I do it, the more Ill be able to estimate how many calories are in foods and how much a serving should be. I can already do it with a few things. So I doubt Ill be addicted to MFP 10 years from now, haha.

alisonlynn1976

I don't count calories. What I intend to do to maintain my weight after I reach my goal is continue weighing myself daily and adjust food and/or exercise if I see my weight start to go up (or down too low, for that matter). It's not as precise, but it's also not as obsessive, and I choose not obsessing over food, not now and definitely not for the rest of my life.

BeckyMBisMe

Yes I really do. I tried not counting for the first 50 years and that didn't work out so well.

DITTO!! (add some extra mileage in my case )

yes, OP, now that I've wised up I will be counting forever. It's my new lifestyle.

ikearch

Look at MFP as a training tool. It's intangible, so everything you learn from it will become memory and habit. The more you use MPF, the better you become at managing this aspect of your life. Once you do it long enough, you might not need MPF because you'll have trained your mind and body to react certain ways when it comes to food management and intake. It's easy to revert to old ways, though. That's when you might need to come back for a refresher!

FirecrackerJess

I hope to get to a day where I don't have to. I have learned some stuff and know now what is bad, what is not, how many cals I am eating now, etc. But I don't know. Sometimes I will have something I probably shouldn't, like I had a piece of KFC the other night at my cousins. I hadn't yet, starving, that is what they bought. I caved, but I did feel guilty about it later. Even though I had ALL my calories... and I don't like that, that guilty feeling. So I don't know if I can stop counting now that I am, or what the future holds in regards to that.

TheFairyJester

i am not actually counting now. Logged and counted the first few weeks to establish a good size portion and daily amount.

I haven't counted in logged for this past week or so, still losing.

I probably will log a day here and there just to make sure that i am still eating the level i should.

but for how much i have to lose and well quite frankly i do not intend to count and log the rest of my life.

again just maybe occasionally to know what my average and adjust it back to where it should be.

BreakinTheChains

Yes I really do. I tried not counting for the first 50 years and that didn't work out so well.

GREAT answer

anaoliver63

Absolutely! If I ever want to be and stay healthy.

maffff

Nope. I'm more aware of what's in food now than I ever was. Give myself a target weight range, if I start falling outside of that then do some maintainence work, otherwise try to enjoy - reasonably.

e5412

I plan on doing so for at least 6 months or so after I hit my goal weight to make sure I form good habits. The transition from loose 2 lbs/week to maintain will feel pretty huge I imagine. Plus I'll keep 1 eye on the scale just to make sure I don't have to go thru this again.

With that said, I can totally see that I'll be a calorie counter for a LONG time

sugarnspice0613

Nope. Thankfully, I maintain weight very easily as long I cut out the alcohol even without exercising. That's where my big issue comes in, and right now I'm counting calories to lose the weight I'd gained by partying hard. I don't tend to ever go back my old drinking and eating habits! Once I get to my goal, I plan on watching portion sizes and just making sure I'm eating the correct things and moving more. Like someone else that responded, I have a goal weight range that I want to maintain, and if it ever shifts to the top, I'll go back to counting calories.

RachelRuns9

No, I dont think I will do it forever.
I think I might for about a year of maintaining, is my guess right now. But by then I am going to be really well aware of how many calories are in most types of foods, and you can just "feel out" how you've been eating that day. I think it will come more naturally. Mixed with exercise and eating in moderation, I'll probably just watch the scale and watch how my clothes fit.

I think it really just depends on your personality and whether or not it becomes a lifestyle change or something that you still need structure to control. everyone will be different!

sfbaumgarten

Absolutely.

MaryRegs

yup

biggirlnomore92

I don't count calories; I eat all of the fruits and vegetables as I want and still losing. I don't want to stressed if I don't meet my calorie goal, makes it easier for me.

cwolfman13

Look at MFP as a training tool. It's intangible, so everything you learn from it will become memory and habit. The more you use MPF, the better you become at managing this aspect of your life. Once you do it long enough, you might not need MPF because you'll have trained your mind and body to react certain ways when it comes to food management and intake. It's easy to revert to old ways, though. That's when you might need to come back for a refresher!

I'll say it until I'm blue in the face...the people who think counting calories is the "lifestyle change"...you are missing the boat.

grillnchill

fo sho

sugarkissprincess

Yep, life style change - completely dedicated.

_EndGame_

Absolutely not. I actually find logging calories each and every single day after every meal tedious. I often eat the same foods, the same amounts, so I know how many calories I've had and don't need to update my food diary. That said, I do log new foods and exercise, and I also log when I think I may be cutting close to going over, but again, I don't mind going over now and again.

srobertking

While I may not log everyday for the rest of my life, I will at least keep a tally in my head. Eating without worry was how I got to be 305 lbs.

janet6567

Absolutely!! I lost 30 pounds 3 years ago. . . 5 pounds from my goal weight. Stopped logging. . . and regain it all. . .so yeah, I'll continue logging after I lose it again. . .once is bad judgment. . .twice is a bad habit!

cwolfman13

Calorie counting = /= "Lifestyle Change"

/missing the boat...

katorihanzo

I will for a long time to make sure that my learned habits are satisfactory. If I find that I'm consistently eating at or a bit under my maintenance calories without having to pay too much attention to balancing, I'll stop logging, while continuing to count casually in my head.

BUT I am going to weigh myself every week. I'll allow 3 lbs each way and when I see myself over or under that three pounds, I know it's time to diet or log so I eat enough.

TheRealParisLove

Yes. Just like I have to balance my checkbook every day, I have to balance my calorie budget.

I wish I was rich and didn't need to watch what I eat, but I'm not and I can't. So, I count.

TeaBea

Well I can tell you losing 4 stone and then not counting or caring results in gaining it back plus 7lbs. So yes..its something im always going to have to do.

Yep - I re-gained weight too. I'm always going to have to count calories.

brookielaw

Yes. I also expect to have to eat healthy, weigh myself regularly, see a doctor for check-ups, and work out for the rest of my life...at least if I want to keep living and having a good quality of life.

cwolfman13

Yes. I also expect to have to eat healthy, weigh myself regularly, see a doctor for check-ups, and work out for the rest of my life...at least if I want to keep living and having a good quality of life.

Actually, the 2nd part is the important part. When you're eating a healthy and balanced diet and getting your fitness on, weight maintenance is really easy. People fail largely because 1) they stop exercising ('cuz exercise is for losing amirite); and 2) they never actually develop a true "lifestyle" of nutrition....they deprive themselves while dieting and never learn nutrition or moderation or proper portions, etc....these are the tools to successful maintenance.

I do log when I get fantastical ideas of being super lean and shredded...but otherwise, for maintenance I've found it completely unnecessary so long as I'm rocking my fitness and making good nutritional decisions.