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

hoyalawya2003

If I expect to keep the weight off, yeah.

^

Yep. (love this gif!) I lost 35, stopped counting and gained 20 back. I did maintain at that weight without counting, but it was nowhere near goal. I probably will relax a little at maintenance but expect to still count most days.

Rai007

i would never. i got fat because of hypothyroid
i will just take care of sleep and eat
i never used to eat like a mad person
so it is not going to be a problem
just take care of coke, chips, ice cream and junk.
i dont think life is meant for calorie counting

jillianbeeee

If I want to keep the weight off I will have to. The good news is I am starting to understand portion size a lot better. Where as when I started this I would constantly have to look to see what everything was worth in calories now I know when I sit down to eat. When I eat at home everything gets weighed and measured still but when I eat out, I now can tell when I have more then a correct portion on my plate and realize its ok to leave the rest there. I also have made it a habit at the grocery store to look at calories and portion sizes. No use buying something that I can only have a ridiculously small portion of. I do have to refrain from telling those around me the calorie count of what they are eating since I am automatically counting calories in my head! LOL Going back to the place I was before is out of the question.

misskissmck

take it from someone who has gotten to there goal weight.......if you counted calories to lose weight, you had better count them on your maintenance plan....and keep your journal. It all may seem like a hassle, but that was the mistake I made ....after losing sixty pounds i thought I could eat like a normal person eats....(what is normal anyway?) and I gained all that weight back plus. It may be a hassle but it is worth it.

sugamonstaa

I know how to portion food and know what's healthy and full of nutrients. It just gives me a peace of mind to know how much protein I'm getting exactly. The only time it gives me a headache is when I really want something such as ice cream... then I have to kind of take time to think how I can plan my meals around it so I can have it without sacrificing my macros and calories HAHA

But usually I know what to eat and just log it in and see if it's enough. I don't have to think too hard on what is healthy and sufficient.

kowajenn

Yes. I've lost lots of weight in the past only to get complacent and find myself gaining much of it back. I don't think I'll be obsessively tracking every bite, but I've learned how I'm supposed to eat and will make sure I stay within my maintenance calories.

briana12077

I never really thought about forever. I'm focused on my goal. But I'd say yes. I've gained weight so quickly and easily and i know that counting is the easiest thing to do to lose weight. I don't know, I hope that by the time I reach my goal and am maintaining I am VERY good at eating well and eating right and counting everything will just be a breeze.

jomama519

i don't want to HAVE to, only, i don't know how i'm going to NOT, unless i eventually just end up being more of a protein, fruits, veggies eater and stay away from more processed foods...

sweetpea129

No. Once im in maintenance i wont be counting exact cals. Im sure i will by eyeballing it because thats just been my life for 2 years now. I think i've got the tools to maintain a healthy lifestyle now. If i find the scale creeping up a few pounds I will start counting again.

ModernNerd

Yup. That's actually part of why I joined MFP, so I could get in the habit of counting and adopt a healthy lifestyle before I have to do it out of sheer necessity. I also joined for the kitteh gifs and creepers :flowerforyou:

Shannonthompson73

Off and on yes.

cwolfman13

I'm seeing a lot of comments saying 'I will come back if I gain...' - I've seen a lot of people on here lose weight, go it alone, and then come back having gained at least half back!

I'd rather that not happen to me, personally.

Do you know why those people do that? Generally they have very restrictive diets and they deprive themselves of stuff they would "normally" eat...then they cross that arbitrary finish line and go back to eating "normally" and they usually stop exercising too because exercise is for weight loss amirite?

These same people will just continue to yo-yo regardless because they're not teaching themselves how to eat "normally" but within their calorie goals. Definitely people need to focus on getting better nutrition than one would get with the SAD...but most people you see this happening with are all or nothing very restrictive dieting and then a free for all after they've reached some goal.

Healthy, nutrition, fitness, etc are lifetime endeavors..there is no finish line. Also, it's pretty easy to nip it in the bud if you're at all paying attention...people who put on 1/2 the Lbs back or more just don't pay attention and/or just don't care.

Maintenance is easy when you get your nutrition on and your fitness on...when you learn how to actually eat, it's really, really easy.

summerroxygoodin

Yup. Addicted to MFP

tjphelps73

Yes, I will always be aware of calories and my intake. I may not continue to track as fiercely as I do but until GW is reached, I will count every drop.

emjaycazz

If you were to look in the maintenance forum, many people there (including myself) still count. I think it's because successful maintenance involves a full lifestyle change... which often results in setting new goals--strength gains, marathons, recomposition, etc.---and for those you start thinking about fueling your workouts/lifestyle and count with those in mind as opposed to "counting to lose" or "counting solely to maintain."

cevalid

If you were to look in the maintenance forum, many people there (including myself) still count. I think it's because successful maintenance involves a full lifestyle change... which often results in setting new goals--strength gains, marathons, recomposition, etc.---and for those you start thinking about fueling your workouts/lifestyle and count with those in mind as opposed to "counting to lose" or "counting solely to maintain."

But if you just wanted to stay the same weight, do you think weighing yourself every few days or once a week would be enough to tell you if you need to cut down or not?

laursoar

I think so, at the very least for a year or so at maintenance. Eventually, I might try to transition to continuing to weigh daily to track the need, but mainly deciding by portions at that point and using MFP as a reference. I won't be at that point for awhile though.

Selunca

I've already been counting for almost a year and a half, I guess its become more of a habit for me. When I did stop counting, and I only did for about a month, I gained a pound or two, but then when I watched what I ate for a few days I went back down.

I think its more about changing habits, thoughts about food, and just making better choices in food.

mamadon

I have two options:
1. Count calories
2. Be fat.

I'll count calories. At least 5 days/wk. Basically forever or until I'm too wrinkled to care about being fat.

^^^^
This totally

Summer5555

Not as meticulously as I do now but I definately will, random weight audits.