Anyone Going Off Calorie Counting in the New Year?

swishandflick

So I've been on the site for about a year now.

In the beginning, having to account for all my calories was really helpful and it opened my eyes to how innocent foods can come packed with calories. It took me about 4 months to reach my goal (it was only 10 pounds to begin with). I was working out 4-5 times a week and taking in about 1300 calories and was 130 and 5'5 to begin with.

Life happened and while I was able to keep most of the weight off, I'm probably an about 3-5 pounds over my goal weight right now (I've also kicked the habit of going on the scale every day). I know I could get down to 120 if I really wanted to, but really I don't think it's worth it at this point.

If I keep on working out 5x a week and sort of guestimate how many calories I'm taking in, is it advisable to go off calorie counting all together? I'm hoping that even my guestimations won't take me over 1600 calories or so. Has anyone else started doing this when they're "close enough" to their goals?

cwolfman13

That all depends on you. I've been maintaining for the past 7 months without logging but I keep a pretty good estimate going in my head. I took a lot of time to learn portion control, moderation, and basically how to provide my body with the nutrition it needs to be healthy and to achieve my fitness goals. I still eat the same way I ate when I was logging and haven't returned to old habits of lounging on the couch and eating junk food. I still eat my 4-6 servings of vegetables and couple servings of fruit...I still get my fats primarily from nuts, avocados, olives and olive oils and eat primarily lean sources of protein.

A lot of people fall back into old habits when they quit logging and/or aren't mindful of how much they are consuming so they most often gain the weight back...but again, it just depends on you.

nxd10

You've already gained a little - life happens. I think you'll gain more.

If you really don't want to count all the time, how about counting every other week to start - just to keep yourself on track so you don't drift up? Then if that works for four months, go to every three weeks? You can see how it goes.

Personally, I'm a logger. I think I could stop, but I find it helpful, so keep doing it.

JesterMFP

I wish I could, but it's not an option for me right now. I think that if you can, go for it. I think if you keep an eye on your weigh then you're going to know if it's working or not. If the weight keeps creeping back on, then you can get back to calorie counting.

florentinovillaro

I made that mistake of keeping track of what I ate, after a while, the burgers, the fries, just creeped up on me.

For me, it is a lifelong task that takes me only 15 minutes a day.

WalkingAlong

I'm only willing to track sporadically. I believe it's possible to learn to eyeball portions and make sensible choices without tallying things up. I do it with my finances and always have. Some can't, and need to use strict budgets. I'm still not great at winging it with food but I refuse to give up.

twixlepennie

I'm currently maintaining without counting calories or keeping a food diary, but I have other checks and balances in place to keep me on track. If I start gaining weight or something changes, then I'll adjust what I'm doing.

belindaurso

Counting calories has worked for me the past 11 years. I venture from it but always come back to counting calories when I seriously want to lose weight.