Is anyone maintaining without counting calories?

PearlAng

I've been maintaining successfully for the past few months and it's great, but from day to day I just add up a round about of my calories, but lately it's becoming a little obsessive and unhealthy. I just want to focus on eating well, maintaining and listening to my body. I wouldn't be opposed to continuing to roughly count calories, but I need advice. What are so good tips for maintaining without counting?

rrlwelter

I wish I could tell you - but not counting/measuring/being obsessive had me gain 20 of the 134 I'd lost back over the past year. I'm back to counting/measuring, and have figured out that, for me, this is what it needs to be. Bugs my husband, but he'll get over it.

I do allow myself to not count as carefully if we're at a family gathering (I could never figure out HOW to count that anyway!), but do count and log most restaurants.

Good luck finding a way to not obsess!

cwolfman13

I've been maintaining for 10 months with only doing the occasional log to spot check...and really, it's more to spot check my macros than calories.

If you've taken the time to teach yourself how to eat again and have taught yourself portion control and moderation, it's pretty easy to maintain without logging anything...it's when you cease to be mindful of your intake and stop exercising that is an issue for most.

Pro tips...

- make nutrition an intrinsic part of your life. your maintenance diet should consist primarily of a lot of nutrient dense foods. also be mentally cognizant of your calories...you won't be bang on, but you should be able to guestimate a reasonably good tally of your daily intake in your head.

- make fitness an intrinsic part of your life. many people fail to sustain a healthy fitness regimen because they so closely associate exercise with weight loss. it's actually much more important to your maintenance goals in my experience.

- weigh in regularly and be mindful of how your clothes are fitting. if things start to tighten up on you and you are showing a general trend up on the scale, it is time to go back and analyze your diet. nipping it in the bud is a lot easier than having to go back on a full on diet/cut.

- be mindful of your junk food and "empty" calories. you have more latitude in maintenance for these things which is great...but it's easy to start letting that stuff creep into your diet in larger and larger quantities over time.

Hornsby

I count in my head, but I don't log. Been maintaining since October.

cuinboston2014

I will echo the 'being mindful'

I maintained for over 2 years without counting anything. i did normally tally things up in my head as i went for rough averages and tried to make sure i didn't go crazy. i also eat more on saturdays so i work out more on saturdays.

You know what to eat and what portions are. You could still continue to measure/weigh etc without logging. Keep an eye on the scale and make sure you are OK.

I only went back to logging to try to lose the rest of the weight I didn't finish losing I didn't gain it back

miche_smash

Bump. I tried not counting but over the holidays I ended up overeating, not working out much, and gaining. Right now I'm logging again and working out more regularly again but not weighing in. I just know my clothes are way too tight right now

salvyhead

Tried it - didn't work. Gained 7 lb in a heartbeat.

richardheath

Lost my weight without counting calories, then found MFP. Logged for a while, mainly to check intake of carbs (prediabetes). Stopped logging, and have kept weight in check for over 18 months, and blood sugar looks good too. I'll log a week here or there just to see how I'm doing.

likitisplit

I was. Regular mealtimes. A good feel for correct portion sizes and accurately reading hunger cues. Regular exercise.

likitisplit

I've been maintaining for 10 months with only doing the occasional log to spot check...and really, it's more to spot check my macros than calories.

If you've taken the time to teach yourself how to eat again and have taught yourself portion control and moderation, it's pretty easy to maintain without logging anything...it's when you cease to be mindful of your intake and stop exercising that is an issue for most.

Pro tips...

- make nutrition an intrinsic part of your life. your maintenance diet should consist primarily of a lot of nutrient dense foods. also be mentally cognizant of your calories...you won't be bang on, but you should be able to guestimate a reasonably good tally of your daily intake in your head.

- make fitness an intrinsic part of your life. many people fail to sustain a healthy fitness regimen because they so closely associate exercise with weight loss. it's actually much more important to your maintenance goals in my experience.

- weigh in regularly and be mindful of how your clothes are fitting. if things start to tighten up on you and you are showing a general trend up on the scale, it is time to go back and analyze your diet. nipping it in the bud is a lot easier than having to go back on a full on diet/cut.

- be mindful of your junk food and "empty" calories. you have more latitude in maintenance for these things which is great...but it's easy to start letting that stuff creep into your diet in larger and larger quantities over time.

Basically this.

JaysWays

Honestly I never count my calories. As long as your making healthy choices. You should be fine. Have your small six healthy meals throughout the days. I like to count my calories of I know I'm going to go out to eat or something. Honestly as long as your making clean healthy choices you will be fine! If you want more information on what I mean by clean and healthy just message me. Can give you some ideas!

PearlAng

Thank you everyone!

proudjmmom

I've been maintaining for 10 months with only doing the occasional log to spot check...and really, it's more to spot check my macros than calories.

If you've taken the time to teach yourself how to eat again and have taught yourself portion control and moderation, it's pretty easy to maintain without logging anything...it's when you cease to be mindful of your intake and stop exercising that is an issue for most.

Pro tips...

- make nutrition an intrinsic part of your life. your maintenance diet should consist primarily of a lot of nutrient dense foods. also be mentally cognizant of your calories...you won't be bang on, but you should be able to guestimate a reasonably good tally of your daily intake in your head.

- make fitness an intrinsic part of your life. many people fail to sustain a healthy fitness regimen because they so closely associate exercise with weight loss. it's actually much more important to your maintenance goals in my experience.

- weigh in regularly and be mindful of how your clothes are fitting. if things start to tighten up on you and you are showing a general trend up on the scale, it is time to go back and analyze your diet. nipping it in the bud is a lot easier than having to go back on a full on diet/cut.

- be mindful of your junk food and "empty" calories. you have more latitude in maintenance for these things which is great...but it's easy to start letting that stuff creep into your diet in larger and larger quantities over time.

I couldn't have said it better myself. Like you, once I hit my goal, counting calories became an obsession. After hitting maintenance, I went on to lose a further 8 lbs while still tracking calories. Many times I found I was eating mainly because MFP said I should.

I made the decision to stop tracking calories. I've been doing this calorie counting thing for 3 years, I feel like I have a good grasp on what I should and shouldn't eat, portion size, how much I should exercise, for me it was a lifestyle change.

Since I've stopped logging, I have actually maintained just perfectly. I have not lost any weight at all, and maintain within a 3 lbs window (I weigh almost daily right now).

My theory is, be mindful of what you eat and keep active!

ABsolute85

I've been using MFP for over a year now and I have stopped counting calories...the one thing the app did for me was to help make me aware of the different foods I'm eating. I can make better choices now that I have that awareness...I've maintained my goal weight without counting for about 6 months now...

Strongandhealthy1234

I count in my head or on paper. If I don't they add up without me realizing I'm way over.

kelseyhere

Yes, I have maintained and actually lost about 3 more pounds since I quit counting. The stress of counting was sometimes a negative thing and probably kept me from losing.

I counted for over 2 years though, and during that time I got a much better idea of what foods I was eating that would easily send me off the edge. I also learned some of my trigger foods, things that when I eat them I can't stop.

Now to maintain, I avoid those high calorie and trigger foods. I try to avoid all processed food, but when I can't, I just eat small portions. Calorie counting taught me a lot about what a real portion size is. I snack on veggies and fruit, things that are dense but not necessarily high calorie. I also listen to my body more closely, eat slower, and practice other good habits that help keep me from binging. It's totally possible to maintain without counting, but you have to have a good foundation of habits.

I also still exercise at least 4 times a week. If I quit exercising I'm sure I would gain again.

MissJay75

I'm not maintaining yet, so you can take or leave my opinion - but it's been something I've thought a lot about since I am a serial yo-yo dieter.

I know pretty well what I can eat to be in the calorie range for losing weight. But when I get to maintaining, I'll be adding back anywhere from 400 - 600 calories per day. I don't know what that looks like yet. I think I'll be logging just as diligently once I reach goal for a good couple of months, until I get a really good feel for what the correct amount of food is to maintain my weight. That has to become a habit for me, as much as calorie deficit is a habit now.

Elleinnz

I've been maintaining for 10 months with only doing the occasional log to spot check...and really, it's more to spot check my macros than calories.

If you've taken the time to teach yourself how to eat again and have taught yourself portion control and moderation, it's pretty easy to maintain without logging anything...it's when you cease to be mindful of your intake and stop exercising that is an issue for most.

Pro tips...

- make nutrition an intrinsic part of your life. your maintenance diet should consist primarily of a lot of nutrient dense foods. also be mentally cognizant of your calories...you won't be bang on, but you should be able to guestimate a reasonably good tally of your daily intake in your head.

- make fitness an intrinsic part of your life. many people fail to sustain a healthy fitness regimen because they so closely associate exercise with weight loss. it's actually much more important to your maintenance goals in my experience.

- weigh in regularly and be mindful of how your clothes are fitting. if things start to tighten up on you and you are showing a general trend up on the scale, it is time to go back and analyze your diet. nipping it in the bud is a lot easier than having to go back on a full on diet/cut.

- be mindful of your junk food and "empty" calories. you have more latitude in maintenance for these things which is great...but it's easy to start letting that stuff creep into your diet in larger and larger quantities over time.

Yes, yes and YES!! ^^^

I stopped logging and counting calories in June 2013 - still right on the same weight I was then.

Over the 3 years that I had counted every calorie I ate I also learnt a lot about "good nutritious food" vs empty calories.

I eat well every single day - I don't do "cheat meals" , but still do mental calculations re how much I eat - but if I eat good food the scale does not budge generally (that does not mean I dont see 2lb "swings") - but I now know it is just that - a pendulum that swings"
I do still weigh some food just to make sure I have a handle on portion size - especially my protein and carbs, but I dont do it all the time - just ocasionally to remind me what a portion looks like....
I still weigh in every day - it is part of my "indicators"
I dont have clothes with elastic waists etc - or clothes that is too big - if clothes get tight I need to act immediately otherwise I wont have anything to wear - I absolutely refuse to buy bigger clothes!!
I love working out - so it is not an "optional" - it is part of my life!!

Not everyone manages this approach - but it seems the ones that nail it is the ones that understand that you never go back to your old life - for me the key to maintaining is understanding (living and breathing) my "new normal" - and that looks VERY different to my "old normal"

And lastly - what does my "new normal" look like

1. Good quality protein in every meal (6 meals a day - 3 whole food, 3 Liquid meals)
2. Variety of vegetables and fruit (at least 2 cups at every meal both whole and liquid)
3. Fats - mostly Omega3's - flax oil, ground flax, fish oil - and a little bit of olive oil
4. Starchy carbs only after training

3 Strength training, and 3 Intense Cardio (30 mins HIIT type training) sessions a week

LaLaLovely76

I wish I could tell you - but not counting/measuring/being obsessive had me gain 20 of the 134 I'd lost back over the past year. I'm back to counting/measuring, and have figured out that, for me, this is what it needs to be. Bugs my husband, but he'll get over it.

I do allow myself to not count as carefully if we're at a family gathering (I could never figure out HOW to count that anyway!), but do count and log most restaurants.

Good luck finding a way to not obsess!

LOL My hubby feels the same way! I do estimates at parties and whatnot

Iwishyouwell

The key to losing, or maintaining, without counting rests very heavily on what you eat, less than how much you eat.

If you have a heavily plant based diet, it's going to be much easier to consume lots of volume with relatively low calories. You'll get satisfied without really worrying too much about calorie counting.

Also it's imperative that you learn the difference between real hunger and emotional hunger/cravings. Another important factor is learning to stop when you're satiated.

It's going to be a lot harder for people to lose/maintain weight without counting if they don't know what real hunger is, or if they have a diet heavily reliant on higher calorie foods that are very easy to overeat. It's particularly easy to overindulge on the "white" group and other high carbohydrate foods. I think anybody living a "standard" western diet is going to have serious trouble reaching, or maintaining, their goals without some kind of conscious calorie counting. There are just far too many foods in the western diet that are practically designed to be overeaten, and if you lack impeccable control it's very easy to see your weight creep up without counting. If you're eating a "normal" diet, I think it can be a mistake to drop counting, as the "normal" western diet is filled with lots of trigger foods that are tough for so many to control.

Or you could do like I do, and have a good mix of plant, meats, fats, and occasionally a nice sweets splurge, but put in a fasting day or two to create an automatic deficit that helps you live freely on your other days.

likitisplit

Eh. I have two kids and ate Kraft mac and cheese regularly while maintaining my weight without logging. The key for me is having a good idea of portion sizes - and to double check yourself periodically.

I do make sure to have at least one serving of: root vegetables (besides potatoes), leafy greens (besides lettuce), dried beans and squash a week + fruit at least every other day - otherwise my tendency is to confuse "liking," "purchasing" or "serving my kids" a balanced diet with "eating" one. But, other than that, I don't get too fussed about what else I eat. I'm an adult and don't make ridiculous choices like binging on M&Ms for dinner (too often). It all washes out over a week.

I think most of us similar cues they need to pay attention to. If eating lots of veggies works for you, then it does and I'm not arguing about that. I'm just not sure whether it's "the key" for everybody.