How do people who don't count calories lose weight??

nikkihk

How do you choose not to believe in something you know is real? Do you mean you don't believe in counting them? Because whatever, lots of people don't count calories and do fine. But not believing in something that does in fact exist is...well.

calories do not exist in the multiverse that she resides in ….what don't you understand about that?

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

Actually, there's a LOT of anecdotal evidence that a mainly plant based diet works to balance out the body. The main thing (in my HBMO=Humble Big Mouth Opinion) is that it's got to do with the fiber. Rather then knocking lots of fiber, lets really look at it. Peeps who eat more fiber just NATURALLY flush more fat and sugar then peeps who eat less fiber. I don't know if there is a tit-for-tat kind of number that can be given, from scientific research, but common sense tells me that someone who fills up on vegetables, and other plant foods, is going to weight less then the person who eats other foods that aren't terribly digestible (like meat.......it literally takes 7-10 days, for meat to move it's way through the digestive system.......fermenting that whole time..............arwk.) Fiber also FILLS you up, faster then other food (with less fiber). There's some who would say that the sugar content in a potato is the same as the sugar content in a bowl of ice cream, BUT, there's one vitally important difference and that's fiber. But don't take my word for it, here's an article that spells out the benefits of a high fiber diet.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/11/25/9-fiber-health-benefits.aspx
http://www.webmd.com/diet/fiber-health-benefits-11/

And then, for those of you who still aren't convinced, here's a study from Harvard University.
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/fiber-full-story/

Fiber is good (within reason) - it is satiating and keeps your body working well (assuming you do not over-do it).

However, meat does not ferment in your system for a week. Fiber does not flush fat or sugar.

And mercola is a loon.

Agreed on all counts. Especially the last one.

tahneesummers88

I know, you tell your view, I tell you my view. It's something I want to do, so leave it be.

it's not like our view is right. it just is. calories exist whether you believe in them or not.

I've said I know they exist, I just choose not to. I don't care about caring about them.

This made my head hurt lol

TheStephil

Sorry, if it works for me then it works, I was only explaining my way of doing what I want to do, without counting "Calories". You can do what you want to do. I've heard about Paleo, and that also sounds silly.
Yes I know Calories are real, I just choose not to believe in them, I stopped counting calories a long time ago. So preach what you want. I'll do what I'm going to do that I like to do. Not everyone has the same body, metabolism as everyone else, so whatever works for that person works. Lighten up some will ya?

Then why are you on MFP?

victoria_1024

I lost 50 pounds in college without counting calories. I just ate small meals and small snacks, and I worked out a TON. To be honest, I was probably eating way less than I needed to and working out more than I needed to. But I had lots more time for exercise back then. I also rarely allowed myself to have chocolate/pizza/junk food. Now that I have a family and a job, it's more difficult to make weight loss a priority so counting calories has been great for me. And I eat chocolate on a daily basis and still lose, so I think it's something I can maintain. I have more control over my weight loss now.

ndj1979

Sorry, if it works for me then it works, I was only explaining my way of doing what I want to do, without counting "Calories". You can do what you want to do. I've heard about Paleo, and that also sounds silly.
Yes I know Calories are real, I just choose not to believe in them, I stopped counting calories a long time ago. So preach what you want. I'll do what I'm going to do that I like to do. Not everyone has the same body, metabolism as everyone else, so whatever works for that person works. Lighten up some will ya?

ndj1979

How do you choose not to believe in something you know is real? Do you mean you don't believe in counting them? Because whatever, lots of people don't count calories and do fine. But not believing in something that does in fact exist is...well.

calories do not exist in the multiverse that she resides in ….what don't you understand about that?

beat me to it!

nikkihk

beat me to it!

SCORE!!! =D

psmd

I lost weight, maybe 10-15 pounds, in college, got really fit, no calorie counting. I maintained it for a few years. Basically I started exercising 5-6 days a week, and began eating less. I think I intuitively knew I needed to eat 3 meals a day, keep them healthy, with a couple of light snacks.

Now looking back, I'm amazed because I don't feel like I could do it now without tracking.

GertrudeHorse

People lose weight without counting calories because they implement rules that have the effect of limiting calories. One is just indirectly lowering calories.

ETA: To answer your other question, they probably do go under and over all the time but it balances out in the end. Average behaviour is what matters not the minutiae of every day. And they probably don't worry because they've never had to. The body strives for homoeostasis so natural hunger cues can be very reliable if you haven't buggered them up from dieting or disordered behaviour.

brookemart81

I mostly maintained for the last 10 years without counting calories. I say "mostly" because I've actually gained 15 pounds during that time, but 1.5 lbs a year is pretty close to maintaining, isn't it? I've always seemed to have a good metabolism and have been able to eat what I want, trust my body, etc- so I did, and it mostly seemed to balance out.

But now that I'm at the point where I want to actually LOSE? Well, I'm here. Because I had no idea how to do it. I tried "trying to eat a little healthier" and "trying to eat a little less" and "trying not to eat out so much"... with no change. And I tried "eating whatever I want but going to the gym a bunch and being active" and that didn't work either (apparently working out makes me super hungry! And then I eat back all the calories I burned, and usually more. Who knew, right?) I think trusting your body can work just fine for maintaining, but when you are trying to lose you are fighting your body in a lot of ways. Mine apparently wants to slip slowly and gradually into obesity, if I let it- so I don't think I should be fully trusting it where food is concerned right now.

I'm sure there are some people who can simply resolve to "make better food choices" and then magically lose weight. But going from being a person who never had to think about what or how much she was eating to discovering- alas!- I am not one of those people, it gives me a lot of comfort to look at it in the methodical, scientific way that is presented here. Counting calories is freaking EASY. Paying attention to what I eat is EASY. Actually limiting myself is less easy, but the logging is a reminder and an incentive, so it's working.

brookemart81

And while I was typing that it looks like way more entertaining things were happening in this thread.

princessnarmor

Seriously. This baffles me. I know people can eat healthily, like lots of veggies and lean meats and stuff, and that is probably why they lose weight without counting, but... what if they go over? Under? How do they not worry about counting calories? A bunch of my friends eat whatever they want and probably go over their macros but they don't gain. I'm just confused... How?

I think a lot of it is genetics. I think some of it is people's drug of choice. And I'm not necessarily talking about mood altering drugs. As a teen to young adult, I had no problem with my weight. My family runs on the thin side. I smoked. I was 112 lbs til I was 21 years old.

As an adult, I was 125 to 130 lbs. I still smoked. I just wasn't as active. At 33 years old, I started taking ballroom dancing lessons and C & W dancing and I went down to 117 lbs.

I stopped smoking 4 years ago this April and now I'm pissed! My reward for quitting is 40 extra lbs, a body I don't recognize as mine. My appetite is much greater than it was. If I gain it, I seem to be stuck with it. Things I did that were successful with regard to weight loss are no longer successful. I lost 5 lbs easy, but beyond that, its been like pulling teeth. I've been so tempted to start smoking again!

My daughter weighs 125 lbs. I miss those days. I'm so envious!!

paperpudding

I've said I know they exist, I just choose not to. I don't care about caring about them.

:huh:

Ooooh kay, good luck with that.

Thank you! ^_^

Can we give Luna Zuriel a break now?

It's fairly obvious that what she meant is she doesn't believe in counting calories not that she doesn't believe calories exist.

Which is a perfectly legitimate personal view - if what you are doing is working for you and it isn't calorie counting, that's fine, keep doing it. :flowerforyou:

jmv7117

Sorry, if it works for me then it works, I was only explaining my way of doing what I want to do, without counting "Calories". You can do what you want to do. I've heard about Paleo, and that also sounds silly.
Yes I know Calories are real, I just choose not to believe in them, I stopped counting calories a long time ago. So preach what you want. I'll do what I'm going to do that I like to do. Not everyone has the same body, metabolism as everyone else, so whatever works for that person works. Lighten up some will ya?

Then why are you on MFP?

This comment/question irks the heck out of me! It comes up all the time in the forums just as soon as someone doesn't go with the status quo. Anyone can join MFP for any reason and I would guess a large number of the membership are not here for weight loss. She does not need to explain her reasons for using MFP to you or anyone else. Nor does she need to justify her opinion. BTW, she is not alone in thinking that counting calories is not the way to go about weight loss. There is research and professional opinion that calorie counting is not the way to go. I sometimes wonder if counting calories actually encourages eating disorders. The calorie tool on this site is good and can be used for a healthy weight loss but it can also be used to reinforce certain eating disorders too.

Francl27

I managed to lose weight without counting calories in the past. But I gained it all back. It's easy to lose weight without counting calories - eat lean meats, low fat everything, and pretty much fill up on vegetables. It's just not often sustainable long term, that's why so many people end up gaining weight back.

I'm guessing for people who manage to maintain that loss, they are very active, or really never had a tooth for sweet foods or 'junk' in the first place, have a healthier relationship with food than I do, and can actually find such a diet sustainable.

iluvmpiche

You don't NEED to count, really. It just helps you to keep track of things. It's really the process of keeping an eye on what you're consuming that helps in weight loss.

But, if you already know not to over-eat, to avoid fast food, avoid fattycakes, etc, then you can pretty much eat and eat and still lose weight. Fruits and veggies! Fruits... gotta be careful with all the sugars, but veggies are just a goldmine. You can eat and eat and eat and still lose weight. Plus, they're filling, so it's hard to over-eat.

That's just how it works from my point of view. I never counted calories growing up, and I was never overweight. I still don't count them except for right now, because I'm in a weight-off contest and my competitive side gets the best of me. Plus, now that I don't eat gluten, I like to compare foods and see how much more of one food I can eat than another.

Hey, I like to eat. If I can eat an entire head of lettuce and not suffer the consequences of eating a hamburger, then I'm eating that head of lettuce! Good thing I love veggies more than any other food.

amblight

I lost my first 22-33lbs without counting or even thinking too much about it - just skipped more calorie dense things

Though I'm surprised now, I feel like I frequently go way over, even when I keep a sharp eye on it!