Tracking calories forever!

AglaeaC

I'm different from the majority, it seems. I have no plans to keep tracking for the rest of my life. I'm learning as I go, get a feel for what contains how much and pay attention, remember.

If you eat a particular fruit of the approximate same size every day, at some point one would think you remember the approximate amount of kcal it contains?

Or your breakfast weighed on the food scale; you remember the approximate numbers and know the appr. kcal for said meal?

Of course if you use a new ingredient, you look it up - since you can't know the calorie contents unless you look it up.

You weigh yourself regularly. And you wear the clothes that fit your maintenance weight and they still fit. And you feel energised and strong.

Why would you have to keep tracking every day, if you apply what you learned during your lifestyle change and its weighing, measuring, tracking, learning? I'm all for using one's knowledge to its fullest as well as for paying attention as I go. If my weight would start climbing again, of course I would return to tracking. But as I see it, the point is to prepare for a new lifestyle and once that lifestyle has been embraced, one should be good to go. I feel I have better things to do, so I'm really motivated to pay attention right now and I don't cook new things from scratch on a daily basis, with lots of new ingredients and such. Win some, lose some.

Always_Belle

I understand what you're saying...however, the simple act of not logging in some capacity can take you out of maintenance fairly early. It depends on how accountable you are to yourself. If you are truly staying on track and watching what you consume and how you stay active then you will keep a good handle on yourself when you get to maintenance. The reason so many people who have lost weight only to find themselves back in the same predicament later is because they reverted to old habits. Logging and/or holding yourself accountable in some capacity will keep you in maintenance. Most people who have successfully lost and kept the weight off have some way of keeping themselves accountable up to logging what they eat. Everybody knows what their pressure points are. Stress, job, family, parents, school, kids...when these things kick in is when old habits come back. You know your own history - the question you need to ask yourself is if you are able to not log what you eat and still maintain your loss? Good luck!

Kr1ptonite

I still weigh things but I don't track like I use to, only because it's stuck in my head what I do. And it's has become a normal thing in my life. It's not even a issue anymore.

mamadon

I agree with a lot of the others who have responded. I've been maintaining for about two months. Is it sometimes a pain to still log everything? Sometimes. Would it be more of a pain to re gain my weight? Yes!! I cannot be trusted and I've seen too many people slowly start to gain if they don't log.

cwolfman13

Don't worry about it yet, you have plenty to focus on right now and plenty more bumps in the road before you need to worry about maintenance.

That said, I've been maintaining for 12+ months now without logging. While I was losing weight and logging I took it upon myself not only to count calories, but to learn a lot about nutrition in general and spent a lot of time paying attention to what serving sizes and what not look like. I spent a lot of time learning how to fuel my body and what that felt like. That time spent has served me well.

Ultimately what you'll have to understand is that you can never go back to the way you ate before. Your diet (noun) has to be forever...the only difference between my maintenance and losing is a few hundred calories; nothing more, nothing less. You don't go to maintenance and just start eating the SAD again...you'll have a great deal of difficulty if you do that; unfortunately, that's exactly what most people do. They hit goal and they're "done"...when in reality, they are truly just beginning. People generally fail to realize that this little safari towards health and wellness is really never over...it is a lifetime endeavor...you're done when they put you in the ground.

Sabine_Stroehm

It all depends. It IS possible to maintain without counting. I've done it. But it really depends on how much you learn during the process, and how diligent you are about eating what you know to be right (in terms of portions, or ingredients, or both, depending on how you approach this). If you've learned enough about nutrition, you should know what and how much to eat.
If you need to log, you do, but it can be done without. And ultimately, I think that should be the goal.
Best of luck!

susanevenden

It's like those of us who have been overweight can never really be normal again. Whereas people who haven't don't have to worry about fitting in that "Big Mac Meal" They want. They just eat it...With a milkshake.

Really!?!?!

I am 53 years old. From the time I was 13 and a friend went on a "diet" I have been paying attention to what goes in my mouth and what stands on the scale.

So many overweight people believe that thin people can eat whatever they want and stay thin. Totally not true!!!!! Thin people stay thin because on a day to day basis they eat fewer calories than overweight people. Yes, very occasionally I have a Big Mac, but mostly I have a Cheeseburger, no fries, or pop and even that is a rare occurrence.

I can state without looking up online, the calories in a donut, cookie, big mac, milk shake and if I have any one of those today, I will be unlikely to allow myself to have one tomorrow.

I stand on the scale almost daily and if my weight goes up then I know that today is NOT a Big Mac day.

It sounds brutal, but it's not, it's just being aware of healthy choices and unhealthy, high calorie eating.

We thin people have the same base metabolic rate as heavy people. That's the benchmark, if our metabolism is higher (for most people) it is because we supplement our lifestyle with a LOT of exercise.

My genetic background has just as many people who store fat as anyone else. The rest is how and what we eat and how much we move around.

Almost everyone who is thin works just as hard as you are in order to stay thin.

MrsATrotta

I have thought about this too, I will never be one of the people that can just have the big mac!! lol. But ya know what I"m ok with that. I am here for so much more than weight loss, I have a community of people with similar interests and goals and I love it. There are so many bigger problems than having to track your food, focus on the good bc this is small. And if you can learn to track your food everyday and be disciplined in that area I truly believe it will help you eventually be able to "eyeball" a portion size or create will power in areas you may be lacking. It all works together like a well oiled machine at some point I truly believe that. You have to be able to say I will do whatever it takes! And logging is a proven tool to help you get to where you want so try not to think of it as a negative thing.

MrsATrotta

Don't worry about it yet, you have plenty to focus on right now and plenty more bumps in the road before you need to worry about maintenance.

That said, I've been maintaining for 12+ months now without logging. While I was losing weight and logging I took it upon myself not only to count calories, but to learn a lot about nutrition in general and spent a lot of time paying attention to what serving sizes and what not look like. I spent a lot of time learning how to fuel my body and what that felt like. That time spent has served me well.

Ultimately what you'll have to understand is that you can never go back to the way you ate before. Your diet (noun) has to be forever...the only difference between my maintenance and losing is a few hundred calories; nothing more, nothing less. You don't go to maintenance and just start eating the SAD again...you'll have a great deal of difficulty if you do that; unfortunately, that's exactly what most people do. They hit goal and they're "done"...when in reality, they are truly just beginning. People generally fail to realize that this little safari towards health and wellness is really never over...it is a lifetime endeavor...you're done when they put you in the ground.

You're done when they put you in the ground haha yeah basically!!

will2lose72

It's a mindset. Why is this logging activity "not normal" to you? Why is what you were doing before - not logging, over eating, "normal"? I know there are people out there with high functioning metabolisms that can eat what they want, listen to their bodies, and do just fine. But not sure that's the norm? Otherwise, obesity wouldn't be the epidemic that it is becoming. I know I can't change or diet and exercise myself into one of those people. So my new lifestyle is working for me so far and I want to keep it going so I don't think of what I'm doing now as anything other than my new normal.

arl1286

I plan to wean myself off of it-- first by trying to just eat when I'm hungry, and second by guesstimating how much I eat (and then going back and checking my accuracy after the day is over).

BinaryPulsar

I maintained my weight with and without tracking. When I track I can consistently eat more than I realize and more treats and I find it easier. Sometimes I take a one or two week vacation. Sometimes I loosely track. Sometimes I track until dinner, then have an idea of how to portion control for dinner. I track for protein as much or maybe more than for calories. This is a wonderful tool with many ways to utilize it. There are different ways to make it work. Some amount of tracking and awareness is helpful. Some days of breaks are helpful. Consistency to some degree is what matters.

Also remember the helpfulness of the concept, "One day at a time". Don't think in terms of forever. Nothing ever stays exactly the same forever. Our lives are always changing (at least mine is). Part of fitness is living an active and actively changing life that is fun, energetic, dynamic, always growing and learning, never becoming boring or stagnant. Happy!

brenn24179

I am thinking of this as a new hobby. It sure keeps me busy and I like the results. Seems like I am a little obsessed but I guess it is a good obsession when like I said we have good results. I agree with what people say about those that are naturally skinny and their thinking is so different, they may overeat and then don't want anything to eat for like 3 days. My daughter is one of those and says too much food is sickening to her in which my attitude is bring it on, I love it. Yes like the others I don't have the shut off button, I just hope I can quit counting on vacation or for a few days at some point. I am also grateful for this site and I should not complain because it works!

susanevenden

..... not logging, over eating, "normal"? I know there are people out there with high functioning metabolisms that can eat what they want, listen to their bodies, and do just fine. But not sure that's the norm?

I hang out with lots of those people and although it looks like they can eat whatever they want due to "high functioning metabolisms," they can't. Everyone I know who is lean and has maintained it is the same as you. They just move around a lot and are careful eaters.

Honestly, this thinking drives me nuts. I've been told that so many times in my life.

For almost every thin person out there, there are hours and hours spent running, cycling and eating to nourish the body they want to live in.

There is no magic gene pool. I wish people would quit dismissing thin people as not understanding what overweight people have to live with.

Trust me, we know how hard it is to lose weight and we applaud anyone who does. We know this because we have spent a lifetime maintaining our weight. It's not easy for anyone.

will2lose72

..... not logging, over eating, "normal"? I know there are people out there with high functioning metabolisms that can eat what they want, listen to their bodies, and do just fine. But not sure that's the norm?

I hang out with lots of those people and although it looks like they can eat whatever they want due to "high functioning metabolisms," they can't. Everyone I know who is lean and has maintained it is the same as you. They just move around a lot and are careful eaters.

Honestly, this thinking drives me nuts. I've been told that so many times in my life.

For almost every thin person out there, there are hours and hours spent running, cycling and eating to nourish the body they want to live in.

There is no magic gene pool. I wish people would quit dismissing thin people as not understanding what overweight people have to live with.

Trust me, we know how hard it is to lose weight and we applaud anyone who does. We know this because we have spent a lifetime maintaining our weight. It's not easy for anyone.

My apologies as that is not quite what I meant and I realize that's how I worded it and wish I hadn't! I would certainly not take away the effort anyone puts forth to live a healthy life!

Lives2Travel

I'm not yet at goal, but this topic is on my mind too. I think I'll continue to track everything and every day for at least 6-9 months. Then maybe I'll track only on days where I eat out or eat things I normally don't just to be aware of what I've eaten calorie wise.

I will absolutely continue to weigh myself every morning. I know from the last 11 months that if I overeat for a day or two, I can easily lose the increase shown on the scale within the next few days by just going back to eating at my calorie goal. I will not allow myself to avoid the scale just because I won't like the result. That's how I got so fat in the first place.

asdowe13

I'll always continue to track, only adds about 5 minutes to my morning when I prep my meals, and another 5 at dinner time to track my dinner.

I will admit I am getting better at "eyeballing" portions
I can nail the serving size of Peanut Butter and Cheese within 1-2 grams consistently now!

MFP is part of my life now, will I miss a few day? Probably, but that's life!

jhellwig828

I like logging. I work in accounting and numbers in little boxes that show me pie charts and results make me very happy I know that's weird, but it completely works for me. I wouldn't find writing things down in a notebook any easier. My phone is almost always on me and I am a creature of habit so most of the foods I eat are already in there. Easy peasy! It's worked for me to lose the weight, I have faith that it will work for me to maintain the weight loss.

jpapp13

I think this different for everybody, when I initially hit maintenance I was still logging every day / every meal.
Eventually mentally I hit a wall and couldn't accept that logging was going to be an 'for the rest of my life' thing.
I had to test what I've learned about portions, eating, etc to see if this is something I can do without the aid of a scale.

Currently I log Mon-Fri and take off the weekends and that's what works for me.
Eventually I'd like to gradually stop logging during the week as well but since I'm currently in re-comp mode and lifting heavy I need to make sure I'm meeting calorie needs during those sessions.

Do what you feel is right.
Not logging won't ruin what you've accomplished over night.
Also be sure to give yourself at least a +/- 5 pound allowance window for water retention, etc else you are going to drive yourself crazy with the fluctuations ..

Good Luck!

dopeysmelly

I like logging. I work in accounting and numbers in little boxes that show me pie charts and results make me very happy I know that's weird, but it completely works for me. I wouldn't find writing things down in a notebook any easier. My phone is almost always on me and I am a creature of habit so most of the foods I eat are already in there. Easy peasy! It's worked for me to lose the weight, I have faith that it will work for me to maintain the weight loss.

Oh this is me too! I love the data. All those data points gets me all giddy.. I even export it to excel so I can play with it more.

I generally look at it from the perspective of my health. I'm losing weight for my health, yes, but there's also a history of cholesterol and high blood pressure/strokes/dementia in my family, so I'm finding it just as helpful to track the nutrients of what I eat as the energy in it, and I don't see that changing when I reach some magical (mythical?) target weight. I love hitting protein, fiber and healthy fats targets as much as my calorie target.

tcbs99

Tracking keeps me focused. I have lost weight several times. So what that tell you. I believe if you don't continue what you did to loose the weight it returns. I can't wait to get to maintenance. I will track for about 6 months and then weight twice a week. My plan is to go back to tracking if I see a weight gain of 2 or more lbs. If I am not focused on whats taking place it comes back before I even realize whats happening. I am glad that right now tracking on MFP is not that hard.

Spiderkeys

I may look the same as thin people today, but mentally I'm not.

I have to track my calories everyday, they don't
I'm cold all the time, they're not.

I have to work hard, just to feel a part of the crowd.

sweetpea03b

Well, I don't miss "not being able to" eat big macs.... because since I've given up junky food like that... anytime I do slip and eat fast food it makes me deathly ill.

But... to get to the point.... I find now that I could probably still stay within my goal without logging as long as I stick with my "safe foods/meals" meaning... things I have on a regular basis and pretty much know exactly how many calories are in it. Where I get into trouble is snacking.... eating things I don't normally eat.... then the extra calories really sneak up on you.

So... I think honestly if you're true to yourself and you keep a clear mind about it... make smart choices... exercise regularly... you could probably maintain without tracking... as long as you're not going out to eat on the regular, drinking alot, etc. Not to mention, I think most people get into a comfortable "range" that's within 5# that they try to stick to so its not a huge deal when they see fluctuations here and there on the scale.

bakingforlife

i will have to tract forever.its ok i think sometimes its so time comsuming but when it boils down to it i need to see .makes me feel better to see it . but a day here a day there after loseinh the weght wont kill anyone .as long as i get back to it .life keeps going and good get into the way ....no worries it really up to you .up to me to keep focused on me if i dont.theres tomorrow.again as long as tomorrow comes .and i dont gain back all my weight life is good .:flowerforyou:

nxd10

I like logging. I work in accounting and numbers in little boxes that show me pie charts and results make me very happy I know that's weird, but it completely works for me. I wouldn't find writing things down in a notebook any easier. My phone is almost always on me and I am a creature of habit so most of the foods I eat are already in there. Easy peasy! It's worked for me to lose the weight, I have faith that it will work for me to maintain the weight loss.

Oh this is me too! I love the data. All those data points gets me all giddy.. I even export it to excel so I can play with it more.

snip

LOL! I do research and teach statistics and this is SO TRUE!

nxd10

I was thinking about what people say about skinny 'normal' people who can eat anything.

First, if it was 'normal' to eat anything, the world would not be obese. But it is.

Second, I have two very, very thin sons (both have BMI's under 19 - one age 26, one 15 but well over 6' tall). They LOOK like they can eat anything - and will sometimes eat a lot of food at a sitting. But they are also very mindful eaters. They stop as soon as they are full. They don't eat food just because it's there. They make healthy choices for the bulk of their calories and then enjoy a treat as a TREAT, not something they do every day.

Right now they're young and active and eat a lot more calories than I can. But the way they are eating is what makes them as slim as they are and the habits they have I think will help keep them slim. It's not effortless.

susanevenden

My apologies as that is not quite what I meant and I realize that's how I worded it and wish I hadn't! I would certainly not take away the effort anyone puts forth to live a healthy life!

No worries.

It's funny thin people feel misunderstood by overweight people and overweight people feel misunderstood by thin people.

The truth is our species survived to be the top of the food chain BECAUSE of our ability to store fat. Those who couldn't store fat died in famines 100,000 or more years ago and never reproduced. Those who had the gene that allowed them to store fat, had a better chance of famine survival and reproduction.

We are all the off spring of those "fat storing" ancestors.

hospitablegirl

I've thought about this for a while. I'm not near my goal yet, but it's still something that crossed my mind. Someone suggested that you track for a year for maintenance and see how you feel. I think that may be what I do. I have some idea of the food I'm eating, definitely better than 3 months ago!

At the end of the day, do what makes you happy. I don't mind logging as much as I did in the beginning. As my coffee brews in the morning, I start logging coffee, creamer, yogurt or oatmeal or eggs or whatever. I log while I pack my lunch or eat my breakfast. It's just part of the lifestyle that will keep my weight off. If I end up logging forever, it's the price I pay for allowing myself to get out of control. But in the grand scheme of things, it's not that great of a price. I could have gotten diabetes, heart disease, or any number of diseases. I'll log, thanks.

susanevenden

I may look the same as thin people today, but mentally I'm not.

I have to track my calories everyday, they don't
I'm cold all the time, they're not.

I have to work hard, just to feel a part of the crowd.

I track my calories everyday.
Until menopause I was cold all the time
I work hard to be the size I want to be.

I have done this for 40 years.

There is no THEM and US. We are all the same. We all struggle with our junk food (mine is cookies).

Let's remember that as team members of this human race, who wants to stay healthy, we ARE ALL THE SAME and we ALL work hard to be what we want to be.

laureneliset

I had a similar thought to the OP the other day and it scared me because I don't WANT to keep logging forever. (For those who have found it becomes part of their daily lives, that's awesome, but it's just not something I can sustain because I don't have the will to do it indefinitely)

However, I am gradually finding that my eating patterns are changing anyway. I build my meals around protein and I know what foods will pack a load of calories but not keep me full. Or which foods will give me an energy spike but make me feel sluggish and irritable once the crash wears off. I'm finding new recipes I love and new lunch choices in the work week.

Every so often I will go out somewhere or have a day where logging is difficult - I use these as "practice" days for when I'm not logging. What I'm practicing is identifying what are the better menu choices (so salmon, poached eggs and avocado for breakfast instead of French toast with syrup), and also mindful eating - i.e. listen to my body telling me that it's full, so I don't overeat.

Only time will tell, once I've entered the maintenance phase, whether this will work out. But I don't see how I could end up piling all the weight back on if I have changed the way I eat and exercise, because I will know if I'm falling back into bad habits and make the effort to change that. I'll continue to weigh myself once a month with my trainer and if I'm putting fat back on, then I'll take steps to lose it again (including temporarily logging if I need to). I can't see it being possible to gain back the 30kgs I want to lose in a month, so I'm not too concerned about putting a bit of weight back on while I'm trying to find a balance in maintenance.