Weight loss w/o counting calories

Options
2

Replies

  • skinnyjeansdiva
    skinnyjeansdiva Posts: 119
    Options
    Sure, counting calories is a good tool to help you learn about healthy food choices and good portion sizes but if its not working well for you, then its time to try something different.
    I love MFP but I'm not planning to log my food and exercise forever, learning to eat and exercise in moderation without thinking about it too much is a great skill.

    right now I have the time to log on and use the site, but when I graduate and go back to work and when my son starts school I won't have all of this time so I really need to learn to do it on my own. I also don't want to be 85 and retired having to rely on a site to help me maintain weight. i see so many people in great shape who don't calculate what they eat. i want to be like that! (nothing wrong with anyone of any age using the site it was a personal example for me)

    I AGREE. I panic thinking about having to log my calories everyday for the rest of my life. My hope is that I will learn a healthy way to eat and learn a schedule and once I hit my goal weight it will be easy to maintain as long as I keep a healthy diet and watch my portions. A normal female needs close to (or more) than 2000 calories a day to maintain their weight. If you are eating healthy and exercising it is very difficult to hit that mark.


    that makes me feel good b/c I thought it was much less to maintain. whew!!! thanks for the post!!! you made my night
  • skinnyjeansdiva
    skinnyjeansdiva Posts: 119
    Options
    very welcome... also, I don't bother weighing/measuring when it's that time of the month cause I know it'll just make me cry and make me want to gorge myself on something awful. lol.

    Well since you put it that way I think I will try not weighing myself for a month to see how I do therefore I hope to do really good and have big results with the scale and inches and can celebrate with new clothes... TOM is like a 10 lb gain for me so I won't weigh during then at all
  • skinnyjeansdiva
    skinnyjeansdiva Posts: 119
    Options
    I think if you eat smaller portions, healthier food, and keep up with your water and exercise you could do it with out counting the calories, good luck!

    Thanks so much!!!
  • iRun4wine
    iRun4wine Posts: 5,126
    Options
    Anyone tried losing weight w/o counting calories? I am asking b/c I have become so obsessed w/ numbers lately. certain things I won't eat b/c of numbers on the label, or the numbers on the scale or working out to burn a certain amount of calories I just feel like I'm going number crazy!! Thinking about taking a break from calorie counting and just doing it w.o and exercising w/o focusing on the hrm or numbers and just eating on a smaller plate w/ more veggies or something. any ideas to give my mind a break?

    Having the EXACT same problem. Long story short, been on MFP for 3 years. Have had about 20 lb to lose for 3 years- lost some, re-gained, re-lost, etc. So, obviously, this isn't working. For me, I'm either 'on' or 'off"- either tracking my calories (somewhat obsessively) or I'm not at all and I'm eating anything and everything I can. Part of me wants to stop counting calories but the control freak in me does not. I'm making myself stop counting for the sake of my sanity. I'm also starting to care less about the number on the scale and more about how I look, how my clothes fit, etc.

    I can totally relate to you- good luck!
  • pjd100
    pjd100 Posts: 10
    Options
    :smile: You could try the 301

    3 meals a day
    0 in-between meals
    1 day at a time

    You do not have to count calories, just watch you portion sizes. If you imagine holding a light bulb to put in a socket above your head then remove the light bulb and widen fingers slightly. The meals should be no bigger then what you could hold. This is supposed to represent the volume of your stomach. This diet will get your body to its natural size without exercise
  • skinnyjeansdiva
    skinnyjeansdiva Posts: 119
    Options
    Anyone tried losing weight w/o counting calories? I am asking b/c I have become so obsessed w/ numbers lately. certain things I won't eat b/c of numbers on the label, or the numbers on the scale or working out to burn a certain amount of calories I just feel like I'm going number crazy!! Thinking about taking a break from calorie counting and just doing it w.o and exercising w/o focusing on the hrm or numbers and just eating on a smaller plate w/ more veggies or something. any ideas to give my mind a break?

    Having the EXACT same problem. Long story short, been on MFP for 3 years. Have had about 20 lb to lose for 3 years- lost some, re-gained, re-lost, etc. So, obviously, this isn't working. For me, I'm either 'on' or 'off"- either tracking my calories (somewhat obsessively) or I'm not at all and I'm eating anything and everything I can. Part of me wants to stop counting calories but the control freak in me does not. I'm making myself stop counting for the sake of my sanity. I'm also starting to care less about the number on the scale and more about how I look, how my clothes fit, etc.

    I can totally relate to you- good luck!

    Oh you just described my entire situation to a T!!!!!! Best wishes to you. I hope you find what works best for you and you get the results you desire
  • skinnyjeansdiva
    skinnyjeansdiva Posts: 119
    Options
    :smile: You could try the 301

    3 meals a day
    0 in-between meals
    1 day at a time

    You do not have to count calories, just watch you portion sizes. If you imagine holding a light bulb to put in a socket above your head then remove the light bulb and widen fingers slightly. The meals should be no bigger then what you could hold. This is supposed to represent the volume of your stomach. This diet will get your body to its natural size without exercise
  • skinnyjeansdiva
    skinnyjeansdiva Posts: 119
    Options
    :smile: You could try the 301

    3 meals a day
    0 in-between meals
    1 day at a time

    You do not have to count calories, just watch you portion sizes. If you imagine holding a light bulb to put in a socket above your head then remove the light bulb and widen fingers slightly. The meals should be no bigger then what you could hold. This is supposed to represent the volume of your stomach. This diet will get your body to its natural size without exercise

    sounds so easy but I'm having a hard time reducing my intake
  • missfancy1980
    missfancy1980 Posts: 326
    Options
    I'm finding the best thing is to input on MFP the night before what you plan to eat the next day. That gives you a rough idea of how many you might have left over for impromptu snacks/ drinks etc :)
  • skinnyjeansdiva
    skinnyjeansdiva Posts: 119
    Options
    I'm finding the best thing is to input on MFP the night before what you plan to eat the next day. That gives you a rough idea of how many you might have left over for impromptu snacks/ drinks etc :)

    What a great idea, something I can kind of follow rather than make up as I go. I will give it a try. Thanks
  • Fieldsy
    Fieldsy Posts: 1,105 Member
    Options
    I don't track anymore and don't really miss it. It seems like a hassle anymore, and there are so many wrong items in the database.

    I look at nutritional values of what I do eat and kinda ballpark the number....doing good so far :)
  • skinnyjeansdiva
    skinnyjeansdiva Posts: 119
    Options
    I don't track anymore and don't really miss it. It seems like a hassle anymore, and there are so many wrong items in the database.

    I look at nutritional values of what I do eat and kinda ballpark the number....doing good so far :)

    heck I'd say you are! congrats to you
  • XoSaraoX
    XoSaraoX Posts: 97 Member
    Options
    i lost 46ibs without counting cal. i found out i wasnt eating enough! when i joined this. find what works for you and stick with that.
  • Fieldsy
    Fieldsy Posts: 1,105 Member
    Options
    I don't track anymore and don't really miss it. It seems like a hassle anymore, and there are so many wrong items in the database.

    I look at nutritional values of what I do eat and kinda ballpark the number....doing good so far :)

    heck I'd say you are! congrats to you

    thanks
  • sc1572
    sc1572 Posts: 2,309 Member
    Options
    Its funny that u should say this! I lost 95 lbs not counting calories, and then i discovered my fitness pal and im obsessed! Idk if i could go back to not counting! The excersise the hrm the diet...etc..im crazy about it! I dont blame u for the break! Best not to rely on this, altho i am now! Ugh....

    ^This is me :/
  • cmayfield3
    cmayfield3 Posts: 176 Member
    Options
    It's never worked for me for more than a week or so. After time my portions creep higher, I add more healthy snacks, etc. I can maintain without counting but I can't lose.

    A trick that works wonders for me is to break down my calories allowance by meal. I always aim for 200 calories at breakfast, 400 at lunch and so on... it means I only have to think about one meal at a time. Really helps keep it from being too consuming and complicated.
  • AirCircleI
    AirCircleI Posts: 334 Member
    Options
    I lost 15lbs in 3 months before finding MFP just by healthy eating and exercising, then found MFP and started tracking and continued losing at the same rate of 5 lbs a month (no more or less than I was losing before). I logged everything for 2 months and started to feel too much of a slave to counting and have taken a week off logging to see if I stick to my habits - so far so good. I broadly know what I need to do, and am just conscious of making good choices. I'll keep logging in and weighing in, but unless something starts to go wrong, I'm happy to leave logging to one side for now.
  • delilah47
    delilah47 Posts: 1,658
    Options
    If you have been eating healthy for a long time, you probably could continue to do so without logging. I could. I have dieted enough throughout my life I can almost add up the calories in my head for any recipe. I also cook most of my meals from scratch, so I know exactly what's in them. You probably know what foods are high in calories, fat, sugar, or sodium. It's when you start "I'll eat this just once" type of thing that will get you in trouble or letting your portions get bigger and thinking "well, it's just a little bigger than what I had before". If you aren't REALLY experienced, I wouldn't take the chance. As experienced as I am, I still like logging everything, then I can go back and pick a day's meals to have when I'm not feeling particularly creative.

    Whatever you decide to do, weigh yourself often and always be conscious of what you are eating. Good luck.
  • RachelK40
    RachelK40 Posts: 17
    Options
    You might be interested in the 8 Habits That Will Change Your Life from Zonya Foco RD, LD "America's Nutrition Leader".
    Her theory is: "Don’t go on a diet, just change your lifestyle." While most people agree this is true, you must admit, it’s much easier said than done! What exactly IS a healthy lifestyle? How can we ditch the diet mentality yet still be in control of our calorie intake? Can cumbersome number counting be replaced by a few simple habits we can rely on for the rest of our life? It's a simple yet powerful approach to gaining health and losing weight! Whether your goal is to master your weight, cholesterol, blood sugar, energy or to simply have optimum health, Zonya promises that these 8 habits will indeed change your life. Google 8 Habits That Will Change Your Life from Zonya Foco if you desire to learn more!
  • castlerobber
    castlerobber Posts: 528 Member
    Options
    The only thing I'm really counting right now is carbs, making sure they stay low and healthful. The more I learn about the science behind food and diet, the more I realize that the calories aren't all that important if i get the carbs right.

Categories