Not focusing as much on calories burned. Yay or nay?

rebeccaamber1031
rebeccaamber1031 Posts: 4 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Lately I have been focusing so much on how many calories I have burned and caring more about the numbers than doing workouts that make me feel good and that make me happy. I used to love walking four miles every day, but I got so consumed in the numbers that nothing seemed fun or enjoyable to me anymore. Lately I have been so unmotivated to do anything because working out doesn't make me happy anymore. As a result, I haven't been working out nearly as much as I used to and have found myself stuck at the same weight for a while now. I have been considering completely ignoring the exercise tracker from now on and just doing things. Not thinking about how many calories I burned, not obsessing over where the app says I will theoretically be in 5 weeks, just focusing on the physical activity without all the numbers. Has anyone done this? If you have did it help you or did you go back to counting calories burned? I guess what I'm trying to ask is, is it a completely stupid idea for me to do this, or is there a possibility it will help me get back on track?

Replies

  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
    I eat based on TDEE so as long as I'm getting my workouts done and being consistently active I don't worry about the burn figures - they're all estimates anyway so it seems pointless stressing over them.
  • Spook_Nuke_Em
    Spook_Nuke_Em Posts: 408 Member
    Once I got a good handle on what I was consuming I stopped logging my food. I just did meal prep so I knew. And I didn't log excercise, just used my HRM to push myself. It has worked well. I try not to stress off of everything and just do what feels right. Idk if this helps, but good luck :)
  • FaerieCae
    FaerieCae Posts: 437 Member
    I eat at tdee-20% or so every day. I log my exercises but only look at the gross number of calories consumed. Might seem a bit silly, but I like it that way, I dont have to starve on a rest day and I still get to see what exercise ive done, but not be too bothered with the numbers. I want to log so I can look back and see where things worked, where they didnt and how much more I can push myself in the future.

    Find the best way for you to do this as stress free as possible. If that means ditching tracking exercise, ditch it. If you dont enjoy what you're doing, you wont continue to do it.
  • jaz050465
    jaz050465 Posts: 3,508 Member
    I got OBSESSED with numbers- looking at my Bodymedia Fit burn three of five times a day. I then got so fed up, I stopped it all and then binged and put on 3 pounds in a week.

    I'm now using the info I learnt about my approx average daily burn and tracking my food to give me a small deficit

    Too early to,say if its working but I,don't feel my whole life in overtaken by weight loss.
  • ingeh
    ingeh Posts: 513 Member
    I use tdee-20% too and just make sure I hit my goal hours workout out and I dont worry too much on calorie burn anymore. Its so much easier this way.
  • WeightHacker
    WeightHacker Posts: 260 Member
    i dont worry to much of the calories i burn. and im losing weight.

    really its entirely how you feel about it.
    if you feel obsessed that its driving you to the wall that makes you find it not fun or enjoyable.
    maybe you should change something up with the workout you do? and not worry about the calories that you burn.
    i dont eat back my calories. only cause i dont need to my body is fine the way its going atm. so ill just listen to my body.

    i hope that you find your motivation back, cause thats what is within you and not anyone else<3
    i wish you the best
  • Ascolti_la_musica
    Ascolti_la_musica Posts: 676 Member
    The most important thing you can do for yourself is a form of daily exercise that makes you feel good. If you enjoy walking four miles, then walk four miles! That is a wonderful way to relieve stress, see your neighbors, give yourself time to think, and so much more. The calorie burn is just a bonus.

    I have also obsessed over numbers. FitBit recently changed their Dashboard, so I tried really hard to move the needle into "the zone" or whatever by working my butt off and barely eating. I was miserable by the end of the day, and by the time they adjusted the calculations a day later, I was under. I knew I would be, but I couldn't get my head around it for some reason. So I switched back to the normal Dashboard, and my healthier eating/exercise habits. I feel MUCH better.

    You know what works for you. You don't have a tracker in your post, but I assume "back on track" means you have lost weight before. Do what you did then. ENJOY your workouts. Everything else will fall in place.

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