Watch calories for the rest of my life?

After lots of practice, you won't need to be as diligent as you are now. This is us changing our behavior which takes a LOOOOOONG time. I don't know about you, but I'm pretty stubborn in my ways. If I see good free food, I'm going to eat it. The only thing keeping me from it is the fact that I'll have to document it all :ohwell:

That's what's I really like about MFP. Not only is it helping me watch calories, but it's subconsciously building better habits. Even after only a few months I find myself doing things like:

- skipping on the free cinnamon rolls at work
- stopping eating when i am full
- ordering water instead of soda
- buying vegetables for snacks instead of candy

The list goes on and on. The best part? Because I only realize I've done these things after the fact, it means that they are becoming healthy habits. And just like any other habit, at some point you can stop tracking your calories, because you are doing it without thinking about it. : )

Really, this is just training for me. Since I'm doing this all day everyday, I'm getting to know just about how many calories everything has in it so if I don't have the internet pulled up, I can have a general idea of where I'm at during the day. You won't have to be as strict during maintenance as you are now because you won't be worried about burning fat. You'll get used to eating a certain way and you'll have a better idea of what you can eat and how much of it and when you get full and how long you stay full on certain foods, etc. So no, I don't think you'll be counting calories the rest of your life.

Thanks guys. Everything you've said is true.

I just wonder.. Where did it go wrong for me (and for others)? For all those "naturally" skinny and/or healthy people out there, were they taught a different way to eat? Were they brought up within a more strict eating environment?

How do these people know how to eat a healthy amount of food and mix in sweets without going way over on calories?

And are these "lucky" people just good at eating? Or do they REALLY have a good metabolism or both?

I think it's a little bit of all that with other people. My boyfriend eats a ton and in the 9 months we've been together, he's only gained 2 or 3 inches on his waist, whereas I gained 6 on my waist in just 3 months. Of course, I gain weight differently than he does. He gains it JUST in his belly (like a typical guy - lol) and I gain it in my stomach, my waist, hips, thighs, butt!

Just be diligent now and I'm sure it will become second nature to you.

agree totally with Smuelbauer - it's a way of life. And the paradigm shifts pretty quickly, good choices become a habit as was mentioned by another poster. So here's the question re-phrased...


Be fit and fast for the rest of my life?

Be able to easily control food impulses for the rest of my life?

Be healthy and happier for the rest of my life?

Sleep better and not ever have to lose weight outwith set parameters like +/- 4 pounds either way

Be in the low-risk category for all those illnesses that you worry about once you realise that you're no longer in your 20s?

Like the look in the mirror... and so on ,

Yes please!!!

a little info - i'm on maintenance and have been for the past few weeks - it's actually easier than losing. It's just a habit now to eat well and exercise regularly, i worry more about what training i'm gonna do and match my fuels (sorry food ;-) ) to that. I reckon that it becomes sooooo much easier psychologically after a while, I would really have a horrible time if i had to be as conscientious as i used to be. it becomes unconscious behavior to do the right things - not sure i could ever touch pizza or chinese again knowing how much i'd have to run to burn it off and how bad they'd make me feel.

I wish you the very best of luck! Sounds like you are on the right track just by giving the long-term view consideration...