Anyone "done" with MFP and calorie counting?
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you could try tracking one day a week for a while, then move it to two and see how that goes and so on like that.0
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Well for me (I haven't been on MFP for that long) I like to think of it as more than just a calorie counter or something to keep my weight in check. I have found it to be a great way to monitor my nutrient levels and well the support from MFP members is always terrific(sometimes very amusing).0
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I plan to stop after a period of reasonable maintenance and internalization of the correct eating behaviours...I don't want to feel chained to counting/ tracking etc. It feels comforting to do but too much like an obsession :noway:0
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I'm kind of resigned to the fact that I might have to count calories for the rest of my life. But, given my family medical history, I'm willing to make the sacrifice in order not to follow in their footsteps.0
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When you stop it's hard to get back on track, I took two weeks off at the start of the month and ate whatever I wanted without worry. Although it's good to have a break (2 weeks break for a whole year of logging) I knew if I kept it up I was just going to waste all my hard work.0
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I can't imagine stopping. Too easy to slip into old habits, which I have in the past. I have no excuse, since apps make it so easy to log. It keeps me accountable. People with certain conditions have to take daily meds to stay healthy. I'm afflicted with chronic chubby creep, so calorie tracking is my maintenance med.0
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weather i log it or not, i think its in there for life in my case. I wouldnt stop personally, its a good habit.0
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I actually wrote down all I ate (didn't figure calories, etc.) for over a year before I found MFP and had lost 52 lbs. So even though MFP is great and an easy way to track my meals, I still jot down the meals in a notebook. I figure I can just refer back to meals easily anytime I need ideas or want to give up the daily checking in on the site. Kind of my security blanket. I find that writing it down keeps me mindful of what I'm eating. I could probably stop but still find it helpful.0
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Studies show that a very few will lose it and keep it off for 5 years. True story.
After 2 years, I still come across meals that trip me up. There is still more to learn.0 -
I needed to count calories when i started so I could get a good idea of what a healthy portion was, which types of foods I should avoid, and which foods I could have more of. After a time, I didn't need to track the food anymore. Occasionally, I will track for a couple days if I start to feel myself slip.
For the most part, I've set myself up with a training program that burns so many calories, I can hardly eat them all. That's really the best way for me. If I stay sedentary and try to stay under 1700 calories, I'll fail. I'd rather workout twice a day and have free reign.0 -
I remember a distinct moment at the gym 6 years ago.. I stepped on the scale and saw 149lbs, up 4 lbs from my goal.. I thought to myself, "I'd better get back on track so I don't keep gaining"
Here I am re-starting my journey because I stopped tracking and thought I could do it on my own. So no, I'll never stop tracking in one way or another0 -
I reached my weight goal and lost a couple more pounds for good measure. I'm experimenting with logging only intermittenly right now. I pretty much eat the same foods on a regular basis (not the same thing every day, but rotating the same meals...). I do weigh myself every morning under the same conditions and my weight does not tend to fluctuate much. If I cross my "threshold" weight a couple of days in a row, I'll go back to logging until I'm back down below it. My challenge will be to not start adding back in the sweets and treats that caused me to weigh more than I wanted to in the first place. I am working out at least 3 days per week, including lifting weights, so it is possible that I could gain a couple of pounds of muscle over a long period of time. If my clothing still fits the same, I won't stress over it.0
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I hit my goal at the beginning of this year, and have been logging my calories since then. I will continue to log most of the time. I've been logging during the week, making sure I'm at goal and eating healthy, balanced meals. On the weekends when I have a treat, I don't log it. I'm maintaining very well, and have been since January, doing this. Counting calories to some extent will always be a part of my life.0
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This is quite interesting. I am still a long way off even thinking about maintenance - I've only just started my journey really, but hopefully I will be at goal by the end of the year (I only have 20lbs-ish to lose now...)
I hope that when I'm maintaining, I won't do anything differently - in fact, MFP has kept me thinking about food. I eat the same breakfast, and the same lunch, so I only really need to worry about snacks and dinner. Exercise wise, I've been taught a lot. When I was on weight watchers, I felt like exercise was de-valued, so now I'm really really loving being fitter on MFP. Hopefully, I will continue to log, because it keeps me accountable for my exercise, not just food!
I plan to do as someone else on here has said - track religiously during the week, and not track on the weekend (other than exercise). I will only do this if I have maintained for a few months. And I will always step on the scales every morning and track my weight on excel. I like data. I will also be lifting soon (NROLFW is on 3 week back order at my local book shop?!) so I will probably get a BF% scale and calipers to start tracking that data every day, so maybe my goals will switch when I get closer to my goal?0 -
I don't think I will ever be done counting calories...to me it's the only way to keep from gaining the weight back especially with unfamiliar foods that appear to be healthy but are not.0
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i quit logging last year and the weight just crept back up - 134 (i think) at my lowest and when i started again 172!!! i will now log forever
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I will always have to log my food. I can't estimate calories to save my life. LOL!0
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Just a question for many of you. Don't you adopt an actual dietary and fitness lifestyle while you're doing this? Isn't it kind of the point...do this and sorta learn how to eat and learn what your body needs? I eat completely 180* differently than I did before I started calorie counting. I'm at maintenance and don't log...I eat a maintenance level of calories...I know what that looks like and feels like and I continue to eat primarily nutrient dense, whole foods. Do people really just go back to old ways that easy? Seems crazy to me...I could never go back to eating the **** I was eating (an amount I was eating). Heck, I'm having a hard time hovering at maintenance with the kinds of food I eat and the lifting I do..I keep losing little bits and I have to keep adding more calories to keep up with my strength gains in the weight room.
It just seems crazy that anyone would or could count calories every day for the rest or their lives...makes me think people have learned zip on this journey. I'm not saying I'll never log...I probably will at some point feel my pants get a little tight and you better believe I'll be right back for a few weeks to correct whatever it is I'm doing wrong. Seems a lot easier to tweak things here and there before they get out of control than to actively log every day for the rest of your life.
I'm just genuinely curious about this because I've always thought of MFP as a training ground.
For me, the issue isn't so much that I've learned nothing. I've learned a great deal. For instance, I've learned that my maintenance calories will be about 1600 (maybe 1650). I'm not tall, I'm old, and without exercise I'm 100% sedentary (less than 2000 steps a day). 1600 calories is not a lot. Say 400 calories a meal, plus 2-3 snacks plus coffee and I'm done. If I add an egg and cheese to my salad, have an extra piece of fruit and 4 more cups of coffee (not at all unheard of), I'm over maintenance by 350-400 calories. So I've learned how to eat in a way that I can maintain and keep to 1600, but there's not a lot of room for margin of error. I will be logging for the foreseeable future because I know the little bits add up very quickly to being over. And I need to be cognizant of that. That's why I am frequently surprised that although I've eaten "nothing" or certainly nothing "bad" I am on track to be way over where I need to be. If/when that stops happening, I'll consider not logging. Otherwise, I will be tracking for a very long time. I don't think it's failure to learn healthy habits. For me, it's learning that there's not a lot of wiggle room and I need something to make sure I'm where I need to be.0 -
Maybe this is just the accountant in me coming out, but i actually really like counting calories. I like putting in what I eat and seeing how many I have left for the day. I like putting in my calories and knowing that I'm where I need to be for the day. It's not a chore for me, really. It really keeps me accountable as well. If I know I'm going to log, I'm a lot less likely to eat that cheeseburger or piece of pizza. It's very easy to be in denial about "one meal" or "one cheat day"...which then continues on for weeks. However, I can stop that path in its tracks by logging all the food and going, "woah...that's a lot of calories".
I haven't reached my goal yet, but I honestly think I'll continue logging on MFP, at least most days of the week. I'll set my calorie goal to maintenance and try to hit about that everyday. And I won't see it as a chore or burden, but as a way to keep the weight off. I'd much rather log everyday than risk gaining any weight back...not after the struggle of losing it all.0 -
I won't tell you what to do, all I can do is tell you my own experience counting calories. I counted my way to a 37 pound loss in 2007 and then figured I could estimate without logging. It took me a year or more but I gained back 23 of those 37 pounds. I started counting again in 2011 and lost about 35 pounds. I've been on maintenance for a year, I'm still tracking everything and have no plans to quit. I learned my lesson.I'm kinda done with tracking everything. BUT, I'm scared. Can I ever trust my hunger signals again?0 -
I still have about 15/20 pounds until my goal weight, but I'm pretty sure I won't stop logging for a longgg time after that. I feel like I would start eating way too much again, and plus, I'm pretty sure I'm addicted to logging :laugh:0
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me three.Every time I quit counting the weight begins to creep up so I don't think I will ever completely give up tracking my calories.
Yep, I am with you
I always end up eating more when i'm not tracking.0 -
Out of curiosity, those who had 30,40. 80lbs creep back on - did you stop weighing yourself when you stopped logging? I c an't imagine any weight creeping on because i do weigh myself weekly LOL.
That would help me stay on target - if I gained 2lbs in a week I would know to get back to logging to see where the hidden calories are . . . not usually so hidden 0 -
I'm a lifer! Maintaining is a challenge, perhaps a harder one than losing was. MFP has become part of my life.0
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I'm not there yet, but here's my maintenance plan:
- Keep logging food for about a month or two into maintenance until I get a feel for what maintenance calories are so I can still keep rough track in my head
- Continue to weigh (weekly instead of my current daily) and do measurements occassionally
- If I see an unanticipated 3 lb increase from "goal" (i.e. if I'm not trying for muscle gains or something) I will return to tracking and weighing/measuring food meticulously until I re-reach goal.
We'll see how that pans out. I find tracking quite easy, though, so there's a chance I may be doing this for years. It's worth the effort if it keeps me on track and feeling my best.0 -
Bump0
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I have no intentions of stopping my calorie count but from Day 1 I have been consistent with making sure I always over-estimate my calorie intake just a little and my exercise just a little. Nothing major...
I don't live or die by either count. I'm not going to lose weight or gain weight by putting down exact numbers. I know when I over-eat or not work out enough just as I know when I am not hungry, don't eat much then go for a hike...0 -
Maybe this is just the accountant in me coming out, but i actually really like counting calories. I like putting in what I eat and seeing how many I have left for the day. I like putting in my calories and knowing that I'm where I need to be for the day. It's not a chore for me, really. It really keeps me accountable as well. If I know I'm going to log, I'm a lot less likely to eat that cheeseburger or piece of pizza. It's very easy to be in denial about "one meal" or "one cheat day"...which then continues on for weeks. However, I can stop that path in its tracks by logging all the food and going, "woah...that's a lot of calories".
This is me! I've been able to maintain my goal weight within 5 lbs for a year-only because I've continued tracking. I believe I will track for life. It only takes a few minutes and it keeps me in line. I guess being an accountant helps! I love tracking numbers! Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
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@cwolfman - have you ever been an emotional eater? I can't speak for anyone else here, but I suspect that might be at least part of the difference between those who are confident going it alone, and those who feel they need to rely on calorie counting. To answer your first question, I have made a complete lifestyle change since joining MFP. I act and think a lot differently about food and exercise, and I don't think I'd ever go completely back to my old ways. I'm do much more mindful about food now, and the consequences of over-eating, and so much more aware of the nutrients my body needs.Just a question for many of you. Don't you adopt an actual dietary and fitness lifestyle while you're doing this? Isn't it kind of the point...do this and sorta learn how to eat and learn what your body needs? I eat completely 180* differently than I did before I started calorie counting. I'm at maintenance and don't log...I eat a maintenance level of calories...I know what that looks like and feels like and I continue to eat primarily nutrient dense, whole foods. Do people really just go back to old ways that easy? Seems crazy to me...I could never go back to eating the **** I was eating (an amount I was eating). Heck, I'm having a hard time hovering at maintenance with the kinds of food I eat and the lifting I do..I keep losing little bits and I have to keep adding more calories to keep up with my strength gains in the weight room.
It just seems crazy that anyone would or could count calories every day for the rest or their lives...makes me think people have learned zip on this journey. I'm not saying I'll never log...I probably will at some point feel my pants get a little tight and you better believe I'll be right back for a few weeks to correct whatever it is I'm doing wrong. Seems a lot easier to tweak things here and there before they get out of control than to actively log every day for the rest of your life.
I'm just genuinely curious about this because I've always thought of MFP as a training ground.
However, food/eating has been the main way that I've dealt with negative emotions for 25+ years. Habits were learned and deeply ingrained in childhood, and I haven't yet been able to get rid of those responses from my brain. There is some evidence that there are genetically-determined differences in how people respond to food. Emotional eating is still very much an issue for me, and calorie counting is the best way I know to control it. It's not just about knowing how much energy is in each food, it's about knowing that I eat responsibly when I track, and I don't always when I don't track. Tracking holds me accountable. Not tracking makes me stressed and anxious and sometimes triggers me to binge. My aim is to get to the point where I can track some days of the week, and not others, and just keep eating as normal, with no anxiety. So, it's not that I haven't learned anything while on MFP, because I've learned a lot. It's just that the very process of tracking is - for me - just as important in managing my weight. I don't want to count calories for the rest of my life, but if that's the price I have to pay for a healthy weight, and peace of mind, then so be it.
Never been an emotional eater. My problem was two fold...1.) I didn't know how much I was consuming or how much I should consume and 2.) I used to train like a mad man and eat like a mad man. I stopped weight training and working out about 10 years ago, but I kept eating like I was trying to put on muscle...so I put on fat instead.
Mostly MFP has taught me about calories in/out and that if I want to eat, I need to train and that's just the way it is. Thankfully, I love to train. As far as eating cleaner and a more nutritiously, I have no option to go back to eating my old ways...in that RE, it's all about my blood work and I basically don't want to die just yet.
Good job everyone...while I don't fully understand logging eternally, I can appreciate that maybe some people just have to.0 -
I have been doing this on-and-off since MFP first started up...I was 19 and now I am 26! I have taken weeks or months off in the past. My weight does tend to increase when I stop tracking but the highest I've ever gotten was about 136, still lower than the 154 I was when I started undergrad at 18 and began exercise. Generally I start tracking again around 132 which is my max 'comfortable' weight. I have been doing this for long enough that I know how many calories are in most foods and I can estimate my intake.0
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