TIRED OF COUNTING CALORIES

crazycleo
crazycleo Posts: 36
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi, I've been on MFP since february with the goal of getting in shape and toning up a bit. I lost 11 pounds since then, the goal was 14 but I'm not there yet, I don't know if it's even where I want to be, I just picked it because 135 seemed like a nice number.

I'm not overweight but I do have a few trouble zones that I'm not entirely happy with. I exercise about 6 times per week, usually for around an hour. I've been learning to run, just completed C25K and have now started the 10K program. I've also been lifting weights a few times a week and doing Jillian Michaels videos (Just finished 6 Week Six Pack and Killer Buns and Thighs).
At this point I don't really care about the scale, I'm much more interested in how I look/feel in my own skin. I'm not entirely happy with my body but I'm not sure whether or not I have to lose weight to get where I want to be. What I DO know is that I am VERY fed up with counting calories.
I LOVE TO EAT! I eat more than most people that I know (or I did before I started MFP) but I find myself constantly hungry (Even at TDEE -20%) and even before I started MFP, I just like eating. Is counting calories really doing anything for me? Can't I just eat clean and exercise? I'm tired of being hungry all the time and I'm tired of logging everything that I put in my mouth. It takes all the fun out of eating.
I have a new found love of exercise which I intend to keep doing for the foreseeable future. But while I intend to eat clean (I always have) I don't think that counting calories is something that I can do for the rest of my life. And this is supposed to be a lifestyle change right?
Has anyone else been successful in their fitness journey with JUST exercise? Or with exercise and clean eating, not counting calories?
Thanks!

Replies

  • raisingemilyjune
    raisingemilyjune Posts: 181
    look up intuitive eating, i think that's what you're looking for :)
  • JRSchumaker
    JRSchumaker Posts: 93 Member
    If you feel like you *must* count calories but you're just sick of it, why not give yourself a break? Don't do it for a week or two, and see what happens. Everything else being equal, if you're genuinely eating to satisfy hunger and you're eating healthy/clean, you should be fine. We *ought* to be able to exist like that. Hopefully one day I will be.
  • lenamae23
    lenamae23 Posts: 60 Member
    I think you should stop. If you are just trying to get into shape then I don't think counting calories is all that important. If you find yourself putting on the jiggly stuff more than muscle then maybe go back to counting calories.
  • SarahSmilesCA
    SarahSmilesCA Posts: 261 Member
    Lots of people are successful with clean eating, paleo eating, and low carb eating (they don't count carbs, they just don't eat many of them in a day). Even Weight Watchers uses a program called "simply filling" which focuses on clean eating and in the past I lost a lot of weight using it. However they used to not require point counting with it but now they do because they found a lot of people not accurately estimating their portion sizes and not listening to hunger cues.

    IF you can be conscious of your portions and your hunger cues and if you understand that at some point you must make sure you are not UNDER eating when you exercise, (that is really the tricky part) then you probably have a shot at being successful.

    However I also know people in training that began to stall because they started NOT eating enough with this method. For me I count calories because there are MANY days, especially cardio days like today that I have not eaten enough. I worked out nearly a 1000 extra calories today. I am NOT hungry and I really DONT want to eat anymore today, but my protein levels are not nearly what they should be. If I refuse to eat then I will be starving in the morning and it will mess up my workout schedule because I will stuff myself before I go to the gym, and I might run the risk of going over calories tomorrow.

    So I count calories. But I have gotten so good at it that I know what 1600 calories looks like in a day so I am not all that OCD about them like I used to be. You know things dripping with oil, or 12 inch subs with tons of bread is not going to be clean, so you make your choices, avoid things and estimate. Just be honest with the estimates.
  • crazycleo
    crazycleo Posts: 36
    Thanks, I think I'll try giving it a break, like maybe a couple weeks or a month and then reassess where I'm at. I know that I need to pay better attention to my hunger cues though. I think I often want to eat simply out of boredom, not because I'm truly hungry.
  • Anthony110101111110001101
    Anthony110101111110001101 Posts: 239 Member
    bump
  • Momm22boys
    Momm22boys Posts: 48
    I was feeling the same way. About 3 weeks ago, at 5 pounds from my goal weight I took a break from counting calories. I'm still focused on making healthy food choices and exercising regularly. I've only lost a half a pound since then but I think I've gotten over the burn out on calorie counting. My 30 day break is almost over and I plan to get back to calorie counting so I can lose these last 5 pounds.

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