I am going to stop counting calories.

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mandapanda721
mandapanda721 Posts: 31
in Motivation and Support
I'm just so sick of it. The poor body image, the yo-yoing, the starving and binging, secretly looking up calorie counts for EVERYTHING.
I have gained all of my weight back eating unhealthily. Drinking diet soda, smoking, grazing, being obsessed with food. It's unhealthy.
So.... I think what I am going to do is just eat a healthy diet. Fruits, vegetables, coffee, lean meat, beans, nuts, and bread only if it is sprouted grain or if my mom serves it for dinner. Then I will have a tiny portion of whatever is for dinner. Maybe once a week allow myself to have a cookie or whatever. Most of all I will EXERCISE.
I need to eat in a manner that is sustainable. I can't be counting calories for the rest of my life and let it consume me like this.
My highest weight was 143, but at this time i was eating hoagies, cookies, mac and cheese, half pints of ice cream...the doctor even said I had high cholesterol. At 115 pounds.....I was barely even eating at all. Maybe even eating the same things but only 500 calories a day of it.
Now, I figure I will eat in a way that is healthy. Whole foods, and if it isn't a fruit or a vegetable only eat as much that could fit into the palm of my hand.....which is kinda tiny but whatever I'm still hungry from I can just fill up on vegetables. I am also cutting out sugar and any drink that isn't water.
I am also going to start cardio and strength training. Maybe lift 2 - 3 times a week and then run on use the elliptical for 3 days out of the week. I'm going to college and really want to avoid the freshman 15, but the place offers salad and healthy food there so I think I will be ok. I am 135 pounds right now and I hope by eating like this I will eventually drop down to 130 or 125. I think my body is comfortable around there.
What do you think? It's a little bit scary to let go like this. Has anyone else given up calorie counting and had good results?

Replies

  • deb3129
    deb3129 Posts: 1,294 Member
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    I gave it up for a couple of months not long ago. I had reached a plateau, and had done everything I could to shake it, and I just got tired of the logging and obsessing over everything I ate. So I quit logging for a bit. But I kept eating healthy, and exercising, and the normal stuff. I did not lose any weight during this time, but I did not gain any either. I have now gone back to logging, and the weight is slowly coming off again. I dont think that I am losing again because I am logging, I think it was just time to lose some more!
  • bcf7683
    bcf7683 Posts: 1,653 Member
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    Why can't you eat the "healthy" diet that you outlined plus count the calories....? If you're eating healthily there shouldn't be a problem when it comes to the calorie counts.
  • glin23
    glin23 Posts: 460 Member
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    I lost most of my weight without counting calories. I mean, I would look at labels and the serving size, keeping in mind the calroies, as an FYI of sorts, but only now have i really counted them. So think it's fine. More importantly, I think you might need to learn when your body is actually full so you don't overeat. Don't be afraid to have leftovers or not clean your plate. That really helped me on my weight loss journey.
  • mandapanda721
    mandapanda721 Posts: 31
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    To prevent overeating I'm usually going to follow a rule of
    Drinking 2 glasses of water before meals
    Drink water during my meal as well
    Eat about 2/3 of my plate
    Eat out of smaller containers
    No snacking between meals...unless I'm reaallyyy hungry. Then I'll have an apple or something.
  • glin23
    glin23 Posts: 460 Member
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    To prevent overeating I'm usually going to follow a rule of
    Drinking 2 glasses of water before meals
    Drink water during my meal as well
    Eat about 2/3 of my plate
    Eat out of smaller containers
    No snacking between meals...unless I'm reaallyyy hungry. Then I'll have an apple or something.

    This is basically what I did when I was losing most of my weight. The one addendum I would make is that I'd check to see if my hunger was actually thirst. Also, I'd try to eat off a smaller plate.
  • mandapanda721
    mandapanda721 Posts: 31
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    Yeah....today was my first day. Probably had about 1400 calories if I had to do an estimate. I need to stop thinking like this and just live :/

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