I stopped counting!

13567…12

Replies

  • wild_wild_life
    wild_wild_life Posts: 1,334 Member
    I stopped counting a few months ago and have been maintaining by being honest with myself about my true level of hunger -- I find I know when I am hungry and full, but in the past I have ignored those signals. After logging for over a year I decided that what I really wanted to focus my energy on was being able to tune into my body and give it what it needs. I can't believe it's working! It makes me feel like I have a super power or something. :smile:
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,269 Member
    I am certainly not an expert but I don't think that not counting would work for a food addict or compulsiev over eater. Maybe but I must throw some caution out to them.
    Absolutely.

    I think this is good for everyone to remember. On both sides of the coin.
    I DONT need to count forever, (and dont want to be told that calorie counting is the ONLY way), but I need to be reminded that for some folks "just cutting out the whites" and "eat intuitively" doesn't work (though it does for me).

    Thanks!
  • hookilau
    hookilau Posts: 3,134 Member
    I have made the decision to stop counting all my calories. I found that I was forming unhealthy habits and was being controlled by numbers. I have no idea how many calories I ate today, or how many I'll eat tomorrow. I'm going to continue like this for a few weeks before I weight in...hopefully I find that I can maintain like this :]

    Good for you for recognizing this pitfall.
    I too stopped counting, I've been maintaining for almost 2 months this way and I'm getting used to understanding satiety vs full (over-full) :drinker:
  • wild_wild_life
    wild_wild_life Posts: 1,334 Member
    I am certainly not an expert but I don't think that not counting would work for a food addict or compulsiev over eater. Maybe but I must throw some caution out to them.
    Absolutely.

    I think this is good for everyone to remember. On both sides of the coin.
    I DONT need to count forever, (and dont want to be told that calorie counting is the ONLY way), but I need to be reminded that for some folks "just cutting out the whites" and "eat intuitively" doesn't work (though it does for me).

    Thanks!

    Maybe, but I am the least intuitive person out there and I feel like if I can learn to do it, anyone can (or at least most people). I tried to "eat intuitively" for awhile and utterly failed, was about to go back to logging when I came across the book "how to have your cake and your skinny jeans too" by Josie Spinardi. She lays out a strategy very clearly.

    Here are the suggestions from the book:

    1. Eat when physically hungry (hunger is hard for me to recognize but she provides good tips for discerning true hunger; I used to do a lot of eating "in advance" in case I became hungry later and have pretty much stopped doing that)
    2. Eat what you really want (give yourself permission to have dessert/chips/etc. any time you want it (if you're physically hungry) -- once you know you can have what you want when you want it, it takes a lot of the mental stress away from eating)
    3. Be present/enjoy eating
    4. Stop when satisfied (this was also very difficult for me to recognize but again there are tricks offered in the book that make this easier -- and they work)
    5. Check in with yourself after eating to see how you feel (this helps you make better choices for your body and you start to want what feels healthy and nourishing)

    That is the basic approach. It sounds simple and obvious, but I needed these instructions. Once I started doing this, I felt like a different person around food. It is that powerful. I honestly think most people can do this if they try. Many people do this instinctively!

    It just occurred to me reading over this that this is really a good problem to have, considering all the people in the world who don't have access to enough food. We are all pretty lucky.
  • ajbemine4ever27
    ajbemine4ever27 Posts: 75 Member
    me too!! I stopped counting my calorie intake two months ago well at first I maintained the numbers for a month then stress came, family gathering here and there, preparation for exams, work and sadly I gained like 5 to 8 lbs. but I am working it out now but..i will not log my food anymore..
  • leadiax3
    leadiax3 Posts: 534 Member
    That 5 lb buffer plan is awesome! I am encouraged by that.
  • FakingFitness
    FakingFitness Posts: 325 Member
    I have been thinking about this for a while myself. Mind you I am only two months into getting started so I still have a long road to go but I am already driving myself cray. I feel like I have been depriving myself. I am not saying I am ready to go back to eating all sorts of fried foods or junk foods. I guess my question is should time stop counting this early in the game?

    Not counting is for people not trying to lose weight.
    If you're still in a weight loss cycle, you should definitely count. :)

    I count my cals. I'm not on a mission. I've never been overweight.
    But, I'm obsessed with numbers. I count EveryThing.
    I annoy myself, sometimes. lol
  • mommy3457
    mommy3457 Posts: 361 Member
    I joined mfp because I wanted to lose the weight I gained from my pregnancy. I lost all of it, and now, I'm just trying to lose some extra weight. I was always a healthy weight throughout my life so I know how to lose weight and maintain. I still ate what I liked, but small portions. I ate three times per day as well. I would have one snack too. All that being said, I want to give it a try again. I am disciplined enough to control how much I eat so I believe I'm going to do it.
  • mickeyullrich
    mickeyullrich Posts: 156 Member
    Bump to read later :0)!
  • lambchoplewis
    lambchoplewis Posts: 797
    Be very careful of not counting. I had lost and maintained for over 9 months. Then in May, I stopped and voila - I find myself in mid-August at 10 lbs up. I am back on track. I weigh myself every morning (use this to stop shoving things into my mouth), log my food and exercise and read these posts to get motivated for the day. I thought I could maintain without this discipline but I can't . This might not be everyone but I find maintaining harder than losing. It took 3 months to gain and will probably take that long to lose the extra weight but... it will come off.
  • snailrunner
    snailrunner Posts: 215 Member
    I stopped too after a month of maintenance (though I actually lost a little more). The biggest deal was weighing myself less often, I try to restrict to once a week now. It's been three months and I've lost a further 9lbs so I guess I've got this under control!
  • BigGuy47
    BigGuy47 Posts: 1,768 Member
    I don't count.
    If I start packing on the pounds I'll go back to counting, but I find it to be tedious and boring.
  • 55in13
    55in13 Posts: 1,091 Member
    Count me among the non counters - maybe. It is probably more accurate to say I don't log. I do keep some ballpark numbers in my head and I have a pretty boring workday lunch regimen and still don't normally snack at work (though I now will have a rare one when offered). I wear a belt almost every day and weigh fairly often (I don't obsess about spikes as long as I get a good reading every few days) so I will be aware of gain before it goes too far. I seem to still be trending slightly down, but only slightly so I expect things like Labor Day grilled ribs and/or brats will balance it out. Only one month at goal, but it is the weight I had for decades up until about 9 years ago.
  • kerve13
    kerve13 Posts: 13
    I've stopped counting recently, but I've only been logging/counting for a couple months. I've been trying to gain weight, and MFP made me realize my intake was lower than what I thought it was, but now I have a pretty good idea of how much I need each day.

    I will start logging again when my routine changes in another month when I try to lower my body fat.
  • theycallyoumister
    theycallyoumister Posts: 222 Member
    MFP should give people on maintenance a break from the daily need for logging in to "keep the streak alive" for consecutive days :smile: Weekly or monthly credit would be great!
  • min1012
    min1012 Posts: 1
    yeah good idea its ok to keep a rough idea but going into it heavily will just make you miserbly
  • rose228822
    rose228822 Posts: 186 Member
    I have made the decision to stop counting all my calories. I found that I was forming unhealthy habits and was being controlled by numbers. I have no idea how many calories I ate today, or how many I'll eat tomorrow. I'm going to continue like this for a few weeks before I weight in...hopefully I find that I can maintain like this :]


    I think whatever works for you...I count but don't find it a burden, mainly I track what I eat because sometimes I don't realize how much sodium or carbs I'm eating unless I actually see it on my phone....that's great that you can do without....maybe one day but I don't feel it's that big of an inconvenience and it's only since I start tracking that I've lost substantial weight....take care.
  • mamahannick
    mamahannick Posts: 322 Member
    Another non-counter here! This is my first week not counting, and I feel happier than ever. I'm listening to my body, making healthy decisions when I'm hungry, and stopping when I'm comfortably full. I still record my meals under "food notes" for some accountability to share with my friends, but I don't do the numbers anymore. I was obsessing over them and it contributed to the disordered eating I'm trying so hard to beat.

    Also, my goal is to maintain my current weight and it has stayed exactly the same all week. :)
  • BrainyBurro
    BrainyBurro Posts: 6,129 Member
    it's ok to take a break.

    at the 1 year point, i did. for 2 months. i gained weight. spent the next 2 months taking it back off.

    just be aware that can happen.

    i found "intuitive eating" didn't really work for me... at least not yet.
  • Meg_78
    Meg_78 Posts: 998 Member
    I needed to stop too, It was making me have a more unhealthy relationship with food than before, I became obsessive about what I was eating which was quite ridiculous as I was a gainer, and then maintainer. I counted for a year...now I know how much I need to be eating to maintain, and it comes more naturally...I did mange to change my instincts at least.

Categories