Is it possible to maintain weight without counting calories

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  • EvaStrange
    EvaStrange Posts: 59 Member
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    I usually only gain weight if I grossly overeat (like, all day long with hardly any break in between snacks) and abandon my exercise routine at the same time. I'd therefore say it's totally possible!

    However, my typical diet is high-carb, low-fat (well, low in comparison :wink: ). I might put on weight more easily if I ate fatty foods all the time. Cutting back on fat makes me lose weight fastest; my guess is that it works the same vice versa. As unhealthy as overindulging in sugar is, it doesn't seem to have the same effect on my weight as fat has.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
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    Yup. I've done it my entire life.

    After a while you just get used to knowing what you're body needs and don't over eat. If you over eat, you work out a little more. I don't know. Maybe I'm a special snowflake. I'm sure others will weigh in.

    I said that until I was 40. Then it wasn't true. My eating was the same but my metabolism was not. Then menopause and bingo - gone.

    Could I do it again now that I know my new balance? Maybe. But why? Most people regain because they stop doing what they did too lose the weight and go back to old habits.

    If I were going to stop logging, I would wean myself off it and do random couple day spot checks to see how accurate I was being. Your scale will help too.

    (BTW, Snowflake, why d you need this site to maintain then? This is a serious, not sarcastic, question. I know it sounds snarky.)
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    It depends on how active you are and how much you love 'unhealthy' foods, I think. A very active person will be able to keep weight off without trying, even if they don't eat that well. Same for someone who naturally has no problem eating healthier foods, only eating when hungry, and being very reasonable when eating sweets (for example).

    On the other hand, someone like me who needs a treat (or two) every day, and always has issues with wanting to eat even when I'm not hungry, is very likely to gain it all back if not logging.

    So yes, definitely possible, but probably not for everyone.
  • ILoveGingerNut
    ILoveGingerNut Posts: 367 Member
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    It's just about being sensible. Nothing happen by chance. Everybody loves a treat.
    I pretty much doubt that all people not overweight log their calories. Oh, by the way, I only had a PC for about 15 years. How did people maintain a normal weight before the internet????
    My granma never logged. My mother neither. They just watched their diet.
  • sharebear2012
    sharebear2012 Posts: 122 Member
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    Yes you can maintain and not count, but be careful with portion size and choice. Just because you are not counting does not mean the food has zero calories. And as everyone said weigh yourself regularly.
  • Jenn842512
    Jenn842512 Posts: 41 Member
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    I can't stand counting calories. Even over a 60+ lb weight loss a never did it too reliably. You learn what's good for you and what's not, you listen to your body, and BEST of all, you stay super active you you're always earning those calories anyway!
  • manhn1
    manhn1 Posts: 137 Member
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    I generally don't count calories as I tend to eat things over and over and over again. I only eat what I like and have never been much for variety anyway. At least during the week, my meals are pretty uniform. If I go to a restaurant on the weekend, I have general go-to meals for each type of cuisine. Going to house parties is probably the hardest thing for me because I can't prepare ahead of time and it's harder to eyeball, especially if it's not a buffet type of dinner party.

    I mean, do people really eat all this variety of food that requires them to count calories every single day? I realize that not every apple or slice of bread will be the same size, but it's still an apple or a slice of bread.
  • amaysngrace
    amaysngrace Posts: 742 Member
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    I don't think so, unless you have good metabolism or eat the exact same stuff everyday. I mean, the reason I gained weight was because I was unaware of how many calories I was consuming. For the first 25 years of my life, I could eat without counting calories because I had a high metabolism, but once I started skipping breakfast and lunch and only eating dinner and then pigging out for dinner, my metabolism slowed down and I was always in starvation mode and the weight secretly piled up on me, until I was a whopping 238 pounds.

    So, once I get to maintenance mode after I lose another 40 more pounds, I will continue to count calories. People always say that you have to burn more than you consume. But, how would anyone know exactly how much it is they are suppose to consume, if sites like this one, did not help you find out the exact numbers?
  • sarahmichel101
    sarahmichel101 Posts: 158 Member
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    Anything is possible right? But I find that I am better when I do count. I honestly do not notice when I am over eating day to day. I never really feel full. I am a bottomless pit! And without recording what I eat it is so much easier to snack 24/7. I don't know how I will feel in a few years, but for now the activity of counting dedicates me, and distracts me in the evenings so I don;t crave to snack too much. The only things I like to do better than eating are talking, and planning. Keeps me busy!
  • amaysngrace
    amaysngrace Posts: 742 Member
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    I can't stand counting calories. Even over a 60+ lb weight loss a never did it too reliably. You learn what's good for you and what's not, you listen to your body, and BEST of all, you stay super active you you're always earning those calories anyway!


    I must be weird then because I loooove counting calories. It's my favorite thing to do on here! I even will plan my diary several days in advance because I love to do it so much It's fun to me, I don't know why, lol. I'm a foodie though, so that might explain it.
  • RoKnockz
    RoKnockz Posts: 1
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    It's somewhat easy. Most people eat the same 10-15 foods every day. Once you know the calories of those foods, and you know your maintenance caloric needs, it's easy to estimate how close you are to that amount.
  • edwardkim85
    edwardkim85 Posts: 438 Member
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    Yes, my parnets have done it their whole lives... Both in their 50's and fit... but you will need a scale.

    Step on a scale every week or two.

    If you put on 2kg or so, start your diet IMMEDIATELY.(don't think it's water weight and it will go down, etc. It won't).

    step on scale a week later, if you dropped that 2kg, then good, if you dropped only 1kg, diet more.

    Once you're back to your normal weight, don't step on scale for another couple weeks.

    Repeat.
  • edwardkim85
    edwardkim85 Posts: 438 Member
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    People that say,

    " don't worry about the weight, worry about how your clothes fit"

    That doesn't always work.

    I could fit in the same jeans and clothes from 200 --> 240 lbs.

    It only works for people who have a small frame.
  • MickeyCastello
    MickeyCastello Posts: 269
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    I guess, for me, it's possible but not probable. I worked too damned hard to get where I am, and don't want to let it slip even a little bit.
  • Xiaolongbao
    Xiaolongbao Posts: 854 Member
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    Yet another thread that shows.... wait for it... we're all different!

    Some people can maintain without counting. Some people can't.

    Personally I've always been active. Always eaten healthily. And you know what, I got FAT anyway! Somebody else used the phrase "bottomless pit" in their reply and that's me too. Will I have to count calories forever? Who knows... things change but what I know right now is that if I don't log my foods I don't lose weight. It's that simple. I've just spend 7 months not logging to prove it :-( (obviously that wasn't why I didn't log - moving countries and starting a new job was the cause, putting on weight was just the outcome).

    Now I'm certainly not prepared to say everyone else needs to log - I'm surrounded by skinny people who've never counted a calorie in their life - find what works for you.
  • pinkraynedropjacki
    pinkraynedropjacki Posts: 3,027 Member
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    Yep. I do 4:3 eating & I dont eat anything on my fasting days (40 hours at a time) and then on my 'normal' days I dont bother counting at all.
  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
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    I've been on maintenance for about six months now and I still feel more confident if I count calories. I hope I will get to a point where I don't have to do it all the time.
  • Vailara
    Vailara Posts: 2,454 Member
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    I'm kind of doing it at the moment, although I throw in a bit of calorie counting every now and then. I aim to eat three meals a day, watch portion size and don't snack. I also weigh often (OK, daily), so I can check whether I'm gaining.

    I feel that I need some sort of control on my intake, or I'd gain again. Calorie counting would work, but it's nice to have a break from it.
  • florentinovillaro
    florentinovillaro Posts: 342 Member
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    I think that all depends on your activity and the amount of food you eat. If you're good about portions, and you exercise a ton, it would be easy to get by not counting.

    But as the saying goes "If it's not being monitored, it's not being done".

    There are those who manage, and there are those who need to be managed.

    I think if it's your goal to lose, it would be more efficient to count because you're watching each and every bite and step you make.

    It's easy for me to get by not counting (at home), my menu rarely changes week to week, but the moment I get invited to a dinner party or a luncheon, there goes the farm.
  • ktsmom430
    ktsmom430 Posts: 1,100 Member
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    For a lot of people, of course it is.
    Unfortuanately, I am not one of those people. I will have to monitor myself for the rest of my life, and will do it gladly to be healthier than I was 2 years ago. I know the calories and portion sizes of food that I eat now, but I still have to log everything that I eat. Just the way it is for me.

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