When you don't want to calorie count
sophieamhaley
Posts: 85
Hi everyone, I joined MFP at the beginning of the year, I didn't have a lot to lose and I have reached my goal, although now I kind of want to lower it a few more pounds but that's another story.
Anyway, I was wondering if you guys all log on and stay within your calorie goal, every day. I've had a couple of days where I've gone a bit over, but at the moment I feel like I want to have a massive splurge & am wondering whether to just do it and get it out of my system!
I'd like to know how others cope when the urge gets crazy!
Thanks
Sophie
Anyway, I was wondering if you guys all log on and stay within your calorie goal, every day. I've had a couple of days where I've gone a bit over, but at the moment I feel like I want to have a massive splurge & am wondering whether to just do it and get it out of my system!
I'd like to know how others cope when the urge gets crazy!
Thanks
Sophie
0
Replies
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I am pretty good most days with calorie counting, the odd day I go over. I have cheat days once a week to enjoy foods I love. I say if you feel like you want to have a major splurge, do it and enjoy!!
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Congrats on reaching your goal. I still log on and count my calories, it helps me keep things in perspective. 95% of the time I am within my calorie goal for the day. I splurge more on the weekends, holidays or special events. If you want to splurge I say do it, depriving yourself of certian foods will only hurt you in the end. Just make sure to get back on track the next day. :drinker:0
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Hi Sophie,
I think the important thing is to eat healthy and work out most of the time. We are all human so sometime we just need to let go and enjoy our self.
I personal will do a lot more work out if I know that I am going out with friends, the last thing I want then is just sitting and eating vegetables and drinking water :-)
I think that if you never let go then you mind will just keep cycling around it, so better get it out of your system and simply do some more workout to even it out.
Enjoy yourself!
Mark0 -
I keep my calories low (as if I was still loosing .5 lb a week) during the week and then do not count on the weekends. Now, I do not go crazy just for the sake of going crazy on the weekends, but I do loosen the belt and give myself some freedom. This helps me stay on track during the week.0
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One splurge day is not going to affect your weight, other than a little water weight.
I've been in Maintenance for six years, and I don't log food anymore unless I notice I've gained three pounds - then I force myself to log for a week or so and figure it out again. I frequently go waaaay over calories and don't gain. Like once a week or so I'll go over by 1,000 or more calories. It takes a lot more than one day to unravel stuff.0 -
One splurge day is not going to affect your weight, other than a little water weight.
I've been in Maintenance for six years, and I don't log food anymore unless I notice I've gained three pounds - then I force myself to log for a week or so and figure it out again. I frequently go waaaay over calories and don't gain. Like once a week or so I'll go over by 1,000 or more calories. It takes a lot more than one day to unravel stuff.
I like that idea. I think the logging of things can become quite obsessive, I'm an all or nothing kind of person, I think I need to mellow out!
If I see the calorie intake go into red I automatically get cross with myself, I really need to try and be less rigid...0 -
I splurge regularly and don't log anything. Most days I just use common sense & don't eat too much, some days I go nuts. It balances out in the end.0
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I have been on MFP for 8 months now and I'm 60lbs down in total. I stopped logging (Bar a few days last week) around Xmas. Prior to that I logged for 6 months straight. At Xmas I weighed 211. Yesterday I weighed 210. That was after 5 weeks without logging.
I'm going back to logging and losing from next week but the break was well needed.0 -
I've been in maintenance for a few months now and I only spot check calories a couple times a week with my food tracker. I still do other things to keep me on track (weigh myself daily, still measure out portion sizes, don't eat after 7pm because evening eating is a trigger for me etc etc). I've found for me, I'm able to maintain within my maintenance window, without daily calorie counting anymore.0
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I've been maintaining for close to a year now. What I do is eat to satiety and I cut all sugar and grains from my diet aside from the occasional treat, but I don't go crazy. This has been very successful for me.0
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Log? Yes. Stay within my goal every day? No. I also weigh every day.Anyway, I was wondering if you guys all log on and stay within your calorie goal, every day.
I lost weight in 2005 and quit logging. It took a while, but eventually weight creep took over. This time when I went on maintenance in May 2012, I figured I better stick with it.0 -
I logged obsessively for 1 year, and lost 43 pounds during that time. I stopped logging at that time, and bounced up a few pounds immediately, but I was able to maintain for 6 or 7 years without logging. Then my metabolism changed, and here I am trying to lose 20 pounds that I gained back. It is SO MUCH HARDER to get back into the logging habit.0
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One splurge day is not going to affect your weight, other than a little water weight.
I've been in Maintenance for six years, and I don't log food anymore unless I notice I've gained three pounds - then I force myself to log for a week or so and figure it out again. I frequently go waaaay over calories and don't gain. Like once a week or so I'll go over by 1,000 or more calories. It takes a lot more than one day to unravel stuff.
This gives me hope! I sometimes don't feel like keeping track and would like to splurge. I was thinking one splurge day a month sounds good, as long as I get back on track the next day. ( I've been maintaining for 4 years)0 -
I still log everything everyday, but stay within my calorie goal daily? LOL, not a chance! I average over the week and go for a weekly goal. I still enjoy myself and have nights out where I am way over goal for the day.0
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I don't count on the weekends..never have. Granted I don't generally eat an entire pizza either... I am still losing weight..albeit very slowly. Since my counting has been kinda sporadic lately. Although I generally know what most things I eat are now and try to make good decisions. Don't eat 4,000 calories in a splurge...but a splurge dinner of 1000 won't kill you or knock you off track.0
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I log daily regardless even if I splurge. The only time I don't is when I go somewhere where I can't log in real time and eat a ton of different foods....for example a Christmas feast. I just have something saved 'elephant' to say I ate an elephant. (a lot of food and the damage is done so I don't care about details at this point)
I feel that one splurge a week will come out of you within 24 hours if your body is not used to it and you will get back on track.
I don't encourage the weekly splurge but I know there is diet theory out there where you need to be extremely strict 6 days a week and pig out on day 7...whatever you want you will be able to stay on track and you will resist temptation knowing what is down the road.
Lastly, my goal is more to maintain weight. I have a few to drop and for about the next 10 weeks or so I will get back to my goal weight but wow is it ever hard to stay there once I get to that weight. Hopefully in time, it will get easier. Good luck!0 -
I log daily, but look at my calorie goals from a weekly perspective, not necessarily daily. I'm in maintenance mode, so I'm just looking for either a small deficit or increase (+ or - 10-15%) at the end of the week, not worrying too much about a bad day or two!0
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I think my urge to splurge today isn't helped by the fact that I don't feel too good, everyone in my family has had colds & I feel like it's catching up with me. You know what they say, feed a cold, starve a fever. I might just let it go for today and get back on track tomorrow. I just don't like seeing the minus calories in red ????????0
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I will attempt to document my splurge the best I can. Yesterday though I think I put myself in a sugar coma and didn't even bother logging as I was going to eat it anyways. I'm back on track today and had tons of energy for my 5:00 am run. I do miss logging within a day or two so I just let myself have the little break and now logging is feeling like my normal.
I say if your logging 80-90% and need a splurge, go get it girl!0 -
Oh man I had the same feeling last night. I am very good logging my calories even when I go over but I've had a lot of stress lately and I just want a day of no logging and eat all the things! lol but I feel like that may just mess me up so I am not going to...although I want to0
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This made me laugh! "Elephant"...0
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I log daily regardless even if I splurge. The only time I don't is when I go somewhere where I can't log in real time and eat a ton of different foods....for example a Christmas feast. I just have something saved 'elephant' to say I ate an elephant. (a lot of food and the damage is done so I don't care about details at this point)
This made me laugh! "Elephant"...0 -
Hi everyone, I joined MFP at the beginning of the year, I didn't have a lot to lose and I have reached my goal, although now I kind of want to lower it a few more pounds but that's another story.
Anyway, I was wondering if you guys all log on and stay within your calorie goal, every day. I've had a couple of days where I've gone a bit over, but at the moment I feel like I want to have a massive splurge & am wondering whether to just do it and get it out of my system!
I'd like to know how others cope when the urge gets crazy!
Thanks
Sophie
what are your calorie goals now? having reached your goal, are you eating to maintenance? what was/is your deficit? when i came out of a 1 Lb per week loss calorie goal to maintenance, that was an extra 500 calories...you can do quite a bit with 500 extra calories. Also, you don't gain fat with one day of overeating, just like you don't lose fat with one day of under-eating...your body doesn't work that way; you have to consistently do one or the other to override your body's ability to maintain energy balance.
I've been maintaining for 9 months...I don't log...I eat intuitively and rock my nutrition and fitness...I overindulge probably once or twice per week and that hasn't hindered my maintenance...but like I said, I also rock my fitness and overall eat a very nutrient dense and balanced diet.0 -
"I eat intuitively and rock my nutrition and fitness...I overindulge probably once or twice per week and that hasn't hindered my maintenance...but like I said, I also rock my fitness and overall eat a very nutrient dense and balanced diet."
This has been my approach for over 2 years now. And, as a number of people are alluding to, remember it's ALL ABOUT CALORIE CYCLING ...or at least that works for me. I look at my weekly calorie "Goal" as just that - a weekly goal. So, when I splurge on one day I make sure to make up for it another day...and always try to stick to an exercise regimen.
And, as long as you can get back on the horse, we only have to be good 80% of the time...though when your sick you need to do what you can to feel good...even if that means a little extra hot chocolate...though I personally go with Cafe Con Leche.0 -
Hi everyone, I joined MFP at the beginning of the year, I didn't have a lot to lose and I have reached my goal, although now I kind of want to lower it a few more pounds but that's another story.
Anyway, I was wondering if you guys all log on and stay within your calorie goal, every day. I've had a couple of days where I've gone a bit over, but at the moment I feel like I want to have a massive splurge & am wondering whether to just do it and get it out of my system!
I'd like to know how others cope when the urge gets crazy!
Thanks
Sophie
what are your calorie goals now? having reached your goal, are you eating to maintenance? what was/is your deficit? when i came out of a 1 Lb per week loss calorie goal to maintenance, that was an extra 500 calories...you can do quite a bit with 500 extra calories. Also, you don't gain fat with one day of overeating, just like you don't lose fat with one day of under-eating...your body doesn't work that way; you have to consistently do one or the other to override your body's ability to maintain energy balance.
I've been maintaining for 9 months...I don't log...I eat intuitively and rock my nutrition and fitness...I overindulge probably once or twice per week and that hasn't hindered my maintenance...but like I said, I also rock my fitness and overall eat a very nutrient dense and balanced diet.
MFP says my calorie goal is 2,100 to maintain, I've changed it to 2000. I walk five miles a day (approx 4mph) plus I do between 10-40 minutes of HIIT/strength training per day (five or six days a week tbh) and my job means I am on my feet, plus I have two small children so I am rarely inactive. Therefore I put my activity level down as "active" and then I don't actually log my exercise on here because I figure that calorie burn is different for different people, right? So I wasn't sure that MFP would be getting my calorie burn right.0 -
I do a general log of my day. I don't get crazy with it. I kind of know the amount of cals I take in from all of the logging I used to do. Also, I eat pretty sensibly and based on what I burn (Fitbit/HRM) I don't worry about going over my calories so much. Try to plan your splurges to balance out your calories, and get back on track and keep it moving.0
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hahaha "elephant" I like that... it's a good way to just generalize the fact that what you ate is too hard to document -- for example yesterday I did really well until I went out to dinner with someone. We had wine and shared plates with ingredients like gorgonzola, brussel sprouts, palenta, zucchini, ribs... I'm going to just use "elephant" now so that i don't give up logging for that day. I realize that I tend to log only my good days. But it's all about the overall picture of the week and also about trends. 5 or 6 good days and one elephant-- i can live with that. thanks for snapping me back into a realistic perspective. 0
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I log daily regardless even if I splurge. The only time I don't is when I go somewhere where I can't log in real time and eat a ton of different foods....for example a Christmas feast. I just have something saved 'elephant' to say I ate an elephant. (a lot of food and the damage is done so I don't care about details at this point)
I feel that one splurge a week will come out of you within 24 hours if your body is not used to it and you will get back on track.
I don't encourage the weekly splurge but I know there is diet theory out there where you need to be extremely strict 6 days a week and pig out on day 7...whatever you want you will be able to stay on track and you will resist temptation knowing what is down the road.
Lastly, my goal is more to maintain weight. I have a few to drop and for about the next 10 weeks or so I will get back to my goal weight but wow is it ever hard to stay there once I get to that weight. Hopefully in time, it will get easier. Good luck!
hahaha "elephant" I like that... it's a good way to just generalize the fact that what you ate is too hard to document -- for example yesterday I did really well until I went out to dinner with someone. We had wine and shared plates with ingredients like gorgonzola, brussel sprouts, palenta, zucchini, ribs... I'm going to just use "elephant" now so that i don't give up logging for that day. I realize that I tend to log only my good days. But it's all about the overall picture of the week and also about trends. 5 or 6 good days and one elephant-- i can live with that. thanks for snapping me back into a realistic perspective. 0 -
I log daily regardless even if I splurge. The only time I don't is when I go somewhere where I can't log in real time and eat a ton of different foods....for example a Christmas feast. I just have something saved 'elephant' to say I ate an elephant. (a lot of food and the damage is done so I don't care about details at this point)
I like the idea of the elephant. I might try that to keep myself from being so strict with my logging all the time.0 -
Well I've splurged, I don't feel too happy about it, but it's done now. A pretty embarrassing 700 cals over my goal but back to normal tomorrow!0
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