When you don't want to calorie count

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sophieamhaley
sophieamhaley Posts: 85
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
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
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Replies

  • ashleydawnm16
    ashleydawnm16 Posts: 17 Member
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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!! :)
  • SharonCMach
    SharonCMach Posts: 305 Member
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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:
  • mmetzlerdk
    mmetzlerdk Posts: 3 Member
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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!
    Mark
  • sarahenagy
    sarahenagy Posts: 66 Member
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    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.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,015 Member
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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.
  • sophieamhaley
    sophieamhaley Posts: 85
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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.

    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...
  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member
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    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.
  • RoyBeck
    RoyBeck Posts: 947 Member
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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.
  • twixlepennie
    twixlepennie Posts: 1,074 Member
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    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.
  • bpotts44
    bpotts44 Posts: 1,066 Member
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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.
  • Deipneus
    Deipneus Posts: 1,862 Member
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    Anyway, I was wondering if you guys all log on and stay within your calorie goal, every day.
    Log? Yes. Stay within my goal every day? No. I also weigh 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.
  • sfinsterys
    sfinsterys Posts: 14 Member
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    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.
  • WhisperAnne
    WhisperAnne Posts: 453
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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)
  • The_Enginerd
    The_Enginerd Posts: 3,982 Member
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    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.
  • BL_Coleman
    BL_Coleman Posts: 324 Member
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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.
  • stutzmanmba
    stutzmanmba Posts: 9 Member
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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!
  • Bry_Fitness70
    Bry_Fitness70 Posts: 2,480 Member
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    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!
  • sophieamhaley
    sophieamhaley Posts: 85
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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 ????????
  • cherie515
    cherie515 Posts: 37 Member
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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!
  • morethanthis0
    morethanthis0 Posts: 260 Member
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    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 to

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