Had to stop calorie counting

A little, yes! But I like obsessions. :P You have to find what works for you - it's always nice to have a fall back plan or just more knowledge in your weight-loss arsenal - if it doesn't work out, you can always play with calories again! At least now you should have a better idea of what a portion is. Good luck! :flowerforyou:

I do find myself counting calories all the time as well, but I don't feel like it's an obsession yet. The only thing it did to me so far is that I have learned to be more cautious with what I eat, knowing how many calories can be in the things I never thought were so fattening. I feel like having learned the calories of the stuff I eat regularly has helped me eat more balanced and prefer to eat something nutritious with many calories rather than a piece of bread or something similar that brings nothing useful to my body (I eat whole grains for whatever little use bread might have).

If I want to eat and I notice that I have eaten all the calories I should have that day, I just... drink a glass of water and not eat. I think this calorie counting thing helps with discipline.

I think those of us with a lot more to lose need the structure it gives otherwise over time things might slide but hope like you that when I'm within earshot of my goal I can take things more casually.

I did that years ago (maybe 11-12?) but it all drove me insane too! I eventually gained it all back and more.
What I've done is switched my plates. I now eat on 8-9" and weight is consistently coming off!
Note: because I'm disabled/wheelchair bound, I've discovered that intermittent fasting/calorie reduction is what I need to stay healthy, but it's my unique experience, no one else's. I recommend people to switch the size of their dinner plates though. Even if you ate 3x a day, your calorie consumption is immediately lowered because the size difference is around 40% less. It's not an automatic adjustment for everyone, but even a few days to get used to it,will still give you a calorie deficit and/or control the amount of calories you need to eat a day. Try it, it might work for you!

I've kind of wondered this about myself too. If I'm thinking just a little too much about the numbers and planning ahead for everything I eat. The words 'eating disorder' has entered my mind too, although i dont really think its a problem. I've met my initial goal but can't quite feel comfortable raising my calorie intake just yet. Could definitely Stand another five pounds anyway. It's something I'm aware of though.

I hit a plateau and people suggested raising cals for a bit and the idea scared me which is when I thought hmm maybe this isn't the way to go for me

People who suggest upping your calories because you are in a plateau, don't know what they are talking about. Weight loss stalls because there is no longer a deficit (for whatever reason).

If tracking is seeming to trigger something unhealthy in you, than by all means, stop doing it! It can be tough to lose those stubborn last pounds without tracking, but it can be done.

Good luck!!

I've kind of wondered this about myself too. If I'm thinking just a little too much about the numbers and planning ahead for everything I eat. The words 'eating disorder' has entered my mind too, although i dont really think its a problem. I've met my initial goal but can't quite feel comfortable raising my calorie intake just yet. Could definitely Stand another five pounds anyway. It's something I'm aware of though.

Just something for you to consider but most people get rather paranoid about upping calories if they don't systemically increase intake as they lose weight. Thus I recommend you start increasing calories so you aren't potentially staring at a large number which would add even more anxiety.

Thanks! I hadn't thought of it from that angle. The thought of suddenly adding 250-300 cals a day to go to maintenance freaks me out. Perhaps a gradual increase of maybe 50 cals per day at a time over a few weeks would be helpful to me. I appreciate the input.