Lost 80 lbs and never counted calories!

Fair enough, OP, but let's see you reach your goal weight/healthy weight without doing so...

OP.. Its a bit like going onto a fertility site and telling people they dont need to track their cycles to get pregnant..cause you didn't and got pregnant anyway..
Most of us here track..because we want to. It works and we like it. Like WW or any other of a number of methods. Bottom line is.. what we were doing, made us bigger/unhealthier . This makes us thinner and healthier. And frankly not everyone is capable of being moderate all the time without a guideline to stick to. Those that are.. perhaps aren't on mfp. Perhaps they don't struggle with portion control or know how much a 'serve' is without having to weigh it.
I agree in theory with what you are saying. But the delivery and the placement of said information.. not so much.
Good luck with your continued loss.

As said earlier, I'm trying to connect with people who've lost weight without calorie counting. IF THIS IS YOU, PLEASE SHARE YOUR STORY

I'm sorry, but how exactly are you expecting to find people who've lost weight without counting calories in a calorie count app forum?

I'm not criticizing your method to lose weight, I just don't get the logic behind your post. It's like going to McDonnald's and ask if there are any people there not eating their food.

Bad analogy.

Not everyone here is actively calorie counting. I know, because I've met them.

I arrived at this site doing a random google search on weight loss topics. Didn't even know it was a calorie counting site until days after I found it. But there is more than enough material on the forums not related to calorie counting to keep my attentions. I don't even use the MFP app.

I've met people on here who calorie counted in the past, but moved on to intuitive eating.

I've found people who use the MFP just track exercise, one woman only tracks her water intake. There are ways to use the tool without logging and counting.

You'd be surprised how many other non-calorie counters are around here.

I think it's funny how some of us calorie counters seem threatened when someone is doing something different ! All of these " this is a calorie counting site". This site is so much more than a calorie in/ out log. There is tons of information about exercise. Many motivational threads. Success stories. Challenges. You can find groups that cover every exercise and eating choice. If the only purpose of MFP was to count calories it would not be as popular or as useful. So in an area about motivation and support - let's be supportive! Congratulations on your weight loss.

The most supportive thing anyone has said in this thread. Thank you for understanding the context of my post. Also, thank you to the others who also acknowledged my point and congratulated me. I was able to break my weight barrier by joining this website and learning from you guys. Seems to be more negative people on here than I thought. To the poster that said I have a lot of weight to lose and that I'm still a young guy....Go Figure!!! That is why I am here! And I am proud of my youth and wouldn't trade it for the world. Enjoying life.

I'm the one who said you're a young guy with alot to lose and that's why your plan is working--you don't get it at all. As you get older this won't work. It's easier to lose when you're younger. In 20 years I'd like to see you on this plan of yours. However, I don't want you to fail, and I don't think anyone on MFP wants that. All of the negative comments are from people that have seen it before. They are just trying to inform you to be careful as you get closer to goal so you won't stall. I think that's nice even if you don't.

I think it's funny how some of us calorie counters seem threatened when someone is doing something different ! All of these " this is a calorie counting site". This site is so much more than a calorie in/ out log. There is tons of information about exercise. Many motivational threads. Success stories. Challenges. You can find groups that cover every exercise and eating choice. If the only purpose of MFP was to count calories it would not be as popular or as useful. So in an area about motivation and support - let's be supportive! Congratulations on your weight loss.

The most supportive thing anyone has said in this thread. Thank you for understanding the context of my post. Also, thank you to the others who also acknowledged my point and congratulated me. I was able to break my weight barrier by joining this website and learning from you guys. Seems to be more negative people on here than I thought. To the poster that said I have a lot of weight to lose and that I'm still a young guy....Go Figure!!! That is why I am here! And I am proud of my youth and wouldn't trade it for the world. Enjoying life.

I'm the one who said you're a young guy with alot to lose and that's why your plan is working--you don't get it at all. As you get older this won't work. It's easier to lose when you're younger. In 20 years I'd like to see you on this plan of yours. However, I don't want you to fail, and I don't think anyone on MFP wants that. All of the negative comments are from people that have seen it before. They are just trying to inform you to be careful as you get closer to goal so you won't stall. I think that's nice even if you don't.

Yes it is easier to lose weight when being a young adult. I agree. By establishing these healthy habits now, in 20 years (lord willing), I should be one of those healthy fit older men. Aging shouldn't be acquainted with being fat and out of shape. Yes, weight gain is inevitable but it doesn't have to be a major weight gain. Looking at BMI and Weight Charts for men, a man in his 40s and 50s shouldn't be significantly heavier than when he was in his 20s and 30s. Us Americans like to use age as a crutch to get lazy and out of shape, and then blame age when we criticized. I don't feel like I'm setting myself up for failure b/c I have forums like this where I am learning so much about nutrition and exercise. I'm sure if I knew this years ago, I would not be on here worrying about weight loss. I gotta start somewhere.

Exactly---and I commend you. I really don't want to rain on your parade, but I will share something I've learned after a year on this site. Not counting calories means not hitting your macros. Yes, you will lose weight not counting, but macros insure that you get enough fat, protein, etc. Why is this important? Because you can risk being "skinny fat" at goal--alot of loose skin, wrinkles etc. Hitting macros help with this problem. I have been swimming for 18 years and have lost weight before. I've noticed this time with calorie counting that my body is different--sculptured, if you will. I started thinking about it and attribute it to my hitting my macros. Now you may think this is no big deal, but I am 59 yrs old, and at my age this is a real plus. I would think that as you lose weight you would be even more interested in this aspect. After all that work you'll want a nice body. I really wish you all the best, and I've learned so much from the nasty people on here--probably because they write in a way you'll remember.

Eh I don't feel threatened. A lot of people lose weight without counting calories (I mean, MFP and other apps are not that old).

I also know I lost weight before MFP... and gained more back. News flash people - we're all different! I'm sure the healthiest way to lose weight is to eat meat, fruit and veggies, with maybe oatmeal for breakfast and some rice, potatoes or pasta once in a while. I probably wouldn't have to count calories if I filled up on those. But *I* can't. I love 'fattening' food. I know by experience that any diet (in the 'food you eat' meaning of the term) that restricts me too much will fail because I won't be able to sustain it long term.

The reason counting calories has worked for me is that I can still have treats, without guilt. I would never be able to do that if I wasn't counting calories... I'd either restrict myself too much and binge or give up like in the past, or eat too much of my treats ('one won't hurt') and gain weight - oh wait I've done that too. But everyone doesn't have my unhealthy relationship with food. At least with calorie counting I can keep it in check. Some people don't need that... good for them... although if their relationship with food is so healthy, I still wonder how they got overweight in the first place.

That being said, I'd love to hear from people who have reached their healthy goal weight and maintained it for 2+ years without counting calories. I know there are some out there.. but I'm quite sure there's a reason so many people gain the weight back.

I'm not counting calories anymore, I am quite capable of judging what is a good portion size, what is healthy, what is not.

In theory.

In practice, if I want to lose weight again (I'm maintaining but every now and then I need to kick myself back when the weight starts creeping up), the only way to do this is by old fashioned calorie counting. Just to remind myself.

I'm honestly not sure if you simply don't understand what people are saying to you, or are just being deliberately obtuse because they're not saying what you want to hear. There have been several good points that people have made that you seem to be ignoring:

1. You are young. Yes, you've acknowledged that it is an advantage, but you don't seem to grasp the enormity of what that means. It's not just metabolism slowing down with age. Aging also means joint issues, mobility issues, range of motion issues, and a host of other issues which can affect a person's ability to exercise and lose weight. I'm 35, and the difference between what I was physically able to do at 29 and now after having two children is startling. And I've never been overweight in my life, I'm here to lose weight put on during a difficult pregnancy that also resulted in joint damage.

2. You had a lot of weight to lose. Several people have pointed this out. It's the science of weight loss. The less you have to lose, the less wiggle room you have in your calories. So while eating a certain way and eyeballing things may work for you, it's not going to be that way for people with less to lose. A few extra calories here and there can make a really big difference.

3. You're making a lot of assumptions. You may have gained weight from being lazy and stuffing your face with fried food, but that is not the case for everyone here. So while it is great that getting exercise and making better food choices was the key to your weight loss, it's not going to apply to everyone. Some people gained weight from medical issues, changes in lifestyle, stressful life events, etc. There are users here who gained their weight over a matter of years. As in, went from an active job to a management position desk job and put on 20 lbs over 5 years. These aren't people who are inactive or eating poorly, they simply had a priority shift (which also happens with age and increased responsibilities, btw) and those changes to their TDEE meant weight gain.

4. Not everyone on MFP who counts calories has or has had a weight problem. Plenty of people use it to track calories and macros to meet their training goals. We're not all here for the same reason.

You've found something that works for you, and that's wonderful. But you don't need to put other people down as not being as enlightened about weight loss as you tout yourself to be simply because they take another approach that fits their needs and their lifestyle.

I think it's funny how some of us calorie counters seem threatened when someone is doing something different ! All of these " this is a calorie counting site". This site is so much more than a calorie in/ out log. There is tons of information about exercise. Many motivational threads. Success stories. Challenges. You can find groups that cover every exercise and eating choice. If the only purpose of MFP was to count calories it would not be as popular or as useful. So in an area about motivation and support - let's be supportive! Congratulations on your weight loss.

The most supportive thing anyone has said in this thread. Thank you for understanding the context of my post. Also, thank you to the others who also acknowledged my point and congratulated me. I was able to break my weight barrier by joining this website and learning from you guys. Seems to be more negative people on here than I thought. To the poster that said I have a lot of weight to lose and that I'm still a young guy....Go Figure!!! That is why I am here! And I am proud of my youth and wouldn't trade it for the world. Enjoying life.

I'm the one who said you're a young guy with alot to lose and that's why your plan is working--you don't get it at all. As you get older this won't work. It's easier to lose when you're younger. In 20 years I'd like to see you on this plan of yours. However, I don't want you to fail, and I don't think anyone on MFP wants that. All of the negative comments are from people that have seen it before. They are just trying to inform you to be careful as you get closer to goal so you won't stall. I think that's nice even if you don't.

What nonsense.

What do you think all those millions of human beings did to lose weight BEFORE the calorie was ever discovered? Or in the many parts of the world today where caloric labeling is spotty, at best, and access to calorie counting material is equally as unreliable? And sorry, not all of them were in their 20s.

Lets get real. Calorie counting has almost as abysmal long term statistics as any other weight loss method. It does not, even remotely, give you any kind of significant advantage for long term results, regardless of age.

To tell somebody that when they get old they're likely to fail if they don't calorie count, yet acting like calorie counting has been proven to be the holy grail, is so disingenuous. The VAST majority of people eventually fall off the calorie counting bandwagon. They get frustrated with walking that tightrope, rebel, and dive right off. Don't believe me? Check the statistics and studies.

If people learned to eat intuitively, as we once did naturally, we wouldn't even need calorie counting apps. Also learning to buck modern western society's obsession with avoiding hunger is helpful. We once understood hunger, and delayed gratification, was an absolutely normal, expected occurrence. Yes, it's going to be very difficult to lose without counting and logging for the rest of your life if you panic every single time a little hunger, or craving, comes knocking.