When to stop counting calories?

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  • laura2706
    laura2706 Posts: 9 Member
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    I was the same as you (OP), and I ended up with an eating disorder out of it (not a full blown one like anorexia thankfully, managed to pull myself back before things got that bad), so I knew at some point I had to stop using it. (I'm not saying this will happen to you though! :) )

    About a year ago I started to resist logging food, I mean I was adding things up mentally but not adding them to mfp. After a while I stopped logging mentally as much too. It helped me to take up some exercise while I was doing this, I did swimming then moved to cycling after the chlorine was taking a nasty toll on my hair lol. I found I focused less on my food intake as I felt it would be more balanced with the exercise (don't know if it actually was, but mentally it helped). I had just upped my food intake dramatically and was doing my best to keep it there too, hopefully if you've found a point your happy with it won't feel as necessary for you :)

    I didn't put on weight as I'd kind of expected. I stayed the same :D fast forward a year, I've been eating without logging calories for a whole year now, and haven't gained weight. I fully believe that as long as you eat a mainly healthy, balanced diet you will be fine. Most people I know eat roughly the same amount for each meal each day (eg. they have the same number of slices of toast for breakfast, similar sized lunches everyday, similar dinners), so your body does just maintain. Its scary at first, but its totally worth it!

    Just a point I want to make though, I often look at nutritional information (calories) to help make decisions if I'm buying a sandwich or something, but I don't tend to add all my calories up, I might roughly for one meal but generally not throughout the day. But I don't always, and I don't have to which is an empowering feeling. I don't think there is anything wrong with not stopping counting, but if you want to I'd say just take the plunge, the mental reality is scarier then the physical one :)
  • goron59
    goron59 Posts: 890 Member
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    I stop counting when I reach my daily limit (sorry, target). Mostly this coincides with me stopping eating :)
  • brayman1701
    brayman1701 Posts: 76 Member
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    I think when the time comes for me I'd rather spend the 10 - 15mins a day logging my food for the rest of my life than spending the whole day hating the fact I'm overweight.
  • beautifulwarrior18
    beautifulwarrior18 Posts: 914 Member
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    I've already accepted the fact that I'm going to use MFP to count calories and macros the rest of my life. Without it, I know I'll NEVER be able to eyeball calories well enough to maintain, or take in optimal macronutrient intake and calorie intake. I find MFP not only extremely effective, but very very easy to use. Entering food takes only a couple minutes a day, and it's not a big deal to me, but everybody is different.

    ^^
    What he said. Clearly not counting calories didn't work for you before, so why go back to old habits.
  • suejenfb
    suejenfb Posts: 54 Member
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    If you do t want to count calories every day you should use MFP to figure out calories for a few days using foods that you know you can eat on a regular basis. Make these foods a habit you can do a couple of variations and write it down. You know if you eat the food from the list you'll be staying within your calories.
  • FindingAmy77
    FindingAmy77 Posts: 1,266 Member
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    I've already accepted the fact that I'm going to use MFP to count calories and macros the rest of my life. Without it, I know I'll NEVER be able to eyeball calories well enough to maintain, or take in optimal macronutrient intake and calorie intake. I find MFP not only extremely effective, but very very easy to use. Entering food takes only a couple minutes a day, and it's not a big deal to me, but everybody is different.
    Yeah, MFP is so easy to use I'll probably try and use it long long after I'm at goal.

    me too.. its when I stopped counting calories and making goals and just being accountable for what I do and eat is when my weight has creeped back on in the past. not this time. so the answer to your question as to when to stop>>> NEVER
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    Are others just not paying any attention while they weigh and log their food? Am I the only one? I guess the answer to OP is either:

    1) Never, because I can't be bothered to pay attention to my own food diary
    2) Once you've learned how to portion food and eat for nutrients.

    Anyway....8 months of maintenance now and still going strong. :drinker: :smokin:
  • MelissaPhippsFeagins
    MelissaPhippsFeagins Posts: 8,063 Member
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    I reached my GW in January and I have found that I have to count my calories to make myself eat enough to maintain. I gave up half & half for Lent and have lost .25lb/week and then I got a stomach bug and lost 3.5 lbs under my goal. I'm not stressing about either of those things as Easter will be here and my cream will be back in my coffee. If I keep losing after that, I'll worry and add even more calories to my daily goal.

    I've yo-yo dieted since I was 7 years old (seriously, I weighed almost 100 pounds and my pediatrician put me on a diet). If I don't count my calories, I will gain the weight back. That doesn't mean I'll never eat a piece of candy or fruit without logging it, but it does mean that I'll log most of my food for the rest of my life. I'm 45 and I was told last year that my knee would have be replaced before I was 50 if I didn't lose and keep it off. I'll keep logging and counting and having reasonable "cheat days" for the rest of my life because it's cheaper than surgery and easier than recovering from surgery. End of story.
  • jecky74
    jecky74 Posts: 255 Member
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    I'm not at maintenance yet and I see myself counting on maintenance. However, how about using the scale or your measurements as your guide? Weigh yourself every week or measure yourself every month. Set yourself a range you want to stay within and if you begin approaching either end of that range, you know what to do to adjust.

    I agree with this. You don't have to count everyday forever if it's not what you want but regular "check-ins" will keep you in the range you want to be. If you start to creep up, or down, then track your calories to get back in range.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    I'm not at maintenance yet and I see myself counting on maintenance. However, how about using the scale or your measurements as your guide? Weigh yourself every week or measure yourself every month. Set yourself a range you want to stay within and if you begin approaching either end of that range, you know what to do to adjust.

    I agree with this. You don't have to count everyday forever if it's not what you want but regular "check-ins" will keep you in the range you want to be. If you start to creep up, or down, then track your calories to get back in range.

    ^^ This is exactly how I've been maintaining. It seems so defeatist/weak/negative to believe you can't learn something. :ohwell:
  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,096 Member
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    I don't count calories. I just count grams of carbohydrates. why would you count calories? their kind of irrelevant.

    You're counting...be it carbs or calories. Each carb gram has a calorie amount associated with it.

    How do you assume that counting carbs is any different than counting calories...protein grams...fat grams???
  • kwantlen2051
    kwantlen2051 Posts: 455 Member
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    I've already accepted the fact that I'm going to use MFP to count calories and macros the rest of my life. Without it, I know I'll NEVER be able to eyeball calories well enough to maintain, or take in optimal macronutrient intake and calorie intake. I find MFP not only extremely effective, but very very easy to use. Entering food takes only a couple minutes a day, and it's not a big deal to me, but everybody is different.

    Yes, this! This is totally a lifestyle change for me. I tried all kinds of diets or supplements before. I relied on them to lose the weight. Always gained the lbs back after stopping the program. With MFP, I leaned accountability. You have to be mindful of what goes into your body, other wise you won't lose the weight.
  • eileen0515
    eileen0515 Posts: 408 Member
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    When I was fat, I didn't count or log calories. When I am slender, I am counting and logging. Duh!
  • kiecee
    kiecee Posts: 1
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    Need someone who is willing to help me out? I'm new to all this, jus want someone to look over my stuff and give me the do's and don't cus I'm feeling lost, need someone who knows what there talking about, thanks
  • 50racinggirl
    50racinggirl Posts: 96 Member
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    I've already accepted the fact that I'm going to use MFP to count calories and macros the rest of my life. Without it, I know I'll NEVER be able to eyeball calories well enough to maintain, or take in optimal macronutrient intake and calorie intake. I find MFP not only extremely effective, but very very easy to use. Entering food takes only a couple minutes a day, and it's not a big deal to me, but everybody is different.

    +1
    +1 (I lost 80 pounds by counting calories, stopped, gained it back; Lost 64 pounds, stopped; gained and now am counting again. I know I am going to have to be mindful of this FOREVER!)

    I actually like it.
  • Kelly_Runs_NC
    Kelly_Runs_NC Posts: 474 Member
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    I've already accepted the fact that I'm going to use MFP to count calories and macros the rest of my life. Without it, I know I'll NEVER be able to eyeball calories well enough to maintain, or take in optimal macronutrient intake and calorie intake. I find MFP not only extremely effective, but very very easy to use. Entering food takes only a couple minutes a day, and it's not a big deal to me, but everybody is different.

    +1

    I actually like it.

    +2
  • tech_kitten
    tech_kitten Posts: 221 Member
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    My "always normal weight" friends do a yo-yo of about 5 lbs. A couple of pounds above and below their goal weight where they weigh once a week, and adjust the next week's exercise/food based on whether they need to lose/gain/maintain.
  • ToogieTuesday
    ToogieTuesday Posts: 29
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    I agree with the other posts.

    Now you have a basic idea of how many calories things have. Now you have guidelines of what foods work for you and which ones don't. Now you're able to indulge IN MODERATION with the foods you love but know are high in bad calories (processed foods, baked goods, etc). It's nice that you're at a point that you can indulge and still lose but keep in mind that it's because of all the hard work you've done (metabolism is burning high due to that). If you want that metabolism to stay burning high you do have to keep practicing what you've learned and continue to excursive, eat well, etc. Or else if you're slack, eventually the bad habits will pile up before you know it and null all the progress of making your system work as efficiently as you've trained it to work.

    Good luck to you =)
  • esaucier17
    esaucier17 Posts: 694 Member
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    I'll probably count forever. If not on here then I'll track somehow. I don't plan on gaining again and it will hapen if I don't hold myself accountable.

    I agree 100%
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
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    Given how you spent your last weekend, you don't sound like a good calorie for giving up counting YET. But you may be in the future. Maybe you should relax a little.

    If you really want to quit, wean yourself off it. Count every 2 days, then every 3. But do it religiously. See how the scale looks.

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