Lose without tracking?

I get much more anxious and pre-occupied if I don't log. That's when I think about food all the time trying to make sure I don't eat over and trying to get good nutrition.
I joined MFP to log. I pre-plan and most days pre-log my food, know that I stay within my calories, know that my macros are ok.....and then forget about food. If I have to log all my life, that's ok with me, just like I am ok with brushing and flossing or taking a shower each day......it's part of my life.
Btw: I cook all my own meals from scratch and only go out to eat on vacation or because of work.....and have never found logging to be a problem.

Weight Watchers has a program where you don't track your food, and I was successful at that. You just eat fruits, veggies, and lean proteins. My youngest son is on a weight loss program and all they are having him to do for 3 months is track his veggies and make sure he gets at least 1 hour of exercise a day, and no more than 2 hours of screen time. He has lost 2 pounds this month. (He is still growing so 4 pounds is the monthly weight loss goal.) I think it's possible to lose weight without tracking, but this isn't the best app for it. Maybe try weight watchers online or look for other programs where you don't track food as much. I am sure the programs are out there.

I lost over 42lb 8 years ago without tracking - I gained weight three years later when i didn't give a hoot about my self, how I looked or what happened to me. I also lost abround 22lb this time without tracking and found MFP by chance when looking for how caloric wine was. (by not tracking I mean I guesstimated how much I was consuming in a day - I didn't underestimate). What tracking has given me this time is a better way of making sure my main diet is balanced. It has also given me the chance of choosing 'how to spend' my surplus calories - shall I have a Babybel, or Cheese Curls or a satsuma? etc, etc, to make up the 1200 cals. So on the whole, for me it's good. If I remain emotionally okay then I shouldn't gain heavily again.

I took a week off of tracking after 6 intense week of Alternate day fasting (which I lost just under 25 lbs). I told myself that I would take a week of in between starting up a phase 2 incorporating more exercise.

During that week off I told myself I would accept a 3 lb weight gain becuase I normally wieghed in after a fast and I was weighing in this time in the evening and ate normally durin gthat day.


and I lost 1.4 lbs without tracking in the week!


I found myself eating what I wanted, but only ate when I was hungry. In looking back, I ate pizza, wings, subway and I just realized I didnt go overboard. Alternate day fasting taught me that we think we are hungry but many times it is just boredom or thirst. That week I decided to eat when I was hungry, eat what I like, but be sensible and dont fret over tracking it all.


Thanks to ADF I have reshaped how I look at food and hunger.

Now to phase 2 where I will incorporate alot of exercise.

Has anyone had success losing weight sustainably without tracking?

I am curious. Tracking makes me a bit to obsessed with food and makes me manipulate the numbers a lot. Just wondering if anyone has ever succeeded in a different way...

I'm sure lots of people do......the meal replacement shake folks, those following a very specific "diet," those cutting out a macro (low-carb) ......but for IIFYM folks......I would think a lot of us need tracking to a degree. I figure that I'll track pretty much forever, as I've never been able to maintain before.

Most of us are here because we want to lose weight, if we were already good at losing weight without recording then we wouldn't be here in the first place.

No. This is Myfitnesspal, not MyCalorieCountingpal. People are here for different reasons. Not everyone calorie counts. Some track exercise, some just log their fluid intake, and still others are here solely for the boards, such as myself.

I'm sure lots of people do......the meal replacement shake folks, those following a very specific "diet," those cutting out a macro (low-carb) ......but for IIFYM folks....

Sure them, and just the scores of millions of human beings, across thousands of years, who lost weight before mankind knew what a calorie was.

Or the people to this day who live in societies that don't have government mandated calorie labeling, or ready access to APPs and counting tools.

I think it's important to note that all of these categories we stick people in, based off their specific dietary program, are relatively new, and relatively limited. Most human beings who have ever lost weight did so without labeled "diets", programs, or calorie counting.

I lost and maintained (without cutting anything out of my diet or using meal replacement shakes...LOL) without tracking calories.

I personally enjoy tracking. If I eat it....I put it down. Just the other night I was in the Taco Bell drive thru and before starting this journey I would usually get 7 or 8 taco's but I knew that if I ate it....i'd have to log it and EVERYONE WOULD SEE THE FAILURE.

You know what I did? I ordered 1 Taco ( 170 calories )