Not here to meticulously count calories

Ambymaries · August 2014

I'm not here to meticulously count calories or every second of exercise I partake in. I did this before, using this site, and it landed me in deep water. Fortunately that water wasn't so deep that it was entirely over my head.

I've been a yo-yo dieter since the age of 14 (or maybe even earlier, I can't remember). My mom encouraged me to join her on the South Beach diet in 9th grade. Since then I've tried to lose weight all sorts of ways. Weight Watchers. Precise calorie counting. Calorie restriction. Elimination of food groups. I've lost anywhere from 15 to 55 lbs each time I tried losing weight.

Calorie restriction and the realization of gaining weight back quickly landed me in a peer support group for disordered eating habits. Throughout the weeks of group, I had a hard time not wanting to go back to calorie counting. I still do have a hard time with it. But like I said, I'm not here to count calories.

What I am here for is to log my meal plans each day during an elimination diet (for health/potential allergy reasons) and for the support of this community. I feel like I need support to try to stick to goals like cutting out processed sugar to enjoy a healthier body. I've tried to do it alone and I keep caving in to cravings.

I will also track my exercise just to see how I am doing, and to have something to feel proud of

I swim 3 days a week and want to see if I can get comfortable with increasing that to 4 or 5 days. And through the help of adult swim lessons, I want to get more comfortable with swimming and eventually join a non-competitive masters team.

I don't know what my weight is, nor do I care to. I am going to go by how I am feeling with the foods I eliminate, and also with some of my favourite pants and dresses from past weight loss endeavours.

So if you're like-minded in some way, get in touch, let's support one another! I am a healthy body image warrior (even though I struggle with my own) and will likely try to spread some positivity while I'm here

ZOOpergal · August 2014

Although I think you will get some harsh comments because you are so adiment about not counting calories, here is my advice. I have lost over 20lbs since January, and am now in maintenance. For the first few months, I logged my food and "counted calories" so that I could keep eating at a defecit. All this did for me was increase my knowledge of what foods are "better" for me or simply "better choices". Logging food helped me to pick and choose foods that I like and make me feel satiated but wont cause me to put on weight. Now that I did it for so long, I can maintain my weight and healthier choices by instinct and from the knowledge I learned from not only the logging but also the people from the message boards. So, now I may not "count calories", but doing so in the beginning helped me form better eating habits now. I respect your wish to not feel like you're completely restricting your caloric intake, however I believe it is the key to weight loss. Its all about making better food choices, not starving yourself. Good luck to you!

BrainyBurro · August 2014

I'm not here to meticulously count calories or every second of exercise I partake in. I did this before, using this site, and it landed me in deep water. Fortunately that water wasn't so deep that it was entirely over my head.

I've been a yo-yo dieter since the age of 14 (or maybe even earlier, I can't remember). My mom encouraged me to join her on the South Beach diet in 9th grade. Since then I've tried to lose weight all sorts of ways. Weight Watchers. Precise calorie counting. Calorie restriction. Elimination of food groups. I've lost anywhere from 15 to 55 lbs each time I tried losing weight.

Calorie restriction and the realization of gaining weight back quickly landed me in a peer support group for disordered eating habits. Throughout the weeks of group, I had a hard time not wanting to go back to calorie counting. I still do have a hard time with it. But like I said, I'm not here to count calories.

What I am here for is to log my meal plans each day during an elimination diet (for health/potential allergy reasons) and for the support of this community. I feel like I need support to try to stick to goals like cutting out processed sugar to enjoy a healthier body. I've tried to do it alone and I keep caving in to cravings.

I will also track my exercise just to see how I am doing, and to have something to feel proud of I swim 3 days a week and want to see if I can get comfortable with increasing that to 4 or 5 days. And through the help of adult swim lessons, I want to get more comfortable with swimming and eventually join a non-competitive masters team.

I don't know what my weight is, nor do I care to. I am going to go by how I am feeling with the foods I eliminate, and also with some of my favourite pants and dresses from past weight loss endeavours.

So if you're like-minded in some way, get in touch, let's support one another! I am a healthy body image warrior (even though I struggle with my own) and will likely try to spread some positivity while I'm here

Ambymaries · September 2014

Thank you both for your comments. I bailed for a couple weeks and am back here again. I've been thinking about what I had said a few weeks ago, and realized that even though counting made me lose my sanity, it also was the only way that gave me sanity with food. A contradiction I know. I will check out the links to see what I can find to help me. Thanks again.

kl1279 · September 2014

I learned to be meticulously about scanning in everything thing I eat, now mostly out of habit... but by getting into the habit, it naturally taught me what I can eat on routine basis and what I should avoid. By now, I really dont even need to count. I've learned how to shop for groceries and avoid buying "calories-busters." I also use a pedometer that logs my steps and calories burned. But I do think you need to be meticulous to start with until you learn the little changes that work for you.

For example, at the grocery store, I might buy chicken breasts instead of thighs. Turkey burgers instead of hamburgers. Lower calorie loaves of bread instead of the regular brand. Just being away of the labels has helped. Some of the items I buy are still the same items I've always eaten, I just changed brands and it dropped the calorie content dramatically.

Also, walking more. I'm a nurse, and I've gotten to where I purposely make extra trips down the halls and to the supply rooms just for the exercise. Before, I would have collected everything in one trip. Having a pedometer app on my phone in my pocket helps me see how much walking I do at work. (When I first started I was around 4000-5000 steps in a 16 hr shift, and now I'm around 9000-12000.

Not here to meticulously count calories

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