Anyone not count calories anymore in maintannce anymore

Its easy to say that we should be able to listen to our bodies, but most people who need to lose weight have had a problem with that area.

I think its similar to telling an alcoholic that they should be able to drink a little and know when to stop. ...They tried that and it didn't work.

^^Correct. I tried it over and over for ten years and it didn't work.

There are some of us who might be able to get a better "feel" for how we're eating, but we will always need some kind of accountability to know when to truly stop for the day. I am one of them. Today is my 955th day of tracking. At the end of January 2015 I will have been doing it every day for three straight years.

I do not say that to boast! Indeed, it is somewhat humbling to have to do this (though I am not ashamed, mind you). I have learned so many wonderful things on this journey, so many things have changed permanently for me in terms of how I think and behave. That being said, one thing I've learned is that when I start to "let go" of tracking what I eat, something happens in my brain that starts to want to take a little more and a little more and a little more. EVEN THOUGH I've been healthy for three years. It is a phenomenon I can't explain. I can't "work harder" to make that stop. I can't pray it away. I can't talk therapy it away. It's just something I've come to accept and actually be grateful for.

I agree for the most part with this guy that if you're just counting calories and not really dealing with your eating disorder, then that's a big-time problem. It becomes just a transferred mode of control, which is what it's all about. Don't fool yourself into thinking tracking = "now I'm all fixed".

But for a gal like me who has, for the most part, learned to overcome and manage her compulsive overeating through reading, journaling, therapy, 12 step programs, and counseling others, I still know that tracking is the best way for me to stay, erm, "on track" with my eating plan, which I'll be following for the rest of my life. And I'm totally fine with this. It's become like brushing my teeth or making my bed. I make it work for me. And best of all I have peace at night knowing I'm staying within my boundaries. It's a beautiful thing! :flowerforyou:

I'm 10 lbs from goal and decided to take a break indefinitely. While I could stand to lose that extra 10 lbs at some point, I was really burnt out from weighing every little thing and thinking so much about it. I've been maintaining within a 3 lb range for about 3-4 months without counting my calories on MFP.

I do occasionally log on to MFP for a bit to make sure I'm getting enough fiber/protein, and not eating too much sugar. Other than that, I just eat.

I have a heightened awareness of the amount of calories in things and usually keep a loose number in my head as the day goes by. But I also have days where I don't count a single calorie and I'm still able to stay within an acceptable range. I weigh myself every 2 weeks or so to make sure I'm not overeating. It seems to work for me and makes me feel a lot more comfortable and at ease, it's one less thing to worry about.

I think I'll have to be conscious of calories to have a general idea of how much I'm eating, but I don't want to go back to weighing all my food every day.

It's been almost a year for me now and I still count every day. Honestly, I am a bit of a numbers/data geek, it doesn't take much time and there's no way I'm going to intuitively hit my macros without it. After a few years of logging, I still couldn't tell you how much protein is in 100 grams of chicken.

I've stopped counting calories and logging. I logged for about 5 months, then stopped. By that time I learned how many calories were in the the foods I ate all the time, and I could visualize portions pretty accurately by that time too. I can always look up a food if I don't know the calorie count or weigh something to make sure the portion is right but not every meal, every day. I was depending on MFP a little too much in that if there were calories left over, I'd eat them even if I wasn't hungry. On the other side, if I ran out of calories I went hungry and felt miserable, when I should have had a small snack.

Since this is something I do not want to do for the rest of my life, I learned the basics and now I can apply what I've learned (calorie counts/macros/portions) to continue to lose weight. I have a fitbit so I know what my expenditure is, now I can roughly count in my head the calories I need to eat every day and eventually will learn to eat proper portions without thinking about it, and eat only when I'm hungry.

Why do people think that counting is a crutch or not natural? It is so damn easy now. And if it helps you maintain, I don't see anything wrong with it.

No one had computers 100 years ago. Does that mean they are a crutch? I mean, it's so silly to point back to cowboys and Indians or cave people and show some lineage between their health and ours. It's ridiculous, to be honest.

Thank you for typing this so that I didn't have to. :laugh:

I'm not at maintenance yet (keeping up a steady 2 lbs/week), but I'll probably keep logging for two reasons:
1) Keep track of my macros (particularly the protein).
2) I just really love eating, so it's mentally easier for me to know that all the stuff I'm indulging in will work out in the end.

A compromise solution may be to "guesstimate" how many calories you're having as opposed to logging every individual item--of course, you'll want to double-check a few times to make sure you're honest. But throughout my journey, I've gotten an intuitive sense of how many calories a chunk of meat or bread might be just from strict-logging so much, and it helps if I'm feeling lazy that day.

Its easy to say that we should be able to listen to our bodies, but most people who need to lose weight have had a problem with that area.

I think its similar to telling an alcoholic that they should be able to drink a little and know when to stop. ...They tried that and it didn't work.

It's actually harder than being an alcoholic. An alcoholic can just stop drinking. I'm not saying that lightly. I know it's tough, but it can be done. Someone with issues with food cannot stop eating. So, it's actually quite a bit more complicated than being alcoholic.

I've heard doctors and therapists confirm this as well.

I've done both. Learned how to moderately drink after 21 years of sobriety, and licked my eating disorders.

It's a matter of extreme willpower and massive amounts of knowledge. Though AA and OA would like to disagree with it's 'powerlessness' mantra.

I frankly got fed up with being 'programmed' by the programs. I also have the genetics and the screwy reward system to become obese, anorexic and drink and drug myself to death, but I have taught myself self control. So good for the confidence. I wish my parents could have done the same, but maybe I've learned from them too.

Congratulations (sincerely), however you are most definitely an anomaly. You're also not dead yet. If you manage to keep that up all the way to your grave then I'll be the first to celebrate with you! I'm not doubting your experience nor saying you won't remain on your path. I'm just saying...many have said what you said, and were not so successful long-term...

It should also be noted that a person can be self controlled and confident, have will power and massive knowledge, and yet also be able to admit that they simply have a problem with particular foods, drinks, and drugs, and won't continue to entertain them after years and years of failing with them. This doesn't make you "programmed", just realistic, humble, and willing to do whatever it takes to protect yourself.

I just want to make sure people hear that, lest they believe they are weak or failures for successfully sticking to a 12-step program. Thanks.

Something I do is practice portion estimation. For example, I'll take foods that are going to be put on my plate and FIRST guess at how many ounces they really are. Like pieces of chicken. Is that 7 oz of chicken on that plate? 10 oz? I guess, and THEN I weigh the food. Over time, my ability to guess a portion size becomes more accurate. And after you record enough calories, you know what certain foods provide for calories.

Ooh.. I'm going to have to try that! Brilliant!

+1

I've stopped counting calories and logging. .......

Since this is something I do not want to do for the rest of my life, I learned the basics and now I can apply what I've learned (calorie counts/macros/portions) to continue to lose weight. I have a fitbit so I know what my expenditure is, now I can roughly count in my head the calories I need to eat every day and eventually will learn to eat proper portions without thinking about it, and eat only when I'm hungry.

To me this is basically still logging and counting but doing it in your head and with the 'crutch' of a fitbit.
Will you wear a fit bit for the rest of your life?

I still log in maitneance but I dont and never have worn a fitbit or any sort of pedometer.

I like having things written down (electronically) so I prefer to log and count with MFP than do it in my head.

I think the money anology works well here too - everyone should live within their means and not overspend - but some people like to write it all down and use a calculator, others do it in their head.

as long as the end result is the same, the method doesnt matter and will vary between individuals.

I just don't believe that relying on the calorie counter for the rest of your life is a realistic or healthy thing to do.

Why not?

Should have been obvious from my post...

If you lean on the crutch, you never learn how to walk by yourself.

It's a tool; a crutch. It stunts your ability to learn how eat naturally; to listen to your body naturally; to learn the habits you need to develop to have a healthy relationship with food.

As I stated, humans have eaten without a calorie counter for thousands of years. We have many people, present day, who can eat healthy and not log calories to do it. These people know how to listen to their bodies, how to recognize a portion size, how to not overeat, and how to fuel themselves for their activity level. They have a healthy, natural, unaided relationship with food.

The counter is a crutch. One should seek to learn the natural skills and habits that allow one to eliminate the crutch.

Think about it for a moment: wouldn't you prefer to never have to log another calorie ever again? To be able to go through your life eating naturally? To have a healthy relationship with food? To eat, feel satisfied, and not have the specter of guilt hanging over you ever again?

That can happen, but people choose to lean on the counter instead of developing their relationship with food.

Personally, I like counting calories---so I disagree. I don't think of it as a crutch, I think it's interesting. Following my macros has toned up my body (at my age) in an incredible way. I don't demonize calorie counting. To each his own.

Its easy to say that we should be able to listen to our bodies, but most people who need to lose weight have had a problem with that area.

I think its similar to telling an alcoholic that they should be able to drink a little and know when to stop. ...They tried that and it didn't work.

It's actually harder than being an alcoholic. An alcoholic can just stop drinking. I'm not saying that lightly. I know it's tough, but it can be done. Someone with issues with food cannot stop eating. So, it's actually quite a bit more complicated than being alcoholic.

I've heard doctors and therapists confirm this as well.

I've done both. Learned how to moderately drink after 21 years of sobriety, and licked my eating disorders.

It's a matter of extreme willpower and massive amounts of knowledge. Though AA and OA would like to disagree with it's 'powerlessness' mantra.

I frankly got fed up with being 'programmed' by the programs. I also have the genetics and the screwy reward system to become obese, anorexic and drink and drug myself to death, but I have taught myself self control. So good for the confidence. I wish my parents could have done the same, but maybe I've learned from them too.

Congratulations (sincerely), however you are most definitely an anomaly. You're also not dead yet. If you manage to keep that up all the way to your grave then I'll be the first to celebrate with you! I'm not doubting your experience nor saying you won't remain on your path. I'm just saying...many have said what you said, and were not so successful long-term...

It should also be noted that a person can be self controlled and confident, have will power and massive knowledge, and yet also be able to admit that they simply have a problem with particular foods, drinks, and drugs, and won't continue to entertain them after years and years of failing with them. This doesn't make you "programmed", just realistic, humble, and willing to do whatever it takes to protect yourself.

I just want to make sure people hear that, lest they believe they are weak or failures for successfully sticking to a 12-step program. Thanks.

Thank you. For reminding me how I used to think like you, and this is exactly what I'm talking about, living under this fear that I will die if I touch the evil stuff. I was conditioned to think that by a couple of sociopathic narcissists that came out of a fervently religious prohibitive 1940s era. My two years in AA tore my confidence and personality to pieces. I was misdiagnosed and had to carry the burden for 21 years. Only going in to therapy helped me see that even though I had inherited my parents makeup, I wasn't them and I refused to be in perjury for them any more.

So I started researching. You do know that out of the 40 odd recognised rehab programms AA has the highest mortality rate?

I totally believe in abstinence for the true physically dependent and dis functioning alcoholic. Abstinence is easy. But it comes from within, not from some imaginary gust of wind higher power. That's incredibly archaic. Taking people's power away and making them dependant on an institution is ridiculous.

Oh yes, and 'I'm not dead yet?' I think you need to ask yourself why you felt the need to say that. You know nothing about my past or present drinking apart from the small pieces of information, how come you feel like you can diagnose a persons future? Your reaction is histrionic, and insulting.

One more thing, we ALL have a problem with the good stuff, it's a rare person that just doesn't enjoy food drink and drugs, they've just developed good habits and perhaps had good luck, but if I can train myself after my upbringing which was extreme, others can too. (Unless they've become actually physically dependant on a substance, then I don't think there's any going back, or they have a pathology that prevents functional thinking).

Let me try again. I can see that your past experiences have been very difficult for you. I am so very sorry to hear that. Truly. And I am so happy you found what worked for you to be able to find success!

I say this with all gentleness, which is very hard to convey through the internet: please understand that it does no good to lash out at others who are simply trying to help people understand that there are different perspectives and experiences from yours, and that some methods work for some and not others. Just be careful that whatever pain you have from your past doesn't cause you to take the very hardened and legalistic type of line as the very thing you are railing against.... i.e., claiming everyone else should think and do exactly like you do.

I would not dare to sway a single one of the millions of people (at this point in history) who had found solace, confidence, success, and freedom through a 12-step program. It's not my place to tell them they're wrong and they've fallen for something false. As one of those millions, I can attest with 100% confidence that this program worked for me. It was exactly what I needed when I needed it. And many others have had the same experience.

You have yours, we have ours. I'm saying....let it be.