What do you do when you don't want to calorie count?

If I don't count every calorie, I make sure to have small portions. Portion control is key, as long as you're not referring to a binge of candy or something.

Ever have a day when you didn't want to count the calories?? I just felt that way this morning but here I am....I know if I didn't then I would have been completely off the bandwagon....what do you do to make you calorie count when you don't want to?

I think there is a difference between not wanting to count your calories or to formally track your exercise, and not wanting to comply with eating sensibly, in appropriate portions and taking daily activity of some sort. So, be clear on the distinction.

Many people have maintained their weight or even lost weight simply by being mindful to eat a bit less and to do a bit more.

Portion control can be "eyeballed". A portion of meat is about the size of your palm. 1/2 a cup of pasta or potatoes is a serving. So, if you have weighed and measured things in the past, you do get to know what an appropriate portion is.

Some of this can also be facilitated by using plates and bowls that are normal sized. For example, I have some bowls that hold 1 cup. Plates that are "over-sized" are just begging for you to fill them.

The same goes for activity. If you take a walk for half an hour or three quarters of an hour on your lunch break, you don't have to wear a heart monitor to know that this was a good thing to do.

So, I think you know, in your heart, whether you have eaten sensibly, in appropriate amounts, and whether you have been active or not, whether you happened to measure this precisely or not. In fact, if you like, use it as a type of challenge, if you like. Don't log today but live well, following a lifestyle that you know is good for you..... because if you use not logging as an excuse to stuff your face or to sit on your *kitten* it will show up ..... on the scale.

So often, I wonder if I really need to count calories. So, then I stop..and gain weight. Counting calories really works for me, and I have to stick with it in order to lose or maintain weight.

When I don't want to count calories, I ask myself if I want to gain weight. That's why I'm back on MFP.

A suggestion would be to have at least one buddy to keep you accountable in this. Best wishes to you!

I never want to calorie count. I do it because I have to for MY health and well being. Tired of being fat chick...changing it. That takes work and one part of that work is logging the calories up to and including IV fluid bags.

If I don't feel like logging - first thing to do, load the app. The streak must live on

The non logging desire usually passes. I could be logging my food at midnight the next night from memory. Usually I still weigh the food since the scale is right there in the kitchen so I enter whatever I remember

There haa been at least one vacation where I consciously didn't log. There were just too many goodies to log, almost every meal was out and it would have been too complicated and not worth the benefits to try to track that one week. I still tried to keep calories lower ...but not really and returned right to it when I got back

I don't bother... then I feel guilty and enter a few days later.

I'm the same with recording my weight, almost as if not recording an increase makes it not real. I do it anyway these days and convince myself the scales are broken on the days I put on a lb or two (they work just fine when I'm losing weight )

I do it anyway.

I have learned a lot about myself on this journey so far, and I know that I am not one of those people that can "estimate" my portions or count on myself to make healthy choices without logging.

I try to pre log my days the night before to take the guess work out and my husband has been a huge support and he always helps me prep meals.

I gain weight.

^This

you are so true on this some times we need to take a break. If you just keep track of what you ate it helps I have done this and when I look aback I did make a lot of healthy choices.

Once in awhile when I feel the need to "take a break" I'll just do portion control , only eat when hungry and stop eating when full. I'm good at keeping track of calories in my head anyway so I always have a loose tally going on. Once you really get good at counting it becomes second nature and you don't have to depend on an app so much. No biggie.

I believe this completely. This is what I do! I totally understand what you mean. Ignore the haters, girl.

I just shrug, eat what I want, add it up the next day & accept that that I wont be losing as much as I maybe could have. Which is ok, its not a race and there is no finish line its a lifelong change. Only advice I would give is leave the guilt behind, enjoy your day, accept it as a part of your diet and nutrition instead of a "day off" and make some different choices tomorrow.

I've just re-read the post. Do you mean actually logging or aiming for daily goals?

I must admit log every day, ill normally put my breakfast and lunch in the night before as i know what I'm taking to work etc. Dinner I'll do at lunch time. I log every day because it screws up my weekly average and i need to wait a whole week before it sorts itself out.

As I mentioned before i wont always try to stick to daily goals and on those days I'll often add it all up the day after. It always gets logged though, no matter how awful!!

I think you can be successful either way. But the question is where is the not wanting to count coming from? If you are also wanting to eat things off your plan, I would say buckle down and log. If you feel like eating like you normally do (aka at a deficit) then taking a day off can be OK and may make calorie counting more sustainable in the long-run.

I do it anyways. I encounter things every day that I would rather not do, but I know they have to be done. This is one of them.

I count anyway.