I don't want to keep track of everything!

13

Replies

  • 0somuchbetter0
    0somuchbetter0 Posts: 1,335 Member
    nobody's going to approve you for weight loss surgery at 225. do you think we count calories and keep track just for the hell of it? there're plenty of other things I'd rather spend my time doing than counting and planning ahead everything I'm going to eat, but I want to lose weight, and I know it takes a lot of hard work and dedication. there is no easy way out. if you want to change your body you're going to have to put in some work.

    Very true words! There are no magic bullets out there. If you want to lose weight and keep it off, you have to be committed to putting in a lot of work. That is all there is to it and there is no way around it. Even if you were to find someone to approve weight loss surgery for you, if you don't learn how to eat properly, you will eventually gain back anything you lose after the surgery. I have had several friends and relatives go that route - they are all back to or more than their pre-surgery weight because they never bothered to address the eating habits part of the problem.

    Exactly. I've lost and kept off about 75 lbs after surgery, and while I admit my lap-band does help, I am absolutely confident that the great majority of my success is because of discipline and hard work! And therapy! And hard work!
  • The idea of written down everything I eat and counting calories, carbs and all that seems confusing to me. Having to add everything up is taking away time to eat more. I always think one more bite won't hurt and here I am now 225. Has anyone tried weight loss surgery? Why can't I stop eating????

    You're at 225 and you're frustrated?! I'm at 288 (down from 302) and working harder than I've ever worked before to lose weight. Wanna know why? Because I want to live! I have 2 small children (7 and 3) who have told me that their mommy being alive is more important than anything I could ever give them. Do I like to eat?? Sure! That's what got me into the mess I'm in. Do I realize how my decisions have negatively impacted me? Absolutely! That's why I go out of my way to make sure I log every single speck that goes into my mouth. At the end of the day I am accountable for every crumb I've consumed and now I'm able to make wiser choices about what and what not to eat. You know what else I did? Started working out. Nothing drastic, no gym memberships, no classes, nothing. I rescued 2 dogs from a local animal shelter and I take them out for a one hour walk every single night.

    I've been told several times that I need weight loss surgery but I will not entertain the conversation until I prove to myself that I cannot do it. Every time I see a half pound or pound lost, weight loss surgery moves lower and lower in my eyes. I'm not saying that weight loss surgery is the easy way out...I'm saying that it's not for me, right now at least.

    I share my story with you and with everyone to know that if you're mind is in it, you will win it. If you think that tracking and logging and making wiser decisions is too hard for you, then it's you and you alone that will live with those consequences. No one is forcing you to eat, no one is forcing you to lose weight. You do what you feel is right. But if you have a child, then you're being selfish by not taking care of yourself, regardless of how old they are. You want my opinion: save your health...for yourself and for your kid.
  • rprussell2004
    rprussell2004 Posts: 870 Member
    The idea of written down everything I eat and counting calories, carbs and all that seems confusing to me. Having to add everything up is taking away time to eat more. I always think one more bite won't hurt and here I am now 225. Has anyone tried weight loss surgery? Why can't I stop eating????

    Are you fracking kidding me?

    Why are you ON this site, then?
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
    Sounds like excuses to me!! Until you quit making excuses you not going to get very far!!
  • RockinTerri
    RockinTerri Posts: 499 Member
    if you don't want to count calories, don't do it. no one's holding a gun to your head. it's definitely not confusing. it's actually about as simple as it gets. it is also a very affective way to control intake and aids in weight loss for many people.

    I don't want to count BECAUSE I would be writing all day long since I eat all day. I need to come face to.face with how much I'm actually eating. A little here and a little there adds up. I'm in denial. I never thought I would be addicted to food! I'm 225 now and I'm scared. I need to try harder. Thank you

    I do that swing thing myself, but no matter how awful I eat in a day, I know that tracking all of it will help me see where to make changes and taking small steps will help me. I had been down 35 pounds and have now put 20 of it back on - for a variety of reasons, but one that I know is not tracking everything and not eating as healthfully as I had been. So I'm starting over once again in my journey. It isn't easy, but it is so worth it.
  • KathleenCora
    KathleenCora Posts: 160 Member
    Your really just making excuses.... it's only too hard because your not mentally 'there' yet. In reality it's not too hard, it's quite easy and not that time consuming. I enjoy it actually.... seeing what and how much I can eat sometimes. It forces you to make better choices if you don't have enough calories to eat what you originally wanted or you see how many calories that option is and decided thoughtfully that 'I don't want to waste 400 calories on a bagel'. Heck just last Saturday my work brought in bagels for everyone I checked the calories decided I could have one then came dinner where I only had like 300 left and said I will never do that again.... what a waste for a carb 'treat' that didn't even have any cream cheese on it!! smh.....it's up to you to make a change.
  • AnthonyThrashD
    AnthonyThrashD Posts: 306 Member
    Ask yourself "What would Count von Count do?"
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
    Don't write it down, log it on MFP. You're already on here. It just takes a couple of minutes each time you eat. Hold yourself accountable. Once you see it logged, the reality of it, you'll see what you are actually eating, and it becomes 'real'. Kind of like looking at your credit card statement. Easy to just swipe the credit card and spend imaginary money, but reality strikes when you look at the written facts.
  • libbydoodle11
    libbydoodle11 Posts: 1,351 Member
    I hafta say that the MFP app makes it pretty easy to track calories. I would rather track the foods I eat by entering them into an app.

    It may be difficult at first to track your calories but once you get into the swing of things it's pretty easy and becomes second nature.

    Think of how hard it will be to track your blood sugar levels once you have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes due to your weight.
  • My suggestion would be not to count in the beginning. Counting can be frustrating and may act as a roadblock for you to even begin.

    So don't count.

    But do start eating healthier and limit how much you are eating. Don't starve yourself, but do consume healthier portions.

    And go out for walks. I don't know how much exercise you're doing, but the little steps help.

    I think maybe you are overwhelmed by the information. Just take it one step at a time.
  • HotCuppaJo
    HotCuppaJo Posts: 476 Member
    I actually get a perverse pleasure out of logging my food! Lol. I think once you try doing it a few days, you might too! Give it a shot. It can't hurt anything, and if you still don't want to do it, or think it's too much effort, then you can stop. It's only "hard" because you probably, mentally, don't WANT to know how much you are really consuming. Becoming aware of how much you truly are overeating, is the first step. :smile: Good luck!
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
    My suggestion would be not to count in the beginning. Counting can be frustrating and may act as a roadblock for you to even begin.

    So don't count.

    But do start eating healthier and limit how much you are eating. Don't starve yourself, but do consume healthier portions.

    And go out for walks. I don't know how much exercise you're doing, but the little steps help.

    I think maybe you are overwhelmed by the information. Just take it one step at a time.

    this is a terrible idea. To start this journey, OP needs to find some accountability, not just eat what she's eating and not have any idea of it. She needs to start logging and see what she's doing. Not logging is what she's already doing and it's not working. Eating "healthier" is not the answer. Eating "smaller portions" and "fewer calories" each day is the answer, and the only way to do that is to log and be aware of what one is taking in.
  • ValerieMartini2Olives
    ValerieMartini2Olives Posts: 3,024 Member
    Seriously, you sound whiny and lazy. Either you want it or you don't.
  • ValerieMartini2Olives
    ValerieMartini2Olives Posts: 3,024 Member
    anne0124 wrote: »
    The idea of written down everything I eat and counting calories, carbs and all that seems confusing to me. Having to add everything up is taking away time to eat more. I always think one more bite won't hurt and here I am now 225. Has anyone tried weight loss surgery? Why can't I stop eating????

    You're at 225 and you're frustrated?! I'm at 288 (down from 302) and working harder than I've ever worked before to lose weight. Wanna know why? Because I want to live! I have 2 small children (7 and 3) who have told me that their mommy being alive is more important than anything I could ever give them. Do I like to eat?? Sure! That's what got me into the mess I'm in. Do I realize how my decisions have negatively impacted me? Absolutely! That's why I go out of my way to make sure I log every single speck that goes into my mouth. At the end of the day I am accountable for every crumb I've consumed and now I'm able to make wiser choices about what and what not to eat. You know what else I did? Started working out. Nothing drastic, no gym memberships, no classes, nothing. I rescued 2 dogs from a local animal shelter and I take them out for a one hour walk every single night.

    I've been told several times that I need weight loss surgery but I will not entertain the conversation until I prove to myself that I cannot do it. Every time I see a half pound or pound lost, weight loss surgery moves lower and lower in my eyes. I'm not saying that weight loss surgery is the easy way out...I'm saying that it's not for me, right now at least.

    I share my story with you and with everyone to know that if you're mind is in it, you will win it. If you think that tracking and logging and making wiser decisions is too hard for you, then it's you and you alone that will live with those consequences. No one is forcing you to eat, no one is forcing you to lose weight. You do what you feel is right. But if you have a child, then you're being selfish by not taking care of yourself, regardless of how old they are. You want my opinion: save your health...for yourself and for your kid.

    Bravo.
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    edited November 2014
    Fill in your profile so we know a bit more about you, open your diary so we can advise you and make lot of supportive MFP friends. These will all make it easier and demonstrate the effort is worthwhile. Check out the Success Sorties if you want proof it works and motivation.

    Don't worry about carbs and stuff unless you get stuck further down the line. MFP is all about KISS.
  • angieward39
    angieward39 Posts: 6 Member
    gem_192 wrote: »
    I call troll.
    A normal person wouldn't come on to a forum on a calorie counting website and say they can't be bothered to write everything down because that would take all day. Obviously the tracking (not tracting) will give you a wakeup call to how much you're actually eating.

    Thank you. I was reading the post and thinking, "This can't be real" (but if it is, I need to be off of these forums before I lose my faith in humanity)
  • bainsworth1a
    bainsworth1a Posts: 313 Member
    take it from someone who has been on a ton of diets with little success. tracking is the only way to be successful with losing weight. You have to know what you are eating good and bad. myfitnesspal is the easiest tracking I have ever done. They even have restaurant food. all you have to do is look it up and add it to your food diary. be as honest as you can. I have been doing this faithfully for 90 days and it is working. no more lying to myself about what I eat I know exactly what I'm doing every day. I don't beat myself up if I stray but I try to make better choices the next day.
    Good luck to you!!!
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,961 Member
    The idea of written down everything I eat and counting calories, carbs and all that seems confusing to me. Having to add everything up is taking away time to eat more. I always think one more bite won't hurt and here I am now 225. Has anyone tried weight loss surgery? Why can't I stop eating????
    The bold part is my favourite. Did you know - taking a poop or a shower also takes away the time you have to eat? Also... if you're overweight and wanting to lose weight... isn't having less time to eat a GOOD thing?
  • bainsworth1a
    bainsworth1a Posts: 313 Member
    The idea of written down everything I eat and counting calories, carbs and all that seems confusing to me. Having to add everything up is taking away time to eat more. I always think one more bite won't hurt and here I am now 225. Has anyone tried weight loss surgery? Why can't I stop eating????

    here is another tip you need to stop telling yourself you can't do something. If you want to change your weight you have to change your thinking. You can stop eating the wrong things if you really want to.

  • mellyo77
    mellyo77 Posts: 214 Member
    gem_192 wrote: »
    I call troll.
    A normal person wouldn't come on to a forum on a calorie counting website and say they can't be bothered to write everything down because that would take all day. Obviously the tracking (not tracting) will give you a wakeup call to how much you're actually eating.

    I concurr

  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    Why can't I stop eating????

    because you haven't taught yourself what it does to you and the importance of regulating it. When you want something enough to change for it, then you will do it.

  • knitapeace
    knitapeace Posts: 1,013 Member
    Here's my less-than-charitable opinion: if you say you can't control yourself around food, then food isn't your problem--control is. And that affects other areas of your life too. Add some kind of counseling to your weight loss efforts to get to the right place mentally, because you can control you. You're the only one who can.
  • mikeshockley
    mikeshockley Posts: 684 Member
    Also, it's "track", and not "tract".

    God that's been bugging me.....
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    rowlandsw wrote: »
    I'm calling troll or teenager from the attitude towards weightloss the OP is showing.
    And I'd say you don't know what a troll is. :)
  • It is a lot of work at first. Every little thing I eat, I weigh/measure and double check the entry to what I find in MFP (since there are many errors/label changes). I might make it more work for myself, but I would rather check it once to be correct and then I don't have to do that anymore.

    But as common foods I eat are remembered it become easier and quicker especially on a tablet. I obviously don't know how to control the amount of calories I need without logging.

    Weight loss surgery seems so much harder and I can eat 2 or 3 times more than those who had weight loss surgery. Plus all the risks and costs of surgery.
  • TheBeerRunner
    TheBeerRunner Posts: 2,777 Member
    VeryKatie wrote: »
    The bold part is my favourite. Did you know - taking a poop or a shower also takes away the time you have to eat? Also... if you're overweight and wanting to lose weight... isn't having less time to eat a GOOD thing?

    So not true. You can eat while having a poo. Hell, you can eat in the shower if you're really dedicated.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,329 Member
    VeryKatie wrote: »
    The bold part is my favourite. Did you know - taking a poop or a shower also takes away the time you have to eat? Also... if you're overweight and wanting to lose weight... isn't having less time to eat a GOOD thing?

    So not true. You can eat while having a poo. Hell, you can eat in the shower if you're really dedicated.

    I had a flatmate who smoked in the shower. True story.

  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    knitapeace wrote: »
    Here's my less-than-charitable opinion: if you say you can't control yourself around food, then food isn't your problem--control is. And that affects other areas of your life too. Add some kind of counseling to your weight loss efforts to get to the right place mentally, because you can control you. You're the only one who can.

    Quite true. I once shared an office with a guy who said he liked to date heavier girls because they had no self control.
  • wilsoncl6
    wilsoncl6 Posts: 1,280 Member
    Wow, I never knew logging was this hard. It takes me about two seconds to search and log a food and one second if I've already previously logged that food. Sounds like to me laziness is the problem, not time. In the amount of time OP took to post she could have logged her breakfast.
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
    VeryKatie wrote: »
    The bold part is my favourite. Did you know - taking a poop or a shower also takes away the time you have to eat? Also... if you're overweight and wanting to lose weight... isn't having less time to eat a GOOD thing?

    So not true. You can eat while having a poo. Hell, you can eat in the shower if you're really dedicated.

    There's something intrinsically wrong with eating and defecating simultaneously.
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