Is calorie counting really a lifetime/long term solution?
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Some method of regulating intake is necessary. As someone who has had a lifelong issue with weight control, I've chosen calorie counting as my approach to moderation. I may not actively count every calorie every day, but I am very aware of the calorie count in most foods I eat. I've integrated it into my daily eating pattern.
My sister-in-law is a lifetime Weight Watcher member and has developed the habit of counting points. She knows the point count of her regular foods and looks up those that come up as new on occasion. Her approach is similar to mine, the data accumulation is a different measuring system, but the intent is the same: portion control.
"Naturally" thin people may not do this consciously, but they are aware of what their bodies need and when to stop.
Sometimes I know when to stop, but I spent so much time ignoring that, that my calorie counting habit has become my wake-up call.0 -
As a fellow binge-eater/emotional eater I really think calorie counting is the best way. It's way too easy to kid yourself with intuitive or mindful eating that what you're eating is low/normal/okay (in my opinion/experience anyway).
The only way for me is to set my calorie goals relatively high - when I try to cut down to 1200 that just leads to binge eating for me. When I started I was aiming for 2000 + eating back my exercise calories - now I'm aiming for 1700. Again, I'm no expert and this is a learning curve for me but I have had a long history of bingeing/bulimia.
One of the things that has really curbed my binges is to fill my house with the things I binge on. Chocolate is a big one for me - so I buy more chocolate than I could ever possibly eat in one sitting and I have 2 drawers bulging with chocolate. I know people tell you to clear out everything that tempts you when you diet but I personally don't think that works for binge eaters and I've read a few books that agree (Beyond Temptation is a good one, Geneen Roth is another recommended author). I know when I wanted a binge and didn't have the stuff in the house I would just go out and buy it - it was never a case of "oh it's in the house so I'll eat it". Anyways - that's really stopped me bingeing I can't remember the last time I binged on chocolate.
I've always known weight loss would be a long process for me and in terms of weight loss I have a long way to go. I still overeat a load. But I've stopped bingeing and to me that feels like a big success. Just from my personal experience and I know others will disagree and have had different experiences.0 -
I spent almost 20 years trying everything BUT calorie counting. Adkins, South Beach, Weight Watchers, Nutra System, low fat, low sugar, pills etc etc etc. I never lasted very long. A few years ago, I decided to try to make the whole thing as simple as possible. I would just count my calories and be at a deficit. To my amazement, the weight came off. I have been maintaining now for over a year. I still count, weigh and measure everything. I hear too many stories about the majority of people gaining it all back, so I will be vigilant. You dont have to feel deprived, eat what you want just less of it. I'm personally not a big believer in intuitive eating. I "intuitively" ate my way into 268 pounds.0
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With me, i find i have to calorie count/weigh food.
I've tried estimating my calories/estimating food weights, but it never works out.
For example, what i thought was 1600 cals [estimating], was probably nearer 2000!
And as we know, that 400 cals makes a huge difference.
Some people that do a shed load of exercise may be able to get away with not calorie counting. But then again, it still depends on the amount of calories being consumed.0 -
I don't believe calorie counting leads to binge eating. I believe not eating enough nourishing food leads to binge eating. Imho.0
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Forever is a long time - but I do intend on calorie counting for the indefinite future. I don't account for every single calorie any more, I do a lot of estimating and aproximating but I do log it all ( other than a week off if I go on holidays)
Works well for me.0 -
I lost a significant amount of weight just by counting calories and plan to continue to keep my weight. I think after a while you also get a feeling for how many calories certain foods have. I have been weighing food for over a year now and already know some of the calorie amounts by heart for foods I use frequently. You will probably find yourself reflecting how many calories your meal has even when you stop logging, simply because it has become a habit.0
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Judging from the number of "I'm ba-ack!" threads, it's reasonable to guess that no, calorie counting isn't a viable lifetime solution for a significant number of people.
You presume they continued calorie counting. That's a major presumption.
To the OP, you have to figure out what will work for you and ignore the noise of what other people say should be "right", because different things are going to be "right" for different people.
Look at it this way -- there are lots of different reasons people are overweight to begin with. The specific problems behind why we were all overweight in the first place all required different approaches to finding lasting solutions. There's no one-size fits all approach to this whole thing.
If you don't think intuitive eating will ultimately work for you, there's no need to feel shamed about it by some authors. I'm a former bookkeeper. I get numbers and a neat balance of debit and credits appeals to me, so the idea of counting my calories for the long term is a good fit for my personality. If you think it's a good fit for your for whatever reason? Go for it.
If, however, the idea of it stresses you out, then obviously finding another approach would be best. That stress should not come from some outside idea of what you "should" be doing, though. You get to decide what's best for you.
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I feel sorry for anyone who has to count calories forever.0
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I feel sorry for anyone who has to count calories forever.
And I feel sorry for the people who will fail at successfully maintaining long term (which is most). CICO is working well for me, so it would be a very poor decision on my part to quit. I will never go back to where I was at before-overweight and a pre-diabetic. If I have to keep track of calories for the next 50 years to avoid that, so be it.0 -
I can't imagine it being a lifetime solution for me, which is kind of depressing (I fear I'll make progress, only to regress later when I stop counting.) The reason I don't see it as a lifetime solution is that it is mentally exhausting to tally every single bite down to the last gram that I eat. Becoming weary of doing so is the chief reason I have stopped in the past. I become a bit obsessed. I sit and log my meals while I eat, instead of reading, like I used to. Ugh, I don't know what the answer is to incorporating this into a long term solution.0
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I think I will have to count forever but I can live with it. I have lost 57lbs and if this is what I have to do to keep it off, so be it.0
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I don't see calorie counting as a sustainable solution. I think people need to check their weight occasionally (once a week?) and make sure they aren't allowing their weight to creep up. The problem I see with calorie counting is that it causes me to eat more. Granted, there were some days when I wasn't counting that I would eat much more than I should've eaten, but I find that when I reach the end of a day and have calories left over, I go find something to eat. If I weren't counting calories, I would stop eating sooner and that would help make up for those days when I ate too much.0
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I lost 195 pounds counting calories and still believe it is the way to go. At least for losing weight. As for maintaining, I figure that after a few years, some eating habits will become ingrained and everyday calorie counting won't be as important. Psychological underlying issues must also be addressed, otherwise nothing will be solved in the long term. Being happy and at peace both in body and mind is the way to go and it is so different from one to the other that I don't believe that one fits-for-all solution is possible.0
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When I reached my goal last time I stopped calorie counting and maintained my goal for eight months. The only reason I gained the weight back was cause I went back to college and should've started counting calories there because I didn't know the portion sizes of the cafeteria food.
I figure calorie counting is possible most of the time but sometimes I need mental breaks from it. Most of the time it's just second nature though. I've been doing it on and off for three years and honestly aren't really trying to lose more weight and will switch to maintaining soon0 -
Calorie counting will be perfectly sustainable for me if I continue to need it.0
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DemoraFairy wrote: »
Or once they reached their goal they stopped calorie counting and got back into the same old eating habits again....and stopped regular weigh in times till the problem was huge.Judging from the number of "I'm ba-ack!" threads, it's reasonable to guess that no, calorie counting isn't a viable lifetime solution for a significant number of people.
That's pretty much what happened to me. I stopped calorie counting because I graduated from uni and moved back home, meaning that I no longer prepared my own food - my mum cooked dinner each night. I did as much exercise as I could and ate as little as possible all day until dinner to try to make sure I didn't gain weight. I tried to limit how much dinner I ate each night. I thought it was working since I couldn't see any difference in the mirror or feel any difference in my clothes. Then when I got some new scales and weighed myself a few months later I found out I'd gained 20lbs.
So the only solution for me, at least in foreseeable future, is calorie counting and weighing myself.
Same here. I lost weight calorie counting, kept it off for a couple years logging sporadically, but gained 15-20 with depression and injury that made me unable to keep up the level of activity I'd need to support the way I like to eat (and not logging my food).
For me, if I think of it as a lifetime thing, I'll feel overwhelmed and think, "You know what? It's really not worth it." I know can maintain a healthy weight without logging my food under normal circumstances and I'm not sure it's worth the hassle to maintain a little leaner than that. So I look at calorie counting as something I do if/when my life changes and I'm not able to maintain without it. If my jeans get too tight, I'll log until they're not.0 -
I think calorie counting is totally manageable for the long term! It is an easy and effective way to manage what you eat and your weight. I also feel that it is incredibly helpful in teaching portion sizes so even if you do stop logging or counting calories you can still visualize what a correct portion of something is and not over indulge.0
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