Calorie counting for life?!

michellepearson224
michellepearson224 Posts: 72 Member
edited November 19 in Health and Weight Loss
So I'm just over 5 months in and 20lbs down, with probably another 10 to go until I reach my goal. But I'm soooo fed up of counting every single thing I eat - I have had the odd day off but I just wondered how you all sustain it? Even when in maintenance I guess you have to count? I'm currently giving myself a week off from counting and logging, but still eating sensibly and exercising most days, just to see what happens.

Just interested in other's thoughts on this.

Michelle
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Replies

  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    Not everyone continues logging in maintenance. I've been in maintenance for 6 weeks and it's definitely too soon to stop. Actually, I probably will never stop. I like it.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    If calorie counting drives you nutty after a while then I think it's in your best interest to pursue methods that do not involve calorie counting.


    If calorie counting is something you enjoy, then by all means keep doing it because it's fantastic especially for people who love it.

    You may find this helpful:
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10180601/non-tracking-methods-and-behaviors-that-may-help-while-tracking/p1
  • funjen1972
    funjen1972 Posts: 949 Member
    You don't *need* to track to lose or maintain. Tracking is simply one of many helpful tools. The link above has some excellent tips. If nothing else, try not logging for increasing increments - maybe don't log breakfast for a few days or intentionally don't log for a full day then 2 days. You've got to find a balance between what works for you mentally & physically. I suspect many of us will still mentally track calories consumption even if we don't record it.
  • michellepearson224
    michellepearson224 Posts: 72 Member
    Thanks...interesting. It's funny because I lost a similar amount of weight 5 years ago without tracking at all - I just started exercising and being more careful about what I ate. I only piled it back on when I stopped my gym membership.
  • Orfygirl
    Orfygirl Posts: 274 Member
    I don't log. It drives me bananas! I found that when I was logging, I obsessed over everything I put in my mouth. I literally spent my whole day counting calories. Now I just weigh my food and eat an appropriate portion size. By making that small adjustment, I have made so many more gains on my weight loss journey then I was when I was obsessing over every calorie I put into my mouth. Find what works for you and go with it because not everyone is the same.
  • whmscll
    whmscll Posts: 2,255 Member
    I lost 27 pounds two years ago and hit my goal weight. It was such a relief to stop measuring and logging and counting calories. Slowly, I became less careful about what I ate and put half the weight back on. Now I'm losing it again. I've learned that i need to continue tracking in some way, shape or form to stay accountable and maintain.
  • Sarasmaintaining
    Sarasmaintaining Posts: 1,027 Member
    With the absolutely dismal success rate for long term maintenance, I have no intention of ever stopping counting calories. Been doing it as part of my maintenance plan for two years now and will be doing it for the next 40+ years. That doesn't' mean I count every single thing, every single day though. For me it works well to count/track during the week and eat a little less than my maintenance calorie level. Then on the weekends I don't track/count and just eat responsibly, but with some leeway because I know I've got the extra calories from my weekdays. It balances out, and I've been doing very well so far :)
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    Sarasmaintaining wrote: »
    With the absolutely dismal success rate for long term maintenance, I have no intention of ever stopping counting calories. Been doing it as part of my maintenance plan for two years now and will be doing it for the next 40+ years. That doesn't' mean I count every single thing, every single day though. For me it works well to count/track during the week and eat a little less than my maintenance calorie level. Then on the weekends I don't track/count and just eat responsibly, but with some leeway because I know I've got the extra calories from my weekdays. It balances out, and I've been doing very well so far :)

    I do this now but continue to TRY to track what I eat on Saturday (my high day). I shoot for 2,500 calories but could honestly eat more pretty easily. I'm tempted to try what you do though, track during the week and be a little more free on the weekend. It's worked well for you?
  • kami3006
    kami3006 Posts: 4,979 Member
    edited June 2015
    It's not for everyone for sure, but I enjoy it and plan to do it forever. It's become such second nature that I don't give it much thought. I believe that because I cook all our meals and rarely go out to eat (only because I don't enjoy it) that it's an easier process for me than for those who have to work out all the numbers from meals prepared by others. I can see that being a headache.

    I'm also doing recomp now and that leaves way too little wiggle room to not count.
  • Sarasmaintaining
    Sarasmaintaining Posts: 1,027 Member
    edited June 2015
    arditarose wrote: »
    Sarasmaintaining wrote: »
    With the absolutely dismal success rate for long term maintenance, I have no intention of ever stopping counting calories. Been doing it as part of my maintenance plan for two years now and will be doing it for the next 40+ years. That doesn't' mean I count every single thing, every single day though. For me it works well to count/track during the week and eat a little less than my maintenance calorie level. Then on the weekends I don't track/count and just eat responsibly, but with some leeway because I know I've got the extra calories from my weekdays. It balances out, and I've been doing very well so far :)

    I do this now but continue to TRY to track what I eat on Saturday (my high day). I shoot for 2,500 calories but could honestly eat more pretty easily. I'm tempted to try what you do though, track during the week and be a little more free on the weekend. It's worked well for you?

    It has. You'll also discover though, that after you've done the whole calorie counting thing for a while you can't just turn it off, even when you give yourself permission to not track (for the weekends etc). It's just in your brain lol. I just picked up Subway and even though I did not purposely track the calories, I knew exactly how much my sub was, including protein and fat grams :p I could tell you without doubt, exactly how many calories I've eaten today even though I haven't written anything down, and it would be accurate within 50 calories. It's just a part of who I am now :)

    But, I don't allow myself to go long periods of time without intentionally tracking, because I know how easy it is to get sloppy. That's why the weekday-tracking/weekend-not tracking works well, at least for me :) I have a bit of freedom, but not too much that it becomes a problem.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    Sarasmaintaining wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    Sarasmaintaining wrote: »
    With the absolutely dismal success rate for long term maintenance, I have no intention of ever stopping counting calories. Been doing it as part of my maintenance plan for two years now and will be doing it for the next 40+ years. That doesn't' mean I count every single thing, every single day though. For me it works well to count/track during the week and eat a little less than my maintenance calorie level. Then on the weekends I don't track/count and just eat responsibly, but with some leeway because I know I've got the extra calories from my weekdays. It balances out, and I've been doing very well so far :)

    I do this now but continue to TRY to track what I eat on Saturday (my high day). I shoot for 2,500 calories but could honestly eat more pretty easily. I'm tempted to try what you do though, track during the week and be a little more free on the weekend. It's worked well for you?

    It has. You'll also discover though, that after you've done the whole calorie counting thing for a while you can't just turn it off, even when you give yourself permission to not track (for the weekends etc). It's just in your brain lol. I just picked up Subway and even though I did not purposely track the calories, I knew exactly how much my sub was, including protein and fat grams :p I could tell you without doubt, exactly how many calories I've eaten today even though I haven't written anything down, and it would be accurate within 50 calories. It's just a part of who I am now :)

    But, I don't allow myself to go long periods of time without intentionally tracking, because I know how easy it is to get sloppy. That's why the weekday-tracking/weekend-not tracking works well, at least for me :) I have a bit of freedom, but not too much that it becomes a problem.

    Yeah, I have a pretty good idea of things now as well. Sometimes down to the gram. I might try it soon. Thanks!
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  • drabbits2
    drabbits2 Posts: 179 Member
    I lost 20 pounds last year and have put 10 back on since January. Why? NO TRACKING. I am a person who does really well with accountability, so I suspect I will be tracking for a long, long time. For real, not in my head since the "in my head" resulted in these 10 pounds coming right back! It's much easier for me to be less honest about what I am putting in my mouth when I don't log. If I would be embarrassed to put down the entire bag of mint milanos I ate over the course of the day, then by golly--don't eat them!!!! Maybe stick to the normal portion! I need the honesty and accountability.
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  • Asher_Ethan
    Asher_Ethan Posts: 2,430 Member
    I definitely plan on doing it forever just because it's the only tool that has helped me lose weight and so it will probably be the only tool to keep the weight off.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    edited June 2015
    I logged for about 9 months while I was losing weight and keeping a diary was a great training tool. When I went to maintenance I quit logging and I have maintained for over 2 years.

    IMO, logging and keeping a diary is a lot like training wheels on a bike...it's a great tool to help you learn and a great way to educate yourself...but ultimately you just want to ride. I'm 40 years old and hope to be around at least another 40...I sure as *kitten* am not going to be logging every morsel for 40 years...I don't even think such a notion would be remotely realistic.

    Calorie counters are definitely in the minority...there are millions and millions and millions of people who maintain their weight just fine without ever logging a thing.
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  • snowflake930
    snowflake930 Posts: 2,188 Member
    A little over 3 years on MFP. 19 months on maintenance. 63 years old, and yes I will monitor the rest of my life, if at all possible. I am not logging every single thing I eat or drink now on maintenance, like I did while losing, but I am watching the scale closely. Up a few pounds and I cut back calories. I will not let myself become obese again................it is just the way it is, and will have to be, at least for me. Not everyone needs to do this though.
  • obLIVIon79
    obLIVIon79 Posts: 8 Member
    I lost 3 stone tracking and was so happy. Gradually I kept forgetting to log and sure enough then stopped thinking I knew what I was doing. 12 months later I have put a stone on again :( back on it again but for me I need to have this control otherwise those extra kcal sneak in there
  • barbecuesauce
    barbecuesauce Posts: 1,771 Member
    I plan to log. I plan to continue to weigh my foods. I have read too many people saying they've put on weight not logging and I know how hard it is to lose when you're at a normal BMI.

    People who don't need to are fine, but I don't think I'm one of them.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    Some people seem to think they can continue counting ad infinitum. I don't see that as doable. What I do see as doable is stepping on the bathroom scale once a week or so, and making adjustments as needed. It is also doable to keep a kinda sorta calorie count throughout the day. Most of my meals are all pretty similar on calories each day, so as long as I don't start adding stuff I don't need, I'll do fine without counting.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    I take a logging break every 6 months. It's fantastic, as I'll be a lifer.
  • Sarasmaintaining
    Sarasmaintaining Posts: 1,027 Member
    edited June 2015
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    I logged for about 9 months while I was losing weight and keeping a diary was a great training tool. When I went to maintenance I quit logging and I have maintained for over 2 years.

    IMO, logging and keeping a diary is a lot like training wheels on a bike...it's a great tool to help you learn and a great way to educate yourself...but ultimately you just want to ride. I'm 40 years old and hope to be around at least another 40...I sure as *kitten* am not going to be logging every morsel for 40 years...I don't even think such a notion would be remotely realistic.

    Calorie counters are definitely in the minority...there are millions and millions and millions of people who maintain their weight just fine without ever logging a thing.

    Are these people who used to be overweight though? With the dismal rate for long term weight loss success among people who were overweight at one time and then intentionally lost the weight, I don't think you can include that group into your 'millions of people who are fine without logging a thing' category.

    So while there are lots of people out there who have never struggled with their weight and can maintain a healthy weight without counting/tracking calories, I don't think that would apply to most here on MFP. I think we're talking about two different groups of people here.

  • kittykaida
    kittykaida Posts: 12 Member
    Hey everybody :smiley:

    I've only been on MFP for a few months, and I honestly think I will continue to log as long as this place still exists. I have lost huge amounts of weight before, (60, 70 and 90 lbs all lost at separate times.) and found myself right back where I was, or worse a year or two later, and not really sure how it happened.

    I have been really paying attention, and not starving myself (both figuratively and nutritionally) or binging out of control like I used to, and the difference in how I feel is amazing. For me, this is really forcing me to pay attention, and be brutally honest about everything that goes in my mouth. I got a food scale and measure meticulously now.

    For do many of us, think that this is a great accountability tool, and I suppose if you are someone who can lose all of the weight and successfully maintain without it, then kudos to you. Personally, I know I really thought I could eyeball things and stay on track, and I failed miserably, and I wouldn't wish that feeling on my worst enemy.
  • bpetrosky
    bpetrosky Posts: 3,911 Member
    I don't intend to weigh and log the rest of my life, but I'll continue to monitor my situation and adjust accordingly.

    When I get to a maintenance point, I'll continue to log for a period of time as I adjust to that level of eating. If I decide it is a good idea to go on a building plan, I'll keep logging to support that goal, too. But at some point I do look forward to not logging daily and simply keeping an eye on the scale in the morning to see where I'm at.

    Of course, if I start getting fat again, I know I can fall back to planning and logging as a method to stop that trend.
  • professionalHobbyist
    professionalHobbyist Posts: 1,316 Member
    I fuel my car and check the gas gauge all the days I will drive it

    I don't really feel like monitoring fueling my body is a bothersome task.

    It has become almost an interesting hobby, reshaping my body, taking better charge of my health.

    Yeah, I will do some form of it all my life.
  • kcd1961
    kcd1961 Posts: 126 Member
    It's simple really (if logging helped you reach your goal).
    1) If you can maintain weight loss without logging, don't log (and that includes using the strategies listed above)
    2) If you stop logging and gain weight, decide - Do I want to keep my success or my freedom from logging. Choose one, because you can't have both (at this point in time).

    In other words, trust your experience. If you need it, you need it. If you need it and don't like it, then that is another part of the mental game you need to tackle.

    Personally, I'm not there yet, 4 kg to reach goal, 1 until my next maintenance break. I think I will probably need to keep tracking, because I am very prone to cheating if I don't.
  • Emilia777
    Emilia777 Posts: 978 Member
    edited June 2015
    I lost weight in two phases. In phase one, lost about 45lbs, and maintained for years without logging. However, I made permanent adjustments to my eating habits (i.e. eating less consistently), even though I still had days when I ate a full bag of chips cause I felt like it. I only gained a bit of it (~9lbs) back last summer, because some stuff went down that threw me off pattern.

    Phase two is happening now, as I want to get to my ideal weight (whatever that is). I’m going into maintenance soon and I think I’ll continue tracking, at least until I find my stride. I find it’s more about building habits (or stopping old habits that lead to being overweight) than necessarily worrying about calories (though I do plenty of that lately too).
  • _cdaley
    _cdaley Posts: 79 Member
    I plan to keep tracking because the act of having to actually add the item/calories into MFP is my way of determining if I really want to eat something, or if it isn't worth the calories. If I don't see the calories in the item, it's so much easier to just say whatever and eat it. It's a huge self control tool for me. It works for me, so I'll continue!

  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,647 Member
    I can't see not doing it. Trusting my own judgement is what got me fat in the first place. That doesn't mean everyone has to do it forever. I'm sure there are plenty of folks with better judgemetn than me. ;)
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