Does anyone here not count calories, or have stopped?
cassandralepandaa
Posts: 66 Member
Hey all!
Lately, I've found that counting calories have consumed too much time and thought that could be put towards other things.
To put it into perspective, it's at the point where when I look at food, all I see is a number.
Does anyone here not count calories? How has it affected your journey? Have you let go of the weight still? Put it back on? Maintained?
Lately, I've found that counting calories have consumed too much time and thought that could be put towards other things.
To put it into perspective, it's at the point where when I look at food, all I see is a number.
Does anyone here not count calories? How has it affected your journey? Have you let go of the weight still? Put it back on? Maintained?
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Replies
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I find if I don't count the calories my weight shifts slowly, but I'm at peace with myself. When I'm too intensive with calorie counting it becomes an obsession, then it all gets too much and I start binging. I don't know why I do that, brain rebellion maybe? I try to be mindful of what I eat and log it all in the evening. If I've gone over I just make a mental note to be more strict tomorrow. I find that the best way. Calorie counting even though it works for me can be a bit traumatic!0
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I have not counted calories simply bc I don't have the time with an infant and a toddler. I've lost 17lbs in two months. I know what I need to eat and not eat. If I cheat I just start fresh the next day.0
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I count because I tend to be forgetful. It helps and with MFP on the phone it just takes a sec wherever I am
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I take pictures of my food but I don't count calories at all. I do, however, make sure I get a balance of food--vegetables, fruits, proteins, some carbs and healthy fats, etc.0
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Haven't for a long time...
It's useful for people cutting down in small amounts in order to be lean for summer, etc.
It's not that useful for maintenance or for very overweight people IN THE LONG RUN imho.
You appear to be a thin and healthy 20 yr old, why would you be counting cals?
Be active, eat quality food, avoid refined carbs and unless you gain/lose a bunch of weight, don't worry about cals all the time.-3 -
Haven't for a long time...
It's useful for people cutting down in small amounts in order to be lean for summer, etc.
It's not that useful for maintenance or for very overweight people IN THE LONG RUN imho.
You appear to be a thin and healthy 20 yr old, why would you be counting cals?
Be active, eat quality food, avoid refined carbs and unless you gain/lose a bunch of weight, don't worry about cals all the time.
"You're already muscular, why do you go to gym?"
To keep it that way.0 -
stevencloser wrote: »Haven't for a long time...
It's useful for people cutting down in small amounts in order to be lean for summer, etc.
It's not that useful for maintenance or for very overweight people IN THE LONG RUN imho.
You appear to be a thin and healthy 20 yr old, why would you be counting cals?
Be active, eat quality food, avoid refined carbs and unless you gain/lose a bunch of weight, don't worry about cals all the time.
"You're already muscular, why do you go to gym?"
To keep it that way.
Right, except the natural state of a human female at 20 would be fairly lean unless they had a child.
Whoop, there it is.
The fittest, leanest people I know don't count calories, they're too busy making healthy, well balanced meals and lifting things and moving.-4 -
The fittest leanest people I know all pay attention to their calorie intake so that they don't waste their time when trying to bulk or cut.0
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Weird
Some of the fittest and leanest people I know are probably on here, day in, day out logging their calories and monitoring their maintenance levels
If calorie counting isn't for you then OP find another route to losing / maintaining
But I think you'll find most users of a calorie counting site like MFP count their calories0 -
stevencloser wrote: »The fittest leanest people I know all pay attention to their calorie intake so that they don't waste their time when trying to bulk or cut.
+1
I currently have a very small deficit and could see myself losing a pound a month if I eyeballed portions. But if OP feels that she's sliding into disordered behavior to lose vanity pounds, calorie counting may not be right for her.0 -
Weird
Some of the fittest and leanest people I know are probably on here, day in, day out logging their calories and monitoring their maintenance levels
If calorie counting isn't for you then OP find another route to losing / maintaining
But I think you'll find most users of a calorie counting site like MFP count their calories
Right. I never understand this thread, every time it's posted.0 -
I stopped counting for a year, and I gained like 25 lbs back. For me, I need the "control" of counting, or I start to slip on other aspects. I could cook the same healthy meals that I know the calorie count of in my sleep, but mentally not logging and not counting makes it much easier for me to have an extra slice of pie here, or an extra cookie there, or an extra glass of wine with dinner - and heck, let's get some crackers too. I just can't sustain it! As soon as I got back on MFP and started counting my calories again the weight dropped back off and it's just something that's had to become second nature for me. But each to their own, what works for one person may not work at all for another!0
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I stopped counting for about a year also and gained 12lb. Now I'm back at maintenance and counting for a different reason, I'm interested in getting my macro's balanced and lowering %BF. I doubt that I'll do it forever but I'll continue for the foreseeable future.0
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When I stopped counting calories I tried to apply everything I've learned while I was counting. I ate caloric dense foods in moderation and added lots of vegetables to my meals. I had some weight fluctuations 2-3lbs, but for 7 months I mainly maintained my weight. When I felt I had started eating too much for a long time I returned here and started counting again.
Calorie counting is a tool to help us and make things easier. You can stop using it anytime, as you can come back anytime and help yourself with it.
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I don't count calories hardcore, but I keep a written food journal and I'm very aware of the calorie counts and macronutrient values of foods.
Pre-planning helps me a lot. I plan out my meals for the next day the night before. This allows me to fit things in and make sure I'm eating balanced.
Even when I was losing weight I did this. I was afraid I wouldn't continue logging long term so I didn't start. I wanted to make sure everything I did during weight loss mode I was sure I could continue after I reached my goal.
It is not for everyone, but 80 lbs down and over 2 years maintaining a 5 pound range it has worked well for me. I have no plans to stop anytime soon. Different things work for different people.0 -
The thing with me is, if i stopped counting cals/logging - but still did the exercise i do now i don't think i would put that much weight on.
But, i actually like logging because i can actually see in Black & White WHAT i've been eating. Thus making me more mindful of Macros etc.
Not logging,... i'd probably just end up eating anything! Lol0 -
It's too important, so I make it a priority.
Sounds like a diet break time. I usually take one every 6 months for two weeks.0 -
With a digital food scale and all my regular foods already in my database, counting takes hardly any time at all. (This includes trying one or two new recipes per week.)
Counting helps me with mindfulness. Without mindfulness, when I am cooking for others, I gain weight. (When I'm single I cook more simply/lower calorie, don't bake, and spend a lot more time at the gym.)0 -
I think that it's possible to lose weight without daily logging if you keep mental notes and are completely honest with yourself. I'm sticking to counting calories just because I think it's more efficient. I'm pretty sure most people probably should be counting calories . I didn't realize how fast they add up until I had put on 20 lbs in a year of nursing school and not logging. Now I'm back at it and down 10 of those lbs.0
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I weigh and measure and count calories and log everything (most days) because I end up too far from my calorie and macro-nutrient targets if I don't, but I hate it. It takes up a lot of time for me because I'm always eating different things and I don't follow recipes when I cook.
What I need is a smartphone app where I can just take a picture of my plate, and it figures out what everything is and logs it for me.0 -
Probably 80% of my food is the same. When I have to weigh something new, I am happy to do it.0
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barbecuesauce wrote: »Weird
Some of the fittest and leanest people I know are probably on here, day in, day out logging their calories and monitoring their maintenance levels
If calorie counting isn't for you then OP find another route to losing / maintaining
But I think you'll find most users of a calorie counting site like MFP count their calories
Right. I never understand this thread, every time it's posted.
I think the reason why those posts show up is because just like those who count they want tips and info on how best to monitor their intake. Side Steel started a thread a few weeks ago in order to help those who wanted to move from counting to not counting.
While the majority of people on this site count not all do. They are here for either nutritional or fitness advice.
For myself...if it wasn't important for me to track some of my micro intake...I would probably transition to not counting.
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stevencloser wrote: »Haven't for a long time...
It's useful for people cutting down in small amounts in order to be lean for summer, etc.
It's not that useful for maintenance or for very overweight people IN THE LONG RUN imho.
You appear to be a thin and healthy 20 yr old, why would you be counting cals?
Be active, eat quality food, avoid refined carbs and unless you gain/lose a bunch of weight, don't worry about cals all the time.
"You're already muscular, why do you go to gym?"
To keep it that way.
Right, except the natural state of a human female at 20 would be fairly lean unless they had a child.
Whoop, there it is.
The fittest, leanest people I know don't count calories, they're too busy making healthy, well balanced meals and lifting things and moving.
The percentage of obese people in the modern world counters your claim.
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I don't count calories most of the year. I do end up gaining about 10 lbs by January. That's when I start counting calories till I lose at least 5 or 6 lbs or until I'm content again. I work out year round, with the odd month or two off (usually in winter). Right now I'm struggling a bit with motivation. I went on beach vacation last month and i've gained about 5 or 6 lbs since then. I've been trying not to over eat, and I'll do well for a week but then I completely fall off the wagon. When I gain back over 10 lbs over my maintenance weight (about 132) then I usually start counting again to get it back under control. Plus, that's about the point where I start needing to buy larger clothes and that is not ok.0
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stevencloser wrote: »Haven't for a long time...
It's useful for people cutting down in small amounts in order to be lean for summer, etc.
It's not that useful for maintenance or for very overweight people IN THE LONG RUN imho.
You appear to be a thin and healthy 20 yr old, why would you be counting cals?
Be active, eat quality food, avoid refined carbs and unless you gain/lose a bunch of weight, don't worry about cals all the time.
"You're already muscular, why do you go to gym?"
To keep it that way.
Right, except the natural state of a human female at 20 would be fairly lean unless they had a child.
Whoop, there it is.
The fittest, leanest people I know don't count calories, they're too busy making healthy, well balanced meals and lifting things and moving.
Wrong.
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I don't count calories for myself anymore since my body is pretty good at telling me when I'm full, when I'm under, and when I ate too much. Plus, I'm not trying to lose weight.
I do count calories for my husband (using a food scale ofc) because he is trying to lose weight and we want to make sure there is a deficit.0 -
It is hard at first to keep track but it pays off and after a short while you'll start memorizing your food's calories.
Just stick with it and it will pay off.0 -
Haven't for a long time...
It's useful for people cutting down in small amounts in order to be lean for summer, etc.
It's not that useful for maintenance or for very overweight people IN THE LONG RUN imho.
You appear to be a thin and healthy 20 yr old, why would you be counting cals?
Be active, eat quality food, avoid refined carbs and unless you gain/lose a bunch of weight, don't worry about cals all the time.
I've counted calories and lost 60 pounds. If I stop counting calories, they'll come right back. Also, I weigh about 20 pounds less now than I did when I was 20, and I'm still technically obese.0 -
What worked for me was counting calories first, so that I had a basic understanding of what I was consuming. Now I don't count them because I just don't like thinking in terms of eating numbers instead of food. But I still know when I'm eating too much or too little because of that basic understanding and the way I feel. If I'm hungry, I eat. If I'm not hungry, I don't eat. It's worked well for me.0
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