Does anyone here not count calories, or have stopped?
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I do not count calories and I'm slowly losing fat.
Most of my clients track their intake but they also either enjoy it or don't dislike it. The ones that really dislike it do not track and we incorporate other methods.0 -
I lost 50 ish lbs when I was 17 without counting calories, and then I maintained my goal weight for 3 years also without counting calories. My lifestyle changed quite a bit though and I ended up gaining 10 lbs in a year. I probably could've avoided that 10 lb gain if I counted calories. I started counting in April and lost those 10 lbs again. I'm going to continue counting, but I think eventually I might start estimating more and weighing only calorie dense food.0
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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.
You're so supportive for doing that for him! Wow!0 -
I log my intake, but don't care about the calories for their own sake. I pay attention to my macro ratios mostly, and even then only on a rolling weekly basis.
Once I lost 50 lbs, I had a solid handle on hunger signals and what my body needs to deal with my activity levels.
Needing to count calories for life, IMHO, means you don't really have a grasp on nutrition or a healthy relationship with food. Wanting to count is another issue. I'm sure some people see it as a hobby. You don't sound like one of those, however.0 -
You don't have to count calories to lose weight - it's the most precise way though.
I've taken breaks when I felt like the calorie counting was getting to be too much for me mentally, and in maintenance I don't log at all on weekends. My end goal is not to count for the rest of my life, but to take the knowledge I've learned from over a year of counting and put it to good use.
There's nothing wrong with counting for an extended period, or life if that's where you feel comfortable.
If you're not enjoying it, take a break. Though I will say the longer you do it, the easier it is. It takes me maybe 10 minutes to log my days now.0 -
I stopped counting for about 18 months and gained 45lbs. Been counting again since May and have lost 19lbs so far. Counting is a must for me and doesn't take long. I quite enjoy it actually, now I'm back in the swing of it.
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It seems weird that a lot of people are saying that it's too time-consuming to count kcals. I don't understand what takes time? You look at the label, you calculate the kcals you are going to eat or have eaten, then you record it on your computer or on your phone or even on paper. All of this takes less than a minute... Besides, if you count kcals often enough, I have found at least, that I have already memorized the kcalories in most of the foods I eat.
Maybe I'm also too much of a scientist with my head stuck in chemistry and all but I also don't see why it is so bad to think of food as numbers instead of as just "food" because when it comes down to it, that's exactly what food is. Kcalories is the energy in the food, and you eat food for energy, not for any other characteristics it has. Sure, we like to eat tasty things but that's not really why we need food to live. Focusing on food instead of energy is why we get fat in the first place after all. I like to think of all the thermodynamics and biochemistry happening when I take in food because that's the reality of why we eat.0 -
It seems weird that a lot of people are saying that it's too time-consuming to count kcals. I don't understand what takes time? You look at the label, you calculate the kcals you are going to eat or have eaten, then you record it on your computer or on your phone or even on paper. All of this takes less than a minute... Besides, if you count kcals often enough, I have found at least, that I have already memorized the kcalories in most of the foods I eat.
Maybe I'm also too much of a scientist with my head stuck in chemistry and all but I also don't see why it is so bad to think of food as numbers instead of as just "food" because when it comes down to it, that's exactly what food is. Kcalories is the energy in the food, and you eat food for energy, not for any other characteristics it has. Sure, we like to eat tasty things but that's not really why we need food to live. Focusing on food instead of energy is why we get fat in the first place after all. I like to think of all the thermodynamics and biochemistry happening when I take in food because that's the reality of why we eat.
Not everyone eats everything out of boxes.0 -
The key is mindfulness. So, whether you choose calorie counting or another methodology, you need to maintain vigilance about what's going into your body.
Based on the personal journey that you shared in your profile, you should be in a position where it takes minimal effort to log your food intake.
My suspicion is that your question might go deeper. Do you feel deprived of certain foods that you enjoy? Do you ever feel guilty about what you're eating? If yes, you need to be kind to yourself. Life is a journey. Give yourself permission to enjoy treats guilt-free. If you are maintaining a healthy lifestyle, there's no reason that you should not be able to incorporate the full spectrum of foods. Have you tried building a 'free day' into your schedule?
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I count calories because I lose weight faster when I do but for long term maintenance I prefer the behavioral and diet changes I've made to manage my weight. Even though I enjoy logging most of the time it's not sustainable for me - or at least it hasn't ever been before - so it's important for my long term success that I'm able to trust my hunger cues.
MFP in general tends to scoff at behavioral changes other than the eat-less-move-more-cico variety but I think they do people a real disservice by focusing on that to the exclusion of everything else.0 -
accidentalpancake wrote: »It seems weird that a lot of people are saying that it's too time-consuming to count kcals. I don't understand what takes time? You look at the label, you calculate the kcals you are going to eat or have eaten, then you record it on your computer or on your phone or even on paper. All of this takes less than a minute... Besides, if you count kcals often enough, I have found at least, that I have already memorized the kcalories in most of the foods I eat.
Maybe I'm also too much of a scientist with my head stuck in chemistry and all but I also don't see why it is so bad to think of food as numbers instead of as just "food" because when it comes down to it, that's exactly what food is. Kcalories is the energy in the food, and you eat food for energy, not for any other characteristics it has. Sure, we like to eat tasty things but that's not really why we need food to live. Focusing on food instead of energy is why we get fat in the first place after all. I like to think of all the thermodynamics and biochemistry happening when I take in food because that's the reality of why we eat.
Not everyone eats everything out of boxes.
I eat very little out of a box. I also only have a few recipes that are made the same way every time. I spend a lot of time recalculating old recipes...entering new ones...etc etc. I am only tracking calories now for the sodium, potassium and iron since those at this are the ones that I watch for health reasons.
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accidentalpancake wrote: »It seems weird that a lot of people are saying that it's too time-consuming to count kcals. I don't understand what takes time? You look at the label, you calculate the kcals you are going to eat or have eaten, then you record it on your computer or on your phone or even on paper. All of this takes less than a minute... Besides, if you count kcals often enough, I have found at least, that I have already memorized the kcalories in most of the foods I eat.
Maybe I'm also too much of a scientist with my head stuck in chemistry and all but I also don't see why it is so bad to think of food as numbers instead of as just "food" because when it comes down to it, that's exactly what food is. Kcalories is the energy in the food, and you eat food for energy, not for any other characteristics it has. Sure, we like to eat tasty things but that's not really why we need food to live. Focusing on food instead of energy is why we get fat in the first place after all. I like to think of all the thermodynamics and biochemistry happening when I take in food because that's the reality of why we eat.
Not everyone eats everything out of boxes.
Exactly. Hardly anything that I eat has a nutrition label on it. I cook a lot of things from scratch and I rarely follow recipes.0 -
accidentalpancake wrote: »It seems weird that a lot of people are saying that it's too time-consuming to count kcals. I don't understand what takes time? You look at the label, you calculate the kcals you are going to eat or have eaten, then you record it on your computer or on your phone or even on paper. All of this takes less than a minute... Besides, if you count kcals often enough, I have found at least, that I have already memorized the kcalories in most of the foods I eat.
Maybe I'm also too much of a scientist with my head stuck in chemistry and all but I also don't see why it is so bad to think of food as numbers instead of as just "food" because when it comes down to it, that's exactly what food is. Kcalories is the energy in the food, and you eat food for energy, not for any other characteristics it has. Sure, we like to eat tasty things but that's not really why we need food to live. Focusing on food instead of energy is why we get fat in the first place after all. I like to think of all the thermodynamics and biochemistry happening when I take in food because that's the reality of why we eat.
Not everyone eats everything out of boxes.
Perhaps not, but you can easily plug in your meals in the morning and see what you'll come to. I know 100g of leftover pork loin comes to about 250 calories and 25+ grams of protein.0 -
barbecuesauce wrote: »accidentalpancake wrote: »It seems weird that a lot of people are saying that it's too time-consuming to count kcals. I don't understand what takes time? You look at the label, you calculate the kcals you are going to eat or have eaten, then you record it on your computer or on your phone or even on paper. All of this takes less than a minute... Besides, if you count kcals often enough, I have found at least, that I have already memorized the kcalories in most of the foods I eat.
Maybe I'm also too much of a scientist with my head stuck in chemistry and all but I also don't see why it is so bad to think of food as numbers instead of as just "food" because when it comes down to it, that's exactly what food is. Kcalories is the energy in the food, and you eat food for energy, not for any other characteristics it has. Sure, we like to eat tasty things but that's not really why we need food to live. Focusing on food instead of energy is why we get fat in the first place after all. I like to think of all the thermodynamics and biochemistry happening when I take in food because that's the reality of why we eat.
Not everyone eats everything out of boxes.
Perhaps not, but you can easily plug in your meals in the morning and see what you'll come to. I know 100g of leftover pork loin comes to about 250 calories and 25+ grams of protein.
Not disputing that in any way. My post was in direct response to the quote.0 -
Thank you.Justthisgirl1994 wrote: »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.
You're so supportive for doing that for him! Wow!
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I count for a few months, I slack off for a few months.
Meh.
It's all good if you make your goals.0 -
accidentalpancake wrote: »It seems weird that a lot of people are saying that it's too time-consuming to count kcals. I don't understand what takes time? You look at the label, you calculate the kcals you are going to eat or have eaten, then you record it on your computer or on your phone or even on paper. All of this takes less than a minute... Besides, if you count kcals often enough, I have found at least, that I have already memorized the kcalories in most of the foods I eat.
Maybe I'm also too much of a scientist with my head stuck in chemistry and all but I also don't see why it is so bad to think of food as numbers instead of as just "food" because when it comes down to it, that's exactly what food is. Kcalories is the energy in the food, and you eat food for energy, not for any other characteristics it has. Sure, we like to eat tasty things but that's not really why we need food to live. Focusing on food instead of energy is why we get fat in the first place after all. I like to think of all the thermodynamics and biochemistry happening when I take in food because that's the reality of why we eat.
Not everyone eats everything out of boxes.
I don't remember saying that anywhere? If there's a label, you look at it. If not, you have to take 2 seconds to google it and most people eat similar foods every day so, also as I mentioned, you tend to memorize pretty quickly the kcals in things.0 -
I do, but I've done it for a long time and am trying to learn to eat without having to weigh all the food. It's not easy for me! But most of the world manages to eat without weighing their food and I can learn to do it, too. I think. 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.
good call, good thread
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10180601/non-tracking-methods-and-behaviors-that-may-help-while-tracking/p1
I'm tracking now because I'm actively losing after a small regain, and because my activity level has changed - I'm having to tighten up and learn some new tricks to stay at this lower calorie target. But I didn't track once I was well into maintenance after my big loss, by mostly doing stuff summarized in the thread above.0 -
I lost 70 pounds a few years ago by measuring and logging every bite. i felt I could continue to lose without logging. My new job has a long commute and I stopped working out. I regain everything I lost. Now I am logging everything again and moving more. It works. I personally need to stick with it.0
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I always count -- 48.5lbs down and I don't want it back. I suck at eyeballing food portions so it's going to have to be a long term thing for me. I know it, I'm good with it because the alternative is much worse. A few minutes out of each day is a small price to pay for good health. Just my two cents.0
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Counting calories is time consuming for me when I make homemade recipes which is the majority of my meals. Today was potato pancakes made from leftover mashed potatoes that were made with dairy free butter and coconut milk. I could have weighed raw potatoes, coconut milk and butter before and after cooking and mashing and figured how much 100g was worth cooked. Then I could have figured out how much was in the leftovers and weighed out the eggs and gluten free flour I added to the potatoes to make the pancakes and also weighed out the butter they were fried in. It would have had to have been the raw weight vs the cooked weight. This is just 1 recipe.
I chose not to do that. Instead I weighed out my scrambled eggs and bacon and estimated the potato pancakes.
Counting calories will make me crazy if I have to weigh everything in homemade recipes. So instead of an all or nothing approach, I weigh things that are easy and estimate the harder things. Still counting calories but trying not to make myself crazy.0 -
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I'm all about healthy livin'...I don't count calories anymore...I did while I was losing weight in order to see on paper what the "cost" of my consumption was as well as to teach me how to better balance out my nutrition...having done that for 9 months, I really didn't see any reason to continue.
I've maintained my weight loss for over two years now pretty easily...I eat well and I exercise regularly.
that said, a lot of people just tend to go back to old habits and/or they just stop paying attention and whatnot...big mistake. While I don't log, I'm very aware of my nutrition and consumption in general.0 -
Having a 19 year old daughter at home, I see a great many 20 year old people. The majority of them need to worry about calories. Maybe twenty percent are thin and fit.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.0 -
I've been a bit hit and miss with logging lately as I've been so busy....3 young kids, working as a teacher, and my husband works shifts. I'm always on the go - work, meetings, lesson planning, housework, running round after the kids, gym etc.
I haven't weighed myself lately, but I am most definitely getting smaller.
I've been logging for 3 years though, and I haven't changed the way I eat, so logging or not logging, I'm eating pretty much the same.
I will get back on it though. School finishes Wed for the summer, so I've got 6 weeks of no work.0 -
cassandralepandaa wrote: »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?
I do literally count and log my calories. It's a tool I choose to use for weight management.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.
You are projecting your generalizations out instead of saying whether or not you count calories. Your assessments are false, by the way. Calorie couting is a tool that helps people be successful with weight management no matter what stage they are at.0 -
The only way I've lost weight in the past without counting calories is to cut out all 'junk' like chocolate, fast food etc. I'd rather count and keep track, so I can still eat allllll the foods.0
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