When you SHOULDN'T count calories
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Reading Jillian michaels' book "Slim for Life" was really helpful to me... She recommends only logging and counting/measuring in the first couple of weeks to get acquainted with what proper portion sizes are...0
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I understand that the basic premise of weight loss is that one must burn more calories than he or she consumes.
Of course, it is not always an exact science. The 3,500 calories= a pound rule is an estimation, and it doesn't take into account the 20% margin of error allowed on nutritional labels here in the USA (as well as personal user error in calculating portion sizes, etc). Still, as long as you eat less than what you burn, you should eventually lose weight. (Just know that other factors such as water retention and the timing/weight of your last meal and bathroom visit may influence the scale as well).
That being said, I am also aware that calorie counting does not work for me. I am aware that if I stick to meticulously counting calories (or Weight Watchers points, as I have done in the past), I will lose weight. However, I have not been able to stick to it long-term.
I would even go as far as saying that I, personally, should NOT count calories.
Let me explain.
I am a very black and white thinker with a history of anxiety and depression. Often, calorie counting means I become obsessive. I weigh everything I eat down to the last gram. Eating out in a social situation is only permissible if nutritional information is readily available (I cannot cope with just estimating calories or portion sizes). This is becoming more of a challenge as, although I do not eat out as frequently as I have in the past (I tend to go to a restaurant once every 2 weeks or so during the school, year), my current social life revolves more around church groups with homemade food, or dinners at friends' houses.
So, if I'm in a situation where I don't know the exact numbers, I tend to cope by not eating anything at all, or binging. Either way, my need for perfection drives me to destruction even before I get into the details of my Fitbit calorie burn, TDEE calculators, deficit sizes, and the like. I also worry that, with my personal history, I could very likely spiral into the realms of an eating disorder if I get too engrossed in calorie counting.
I know that I am not the only person out there who cannot deal with counting calories- or SHOULDN'T. While I have never struggled with anorexia or another eating disorder, I can see how someone with a history of anorexia who could also afford to lose some weight after recovery, should steer away from diet plans that involve counting calories simply because it could trigger a relapse of self-destructive behaviors.
So, how do you lose weight without counting calories or cutting out any major food groups? I understand that it may be slow weight loss, but I'm becoming more and more content with that idea. I'm already trying to make small changes like consistently eating a packed lunch at work (with fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains) instead of opting for quick-on the go options like potato chips, snack cakes, hummus with pretzel chips, or Lunchables. That, coupled with the fact that I've gone from eating at restaurants 1 to 3 times a week (up to 4 or 5 days at one point) to eating at a restaurant roughly 2-3 times a month should help. (Eating at a friends' house usually happens a couple times a month- if that. Church food events are more frequent, but I tend to nibble at the food there, so it's less of an issue.
OP...This might help. It is a thread started by Side Steel with advice on how to not track calories. There is a lot of good information in it.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10180601/non-tracking-methods-and-behaviors-that-may-help-while-tracking/p1
Hope it helps.
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I was about to suggest the first one, Lean Habits. I haven't read the other two, but Lean Habits is a great plan for losing weight without counting calories. I'd follow it myself but I'm hoping to soon be ready to start bulking, and Lean Habits is geared toward losing or maintaining weight.
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I agree that the title of this could afford revision. "When ONE Shouldn't Count Calories" would probably be better.
I know I've been struggling with this for years, but there is one major change. I've stopped trying to conform to a mold. Rather than following a specific diet plan, I'm starting to piece multiple plans together in order to find one that works for me.
If that means eating primarily from a certain list of foods, or counting calories for one or two meals a day most days, then I'll do it, but for now, I am trying to avoid feeling like I'm on a diet0 -
Personally I thrive on the structure and routine of weighing/calorie counting. I think I'd be a muddled up mess without my kitchen scales, fitbit and mfp. I need to see those numbers etc in front of me in black and white.
I've only been calorie counting for 12mths, the novelty and joy hasn't worn off yet, and I hope it never does
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I couldn't log in to my account for the past weeks and still managed to lose weight. I suppose learnt about portion size without realising I had. Also, as someone mentioned, visualising the eating well plate it may helps.
Hope it helps:
nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/eatwell-plate.aspx
Also, what about printing some "What does 100 cal., 200 cal., etc. of food look like?" posters and placing them up in the fridge to have a roughly idea...?0 -
I also invested in some new lunch containers and a lunchbox, so that should help me make better choices at work. I've learned that if I pack lunch- no matter how unhealthy it is- I am more likely to eat fruits and vegetables. Today, I'm having mac and cheese with hot dogs, but I also added broccoli, roasted carrot fries, and pureed butternut squash (mixed into the pasta).
I think that's a brilliant idea. There's an active post about bento lunch boxes. Of course, you don't need to buy a bento one. Any other tupperware will do the job.
community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10043413/using-bento-boxes-for-lunches/p10 -
You could pre-count the meals you eat most often in 400 calorie chunks and 100 calorie snacks and make a list of them. This is pretty modular because most calorie targets are divisible by 400 and those that aren't can benefit from the snacks or half meals. If you go to restaurants often or happen to eat things that are not on the list, you would use common sense and portion control in these situations.
It may require stressing about number for a few days while you prepare your meal list, but after that you're free! All you have to do is pick what you feel like eating from the list. One may think that's limiting, but it's not at all. People tend to eat repeat foods very often.
Make sure to familiarize yourself with the way these meals look and how much food you're using so that you don't overeat them, but just in case set your calorie target a little bit lower than you want it to be to account for new foods and inaccuracies.
That's how I maintained for a while before resuming weight loss. It was amazingly easy and I had an impressive list of 37 meals and 12 snacks. Too bad my hard disk was fried by a short circuit and I lost it.0 -
My goal is to get to a point where I don't count either. If you eat reasonably and you are moving you will lose. I think you have to be disciplined in order to lose and not count calories.
Right now I count and track exercise and for me it's fun. I love seeing my fitbit synch with MFP and seeing how any calories I have left. I make it a "game" to get that number up and it's a good visual of my success for the day.
The only time I don't count is on Saturday when I eat at maintenance. When I track I feel like failure.
Once I get to my goal weight I will longer count and just make sure I am active and eat a well balanced diet.0 -
I don't think this is a matter of you SHOULDN'T count calories. It's more of a you DON'T WANT TO count calories.
Some of us on MFP have been here long enough to remember your old account and threads, which provide much more context.I've been struggling with sticking to a diet. I've tried just about everything in the past. Since November, I've tried South Beach, Weight Watchers, counting calories on both Sparkpeople and MFP, and just trying to eat healthier in general. I also tried a Paleo diet for a week. I've lost a few pounds here or there, but I've never been able to stick to anything for more than a week or two. Most of the time, I'm lucky if I last more than a day or two.
I'm just not sure what to do. When I tried South Beach and Paleo, I did alright to start (I lost 6 pounds in a week on a Paleo Diet),but I constantly craved all I couldn't eat. I definitely do better with calorie counting in that respect. I think having forbidden foods is a recipe for disaster- at least for me.
At the same time, I've never been a math person, and I HATE dealing with numbers. On top of that, trying to plan out my meals ahead of time is a challenge on MFP simply because I don't know how many calories I'll have to spend each day based on my activity level (I wear a Fitbit 24/7). I might have 1,200 calories total for the day (estimated by dinnertime), or I might have 2,000. It really can vary, and it's hard for me to keep up.
Plus, like I said before, I HATE NUMBERS. They stress me out immensely. I always feel like I'm hungrier when I'm counting calories.
Not to mention that eating things like whole eggs, whole milk, nuts, and full-fat cheese seem like waste of calories compared to lower-fat options- but I definitely prefer the full-fat dairy and whole eggs. I almost feel like I'm being "punished" when I pour a 150 calorie cup of whole milk when I know I can save about 50 calories and have skim milk- even though i know there are benefits to drinking the full-fat dairy (plus, it tastes better, in my opinion).
I will say, however, that in the past, I was successful with counting calories for about a month or so, but that was nearly 2 years ago, and I have not had any success since then.
Certainly, you CAN lose weight without calorie counting. But I think your problem is consistency and actually sticking to something. I mean the above quote is from 2013, 2 years ago, and you're STILL having the same issue. Either commit yourself to one thing or nothing at all. But it's obvious that what you're currently doing, is not working. And if you're not already, seek out some professional help.
Yes after reading that I agree.
OP's problem does seem to be lack of commitment and follow-through, rather than the issues of any particular system.
OP, It seems to me that as soon as the going gets tough or the novelty wears off, then you consider the system 'no longer working'
Like you are seeking some system that is all magic and fun.
There isn't one.0 -
If you really believe that counting calories will trigger obsessive behavior, negative thinking, or other significant problems, then you need to work with a professional in order to address the beliefs and thought patterns that are the foundation for all of that.
Focusing on the question of whether you should count calories or not deflects from what the actual problem is.
If you don't address the basic problem, then counting calories or not will never matter one way or another, because the core problem will always find a way to express itself regardless of whether you're counting calories.
I think dealing with root causes is optimal, but for OP, right now, today, there's no harm in trying other approaches to reduce food intake. While there is some potential harm in counting calories, currently. And counting calories is not essential for weight loss, there are other ways of doing it.
So maybe calorie counting is something to consider in the future. There is no reason OP has to wait to act until then.0 -
I don't think this is a matter of you SHOULDN'T count calories. It's more of a you DON'T WANT TO count calories.
Some of us on MFP have been here long enough to remember your old account and threads, which provide much more context.I've been struggling with sticking to a diet. I've tried just about everything in the past. Since November, I've tried South Beach, Weight Watchers, counting calories on both Sparkpeople and MFP, and just trying to eat healthier in general. I also tried a Paleo diet for a week. I've lost a few pounds here or there, but I've never been able to stick to anything for more than a week or two. Most of the time, I'm lucky if I last more than a day or two.
I'm just not sure what to do. When I tried South Beach and Paleo, I did alright to start (I lost 6 pounds in a week on a Paleo Diet),but I constantly craved all I couldn't eat. I definitely do better with calorie counting in that respect. I think having forbidden foods is a recipe for disaster- at least for me.
At the same time, I've never been a math person, and I HATE dealing with numbers. On top of that, trying to plan out my meals ahead of time is a challenge on MFP simply because I don't know how many calories I'll have to spend each day based on my activity level (I wear a Fitbit 24/7). I might have 1,200 calories total for the day (estimated by dinnertime), or I might have 2,000. It really can vary, and it's hard for me to keep up.
Plus, like I said before, I HATE NUMBERS. They stress me out immensely. I always feel like I'm hungrier when I'm counting calories.
Not to mention that eating things like whole eggs, whole milk, nuts, and full-fat cheese seem like waste of calories compared to lower-fat options- but I definitely prefer the full-fat dairy and whole eggs. I almost feel like I'm being "punished" when I pour a 150 calorie cup of whole milk when I know I can save about 50 calories and have skim milk- even though i know there are benefits to drinking the full-fat dairy (plus, it tastes better, in my opinion).
I will say, however, that in the past, I was successful with counting calories for about a month or so, but that was nearly 2 years ago, and I have not had any success since then.
Certainly, you CAN lose weight without calorie counting. But I think your problem is consistency and actually sticking to something. I mean the above quote is from 2013, 2 years ago, and you're STILL having the same issue. Either commit yourself to one thing or nothing at all. But it's obvious that what you're currently doing, is not working. And if you're not already, seek out some professional help.
Because no one on this site ever tried to lose weight unsuccessfully before their perfectly successful effort today.0 -
I don't think this is a matter of you SHOULDN'T count calories. It's more of a you DON'T WANT TO count calories.
Some of us on MFP have been here long enough to remember your old account and threads, which provide much more context.I've been struggling with sticking to a diet. I've tried just about everything in the past. Since November, I've tried South Beach, Weight Watchers, counting calories on both Sparkpeople and MFP, and just trying to eat healthier in general. I also tried a Paleo diet for a week. I've lost a few pounds here or there, but I've never been able to stick to anything for more than a week or two. Most of the time, I'm lucky if I last more than a day or two.
I'm just not sure what to do. When I tried South Beach and Paleo, I did alright to start (I lost 6 pounds in a week on a Paleo Diet),but I constantly craved all I couldn't eat. I definitely do better with calorie counting in that respect. I think having forbidden foods is a recipe for disaster- at least for me.
At the same time, I've never been a math person, and I HATE dealing with numbers. On top of that, trying to plan out my meals ahead of time is a challenge on MFP simply because I don't know how many calories I'll have to spend each day based on my activity level (I wear a Fitbit 24/7). I might have 1,200 calories total for the day (estimated by dinnertime), or I might have 2,000. It really can vary, and it's hard for me to keep up.
Plus, like I said before, I HATE NUMBERS. They stress me out immensely. I always feel like I'm hungrier when I'm counting calories.
Not to mention that eating things like whole eggs, whole milk, nuts, and full-fat cheese seem like waste of calories compared to lower-fat options- but I definitely prefer the full-fat dairy and whole eggs. I almost feel like I'm being "punished" when I pour a 150 calorie cup of whole milk when I know I can save about 50 calories and have skim milk- even though i know there are benefits to drinking the full-fat dairy (plus, it tastes better, in my opinion).
I will say, however, that in the past, I was successful with counting calories for about a month or so, but that was nearly 2 years ago, and I have not had any success since then.
Certainly, you CAN lose weight without calorie counting. But I think your problem is consistency and actually sticking to something. I mean the above quote is from 2013, 2 years ago, and you're STILL having the same issue. Either commit yourself to one thing or nothing at all. But it's obvious that what you're currently doing, is not working. And if you're not already, seek out some professional help.
Because no one on this site ever tried to lose weight unsuccessfully before their perfectly successful effort today.
Yeah but should it take years to figure it out, while continuing to make the same mistakes?
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You can get a portion control thing from nutrisystem it goes on the plate you put the food in and take it off. Until you can figure out portions for yourself.0
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christinev297 wrote: »I don't think this is a matter of you SHOULDN'T count calories. It's more of a you DON'T WANT TO count calories.
Some of us on MFP have been here long enough to remember your old account and threads, which provide much more context.I've been struggling with sticking to a diet. I've tried just about everything in the past. Since November, I've tried South Beach, Weight Watchers, counting calories on both Sparkpeople and MFP, and just trying to eat healthier in general. I also tried a Paleo diet for a week. I've lost a few pounds here or there, but I've never been able to stick to anything for more than a week or two. Most of the time, I'm lucky if I last more than a day or two.
I'm just not sure what to do. When I tried South Beach and Paleo, I did alright to start (I lost 6 pounds in a week on a Paleo Diet),but I constantly craved all I couldn't eat. I definitely do better with calorie counting in that respect. I think having forbidden foods is a recipe for disaster- at least for me.
At the same time, I've never been a math person, and I HATE dealing with numbers. On top of that, trying to plan out my meals ahead of time is a challenge on MFP simply because I don't know how many calories I'll have to spend each day based on my activity level (I wear a Fitbit 24/7). I might have 1,200 calories total for the day (estimated by dinnertime), or I might have 2,000. It really can vary, and it's hard for me to keep up.
Plus, like I said before, I HATE NUMBERS. They stress me out immensely. I always feel like I'm hungrier when I'm counting calories.
Not to mention that eating things like whole eggs, whole milk, nuts, and full-fat cheese seem like waste of calories compared to lower-fat options- but I definitely prefer the full-fat dairy and whole eggs. I almost feel like I'm being "punished" when I pour a 150 calorie cup of whole milk when I know I can save about 50 calories and have skim milk- even though i know there are benefits to drinking the full-fat dairy (plus, it tastes better, in my opinion).
I will say, however, that in the past, I was successful with counting calories for about a month or so, but that was nearly 2 years ago, and I have not had any success since then.
Certainly, you CAN lose weight without calorie counting. But I think your problem is consistency and actually sticking to something. I mean the above quote is from 2013, 2 years ago, and you're STILL having the same issue. Either commit yourself to one thing or nothing at all. But it's obvious that what you're currently doing, is not working. And if you're not already, seek out some professional help.
Because no one on this site ever tried to lose weight unsuccessfully before their perfectly successful effort today.
Yeah but should it take years to figure it out, while continuing to make the same mistakes?
IMO...it take most people many years to figure it out. Some never do or obesity would not be the problem that it is.
Myself personally...I wouldn't be on this site if I had it all figured out. I have had successes...I have had failures.
Does the OP have a bad relationship with food...diet...tracking...obviously she does. Has she failed in the past...yes...but so have I and so have many others here on this site.
Will she succeed this time...I don't know. Will I succeed this time...I'm planning on it...but I also am a realist...I might not.
I am not sure why someone felt as if they needed to drag her posts up from 2 years ago. Were they trying to help her...or humiliate her. I wonder.
For myself...2 years ago...I had regained 40 pounds of what I had previously lost...I then lost 80lbs...regained 40 of that back. Here I am again trying to get it right this time. Each time I have learned a little more about food, nutrition, diet, exercise but most importantly I have learned a little more about myself.
I would hate to think that I was being judged on how well I did this two years ago...might as well take me out and shoot me now...because I was a failure at it...no different than the OP.
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I don't think this is a matter of you SHOULDN'T count calories. It's more of a you DON'T WANT TO count calories.
Some of us on MFP have been here long enough to remember your old account and threads, which provide much more context.I've been struggling with sticking to a diet. I've tried just about everything in the past. Since November, I've tried South Beach, Weight Watchers, counting calories on both Sparkpeople and MFP, and just trying to eat healthier in general. I also tried a Paleo diet for a week. I've lost a few pounds here or there, but I've never been able to stick to anything for more than a week or two. Most of the time, I'm lucky if I last more than a day or two.
I'm just not sure what to do. When I tried South Beach and Paleo, I did alright to start (I lost 6 pounds in a week on a Paleo Diet),but I constantly craved all I couldn't eat. I definitely do better with calorie counting in that respect. I think having forbidden foods is a recipe for disaster- at least for me.
At the same time, I've never been a math person, and I HATE dealing with numbers. On top of that, trying to plan out my meals ahead of time is a challenge on MFP simply because I don't know how many calories I'll have to spend each day based on my activity level (I wear a Fitbit 24/7). I might have 1,200 calories total for the day (estimated by dinnertime), or I might have 2,000. It really can vary, and it's hard for me to keep up.
Plus, like I said before, I HATE NUMBERS. They stress me out immensely. I always feel like I'm hungrier when I'm counting calories.
Not to mention that eating things like whole eggs, whole milk, nuts, and full-fat cheese seem like waste of calories compared to lower-fat options- but I definitely prefer the full-fat dairy and whole eggs. I almost feel like I'm being "punished" when I pour a 150 calorie cup of whole milk when I know I can save about 50 calories and have skim milk- even though i know there are benefits to drinking the full-fat dairy (plus, it tastes better, in my opinion).
I will say, however, that in the past, I was successful with counting calories for about a month or so, but that was nearly 2 years ago, and I have not had any success since then.
Certainly, you CAN lose weight without calorie counting. But I think your problem is consistency and actually sticking to something. I mean the above quote is from 2013, 2 years ago, and you're STILL having the same issue. Either commit yourself to one thing or nothing at all. But it's obvious that what you're currently doing, is not working. And if you're not already, seek out some professional help.
Because no one on this site ever tried to lose weight unsuccessfully before their perfectly successful effort today.
Yes of course others have tried unsucessfully in the past too or fallen off the wagon and got back on again.
But they are not usually still at square 1 several years later tying to find the perfect easy system - which it seems to me OP is.
She seems to have a history of giving up on everything after a week or so -suggesting to me the problem is not the systems per se but unrealistic expectations and attitude on her part.
There seems little point in suggesting other systems to OP until she sorts this out first.
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I don't think this is a matter of you SHOULDN'T count calories. It's more of a you DON'T WANT TO count calories.
Some of us on MFP have been here long enough to remember your old account and threads, which provide much more context.I've been struggling with sticking to a diet. I've tried just about everything in the past. Since November, I've tried South Beach, Weight Watchers, counting calories on both Sparkpeople and MFP, and just trying to eat healthier in general. I also tried a Paleo diet for a week. I've lost a few pounds here or there, but I've never been able to stick to anything for more than a week or two. Most of the time, I'm lucky if I last more than a day or two.
I'm just not sure what to do. When I tried South Beach and Paleo, I did alright to start (I lost 6 pounds in a week on a Paleo Diet),but I constantly craved all I couldn't eat. I definitely do better with calorie counting in that respect. I think having forbidden foods is a recipe for disaster- at least for me.
At the same time, I've never been a math person, and I HATE dealing with numbers. On top of that, trying to plan out my meals ahead of time is a challenge on MFP simply because I don't know how many calories I'll have to spend each day based on my activity level (I wear a Fitbit 24/7). I might have 1,200 calories total for the day (estimated by dinnertime), or I might have 2,000. It really can vary, and it's hard for me to keep up.
Plus, like I said before, I HATE NUMBERS. They stress me out immensely. I always feel like I'm hungrier when I'm counting calories.
Not to mention that eating things like whole eggs, whole milk, nuts, and full-fat cheese seem like waste of calories compared to lower-fat options- but I definitely prefer the full-fat dairy and whole eggs. I almost feel like I'm being "punished" when I pour a 150 calorie cup of whole milk when I know I can save about 50 calories and have skim milk- even though i know there are benefits to drinking the full-fat dairy (plus, it tastes better, in my opinion).
I will say, however, that in the past, I was successful with counting calories for about a month or so, but that was nearly 2 years ago, and I have not had any success since then.
Certainly, you CAN lose weight without calorie counting. But I think your problem is consistency and actually sticking to something. I mean the above quote is from 2013, 2 years ago, and you're STILL having the same issue. Either commit yourself to one thing or nothing at all. But it's obvious that what you're currently doing, is not working. And if you're not already, seek out some professional help.
I think that she has been working on losing weight for 4-5 years and has lost 15/80 pounds. A young, physically healthy person should not take that long to make so little progress.
Many of us are familiar with this poster from MFP, SparkPeople and the various accounts that she has had on both sites. She won't count calories consistently, won't stop eating like a toddler, won't move her social life away from food-centric activities and won't do intentional exercise. She overthinks everything to the greatest degree possible. I would really love to see her make progress and be successful, but like a lot of people here, I feel like every possible piece of advice has already been given and ignored.
Lissa, I agree, you shouldn't count calories or focus on dieting at all for now. You need to put all of your energy into getting your mental health in order before you are going to make any progress with your diet, ever. You need to get professional mental health treatment that is NOT clergy-based, preferably from someone who can prescribe medications. Whatever you are doing, it is not working for you because you are still stuck in the same cycle that you have been in for ages.
I really wish you the best, but I don't think that anybody here is going to be able to help you.0 -
Well, it's not like I can make them stop serving food at any and all church events. And I would love to go work out for an hour a day, but after being on my feet walking for 6 to 7 hours a day, 5 days a week, there are days where I rely on painkillers just to walk to the bathroom. Right now, I take 15,000 to 20,000 steps a day on average, and I often go for short walks with friends when we go out. I'm limping on the walks, but I suppose weight loss is supposed to be synonymous with pain.
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