Do you still count calories?

I can't see myself ever giving up calorie counting. I enjoy it and it has become an ingrained habit which takes but a few minutes a day..

I do count and log but I am not as obsessive as I used to be. I am pretty good now estimating amounts and keeping my weight under control. I think that not having a sweet tooth or a binge problem has been very helpful to me. I was away from MFP for over 6 months just watching portions and keeping up with my fitness and I was able to keep my weight within my 2lbs self impose allowance. I do get tired of logging sometimes so I take a break to keep my sanity. By the way, I have been in maintenance for almost 5 yeas.

I used to be extremely obsessive about it when I was really into my disordered eating habits but over time I've learned to teach myself not to worry so much about it, just focus on what you're actually putting into your body and deciding if it's good for you or not.

I still know the calories of everything I eat though, it's annoying because in the back of my head I'll be calculating how much calories my breakfast is in the back of my head. I urge you not to take calorie counting so seriously because I feel the effects will last me a lifetime.

I only need to calorie count at this point because I'm doing a lot of running and if I don't eat back enough calories I'll lose weight, which I don't want.
I've logged for years, with a few breaks during which I actually lost a tiny bit of weight, so I feel I'm familiar enough with the estimated calorie counts of things that I could manage fine without it, unless I'm training for races, because you feel so rubbish when you aren't fuelling yourself correctly.

I've been maintaining for about a year and a half and I plan to count indefinitely. I have seen so many people in "real" life and on this site, who gained back after they quit counting, or because they got tired of monitoring their food. Most people who lose weight gain it back, I want to be the exception to that.

Always will. Have to.

I tracked on WW pretty much every day for 6 years and now track on MFP. Some people don't need to do it forever while others do. It becomes second nature after awhile. I won't necessarily track on holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc. and I don't always go back and back-track certain nights out after the fact. I'll skip a day here and there. But I like tracking most of the time.

i learned enough while losing weight to no bother with counting in maintenance. I've maintained for over two years without counting.

I'm not in maintenance for another 4lbs, but I know for sure that I'm going to keep counting my calories. I see it as a necessity at this point. Like checking my bank account to make sure I have enough money to buy something.

Would think you'd have to. We all got over weight by not counting in the first place. Wouldn't you need to continue to countto be sure you aren't creating another surplus of calories?

pondee629 wrote: »

Would think you'd have to. We all got over weight by not counting in the first place. Wouldn't you need to continue to countto be sure you aren't creating another surplus of calories?

you don't think it's possible to teach yourself to be mindful and eat healthfully? i've not logged a thing for over two years...maintain just fine...i developed healthful habits along the way losing weight and those haven't changed.

people gain weight back because they revert to old habits...it has nothing to do with logging or not logging...logging is just a tool...I liken it to training wheels on a bike...eventually you should be able to ride...but apparently a lot of people can't resist returning to old habits.

I still track my intake, but I have gotten a lot looser with it. For instance, last night I didn't weigh my pork chop at dinner, but I knew it was probably about 4oz. My guesstimating skills have gotten a lot better thanks to logging. I have also entirely stopped logging on vacation.

pondee629 wrote: »

cwolfman13 wrote: »

pondee629 wrote: »

Would think you'd have to. We all got over weight by not counting in the first place. Wouldn't you need to continue to countto be sure you aren't creating another surplus of calories?

you don't think it's possible to teach yourself to be mindful and eat healthfully? i've not logged a thing for over two years...maintain just fine...i developed healthful habits along the way losing weight and those haven't changed.

people gain weight back because they revert to old habits...it has nothing to do with logging or not logging...logging is just a tool...I liken it to training wheels on a bike...eventually you should be able to ride...but apparently a lot of people can't resist returning to old habits.

Possible? Absolutely. Probable? There are an awful lot of recidivists out there. We got into our current shapes successfully counting, logging and paying attention. The harm in continuing these habits is nill. The risks in stopping are great. Take your pick.

already have...very healthy and fit guy here...i rock my nutrition and rock my fitness...i don't need to log to keep myself accountable to to be paying attention...I live and breath health and fitness...not an issue for me at all..

personally, I plan to be around for another 40 - 50 years...i really don't think it's realistic to think I would log every little thing for the next 40-50 years...and I don't think it's realistic for the vast majority either. I've been here for over three years and I always see these kinds of posts and really...people just missing the boat on what truly is the lifestyle change...

maillemaker wrote: »

there are literally millions of people who don't track ***** and have no issues maintaining their weight...logging in a diary is not in anyway necessary for living a healthful and active life.

OK, but are you talking about people who have never had a weight problem or people who have overcome one?

When analyzing people who have lost weight and kept it off long term, one of the characteristics of these people is that they have made weight maintenance essentially their "life's work". They focus on it all the time.

Most people when they get complacent gain back the weight.

complacency has nothing to do with logging or not logging...people gain weight back when they fail to develop healthful dietary and exercise habits and continue with those into perpetuity. I wouldn't say weight maintenance is my life's work...but health and nutrition and fitness are...being a healthy weight is just a bi-product of living the lifestyle I do...

and yes, I was overweight...and yes, I know others who have been overweight who have lost weight and have dedicated themselves to nutrition and fitness, the bi-product of which is a healthy weight. I personally don't know anyone in my fitness circle (many of whom have had weight problems in the past) who log or who have every logged...

I'm not bashing logging...I logged for nine months while I was losing...back then I was a "I'm gonna log forever guy" too...by the time I got to maintenance i was about done with logging...it had become tedious and annoying...and thankfully I realized that I was perfectly capable of being mindful and accountable and rocking my nutrition and my fitness without obsessing over every little calorie in my diary.

logging is a great tool...but I think it's pretty unrealistic for people to think they're going to track every little morsel for all of time...that's a lot of time.

I still count. But I do estimate more now than when I was losing. And some days, I don't bother to log completely. Those are the exceptions though rather than the norm.

Typically I aim for a slight deficit (200-300 cals/day) most of the week and then as the mood strikes I don't worry when I eat over maintenance which is generally about once a week these days. I have a maintenance weight range, and as long as I stay in that range (or only go over slightly for understandable water retention situations) then all is well.

Almost to the 1 year mark.

ESotrops wrote: »

Or do you feel MFP gave you enough information on your weight loss journies to manage on your own?

I'm not done losing yet but I don't want to be stuck in a world of logging every little thing forever.