Do you plan on counting calories for the rest of your life?

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  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    Even several months into maintenance, I imagined myself counting calories for the rest of my life, and I had become obsessed with it, but in a good way. Then, about three months ago, I suddenly got bored and found it unnecessary, because I realized calorie counting had taught me what I needed to eat right: What foods work for me, in what amounts, and how often - how a suitable portion is supposed to look like, and what it should feel like when I'm ready to eat and when I've had enough. How to shop, how to cook, how to plan meals. How much physical exercise I need. I weigh myself every day, look at the trend, and keep within a range between 54 and 58 kilos. Whenever I slide towards one end (more often the top than the bottom, lol) I adjust my intake slightly. I weigh certain foods, for meal planning purposes as well as for the calories, and I log what I eat in a spreadsheet that is also my meal plan and a running fridge/freezer/pantry inventory list.
  • Maxematics
    Maxematics Posts: 2,287 Member
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    Nope. I'm still going to weigh in weekly. If my weight increases by more than 2 pounds, then I'm going to log until I lose it.
  • N200lz
    N200lz Posts: 134 Member
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    Nope ..... never did. Paid attention to carbs instead.
  • scolaris
    scolaris Posts: 2,145 Member
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    Yes, it's hard to imagine. But if I need to I will.
  • CooCooPuff
    CooCooPuff Posts: 4,374 Member
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    I'm maintaining and plan to continue logging for at least sometime. I'd like to wait until I feel more confident in myself before I try not doing so.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
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    N200lz wrote: »
    Nope ..... never did. Paid attention to carbs instead.
    I wonder how I lost weight eating 500 grams of carbs a day.

  • JustMissTracy
    JustMissTracy Posts: 6,339 Member
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    Well, I don't plan to ever see 180 lbs again, so I'll probably always at least "watch" my calories...I have been weighing with the digital scale for a couple of months now, and I'm now finding that I can pretty much eyeball and get the grams almost spot on, so maybe that means that eventually I can stop weighing altogether, and stop adding in my brain...and as my hubby says "Just eat."
  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,501 Member
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    Yes, I think I will. I may loosen up on my logging but I will probably always have to be accountable to the numbers.

    Numbers rule anyway.
  • missh1967
    missh1967 Posts: 661 Member
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    I wish I could say no, but I have a feeling it's something I'll have to do at least on and off forever.
  • hamlet1222
    hamlet1222 Posts: 459 Member
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    If you can keep portion sizes under control and avoid snacking then you won't need to count - much easier said than done though for many of us.
  • N200lz
    N200lz Posts: 134 Member
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    DeguelloTex wrote: »
    N200lz wrote: »
    Nope ..... never did. Paid attention to carbs instead.
    I wonder how I lost weight eating 500 grams of carbs a day.
    I wonder how I lost weight eating 2500 calories a day?

  • rankinsect
    rankinsect Posts: 2,238 Member
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    Yes. I suck at estimating portions.
  • nyponbell
    nyponbell Posts: 379 Member
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    I don't know. I think I will probably do it now and again; or at least try to be more aware of what I'm eating (the quantity, and estimate the calories) even if I don't log everything every day. I think it also depends on how long it takes me (if it becomes so much of a habit I might as well continue) and, most importantly, how well I'll do once I actually get to maintenance -- if I start gaining, I would need to log for a while and see what's up. Hopefully I would be able to "slow down" though, and even have time "off" logging. But I like the idea of phasing out the logging slowly, where I would still be logging at least a week every month even when I consider myself to be "done" (again, depending on how well I do with maintenance).

    I'm not sick of it yet, but I've not been doing it for "real" for very long (this time, if you count the time before summer it would be about a year). I also like to pre-plan and prepare meals in advance so that I don't have to think about it day-to-day. So unless I change (and that would be a big change for me, as I've always loved doing that - I've just not logged it before) I will probably do a kind of mental tally of calories in, even years from now.
  • BackupFridge
    BackupFridge Posts: 105 Member
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    Nah.

    I just know all the foods I eat intimately and I eat the same things weekly.

    I underestimate what I burnt and overestimate what I ate. I do regular, heavy cardio and eat till I'm about 90% full. Keeps me in check just fine.
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
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    DeguelloTex wrote: »
    N200lz wrote: »
    Nope ..... never did. Paid attention to carbs instead.
    I wonder how I lost weight eating 500 grams of carbs a day.

    Magic
  • sakurablush
    sakurablush Posts: 104 Member
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    Counting calories? Heck no.

    Fasting is a different matter however, and should keep me in check.
  • CardiLuxe
    CardiLuxe Posts: 89 Member
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    I personally probably will mainly. But I find I just know the nutrition in foods automatically. When I went off it last time, I gain back 30lbs of 60 I lost calorie counting. 120 total. But lost 10 and more to go!!
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
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    Nope
  • CrabNebula
    CrabNebula Posts: 1,119 Member
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    Yeah, but I don't even think about it too much anymore. It is pretty automatic.

    My co-worker lamented this. She asked if this is how people really have to live their lives to lose weight and keep it off. If true, it just isn't normal or a reasonable thing to ask of someone. I just shrugged. I don't know what to tell you if you aren't ready to commit. When she did what I told her, she lost weight. When she gave up because she didn't feel like she was losing fast enough and ran off to some restrictive fad diet, I don't think she has lost a pound since.
  • Camomilejane
    Camomilejane Posts: 55 Member
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    I feel I will always have to count calories and exercise. If you want the body, you have to put the work in. For me the result is worth it

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