Stopping logging and weighing?
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OlisMummy
Posts: 19 Member
Hello everyone
A little background, I've been maintaining 112lbs/8 stone loss for under 6 months. It took me about a year to lose it, and I've built some very good habits.
Recently I've found prelogging & logging in general gets me very obsessive about the numbers and about food in general.
I have no cheat day but I try and fit in everything I like everyday. I work out 4 times a week,a mix of running, YouTube workouts and I think I've finally cracked my maintenance calories.
I want to transition to not logging, but I am so afraid of eating food without counting calories let alone not weighing it and ending up over eating. For those who stopped logging; Did you feel ready or you just took a chance? Did you gain any weight initially?
A little background, I've been maintaining 112lbs/8 stone loss for under 6 months. It took me about a year to lose it, and I've built some very good habits.
Recently I've found prelogging & logging in general gets me very obsessive about the numbers and about food in general.
I have no cheat day but I try and fit in everything I like everyday. I work out 4 times a week,a mix of running, YouTube workouts and I think I've finally cracked my maintenance calories.
I want to transition to not logging, but I am so afraid of eating food without counting calories let alone not weighing it and ending up over eating. For those who stopped logging; Did you feel ready or you just took a chance? Did you gain any weight initially?
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Replies
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Do it gradually. That's what I am doing. I had one cheat day a week while losing. When I started maintaining, I decided to eat under maintenance during the week (with logging) and eat intuitively (and what I what) on the weekends. At first I logged the weekends. After a few weeks of making sure my weight was staying steady, I stopped logging on the weekends. So far weight is still staying steady. Eventually I would like to stop logging completely. I'm in the same boat as you in that it makes me more obsessive than I think is healthy.5
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mom23mangos wrote: »Do it gradually. That's what I am doing. I had one cheat day a week while losing. When I started maintaining, I decided to eat under maintenance during the week (with logging) and eat intuitively (and what I what) on the weekends. At first I logged the weekends. After a few weeks of making sure my weight was staying steady, I stopped logging on the weekends. So far weight is still staying steady. Eventually I would like to stop logging completely. I'm in the same boat as you in that it makes me more obsessive than I think is healthy.
it is a relief to to have someone who understands the unhealthy feeling of obsessing.
I wonder whether it's the case with every diet plan? I'll take your advice and do it gradually. I think I'll trial this Saturday and see how it affects the scales..thanks a lot xx1 -
I stopped tracking/counting around nine months into maintenance. It never got obsessive, but a combination of feeling bored with calorie counting, realizing I didn't need it anymore, understanding that when you're in the ballpark, it's more about consistency than accuracy and it evens out over time. I still log loosely, as in what I eat, but not how much - because I know how much I need (and I weigh what I can to be sure I have the right amount), and I don't feel urges to overeat anymore - and just in a spreadsheet. I also weigh myself every morning, and stay within a range of 55 to 58 kilos.4
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I lost 65+pounds in 2007-08 and I've kept it mostly off. If I stop logging I start to gain again. I think for me I will have to do some form of food logging forevah. I used to feel like it was obsessive until I found out how hard it is to lose that last ten pounds over and over again. Every time I think "I got this," I really don't. Using how my clothes fit doesn't work either because I tend to justify a few pounds. I can do pretty well if I weigh myself daily, then I can catch my oopsies...but I have to do one or the other: either food logging or weighing myself. Doing both only takes me five to ten minutes a day and it's FAR easier to keep the weight off than to re-lose it over and over.22
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I am at a similar spot. Part of me wants to stop tracking and focus on portion control but another part of me is scared I will go back to my old ways. I like the idea of gradually reducing tracking. I might try to start by skipping tracking 1 or 2 days a week and see how I do. I wish you the best in maintenance as it had its own challenges.4
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kommodevaran wrote: »I stopped tracking/counting around nine months into maintenance. It never got obsessive, but a combination of feeling bored with calorie counting, realizing I didn't need it anymore, understanding that when you're in the ballpark, it's more about consistency than accuracy and it evens out over time. I still log loosely, as in what I eat, but not how much - because I know how much I need (and I weigh what I can to be sure I have the right amount), and I don't feel urges to overeat anymore - and just in a spreadsheet. I also weigh myself every morning, and stay within a range of 55 to 58 kilos.
Thank you for your input . Great point about it being more about the consistency than the accuracy. I sweat out everything, every cherry tomato, raspberry and lettuce has to be accounted. I rarely have urges to overeat but i always feel the need to use up my calories even if I'm not hungry because I might be hungry tomorrow but will not want to go over the number! I also weigh daily.
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cmriverside wrote: »I lost 65+pounds in 2007-08 and I've kept it mostly off. If I stop logging I start to gain again. I think for me I will have to do some form of food logging forevah. I used to feel like it was obsessive until I found out how hard it is to lose that last ten pounds over and over again. Every time I think "I got this," I really don't. Using how my clothes fit doesn't work either because I tend to justify a few pounds. I can do pretty well if I weigh myself daily, then I can catch my oopsies...but I have to do one or the other: either food logging or weighing myself. Doing both only takes me five to ten minutes a day and it's FAR easier to keep the weight off than to re-lose it over and over.0
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I am at a similar spot. Part of me wants to stop tracking and focus on portion control but another part of me is scared I will go back to my old ways. I like the idea of gradually reducing tracking. I might try to start by skipping tracking 1 or 2 days a week and see how I do. I wish you the best in maintenance as it had its own challenges.
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i am maintaining since November 2015
And i am in the habit of prepping my food for some days a week.
Which means for me that on Monday i make meals and snack bags/tubs for work and school. This covers the week till Friday most of the time
because of this i count on Monday the calories of my food during the week. I know my average and what i can eat "extra" like buying an ice cream of lovely mocha smoothie or fries whatever.
But also that i dont weigh/log anything for those days...so no counting anymore.
Saturday and Monday i count because i eat more and drink some wine etc etc. So i keep an eye on what i eat.
Maybe an option?
Also doing it this way which works for me...learned me the average of my meals, so my cheese/ham wrap is 180 calories aboutish.... My soup 100, my egg 70, my veggie and fruit snack back 300 etc etc. So i learned what my regular portions are and dont weigh them out anymore.
I keep a close eye on my weight and weigh every morning. Work with a weight range and average week calorie allowance
I exercise atm ( school and work take most of my time lol) 4 days a week for an hour
In a way you could say that meal prepping on my day off is learning me to not count
and what a portion is in calories ( about)
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I've been in maintenance for over three years now and don't log and haven't in that time...I do weigh or otherwise measure most things to ensure I'm getting proper portions and I maintain the numerous healthy habits I developed when I was losing weight, including what I eat and regular exercise. I also weigh in regularly to make sure I'm on track and within my range...I've had a few occasions where I've started to put on weight again and it's good to just catch that early and re-evaluate what I'm doing4
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I like your plan.0
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mom23mangos wrote: »Do it gradually. That's what I am doing. I had one cheat day a week while losing. When I started maintaining, I decided to eat under maintenance during the week (with logging) and eat intuitively (and what I what) on the weekends. At first I logged the weekends. After a few weeks of making sure my weight was staying steady, I stopped logging on the weekends. So far weight is still staying steady. Eventually I would like to stop logging completely. I'm in the same boat as you in that it makes me more obsessive than I think is healthy.
I just traded one obsession for another. Used to be what else can I eat until I was sick sometimes. Now it is weighing, logging and self discipline.
Which had I rather do?? Now is much better. I am 69 , 5'2", 115 lbs and feel amazing!!! I'll stick with my healthy obsession until I can no longer do it!!!!7 -
I stopped for awhile. I was obsessive and then broke up with my long-term boyfriend and it got to be too much. The first thing I'll say is I felt really GOOD, and healthy. And I was eating a wider variety of foods because well...I'm a lazy logger which means I eat a lot of the same things. My workouts also improved.
In the end, I did gain a bit over the course of the month. My quarter of an avocado in the salad turned into half, then...whole. If I could do it again I'd continue to log maybe my calorie dense food, or just weigh...or just log.1 -
I don't log, but it took me 3 years to be able to accurately estimate my cico balance to maintain my weight. It's an end goal, just take it one day at a time and sometimes log, sometimes dont and see where you get! Or, eat then log at the end of the day and see how close your estimate was!4
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Thanks everyone0
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I weighed and counted breakfast on Saturday morning but not lunch and dinner! It felt so liberating and I didn't go crazy, I still stayed fairly in control.7
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Yay!0
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I no longer log my food, stopped in January. Been in maintenance for 3+ years and find it easy to stay at my goal range of 130lbs. I intuitively know how much I'm eating and I am as active as ever.
I still step on the scales most days though, I think thats a good habit to continue with. If I saw the scales vere up for more than a few weeks I'd know to take action.10 -
I haven't lost the weight that I want to lose but I am on my way. I only plan to use this app until I get myself completely familiar with what I eat, going paleo. Anyways, I plan to use this app for about six months I do keep track of my calories but more so what I am actually eating (keeping myself in check).1
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I got rid of my scale years ago because it caused me more pain than good. I still weigh every two weeks or so when I go to friends houses/my parents. I don't log regularly but would if I wanted to check in with myself if I gained a few pounds. I eat intuitively and maintenance has been natural.5
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