Non-Calorie Counters STAND UP!! Share your Tips for Weightloss

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  • samwiserabbit
    samwiserabbit Posts: 153 Member
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    I lost a ton of weight back in the day without counting calories. I did it by working out regularly and always being at least a little bit hungry.

    unfortunately in my case that turned into disordered mentality, since I just kept trying to be hungrier until finally my will gave out and I started binging and gained a ton of weight.

    I think it's totes possible to just leave each meal not stuffed and snack lightly to lose weight, if you're not prone to addictions and disorders. I choose to count calories now so I don't slide back into an eating disorder, but I hope in maintenance I can just keep an eye on the scale and adjust accordingly.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
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    I'm lost. OP accurately tracks all their food, ignores the calorie count and just looks at vitamin levels?


    #WhySoMuchCardio?
  • Gamliela
    Gamliela Posts: 2,468 Member
    edited June 2016
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    Most of my life I was diet free, including counting calories. My weight fluxuated some, not very much, and was always in the low to mid normal range. Quiting smoking raised it toward the high normal bmi range for a while, as near as I can tell, because these are all estimates based on what I know now. So, in essence, I didn't have a problem with eating or weight. The weight from quiting smoking came off me when I moved to europe, giving up my sedentary museum job, I took a three year course in Rome and no longer had a car. When I moved back to N. America very gradually I gained weight and for the first time in my life got to the high normal bmi level. I stayed there for several years, not really bothered much by the weight gain, I adjusted my wardrobe and kept physically active through daily work and walks.

    I don't really understand what motivated my sudden attraction to calorie counting, but my system of counting was very estimative, mostly just limiting the deserts and snacks, substituting fruit and yogurt for the sweets I ate before. I lost weight happily, easily, rather slowly and kept my muscles as far as I can tell. I moved back to europe and lost more, which put me in the low bmi range. I started fainting and realized I was not eating enough for the amount of physical effort I was expending and then forced myself to eat a lot more in order to gain weight and I did that without counting calories. I'm now losing a bit to even this weight gain experiment out, using mfp for logging calories. Nevertheless, even tho I use mfp to log, I don't use a food scale, or any measurement system. I'm not comfortable with that kind of particular detail surrounding food, so in a way, I'm not really a calorie counter, I just think mfp gives me an environment to be accountable and gives me an easy way to log my food. Even if the way I use it might be deplorably innacurate, its better than it was when I used my notebook and just estimated. I lose weight slowly with my current method. In fact, I still don't have a scale, so The only way I know I'm losing is by clothes size and I measure once a month. As you can see OP I am no expert at any of this. I don't believe calorie counting and logging is the best way to lose weight, because I have had much happier and easier times losing without counting anything.

    Edited to say that by high bmi level I mean what was classified as high 'normal' 15 years ago by my doctor. She said I was not in the overweight category and gave it a 'no worries' rating.
  • gonetothedogs19
    gonetothedogs19 Posts: 325 Member
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    The "General Diet and Weight Loss" board states the following:

    "Ask questions and get advice in our general dieting and weight loss discussions."

    It does not specifically mention calorie counting. Calorie counting is just one of many methods of dieting and weight loss. And all should be discussed here freely.
  • endlessfall16
    endlessfall16 Posts: 932 Member
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    changedbyhisgrace wrote: »
    endlessfall16 wrote: »
    OP, so what's your strategy of keeping your amount of eating in check? How exactly do you focus on nutrition?

    Before I answer... isn't nutrion more important than mere calorie counting? You can eat a big Mac and fries and stay within your caloric intake. So is that healthy?? I am still wondering why so many people are throwing shade for something that clearly does not work for me and some others. I am happy that you calories but there are other elements of weight to focus on than mere calorie intake.

    I can overload on nutritious foods and become unhealthily overweight also, so that doesn't make solely focusing on nutrition the holy grail, does it?

    You probably mistook me for one of those only interested in arguing, protecting their own way; and you didn't exactly answer how you track your eating amount. It'd be interesting to know more approaches.

    I do not count calories or even terribly strict with portion either, and I have my own approach of wt control. Although I do believe that not all ways, approaches are equal -- life isn't equal --, I respect what others (could) do. Cheers.
  • Savyna
    Savyna Posts: 789 Member
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    When I was a teen I lost weight without calorie counting. I do realize now what I was doing was eating at a small deficit and I had reduced my portions along with getting 3 meals in a day. (also more fruits and vegetables). was doing low to medium impact exercise tapes (read yoga, tae bo, random kickboxing, strength training that was mainly calisthenics), almost every day. This doesn't quite work for me anymore as I've had to turn to calorie counting to make sure I was keeping things in check.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    edited June 2016
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    I don't like losing weight without calorie counting, too much guesswork and no way to evaluate the reason for something not working. That said, when I'm very busy with work (I could have 20 hour workdays sometimes) I do one of three things:
    - Every other day diet, where I eat one 500-1000 calorie meal one day (can't go wrong with this because items that have more calories than this are obvious so no need to count) and then just eat to satisfaction the next.
    - I have a list of go-to meals that I know the exact calories for (example oatmeal) and take my pick. I keep some recipes on pinterest in boards that represent a calorie range then when I know I will be busy I just cook a few things in bulk.
    - I use a recipe generator that does the calorie counting for me and all I need to do is cook it.

    Here is how my pinterest looks, goes from under 100 to over 1000:
    s7mlphkdyzfx.png

  • JustSomeEm
    JustSomeEm Posts: 20,197 MFP Moderator
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    zlv9k61njxs1.jpg


    So... this discussion has been substantially cleaned up due to being turned into something reminiscent of World War Z (thanks for the reference, OP - one of my fave movies). If your post is missing, I did it. If you don't think your post was a violation but it's still missing, please consider the absolutely abhorrent quote feature in this community. It was probably quoting a post somewhere along the way that was removed for cause. I don't have the patience to deal with 18,000 nested quotes, so I saved my sanity by just removing posts containing them in most cases.

    A few notes: If you feel another poster has violated community guidelines (located here, for your reference: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/welcome/guidelines) please report the post and DO NOT respond. Reciprocating an attack is also a violation of community guidelines and will earn you warnings.

    If you have an issue with or question about the moderation of this community, the only appropriate venue for address is via a PM to any moderator or staff member. Posting about it in the community is against guidelines (referenced above).

    Parting thought: this discussion is in the General Diet and Weight Loss Help forum, NOT the Fitness Debate forum. I'm not sure how it's helpful to the OP to discuss calorie counting when she is specifically looking for tips from folks who don't count them? If you'd like to debate the merits of each approach, start a debate thread in the appropriate sub-forum. This discussion is for tips from non-calorie counters.

    And - back to your regularly scheduled thread. Thanks for listening.

    :flowerforyou:
  • icemom011
    icemom011 Posts: 999 Member
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    I don't really count my daily calories. I've lost about 41 lbs so far, and i sort of counted in the beginning, but mfp gave me tools to be aware of what my daily intake should be to lose weight, and what's my portions should look like in order to fit into those calories. I'm definitely more aware of what are calorie dense foods are and again, most importantly for me, the actual serving size. I was a lifelong overeater, so making more reasonable choices in what goes in my mouth and how much. I do have a food scale, but use it sparingly, just to check from time to time. Still often enough, as I'm learning, but not every thing. I started my weight loss in March. Making great progress, about 18-20 lbs away from my goal weight. But open to adjust as i go. I'm 5'7, cw is178 lbs. The guessimating my calories has been working for me, i find it easy to stick to and something that will be always sustainable for me. So i don't know, op, if you would consider me non-calorie counter, but i feel that is also a way of approaching the goals, little less strict, but definitely works.

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