Back to counting calories...

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1nprgr3s
1nprgr3s Posts: 61 Member
in Introduce Yourself
After far too long of a hiatus and gaining back far too much weight I'm back to counting calories. I really hate counting calories, it's so time consuming. Will I ever learn to like it?

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  • CMB1979
    CMB1979 Posts: 588 Member
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    I'm right there with you. I had lost 100 lbs and thought I'd gotten it all under control, but I was wrong. Add a new relationship and sitting down to write a book every free second I had and ----hello weight gain. At least at this point, I know I did it before and I can do it again. It happens to most of us. Get back on track.
  • 1nprgr3s
    1nprgr3s Posts: 61 Member
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    It's so depressing to think we'll have to count calories forever though.
  • CMB1979
    CMB1979 Posts: 588 Member
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    1nprgr3s wrote: »
    It's so depressing to think we'll have to count calories forever though.

    My name is Chris, and I'm a foodaholic. For me, it'll always be a struggle. But it's a minor struggle in the grand scheme of things. There's always a chance I'll fix my bad habits (for good this time) and it won't be so hard to control. I'm always hopeful.
  • 1nprgr3s
    1nprgr3s Posts: 61 Member
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    Haha I'm a foodaholic and an exercise avoider.
  • RainaProske
    RainaProske Posts: 636 Member
    edited July 2016
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    Well, I want to disagree with y'all. I don't think you are necessarily going to have to continuously count calories. I'm just basing this on experience. After I'd lost most of my weight, I didn't worry about it, because my weight kept dropping to its proper level and stayed. I am here only because I am now dealing with the diabetes I'd been ignoring for years, so my nutritionist is helping me build muscle, and he wants me to eat more than I had been eating. I count calories now in order to eat enough; otherwise, I get satisfied with skipping meals. Just my opinion!

    Oh! And he wants me to drink a lot more, so I'm using the site to watch that, too.
  • 1nprgr3s
    1nprgr3s Posts: 61 Member
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    RainaProske wrote: »
    Well, I want to disagree with y'all. I don't think you are necessarily going to have to continuously count calories. I'm just basing this on experience. After I'd lost most of my weight, I didn't worry about it, because my weight kept dropping to its proper level and stayed. I am here only because I am now dealing with the diabetes I'd been ignoring for years, so my nutritionist is helping me build muscle, and he wants me to eat more than I had been eating. I count calories now in order to eat enough; otherwise, I get satisfied with skipping meals. Just my opinion!

    I'm not so lucky, I've been on and off counting calories for 7 years. Each time I stop I gain weight, I just over eat if I'm not counting.
  • RainaProske
    RainaProske Posts: 636 Member
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    It may take some time for your body to get used to its new level ??? Or maybe to build muscle where there was fat. ??? I don't really know what kicks it in . . . .
  • amyoung78
    amyoung78 Posts: 27 Member
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    1nprgr3s wrote: »
    Haha I'm a foodaholic and an exercise avoider.

    Yes! Perfectly said!
    This is true for me too.
    Counting calories is easy at first but time consuming and loses its charm after awhile.
    I have the most success when I plan ahead, make lunches the night before. I even go as far as to enter all my food the night before for the entire day ahead so I don't need to stop to enter in everything the day of. But...to get the time the night before sometimes can be the challange.
  • sllm1
    sllm1 Posts: 2,114 Member
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    I have learned that for me - "Yay, I don't have to log and count calories anymore because I've reached my goal" really means, "I can slack off of this diet thing and be careless and I"ll be fine," which inevitably turns into weight gain.

    So I'm in it for the long haul and I don't see it as a burden any more - just a tool to make sure I stay on top of my goals.
  • dlcshan
    dlcshan Posts: 45 Member
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    What may help is if you do try to stop counting calories at a certain point, weigh yourself daily instead and track it on a website like trendweight.com. Then if you see the trend start to creep up you can start tracking calories again until it trends back down. You would still get a yo-yo effect but a much smaller one.
  • 1nprgr3s
    1nprgr3s Posts: 61 Member
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    dlcshan wrote: »
    What may help is if you do try to stop counting calories at a certain point, weigh yourself daily instead and track it on a website like trendweight.com. Then if you see the trend start to creep up you can start tracking calories again until it trends back down. You would still get a yo-yo effect but a much smaller one.

    When I get back to my goal weight I might give this a go, thanks for the tip :)
    At least that way I can get a bit of a break from counting.
  • CMB1979
    CMB1979 Posts: 588 Member
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    RainaProske wrote: »
    It may take some time for your body to get used to its new level ??? Or maybe to build muscle where there was fat. ??? I don't really know what kicks it in . . . .

    Lifting progressively heavier weights and eating at a calorie surplus is what kicks it in. Nothing else. No weight training = no muscle gaining.
  • 1nprgr3s
    1nprgr3s Posts: 61 Member
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    CMB1979 wrote: »
    RainaProske wrote: »
    It may take some time for your body to get used to its new level ??? Or maybe to build muscle where there was fat. ??? I don't really know what kicks it in . . . .

    Lifting progressively heavier weights and eating at a calorie surplus is what kicks it in. Nothing else. No weight training = no muscle gaining.

    I don't really have access to weights/gym, I can only really use my own body weight.
  • 13SSunshine
    13SSunshine Posts: 10 Member
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    Me too....right there with you! Calorie Counting starts today
  • barryplumber
    barryplumber Posts: 401 Member
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    Life style just have to accept it. I've been maintaining my weight for about 8 months now. It works because I changed my life style to a healthy one with good food and exercise. I stick around MFP to encourage others to do the same thing and the encouragement I get from others for continuing my exercise plan.
  • KeepingUpWithKari
    KeepingUpWithKari Posts: 287 Member
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    Feel free to add me. I feel the same way.

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