Why I stopped counting calories
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Congrats on breaking free. I don't log that much and I have lost over 20 lbs. Half way to my goal. All this app did was teach me portion size for myself.I consider myself smart enough to remember a portion size. Who really cares if I am off my 20 calories? When it comes down to that it's obsessive compulsive behaviour
If people wish not to log anymore that is their choice. Mfp is not a holy scarered app. Its a calorie counter. That's it. Nothing more but a food calculator.
So OP. Good for you for taking control back ❤1 -
OP, don't let anyone tell you in order to successfully keep the weight off, you have to continue to use the app. That's just false. This app is a means to an end. The whole goal of it is for you to be in tune with how you're fueling your body until you get to a point where you no longer need the app. It's not suppose to turn into a crutch. But I guess a small percentage of people need that crutch as they refuse to take responsibility. Why is logging everything you've put into your mouth into an app for years and years an achievement? I don't get that logic. Once you've been at this for a while you can't not know how to log. That's ridiculous.2
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BodyzLanguage wrote: »OP, don't let anyone tell you in order to successfully keep the weight off, you have to continue to use the app. That's just false. This app is a means to an end. The whole goal of it is for you to be in tune with how you're fueling your body until you get to a point where you no longer need the app. It's not suppose to turn into a crutch. But I guess a small percentage of people need that crutch as they refuse to take responsibility. Why is logging everything you've put into your mouth into an app for years and years an achievement? I don't get that logic. Once you've been at this for a while you can't not know how to log. That's ridiculous.
I agree with this. But some people do feel they need to log for the rest of their life. That is their own business.
Personally, I felt like the OP at the end of my logging. I truly did and it made me feel miserable. There are a lot of people who won't understand that. It just comes down to personality types.
I don't log anymore and I'm maintaining my weight just fine. I maintained my weight just fine for a majority of my life. When I gained weight, it was always due to a change in habits such as not working out so much and eating a lot of high calorie foods in large portions. I know that in order to keep weight off, I just need moderation in the food department and to continue going to the gym.
Different strokes for different folks.
Edited to add- I've never ever weighed my food. Eyeballing worked for me. It doesn't for everyone though. It's not the end all be all of weight loss/maintenance.3 -
BodyzLanguage wrote: »OP, don't let anyone tell you in order to successfully keep the weight off, you have to continue to use the app. That's just false. This app is a means to an end. The whole goal of it is for you to be in tune with how you're fueling your body until you get to a point where you no longer need the app. It's not suppose to turn into a crutch. But I guess a small percentage of people need that crutch as they refuse to take responsibility. Why is logging everything you've put into your mouth into an app for years and years an achievement? I don't get that logic. Once you've been at this for a while you can't not know how to log. That's ridiculous.
Ok... judgy much? You had a good point then started bashing people you don't agree with.
It's not a crutch if it helps people. And how do we 'refuse to take responsibility' or consider logging an achievement? I'm seriously confused. What responsibility? Of what we put in our mouth? How is logging what we eat a refusal of responsibility then? I still log because I like fitting in treats, but I want to make sure that they actually fit before eating them, so I don't gain. Where's the lack of responsibility in that?
The diary is a tool. Use it whatever way you want, but don't put down people who don't use it the way you do.10 -
BodyzLanguage wrote: »OP, don't let anyone tell you in order to successfully keep the weight off, you have to continue to use the app. That's just false. This app is a means to an end. The whole goal of it is for you to be in tune with how you're fueling your body until you get to a point where you no longer need the app. It's not suppose to turn into a crutch. But I guess a small percentage of people need that crutch as they refuse to take responsibility. Why is logging everything you've put into your mouth into an app for years and years an achievement? I don't get that logic. Once you've been at this for a while you can't not know how to log. That's ridiculous.
Ok... judgy much? You had a good point then started bashing people you don't agree with.
It's not a crutch if it helps people. And how do we 'refuse to take responsibility' or consider logging an achievement? I'm seriously confused. What responsibility? Of what we put in our mouth? How is logging what we eat a refusal of responsibility then? I still log because I like fitting in treats, but I want to make sure that they actually fit before eating them, so I don't gain. Where's the lack of responsibility in that?
The diary is a tool. Use it whatever way you want, but don't put down people who don't use it the way you do.
Exactly. Some people can lose weight and keep it off without any external tool, but statistics show the vast majority don't. I hardly see why using a simple, unobtrusive tool to increase chances of success is anything other than a smart move, particularly for those of us whose natural hunger and appetite systems are way off mark.
Logging isn't an abrogation of responsibility, it's a taking of responsibility, in the same way that having a household budget is taking responsibility for your finances, not being irresponsible.7 -
I've been maintaining for over three years now without logging...I stopped logging because it became way too much of an obsession and had many of the same issues and frankly, it was really starting to impact everything from family life to relationships with my friends, etc. I'm much happier now just good livin' and enjoying life.
This tool was beneficial in getting me in tune with what I needed to be doing...but yeah, I got a little silly there for awhile. It was difficult at first, but sooner rather than later I realized that I had indeed learned what I needed to learn and I was able to let go of the "security blanket."3 -
rankinsect wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »newheavensearth wrote: »newheavensearth wrote: »I get where you are coming from. I wonder myself how many people here will honestly keep weighing everything to the nth gram for life like they advise every newbie or everyone struggling.
I have never heard anyone tell anyone that they need to weigh their food for life. MFP is a tool. Just like any tool, you use it when you need it.
I have seen it here plenty of times. Usually directed to everyone who plateaus or says they can't lose weight no matter what.
So now that I have been flamed 3 times for simply disagreeing with people on an open forum, this is where I start reporting posts. Good day.
I've seen people advised to *start* weighing food if they have stopped losing weight or say they can't lose weight. But telling someone to begin weighing doesn't mean they're being told to weigh everything to the gram for the rest of their life. Like any tool, it can be something that people use for a while to meet a goal.
I don't know, it's easy to say that no one is literally saying that you have to log for the rest of your life, but this thread is kind of refuting that. I was really pleased how this thread started out with people celebrating a different way of being nutritionally aware, but then it switched pretty fast into people trying to tell the OP that he shouldn't stop logging without giving any reason for it, arguing with him about his reasons, telling him he's just making excuses, etc.
Yes, no one is literally saying that people should weigh food for the rest of their lives, but the unrelenting pressure sends a pretty clear message over time, that even if you carefully consider whether or not logging is right for you with in-depth knowledge of how it affects you and what you're willing to do, people will still tell you that you should still be logging.
I understand that this is a sensitive topic and a variety of things have been said here. I'm not saying I agree with all of it 100%, but what I see a lot of people responding to are very specific roadblocks the OP mentioned and how to potentially navigate those without quitting logging. If OP doesn't want to log, they shouldn't log. But I will say that the specific reasons listed in the OP do strike me as having practical solutions *other* than not logging and I think some people are responding based on that.
Yeah, I'm sure the intention isn't to send the message that people should be logging forever in any post individually - it's just an overall attitude, a relentless pressure as I put it. I honestly don't think I've seen a post here where someone mentioned not logging where there wasn't at least one person who told them that they should be in some way or another. Each individual is just trying to give their own helpful advice (because everyone has a novel-length list of advice on this site, well-intentioned though it is), but all that advice gets heavy after a while!
I think it depends on why someone stops logging. If you stop logging because you are able to succeed without it, that's great. It's people who make out logging to be some sisyphean ordeal that I would offer advice to, because logging doesn't need to be at all difficult nor time consuming - it's quite literally easier than brushing my teeth every day.
Does everyone need to log forever? Certainly not. Will many of us log need to log forever in order to be successful? Probably. I certainly plan to keep it up for the rest of my life, which is why I make it a habit and have a lot of tricks to make it quick and easy. I know without a doubt I'd regain if I gave up my new habits, of which pre-logging my meals is a critically important one. I'm totally fine with that - as mentioned, I think it's super easy.
Agree with this completely. Also, my main concern with the OP was that she made it sound like logging was forcing her to forgo things she wanted, but free of the constraints of logging, she plans on having all the things she's been skipping. That doesn't make a lot of sense and seems like it would invite trouble. It sounds like there could be issues that might not have to do with the logging per se. However, if I remember correctly, she wasn't all that overweight to begin with and leads a very active lifestyle, so it may well be less of an issue for her than for some who may be reading this thread. There's no harm in trying a new approach- we can always come back and log if we have trouble finding balance on our own- but the danger is that things can get away from us and suddenly we're back where we started.0 -
BodyzLanguage wrote: »OP, don't let anyone tell you in order to successfully keep the weight off, you have to continue to use the app. That's just false. This app is a means to an end. The whole goal of it is for you to be in tune with how you're fueling your body until you get to a point where you no longer need the app. It's not suppose to turn into a crutch. But I guess a small percentage of people need that crutch as they refuse to take responsibility. Why is logging everything you've put into your mouth into an app for years and years an achievement? I don't get that logic. Once you've been at this for a while you can't not know how to log. That's ridiculous.
Someone decides to use a tool to maintain a healthy weight and you say they "refuse to take responsibility"?2 -
OP, it doesn't look like you're out of shape now, so I can see why calorie counting isn't of importance anymore. But for many, calorie counting (especially on a calorie counting site) is imperative if they are to lose weight.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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Just back calculating the time of weight loss (a little over two months?) it seems your deficit might have been a bit high, which tends to be restrictive for many users0
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BodyzLanguage wrote: »OP, don't let anyone tell you in order to successfully keep the weight off, you have to continue to use the app. That's just false. This app is a means to an end. The whole goal of it is for you to be in tune with how you're fueling your body until you get to a point where you no longer need the app. It's not suppose to turn into a crutch. But I guess a small percentage of people need that crutch as they refuse to take responsibility. Why is logging everything you've put into your mouth into an app for years and years an achievement? I don't get that logic. Once you've been at this for a while you can't not know how to log. That's ridiculous.
I'm agreeing with you but I just want to add that you should be careful as this is a sensitive subject. It touches upon individual's aptitude which is always dangerous ground! But in the end we do what we must, so no hold off the judgment.
Discussion wise, it's interesting to me to see that people often confuse tool with crutch. To me a tool is something like a hammer which you cannot do without if you need to pound a nail effectively. A crutch is optional.
@rankinsect, I wouldn't consider logging as "a simple, unobtrusive tool". How do you use logging, say, when you are out with friends in a spontaneous eat out? Or at family potlucks? Just curious.0 -
endlessfall16 wrote: »Discussion wise, it's interesting to me to see that people often confuse tool with crutch. To me a tool is something like a hammer which you cannot do without if you need to pound a nail effectively. A crutch is optional.
@rankinsect, I wouldn't consider logging as "a simple, unobtrusive tool". How do you use logging, say, when you are out with friends in a spontaneous eat out? Or at family potlucks? Just curious.
Estimation as my primary method, or just not logging on that given day if it's a special occasion or if I really can't estimate.
Logging doesn't need to be perfect, it needs to be good enough. I log probably around 96% of my days. That has shown to be good enough for me - if the scale indicates any issues whether due to that 4% or any other reason, I would adjust my calorie goals appropriately. That's the real power of trending weight and using logging to meet calorie goals - closed loop feedback control. By taking trends of scale data and using them to inform the calorie goals, even fairly large errors in logging can be mitigated.
For me it really is simple and unobtrusive. I barely even think about it except when I'm getting ready for bed and planning out the next day, which typically takes under two minutes. When I prep food or pack lunch, I just refer to my phone. I've never once skipped a social event or had any level of anxiety or frustration over food due to logging.
And for me, logging certainly isn't optional, at least not if I want to remain successful. I see it more like wearing glasses or contacts. Many people can see great without them. Others would be effectively blind without them. The great thing about being human is we can develop technology to augment the limitations of our biology.7 -
A crutch is not optional when you have a broken leg and need to ambulate; also you can pound a nail in effectively with any number of things besides a hammer.
I must say I didn't know the whole goal of this site/app was to get in tune with anything. I thought it was to help people lose weight/get fit.
I use this tool to log calories and watch macros. I don't have any problems with spontaneous eating out or family potlucks (my family has a lot of them). I just pay attention to what I eat and drink, and log it when I get home. I guess I could obsessively stare at my phone and search and worry about every bite, instead of enjoying being with friends and family, but that would defeat the purpose of being there.
If people don't log and it works for them, that's great, but there's no call to accuse people of not taking responsibility for their health or deride them for using a "crutch" because they continue to use a tool they find handy and convenient.3 -
If i happen to be out and have a spontaneous meal, then i estimate and log it when i get home or the next morning. The calories in these meals will never be precise, I just try and get close enough and move on.1
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rankinsect wrote: »endlessfall16 wrote: »Discussion wise, it's interesting to me to see that people often confuse tool with crutch. To me a tool is something like a hammer which you cannot do without if you need to pound a nail effectively. A crutch is optional.
@rankinsect, I wouldn't consider logging as "a simple, unobtrusive tool". How do you use logging, say, when you are out with friends in a spontaneous eat out? Or at family potlucks? Just curious.
Logging doesn't need to be perfect, it needs to be good enough.
As in everything else in life.
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BodyzLanguage wrote: »OP, don't let anyone tell you in order to successfully keep the weight off, you have to continue to use the app. That's just false. This app is a means to an end. The whole goal of it is for you to be in tune with how you're fueling your body until you get to a point where you no longer need the app. It's not suppose to turn into a crutch. But I guess a small percentage of people need that crutch as they refuse to take responsibility. Why is logging everything you've put into your mouth into an app for years and years an achievement? I don't get that logic. Once you've been at this for a while you can't not know how to log. That's ridiculous.
I think maintaining the same weight for years is an achievment. For some people that means logging for that amount of time, for some (hopefully I will fall into the latter) it doesn't. Both are an achievement.2 -
rankinsect wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »newheavensearth wrote: »newheavensearth wrote: »I get where you are coming from. I wonder myself how many people here will honestly keep weighing everything to the nth gram for life like they advise every newbie or everyone struggling.
I have never heard anyone tell anyone that they need to weigh their food for life. MFP is a tool. Just like any tool, you use it when you need it.
I have seen it here plenty of times. Usually directed to everyone who plateaus or says they can't lose weight no matter what.
So now that I have been flamed 3 times for simply disagreeing with people on an open forum, this is where I start reporting posts. Good day.
I've seen people advised to *start* weighing food if they have stopped losing weight or say they can't lose weight. But telling someone to begin weighing doesn't mean they're being told to weigh everything to the gram for the rest of their life. Like any tool, it can be something that people use for a while to meet a goal.
I don't know, it's easy to say that no one is literally saying that you have to log for the rest of your life, but this thread is kind of refuting that. I was really pleased how this thread started out with people celebrating a different way of being nutritionally aware, but then it switched pretty fast into people trying to tell the OP that he shouldn't stop logging without giving any reason for it, arguing with him about his reasons, telling him he's just making excuses, etc.
Yes, no one is literally saying that people should weigh food for the rest of their lives, but the unrelenting pressure sends a pretty clear message over time, that even if you carefully consider whether or not logging is right for you with in-depth knowledge of how it affects you and what you're willing to do, people will still tell you that you should still be logging.
I understand that this is a sensitive topic and a variety of things have been said here. I'm not saying I agree with all of it 100%, but what I see a lot of people responding to are very specific roadblocks the OP mentioned and how to potentially navigate those without quitting logging. If OP doesn't want to log, they shouldn't log. But I will say that the specific reasons listed in the OP do strike me as having practical solutions *other* than not logging and I think some people are responding based on that.
Yeah, I'm sure the intention isn't to send the message that people should be logging forever in any post individually - it's just an overall attitude, a relentless pressure as I put it. I honestly don't think I've seen a post here where someone mentioned not logging where there wasn't at least one person who told them that they should be in some way or another. Each individual is just trying to give their own helpful advice (because everyone has a novel-length list of advice on this site, well-intentioned though it is), but all that advice gets heavy after a while!
I think it depends on why someone stops logging. If you stop logging because you are able to succeed without it, that's great. It's people who make out logging to be some sisyphean ordeal that I would offer advice to, because logging doesn't need to be at all difficult nor time consuming - it's quite literally easier than brushing my teeth every day.
Does everyone need to log forever? Certainly not. Will many of us log need to log forever in order to be successful? Probably. I certainly plan to keep it up for the rest of my life, which is why I make it a habit and have a lot of tricks to make it quick and easy. I know without a doubt I'd regain if I gave up my new habits, of which pre-logging my meals is a critically important one. I'm totally fine with that - as mentioned, I think it's super easy.
Agree with this completely. Also, my main concern with the OP was that she made it sound like logging was forcing her to forgo things she wanted, but free of the constraints of logging, she plans on having all the things she's been skipping. That doesn't make a lot of sense and seems like it would invite trouble. It sounds like there could be issues that might not have to do with the logging per se. However, if I remember correctly, she wasn't all that overweight to begin with and leads a very active lifestyle, so it may well be less of an issue for her than for some who may be reading this thread. There's no harm in trying a new approach- we can always come back and log if we have trouble finding balance on our own- but the danger is that things can get away from us and suddenly we're back where we started.
OP here, just to clarify a few things A) I'm a he not a she
I'm not going to eat things that I've restricted myself eating because of their calorofic content, but the hassle that goes alongside weighing the portion sizes. As an example, I have a jar of pistachio nuts at my desk now - this morning before lunch I had 3. It just doesn't make sense to weigh something that small, yet at the same time if you get into attitudes like that it becomes easy to only log 'big' things, but the small things quickly add up. This isn't something I have to worry about any more. 0 -
OP, it doesn't look like you're out of shape now, so I can see why calorie counting isn't of importance anymore. But for many, calorie counting (especially on a calorie counting site) is imperative if they are to lose weight.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Absolutely. One thing that I tried to make clear in my OP is that I've had some super results using this app, I am sure losing weight with it is the healthiest way to do it, and I'm not sure I could have done it without MFP. The last thing I want to do is criticise those who want to log food indefinitely, I completely understand why someone would want to do that, just for me, and my own personality quirks (if I do something, like logging food, I'm going to do it properly, which means sticking to it rigidly, perhaps more so than is healthy (psychologically)), I don't think it's going to work out.2 -
ConicalFern wrote: »rankinsect wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »newheavensearth wrote: »newheavensearth wrote: »I get where you are coming from. I wonder myself how many people here will honestly keep weighing everything to the nth gram for life like they advise every newbie or everyone struggling.
I have never heard anyone tell anyone that they need to weigh their food for life. MFP is a tool. Just like any tool, you use it when you need it.
I have seen it here plenty of times. Usually directed to everyone who plateaus or says they can't lose weight no matter what.
So now that I have been flamed 3 times for simply disagreeing with people on an open forum, this is where I start reporting posts. Good day.
I've seen people advised to *start* weighing food if they have stopped losing weight or say they can't lose weight. But telling someone to begin weighing doesn't mean they're being told to weigh everything to the gram for the rest of their life. Like any tool, it can be something that people use for a while to meet a goal.
I don't know, it's easy to say that no one is literally saying that you have to log for the rest of your life, but this thread is kind of refuting that. I was really pleased how this thread started out with people celebrating a different way of being nutritionally aware, but then it switched pretty fast into people trying to tell the OP that he shouldn't stop logging without giving any reason for it, arguing with him about his reasons, telling him he's just making excuses, etc.
Yes, no one is literally saying that people should weigh food for the rest of their lives, but the unrelenting pressure sends a pretty clear message over time, that even if you carefully consider whether or not logging is right for you with in-depth knowledge of how it affects you and what you're willing to do, people will still tell you that you should still be logging.
I understand that this is a sensitive topic and a variety of things have been said here. I'm not saying I agree with all of it 100%, but what I see a lot of people responding to are very specific roadblocks the OP mentioned and how to potentially navigate those without quitting logging. If OP doesn't want to log, they shouldn't log. But I will say that the specific reasons listed in the OP do strike me as having practical solutions *other* than not logging and I think some people are responding based on that.
Yeah, I'm sure the intention isn't to send the message that people should be logging forever in any post individually - it's just an overall attitude, a relentless pressure as I put it. I honestly don't think I've seen a post here where someone mentioned not logging where there wasn't at least one person who told them that they should be in some way or another. Each individual is just trying to give their own helpful advice (because everyone has a novel-length list of advice on this site, well-intentioned though it is), but all that advice gets heavy after a while!
I think it depends on why someone stops logging. If you stop logging because you are able to succeed without it, that's great. It's people who make out logging to be some sisyphean ordeal that I would offer advice to, because logging doesn't need to be at all difficult nor time consuming - it's quite literally easier than brushing my teeth every day.
Does everyone need to log forever? Certainly not. Will many of us log need to log forever in order to be successful? Probably. I certainly plan to keep it up for the rest of my life, which is why I make it a habit and have a lot of tricks to make it quick and easy. I know without a doubt I'd regain if I gave up my new habits, of which pre-logging my meals is a critically important one. I'm totally fine with that - as mentioned, I think it's super easy.
Agree with this completely. Also, my main concern with the OP was that she made it sound like logging was forcing her to forgo things she wanted, but free of the constraints of logging, she plans on having all the things she's been skipping. That doesn't make a lot of sense and seems like it would invite trouble. It sounds like there could be issues that might not have to do with the logging per se. However, if I remember correctly, she wasn't all that overweight to begin with and leads a very active lifestyle, so it may well be less of an issue for her than for some who may be reading this thread. There's no harm in trying a new approach- we can always come back and log if we have trouble finding balance on our own- but the danger is that things can get away from us and suddenly we're back where we started.
OP here, just to clarify a few things A) I'm a he not a she I'm not going to eat things that I've restricted myself eating because of their calorofic content, but the hassle that goes alongside weighing the portion sizes. As an example, I have a jar of pistachio nuts at my desk now - this morning before lunch I had 3. It just doesn't make sense to weigh something that small, yet at the same time if you get into attitudes like that it becomes easy to only log 'big' things, but the small things quickly add up. This isn't something I have to worry about any more.
I apologize... didn't look at your profile. I wouldn't weigh 3 pistachios either. At the end of the day, I would log 100 calories to cover my 3 pistachios, small piece of cheese, and the couple of Cheetos I swiped off my kids' plates at lunch. No stress involved. (Though for some this isn't reliable as they tend to underestimate and if they have a small calorie deficit it may affect their weight loss.) If in maintenance, I might not even log every day. Again, not saying anyone has to log, as long as they've gained the skills & experience to consistently hit their numbers without. Wish you the best. 0 -
@Francl27 I'm not bashing anyone. I was simply sharing my view. You don't have to read what I wrote in an angry voice in your head just because we have different opinions lol. Trust me I don't do angry forum rants. Anyway, that's neither here nor there. Let me elaborate on the point I raised about not taking responsibility. I'm referring to those who wish to use this app forever without having emotional issues with food. Not everyone has knowledge when it comes to calories. Of course not. However after using this app for multiple years there's no doubt one should be familiar with calorie knowledge. Is that a fair point? I would think so. With that in mind if you still can't be trusted around food without the app how then is that taking personal responsibility? I'm not saying logging what you eat isn't taking responsibility, because it sure is. I'm saying with years of experience logging food one shouldn't still need a crutch. And when I say crutch I'm using it the context of something you rely on. It's very easy to slip into a mindset of mindlessly punching in some numbers to stay in the green. And to reiterate I'm not trying to "save" anyone from what they're currently doing. If you're happy continue. I'm also not trying to offend folk. We're adults having a discussion, you don't need to take anything I say personal.0
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