I don't want to count calories forever

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srecupid
srecupid Posts: 660 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
But I'm terrified of gaining it all back like so many people do. I had an impromptu dinner with family tonight and had bread with olive oil,pork tenderloin wrapped in zucchini, and a stew made from garden vegetables. It was probably the healthiest meal I have had in a long time and if I was counting calories i would never even bother trying to cook something like that. I'd probably have a steak and a frozen vegetable. So how do I stop counting but not gain it back?
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Replies

  • enonymous01
    enonymous01 Posts: 19 Member
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    I have been counting calories for so long it's second nature. I used to do it old-school, pen and paper with a Calorie King book, then with the internet to help me look things up, now with this app. You will get burned out. Take a break, stop counting, then go back to it when you see the scale start to creep up. Eventually, whether officially logging or not, you will have a mental picture of what you are taking in and burning.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    edited August 2016
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    You won't regain unless you start to consistently overeat again. Impromptu meals is one of the joys of life. Calorie counting can teach you to eyeball appropriate portion sizes. "The Hunger Scale" combined with logging can teach you to recognize when you've had enough, even when you aren't logging. Eat until you've had enough. Occasional feasting is no problem. Consistent feasting is a problem.

    I'm also for daily weighing and moving.
  • IcanIwill1
    IcanIwill1 Posts: 137 Member
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    One of the benefits of a true lifestyle change, that this whole process becomes, is that, it is a skills acquisition process because of what we learn along the way.
    As time goes on, you know what food choices to make, and what preparation methods will ensure you stay within your calorie range.
    When you go out, you choose starters like soups, made without the calorific ingredients. You choose vegetables that are either steamed or made with as little fat as possible. Ditto your protein and carbs...all in all, this will ensure that overall your choices will not amount to a calorie bomb.
    I made vegetable soup with lean chicken meat, onions, mushrooms, broccoli etc for work, I did not need to count the calories, because I knew that the broccoli, mushrooms, and onions, plus chicken breast will not amount to a calorie bomb. I had an idea what it all amounts to thanks to experience. Its not necessary to count calories as time goes on.
    Don't get me wrong...from time to time, I do weigh and look up the nutrient values, to make sure I'm not making any mistakes..especially when the food in question tastes so delicious, I doubt it could be 'sinfree'
  • srecupid
    srecupid Posts: 660 Member
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    kommodevaran wrote: »
    You won't regain unless you start to consistently overeat again. Impromptu meals is one of the joys of life. Calorie counting can teach you to eyeball appropriate portion sizes. "The Hunger Scale" combined with logging can teach you to recognize when you've had enough, even when you aren't logging. Eat until you've had enough. Occasional feasting is no problem. Consistent feasting is a problem.

    I'm also for daily weighing and moving.

    I weigh daily and try to walk at least a mile first thing in the morning just to get my sleepy *kitten* fully alert quicker. It's just I could easily find myself consistently overeating. Like last night I found myself at Marianos bakery counter staring at the sweets like a teenager would stare at a playboy.
  • xmichaelyx
    xmichaelyx Posts: 883 Member
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    I eat (mostly) the same things every weekday, and whatever I want on the weekends. This allows me to only count calories once every few months (just when I change things up a little). I'm still meeting my goals.
  • robingmurphy
    robingmurphy Posts: 349 Member
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    srecupid wrote: »
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    You won't regain unless you start to consistently overeat again. Impromptu meals is one of the joys of life. Calorie counting can teach you to eyeball appropriate portion sizes. "The Hunger Scale" combined with logging can teach you to recognize when you've had enough, even when you aren't logging. Eat until you've had enough. Occasional feasting is no problem. Consistent feasting is a problem.

    I'm also for daily weighing and moving.

    I weigh daily and try to walk at least a mile first thing in the morning just to get my sleepy *kitten* fully alert quicker. It's just I could easily find myself consistently overeating. Like last night I found myself at Marianos bakery counter staring at the sweets like a teenager would stare at a playboy.

    Pick out a strategy you think might work for maintaining without counting calories and try it. But monitor your weight closely and consistently and commit that if it creeps up a certain number of pounds (3 lbs? 5 lbs?) you will start counting calories again religiously until it gets back down to the lower end of your maintenance range. Then modify your maintenance strategy and try again. It may take a few tries to get there. Feel confident that you do know how to lose weight, and you are committed to monitoring your weight and taking action to lose if you gain a bit. You will not let it go and keep overeating because you will note the weight creep and address it.
  • BiggDaddy58
    BiggDaddy58 Posts: 406 Member
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    For me..in the long run (and I am not there yet) I am going to use my experience here..to make sure I log enough exercise calories during the week (walking..jogging..whatever) to offset the calorie intake when I have decided I don't need to log calories anymore.

    My Dr. asked me about sticking with this..he meant the computer, logging calories, not my lifestyle change.

    I said..I hope I quit this someday. I do not want to be tied to a computer and logging calories.

    So, educate yourself as you go..you'll get a good idea of about how much food you've eaten. Make sure you stay active..

    It is a lifestyle change..NOT a diet & exercise program. That's why people fail. They view it as a D&E program..accomplish their goal, toss it aside and gain weight back.

    View it the other way..make it a lifestyle change, and eventually you will not need these tools. That's all they are in the end, tools to assist you.
  • nvpixie
    nvpixie Posts: 483 Member
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    Two years ago, I lost 15 pounds by counting and logging calories. For nearly a year after I got to my goal weight, I maintained within just a few pounds without logging. However, I started to get lazy and into bad habits again. The weight started creeping back up, and now I'm almost at what I started before.

    I definitely agree with others who have replied-if the weight starts creeping up more than just a couple pounds, start logging again to put yourself in check quickly and avoid any bad habits.
    My bad habits are eating until I'm super full or picking at food throughout the day instead of having a decent meal. All the calories here and there add up without me realizing it!

    If you feel you've over-eaten one day, you could always log to see where you're at calorie-wise and maybe adjust and eat a little less the next day or two if you feel you've really gone over.
  • leejoyce31
    leejoyce31 Posts: 794 Member
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    I think I may be the person who will always need to log. I need the accountability.
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,598 Member
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    Experiment and see if you can do it. I tried and was total fail, but then again, I burn very few calories so I really have to watch it. If you burn plenty you may be able to manage it.
  • rebel_26
    rebel_26 Posts: 1,826 Member
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    counting sets a baseline. After you do it for a while you can go off program as your more educated on what is going into your body and whats good vs. bad. To me the App is a crutch per say for people whose simple goal is just to lose weight or maintain (just my opinion don't get upset yall) . Once familiar with sizing portion you SHOULD be able to better guesstimate portions etc. Eat smart and healthy and watch portions...you dont NEED the app honestly once you use it for a while. Now if your actually trying to change your form or body build the app is somewhat of a must for a longer period of time. You can play with Macros and look for a sweet spot that makes best sense for the goals, but in a calorie in calorie out I think logging would be laborious.
  • srecupid
    srecupid Posts: 660 Member
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    Maybe it's not like j eat out all the time. I usually have something easy to log like scrambled eggs or just a protein bar for breakfast and a microwave dinner for lunch. Maybe just guesstimating dinner wouldn't be too bad. Would be better than nothing
  • srecupid
    srecupid Posts: 660 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    How long have you been counting? You should be pretty well versed in what portions of various things are appropriate for you if you've been doing it for awhile.

    I've been maintaining for closing in on 3.5 years now (more or less) without logging. I do tend to put on 5-8 Lbs every winter, but that's it and it comes off easily in the spring when I start racking up the miles again on my bike.

    Basically, I do the things that lean, healthy, and fit people do. My diet is pretty solid from a nutritional standpoint...my diet is comprised largely of whole foods and meals prepared using whole food or minimally processed food stuffs. I eat "junk" here and there, but it isn't a big part of my diet. I keep things pretty tight during the week and let myself be a little more lose on weekends.

    I train regularly...I'm on my bike usually 5-6 days per week and in the weight room 2-3 days per week. I also just try to be generally active outside of my office job...I don't watch much t.v...maybe 6-10 hours per week or so. On weekends I like spending time working in my yard or taking my kids to various things like the zoo or trampoline park or like yesterday the whole family took an easy 11 mile Bike and Wine tour which made for a great Sunday afternoon outing (and I was thoroughly impressed that my 6 year old could cycle 11 miles). Basically, my philosophy is that there's almost always something better to do than sit on my *kitten* and do nothing.

    I weigh in regularly...if you're weighing in regularly, there's pretty much zero excuse to put all of the weight back on...if you're weighing in regularly and you put all of your weight back on, it just means you really don't give a crap...it's pretty easy to see as a trend if you're going up a bit and to just knock off a couple of daily snacks or up your activity, etc...you nip it in the bud...you don't just let it roll.

    Almost a year now. You are right it's kinda hard to go too far in debt as long as you check your balance and make payments regularly sane should be for weight
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,610 Member
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    You don't have to count per se, but be aware if you're surplusing in calories or you'll gain weight back. Realize that a 1 or 2 day eating fest shouldn't leave you with permanent weight gain if you go back to consistently eating just the right amount of calories you need to maintain 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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