No more counting calories!
MandiMarie913
Posts: 26 Member
I really don't think counting calories is for me. I rarely end up within my recommended calorie intake BC when I try this calorie counting business, I tend to eat more calories than if I hadn't counted lol. It causes me to think about food more and until I can gain a healthy relationship with food, it's just not gonna work for me. Any insight? Anybody else struggle with this?
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its whatever works...
I personally love calorie counting and the concept of eating back exercise cals really works for me and encourages me to work out more.
its not for everyone though.
i would say, you might want to check a few things though -
is your calorie goal appropriate (ie, unless you have 100lbs to lose, don't set it to lose 2lb per week)
are you eating enough fat, protein and fibre to keep you full?
are you unnecessarily cutting out 'junk' because you're on a 'diet', instead of eating everything in moderation
have you found an exercise you like (this one is optional, but good for your health) to earn a few more calories?9 -
MandiMarie913 wrote: »I really don't think counting calories is for me. I rarely end up within my recommended calorie intake BC when I try this calorie counting business, I tend to eat more calories than if I hadn't counted lol. It causes me to think about food more and until I can gain a healthy relationship with food, it's just not gonna work for me. Any insight? Anybody else struggle with this?
How do you know if you've eaten more than when you don't count, if you haven't counted the calories? You could be over or under estimating.
I ask this because some days if I don't plan my meals and then add up the calories at the end of the day, I've actually eaten less than I thought, even though it felt like more. So unless you've eaten exactly the same you can't know for sure how much you've eaten when you haven't counted the calories.9 -
I sort of get this. When I have a calorie goal I do find myself eating to hit the goal when I might not bother if I didn't know I had calories left. So it makes sense to me.
So yes, it's got to be whatever works with adjustments and tweaks as necessary. Calorie counting overall works for me, some people don't need/can't do it for a variety of reasons.4 -
If you are overweight, you eat more than you think.13
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trigden1991 wrote: »If you are overweight, you eat more than you think.
They might have eaten more than they think but now they have calorie counted for a while have the tools to eat an appropriate amount. There are quite a few veterans round here who just counted for a little while then stopped and got to goal and now maintain without logging a thing.4 -
I haven't really struggled, but I believe I have insight. For me, plain calorie counting was a good strategy to improve my relationship with food, it made me feel more secure because I could be certain I had had enough but not too much; it took away all the ifs and buts and shoulds, so I could focus on the musts and wants. After some time I had learnt what worked and what didn't, how big appropriate portions are and how to recognize that, and my own appetite become more and more precise, better than the food diary, so I felt I could trust my own instincts and ditch the tracking.
This has worked well; I weigh myself every day and have stayed at my goal weight for two years now.5 -
I've lost weight previously without counting calories but have to say I'm finding it much easier so far.... but then it's only been 2 weeks.
Everyone is different0 -
Some people have great success without counting calories, and just following hunger cues and using weigh ins. Whatever works for you.4
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I log before I eat anything so I know what - if anything - I have to play with. If I have a heavy day/weekend ahead (eating out, party or something) I do more exercise n the week and save the calories for that. I lost 3 stone initially, put a little back because my face looked old. (I could stand losing 3 lb but I've kept most of it off. for 3 years now). If I don't count I eat too much. Sometimes I still eat too much, but at least I know I have and can do better the next day!4
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I am not counting calories - and share your reasons for this.
For me what works best has been to adopt a style of eating/behaviour and thinking that I plan to keep up after I'm the right weight and forever. I am trying to live and think like a slim person.
So - I am being aware of appitite (and other reasons for eating), being positive about eating healthily -and being particularly careful about sweet/higher carb things. (Overdoing all kinds of sugar has been a problem for me in the past. I find sweet things compelling but in the end unsatisfying. ) I am also being careful with fat/oil but am not using low fat versions of basics as these tend to have added sugars and also seem to leave me unsatisfied in ways that in the past would lead to binge eating.
Like you- I'm trying not to make 'not eating' the focus of my day. So far this has worked. In the past I have counted calories - so I suppose that I do have a good idea of where they lurk in surprising numbers. Perhaps I will have to count for a while - when I get close to goal... but I hope not.
All the best with your efforts!3 -
I've weened myself away from counting calories. I count macros. I KNOW - people say "you're still counting calories.." I get that because ultimately, I am. But not paying attention to calories in vs out and instead worrying whether I got enough protein that day has been a game changer.
Do what works for you - if that's not calorie counting, it's not calorie counting.2 -
If I'm not counting, I'm gaining weight. I'll gradually eat more and more then BAM back at 260lbs. Been there done that and don't want to go back.
Counting calories sucks, weighing 260lbs sucks more.9 -
I calorie count because it's easy to forget about those tiny little things..that can over a day add up and put me in the red. But if calorie counting has simply taught you the awareness to be successful, which I think is the largest tool I have gained from being here: Great! DO what works for you. I have a lot of friends on here who do not log: simply being surrounded by motivational, inspiring, health conscious individuals here: THAT is worth coming back to.1
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I counted when I started the process, however, struggled to chomp through the calories, and if I had to believe MFP I should be featherlight by now ... I got to my maintenance weight last year, and stopped counting, because as mentioned, you do get some experience during the journey to maintenance. I step on the scales once every 3 months, and am sticking to "my" weight perfectly2
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MandiMarie913 wrote: »I really don't think counting calories is for me. I rarely end up within my recommended calorie intake BC when I try this calorie counting business, I tend to eat more calories than if I hadn't counted lol. It causes me to think about food more and until I can gain a healthy relationship with food, it's just not gonna work for me. Any insight? Anybody else struggle with this?
It isn't required for losing weight that you count calories. It is required that you consume less calories or burn more calories.
The food diary is a useful tool to learn what portion sizes fit your goal. It can take time to adjust to using it. Ultimately it isn't for everyone.
I resisted counting calories for 15 years. I lost and gained, lost and gained and got to being obese not counting calories . I've had the best most consistant loss just counting calories. I prelog my food for the day every morning. Seeing the numbers is helpful to me. I eat food I like. I love food. I love to cook. Of course I think about food. I don't feel bad about food though.
My dh lost 30 lbs and has maintained not counting calories at all. I can't do that.1 -
Although I can agree with you that calorie counting made me become obsessed with food, on a different level from the one that made me fat in the first place, I literally could not do this without counting calories.
About 12 years ago I was crying about how fat I was and not knowing anything about calorie counting or about CICO, not knowing what to eat, how much to eat, or ANYTHING about nutrition and I was like I just wish there was some sort of alarm that went off and said you can't eat anymore you have eaten enough today! No joke a week later I saw an ad for some other website similar to MFP (but charged money) and I was hooked.
I think it is important that you figure out what works for you and if calorie counting is not it, then that is ok. However, there is no denying that if you eat more calories then you need you are going to gain weight. I think that if it were really true that you eat less when not counting calories than you probably wouldn't be overweight in the first place. I think that sounds harsh, and it is not my intention, but it is true.
Nonetheless find what works for you and do it. Lots of people lose weight everyday without counting cals, but I think this site proves that counting cals works for lots and lots of people too.
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I've logged on and off for nine years. It's the only thing that works for me to keep me in line.
Why, just yesterday I ate 1400 calories OVER my goal.
Heh.
At least I know it.
Seriously, at one point I thought I was being too obsessed with the numbers and tracking and logging so I quit logging calories. That worked for a while until it didn't. Now I know that I need to keep a pretty tight rein on myself. It takes me five minutes a day to log food (if you don't count the hours in the forums.
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Whatever works. I've done my N = 1 experiment and do not want to have to re-lose that last ten pounds AGAIN. It's so much easier to maintain than lose at this point.5 -
I lost a lot of weight a few years ago when I counted calories, but at some point I thought I could manage intuitive eating. Clearly, I could not, for I gained nearly all the weight I'd lost. There were some emotional events during that time, I ate my feelings, and my exercise was less effective. I resumed counting calories this summer (on another site) & have lost >20 pounds. The fact that I am not working right now makes it easier, I think: I can be diligent about logging. Sometimes I give myself a day off, but I know that I cannot rely on instinct to manage my diet. Logging holds me accountable, and I am more aware of the nutritional values of the foods I eat. I expect that I will always have to be mindful of what I consume if I want to keep the weight off.
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MandiMarie913 wrote: »I really don't think counting calories is for me. I rarely end up within my recommended calorie intake BC when I try this calorie counting business, I tend to eat more calories than if I hadn't counted lol. It causes me to think about food more and until I can gain a healthy relationship with food, it's just not gonna work for me. Any insight? Anybody else struggle with this?
try pre-logging! i do this daily and it's a lifesaver.2 -
I found it a lot easier to loosen up on the calorie restricting and kick up the exercise side of the equation. That in turn helped with appetite control. I'd say the the biggest benefit is the appetite control, not the extra calories you can use. Work in some resistance exercise (even a little), and your body will be burning more energy all 24 hours of the day.1
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I had a similar problem when I first started on here almost a year ago. I would obsess over food all day and feel really hungry all the time. I ended up overeating a lot and felt as though I was doing worse than when I was just eating regularly.
These feelings made me realize I had some pretty deep-seated issues with food. So, I stopped calorie counting. Instead, I gave myself a year. A year to develop habits like drinking plenty of water, trying new fruits and vegetables, learning how to cook, and developing a taste for different kinds of salad.
I started back about a month ago and, even though I started out at a slightly higher weight than last year, have found it so much easier to make healthy choices now that I have that healthy habit framework in place. I've lost 19 lbs in the past month and hardly ever feel hungry. I'm more objective about my weight loss and know how to create goals that aren't weight specific. I'm also able to see calorie counting as a tool to be used rather than a restriction.
Hopefully, this helps? Either way, good luck on your journey
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I don't count calories, and haven't logged regularly in ages. I eat LCHF (I find the foods satiating and self limiting). I lost 50 lbs and have kept it off (outside a pregnancy) for three years. When I have logged in the past I noticed that if I had calories "leftover" after logging all my meals, I'd eat more just because they were there, not because I was actually hungry. When I follow my hunger cues and ignore calories I find some days I eat a lot, other days much less, but it must all balance itself out because I'm maintaining. Going hungry some days and stuffing myself on others just to hit some calorie goal doesn't appeal to me. But not everyone has good hunger/satiety cues and so they need to count. Whatever works for you is the "best" method.1
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I don't count calories either for the same reason the OP mentioned. No way can I count the calories of every bite of food I eat. It seems so unnatural and makes food a constant issue.
Now, I do think counting for a period of time is a good idea to educate oneself on portions and over all counts.
With that said.. I no longer log my meals.. and yesI am losing. I eat healthy. i exercise.. and I know I need to do. I trust myself.2 -
I predict an "I'm back" post in six months.
Plenty of people have those posts, including people that used mfp and calorie countung as a tool.
In fact, there is no evidence to support the claim that people that do count calories have a higher success rate in losing weight and maintained it for several years than people that dont count calories.
The stone cold hard truth is this: Most people fail.
So in that regard: your prediction is right on the money, but it has NOTHING to do with not counting calories.4 -
MandiMarie913 wrote: »I really don't think counting calories is for me. I rarely end up within my recommended calorie intake BC when I try this calorie counting business, I tend to eat more calories than if I hadn't counted lol. It causes me to think about food more and until I can gain a healthy relationship with food, it's just not gonna work for me. Any insight? Anybody else struggle with this?
Counting calories is just one of many ways to go about losing weight...I'd wager that calorie counting is actually one of the least used methods.
For me personally, I lost 20ish Lbs before I ever started tracking calories...basically I "cleaned" up my diet a bit and started exercising regularly. I lost my last 20 Lbs using MFP but I'm sure I could have had the same results just continuing to do what I was doing.
I started tracking mostly because I was really becoming more interested in nutrition and how that worked with my fitness...there were some positives that came out of this to be sure, but it also put me in a pretty bad place in terms of obsessing about things...being afraid to go out with my wife for a nice dinner...afraid to go to a friends BBQ and have a good time, etc...these obsessions were one of the chief reasons I stopped logging...that and the urging of my wife.
I have more or less maintained for over 3.5 years without logging a thing. I do tend to put on a little weight in the winter because I tend to be less active overall, but I've been able to successfully cut that weight very easily without logging.
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I find logging and tracking, and counting calories a colossal pain in the butt. I start out pretty well for a week, then I can't take it anymore. I think it's easier to use the old Body For Life method of measuring by palm and fist. A protein about the size of my palm (actually my open hand) and a carb about the size of my fist. Give or take.1
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MandiMarie913 wrote: »I really don't think counting calories is for me. I rarely end up within my recommended calorie intake BC when I try this calorie counting business, I tend to eat more calories than if I hadn't counted lol. It causes me to think about food more and until I can gain a healthy relationship with food, it's just not gonna work for me. Any insight? Anybody else struggle with this?
I no longer track my intake. Luckily, I was able to learn enough while tracking so that I can control my weight without doing so. Not everyone is able to make that transition - which isn't an attack on anyone's intelligence, although I can see how it might come across that way. As an engineer, I'm used to tracking numbers and calculating things, so this sort of mental exercise fits into my life easily.
Since you mentioned wanting to gain a healthy relationship with food, I'm not sure what advice is appropriate. On one hand, maybe tracking, without worrying too much about macros, can help show you how you don't necessarily need to change much other than the volume of food you're currently eating. On the other hand, if it stresses you out too much with possibly too much information, then maybe Calorie counting isn't for you. Also, since you mentioned wanting to gain a healthy relationship with food, have you contacted a counselor to help you with this facet? If so, great. If not, then perhaps that's something to consider, as (s)he could sit down and help figure out what, exactly, your concerns are and how to overcome any potential problems/pitfalls.1 -
You could try the My Plate method instead. 1/2 plate veggies, 1/4 plate starch, 1/4 plate meat. And of course watch the fats and sugars.4
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2011rocket3touring wrote: »If I'm not counting, I'm gaining weight. I'll gradually eat more and more then BAM back at 260lbs. Been there done that and don't want to go back.
Counting calories sucks, weighing 260lbs sucks more.
My thoughts exactly1
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