No more counting calories!
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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 -
Thorbjornn wrote: »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.
I love BFL, been doing it first started in the 90's. I still buy Success Journals off of Amazon when I feel like doing a structured 90 day plan. The "palm and fist" method was easier, and I usually lose about 0.5-1lb. a week.
I have to admit, I go through cycles....sometimes I don't mind it, and other times I cannot stand having to be tethered to logging every little thing I eat. Because i'm trying to hit a January 2017 goal pretty aggressively, I need to count at least until then.1 -
You don't have to count calories if you don't want to. But you do have to eat at a deficit to lose weight. For me the easiest way to know if I am at a deficit or not is to count calories. But if you can lose without counting then go for it.0
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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?
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.
The amount I eat when i don't count is way less BC food isn't constantly on my mind. I don't have to worry about remembering to log in and being sure it's correct, the stress of it just raises my anxiety. It's just not something I need. My weightless success was greater without using this app. My biggest weight loss was actually without this app BC it didn't exist yet lol.1 -
I have found that sometimes I eat more just because I'm thinking about food because of tracking--so I totally know what you mean. And if not counting works best for you, go for it! I still am counting but have to remind myself throughout the day, "Are you eating because you know you need to log something, or are you eating because you need food?" and it's helped. Do what's best for you!1
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sydnisd183 wrote: »
I love BFL, been doing it first started in the 90's. I still buy Success Journals off of Amazon when I feel like doing a structured 90 day plan. The "palm and fist" method was easier, and I usually lose about 0.5-1lb. a week.
I did it in 2000 and had some pretty good weight loss. Unfortunately I fell off it. I like the food plan and weight training plan, the cardio not so much.
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MandiMarie913 wrote: »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.
The amount I eat when i don't count is way less BC food isn't constantly on my mind. I don't have to worry about remembering to log in and being sure it's correct, the stress of it just raises my anxiety. It's just not something I need. My weightless success was greater without using this app. My biggest weight loss was actually without this app BC it didn't exist yet lol.
Write the food that you eat and count it after then, if you feel like that would help you. If you feel like you don't need it, then you don't need it.0 -
Not sure if you are looking for support on this or for people to talk you out of it. Honestly the best approach to weightloss is the one that works. If counting calories you overeat then perhaps you shouldn't count calories. That said if not counting calories you ALSO overeat then stopping counting isn't going to really solve the problem.3
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I hope I can say this without sounding rude but I'll give it a try.
Food and counting calories can't make anyone stressed, they can't berate one, they can't show up in a pantry on their own. One allows themselves to be stressed.
This was the most simple/complex thing I had to work on these last 4 months. My dad beat into our heads we couldn't control others we could only control our reactions and I adapted it to my eating.
Maybe this correction in thinking can help others, maybe not.1 -
I guess if calorie counting didn't work for the almost 2 years that you've been here, you need to step back and evaluate why.
I know that when I don't lose weight, something that I am doing is screwing up the CICO equation. This could be that I am not logging correctly (not logging binges, estimating, not logging at all, eyeballing my food), or choosing the wrong food database entries, or I am eating too many exercise calories back.. It' is never really calorie couting fault.
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Why not eat at maintenance for a while? Weigh ALL your food with a digital food/kitchen scale with fresh batteries. Every single solid and semi solid thing. Weigh all pre-packaged food. Anything that isn't a liquid (this doesn't go for oil or melted butter..weigh those) use cups and spoons. Log liquids consumed.
After my mother died, I actually prepped all the food and snacks for the week on the weekend (made meals, weighed everything, packaged and frozen the dinners). This allowed me to relax for the rest of the week and stick with it. Foo wasn't constantly on my mind then.
Do you have any hobbies? What do you do in a typical day?
But yeah, unfortunately, if you haven't lost weight in that time, perhaps you've been under estimating calories in (not using food scale, not logging everything including cooking oils) and/or over estimating your CO (relaying on mfp exercise calorie estimation and eating back all cals).
Can you open your food diary?0
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