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MyFitnessPal Community

No more counting calories!

MandiMarie913

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?

Replies

sydnisd183

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.

kgirlhart

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.

MandiMarie913

Noel_57 wrote: »

I predict an "I'm back" post in six months.

I wasnt planning on leaving the app, I still use it for other things it offers that do help, such as the positive inspiration that many people have in the community link. It's really helpful and supportive.

MandiMarie913

fr33sia12 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.

jadorade91

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!

Thorbjornn

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.

janekana

MandiMarie913 wrote: »

fr33sia12 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.

Aaron_K123

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.

leanjogreen18

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.

cerise_noir

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.
.
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?

KylaDenay

You have to do what works for you. Calorie counting isn't for everyone. I personally hate it, but I also know that without it I'd be a lot heavier. It has helped me to really understand how much I am really eating, especially when weighing food. For me though calorie counting gives me motive to eat whatever I want and that isn't a good thing. I just make sure I'm under, even if its ice cream and pizza all day. It is all in my head and I know that if I stopped calorie counting and wanted to be successful with weight loss, I would really have to eat more whole foods and a nutritious diet. If I stopped now in my life it would probably be more of a health benefit and the weight loss just happened. Like I said it's all in my head, but if you really want the weight loss you can do it with or without calorie counting. The only thing is you have to be mindful of how much you are taking in either way or you will gain.

Need2Exerc1se

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 tried calorie counting and found it wasn't for me either. My reason were different but I lost weight without ever measuring, weighing, logging, or counting. And so far I've been successful for keeping it off.

Need2Exerc1se

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.

You don't say what your starting point for this weight gain would be, but if you gain a significant amount of weight without logging it's not really because you stopped logging. It's because you stopped trying. You can't gain a lot of weight without noticing it. And if you notice a problem and fail to act on it, that is the problem.

red99ryder

I would think most here are counting calories .. that's why we are here .. I log lunch read forum lol. And I count when I'm over too .. for me it's a good guide line to keep me honest .. I still eat when I normally would .

Good luck

jemhh

I lost 30 lbs without counting calories and then 22 with counting calories. Right now I am working on weaning myself off of weighing things, with the intention to eventually get to the point where I don't need to count calories.

H_Ock12

Think of your calories goal as a "I have to stay under this number" instead of "I have to meet this number". Take a day to meal plan, shop, prepare, portion, and log your foods. Eat only what you have prepared and prelogged for the week. You only have to think about your food one day (or a half day) a week and the rest of the time, you can mindlessly pull a container out of the fridge at meal time.

bekahlou75

I counted for awhile but now I just eat half of what I used to eat. Instead of a whole hamburger, I cut it in half. If I order 3 chicken strips with fries, I just eat half of them. I logged that for a while and noticed that it pretty much equaled what my daily calorie count was. I don't have to actually log but I know that my calorie numbers are where they're supposed to be.

endlessfall16

I logged for 8 weeks, lost 10-15 lbs, then stopped and continued to lose another 10 lbs or so.

I just eat normal "portions"-- whatever that means with a particular food, neither too little nor too much. On good meals I eat more and on non essential meals I eat less. Weigh in a couple times a week, make slight adjustments. It's not rocket science.

lemurcat12

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 like calorie counting as a way of losing weight, and find it easier to eat less, not harder, when doing it. However, there are plenty of other ways to lose weight. Do you have a plan?

What I did before I discovered MFP (that worked fine) was writing down what I ate and watching portion sizes and cutting back on added fat and starches (I didn't really snack either way -- I do better not snacking). I think I started by writing down what I ate and then cutting from that, specifically, and I also added activity.

What I found this time (in 2014, when I started logging at MFP after about a month doing it my old way) was that I'd cut back calories far more than I thought, even though I'd assumed I was eating around 1500-1600 and that 1200 was outrageous I learned I was actually eating less than 1200, which allowed me to adjust, eat more (and more leniently), and create a more sustainable diet. In both methods I found I thought about food more at first, but getting into the habit of not snacking (so not thinking about food between meals for the most part) and if I did think about food I channeled it into thinking of things to make for dinner that I'd look forward to, trying to create some taste, stuff like that. Basically, it helped me enjoy cooking and channeling it that way made me excited about what I was eating and cool with waiting until my next meal.

MandiMarie913

cerise_noir wrote: »

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.
.
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 years, est 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?

I haven't been using it for two years, I didn't use the app while I was pregnant. I used it before pregnancy, while I was in college and I lost and maintained without being adamant about logging everyday. I just had a busy schedule. Now, after giving birth 2mo ago, I have a lot of pregnancy weight to lose. Since giving birth I've lost 30lbs without the app and now I've just hit a bump trying to maintain a routine with a newborn lol

BiggDaddy58

No More Counting? Say it isn't so!

catstratch

This maybe a lack of planning. Instead of counting calories on your feet, try to have daily meal plan, or some snacks/breakfast/lunch/dinner options that you can choose and rotate throughout the week.
e.g. if I can eat 1600 a day, I'll have 400 breakfast, 400 lunch, 400 dinner and 400 for snacks/drinks. Then try to find recipes or tweak the ones you like to meet that calories goal.
It doesn't have to be a constant thing, and after awhile you remember and can guessimate the calories in most foods.
Hope your weight loss journey gets better.

hiyomi

How do you know you are eating more calories than if you hadn't counted if you are not counting them? The thing is with counting calories, you can eat a bunch of foods that are low in calories, which may make it seem like you are eating more, but since they are low calorie, you really are not. While on the other hand, you may eat one fast food meal, or just one calorie dense meal, and even though you only ate once, that meal may have had more calories than eating a bunch of small meals.