Tired of counting calories
Options
Replies
-
I suppose the question, OP, is whether you are rebelling against calorie counting in particular - in which case there are other methods which might work for you - or if you're actually rebelling against losing weight at all, in which case you've got to think your way through it. Only you can possibly know the answer to that.3
-
I'm tired of being fat more then I'm tired of counting calories.6
-
You went too drastic with implementing changes. Make small changes you can live with and can see yourself doing for the rest of your life - anything else is unrealistic and will end in failure.
Find a program that works for you - they all incorporate some variation of CICO. MFP just offers greater flexibility in the application.
HIIT for someone starting out is just setting up for failure. Start slow and just walk. This isn't a sprint, but a marathon and you need to prepare your mind for this.3 -
wally2wiki wrote: »Started at 330lbs in September with goal weight of 260lbs.
Lost 8lbs in week one : no exercise.
1lb in week 2, zero lbs in week 3.
Week 4 started doing hiit workouts, and weight loss resumed.
Fast forward to present, current weight is back to 328lbs, I haven't used my fitness pal in weeks.
Getting frustrated with the calorie counting, anyone know an alternative to keep the calories down?
I know I'm being lazy, but I find calorie counting really annoying.
Currently , I do 3 hiit workouts per week, but no cardio or strength training...any suggestions?
I think its important that you find a way that will suit you, and something that you can live with for life.
Changing habits for life can sound very intimidating, but luckily, small changes can make a world of difference over time.
exercise: 3 hiit workouts is nice, though keep in mind what you do for the rest of the week.
Sitting burns more calories than laying down.
Standing burns more than sitting down.
Walking burns more than standing
etc.
1000 steps more per day equals 12 ponds lost in a year.
Eating:
I never go hungry, I eat whatever I want to eat and I lose between 1-2 pounds per week and I dont count a single calorie.
What I do is to follow "the hunger scale"
Just google it if you are not familiar with the term, but basicly I never let myself get REALLY hungry or stuffed.
I also eat SLOWLY to make sure I dont overeat.
Thats all I do really - Move more and eat less.
You can do that, cant you?
2 -
I hardly think counting calories could be considered that annoying or drastic... Once you take the time to learn to do it it literally takes like 5 minutes a day tops. But yeah even though someone disagreed above i still believe counting calories is more important than your hiit so.....swap if you need. Counting calories is really how you learn what your eating and where to improve/what to have less often or more often. If your unwilling to put the effort into that im not sure your going to do well:/ Sorry not sorry4
-
I found being overweight much more annoying than calorie counting, but that's just me.4
-
Without accurately counting calories you will never know how many calories you are truly consuming.
Yes, you could try one of the many fad diets out there, but if you can't commit to calorie counting you will find the alternatives much harder and I say that as someone who was a former fad dieter.
You've already learned you can't outrun a bad diet. You can exercise until you're blue in the face, but if you're overeating, you're overeating.
The truth is you're just going to have to return to counting and weighing your food. It's really the only thing that is sustainable and will work over the long term.
You have to want this more than you want food.
I don't know that you can accurately determine that calorie counting is the only method that will work for this individual.
Sustainability varies from person to person and tracking is not a universally sustainable method any more or less than weight watchers or low carb or paleo.
Maybe I should have proceeded this with "IMHO and in my experience."
But I would be willing to bet dollars to donuts if OP is annoyed at calorie counting OP will really be annoyed at restricting certain groups of foods.
The problem with diets like those is sooner or later people go off the program and when they do they can't sustain the loss
The way you are describing this it seems like you are suggesting that there are only two methods.
Counting, or restricting entire groups of foods.
Sorry should've been more clear. I was referring to the diet plans you mentioned: paleo, low carb, and weight watchers although weight watchers doesn't restrict groups of food it just is another form of calorie counting TBH.
The end all be all is just controlling intake. OP can use whatever method he wants to do that, but if OP finds calorie counting annoying I don't know how better suited any of the other options for controlling intake are.0 -
Without accurately counting calories you will never know how many calories you are truly consuming.
Yes, you could try one of the many fad diets out there, but if you can't commit to calorie counting you will find the alternatives much harder and I say that as someone who was a former fad dieter.
You've already learned you can't outrun a bad diet. You can exercise until you're blue in the face, but if you're overeating, you're overeating.
The truth is you're just going to have to return to counting and weighing your food. It's really the only thing that is sustainable and will work over the long term.
You have to want this more than you want food.
I don't know that you can accurately determine that calorie counting is the only method that will work for this individual.
Sustainability varies from person to person and tracking is not a universally sustainable method any more or less than weight watchers or low carb or paleo.
Maybe I should have proceeded this with "IMHO and in my experience."
But I would be willing to bet dollars to donuts if OP is annoyed at calorie counting OP will really be annoyed at restricting certain groups of foods.
The problem with diets like those is sooner or later people go off the program and when they do they can't sustain the loss
The way you are describing this it seems like you are suggesting that there are only two methods.
Counting, or restricting entire groups of foods.
Sorry should've been more clear. I was referring to the diet plans you mentioned: paleo, low carb, and weight watchers although weight watchers doesn't restrict groups of food it just is another form of calorie counting TBH.
The end all be all is just controlling intake. OP can use whatever method he wants to do that, but if OP finds calorie counting annoying I don't know how better suited any of the other options for controlling intake are.
When my trainer works with folks of this size, he merely has them work on cleaning up their diet a bit and making overall better nutritional choices...while still enjoying some of what they're accustomed to eating and more or less leads them over the course of months and years into just being more nutritionally sound...at that size, they tend to drop weight like crazy by initially just making some small tweaks to their diet and then he has them baby step it over weeks and months...
Also OP...drop the HIIT...I know it's all the rage, but true HIIT is really only suitable for individuals with an already solid aerobic base...and really not all that necessary unless you're looking to be a competitive athlete. I'd start with walking on the regular and go from there...8 -
Calorie counting is just one of a myriad of ways to reduce your calorie intake. Whatever you do, you have to do it yourself, and do it for more than a few weeks. So I too suggest that you investigate what it is about calorie counting that annoys you - is it the practical aspect, the weighing, the logging? Or the mental aspect, the thought of having to restrict your intake? Do you eat in response to emotions, not hunger? Or are you restricting too much, eating too little, and getting hungry? Or are you cutting out food groups or foods you like, and getting bored?
Other methods you could use: The No S Diet (already mentioned, great idea, it is basically good old normal eating, meals and all), or the 21 day fix (but find free meal plans online, containers for a couple dollars), or the MyPlate.
Don't stop exercising, but getting your diet in check will have way more impact than exercise.2 -
queenliz99 wrote: »
I just glanced at this. What a great idea.
No snacks, No seconds, No sweets.
Expect (sometimes) on days that start with S.
It's actually a pretty reasonable way of going about things...0 -
But you don't have to know that. You just have to not overeat.Without accurately counting calories you will never know how many calories you are truly consuming.
Or you could compose your own non-fad diet, and that could be even easier to commit to.Yes, you could try one of the many fad diets out there, but if you can't commit to calorie counting you will find the alternatives much harder and I say that as someone who was a former fad dieter.
I think someone at 328 pounds is already very aware that they are overeating.You've already learned you can't outrun a bad diet. You can exercise until you're blue in the face, but if you're overeating, you're overeating.
Are you seriously going to weight and log for the rest for your life?The truth is you're just going to have to return to counting and weighing your food. It's really the only thing that is sustainable and will work over the long term.
Nothing wrong with wanting food. Food is good. It's the overeating that should be stoppedYou have to want this more than you want food.
3 -
I don't and never have. I go and do the best that I can, that's all that matters.if I am happy with it, then that's all that counts.0
-
JaydedMiss wrote: »I hardly think counting calories could be considered that annoying or drastic... Once you take the time to learn to do it it literally takes like 5 minutes a day tops. But yeah even though someone disagreed above i still believe counting calories is more important than your hiit so.....swap if you need. Counting calories is really how you learn what your eating and where to improve/what to have less often or more often. If your unwilling to put the effort into that im not sure your going to do well:/ Sorry not sorry
The point is, that reducing calories is what matters, not how you do it.
Have you missed that some of the most successful maintainers on this forum never count their calories?
You have a lot to learn, grasshopper.
I once thought like you, because I too personally have a good fit with calorie counting.
That doesn't mean it works for everyone.6 -
To the OP:
I've just started a rather lengthy post on this where I will suggest alternatives to tracking. Once I've completed it I'll link it here.8 -
JeromeBarry1 wrote: »At 328 lb I can certainly guarantee that you know exactly what you need to do to lose weight without calorie counting. Look at yourself. See what you like to eat. Evaluate it from the perspective of sensory delight and from the perspective of nutritional value. What are your priorities? Is sensory delight your overriding objective? In that case, you serve your belly.
If nutritional value is more valuable to you, you can easily avoid the delightful stuff and just eat the valuable stuff and lose a ton of weight.
How old are you?
290 -
I counted calories for most of a year. Lost 50 lbs. Got tired of counting. Fell off the wagon completely. Put 20 back on. I can be very disciplined when I decide to be, but the overall time and effort of calorie counting was nearly doubling my meal prep time, so now I'm eating 2 meals a day; no snacks except zero calorie beverages, and coffee with a measured amount of milk, and I've got things under control again. It does take more than 5 minutes to weigh ingredients and log them when, like me, you eat nearly everything cooked from scratch, use lots of ingredients, and constantly try new recipes. But the year of logging did teach me huge amounts about calorie content and portion sizes. I feel a lot more in control actually, now that I'm enjoying cooking without the extra hassle of weighing foods, and portioning out my food without the scale telling me what to do.1
-
queenliz99 wrote: »
I just glanced at this. What a great idea.
No snacks, No seconds, No sweets.
Expect (sometimes) on days that start with S.
I looked at that too and think it's a great way of eating to teach moderation.
0 -
wally2wiki wrote: »Started at 330lbs in September with goal weight of 260lbs.
Lost 8lbs in week one : no exercise.
1lb in week 2, zero lbs in week 3.
Week 4 started doing hiit workouts, and weight loss resumed.
Fast forward to present, current weight is back to 328lbs, I haven't used my fitness pal in weeks.
Getting frustrated with the calorie counting, anyone know an alternative to keep the calories down?
I know I'm being lazy, but I find calorie counting really annoying.
Currently , I do 3 hiit workouts per week, but no cardio or strength training...any suggestions?
Where do the bulk of your calories come from? Those are the places you are going to make changes.
Take smaller portions of higher calorie foods. Watch your portion sizes with things like rice, pasta, bread, cheese, ice cream.
Eat a lot more lower calorie vegetables at your meals.
Eat leaner meats. Grilled or baked instead of breaded/fried.
Use less oil, butter, condiments, dressings, sauces.
Use a smaller plate.
Don't drink your calories.5 -
As others have said, you can simplify things by picking a couple of meals to serve "on repeat" so that you don't have to count.
Another idea: Can you find 500 or 1000 calories of food you eat in an average day, every day, that you can just not eat? If you drink caloric beverages every day, like pop or beer, can you just cut them out or replace with diet versions? Find 500 calories you eat or drink every day and just don't do them, and you'll create a deficit without otherwise counting.1
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.3K Introduce Yourself
- 43.4K Getting Started
- 259.6K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 387 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.2K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.2K MyFitnessPal Information
- 22 News and Announcements
- 911 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions