Abandoned calorie counting for something else?

I've been counting calories for the past 30+ years.

Not in detail all the time, but I'm constantly adding it up in my head.

Some years, when I exercised a lot, I counted to make sure I was eating enough ... a few years, I've needed to count to lose a bit ... and the rest of the time, I count to maintain.

SideSteel wrote: »

DietVanillaCoke wrote: »

If you go low carb you still need to reduce calories to lose the weight XD. You can't just magically eat more than you burn to lose weight. It doesn't work that way. If you eat 4000calories of veges and sit down all day and only burn 1700.. You're gonna gain weight. Same if you eat low carb. You need a calorie deficit ALWAYS. Some people find it easier to go low carb. I found that I was fuller for longer but i still needed to count my calories.

Correct however the original poster was asking about counting the calories.

You absolutely have to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight, as you mentioned. But it doesn't necessarily mean you have to count calories in order to achieve that.

Bingo.

savithny wrote: »

My relative was doing GREAT on Atkins. Boasting about how easy it was and he could eat everything he wanted.

And then he got a Costco membership and started buying Costco-size buckets of nuts and other atkins-approved snacks.

It turns out that calories matter, and it is absolutely possible to eat too many of them while low-carbing or Paleoing or any of those other "don't count calories just count carbs" plans.

Read sidesteel's reply above.

I very rarely count anymore. At this point I have a pretty good idea of when I'm eating at deficit, mantainance, excess, and can keep within a pretty healthy 5lb range doing this. I certainly don't eat "clean", but I do try to eat a pretty healthy, varied diet of "real food" - I.e. Vegetables, meat, wholegrain carbs, fruit, nuts + other things as and when I fancy them, in moderation. I occasionally weigh things I know to be calorie dense I.e. cheese to make sure I'm not accidentally eating 1000cal of it. Counting calories was great for me to get started, but ultimately I decided I didn't want to do it forever and a more intuitive approach has been working for me for about a year now since I stopped tracking.

Yes, I tried in desperation multiple times over the years to do an Atkins-type thing and just not even think about calories, but I could never endure the extreme carbohydrate deprivation for more than a few weeks. I mean, I felt like I had one foot in the grave and the other on maybe a pork rind, because, of course, bananas were verboten.

So that never worked for me and when I inevitably gave up, the feasting commenced at a fevered pitch and I naturally wound up bigger than before. And thus the cycle of angst and desperation continued until I stopped it with the help of a very wise doctor and MFP.

I don't mean to disparage Atkins, people do lose weight with that method and everyone has to find whatever works for them - I just wasn't tough enough to take it, haha. Anyway, I'm diabetic so I still count my carbs, but in a much more moderate way (under 120 g. daily), along with my calories. The plain fact is - I have never been able to make a significant improvement in my weight and my health without tracking my calories.

It's taken me a long time to come to terms with consistent tracking, but I think I'm there now. I had to accept that it's simply right for my mind and my body to carefully monitor and record my intake. It may not be right for everyone, but it is for me, and a big part of maturity is accepting the reality of our situation and facing up to the real solution. This is the real solution for me. And actually, I have finally come to quite enjoy it.

I've had success following the 21 day fix meal plan and not counting calories. Of course, you're still counting servings...but I found it less stressful.

I lost my first 30 pounds by logging the food I ate and limiting portions and limiting what I will vaguely refer to as "treats", all without counting calories or weighing or actually measuring (my measurements were more like "1 spoonful".) I got stuck and then had to count calories to lose a bit more. It is my ultimate goal to get back to logging without calorie counting. I'm not quite there yet but I have faith that it can happen

I tried IF alone, and only being loosely aware of calorie intake, but that was not enough for me. Apparently I really do need to track carefully, so I'm resigned to it now. MFP has made this much easier though. I continue to do IF, but combine that with counting calories, and I'm fairly successful at losing or maintaining that way.