Calorie counting vs. Intuitive eating.

JustDoIt987 · March 2017

I know that many of us are here because intuitive eating does not work for us ( eating whatever you want when hungry and stopping when full ) and I agree , calorie counting is great and I lost weight easily , BUT do you guys really do it for the rest of your lives ? Checking out restaurants menus, thinking about calories etc? I am maintaining now and I literally spend 85% of my day thinking about calories / food. I get nervous when I cant find calories of a particular restaurant online and make a big deal out of it. I am thinking about switching to intuitive eating
What works for you guys ? Intuitive eating or calorie counting ?

jnmrie · March 2017

It's hard to say. I already know that I cannot trust my intuition to stop eating when I'm full. Send me on a vacation and I go wild. I feel like one I get to maintenance I will keep an eye on calories at first and then try to find a good balance between counting calories and making "better" food choices as a form of intuitive eating.

perkymommy · March 2017

JustDoIt987 wrote: »

I know that many of us are here because intuitive eating does not work for us ( eating whatever you want when hungry and stopping when full ) and I agree , calorie counting is great and I lost weight easily , BUT do you guys really do it for the rest of your lives ? Checking out restaurants menus, thinking about calories etc? I am maintaining now and I literally spend 85% of my day thinking about calories / food. I get nervous when I cant find calories of a particular restaurant online and make a big deal out of it. I am thinking about switching to intuitive eating
What works for you guys ? Intuitive eating or calorie counting ?

I have no problem weighing and measuring my food. If I have a night out in a restaurant then I just wing it and do the best I can to keep the calories at a good level and then start over with the next meal. It's nothing written in stone but I honestly have weighed/measured food off and on for going on fifteen years. It's not that big of a deal to me.

Morgaen73 · March 2017

Yes, I've been doing it for almost four years now and I will probably do it for the rest of my life or untill I get to the age where it doesnt matter to me anymore.

victoria_1024 · March 2017

I've been in maintenance since last April after losing 90 lbs so it's been over 2 years now of logging. I do take logging breaks, like on vacation or over the weekend. Once I even took a 2 month logging break because I had some significant stress. I always end up returning to logging because my intuition just tells me to overeat.

I honestly don't mind logging and I assume I'll do it in some form forever but maybe not nonstop. The logging breaks are good for my mental health.

LolBroScience · March 2017

Currently, I'm using a combination... I'm stilling tracking in a sense, but much more loosely than I used to when i was tracking macros down to the gram for nearly four years.

I found that I was actually "undereating" when I was eating intuitively since I tend to be extra conservative.

Now, I either ball park or count approximately 3,000 cals a day and 150g+ protein prioritizing mostly nutrient dense foods. If I feel like I overate, I'll just scale back slightly on the following day.

This allows me to remain flexible with my foods, but also not obsesses over arbitrary numbers.

CattOfTheGarage · March 2017

I'll try things out when I reach maintenance, including intuitive eating. I'm sure it's quite possible to learn it (or relearn it, rather) but I'm not sure if it'll work for me. I eat for pleasure, and food tastes really good to me. Like really REALLY good. I think I may be logging for life.

annacole94 · March 2017

I'm planning to track for 6 months, which should be 5 months of loss and 1 of maintenance. I'm using this time to recalibrate my habits and become more aware of calories in my food. I hope to be able to stop tracking and maintain my loss, but we shall see. I haven't been overweight for a long time - I was at a healthy, happy weight before I had kids and then two pregnancies and five years of breastfeeding set my habits at a place that led to 20 lb of weight gain when I was no longer literally "eating for two". My goal is to get back to a place where my regular life and my happy weight are again in harmony and don't require constant vigilance.

whatthefreck555 · March 2017

I would love to be an intuitive eater. I have tried several times to lose weight through moderation. It doesn't work for me. I'll cheat a little here and there and the next thing I know I've gained 5 pounds. I've accepted that I'll never be at a point where I don't have to think about what I eat. That's my life. However, calorie counting does get easier as you go on. You'll learn to instinctively stay away from foods that are high in calories. With restaurants, just log the same entree from a similar restaurant. You'll learn to guess the calories based on size and ingredients.

ahoy_m8 · March 2017

When I track loosely the scale creeps up. Then I track carefully to get back in maintenance range. rinse. repeat.

ETA: I don't spend 85% of my day thinking about food/calories, though. And I'm the one shopping/cooking for a family with crazy teenagers with crazy schedules, so I probably think about it more than most. Getting anxious about a restaurant meal sounds like something worth reflecting on. Eating out, ideally, would bring pleasure & be something to look forward to. Can you reframe that? Here's one approach, but I'm not sure it addresses the underlying anxiety: When you eat out Saturday night & can't reasonably prelog it, prelog that day with the dinner you have planned for Sunday. Sunday morning, log everything you had the night before to the best of your ability as your Sunday dinner (even though you actually eat what you logged for Sat), and fit the rest of your day around that. Over the course of 2 days, you have logged it all accurately. Would that help the nervousness? Or compound it?

__TMac__ · March 2017

I repeat meals and recipes frequently, so I'm hoping that when I hit maintenance, I'll recognize the proper portions of those foods. Then I'll only have to investigate new foods to be sure they'll fit my maintenance calories. I'll continue weighing in so that I'll catch it early if it's not working. Only time will tell. I'm cautiously optimistic.

kommodevaran · March 2017

I ended up here because I was fed up with and overweight from trying to follow restrictive diet philosophies I would rebel against, compulsively overeat, comfort eat, and just overall make bad eating decisions.

I reckoned I'd be counting calories for life and I was OK with it, but it turned out counting calories - trusting the numbers - without any dietary restrictions, and using "the Hunger Scale", had taught me how to eat. Now I just plan my meals (to ensure tasty balanced meals, get maximum variety, save money and avoid waste) and eat and enjoy; I do think a lot about food, but not a lot about calories - I usually daydream about the delicious things I'm going to cook and eat. This is practically stress-free, and all worry about not eating "right", is gone.

I guess I'm an intuitive eater now. I've learnt what foods satisfy me, and I keep those around. No foods are off limit, but "fun" foods are normally eaten out of the house, and only on special occasions. I eat regular meals, and wait till I'm hungry, then I eat what I planned, and don't eat again until it's time for the next meal.

I lost 50 pounds after decades of weight problems, and I've maintained a healthy weight for 28 months now. I have assimilated the habits and mindset of normal weight people, and I will stay normal weight as long as I do normal weight things. It's not a lot of effort - all have to do, is not consistently overeat. If I start doing that again, I will regain. I didn't want to regain before, but I did; the big difference now is that I know how to prevent regain while at the same time do the things I want to do.

StaciMarie1974 · March 2017

Calorie counting does not take that much effort/time for me. My maintenance plan: eat at a slight deficit during the week, when my routine is standard. And that will allow me to approximate on the weekends. And adjust as needed based on the scale weight.

JustDoIt987 wrote: »

I know that many of us are here because intuitive eating does not work for us ( eating whatever you want when hungry and stopping when full ) and I agree , calorie counting is great and I lost weight easily , BUT do you guys really do it for the rest of your lives ? Checking out restaurants menus, thinking about calories etc? I am maintaining now and I literally spend 85% of my day thinking about calories / food. I get nervous when I cant find calories of a particular restaurant online and make a big deal out of it. I am thinking about switching to intuitive eating
What works for you guys ? Intuitive eating or calorie counting ?

TR0berts · March 2017

It...depends...

If you're able to track for x amount of time and get a decent handle on how many Calories, grams of each macro, and how many micros are in your basic diet - and keeping up with regular weigh-ins (whatever schedule fits your lifestyle) - then tracking forever probably won't be needed. Maybe just a day here, a day there, just to make sure you're still estimating well. If, on the other hand, you don't get a handle on amounts? Then you'll probably have some issues trying to intuitively eat and maintain/lose weight.

LivingtheLeanDream · March 2017

After 4 years of logging meticulously, 3 of those years maintaining goal weight I decided to go it alone last January and stopped logging my meals. And over a year on, all is well, in fact I even dropped a few pounds more which I was happy about. It seems because I am so used to knowing portion sizes/eating same kinds of things that my way of eating is now the norm. Its not for everyone but I'm happy to say it does work for me

I still mentally tot my calories roughly but I know as long as I stick to my 3 main meals and 2 x snacks, and as long as I keep as active as ever (average 14k steps), then I maintain my weight with ease.

hookandy · March 2017

Lost a few years ago, then stopped logging and crept up. Back on it again now with a long way to go. Happy I can lose the weight, but planning for the future and how to keep on track. Have a year to figure it out!

Deipneus · March 2017

Everyone is different but I'm a lifer. I tracked, lost weight and went back to intuitive eating. It worked for quite a while but then I gained weight and went back to tracking. I've been on maintenance for almost 5 years.

BoxerBrawler · March 2017

Actually I am the opposite. If I don't weight, measure and log my food I end up under-eating and losing too much weight. If I don't know what I'm eating, I'd rather not eat! Of course I've taken planned breaks as well like when on vacations and holidays. When I go out to eat I just make sure to order things that are simply, substitutions and eyeballing portion sizes. Like the poster above me said, after doing it for so many years it becomes second nature and very easy to eyeball portion sizes.

TimothyFish · March 2017

There's no way I would be able to log calories from now on. I weigh myself weekly and as long as I'm within five pounds of my target weight I don't log food calories. That's not to say that I don't pay attention to calories and go completely off of intuition. I think more in terms of a calorie goal at each meal. At each meal all I have to know is whether the calories will be over or under what my goal for that meal is. Once the meal is over I can forget about it. When the next time to eat comes up the decision making process starts fresh.

genpopadopolous · March 2017

I do little "tests" occasionally- where I will eat what I feel like for a day or two and log after the fact.

I still over eat every single time.

I'm still in a losing mode- and I hope to one day get to a point that I don't have to log everything, but I'm not there, so I'm not there.

I will say- I don't think about food that much. I mean, on hungry days its all I think about- but most days while I eat breakfast- I log lunch and dinner. Then I may have a snack during the day- so I'll log that if I do- but thats it. I don't think of it again.

If I go out to eat and the calories aren't available, I guess and move on. I'm not going to do so much damage in one meal that I won't counteract in 2 days. It just isn't worth the stress.

If this is how life will be forever for me- then I will not let it be something that hinders my happiness. It's a tool to help me live a better life, not a barrier from fulfillment. It requires flexibility.

VintageFeline · March 2017

Like others I'll experiment when I get to goal. I'd like to think I won't need to log but calorie creep could happen, particularly with starches. So I can certainly see myself weighing my rice and pasta, perhaps cheese too.

That said, I maintained my weight pretty steady for a good 10 years, albeit overweight. So I can do it, it's making sure I have naturally down regulated my intake to my requirements. If I'm regularly exercising I think I'll be fine. If my depression bites me in the butt and I'm not as active I will have to be a lot more careful.

Regardless, I don't stress about restaurant meals etc now, I know roughly how many calories are in most things and I naturally eat light the rest of the day. I take logging breaks for holidays, Christmas, birthday and so far there have been no disastrous consequences!

crzycatlady1 · March 2017

JustDoIt987 wrote: »

I know that many of us are here because intuitive eating does not work for us ( eating whatever you want when hungry and stopping when full ) and I agree , calorie counting is great and I lost weight easily , BUT do you guys really do it for the rest of your lives ? Checking out restaurants menus, thinking about calories etc? I am maintaining now and I literally spend 85% of my day thinking about calories / food. I get nervous when I cant find calories of a particular restaurant online and make a big deal out of it. I am thinking about switching to intuitive eating
What works for you guys ? Intuitive eating or calorie counting ?

How long have you been in maintenance for?

When I first transitioned I was the same way, but as time has gone on I've gotten more comfortable with things. Yes, I do still check restaurant menus and I frequently think about calories. But, I just keep a running tally on a piece of paper in my kitchen/do mental math most days. I also eat pretty repetitive during the week, so that simplifies things. I also no longer weigh everything out, though there are things I know I'm not good about eyeballing so those I still weigh (nuts, cereal, rice, oats etc). I also have other checks n' balances in place like daily weigh-ins, IF etc.

I'm in this for the long term-the women in my family tend to live to their mid 80s, in poor health, and I have a goal to live to my 90s, in good health

So I'm looking at 50+ years of maintenance ahead of me yet. I realize this is my life now, and being mindful of my calorie intake is a small price to pay for all the benefits I get from being at a healthy weight.

As for intuitive eating goes-tried that last summer for a few months and gained around 7lbs. Not going to try that again lol.

Jruzer · March 2017

I'm of the opinion that I have a chronic condition that I have to manage. Sometimes I manage it better, sometimes worse. But not managing it isn't an option.

In some ways it's akin to a diabetic having to measure blood sugar. My mother and grandmother were both Type 2 diabetics and never managed it well. I know I'm at risk. I'd rather spend a few minutes each day paying attention to what I'm eating than having to deal with blood sugar and insulin injections.

That said: I don't worry about logging precisely all the time. I log as precisely as I can most days, estimate restaurant meals, and even have some days where I just don't bother. The important thing is to keep the weight (and fitness, secondarily) in control, akin to what @TimothyFish said above.

alondrakayy · March 2017

I tried intuitive eating for a few months and I was able to maintain my weight. There were only a few times I bindged and I was able to bounce back quickly. The only issues is that if I tried to get down to a certain size or cut, it was impossible (for me) to do so! I say calorie/macro counting is great when it's time to get super serious and intuitive eating when you are ready to take a break and you're at a healthy weight. Maybe around the same time you want to bulk? Idk. I'm no expert. Just find what works best for you.

fitmom4lifemfp · March 2017

JustDoIt987 wrote: »

I know that many of us are here because intuitive eating does not work for us ( eating whatever you want when hungry and stopping when full ) and I agree , calorie counting is great and I lost weight easily , BUT do you guys really do it for the rest of your lives ? Checking out restaurants menus, thinking about calories etc? I am maintaining now and I literally spend 85% of my day thinking about calories / food. I get nervous when I cant find calories of a particular restaurant online and make a big deal out of it. I am thinking about switching to intuitive eating
What works for you guys ? Intuitive eating or calorie counting ?

I've been doing it for 12 years. I know that I will always have to do it because I just love food. So I need a visual of my calories to keep me honest. When I stop, I end up gaining and that is why I am here trying to lose this weight I recently gained.

jroy1999 · March 2017

I am not at my ugw yet, but once I am I plan on doing a little of both. Pregnancy always screws up my hunger/ satiety, so I consider dieting time to retrain it. By the time I had lost the weight from my other pregnancies, I was able to do intuitive most of the time and if I went up more than about 5 lbs, I went back to constant logging/ calorie reduction

cwolfman13 · March 2017

JustDoIt987 wrote: »

I know that many of us are here because intuitive eating does not work for us ( eating whatever you want when hungry and stopping when full ) and I agree , calorie counting is great and I lost weight easily , BUT do you guys really do it for the rest of your lives ? Checking out restaurants menus, thinking about calories etc? I am maintaining now and I literally spend 85% of my day thinking about calories / food. I get nervous when I cant find calories of a particular restaurant online and make a big deal out of it. I am thinking about switching to intuitive eating
What works for you guys ? Intuitive eating or calorie counting ?

I've been in maintenance going on four years and haven't logged in that time...logging was just a tool to teach me how to eat properly...I just took what I learned while losing into maintenance and stopped logging.

I don't know that I'd call it intuitive eating though...I knew early on that I was going to have to change the way I was living and would have to adopt a new "normal"...my diet now is pretty unrecognizable to the diet I had when I started 4.5 years ago and exercise of some kind is as much a daily activity as going to work is.

andrea4736 · March 2017

I'm pretty sure I won't have much of a choice but to log for the rest of my life. I lost weight and maintained for over 2 years with logging. Once I stopped, I packed on over 30 lbs in less than 6 months. Needless to say, my intuitive eating skills are lacking.

Muscleflex79 · March 2017

if thinking about and counting calories is taking up 85% of your day you are doing something wrong

Tacklewasher · March 2017

I'm resigned to having to count forever, but am going to experiment this summer. If all goes to plan, I will be at my first goal weight by summer. Still overweight, but a weight I plan to maintain for a bit before going back to losing. So I'm thinking of not logging for July and August to see what happens. But I will be weighing daily, so I will know if the weight creeps back up. In Sept I will either start lifting seriously or go back to weight loss mode. Either way I will be back to counting in Sept.

I'll see how it goes. To be honest, I'm not that hopeful and am prepared to give up not counting if it isn't working for me.

LessCookiess · March 2017

I don't calorie count I realized when I did in the past I was bit obsessive. I also used to limit myself to 1200 calories, and I would binge sometime as well. I don't calorie count now, and I just eat a well balanced meal for breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner. I also workout as well, but if I'm hungry I'll eat food. I don't restrict myself, and if I want a cake I'll eat it as well. I'm no longer binging, and I'm a lot happier as well overall. I've lost 30 pounds so far just following this. I'm not trying to lose 2 pounds a week that's not my goal if I lose 0.2 pounds one week I'm happy with it. The rate of loss isn't important. For me slow and steady wins the race, and I'm okay with it. But alas the same thing doesn't work for everyone.

Calorie counting vs. Intuitive eating.

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