ever since i have stopped counting calories...

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BeautyFromPain
BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I have been a lot happier and ,less stressed. I eat 4 or 5 small meals a day and ever since I have stopped counting calories, I just focus on not eating junk and eating fresh.

I have gone from 93 to 89 in 2 weeks, without counting at all, taking me out of my platueu. :)

Everything works differently for everyone, but I just eat when I am hungry and make sure am not eating junk.

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  • funkyspunky871
    funkyspunky871 Posts: 1,675 Member
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    I wish I could do that.
  • suzycreamcheese
    suzycreamcheese Posts: 1,766 Member
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    I have been a lot happier and ,less stressed. I eat 4 or 5 small meals a day and ever since I have stopped counting calories, I just focus on not eating junk and eating fresh.

    I have gone from 93 to 89 in 2 weeks, without counting at all, taking me out of my platueu. :)

    Everything works differently for everyone, but I just eat when I am hungry and make sure am not eating junk.

    ive found the same thing, except im maintaining instead of losing, but i needed to stop counting calories for the sake of my mental health
  • Lollyvoddy
    Lollyvoddy Posts: 194 Member
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    I hope to be there one day, but for now I need to count. Well done on your progress!
  • ♥ChUbByCoyLe♥
    ♥ChUbByCoyLe♥ Posts: 267 Member
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    I need to count. Its surprising the number of calories that pass my lips without realising!! counting calories keeps me on the straight and narrow but can bring about enormous feelings of guilt when i go over!! Good luck with your weight loss :wink:
  • mmiiaa
    mmiiaa Posts: 171 Member
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    As I am right now, I need to count. I'm pretty terrible with portion sizes, I hate cooking, and I eat out more than I'd like. When my eating habits change for the healthier, I think I could do this.

    Kudos to you!
  • keiraev
    keiraev Posts: 695 Member
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    I can't wait until I can do this!

    I think I will always find myself going back to MFP if I go off the rails though!

    I just hope that by the time I'm maintaining I can trust myself to make good choices the majority of the time without having to log everything.
  • ayshamc
    ayshamc Posts: 226 Member
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    I need to count. Its surprising the number of calories that pass my lips without realising!!

    ME TOO!!! It happens without any realisation whatsoever...it's Terrible!! lol
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
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    I would much prefer not to count, but I forget what I have eaten if I don't log, and and up eating far too much. I am apparently pretty rubbish at knowing instinctively how much I have eaten.
  • xjlishey1
    xjlishey1 Posts: 286
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    This is my first time counting calories and it is working the best for me out of all the plans I've been on without me having to be accountable to someone else. I am doing it on my own.
  • Articeluvsmemphis
    Articeluvsmemphis Posts: 1,987 Member
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    Congrats on this realization. I need to count though, I like knowing otherwise I'd feel like I did when I just ate anything I wanted too, and we see how well that worked out for me, lol
  • thenewkarisa
    thenewkarisa Posts: 207
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    Thats what I used to do! I'm just counting calories now so I can get a better feel of how many calories are in certain things and so I can practice splitting calories into 4 small meals =)
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
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    It worked for awhile for me. I need a refresher course on good food again. So I will be logging.

    For about a year after losing 36 pounds I remembered the logging.........could see the numbers in the MFP log. Now I can't see them any more.

    yesterday for example, I had lunch of tacos. No biggie really, I eat real food. Well I would have been fine if I came home and had a nice salad with balsamic dressing and chicken breast.

    Instead I went for the Marie Calenders Turkey Pot Pie. Sounds good huh? This frozen meal company makes the BEST entrees. So much like real homemade.

    Well I decided I would log this week, and just see what happens. Make no changes just like I did in the beginning. That damn pot pie was 1200 calories!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :noway: :embarassed: :sick:

    So suffice it to say I was well over my maint. cals yesterday:laugh:
  • JennLifts
    JennLifts Posts: 1,913 Member
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    I like that you werent afraid to take the leap! Great success!
  • FearAnLoathing
    FearAnLoathing Posts: 4,852 Member
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    I also stopped a few days ago,and feel much better for it
  • stroutman81
    stroutman81 Posts: 2,474 Member
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    I never count at this stage. I've been at this a long time though. In my experience, when you're first starting out it's a good idea to track everything. You need to be exact so you can identify where you problems are. It's also provides a great perspective on serving sizes and energy density.

    Ideally though, as you familiarize yourself with this stuff, you can start to turn the dial toward less rigidity. You figure out ways to governor calorie consumption by focusing on satiating and low-energy-density foods. When you have a solid foundation (adequate protein, plenty of essential fats, fibrous veggies, and fruits) it becomes much more difficult to overconsume.

    Not impossible, mind you.

    But I fully agree... most people feel much more liberated when they reach this stage. That said, I've met plenty of people who never stop counting and they seem happy. Different strokes for different folks I suppose.
  • Rilke
    Rilke Posts: 1,201 Member
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    I tend to go in cycles. At heart I don't believe in calorie counting for sustainable health, but about twice a year I fall back into old snacking (though, thankfully, not bingeing) habits and need to redirect for a month or so.

    Since I am within five pounds of my "ultimate goal weight" I am about ready to stop counting again. It's such a relief when I let it go.
  • missionmanshane
    missionmanshane Posts: 21 Member
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    I take off a day or two every once in a while for my mental health.

    Still not at my goal weight, but trying to break out of a plateau after 54 lbs lost.
  • sunyg
    sunyg Posts: 229
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    I've recently stopped. It seemed like it was becoming an unhealthy obsession for me. As is the scale. So I've decided to stop doing them for awhile and just try to focus on eating healthy and working out and doing the best I can at both of those for awhile.

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