Losing weight without tracking/counting?

I've tried to but I've failed, logging's the only thing that works for me and I thought I was making good choices, my estimations turned out to be about 20% off on average and I just ended up maintaining. It would be interesting to see if anyone else has managed, I'm sure people have, it just turned losing weight difficulty to hard mode for me without any measurable data to guide me.

Eyeballing 1400cals felt like being told to fill a sink with 4 pints of water with just a tap/faucet and no measuring jug. :P

I've done it a couple of times in the past, just cutting back on the snacks and increasing work outs.

It can depend on why you have gained the weight. In some cases, the cause is obvious so the solution is pretty easy. My husband once lost 20 lbs. just by giving up coke. He drank a lot. I've lost weight in the past by giving up sugary treats and restaurant meals. (Hard to sustain though.) Learning portion control can make a difference if you are used to eating huge meals and eating seconds or thirds. Following a more healthy diet can help you lose weight.

Whether that is enough to get you to the weight you want to achieve is a different matter.

Hmm...I just posted how I do it in another thread, in answering someone.

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mom22dogs wrote: »
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I agree - our brains are the enemy. If we could figure out how to shut off the craving/constant thought of things we want, losing weight would be a lot simpler. /quotes



I wrote:

That's basically the thesis of my approach. I asked myself that question years back and worked on the answer. The answer I found is...you cannot and shouldn't shut off. However, one can very effectively manage it through effective managing of calories and eating schedule. Craving won't be around if you satisfy it. No thoughts if you're not hung up. That means, you truly eat. But what about creating a deficit? This is where your brain comes in. Conditioning. Scheduling. Identifying patterns, reactions of the body. It's as easy as we are conditioned not to get up at 1am to grill a steak to satisfy some impulse. No such urge or impulse.

For me, it has to be like this to be sustainable. I won't carry a scale everywhere, won't skip company's free ice cream/churros day, won't turn down a friend's offer to take me out. Cheers.
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Yes, easily. Counting calories is not healthy for me. I gained some weight following an injury, and also during a very stressful period. Lost the weight both times without counting calories. I'm active. I've always had healthy eating habits, except for some stress related eating. I've never been overweight.

The first 20 lbs, yeah. I was obese, so just eating better and moving more helped me lose weight. Now that I'm closer to a "normal" weight, counting calories is crucial because my resting metabolic rate is pretty low (I'm also short). Even just an extra 200 calories a day would throw me off track.

billsrule2015 wrote: »

Just curious if anyone has lost weight without counting/tracking calories? Just eating mindfully and watching how much you eat instead. Any feedback would be appreciated.

Mostly under unusual conditions when I didn't have access to a normal range of food, such as during Boot Camp, when I was in the wilds of Costa Rica for six weeks, when I lived at a yoga retreat center, etc.

When I have complete access to hyper palatable foods it behooves me to track.

I did. I lost 50 or 60 pounds that way. It is simple to just eat a bit less.

Millions of people manage to lose and maintain weight without calorie counting and tracking.

For myself, I just find it easier to track everything, there's no second guessing then, plus i enjoy it.

Tracking and counting is not a prerequisite for weight loss, it is just and incredibly handy tool to have in the toolbox.