Do you plan on counting calories your whole life in order to maintain?
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Good question. I think once I get to my goal weight, I will track at maintenance at least a year while I adjust to maintenance calories and/or muscle building goals.
Going rogue scares me a bit, I did that for a month this year and gained weight, don't have that portion and self control.
Hopefully won't have to track for the rest of my life, but for now I don't see quitting anytime soon (still 18lbs to maintenance).0 -
Interesting question.
I've been maintaining for a long time (lost 60 lbs around 12 years ago all the weight I put on during pregnancy) but my weight always tended to creep up 10 pounds above my goal weight. Before MFP, I never counted calories, merely ate less and moved more but I did it in a never-ending binge and restrict cycle that was very destructive for me.
After joining MFP a few years ago, I became more aware and counted calories obsessively only to get burned out after a few months, quit and yes, delete the account I had at that time. I then tried IF with only loosely counting (as a PP said, once the numbers are in your head, it's hard to get them out again) and that was successful but life got in the way and that also halted.
So NOW for maintenance, I plan to combine all the WOEs I've previously tried and am now using a combination of logging in an excel spreadsheet total daily cals (estimated), doing IF plus calorie cycling! I'm pleased to say that it's working well. I'm more relaxed, more happy and most importantly, not hungry! So back to the OP's question, I'm kinda counting calories but doing it in such a way that it's not a burden for me
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amusedmonkey wrote: »Detritus_1965 wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »IMO, it's a teaching tool...kinda like training wheels. Eventually you just learn to ride...
Agreed.
For some it takes longer, some reach this goal faster ... but the goal has to be to get rid of this tool.
I personally don't believe that. The goal of learning the multiplication table and long division is to be able to do certain calculations. The goal is to do these calculations, not to get rid of calculators.
Obviously you got me wrong.
To stay in your picture:
When learning addition you (usually) start by counting your fingers. It is, of course, NOT the goal to get rid of your fingers, but not having to use them for counting anymore.
Eventually you will replace the "teaching tool" fingers (or, to get back to OP, "Calory Counter") by brain capacity.
Get rid of crutches, learn to run.
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Detritus_1965 wrote: »amusedmonkey wrote: »Detritus_1965 wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »IMO, it's a teaching tool...kinda like training wheels. Eventually you just learn to ride...
Agreed.
For some it takes longer, some reach this goal faster ... but the goal has to be to get rid of this tool.
I personally don't believe that. The goal of learning the multiplication table and long division is to be able to do certain calculations. The goal is to do these calculations, not to get rid of calculators.
Obviously you got me wrong.
To stay in your picture:
When learning addition you (usually) start by counting your fingers. It is, of course, NOT the goal to get rid of your fingers, but not having to use them for counting anymore.
Eventually you will replace the "teaching tool" fingers (or, to get back to OP, "Calory Counter") by brain capacity.
Get rid of crutches, learn to run.
I don't think of calorie counting as a crutch, but as a tool that can make life easier. A crutch would be to follow a pre-written meal plan, while useful as a start to get an idea about how food works, the ultimate goal is customization for sustainability. Calorie counting can be treated as training wheels for those whose plan would not be sustainable counting long term and who thrive on other methods for maintenance, but it can also be used as a tool that augments a sustainability plan for those who don't find counting hindering and/or who don't do well without it. I see no extra "life points" in ditching a useful tool that helps the process. Weight maintenance needs to be the focus, not counting-free bragging rights.17 -
Calorie counting got me to goal weight back in 2013 and its being calorie aware that has kept me maintaining that weight ever since. I no longer need to log my food/calories but I still mentally tot up my intake. Personally I think its good to be calorie and portion aware in general, it was eating mindlessly that made me overweight to begin with.
So to answer your questions yes I will always continue to think in terms of counting calories albeit on a loosely counted basis.3 -
I expect to count calories and macros for the rest of my competitive life...am I thrilled? About the rest of my competitive life, yes. About the counting, not. Not at all.
But I really believe I have to pay a price for what I want and this may be part of it. I do relax things a bit in the off season, but it's also true I have basically cancelled the off season now and I'll keep on competing. Oh well.
I dream of being an old and wrinkled woman sipping drinks on a beach of Panama though. I don't think that will happen, I'll probably die training or racing, and my last meal was surely counted.4 -
I can't say for sure that I'll ALWAYS count calories but for now (been maintaining for 2 years) it's the best way for me.
These days I'm not always accurate in what I count/log and there are days where I'll log my breakfast and then not get around to adding anything else but for the most part, keeping an eye on how many calories I'm eating makes maintaining a lot easier.2 -
SummerSkier wrote: »Interesting. It seems almost like some folks think counting calories forever is a bad thing and something to try to wean off of? What harm is there in it? I can see being a little less strict about it but if it works where is the negative? Unless of course you just hate using MFP to log.
Great question, @SummerSkier - for me, MFP has become an obsession, specifically around planning out my day in advance. What was once a relief, knowing I had food scheduled throughout the day now feels like a prison. I feel locked into eating certain foods at certain times regardless of whether or not I am hungry, to meet my calorie/macro goals. I’ve lost my mindfulness about hunger cues. I’ve also lost my spontaneity along the way...
I may journey down this path of mindful eating and realize that it was a big mistake - that these trade-offs listed above are worth every bit of control that MFP provides as a very helpful (and proven) tool for weight management. If I am successful going down this new path, freedom from my obsession around food will be my prize.
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SummerSkier wrote: »Interesting. It seems almost like some folks think counting calories forever is a bad thing and something to try to wean off of? What harm is there in it? I can see being a little less strict about it but if it works where is the negative? Unless of course you just hate using MFP to log.
Great question, @SummerSkier - for me, MFP has become an obsession, specifically around planning out my day in advance. What was once a relief, knowing I had food scheduled throughout the day now feels like a prison. I feel locked into eating certain foods at certain times regardless of whether or not I am hungry, to meet my calorie/macro goals. I’ve lost my mindfulness about hunger cues. I’ve also lost my spontaneity along the way...
I may journey down this path of mindful eating and realize that it was a big mistake - that these trade-offs listed above are worth every bit of control that MFP provides as a very helpful (and proven) tool for weight management. If I am successful going down this new path, freedom from my obsession around food will be my prize.
I couldn't have worded that better myself. Making similar changes myself and cutting the ties to logging and weighing (me and food). I do actually think (hope) I'll eat better and make better choices and enjoy my food more with a more relaxed but mindful approach. Only started today though!
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Yep0
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I am not sure if I will always calorie count, maybe I will, maybe I won't. I don't find that it takes up much of my time so it really doesn't bother me either way. When I get into maintenance I will probably log until I know I have the correct calorie level then take a break from logging, continue to weigh in once per week and see how I get on. If weight starts creeping back on outside of my weight range then I can always pick it back up again.3
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Probably not, but every time I stop logging what I eat (at least eyeballing), I gain weight.0
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I most likely will. It's become such a habit now that I don't think twice about it. I also like the certainty of it. I don't have to wait until i've gained five pounds to realize i've been over eating, if i track there's never any doubt.
It's just become something else i monitor - how much money is in the bank, how much toilet paper is in the linen closet, how many calories are in my body10 -
I always will be tracking, for a few reasons.
1. I have an engineer mindset, so I like the precision of tracking vs eyeball. But there's a cost benefit to it. I'll eyeball eating out, but measure for eating in.
2. I'll never be at maintenance where my calories and exercise are consistent long term. I do triathlon and half marathon running and so my in season burn varies dramatically from off season and even day to day will vary (10 mile run vs a light swim or rest day).
3. In maintenance, without tracking calories, even with weighing yourself every day, it's going to take longer to spot a trend due to stuff like water weight variation. With calorie counting, I can anticipate trending up or down a lot sooner.7 -
I think I'm committed for life. And realistically, nobody bats an eye at it if you keep a checkbook register. Why is it such a strange notion for anyone to count the calories that go into their own body? Gaining a pound may not be as immediately obvious as an overdrawn account but which one contributes to mortality?5
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No. I planned on counting calories for life but l learned enough during my year of weightloss to be mindful of my calories in relation to my activity. I love knowing that the XXL grilled stuffed burrito I order from Taco Bell has 840 calories. That's breakfast and lunch if I'm not up for a long walk. If my clothes start getting snug, I do step on the scale, make dietary adjustments, and get my body moving. I tapered off logging and no longer use a Fitbit even though I like to occasionally log a day's worth of food just to see how many calories I'm actually consuming.1
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Yes. Estimating doesn't work. Been there, done that.3
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Ok - I understand the feeling of being locked in and being too obsessive with the logging. I get that sometimes also. But then I remember all the years I did not log or weigh and tried to be "normal" and always gained weight again. sigh. But the logging and weighing is a small price to pay if I can maintain. Maybe the answer is NOT to try to log the day in advance always but maybe log most of it, and then make up your mind about the evening when you get there. I have started doing that sometimes instead of pre logging and it is a lot more freedom feeling. I think that not logging would work best for folks who have lost weight once and made the 'lifestyle change' while losing and maintaining,1
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SummerSkier wrote: »Interesting. It seems almost like some folks think counting calories forever is a bad thing and something to try to wean off of? What harm is there in it? I can see being a little less strict about it but if it works where is the negative? Unless of course you just hate using MFP to log.
Bad thing? Not really...probably unrealistic for the vast majority of people. I lost my weight when I was 38 and stopped counting when I went to maintenance. Along the way I developed a lot of healthy habits...better eating habits...more active, etc that I took into maintenance and five years later I'm still trucking along.
Calorie counting wasn't the "lifestyle change" I was going for...it was a tool to teach me how to go about changing my lifestyle. Adopting a healthier lifestyle by making better food decisions and getting in regular activity and exercise is where I made my "lifestyle change" (I hate that term). Calorie counting became an overly obsessive endeavor and I felt like I was losing myself in the process.
Genetics say that I could easily live into my 80s and even 90s, particularly as I've gotten my *kitten* together...the notion of counting calories for the next 40-50 years didn't seem remotely plausible to me and I seriously doubt it is for the vast majority of people...even the one's claiming they will do it forever. I'm sure there are some, but I'd wager that they would be tremendously few and far between...
I've had zero issue maintaining my weight...I monitor it regularly and if I see it creep up, it's easy enough to address it in real time and not let it get out of hand. I'm also pretty aware of the calories in most things from spending 9 months counting...I can be mindful of that without putting it into a diary.7 -
SummerSkier wrote: »Interesting. It seems almost like some folks think counting calories forever is a bad thing and something to try to wean off of? What harm is there in it? I can see being a little less strict about it but if it works where is the negative? Unless of course you just hate using MFP to log.
Great question, @SummerSkier - for me, MFP has become an obsession, specifically around planning out my day in advance. What was once a relief, knowing I had food scheduled throughout the day now feels like a prison. I feel locked into eating certain foods at certain times regardless of whether or not I am hungry, to meet my calorie/macro goals. I’ve lost my mindfulness about hunger cues. I’ve also lost my spontaneity along the way...
I may journey down this path of mindful eating and realize that it was a big mistake - that these trade-offs listed above are worth every bit of control that MFP provides as a very helpful (and proven) tool for weight management. If I am successful going down this new path, freedom from my obsession around food will be my prize.
Pretty much where I was once upon a time...1
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