Anybody else get tired of counting calories?
Replies
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Logging to ensure deficit and exercise consisting of 30+ miles a week with a gym workout every other day helped me lose 50 pounds. The exercise was okay but the logging was a pain, time consuming and made me appear rude. I would sit down to eat and log food but others would think I was addicted to facebook. I was always hungry. I stopped and put 30 pounds back on. I was ready to go back to what I could best call a pain in the you know what and stumbled on the documentary "the magic pill" and it started me down a path of a different way of eating. I switched to LCHF which really translated to cutting out bread, pasta, root vegetables and my true love beer. I don't count calories, I don't limit my food, I eat at meal time when I am hungry and stop when I am full. I feel no need to snack. It has been incredibly easy and I have lost twenty five pounds. My blood work came back as fantastic so this feels like something I will continue from now on.
This is where the quote mongers will bold highlight passages and insist I am limiting, I am in deficit, you can do the same with any diet (insert boring chart of why all diets work here). Bottom line is that it does work for me and counting calories was not sustainable for me. Whatever works for you rock on. If you are still searching you have nothing to lose by trying LCHF.
Not quite sure what your point is - except the plug for LCHF - which may well work for you but doesn't suit everyone.
Yes you are just losing because you are in calorie deficit - sorry if you find that fact boring.
I think everybody has agreed that some people can lose weight without calorie counting - but obviously they still need to create a deficit by whatever method.
Nothing magic about LCHF.26 -
I mean, sure. It sucks that I'll have to do this the rest of my life but you know what sucks more? Being obese/out of shape/out of breath all the time/not actually living life.23
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It’s so routine at this point it doesn’t bother me most days. Some days, when I’m feeling rather blah-ish, I don’t care for it.2
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Doesn't bother me. It takes a few minutes of my day. That being said, I do take logging breaks for various reasons but always go back to it.4
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Check out Slimming World. They don't believe in calorie counting, and their method really does work. You DO have to count syns, read that as bad foods like cookies and candy. lol But they have a huge list of "free" foods that you simply eat, then other foods that are "Healthy extras", again no counting... and they your high calorie foods, or syns. It's actually refreshing to not have to log every thing that passes your lips... and while I did lose weight following their guidelines, I found that once I reach goal and relaxed (read that as stopped counting syns) I regained some of that lost weight. Now I'm counting calories... not because it works better, but because it keeps me honest. ;-)12
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paperpudding wrote: »Logging to ensure deficit and exercise consisting of 30+ miles a week with a gym workout every other day helped me lose 50 pounds. The exercise was okay but the logging was a pain, time consuming and made me appear rude. I would sit down to eat and log food but others would think I was addicted to facebook. I was always hungry. I stopped and put 30 pounds back on. I was ready to go back to what I could best call a pain in the you know what and stumbled on the documentary "the magic pill" and it started me down a path of a different way of eating. I switched to LCHF which really translated to cutting out bread, pasta, root vegetables and my true love beer. I don't count calories, I don't limit my food, I eat at meal time when I am hungry and stop when I am full. I feel no need to snack. It has been incredibly easy and I have lost twenty five pounds. My blood work came back as fantastic so this feels like something I will continue from now on.
This is where the quote mongers will bold highlight passages and insist I am limiting, I am in deficit, you can do the same with any diet (insert boring chart of why all diets work here). Bottom line is that it does work for me and counting calories was not sustainable for me. Whatever works for you rock on. If you are still searching you have nothing to lose by trying LCHF.
Not quite sure what your point is - except the plug for LCHF - which may well work for you but doesn't suit everyone.
Yes you are just losing because you are in calorie deficit - sorry if you find that fact boring.
I think everybody has agreed that some people can lose weight without calorie counting - but obviously they still need to create a deficit by whatever method.
Nothing magic about LCHF.
So predictable. The point is counting sucks and I don't need to do it. And yes it was a plug for LCHF and yes it isn't for everybody but I don't recall saying it is. Nothing magic about counting calories either.30 -
Counting calories and logging food in a diary is a tool. People do lose weight without logging. If you don't want to keep track of calories you can try other things. You will still only lose when you have a calorie deficit whether you track your calories or not.
I find it much easier to lose consistantly with logging. The more I logged the faster and easier it got.
After several years of logging daily, I can be more lax about logging every day and still do okay. I still log most of the time because I like to make sure I get enough protein and fiber as well as watch calories. If I eat a new food I like to log it.3 -
It's so routine for me at this point that in the morning when I am planning my day, I am also planning my meals in my diary. I pre-enter pretty much everything I'm going to eat in the morning. It's just easier for me to have a plan than to go through the day without one.
When I weigh my food, I'll adjust what I pre-entered slightly but since I know I logged 150g of carrots, I'll only weigh out 150g of carrots. Doesn't take much time.6 -
Logging to ensure deficit and exercise consisting of 30+ miles a week with a gym workout every other day helped me lose 50 pounds. The exercise was okay but the logging was a pain, time consuming and made me appear rude. I would sit down to eat and log food but others would think I was addicted to facebook. I was always hungry. I stopped and put 30 pounds back on. I was ready to go back to what I could best call a pain in the you know what and stumbled on the documentary "the magic pill" and it started me down a path of a different way of eating. I switched to LCHF which really translated to cutting out bread, pasta, root vegetables and my true love beer. I don't count calories, I don't limit my food, I eat at meal time when I am hungry and stop when I am full. I feel no need to snack. It has been incredibly easy and I have lost twenty five pounds. My blood work came back as fantastic so this feels like something I will continue from now on.
This is where the quote mongers will bold highlight passages and insist I am limiting, I am in deficit, you can do the same with any diet (insert boring chart of why all diets work here). Bottom line is that it does work for me and counting calories was not sustainable for me. Whatever works for you rock on. If you are still searching you have nothing to lose by trying LCHF.
To each their own I suppose. If this diet works for you, that's great. But personally I find logging a lot less cumbersome than cutting entire categories of food out of my diet.27 -
There are days I get tired of showering, of brushing my teeth, of going to work, of getting out of bed, of putting gas in my car. I get tired of a lot of things, but I gotta do them to meet my life goals.30
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Cooking, instead of being therapeutic and relaxing is now less enjoyable as well, and takes so much more time. Because I have to make sure to weigh every single ingredient before adding it, log everything, then divide into equal portions, all while making sure that the calories and macros per serving fit your goal.
I really don't understand how people here take "only a fe minutes to log". Most of my meals are made from scratch and contain many ingredients. So I have to weigh every one of them every time I cook and log it while I'm cooking or preparing my meal to eat later. Which takes quite a lot of time in my opinion. If I include the time I spend on grocery planning to fit my goals, meal planning, weighing separately the ingredients for my every meal (3-5times a day), or looking for the closest estimates when I don't know the exact calories, logging it, making sure it fits my goal etc. it takes much more time than "a few minutes" and much more energy and headspace than I want to spend on t.
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I eat most of my food prepared from home. I like to cook.
I prelog my food in the morning for the whole day. It takes just a few minutes most days.
I have entered and saved many recipes. It takes a bit of time to enter a recipe the first time. When I cook from scratch I follow the same recipe I previously entered and log it by just clicking on it in my recipe list. I am not logging each ingredient individually every time. I don't stress if I am not exact about very low calorie ingredients like many herbs and spices or something like spinach. I do try to be more exact with more calorie dense things like oils, amount of meat, cheese, rice or pasta.
I have saved some things like tacos as a meal instead of a recipe and just have to go to that tab and log it. I then just eat the amounts that match what I logged.
Perhaps you are not using these features that make logging home prepared foods faster for many of us.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10631224/recipe-builder
https://www.workingagainstgravity.com/myfitnesspal-tutorial-logging-meals
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1234699/logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide/p111 -
Oat_bran you read my mind! That is exactly what Im talking about! It kinda becomes an unpleasant obsession...not the same as brushing one's teeth in my opinion!5
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I have to log mine to stay accountable. It really helps!3
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Logging food was not a good fit for me. While it was a great tool to become more calorie aware, over time I found myself avoiding certain foods that were difficult to log, and did not feel like it worked well for me long term. Many people find that logging is a part of their daily lives, others will use other ways to manage their intake. For me I transitioned to only weighing and measuring my main protein sources, having a list of foods with the calorie count as options to eat, and over time it became second nature. Again, this is my experience, eating this way will not work for everyone.8
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cartersmom06 wrote: »Oat_bran you read my mind! That is exactly what Im talking about! It kinda becomes an unpleasant obsession...not the same as brushing one's teeth in my opinion!
so you find what works... doing that is what will make weight loss and then maintenance sustainable.13 -
but the logging was a pain, time consuming and made me appear rude. I would sit down to eat and log food but others would think I was addicted to facebook. I was always hungry.
I hope newbies reading this don't think it is normal.
I enjoyed logging, and have maintained without logging, but go back to logging off and on (often when my motivation starts to slide). There are different ways to log -- indeed, for me merely writing down what I eat can be enough as it keeps me mindful and (again) motivated. I'd recommend the thread on consistency vs. accuracy -- hope someone links it.
But assuming one is committed to trying the logging method, there is absolutely no reason to be sitting at a table with your phone. I'll log when cooking or, if I happen to buy lunch, before or after eating, depending on what is most convenient (calorie information in a restaurant is going to be online too, even if your memory isn't good enough to retain it). When doing a restaurant without calories (normally when I go to dinner, about once a week), I'd remember what I ate and estimate it afterwards, with extra calories beyond what I could see (usually extra butter). I can't think of one case when I've ever pulled out my phone and made others wait -- and in fact I've always logged on my computer.
As for being hungry, that has zilch to do with logging, it's about food choices. Hopefully adults are able to come up with ways to eat that are filling and satisfying and calorie appropriate and don't leave them hungry. If for you that required keto (I suspect most people who say that weren't really trying to eat in a filling manner pre keto, but I know some do fine large amounts of fat quite filling), that's cool, but I don't think that's the case for most, and of course there's no reason you couldn't have cut carbs while logging to experiment with what's more filling if struggling.
Back to the OP, what is it that's seeming like a pain? Often it's getting used to the process and figuring out how to find the good entries, but sometimes it's stressing about the impossibility of being perfect or just learning how to deal with recipes or many other things. I don't think logging is necessarily necessary, but I do think it's a helpful and educational process for many, at least temporarily.15 -
LivingtheLeanDream wrote: »How long have you been logging?
I never minded logging my food, certainly not for the first few years anyway (it got me to goal weight and it helped me keep it off imo) - I now no longer need to log as I can maintain my loss without physically logging however mentally I still am very aware of my approx calorie daily intake.
Ive been logging on and off for years never losing much weight because I grow tiresome of the process. I dont have alot to lose, 20 pounds would be nice. I keep coming back to this app though because its the only way of eating that lets me eat what I want without restricting certain foods. I always lose momentum though during the process because I dont see any results of weight loss. I can never seem to lose that pound a week I have my calories set for and always feel hungry in the evening after I have used up my calories for the day. I get frustrated when I step on the scale and there is no loss, sometimes even a gain. FYI Im a 53 yo woman, 5'7" 178 pounds. Im also in perimenopause. Cycles are all over the map! Maybe somebody here has some advice that has been where I am. I trust the process, just growing tired of not seeing results thats all!4 -
cartersmom06 wrote: »LivingtheLeanDream wrote: »How long have you been logging?
I never minded logging my food, certainly not for the first few years anyway (it got me to goal weight and it helped me keep it off imo) - I now no longer need to log as I can maintain my loss without physically logging however mentally I still am very aware of my approx calorie daily intake.
Ive been logging on and off for years never losing much weight because I grow tiresome of the process. I dont have alot to lose, 20 pounds would be nice. I keep coming back to this app though because its the only way of eating that lets me eat what I want without restricting certain foods. I always lose momentum though during the process because I dont see any results of weight loss. I can never seem to lose that pound a week I have my calories set for and always feel hungry in the evening after I have used up my calories for the day. I get frustrated when I step on the scale and there is no loss, sometimes even a gain. FYI Im a 53 yo woman, 5'7" 178 pounds. Im also in perimenopause. Cycles are all over the map! Maybe somebody here has some advice that has been where I am. I trust the process, just growing tired of not seeing results thats all!
have you played around with macros much?2 -
cartersmom06 wrote: »LivingtheLeanDream wrote: »How long have you been logging?
I never minded logging my food, certainly not for the first few years anyway (it got me to goal weight and it helped me keep it off imo) - I now no longer need to log as I can maintain my loss without physically logging however mentally I still am very aware of my approx calorie daily intake.
Ive been logging on and off for years never losing much weight because I grow tiresome of the process. I dont have alot to lose, 20 pounds would be nice. I keep coming back to this app though because its the only way of eating that lets me eat what I want without restricting certain foods. I always lose momentum though during the process because I dont see any results of weight loss. I can never seem to lose that pound a week I have my calories set for and always feel hungry in the evening after I have used up my calories for the day. I get frustrated when I step on the scale and there is no loss, sometimes even a gain. FYI Im a 53 yo woman, 5'7" 178 pounds. Im also in perimenopause. Cycles are all over the map! Maybe somebody here has some advice that has been where I am. I trust the process, just growing tired of not seeing results thats all!
Change your settings on this app to aim for 0.5lb a week, slower loss but more calories to work with will mean you wont feel as hungry. It takes patience, so if your momentum slips after a few weeks, aim for at least 6 weeks. Track your weight on a trending app, that will give you the overall trend and you'll see progress. Its slow this process, throw things like peri menopause/hormones into the equation don't help but its still doable. There is a peri-menopause group on here, I'll try and get the link for you and that group could maybe shed some light. I'm sort of peri menopausal myself currently, I get stupid weight spikes for 10 days in my cycle that weren't previously happening and that's even with me being at my goal weight range.
Stick with it, be consistent and I know you will get the loss you are after.
All the best.
Ruth
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/506-near-or-post-menopausal-group5 -
Today is my 1405th consecutive day on MFP. The first thousand or so were weight loss, and the last 400 or so have been maintenance at my goal weight. Logging is just a normal part of my routine now. At first, I sometimes got tired of logging, but I was more tired of being obese.19
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cartersmom06 wrote: »LivingtheLeanDream wrote: »How long have you been logging?
I never minded logging my food, certainly not for the first few years anyway (it got me to goal weight and it helped me keep it off imo) - I now no longer need to log as I can maintain my loss without physically logging however mentally I still am very aware of my approx calorie daily intake.
Ive been logging on and off for years never losing much weight because I grow tiresome of the process. I dont have alot to lose, 20 pounds would be nice. I keep coming back to this app though because its the only way of eating that lets me eat what I want without restricting certain foods. I always lose momentum though during the process because I dont see any results of weight loss. I can never seem to lose that pound a week I have my calories set for and always feel hungry in the evening after I have used up my calories for the day. I get frustrated when I step on the scale and there is no loss, sometimes even a gain. FYI Im a 53 yo woman, 5'7" 178 pounds. Im also in perimenopause. Cycles are all over the map! Maybe somebody here has some advice that has been where I am. I trust the process, just growing tired of not seeing results thats all!
I get that. If you are close enough to goal that weight loss is likely to be slow and struggle without those concrete results, I think it can be really helpful to make the primary goals things be things other than weight on the scale. Part of that could be super accurate logging, but also other health goals that appeal to you: examples, "I will eat 10 servings of veg per day" or "I will complete this exercise/fitness goal and comply with my training plan when doing it." For me, when I was frustrated it was helpful to reframe my goal as being to get into the absolute best shape I could, independent of weight -- so I decided to train for a triathlon and the eating was part of my way of getting there. I did lose, but wasn't so worried about fluctuations, as I could see I was in better shape each week or two.
I would also try to think in longer term for weight loss. As we get older (I'm 48), it seems like time passes faster and faster, so I like to think about monthly or even 3 or 6 month goals more than weekly ones. Sure, I also weigh weekly (actually most days), but I learn fluctuations and don't worry about it. If I am complying with my plan and it seems to be working in the long term -- and you have to get that a chance! -- then the daily changes aren't important.
If you are hungry, you may want to change up your meal timing or food choices, however, although for me it also can be mental in that I'm hungry when I'm used to eating or trying to distract myself from something else or what not. Something engrossing in the evening to distract you from eating until you are used to it might be useful, or snacking on low cal foods so you can snack, if that's the deal (cucumbers, celery, pickles, whatever). Or, shift your calories or save some for an evening snack -- nothing wrong with that!2 -
TavistockToad wrote: »cartersmom06 wrote: »LivingtheLeanDream wrote: »How long have you been logging?
I never minded logging my food, certainly not for the first few years anyway (it got me to goal weight and it helped me keep it off imo) - I now no longer need to log as I can maintain my loss without physically logging however mentally I still am very aware of my approx calorie daily intake.
Ive been logging on and off for years never losing much weight because I grow tiresome of the process. I dont have alot to lose, 20 pounds would be nice. I keep coming back to this app though because its the only way of eating that lets me eat what I want without restricting certain foods. I always lose momentum though during the process because I dont see any results of weight loss. I can never seem to lose that pound a week I have my calories set for and always feel hungry in the evening after I have used up my calories for the day. I get frustrated when I step on the scale and there is no loss, sometimes even a gain. FYI Im a 53 yo woman, 5'7" 178 pounds. Im also in perimenopause. Cycles are all over the map! Maybe somebody here has some advice that has been where I am. I trust the process, just growing tired of not seeing results thats all!
have you played around with macros much?
I have no idea how to do the macro thing! I have done low carb and was a miserable mess!!1 -
cartersmom06 wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »cartersmom06 wrote: »LivingtheLeanDream wrote: »How long have you been logging?
I never minded logging my food, certainly not for the first few years anyway (it got me to goal weight and it helped me keep it off imo) - I now no longer need to log as I can maintain my loss without physically logging however mentally I still am very aware of my approx calorie daily intake.
Ive been logging on and off for years never losing much weight because I grow tiresome of the process. I dont have alot to lose, 20 pounds would be nice. I keep coming back to this app though because its the only way of eating that lets me eat what I want without restricting certain foods. I always lose momentum though during the process because I dont see any results of weight loss. I can never seem to lose that pound a week I have my calories set for and always feel hungry in the evening after I have used up my calories for the day. I get frustrated when I step on the scale and there is no loss, sometimes even a gain. FYI Im a 53 yo woman, 5'7" 178 pounds. Im also in perimenopause. Cycles are all over the map! Maybe somebody here has some advice that has been where I am. I trust the process, just growing tired of not seeing results thats all!
have you played around with macros much?
I have no idea how to do the macro thing! I have done low carb and was a miserable mess!!
you try a bit less this, and a bit more that...
for me, while i am not low carb, getting adequate protein and a good amount of fat is what keeps me full, so i am usually around 40% carbs, 35% fat and 25% protein. if i have too many carbs, and therefor not enough fat and protein i am hungry regardless of how many calories i eat.3 -
yep especially when it comes to the kids coming out of school with something and offering me some and i have to say no as there is no way to log say 1 bite of a gingerbread man/ cupcake or whatever or when they have sweets and they offer to share i say no cause i cant log one cola bottle etc
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I have recently been put on a low-sugar, high fiber, low saturated fat plan by my doctor. Basically, lots of fruits, veggies,whole grains, and olive oil, some low fat proteins and low fat dairy, and as little processed foods (white baked goods, white breads, sweets, etc) as possible. (also, sadly, no wine or alcohol). I am trying to lower triglycedrides and cholesterol. I am still logging to check macros and keep myself accountable, but I really am not paying attention to calories.
What I find is that if I eat the "good healthy" foods, I don't have to worry about my calorie goal for maintenance because I become full and satisfied before I run out of calories for the day.
I think, though, to lose I will have to lower calories, or servings of something.
For reference, I come from a long history of calorie counting and believing that no foods are off limits as long as you stay within your calorie goal. While that is technically true, I finally became quite hungry pretty much all the time doing it that way. And obviously my health (blood lipids) suffered, because even though I am close to normal weight, my cholesterol and triglycerides are higher than they have ever been in my life.
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I mean, sure. It sucks that I'll have to do this the rest of my life but you know what sucks more? Being obese/out of shape/out of breath all the time/not actually living life.
I actually had better quality of life at 320# than I do at 141#. At least people didn't tell me I have an ED because I log food.19 -
I'm one of the people for whom logging just became a habit.
I think you need to find a level of accuracy and consistency that keeps you on track but doesn't cause you stress, and I suppose for some people that balance is more difficult to find than for others.
I use a food scale at home. I pre-log most of my meals. No one outside of those I live with has ever seen me log food or use a food scale. It is totally possible to be 100% consistent and still fairly accurate and never whip out your phone at the dinner table, bring a scale to a restaurant, or turn down bites of food. Sometimes I wait until I get home and probably forget something. Sometimes I have to guess at things. Sometimes I get a little lax and see my weight start to creep up, so I hunker down and get serious for a week or two until I'm back on track.13 -
Nope - been doing this for 4 years now. Takes 5-10 mins/day and keeps me maintaining possibly the most critically important health indicator.
I'd rather do that than not track and fail.
You're looking for something easier than 10 mins/day?8 -
paperpudding wrote: »Logging to ensure deficit and exercise consisting of 30+ miles a week with a gym workout every other day helped me lose 50 pounds. The exercise was okay but the logging was a pain, time consuming and made me appear rude. I would sit down to eat and log food but others would think I was addicted to facebook. I was always hungry. I stopped and put 30 pounds back on. I was ready to go back to what I could best call a pain in the you know what and stumbled on the documentary "the magic pill" and it started me down a path of a different way of eating. I switched to LCHF which really translated to cutting out bread, pasta, root vegetables and my true love beer. I don't count calories, I don't limit my food, I eat at meal time when I am hungry and stop when I am full. I feel no need to snack. It has been incredibly easy and I have lost twenty five pounds. My blood work came back as fantastic so this feels like something I will continue from now on.
This is where the quote mongers will bold highlight passages and insist I am limiting, I am in deficit, you can do the same with any diet (insert boring chart of why all diets work here). Bottom line is that it does work for me and counting calories was not sustainable for me. Whatever works for you rock on. If you are still searching you have nothing to lose by trying LCHF.
Not quite sure what your point is - except the plug for LCHF - which may well work for you but doesn't suit everyone.
Yes you are just losing because you are in calorie deficit - sorry if you find that fact boring.
I think everybody has agreed that some people can lose weight without calorie counting - but obviously they still need to create a deficit by whatever method.
Nothing magic about LCHF.
So predictable. The point is counting sucks and I don't need to do it. And yes it was a plug for LCHF and yes it isn't for everybody but I don't recall saying it is. Nothing magic about counting calories either.
You're right. Counting calories ensures CICO, which is science, not magic.
To the OP: While I was losing the weight I needed, I found that calorie counting was the only way for me to ensure compliance. Like others have said, once you get into the habit of it, it's no more burdensome than brushing your teeth.
Once I hit maintenance, I slowed down on the logging. Gained about 20 lbs back of the 75 I lost, so, went back to logging and it slowly came off again. Now I still weigh and log everything I eat unless I'm at a friend's place. In those cases, I'll make my best guess when I get home and log it afterwards.
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yes I hate it. I haven't logged my food since July or so. I'm not trying to lose weight though. All the people saying it only takes 5 minutes of their day and it's so easy, I don't understand that. Everytime I cook something new I have to write down each ingredient and weigh it, and enter everything in a recipe builder, and remember to weigh the stupid pot before I make the thing so I can subtract that off the final weight etc. When I make dinner I have to carefully weigh each side dish I put on my plate one at a time instead of just plopping stuff on my plate like everybody else does. Logging food is so easy but only until dinner time. Sometimes I want to get back into counting my calories and lose another 5-10 lbs and lose this belly fat hopefully but ugh, counting calories is such a drag for me.1
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