Who lost weight without counting cals??

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sanda4930
sanda4930 Posts: 4 Member
edited March 2019 in Health and Weight Loss
Ugh been counting cals for a while and now I find it stressful. It’s mentally draining for me. For example if I mess up one day, I would freak up and try to fix it next day by starving. I just dnt want to count cals anymore. I only want to lose 7kg. So not a lot of weight.
I heard IF is good cause it puts u in a defecit but I’ve never tried this. I’m a female so I’m kinda scared to start IF cause people say IF mess up ur hormones.
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Replies

  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
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    What if you mess up with whatever non-calorie counting approach you choose and overcompensate? Looking for an alternative method is not the solution when the source of the problem is elsewhere. Why not work on not freaking out? Easier said than done, but very rewarding once you learn to take it easy.
  • pierinifitness
    pierinifitness Posts: 2,231 Member
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    I lost a lot of weight over 25 years ago without counting calories and kept it off for over 20 years without counting. But, a couple years ago, I dropped my guard and gained weight not counting calories.

    I think the reason I was able to do it was because I was training “beastly” and had huge calories requirements.

    Now, after reclaiming my fit glory and 35 lbs. lighter, I count calories and I did in my recent 6 months journey dropping the lard. I’m committed to counting heretofore forward.

    Wishing you the best.
  • jdhcm2006
    jdhcm2006 Posts: 2,254 Member
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    Give yourself some room to breathe. Give yourself permission to mess up. Don’t wallow in that mess up, figure out why it happened and make a plan to help mitigate it so it doesn’t have to happen again.

    I’ve succeeded at calorie counting. Once I stopped, the weight came back, not all of it bc I continued to exercise, but enough bc here I am again. And that’s okay. I know where I went wrong and I’m fixing the issue.

    Now I know I prefer to eat lighter during the day, bc that means I can eat heavier at night when I get cravings, that helps me stay in my calorie allowance.

    Also if it helps, think about it as a weekly thing and not a daily thing. If you hit the nutrition tab, you can change it to show the weekly totals. That’s also helped me.
  • missysippy930
    missysippy930 Posts: 2,577 Member
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    The ONLY way you lose weight is by eating less calories than your body burns. No matter which weight loss diet you choose, someone figured out the calories and determined what, and how much, food/drink, you consume for that diet. It’s really not rocket science. Pretty simple math. If you’re stressing out counting calories, perhaps you should find a weight loss diet that is more structured, telling you what, how much, and sometimes even when, you may eat.
    Also, some of us choose calorie counting because we can eat all foods in moderation, focusing on correct portions. Choosing foods ourselves. Not much of a transition once we reach maintenance.
    It’s really not easy any way you decide, but finding what works best for each of us, may make it more manageable.
  • jakea1963
    jakea1963 Posts: 23 Member
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    Last year I lost 20 lbs in three months starting at a weight of 228 not counting a single calorie. Mind you I have a very good idea of the amt of calories I was eating. I counted carbs plain and simple. It worked for me. Didn’t starve myself a bit. I am sure I was at a deficit but just that I did not feel it. The scale kept going down so I didn’t care how many I was eating.
  • Maxxitt
    Maxxitt Posts: 1,281 Member
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    You could try IF and let go of counting calories and see how you do. However, if you are not eating at a deficit, you won't lose fat, and once at goal weight, you won't maintain if you eat at a surplus. How will you know what that amount is?

    I think that letting go of all-or-nothing thinking is probably a better strategy long term.
  • kds10
    kds10 Posts: 452 Member
    edited March 2019
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    I started IF end of March last year and to mid August I lost 25 lbs...I did not count calories but tried to eat healthy. I still ate fast food etc but in moderation.
  • Remoth
    Remoth Posts: 117 Member
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    It is definitely possible to change your way of eating and lose weight without counting calories, however I would definitely recommend it to people to count even for short periods every so often. Like for a week every month or two, just to keep portion sizes under control. determining proper portion sizes is key to not having to count calories all the time.

    I'm currently 30 lbs down, am fully counting calories but I know it would have happened if all I did was cut out snacking between meals. That was my major issue leading me to the weight I am (457lbs 41 days ago, 428 today). Would just cutting out snacks get me to the ultimate goal I want to reach of under 250 lbs? Possibly, but I'm sure keeping track of what I eat in my meals as well will have a much higher chance of success than not, especially near the end.

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