Are you going to track FOREVER?@!
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rainbow198 wrote: »I'm willing to do whatever it takes to keep the 80+ pounds I lost off.
For me that includes being aware of what and how much I'm eating, so I'm fine with continuing to keep doing what is working for me.
Tracking my meals only takes a few minutes a day, it allows me to fit whatever I want to eat in, it keeps me focused and on track and I've been very successful with it.
THIS^^ I thought it was a pain at the beginning but now it is like brushing my teeth. A very minor inconvenience to stay on track every day.8 -
cuteangelkitten wrote: »I don't track calories or my weight at all anymore and I feel so good to get rid of those awful shackles!
So, I am curious; why are you here? This is a tool to track calories, food, exercise, and weight. You've joined in August. What are you seeking if you don't track calories or weight? Please forgive me if I'm dense. Just trying to understand why someone with no interest in tracking participates on a site devoted to it.
The "F" in MFP is for Fitness, not for Fat or Food. Many people join this site not to keep track of their diet or daily calories for ever, but just to find a guidance and balance. MFP is a learning tool, not a devotion tool.
Some people that had eating disorder in the past, find that the daily tracking is counterproductive to their progress. It is not up to us to question people about their reasons to join this site, just because they don't use it as we/you do.
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cuteangelkitten wrote: »I don't track calories or my weight at all anymore and I feel so good to get rid of those awful shackles!
So, I am curious; why are you here? This is a tool to track calories, food, exercise, and weight. You've joined in August. What are you seeking if you don't track calories or weight? Please forgive me if I'm dense. Just trying to understand why someone with no interest in tracking participates on a site devoted to it.
The "F" in MFP is for Fitness, not for Fat or Food. Many people join this site not to keep track of their diet or daily calories for ever, but just to find a guidance and balance. MFP is a learning tool, not a devotion tool.
Some people that had eating disorder in the past, find that the daily tracking is counterproductive to their progress. It is not up to us to question people about their reasons to join this site, just because they don't use it as we/you do.
Thank you for that perspective. It does make sense. There is more here than calorie tracking, although I really think that's the primary objective.
I was hoping to hear from @cuteangelkitten what her objectives are for being here. I also am wondering why she advises AGAINST tracking calories, which is, in fact, questioning people's reasons for being here. In several discussions, she actively advises against it. It's a powerful tool for many people, so why advise against it?
I hope some day I'll be able to no longer actively log my food or activity and avoid going back to the lifestyle that got me where I was, but I really don't think it's too likely. I am awed by people who can do that. Maybe I'll be one. I have a friend who runs REALLY long distance races (hundred miles). He told me the ONLY thing he worries about as far as calories is getting enough to fuel himself.7 -
I am going to have to track even when I get to maintenance. When I got to my lowest weight, I thought I'd be fine so I stopped tracking. And gained 20lbs in under a year. So, back to tracking it is.5
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67 inches height since sprouting up to at 12-13 years old. From active kid who never had a weight problem to sedentary post grad student who ballooned due to uncapped student labor hours/stress/vending machines to fit enough to comfortably pass APFTs in the military to now - the BMI chart has always been 100% accurate.
When I was 200+ lbs, I was indeed clinically cat I obese. At the current low 160s, I am indeed still overweight. Once, when I dropped to 118 lbs. in undergrad because I never made dorm chow hours and had $12/week for shelf stable and microwaveable only groceries and smoked one of those $1.60-something packs of Marlboros a day to curb the hunger, I was indeed underweight. 135-145 lbs. is indeed my optimal weight since turning 30, up from the 120-123 lbs. when I was a teenager and hadn't matured secondary sex characteristic fat deposition-wise yet (aka, fully developed my "womanly curves").
And, yes, I am going to track forever if necessary if it means I stay at a healthy mid-range BMI after I reach it. I am done being overweight or obese. There's a lot of internal as well as external baggage attached to it I've carried along with it for the past 13 years I am so effing over at this age stage in life. So, Done. So, whatever it takes.
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cuteangelkitten wrote: »I don't track calories or my weight at all anymore and I feel so good to get rid of those awful shackles!
So, I am curious; why are you here? This is a tool to track calories, food, exercise, and weight. You've joined in August. What are you seeking if you don't track calories or weight? Please forgive me if I'm dense. Just trying to understand why someone with no interest in tracking participates on a site devoted to it.
The "F" in MFP is for Fitness, not for Fat or Food. Many people join this site not to keep track of their diet or daily calories for ever, but just to find a guidance and balance. MFP is a learning tool, not a devotion tool.
Some people that had eating disorder in the past, find that the daily tracking is counterproductive to their progress. It is not up to us to question people about their reasons to join this site, just because they don't use it as we/you do.
Correct; this community forum covers a broad range of topic subfolders besides weight loss. But weight loss specifically is roughly a little more than half of the community by the numbers and the modality of weight loss overwhelmingly, specifically, advocated on here is by adopting and following CICO. That is the draw. The Success Stories aren't full of OPs about personal bests at the gym/rack/track, they are about success when it comes to weight loss. For most, for the best success, this means tracking calories consumed in some fashion for a minimum of until their weight goals are achieved. Methods that do not, while absolutely present/voiced on the regular, are minority and not feature here.
Given the above, it means those who are not doing either/or (weight loss, tracking) are of course welcome in the weight loss subfolders, just like I am free to read and participate in the fitness or recipe or chit chat or debate folders. But then those who are not toeing the party weight loss via CICO line should refrain from inserting their counter-opinion into weight loss subfolder discussions when the discussion is clearly about weight loss, especially if the message is to discourage using calorie tracking for weight loss purposes. That should not only be common sense, but common courtesy.
It is also true this site supports those recovering from an ED(s), but it does not coddle them either. It is the recovering individuals responsibility to seek appropriate offline care if they find tracking to be a potential relapse "trigger" as far as their specific ED circumstances. Not foist their inability to use the tool of calorie tracking for weight loss in a healthy manner upon others as some other, superior, method.
I know if some poster, regardless of their personal situation/story, had told me when I first joined that I didn't/shouldn't track I would (A) be offended at the audacity of presuming to know *my* situation/story and, (B), likely be off-put enough to have decided this wasn't the website for me after all despite being directed here by Google when looking specifically for a CICO based weight loss community.
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In answer to the question of the posts title... yes, I will be tracking forever. If I don't, over time I begin to slip, and I also want to make sure I get enough fiber and calcium daily. It only takes a few minutes a day, my health is worth that to me. As for the post itself? I've been on my journey since 2012, and other than a year with online WW, I haven't spent a cent. Don't fall for all that hype, you don't have to blow money to take care of yourself, lose weight, exercise, etc. You just DO it.
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At 5' 9" I weighed 225 pounds. I can tell you for sure the guidelines are not wrong. I was a fat *kitten*. Compare pictures from before to now. The difference is dramatic. I was so outta shape and I looked like hell. The thing is I didn't think I had an issue. Now it is obvious.
Course, that raises the question ....
If you 'didnt think I had an issue', then WHY the change?0 -
I don't know if I will track forever. Technically in maintenance now and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. I may taper off and not do it every day as I have a good grasp on calories but right now I am paying close attention to my sodium intake and trying to get that reduced.1
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Since I am going to eat and drink FOREVER, I am going to track FOREVER!8
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jeffjeff85 wrote: »At 5' 9" I weighed 225 pounds. I can tell you for sure the guidelines are not wrong. I was a fat *kitten*. Compare pictures from before to now. The difference is dramatic. I was so outta shape and I looked like hell. The thing is I didn't think I had an issue. Now it is obvious.
Course, that raises the question ....
If you 'didnt think I had an issue', then WHY the change?
Because I started running again and it was necessary (I couldn't keep the pace I was used to years before and it wasn't just because I hadn't been training). After a couple weeks of not losing I started using MFP. That's when it all came together. I noticed where the extra calories were coming from and very quickly got a handle on my diet. I dropped 50 pounds over the course of 18 months and have maintained that ever since.
I am back to tracking since I'm now focused on dropping another 10-15 pounds for performance reasons.5 -
jeffjeff85 wrote: »At 5' 9" I weighed 225 pounds. I can tell you for sure the guidelines are not wrong. I was a fat *kitten*. Compare pictures from before to now. The difference is dramatic. I was so outta shape and I looked like hell. The thing is I didn't think I had an issue. Now it is obvious.
Course, that raises the question ....
If you 'didnt think I had an issue', then WHY the change?
I dropped 50 pounds over the course of 18 months and have maintained that ever since.
I am back to tracking since I'm now focused on dropping another 10-15 pounds for performance reasons.
Not sure how somebody 'didnt think there was an issue" with 50lbs, but if theres a 50lb difference between tracking and not tracking, then certainly.
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jeffjeff85 wrote: »jeffjeff85 wrote: »At 5' 9" I weighed 225 pounds. I can tell you for sure the guidelines are not wrong. I was a fat *kitten*. Compare pictures from before to now. The difference is dramatic. I was so outta shape and I looked like hell. The thing is I didn't think I had an issue. Now it is obvious.
Course, that raises the question ....
If you 'didnt think I had an issue', then WHY the change?
I dropped 50 pounds over the course of 18 months and have maintained that ever since.
I am back to tracking since I'm now focused on dropping another 10-15 pounds for performance reasons.
Not sure how somebody 'didnt think there was an issue" with 50lbs, but if theres a 50lb difference between tracking and not tracking, then certainly.
OK - I guess you want to be an *kitten*. So be it. Have a nice day.6 -
I have no plans to stop. Believe that tracking helped me to lose the 86 lbs and keeping it off (6 + years and counting). By now it's second nature and takes no time. Keeps me focused.4
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I'm finding tracking a lot less irritating than I thought it would be, but so far I'm eating at home and cooking myself. I expect that things will get rougher when I'm in situations when I'm not making my own food and we'll see what happens then.2
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I unfortunately see myself tracking long-term. I just hit maintenance and my weight is up after a rough week where I ate out a lot and ate other's meals and I must've underestimated. I normally eat at home so I'm pretty much in control of my food most the time. I'm on a medication that makes me think I'm hungry all the time so if I tried intuitive eating or eating until I'm full I'd be in trouble. I've found I don't mind logging, the data is interesting to me.2
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I know if some poster, regardless of their personal situation/story, had told me when I first joined that I didn't/shouldn't track I would (A) be offended at the audacity of presuming to know *my* situation/story and, (B), likely be off-put enough to have decided this wasn't the website for me after all despite being directed here by Google when looking specifically for a CICO based weight loss community.
did anyone tell anyone that??
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Oops, nothing to see here.
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paperpudding wrote: »I know if some poster, regardless of their personal situation/story, had told me when I first joined that I didn't/shouldn't track I would (A) be offended at the audacity of presuming to know *my* situation/story and, (B), likely be off-put enough to have decided this wasn't the website for me after all despite being directed here by Google when looking specifically for a CICO based weight loss community.
did anyone tell anyone that??
Literally, in exact words, in this thread, no.
If one thinks saying they got "rid the awful shackles" of calorie counting and looking at the scale, and it makes them "feel so good" amounts to that, then yes.
Me, I'd call it close enough to be a strong implication. Especially on a thread where (if one reads the actual OP, not just the title), it isn't particularly on topic (though, to be fair, that's what most replies did), and especially from a poster who's said more or less the same thing on multiple threads, including some where the advice is a little more directly that counting is stressful and unnecessary.
It's one of those cross-thread dialogs, basically.
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