Is it really as simple as keep counting and weighing?
sofrances
Posts: 156 Member
I'm experiencing a strange feeling. I feel like what I'm doing to lose weight (counting everything, weighing daily, a fair amount of exercise) is something that I can happily keep on doing forever if I have to. The inconvenience is very small, compared to the pay off. Currently I don't really feel hungry, for example (sometimes, but nothing unbearable). If it doesn't get any harder than this, then I think I can do it.
However, I'm not on maintenance yet - I still need to lose at least a stone and a half (which wouldn't get me to < 25 BMI, but gets me somewhere I can live with).
My question to those who have been in maintenance a while: is it really that as simple as "keep counting, keep weighing"? If I keep doing what I'm doing forever, will I be OK? Or are there hidden traps for the unwary?
It almost seems too good to be true, given how people seem to struggle. I'm worried this is just some sort of "calm before the storm" before my body and mind rebel somehow.
However, I'm not on maintenance yet - I still need to lose at least a stone and a half (which wouldn't get me to < 25 BMI, but gets me somewhere I can live with).
My question to those who have been in maintenance a while: is it really that as simple as "keep counting, keep weighing"? If I keep doing what I'm doing forever, will I be OK? Or are there hidden traps for the unwary?
It almost seems too good to be true, given how people seem to struggle. I'm worried this is just some sort of "calm before the storm" before my body and mind rebel somehow.
9
Replies
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Congrats on your progress and your habits!!!
Personally, I would say it’s 3 things. Counting, weighing, and adjusting. The counting is the mechanism by which we’re balancing out calories in versus calories out. The weighing is the metric by which we are judging our success (obviously, really strong knowledge of water weight fluctuations super helpful here, to cut through the noise of the day-to-day up-and-downs). And the adjusting is the process that allows us to keep an eye on our weight, keep an eye on how we’re feeling, keep an eye on any life changes that are making our habits hard in the moment, and give us the freedom to tweak those habits in order to keep our progress (even in tough times that we’ll go through inevitably, which often result in weight gain).
Part of Adjusting is pre-work. Right now, when things are going well and you’re hitting your calorie goals and exercise goals and it’s easy, can you sit down and make a simpler plan (think video-game Easy Mode) that you could pivot to when life throws you curveballs? Think death in the family, health emergency, loss of job, having to move, financial insecurity, etc. Think of how you can still achieve some mindfulness of your food, your movement, and your weight so that you don’t backslide when times get tough. Simplifying your healthy habits can help you keep them in times of crisis, which can be such a relief and a solid backbone for yourself (freeing you up to deal with the important stuff going down).
For example, on perfect days, I try to hit 110 g of protein. It keeps me feeling full, it’s good for me, and I’m pretty solid about it. HOWEVER, when the pandemic hit and I was eating dried beans, rice, and frozen vegetables (and meat was in short supply, and I couldn’t get the protein bars I liked, and we ran out of canned tuna and chicken sausage), I adjusted my idea of success during this time. I simplified my eating habits from “hit average 2200 calories, weigh everything, 4 servings of fruit/veg a day, 110 G protein a day” to “hit average 2200 calories, weigh most things, a little fruit and veg a day.” I am still successfully and preventing a weight gain, but I redefined success and I’m so glad I did, otherwise I’d be beating myself up for “losing my habits” or “backsliding on my protein goals.”
Adjusting means pre-planning, being flexible, and knowing the bare minimum healthy habits that you can fall back on during tough times, to keep you moving forward without overwhelming you.32 -
Agree 100% with everything Gallic said - very wise and insightful advice from her.
In general, I think you (OP) are right: It can be that simple. And it sounds like you're going about it in a sensible way.
Anecdotally, some people seem to experience physiological or psychological glitches along with way, so it's possible. I am not encouraging you to expect any glitches.
Loosely, sometimes, somewhere along the way, some people experience one or more of mental burnout, physical fatigue, unusual hunger, or something like that. (And some people don't.) Sometimes, it can happen during weight loss, sometimes it seems to be triggered by getting out of a deficit and up to maintenance calories.
If any of those occur for you - not saying they will - there are strategies you can use to keep things going in a positive direction, such as refeeds or diet breaks. So, don't go worrying about potential problems, but realize that it might not stay equally easy the whole time.
Or, it might stay pretty easy the whole time. Loss was pretty straightforward for me, too - like a fun science fair project for grown-ups, with major real-life benefits. Maintenance has also been pretty straightforward (I'm in year 4+, and like you I don't find counting burdensome or annoying, so I keep doing it).
While it was not something that was a big problem for me, I'd say that my appetite and capacity have only recently become more proportionate to my smaller size. I'm not saying that I struggled with appetite, but that if presented with really tasty food that I wanted to eat, it stayed pretty easy for me to over-eat and feel physically OK, in those first few years, whereas now I'm finally more likely to hit an "OK, full enough" feeling quicker. Not a big deal, didn't make maintenance particularly difficult, but it's good to reach this newer point nonetheless.
Keep rolling on. Odds are good that it'll keep being not a struggle, if that's where you are now . . . but if you hit any bumps in the road, there are strategies for dealing with them.
Best wishes!16 -
Holly *kittens* @gallicinvasion you are so on point and articulated this so well it is scary.
I will be a bit blunter than Ann in terms of the likelihood of encountering future changes in appetite.
It is anecdotally quite likely that after a substantial weight loss you will have an uptick in hunger and will view food as extremely desirable for a while. With weight loss, hormonal changes do take place that promote regain. And if they were something that was consciously controlled there would be a heck of a lot less people regaining weight.
That said, everything said by the ladies above applies. Including the fact that in my experience too it took several years for things to settle down (sometime between year 2 and 3). And such time-frames can also be seen in the general statistics of how many people manage to retain their weight loss.
So, in fact, going in with a plan that involves continuing to do what you've been doing for at least the next 2-3 years post weight loss (if not 5) is an extremely sensible precaution that I share.
And life curve-balls are definitely a thing!
But it does sound like you're laying down a good foundation!12 -
It is anecdotally quite likely that after a substantial weight loss you will have an uptick in hunger and will view food as extremely desirable for a while.
I think this is something I can live with if I know there is a light at the end of the tunnel - if the hunger will eventually reduce, or if I will get used to the it.
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gallicinvasion wrote: »Congrats on your progress and your habits!!!
Personally, I would say it’s 3 things. Counting, weighing, and adjusting. The counting is the mechanism by which we’re balancing out calories in versus calories out. The weighing is the metric by which we are judging our success (obviously, really strong knowledge of water weight fluctuations super helpful here, to cut through the noise of the day-to-day up-and-downs). And the adjusting is the process that allows us to keep an eye on our weight, keep an eye on how we’re feeling, keep an eye on any life changes that are making our habits hard in the moment, and give us the freedom to tweak those habits in order to keep our progress (even in tough times that we’ll go through inevitably, which often result in weight gain).
Part of Adjusting is pre-work. Right now, when things are going well and you’re hitting your calorie goals and exercise goals and it’s easy, can you sit down and make a simpler plan (think video-game Easy Mode) that you could pivot to when life throws you curveballs? Think death in the family, health emergency, loss of job, having to move, financial insecurity, etc. Think of how you can still achieve some mindfulness of your food, your movement, and your weight so that you don’t backslide when times get tough. Simplifying your healthy habits can help you keep them in times of crisis, which can be such a relief and a solid backbone for yourself (freeing you up to deal with the important stuff going down).
For example, on perfect days, I try to hit 110 g of protein. It keeps me feeling full, it’s good for me, and I’m pretty solid about it. HOWEVER, when the pandemic hit and I was eating dried beans, rice, and frozen vegetables (and meat was in short supply, and I couldn’t get the protein bars I liked, and we ran out of canned tuna and chicken sausage), I adjusted my idea of success during this time. I simplified my eating habits from “hit average 2200 calories, weigh everything, 4 servings of fruit/veg a day, 110 G protein a day” to “hit average 2200 calories, weigh most things, a little fruit and veg a day.” I am still successfully and preventing a weight gain, but I redefined success and I’m so glad I did, otherwise I’d be beating myself up for “losing my habits” or “backsliding on my protein goals.”
Adjusting means pre-planning, being flexible, and knowing the bare minimum healthy habits that you can fall back on during tough times, to keep you moving forward without overwhelming you.
Really insightful, thanks @gallicinvasion.
I have an "all or nothing" tendency which I definitely need to plan around.
Also, a big worry for me is what happens if something stops me from exercising (e.g. injury). So I do have things to think about in terms of "curve balls".4 -
My question to those who have been in maintenance a while: is it really that as simple as "keep counting, keep weighing"?
About 4 yrs in maintenance, here.
Yes, it's as simple as that, as long as you do it consistently and accurately.
There will be variations and trends up and down but, if you are counting and weighing yourself daily, you should have no problem making any necessary calorie intake adjustments.
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It is anecdotally quite likely that after a substantial weight loss you will have an uptick in hunger and will view food as extremely desirable for a while.
I think this is something I can live with if I know there is a light at the end of the tunnel - if the hunger will eventually reduce, or if I will get used to the it.
I've been maintaining since 2015 (lost around 40 pounds). My experience is that there are times when I am hungrier than usual and I have to be stricter with myself. And lots of other times where I'm fine with meeting my calorie goal.
For me, the most important things are having regular checks of my weight (so I can adjust if it is going up outside of my comfort zone), being realistic about scale fluctuations (my "goal weight" is a range, not a specific number), and remembering that I can always pop back into a deficit to address weight gain before it becomes a big deal. I don't feel like I'm constantly fighting the potential of regaining weight, but neither do I feel like I'm just on autopilot with food. This is just my experience, I've heard a whole range of things from people who are maintaining.5 -
yes count calories and log but but the problem for me is all the temptations around, not easy but worth it. It is just making yourself behave and not get carried away. So many people gain the weight back because it does take effort. I log and weigh every single day.2
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Yes, yes, yes.
Mindful eating, intuitive eating, listen to your body, follow your hunger cues and do whatever works for you. All of these things lack any real direction.
Sounds good on paper but very vague if you don't know how to do it. We are seldom the same. Our goals, lives, cultures and our ideas about what life and health should be.
Most have lost touch with their body's hunger cues a long time ago or you wouldn't be here. You'd already be at your dream weight and have the listen to your body superpower working for you. For the rest of us who don't have that superpower we need a strategy and a plan.
We can learn to moderate ourselves with foods and our portions. It works.9 -
Yes it really is that simple, but not always easy - the main thing is to be consistent the majority of the time.9
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gallicinvasion wrote: »Congrats on your progress and your habits!!!
Personally, I would say it’s 3 things. Counting, weighing, and adjusting. The counting is the mechanism by which we’re balancing out calories in versus calories out. The weighing is the metric by which we are judging our success (obviously, really strong knowledge of water weight fluctuations super helpful here, to cut through the noise of the day-to-day up-and-downs). And the adjusting is the process that allows us to keep an eye on our weight, keep an eye on how we’re feeling, keep an eye on any life changes that are making our habits hard in the moment, and give us the freedom to tweak those habits in order to keep our progress (even in tough times that we’ll go through inevitably, which often result in weight gain).
Part of Adjusting is pre-work. Right now, when things are going well and you’re hitting your calorie goals and exercise goals and it’s easy, can you sit down and make a simpler plan (think video-game Easy Mode) that you could pivot to when life throws you curveballs? Think death in the family, health emergency, loss of job, having to move, financial insecurity, etc. Think of how you can still achieve some mindfulness of your food, your movement, and your weight so that you don’t backslide when times get tough. Simplifying your healthy habits can help you keep them in times of crisis, which can be such a relief and a solid backbone for yourself (freeing you up to deal with the important stuff going down).
For example, on perfect days, I try to hit 110 g of protein. It keeps me feeling full, it’s good for me, and I’m pretty solid about it. HOWEVER, when the pandemic hit and I was eating dried beans, rice, and frozen vegetables (and meat was in short supply, and I couldn’t get the protein bars I liked, and we ran out of canned tuna and chicken sausage), I adjusted my idea of success during this time. I simplified my eating habits from “hit average 2200 calories, weigh everything, 4 servings of fruit/veg a day, 110 G protein a day” to “hit average 2200 calories, weigh most things, a little fruit and veg a day.” I am still successfully and preventing a weight gain, but I redefined success and I’m so glad I did, otherwise I’d be beating myself up for “losing my habits” or “backsliding on my protein goals.”
Adjusting means pre-planning, being flexible, and knowing the bare minimum healthy habits that you can fall back on during tough times, to keep you moving forward without overwhelming you.
Really insightful, thanks @gallicinvasion.
I have an "all or nothing" tendency which I definitely need to plan around.
Also, a big worry for me is what happens if something stops me from exercising (e.g. injury). So I do have things to think about in terms of "curve balls".
You can accept a smaller deficit and smaller weight loss if that comes up for that smaller period. - because perhaps without exercise you'd be eating too little for you to mentally handle.
Same thing should be happening right now though, unless you indeed exercise every day which increases what you burn and therefore what you can eat and still keep reasonable deficit.
Separate clearly the distinction between the food for weight loss, and the exercise for heart health.
That way if the exercise pauses you don't feel the need to chuck the diet too.
While many realize they can get by on terrible diet (for nutrition and body health) and feel "fine" and function daily, and sometimes they think the changed diet and exercise done together helps them feel better solely because of the exercise part of the changes - some of it could be due to the improved diet - so even kept by itself you might feel better than normal.
Hopefully that way you can apply the all or nothing to each thing by itself, and gain benefit from each thing by itself.
Because it is hard to change that ingrained attitude - that's it's own battle!6 -
Thank you all for these comments. I'm nearing my weight goal and thought I'd peek over here and learn something about maintenance. What strikes me most forcibly is that I need to map out a maintenance plan. I've been successful in losing weight because I had a plan and stuck to it. Obviously, I"m going to have to do the same for maintenance.10
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Thank you all for these comments. I'm nearing my weight goal and thought I'd peek over here and learn something about maintenance. What strikes me most forcibly is that I need to map out a maintenance plan. I've been successful in losing weight because I had a plan and stuck to it. Obviously, I"m going to have to do the same for maintenance.
@seeahill: Start now, if you haven't been already, eating and behaving in the way you expect to eat and behave in maintenance (just with a sensible calorie deficit in the picture). IMO, treating weight loss as maintenance practice is a good strategy. That bit of calorie deficit creates a safety net for learning.6 -
Diatonic12 wrote: »Yes, yes, yes.
Mindful eating, intuitive eating, listen to your body, follow your hunger cues and do whatever works for you. All of these things lack any real direction.
Sounds good on paper but very vague if you don't know how to do it. We are seldom the same. Our goals, lives, cultures and our ideas about what life and health should be.
Most have lost touch with their body's hunger cues a long time ago or you wouldn't be here. You'd already be at your dream weight and have the listen to your body superpower working for you. For the rest of us who don't have that superpower we need a strategy and a plan.
We can learn to moderate ourselves with foods and our portions. It works.
Mindful eating never worked for me. I just couldn't separate the emotional side of food from the need for food. Weighing and measuring is the only way for me to stay objective about it and it has worked for over four years now.11 -
@knitski2002
Mindful eating encourages you to be aware and present. Just tune into how your body feels. Trust your body and trust your brain. Let the real magic happen. Let the mind choose and get in touch with your body.
Some minds will choose to eat mindfully anytime, all the time or while you're sleep walking. How do foods feel on the roof of your mouth. That's all fine and dandy if you can actually make some sense out of it.
Mindfully eating gummy bears is a great experiment. I mindfully like them and could eat them 10 times a day. I can moderate myself with foods by measuring my portions.
Emotional eating doesn't fix any kind of emotions. Self-soothing with food, there's not enough food in the world that can fill up all the empty places. I practice moderation and it's taken a long time to give myself permission to do that.
I threw every dieting book with corresponding cookbook into the dumpster. I've rid myself of food rules and regulations cooked up by someone else with slick marketing tricks. I doubt those rules even work for them but dieting dogma sells books filled with miracle cures.4 -
The only real hidden trap (for me) is so called "cheat days". Unless I bank additional calories by eating at a deficit all week, cheat days or even cheat meals can add up over time and undermine maintenance.5
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Agreed, tuckerrj. The premise of cheat meals and cheat days is just another way of saying that you have a permission slip to eat all the things you wouldn't normally eat. The very words imply that you are doing something wrong. I'm not married to my food so I don't need to cheat on it.
The foods you deprive yourself of....for days, weeks or months at a time will all come back to haunt your thoughts. If they didn't, there would be no such thing as rebound weight gain with friends.
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I haven’t done cheat meals. I didn’t want to reactivate that old way of overeating. I realized early on that the only person I would be cheating was myself.3
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Simple - not easy
Someone said that to me once and it has stuck with me. It really is as simple as calories in vs calories out.
Then there are all those other factors that come up that impact us in unexpected ways. Those factors, which so many other people above have articulated so well are what make it not easy.
If you think it is easy right now, then ride that easy train for awhile and remember it later on to gain inspiration and motivation when all those other factors come up.
2 -
I've kept off 80 pounds easily for over 7 years.
For me, planning ahead, writing in my food/exercise journal, being mindful of how many calories I am consuming everyday and staying consistent with this has been the keys to my success.
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