A little unconventional

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Livingbalanced
Livingbalanced Posts: 84 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Heyhey,

I'm pursuing a little less conventional way of losing weight and wondering if anyone is in the same boat.
I don't count calories, fat grams, carbs, points, or anything else.
I don't track how many calories I've burned or every minute of exercise or activity I've done.
I don't have all sorts of rules, like I CAN'T eat after a certain time at night, or foods that are "off limits" or not.

I'm trying to become more of an intuitive eater (here are the 10 principles - http://www.intuitiveeating.org/content/10-principles)

I AM writing down what I eat (to keep an eye out for meeting basic nutritional needs - but not condemning myself if I don't make them or eat too much of one thing and not of another).
I AM tracking my water intake (because I'm generally dehydrated on a regular basis and this isn't good for my health and has resulted in headaches).
I AM trying to get to the gym to do fun activities 2-3 times a week.

It's a laid back approach because I've done nearly everything else and I think getting back to basics (listening to my body and paying heed to better nutrition) will lend itself to long-term success instead of 'dieting' over and over again - because DIETS DON'T WORK! :)

Anyway, I don't really have a plan, except eat less junk, exercise more and live life in the gray space, not black or white.

Progress not perfection is living a balanced life for me :) Feel free to join me on this long and ever winding adventure.

Replies

  • Livingbalanced
    Livingbalanced Posts: 84 Member
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    Seriously? No one? I'm a little surprised actually that no one else would be trying to pursue a weight loss journey and lifestyle as far away from dieting as possible.
  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
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    If you don't track, why do you need mfp? I have to log or I would have no clue. I have been maintaining for over a year and will never stop tracking calories, carbs, fat, protein, sodium and cholesterol.
  • TheWinman
    TheWinman Posts: 700 Member
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    I appreciate what you're doing as I hope to be able to teach myself to do all of this without having to log any of it.

    The lack of responses may have to do with the fact that you're posting on a site that uses a diary with a very extensive food and exercise database. I'm sure you will find others on here doing the same thing as you, but those people have to come across your post before they respond. Good luck!
  • RachRice29
    RachRice29 Posts: 19
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    I think you're trying to reach the wrong audience here :-) We are pretty much all counting calories, fat, sugar, etc...since that is one of the main purposes of this app. Also, I don't look at counting calories as a "diet." I don't live off of typical "diet" foods - I still get to eat the foods that are usually considered off-limits by anyone on a diet. I simply count my calories to be sure that I don't over-indulge, am getting enough nutrition from the calories that I am eating, and to continue to move towards my weight loss goal.

    I applaud your efforts though, and if it works for you - kudos! You seem to have a healthy attitude about eating.
  • krae256
    krae256 Posts: 2
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    I'm with you on this one. It's important that we listen to our bodies first. I am counting calories right now because I know that works for me. I went over by about 250 calories yesterday but I am not going to beat myself up over it. I know that I was eating healthful foods and nourishing my body. Healthy living is not one size fits all. Find out what works for you and ditch the rest.
  • ScatteredThoughts
    ScatteredThoughts Posts: 3,562 Member
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    I wouldn't say that those 10 principles are all that unconventional. I've seen most of them stated before; they just flowered them up a bit. Overall I would say that they are good to keep in mind as far as the mental aspects of eating. Its a good start, though I don't think they cover enough of the mechanics of nutrition.
  • MeredithLee11
    MeredithLee11 Posts: 192 Member
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    I'm intrigued by this... I think many people here (probably most) are resistant to this idea because they still "need" to count their calories to keep themselves on track. I'm sure many other people, like myself, would love to break away from the slavery of calorie counting and just live a healthy and balanced life. I commend you for breaking the mold and listening to your own body.
  • bushidowoman
    bushidowoman Posts: 1,599 Member
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    Yes! This is basically what I did after having my youngest child last year.
    For years, I struggled with my weight and tried a couple different diets (WW, Jillian Michaels, different diets from Women's Health), and I was never successful. On Jillian Michaels' diet, I tried to stick to 1400 cals a day, worked out 5 times a week, and was so discouraged at seeing my scale barely budge! After a couple months of that, I gave up.
    This time, I theorized that if I would just focus on giving myself what I NEED, then I would eventually settle at a weight that's healthy for me. I decided that I would accept whatever weight that happened to be.
    I discovered that to be my best, I NEED nutrient-dense foods, to be able to celebrate with my family at times without guilt, exercise that I enjoy, sunshine and fresh air, enough sleep, and to get out of the house and play with friends.
    In 9 months of taking good care of myself, I've lost 30 pounds and gotten into a jeans size that seemed an impossible dream. Although I had abandoned the idea of having a goal weight after deciding that I was going for "healthy" rather than a number, I still reached that old number goal. :wink:

    I joined MFP a couple months ago AFTER reaching my goals, mainly so that I can track my macros. With weight lifting, I want to be sure I get enough protein, and I'm also trying to keep my salt and sugar in check. But I'm not so much worried about going over or under my calories (most days, I take in anywhere from 1700-2000 cals). I also don't worry about slipping and gaining it all back, because what I'm doing is a lifestyle change that I can live with forever.
  • RAF_Guy
    RAF_Guy Posts: 230 Member
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    Count me in and please feel free to add me as a friend if you want some support.
  • liog
    liog Posts: 347 Member
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    Seriously? No one? I'm a little surprised actually that no one else would be trying to pursue a weight loss journey and lifestyle as far away from dieting as possible.

    I agree that dieting doesn't work, but I don't look at tracking as dieting. I don't deny myself anything. For me tracking leads to conscious eating. The biggest thing tracking does for me is to help me control my portions. Tracking isn't something I plan on doing forever. I see it as a tool to retrain my brain and eventually it will become second nature which is a lifestyle change.
  • Livingbalanced
    Livingbalanced Posts: 84 Member
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    Thanks for responding everyone!!
    It's so great to see such wonderfully balanced and healthy perspectives! I used to be on a WW board and it was a little unbelievable how "obsessed" (used lightly) some of the participants were - it was completely overwhelming and not at all about healthy, balanced living (which I thought was strange because that's what WW preaches).

    Anyway - I appreciate the feedback and look forward to figuring it all out.

    Keep up the great work :)
  • lisaward84
    lisaward84 Posts: 2
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    I agree that dieting doesn't work. I've never been one to diet, I've usually always eaten whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. But as I've gotten older that mentality is no longer working for me. I've gained 20 pounds in two years. The majority of my problem is probably not what I'm eating but that I haven't really been exercising. So I use MFP to help me learn to eat healthier things and to keep me on track. I don't deny myself anything that I really really want, but if I find something that's better for me then I've gotten in the habit of eating that instead. I have people at work that on WW and they are constantly talking about food and th ethings they want to eat but can't. I think it kind of takes your motivation away if you are denying yourself something. You focus more on what you can't have then what you can have.
  • Eskimopie
    Eskimopie Posts: 235 Member
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    I would LOVE to be able to do this. So I calorie counted last year and lost 8 lbs, and eventually hought I would be able to just listen to my body, eat reasonable portions, etc, so I stopped.

    Then I got a new job that provides lunch everyday, along with all the chips, candy, etc you could ever want. 9 months later, I've gained the weight back, so here I am back to calorie counting.

    Its easy for me to not realize just how many calories I'm getting without counting and seeing the stark numbers. But if it works for you, more power to you! Sounds like a very (both physically and mentally) healthy way to go about it.

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