Counting Calories - I hate hate HATE it!

The results make it worthwhile for me. Plus when I consider the alternatives, it doesn't seem so bad.

I hate it too, just because it annoys me to have to figure out our home cooked meals every single night or guess when we are eating with family or out somewhere that doesn't offer cal information

I make home cooked meals for my family every single bloody night (grrrr!), so figuring out the calorie count can be a little time consuming, but I'm at the point now where I also have so many or my basic foods like rice, spaghetti, meat sauce con carne, all my burgers or patties etc stored and measured (I always calculate my recipes for 100g serve (or per piece serve) so it doesn't matter how much I eat I can log it so easily) It takes time, but it has also taught me a lot about what I have been putting onto myself, and I like that...now I find it kind of interesting to put in my meals and see what they are, I don't think I had any idea about calories before I stared counting.

Unless you are always experimenting, eventually you will always be eating the same things, and will have entered it previously.

Make use of the meals and recipes features, and the ability to copy a meal into today.

We eat about 3 dishes every week for dinner, the other 4 are rotated between about 20 or so recipes. I've long since entered them in so at most just need to adjust quantities.

I was talking with one of my trainers last night...........I feel like MOST of the struggle of losing weight and getting fit is mental.

It's all a choice. If you chose to hate it, and chose that it's going to suck........it will. When I started this whole thing I went into all of it TOTALLY positive. I love eating healthy, I love being knowledgeable about my food choices, I love treating myself well. I supposed I could chose to see only the negative and be miserable about it, but every minute I spend being miserable is 60 of happiness lost. So I just chose to love this journey.

It is time consuming - I cook at home all the time really, and my meals vary a lot. But I really like seeing the nutritional breakdown and how close I am to my macros. I think if you're feeling that resentful, and still eating subs and muffins, maybe you need to take a step back and really reflect on why you're doing this and whether you really want to - you sound a bit in two minds about it and that won't help you succeed. Good luck!

Its good to take breaks for sure, but honestly you dont have to count calories if you are not a consistent overeater in my opinion. The eat clean diet has a really great answer to that, and its just that you eat a serving size at each meal. You eat the small frequent meals so you have a 1/2 cup of brown rice, a palm size piece of chicken, and baseball size of vegetables for a meal as an example. If you just use proper portion sizes, eat only when youre hungry, eat when not distracted (no standing, in front of tv, computer, etc.) and stop when youre full, and you eat healthy foods you don't need to do it if you hate it. However, I like eating distracted, I overeat all the time, so Id rather have the control tracking gives me. You really do have other options, just ideas to think about because I understand hating it. Its no fun.

That motivation sentence at the end of day when you complete your food diary...If everyday were like this you'd weigh _____ in 5 weeks. I really like seeing that number.

Denise

I'm actually new to MFP so last night was my first time ever logging my calories. I just got kind of curious. I seldom if ever count calories even if I'm trying to loose weight because I get obsessive about it. So I watch my portions and I cut the junk and the processed foods and focus on eating whole grains, fruits and veggies. Being vegan makes it a little easier. This usually works well for me. But like you sometimes I wonder about the calorie content of what I make at home. I think I'll keep plugging in my calories on here because I really am curious.

I don't count strictly calories or weigh myself at the moment but I still think I'm 'on a diet' so to speak. I just know how much my body needs and go more by instinct, like I'll count the calories of certain carbs to make sure I don't go OTT but tend to eat whatever veg/fruit I like without trying to fit it into a 'daily maximum'. It's worked for me so far

I think you hit the nail on the head there... I think I want the nice body, without needing to watch what I eat. That seems to be my last stronghold. And so far, I've been ok, but if I want that last bit of success, i need to change my mindset... either that, or be happy with what I have and who I am now.

Thank you!

This is exactly how I feel too! Bit of a dilemma, really....

mfp does it, that's why I love this site! Don't give up

My worry is that I almost become obsessed with counting calories, rather than hating it. It becomes something I have to do which isn't always great.

I've been obsessed with counting calories since I was 11- I'm nearly 27 now. After 16 years of counting, being obsessed, not being able to stop thinking about it and going through periods of eating disorders (bulimia and binge eating), I have stopped counting.

Just decided a couple days ago to focus more on eating clean, healthy foods and getting at least 60 minutes of exercise per day. For the first day, I still wrote everything down, minus the calorie counts, but I found since I know the calories of literally every food I eat, that even having them written them down, I was adding it up. Starting yesterday, I stopped tracking and I ate healthy. Same thing with today. Its difficult, and sometimes I still add certain things up- its a wicked hard habit to break- but I'm getting better at it and less obsessed. I also find that I only eat when I'm actually hungry and I'm listening to my body more than when I was logging every single meal.

Just sharing my experience and I'm not saying it will work for everyone, but eating mostly clean is helping me stay at a deficit without obsessing quite as much.

I like to incorporate a "I just don't give a f'k" attitude once in a while...as long as most of my meals are healthy, I don't really sweat it!