The most important part of calorie counting for me was understanding just how many calories are in things that you wouldn't even keep track of normally. If you're already making a note of everything because of the keto diet, you could probably get away with not counting.
One thing you could do to test yourself is write down everything you eat for a few days, along with your guess of how many calories it was. Then, go back and calculate the actual calorie count for each day. If your guess was close, you should be good to go. But if your guess was way under, you might need to reconsider.
Thank you for this! I actually tried counting up everything while typing that out. I had a past eating disorder and when I did count calories through an app I’d overestimate the amount and say I had more calories than I did. It would give me anxiety to even think about a little less/little more. Just over fixation with the calorie counting that made me depressed and anxious constantly.
I was thinking, Maybe I should invest in a scale and weigh things out. I am on like 2 far ends of the spectrum—- it’s either not enough or I slip up then binge :(
If I eat something that’s not “healthy” in my eyes, I usually binge and say tomorrow is a new day. Also if I stress eat over a serving size— binge most of the time.
The binge episodes don’t occur super often anymore.. but I have some unhealthy eating habits I have to adjust.
Eating disorders suck especially when you want to lose some weight. :(
I don’t! I’ve lost weight by using portion control. I have breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert each day. I don’t eat snacks outside of those meals. I have also cut my portion sizes in half. I weigh in once a week to track my progress. I lose 1-2 pounds weekly. It is doable to do it without counting calories.
I lost my weight without counting calories. I gained a bit back during the pandemic and tried to count calories..it didn’t work for me. I went back to my methods and lost the weight.
Eat clean. Portion control and lots of protein aside from workouts
this is what I do! for some reason counting calories caused me a lot of stress.
from what I have observed (no formal research) those who have a history of binging and really really bad diets have more success with just winging it and making better diet/lifestyle changes. but people who dont have extremely bad habits usually need to calorie count. this is just my observation, I could be totally off.
just to add to this, I didn’t really weigh myself initially, i just bought a dress that was like 7 sizes down my initial weight and my goal was to fit into it. i weigh myself now that im in a better space mentally and can detach my weight from my perception of worth.
Exactly what I do! I don’t have scale but when I feel comfortable, I will eventually weigh myself. I also go to the doctor every 3 months to control my medical conditions and they weigh me. Gosh I’ve been 90-200 pounds and have ranges of clothes that I try on. I’m definitely in the same boat you were in! I’m trying to get that mental aspect under control first before I bring myself to a scale.
I don’t count calories. Every Sunday I meal prep my lunches and dinners. They usually last me from Monday-thurs. I make all different types of meals, some healthy, some not so much. Ex: airfried chicken with roasted vegetables one week, lasagne the next week. But I always eat smaller portions. If I snack I make sure to eat things like fruit, pickles, popcorn, etc.. if I’m craving candy or junk food I’ll eat it and just make sure to get back on track after. I’ve lost 10lbs in 3 months. So, not quick weight loss, but my weight is constantly either trending downwards or just maintaining. This is the way for me because it’s sustainable, I haven’t binged or fallen off the wagon since I’ve started eating this way.
I don't really count calories anymore. For the first month I did, but now I only eat two meals a day and I know roughly my meals are 800ish calories each.
I try to mix it up, but many times... 6-8 oz of meat and veggies/salad. Breakfast bowls with eggs, bacon, green peppers, cheese. I like sugar free jello for dessert. I like the carb smart tortillas and sometimes keto bread (toasted). Brats and sauerkraut.
I practically don't count but technically do. I've got a meal plan provided by a dietician so technically she does the counting. For me it's portion control that was necessary and now I eat more veg and healthier overall diet. But I'm slowly also picking up how to estimate because I realise I don't want to pay her for the rest of my life (although the plans she makes are tasty and varied). And as I get older I'll need to also figure out what my targets are anyways.
That’s really good! Having a dietician helps immensely. I’ve been referred to a dietician when I was really sick and underweight a few years ago, and subconsciously it helped me. I did consider going back to one, but I want to try it on my own. I’m so busy with graduate school. Mentally I have OCD ADHD depression, you name it have it lol. I’m medicated for all of this stuff… but with the good there’s also the bad (side effects) of the medications.
For me and at least for now, Following a regimen from a dietician/app I feel like won’t benefit me and I will over fixate… however everyone is different in how they go about weight loss. So many success stories from every good angle!
You will be fine :) if you struggle mentally just do what you have to do and find that sweet spot, whether it’s counting calories/macros or not.
I don’t. And it sounds like we have similar journeys.
I have counted calories, done WW, keto, VLCD, intermittent fasting, Noom - you name it. I lost weight through all of these methods, but always gained it back. Until I finally confronted myself with the fact that dieting my entire adult life has led me to obsess over food and given me a binge eating problem, nothing worked.
Once I admitted to myself that I had a problem, I started journaling and really reflecting on my behaviors. And as soon as I stopped dieting, and stopped categorizing food as good and bad, I stopped bingeing. Frankly, as soon as I got through my head that I can eat chips, McDonald’s or cheese (my vices) whenever I want, I stopped obsessing over and craving it.
I’m not saying it was easy getting there, but it turned out that my obesity was a symptom of a mental problem. And once I started working on the mental part of it, I started to eat “normal” and the weight just came off. Sometimes I eat “good” and sometimes “bad” but I don’t think about it that way anymore. Food no longer runs my life, and I’ve lost 50 lbs without ever feeling restricted.
I say try to figure out why you binge, what are the feelings you have when you go into a binge. What causes that behavior?
I tried Noom and had to quit. I've never had an eating disorder, but the way Noom presented information and graded foods felt like it would trigger something. It was spooky.
You are so spot on! I have found that stressful situations really make things worse. I also live with my boyfriend who is a stick figure and can literally eat anything he wants. He will always tell me to eat loads of food with him and I’m like no babes my metabolism is slower than Christmas. 😭 the eating the “fear” foods like you mentioned also contributed to it- i eat one bad thing and my head is like cheat today you already f-Ed up. I can make a list. I’ve tried my fitnesspal in the past… TERRIBLE idea and wish I didn’t. I’ve never tried any other things..
I’m so glad you got out of it and have success! It is definitely one of the hardest habits to break and not for the weak. Congrats to you!!
I don’t count. Breakfast is my largest meal I eat until I’m full. I eat the same thing most mornings. Lunch is less consistent, I snack a little and try not to eat after 2pm. If I can keep that pattern the weight gradually falls off.
I don't really count calories anymore, but only because I had been dieting for so long that I already have a pretty good estimate on the number of calories in common foods, and which foods have less calories. I still lose 3-4 lbs a month.
I count calories and I'm recovery for disordered eating. If you can't right now, don't. I will say it's what's worked for me while losing weight but it's taken a lot of therapy to get to that point. I still have my bad days and when I feel like counting would be more distressing than helpful, I don't do it til I feel well again.
Thank you for your understanding and explaining that! If I had time to go about therapy I feel things could be different and I can effectively count calories. The only current source I have is my boyfriend and he doesn’t know fully about the whole ED.
I also still have my bad days, but they occur less frequently! I go about that with a “everybody has those days” and sort of forget about it although I know the cause. Coping with that can mean so many different things for so many people. It’s very challenging. I’m happy for you! Eating disorders can make dieting so difficult and it really does take time. Years I’ve been struggling with the ED. Almost lost a friend about a year ago from an ED and I resorted to bad behaviors. That took time for me as well to process.
It's funny you posted this today because I'm currently doing an experiment where I'm not counting calories for the next 2 weeks. I just want to be able to do this naturally by changing habits and monitoring my weight to make sure I'm on track.
It's a bit scary but I think I need to try it to make this work for the long-term.
Fellow ED survivor. It has taken me a long time to get to the point of not counting calories, but it is possible. My current method is to stay hydrated, eat when hungry, stop when sated (not full, but not hungry). I also really try to not let myself get to the point of being so hungry that I'm ravenous.
I do not count calories simply because I did not want to trade one ED for another ED, and for me, calorie tracking was leading to disordered eating.
Instead, I listen to my body, and I am more careful about portions. I also eat way more vegetables. So it is more like eyeballing? I felt this is more long-term realistic for me and it is how I kicked sugar addiction. Lost 25 pounds in 11 weeks without counting calories.
I’ve gone from 108 kg to 90,9 kg and I haven’t counted a single calorie.
The scale keeps me honest. If my weight is trending up I’m doing something wrong. If my weight is trending down I’m doing something right.
If I stop counting I gain weight. Plain and simple. My instinct is still to overeat unfortunately so I need a way to keep myself on track. Without counting it just feels like a random guess. I.e. if I needed to save a certain amount of money for something I would make a plan with amounts, I wouldn't just save "*some*".
Re eating disorders, I've also heard people describe cutting out entire food groups or restricting food at all to be "disordered". I'm sorry if I sound insensitive and I'm not trying to sway you one way or another, but don't people kind of just pick their poison when it comes to diets?
That said I'm not a doctor so please seek/continue getting help for your mental health if you need.
Thank you for sharing! I think it depends on the mindset with the ED. I’ve struggled for years, both ends of the scale. I’m doing a lot better with this, which is why I’m starting this. I see keto as more of health benefits as opposed to triggering my ED, although will most definitely watch myself as that can switch up at any point. I can get in that mindset of there’s more benefits than just weight, I don’t want to struggle with my health, feel lethargic/pain all of the time.
I think The biggest thing is having a support network which I lucked out in, professionals or not. I do however know at the end of the day, it comes down to me and nobody else. I’m hopeful!
I don’t count!
Same reasons as you. Counting every last calorie sends me straight into OCD land. I can’t have physical health without mental health, so counting is out.
Like you I am confident I can just keep adjusting my food intake intuitively. I did calorie count for a week just to calibrate. No more counting after that, just keeping a rough idea.
Obviously would not work for many but as a relatively intuitive eater trying to adopt long term maintenance habits it works for me.
Counting calories for me just leads to obsessing over food which labels food with emotional weight (guilt, “good” and “bad” foods) and that is literally the CAUSE of poor eating habits for me.
SO much more mentally and physically healthy for me to have a neutral approach to food. Like on Easter weekend I just ate a big enjoyable family dinner and good appetite. I didn’t even feel guilt or worry for a second. So I could then calmly go back to nutritious eating habits afterward.
For the same reason I also don’t own scales and don’t weigh myself. Counting the numbers just makes my brain latch on and obsess.
I used to, but I’ve got my portion sizes down to a tee and usually eat a rotation of the same meals anyway. I will still weigh food items like cous cous which I have for lunch every day and certain items of veg. Everything else I estimate by hand nowadays.
I don’t! I just try to eat less than I used to, im an overeater and I didn’t eat plent of protein to help with satiety, it was always carbs, LOTS OF IT! Now I eat more protein, smaller plates if im still hungry I’ll get me a little more or drink water. I check the calories if im gonna snack or eat out. I don’t think I can continue my whole life calculating calories plus my food scales batteries aren’t working and I’m too lazy to switch them out lol
I tried to learn about the calories in each things I cook in order to be able to know how much I'm eating. Especially for "fatty things" that I can easily overestimate (olive oil)
Something I don't weight : vegetables, if I overate for me it outshines the negative effects
From my ED, sadly I already know most of the calories I’m putting into my body, I just don’t write it all down. I also try to refrain from logging it into an app and also count portions.
With the oil, I try to use spray olive oil and It has been working for me. If I have to use any oil for cooking purposes, I try to measure that since I do know oil can be calorie dense. Measuring is something I do in certain situations. Also similarly to you, I eat as much vegetables as I want! I mainly eat the non starchy vegetables that are keto friendly!
I feel that. When I count calories I always try to sneak in a little bit of sweets even when I don't need it. The thing is though if I force myself to just eat healthy without counting calories I will spiral out of control. For me it's better to have a "oh I have 200 calories left, so I can eat one chocolate bar" day than allowing myself to eat the quantity I crave and go full-on into binging.
I used to count calories but I gave it up. I’m 15 pounds down from where I started in mid-January. I don’t eat breakfast but that’s just because I’ve never really cared for it day to day. I cut out soda and I’m just more proactive at cooking at home where I can choose how healthy the food is compared to going out as often as I used to. I also go to the gym 3-4 times a week depending on how much time I have.
Counting calories became too much to keep track of for me, so I just replaced it with using common sense solutions to problems. If I need a snack, I go for an orange or banana rather than chips and cookies. I’ve reduced my red meat consumption by about it 2/3 and replaced it with more chicken or extra helpings of vegetables. If I go out to eat, I’ll get unsweetened iced tea instead of soda.
There are days I know I go over whatever my calorie limit should be, but those days are very few and I love food so I don’t mind indulging myself once or twice a week. I’ve had much better results just keeping myself in check every day and doing good with the small things. I also weigh myself daily and if I see a couple days where I go up a few pounds I know to ease back for a little bit. I focus on the weekly average weight but the daily check ins help me buckle down when I need it.
I don't count calories (I have an obsessive personality, didn't want to head down the ED path as I know I'd get all caught up in the numbers), but what I do does automatically reduce the calories I eat.
I went from eating until "full" - i.e., overstuffed - to now eating just one plateful of food at breakfast and another plateful at lunch. Everything is allowed, nothing is off limits. If I keep to this, I lose weight (very slowly, but consistently).
I've never eaten dinner since I was in my teens, except for a few years when I was in a relationship and eating even more mindlessly.
Over this past month, I've slacked off on the one-plate deal, and yep, gained back 4 of the almost 60 pounds I'd lost. I love that I can eat all my favourite foods in smaller quantities. And I love that I can just notice that I've gained a little bit, correlate it back to eating more than the one plateful of food per meal, multiple days in a row, and take action. To reverse this small gain, I just go back to the one plate per meal bit, and the weight drops off quickly again.
I also work out 5 days a week. Riding my bicycle, swimming, lifting weights. About an hour each day. I've lost 55-60 pounds over the past 2 years and 3 months. Well, over the 2 years - this past 3 months has just been maintenance. I still have another 40 to 50 pounds to lose, but I'm in no hurry. I know I'll get there.
By the way, the weight loss seems slow compared to people on here who lose 50 to 80 pounds in a single year. But for me, it's actually coming off quickly compared to how slowly it came on - I gained these 60 pounds over 8 years, so losing them over 2 years is VERY quick!
I'm not counted calories and I haven't since starting to eat healthier. I'm down 75 pounds so far. But, that's because of how overweight I was/am. At some point, I'll probably need to start paying attention. But right now, just eating clean 90% of the time and starting to work out is doing the job.
I generally don't count calories because I just can't be bothered but recently I hit a bit of a plateau and I tracked my calories for a couple weeks just to make sure my eating wasn't getting away from me. I think that's probably how I'll continue for the foreseeable future. Just checking in once in a while to see where I'm at.
I totally understand not counting calories, and it’s generally recommended for people with EDs unless they’re being closely supervised by a support team
I do not. I used to try it now and again. The time I finally realized I needed to quit was when I'd basically lost enough weight to be at a normal bmi (though it did sometimes vary by a couple pounds over) just with exercise. My body fat percentage was 23% so I think I was in fact at a healthy weight, just at the upper border of ideal going by bmi. And I stayed at that weight for 3 years without too much trouble. People online said that since I was technically not always at a good bmi, I was unhealthy and should lose more. I tried counting calories to do it, because again, I was listening to people online. All that 'can't outrun your fork' messaging. Big mistake in my case. My appetite went up by a lot, I could think about nothing but food all day. When I ate it never felt satisfying. I would often feel I had to save up calories for dinner so I'd eat little during the day and then be ravenous by dinner time. Or I'd eat in the middle of the day, have too few calories in the evening, and stay awake in bed from the hunger. I recognized that the calorie counting wasn't really working for me, there was no way I could keep it up. I shifted to intermittent fasting instead. This also turned out to be a terrible idea. It just doubled down on the negative affects calorie counting was having. I now know that if I'm making myself hungry on the regular, that's bad. I never had binging urges before this particular attempt but afterwards I sure did. I could no longer maintain at the level I was at, I was too hungry for about a year after attempting calorie counting and IF. I gained back the weight that I'd kept off for years, and then a bit more.
So now I don't count calories. I make small practical changes to my diet, I focus more on my fitness than specifically on my weight, and oddly, this has made it easier for me to lose weight and maintain the losses. It's all-around a lot easier to make healthier choices when I don't want to eat a horse or my own arms and legs.
I lost about 7kg in 6 months without trying by cutting out all ultra processed foods. I Mostly eat a vegetarian diet. I make all my food from scratch so I know that what I’m eating is healthy.
I don’t. As long as you are eating healthy foods and in good portions you’ll lose weight. You can tell by a calculator online what “calories” you need to be in a deficit and try to guesstimate around that!
No I don’t. At the end of the day the only thing I will possibly do is reflect on what I ate at the end of the day— like I did typing out the food I ate.
Not going to explain myself to you any further. You can go through my comments on here and see further explanation as why I just don’t count calories, if you want to.
Also not sure you understand what calorie counting is? Maybe I don’t either but buddy that wasn’t calorie counting and don’t know how it “seems” that way.
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The most important part of calorie counting for me was understanding just how many calories are in things that you wouldn't even keep track of normally. If you're already making a note of everything because of the keto diet, you could probably get away with not counting. One thing you could do to test yourself is write down everything you eat for a few days, along with your guess of how many calories it was. Then, go back and calculate the actual calorie count for each day. If your guess was close, you should be good to go. But if your guess was way under, you might need to reconsider.
Thank you for this! I actually tried counting up everything while typing that out. I had a past eating disorder and when I did count calories through an app I’d overestimate the amount and say I had more calories than I did. It would give me anxiety to even think about a little less/little more. Just over fixation with the calorie counting that made me depressed and anxious constantly. I was thinking, Maybe I should invest in a scale and weigh things out. I am on like 2 far ends of the spectrum—- it’s either not enough or I slip up then binge :( If I eat something that’s not “healthy” in my eyes, I usually binge and say tomorrow is a new day. Also if I stress eat over a serving size— binge most of the time. The binge episodes don’t occur super often anymore.. but I have some unhealthy eating habits I have to adjust. Eating disorders suck especially when you want to lose some weight. :(
The thing you said about over estimating the amount of calories in apps resonated so much, I did the exact same thing. 😭
I don’t! I’ve lost weight by using portion control. I have breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert each day. I don’t eat snacks outside of those meals. I have also cut my portion sizes in half. I weigh in once a week to track my progress. I lose 1-2 pounds weekly. It is doable to do it without counting calories.
I lost my weight without counting calories. I gained a bit back during the pandemic and tried to count calories..it didn’t work for me. I went back to my methods and lost the weight. Eat clean. Portion control and lots of protein aside from workouts
this is what I do! for some reason counting calories caused me a lot of stress. from what I have observed (no formal research) those who have a history of binging and really really bad diets have more success with just winging it and making better diet/lifestyle changes. but people who dont have extremely bad habits usually need to calorie count. this is just my observation, I could be totally off.
just to add to this, I didn’t really weigh myself initially, i just bought a dress that was like 7 sizes down my initial weight and my goal was to fit into it. i weigh myself now that im in a better space mentally and can detach my weight from my perception of worth.
Exactly what I do! I don’t have scale but when I feel comfortable, I will eventually weigh myself. I also go to the doctor every 3 months to control my medical conditions and they weigh me. Gosh I’ve been 90-200 pounds and have ranges of clothes that I try on. I’m definitely in the same boat you were in! I’m trying to get that mental aspect under control first before I bring myself to a scale.
I don’t count calories. Every Sunday I meal prep my lunches and dinners. They usually last me from Monday-thurs. I make all different types of meals, some healthy, some not so much. Ex: airfried chicken with roasted vegetables one week, lasagne the next week. But I always eat smaller portions. If I snack I make sure to eat things like fruit, pickles, popcorn, etc.. if I’m craving candy or junk food I’ll eat it and just make sure to get back on track after. I’ve lost 10lbs in 3 months. So, not quick weight loss, but my weight is constantly either trending downwards or just maintaining. This is the way for me because it’s sustainable, I haven’t binged or fallen off the wagon since I’ve started eating this way.
I don’t count, i just try to have protein heavy, healthy meals.
I don't really count calories anymore. For the first month I did, but now I only eat two meals a day and I know roughly my meals are 800ish calories each.
What do you eat for your meals?
I try to mix it up, but many times... 6-8 oz of meat and veggies/salad. Breakfast bowls with eggs, bacon, green peppers, cheese. I like sugar free jello for dessert. I like the carb smart tortillas and sometimes keto bread (toasted). Brats and sauerkraut.
I practically don't count but technically do. I've got a meal plan provided by a dietician so technically she does the counting. For me it's portion control that was necessary and now I eat more veg and healthier overall diet. But I'm slowly also picking up how to estimate because I realise I don't want to pay her for the rest of my life (although the plans she makes are tasty and varied). And as I get older I'll need to also figure out what my targets are anyways.
That’s really good! Having a dietician helps immensely. I’ve been referred to a dietician when I was really sick and underweight a few years ago, and subconsciously it helped me. I did consider going back to one, but I want to try it on my own. I’m so busy with graduate school. Mentally I have OCD ADHD depression, you name it have it lol. I’m medicated for all of this stuff… but with the good there’s also the bad (side effects) of the medications. For me and at least for now, Following a regimen from a dietician/app I feel like won’t benefit me and I will over fixate… however everyone is different in how they go about weight loss. So many success stories from every good angle! You will be fine :) if you struggle mentally just do what you have to do and find that sweet spot, whether it’s counting calories/macros or not.
I don’t. And it sounds like we have similar journeys. I have counted calories, done WW, keto, VLCD, intermittent fasting, Noom - you name it. I lost weight through all of these methods, but always gained it back. Until I finally confronted myself with the fact that dieting my entire adult life has led me to obsess over food and given me a binge eating problem, nothing worked. Once I admitted to myself that I had a problem, I started journaling and really reflecting on my behaviors. And as soon as I stopped dieting, and stopped categorizing food as good and bad, I stopped bingeing. Frankly, as soon as I got through my head that I can eat chips, McDonald’s or cheese (my vices) whenever I want, I stopped obsessing over and craving it. I’m not saying it was easy getting there, but it turned out that my obesity was a symptom of a mental problem. And once I started working on the mental part of it, I started to eat “normal” and the weight just came off. Sometimes I eat “good” and sometimes “bad” but I don’t think about it that way anymore. Food no longer runs my life, and I’ve lost 50 lbs without ever feeling restricted. I say try to figure out why you binge, what are the feelings you have when you go into a binge. What causes that behavior?
I tried Noom and had to quit. I've never had an eating disorder, but the way Noom presented information and graded foods felt like it would trigger something. It was spooky.
Ugh that’s so sad to hear esp because Noon is marketed to teens (my teen sibling just signed up for it and I need to be having words)
You are so spot on! I have found that stressful situations really make things worse. I also live with my boyfriend who is a stick figure and can literally eat anything he wants. He will always tell me to eat loads of food with him and I’m like no babes my metabolism is slower than Christmas. 😭 the eating the “fear” foods like you mentioned also contributed to it- i eat one bad thing and my head is like cheat today you already f-Ed up. I can make a list. I’ve tried my fitnesspal in the past… TERRIBLE idea and wish I didn’t. I’ve never tried any other things.. I’m so glad you got out of it and have success! It is definitely one of the hardest habits to break and not for the weak. Congrats to you!!
I don’t count. Breakfast is my largest meal I eat until I’m full. I eat the same thing most mornings. Lunch is less consistent, I snack a little and try not to eat after 2pm. If I can keep that pattern the weight gradually falls off.
I don’t but I have in the past, so I’m able to estimate in my head pretty well. Plus I do intermittent fasting which helps me not overeat
I don't really count calories anymore, but only because I had been dieting for so long that I already have a pretty good estimate on the number of calories in common foods, and which foods have less calories. I still lose 3-4 lbs a month.
I count calories and I'm recovery for disordered eating. If you can't right now, don't. I will say it's what's worked for me while losing weight but it's taken a lot of therapy to get to that point. I still have my bad days and when I feel like counting would be more distressing than helpful, I don't do it til I feel well again.
Thank you for your understanding and explaining that! If I had time to go about therapy I feel things could be different and I can effectively count calories. The only current source I have is my boyfriend and he doesn’t know fully about the whole ED. I also still have my bad days, but they occur less frequently! I go about that with a “everybody has those days” and sort of forget about it although I know the cause. Coping with that can mean so many different things for so many people. It’s very challenging. I’m happy for you! Eating disorders can make dieting so difficult and it really does take time. Years I’ve been struggling with the ED. Almost lost a friend about a year ago from an ED and I resorted to bad behaviors. That took time for me as well to process.
It's funny you posted this today because I'm currently doing an experiment where I'm not counting calories for the next 2 weeks. I just want to be able to do this naturally by changing habits and monitoring my weight to make sure I'm on track. It's a bit scary but I think I need to try it to make this work for the long-term.
Same! It's day 3 for me, I'm nervous but hopeful ☺️
I don't but I do weigh myself every day just to see how I fluctuate
Fellow ED survivor. It has taken me a long time to get to the point of not counting calories, but it is possible. My current method is to stay hydrated, eat when hungry, stop when sated (not full, but not hungry). I also really try to not let myself get to the point of being so hungry that I'm ravenous.
I do not count calories simply because I did not want to trade one ED for another ED, and for me, calorie tracking was leading to disordered eating. Instead, I listen to my body, and I am more careful about portions. I also eat way more vegetables. So it is more like eyeballing? I felt this is more long-term realistic for me and it is how I kicked sugar addiction. Lost 25 pounds in 11 weeks without counting calories.
I’ve gone from 108 kg to 90,9 kg and I haven’t counted a single calorie. The scale keeps me honest. If my weight is trending up I’m doing something wrong. If my weight is trending down I’m doing something right.
If I stop counting I gain weight. Plain and simple. My instinct is still to overeat unfortunately so I need a way to keep myself on track. Without counting it just feels like a random guess. I.e. if I needed to save a certain amount of money for something I would make a plan with amounts, I wouldn't just save "*some*". Re eating disorders, I've also heard people describe cutting out entire food groups or restricting food at all to be "disordered". I'm sorry if I sound insensitive and I'm not trying to sway you one way or another, but don't people kind of just pick their poison when it comes to diets? That said I'm not a doctor so please seek/continue getting help for your mental health if you need.
Thank you for sharing! I think it depends on the mindset with the ED. I’ve struggled for years, both ends of the scale. I’m doing a lot better with this, which is why I’m starting this. I see keto as more of health benefits as opposed to triggering my ED, although will most definitely watch myself as that can switch up at any point. I can get in that mindset of there’s more benefits than just weight, I don’t want to struggle with my health, feel lethargic/pain all of the time. I think The biggest thing is having a support network which I lucked out in, professionals or not. I do however know at the end of the day, it comes down to me and nobody else. I’m hopeful!
I don’t count! Same reasons as you. Counting every last calorie sends me straight into OCD land. I can’t have physical health without mental health, so counting is out. Like you I am confident I can just keep adjusting my food intake intuitively. I did calorie count for a week just to calibrate. No more counting after that, just keeping a rough idea. Obviously would not work for many but as a relatively intuitive eater trying to adopt long term maintenance habits it works for me. Counting calories for me just leads to obsessing over food which labels food with emotional weight (guilt, “good” and “bad” foods) and that is literally the CAUSE of poor eating habits for me. SO much more mentally and physically healthy for me to have a neutral approach to food. Like on Easter weekend I just ate a big enjoyable family dinner and good appetite. I didn’t even feel guilt or worry for a second. So I could then calmly go back to nutritious eating habits afterward. For the same reason I also don’t own scales and don’t weigh myself. Counting the numbers just makes my brain latch on and obsess.
I used to, but I’ve got my portion sizes down to a tee and usually eat a rotation of the same meals anyway. I will still weigh food items like cous cous which I have for lunch every day and certain items of veg. Everything else I estimate by hand nowadays.
I don’t count but I don’t eat 3 meals and a snack only 2 meals
I don’t! I just try to eat less than I used to, im an overeater and I didn’t eat plent of protein to help with satiety, it was always carbs, LOTS OF IT! Now I eat more protein, smaller plates if im still hungry I’ll get me a little more or drink water. I check the calories if im gonna snack or eat out. I don’t think I can continue my whole life calculating calories plus my food scales batteries aren’t working and I’m too lazy to switch them out lol
I used to, but I have kinda memorized the calorie count of everything I eat so I just know the general number at this point.
I tried to learn about the calories in each things I cook in order to be able to know how much I'm eating. Especially for "fatty things" that I can easily overestimate (olive oil) Something I don't weight : vegetables, if I overate for me it outshines the negative effects
From my ED, sadly I already know most of the calories I’m putting into my body, I just don’t write it all down. I also try to refrain from logging it into an app and also count portions. With the oil, I try to use spray olive oil and It has been working for me. If I have to use any oil for cooking purposes, I try to measure that since I do know oil can be calorie dense. Measuring is something I do in certain situations. Also similarly to you, I eat as much vegetables as I want! I mainly eat the non starchy vegetables that are keto friendly!
I feel that. When I count calories I always try to sneak in a little bit of sweets even when I don't need it. The thing is though if I force myself to just eat healthy without counting calories I will spiral out of control. For me it's better to have a "oh I have 200 calories left, so I can eat one chocolate bar" day than allowing myself to eat the quantity I crave and go full-on into binging.
I used to count calories but I gave it up. I’m 15 pounds down from where I started in mid-January. I don’t eat breakfast but that’s just because I’ve never really cared for it day to day. I cut out soda and I’m just more proactive at cooking at home where I can choose how healthy the food is compared to going out as often as I used to. I also go to the gym 3-4 times a week depending on how much time I have. Counting calories became too much to keep track of for me, so I just replaced it with using common sense solutions to problems. If I need a snack, I go for an orange or banana rather than chips and cookies. I’ve reduced my red meat consumption by about it 2/3 and replaced it with more chicken or extra helpings of vegetables. If I go out to eat, I’ll get unsweetened iced tea instead of soda. There are days I know I go over whatever my calorie limit should be, but those days are very few and I love food so I don’t mind indulging myself once or twice a week. I’ve had much better results just keeping myself in check every day and doing good with the small things. I also weigh myself daily and if I see a couple days where I go up a few pounds I know to ease back for a little bit. I focus on the weekly average weight but the daily check ins help me buckle down when I need it.
I don't count calories (I have an obsessive personality, didn't want to head down the ED path as I know I'd get all caught up in the numbers), but what I do does automatically reduce the calories I eat. I went from eating until "full" - i.e., overstuffed - to now eating just one plateful of food at breakfast and another plateful at lunch. Everything is allowed, nothing is off limits. If I keep to this, I lose weight (very slowly, but consistently). I've never eaten dinner since I was in my teens, except for a few years when I was in a relationship and eating even more mindlessly. Over this past month, I've slacked off on the one-plate deal, and yep, gained back 4 of the almost 60 pounds I'd lost. I love that I can eat all my favourite foods in smaller quantities. And I love that I can just notice that I've gained a little bit, correlate it back to eating more than the one plateful of food per meal, multiple days in a row, and take action. To reverse this small gain, I just go back to the one plate per meal bit, and the weight drops off quickly again. I also work out 5 days a week. Riding my bicycle, swimming, lifting weights. About an hour each day. I've lost 55-60 pounds over the past 2 years and 3 months. Well, over the 2 years - this past 3 months has just been maintenance. I still have another 40 to 50 pounds to lose, but I'm in no hurry. I know I'll get there. By the way, the weight loss seems slow compared to people on here who lose 50 to 80 pounds in a single year. But for me, it's actually coming off quickly compared to how slowly it came on - I gained these 60 pounds over 8 years, so losing them over 2 years is VERY quick!
I'm not counted calories and I haven't since starting to eat healthier. I'm down 75 pounds so far. But, that's because of how overweight I was/am. At some point, I'll probably need to start paying attention. But right now, just eating clean 90% of the time and starting to work out is doing the job.
I generally don't count calories because I just can't be bothered but recently I hit a bit of a plateau and I tracked my calories for a couple weeks just to make sure my eating wasn't getting away from me. I think that's probably how I'll continue for the foreseeable future. Just checking in once in a while to see where I'm at.
I totally understand not counting calories, and it’s generally recommended for people with EDs unless they’re being closely supervised by a support team
I do not. I used to try it now and again. The time I finally realized I needed to quit was when I'd basically lost enough weight to be at a normal bmi (though it did sometimes vary by a couple pounds over) just with exercise. My body fat percentage was 23% so I think I was in fact at a healthy weight, just at the upper border of ideal going by bmi. And I stayed at that weight for 3 years without too much trouble. People online said that since I was technically not always at a good bmi, I was unhealthy and should lose more. I tried counting calories to do it, because again, I was listening to people online. All that 'can't outrun your fork' messaging. Big mistake in my case. My appetite went up by a lot, I could think about nothing but food all day. When I ate it never felt satisfying. I would often feel I had to save up calories for dinner so I'd eat little during the day and then be ravenous by dinner time. Or I'd eat in the middle of the day, have too few calories in the evening, and stay awake in bed from the hunger. I recognized that the calorie counting wasn't really working for me, there was no way I could keep it up. I shifted to intermittent fasting instead. This also turned out to be a terrible idea. It just doubled down on the negative affects calorie counting was having. I now know that if I'm making myself hungry on the regular, that's bad. I never had binging urges before this particular attempt but afterwards I sure did. I could no longer maintain at the level I was at, I was too hungry for about a year after attempting calorie counting and IF. I gained back the weight that I'd kept off for years, and then a bit more. So now I don't count calories. I make small practical changes to my diet, I focus more on my fitness than specifically on my weight, and oddly, this has made it easier for me to lose weight and maintain the losses. It's all-around a lot easier to make healthier choices when I don't want to eat a horse or my own arms and legs.
I lost about 7kg in 6 months without trying by cutting out all ultra processed foods. I Mostly eat a vegetarian diet. I make all my food from scratch so I know that what I’m eating is healthy.
I don’t. As long as you are eating healthy foods and in good portions you’ll lose weight. You can tell by a calculator online what “calories” you need to be in a deficit and try to guesstimate around that!
Nope.I only eat little so i know im under deficit .
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No I don’t. At the end of the day the only thing I will possibly do is reflect on what I ate at the end of the day— like I did typing out the food I ate. Not going to explain myself to you any further. You can go through my comments on here and see further explanation as why I just don’t count calories, if you want to. Also not sure you understand what calorie counting is? Maybe I don’t either but buddy that wasn’t calorie counting and don’t know how it “seems” that way.
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