I hear a lot of people having success with counting calories. But I am wondering if there is just as good of success with eating better and smaller portions?
Looks like we have close to the same starting and goal! I am trying the eating better and watching portion sizes while counting calories when I remember to. I am not far enough along to know if its the best equation but I think its a smart avenue, especially if its just the beginning, retraining yourself I guess? That's what I'm doing.
Yes you can succeed that way, so long as you know what a proper portion of foods is. Get smaller plates, fill it halfway with veggies, eat veeeeeerrrry slowly, don't go back for seconds. Drink water and put your fork or spoon down in between. Really taste and chew the food. Don't eat while distracted. It helps when starting something like that to know what proper portion sizes are, and weighing/measuring food helps, as does counting calories until you get the hang of it. Picking foods high in nutrients and low in calories is important. Cook stuff yourself, because restaurant food is usually richer than what you would cook. And obviously you won't be able to eat as much creamy pasta as lettuce, so common sense plays in some, too.
I kind of do this, too. But my focus has been on whole foods, lots of veggies and fresh fruit, nuts, legumes, and a few whole grains like steel cut oats and quinoa. But I cut out bread and pasta altogether, because I cannot control myself when I eat these things.
Sorry- I am rambling now. Buy yeah, I think it's totally possible, so long as you are mindful of what you are truly eating. Even writing down what you eat if you don't count calories might help. Seeing it makes it real. If you think about it, you have to do this forever, so if a more intuitive portion control plan works, use it. Long term is what we are aiming for anyway.
I'm trying this right now. I just started Thursday so no results that I can see but how I feel is another story...no more counting (I love it..this is HUGE), so not restricted or controlled, no urges AT ALL for binging or sweets or snacks, no more obsessing over food.
I eat the same bfast every day, the same lunch, and change up dinner so I can have some flexibility for eating out or foods I enjoy..my only rule with that is to have one serving, reasonable portions and try to aim for veggies as a side. I don't count calories. I guess my plan is one of trial and error since I can't report results - yet. But I've tried other plans involving counting or restriction and while it works at first I can never stick to those. I decided to try something I know I can stick with. I think eating the same foods for the two meals is helpful for me since it takes away choices (with too many I can often make the wrong one!) but still allows me to relax and enjoy my favorite foods at dinner.
I never had luck with just eating well and attempting portion control. I lost weight with calorie counting, but in maintenance, I would always stop CCing, then fail to maintain by eating well/eyeballing. I am trying to lose/maintain now without CCing but with an eating window and food rules that naturally result in my eating fewer calories.
Try watching what you eat and see what happens. If you can lose weight by just watching what you eat, more power to you. If not, try to find an approach that you think you will be able to stick with in the long run so that you can keep the weight off after you lose it. For some people, just watching what they eat works well to lose weight and maintain, but not for me. For some people, CCing works well both for weight loss and maintenance, but not for me.
I am wondering if there is just as good of success with eating better and smaller portions?
Yes. It definitely helps to eat better and in smaller portions. That is working for me right now. Of course, it works better if you are used to eat unhealthy foods like junk food, sodas, sweets, etc.
However, you will get to a point where you HAVE to count calories since you will drop extra pounds and then the "eating better and smaller portions" will not work anymore.
And that's because you have dropped pounds and possibly what you eat is not low enough as to have a calorie deficit, which is what you need to lose weight. By that time, you have to start counting calories and keep track of them.
Right now, I'm not counting calories. But I know that if I stop losing weight at a certain point, I need to start counting.
Yes this is exactly how i started losing my 100 pounds. Just portion controlling and it will get you somewhere. Then i started counting calories and became aware of how many calories are in foods and began to eat lower calorie, more nutritionally dense foods.
Many, many years ago (about 20), I got down to the lowest weight of my adult life by eating three reasonable meals a day, with only fruit in-between (no seconds, no desserts). In fact, it was sort of like the No-S plan (Google it) except that I had only rare occasions in which I allowed myself to eat sweets (which ultimately was the main problem with the plan). That plan had several advantages: It was very easy and convenient because I did not need to buy special foods and could eat anything, anywhere. So, if I went to a special function, I could eat whatever savory food was being served, as long as my portions were moderate.
Even though I was on that plan for nearly two years, I ultimately regained all the weight I lost because I didn't have a plan for incorporating regular sweet treats . . . which wasn't a good idea since sweets are my favorite thing to eat. Eventually, I rebelled against that and started eating every "bad" food in sight.
Now, I calorie count. I've been maintaining my weight loss for about 2 1/2 years (June will be three years since I started my plan). Even though calorie counting is not quite as easy and convenient as the three-meal-a-day plan, at least I can regularly incorporate treats, which I believe has kept me on program so long. Besides, with all the smartphone apps for calorie counting now, it is SO much easier than in the past.
I think this should work really really well if you keep a detailed food log. Basically its partly what i do.
I count calories occasionally and try to set up what i eat to meet a certain calorie requirement but i don't count my calories most days. I prefer not to really but when i am curious about a meal or a day or a food, i might check up the calories on it.
Basically between the scales and my food log, i have a pretty good idea of how i'm going and its working well for me.
Initially i wanted to know my calories and what i should be aiming for so that i could set the agenda.
With regard to the scales you have to learn to watch them with a degree of detachment and lack of anxiety because they do not go down every day and can go up for days on end. But someone here once gave the great tip of averaging your daily weigh ins over a week.
I don't do that either but i register each new low. If it were going up a lot and continuously then i would know i had to reduce.
I think part of the reason my approach works for me is because i eat the same sort of foods all the time and know approximately their calorie values. I know that cheese has a lot so i don't eat too much of it. I know that fruit has few so i eat a lot and ditto vegetables. I know i need milk and yoghurt for calcium so i try to eat enough of that.
I don't go overboard with butter and oils and nuts and other high calorie foods.
So this is how it goes with me.
1. keep a detailed food log, recording quantities of ingredients
2. weigh every day but don't stress about it. There are many reasons why the scale goes up.
If you are exercising as well, remember that most of this weight loss business should be managed with your diet not by increasing your exercise. So if you are not getting the results adjust your food first.
Many, many years ago (about 20), I got down to the lowest weight of my adult life by eating three reasonable meals a day, with only fruit in-between (no seconds, no desserts). In fact, it was sort of like the No-S plan (Google it) except that I had only rare occasions in which I allowed myself to eat sweets (which ultimately was the main problem with the plan). That plan had several advantages: It was very easy and convenient because I did not need to buy special foods and could eat anything, anywhere. So, if I went to a special function, I could eat whatever savory food was being served, as long as my portions were moderate.
Even though I was on that plan for nearly two years, I ultimately regained all the weight I lost because I didn't have a plan for incorporating regular sweet treats . . . which wasn't a good idea since sweets are my favorite thing to eat. Eventually, I rebelled against that and started eating every "bad" food in sight.
Now, I calorie count. I've been maintaining my weight loss for about 2 1/2 years (June will be three years since I started my plan). Even though calorie counting is not quite as easy and convenient as the three-meal-a-day plan, at least I can regularly incorporate treats, which I believe has kept me on program so long. Besides, with all the smartphone apps for calorie counting now, it is SO much easier than in the past.
Ha...I actually tried the No S plan last summer. It seemed like an amazing idea then since my biggest issue is sweets. The first week, M-F, went great! But then came the "S" days and once I was free to have those sweets again there was just no going back. Sweets are my biggest downfall, if I abstain completely (which I tried also recently) there is only a matter of time before I break and have one. It never gets easier...I just think about them more and more, obsessively. Anyway, your post interested me since I am now doing a three meal a day plan yet not as restrictive as No S Diet. Hoping the results will be better too!
So if the No sweets plan didn't work for you because you could have them once a week, then you need to think about why you fall for them. Its not going to get any easier if you follow a program that allows you to eat them more often/freely.
You need to change your mindset around sweets.
I think if you KNOW you will be having some at a set time from time to time, you will probably obsess about that occasion coming up. The thing is to learn to like living without sweets.
In my approach i can have them but its more or less always dependent on someone else so i cannot predict when sweet time will be. And when i do go with it, i have to prime myself mentally to not let the occasion become a trigger for eating more.
I have tested myself twice since January. Both times its gone well. Perhaps i feel more committed because i am older now and have eaten so much more sweets in my life than you've had a chance to yet. And i know i've had enough.
I had to do a lot of thinking and processing to get properly into gear with my mind. The first times and even this time, that i started my diets thinking i'm quitting sweets, i still had to find a level of commitment that would take care of the future. It came but it in its own time. It has to come from deep within you. If you are not ready for this, chances are you won't be able to go with this route. Something as big as quitting sweets from your diet for nearly all the time, requires a deep commitment, when you have a sweet tooth and a history of habitual overeating them.
So if you are not ready for that, then let the idea go and just find a way that you can live with. Make some rules for yourself around sweets. Rules that you think you can keep for a long time and rules that you want to keep. If you don't want it, then you won't be able to do it.
On the occasions when you do eat them, you have to prime yourself that you can only have the one serve and won't have any more afterwards. The mental priming is really important.
And if you find yourself obsessing about sweet foods, then you have to deal with that. Either banish the thoughts, try to figure out why you may be craving/obsessing - are you hungry? stressed? tired? anxious? bored? depressed? etc. And decide whether you are going to deal with the actual situation using appropriate action or keep punishing yourself with the obsessing and lose the battle. You can change the way you think. But you need to recognise that' you have a choice.
I know that when i am really down, i get into a mental negative groove and although i know that with some effort, i could push the negative thoughts away, i actually choose to keep on going with them because i don't want to make the effort. Even though those negative thoughts hurt so much. I usually end up phoning a telephone counsellor until i am tired and can sleep.
so with sweet/food obsessing its the same. You have choices. Keep doing what hurts the most - obsessing until you give up and give in, or take alternative action.
Ha...I actually tried the No S plan last summer. It seemed like an amazing idea then since my biggest issue is sweets. The first week, M-F, went great! But then came the "S" days and once I was free to have those sweets again there was just no going back. Sweets are my biggest downfall, if I abstain completely (which I tried also recently) there is only a matter of time before I break and have one. It never gets easier...I just think about them more and more, obsessively. Anyway, your post interested me since I am now doing a three meal a day plan yet not as restrictive as No S Diet. Hoping the results will be better too!
That's great ---would you mind sharing what you're doing? As I mentioned, I've been maintaining for approx. 2 1/2 years now. From Jan - Mar., though, I slid a little off track because I kept taking nibbles of everything---and nibbled myself up 5 lbs. I put the brakes on that a few weeks ago and feel so much more in control. Also, I have made a rule with myself that unless it's a special occasion, I will try to refrain from sweets on Sunday - Thursday, but on Friday & Saturday my treat is to eat three small cupcakes from a local bakery for breakfast (three on Friday, three on Saturday). I'm finding that this is working well for me. I also think it works well because I'm still not eating sweets after dinner (unless I go out to eat at a fine dining restaurant). I find that if I get into the habit of not having dessert after dinner, it is much easier for me to stay within my calories, and after a few days, I don't even crave the sweets after dinner. So, I'm hoping this new balance will work out.
Hah the No S plan! I tried that a few years ago after baby #2. I did lose weight but then I got pregnant so Im not sure if it was sustainable. But, I didn't do the whole no sweets thing. Like I have said before, if I tell myself I can't have it any time I want it, then I WANT it bad. So, I just made my sweets part of my meal. ( you know my one helping no seconds meal) It also helped with portion control on the sweets as well. No eating a whole box of cookies. Eventually since I was letting myself eat treats whenever I wanted them, I stopped wanting them as badly and soon I really was only eating them on the weekend or more special occasions. It was a gradual process but I have learned the hard way I absolutely can't tell myself I can't eat anything. Other people can, but that doesn't work for me long term.
Last edited by Pinkhippie; 05-10-2014 at 03:26 PM.
. . . I have learned the hard way I absolutely can't tell myself I can't eat anything. Other people can, but that doesn't work for me long term.
And that's the important thing to realize: We're all individuals, so what may work well for some may not work well for others. Just because something works for most people doesn't mean something is wrong with us if it doesn't work for us. For instance, I have absolutely no problem calorie counting. I don't find it a chore at all. My sister, though, hates it. Again, different strokes.
I hear a lot of people having success with counting calories. But I am wondering if there is just as good of success with eating better and smaller portions?
I think it's a question of how knowledgeable you are about food. Are your proportions correct without weighing/measuring? Can you read a recipe and estimate the nutrition values? Can you create a daily menu that is balanced in nutrients and meets your diet goals without using any food logging tools? Are you able to match a "splurge meal" with a more on-plan meal so that your numbers for the day are still correct?
If you can't answer yes to these questions, I think counting and logging is a better choice than just winging it.
Mainly watching what you eat
