I'm not even close to being a maintainer yet, but I do calorie counting and had a question for you maintainers.
Now, I log my calories on DailyPlate down to the last detail (I don't weigh, I have eyeballed all my portions from the beginning but tend to overestimate a hair just in case), but lately I've become so comfortable with estimating calories I've just started logging in my phone a day at a time and only looking online for foods I don't know the calorie counts for yet, and I've been doing overall estimations for everything (always rounding up just in case though!). I know I can NEVER stop counting calories entirely, because I need that overall "number" to keep me in check, but it does seem like maybe I don't have to log each and every food I eat online anymore, but rather just keep track of the total calories day-by-day in my phone and make sure I haven't gone over 2000.
I'm wondering if this is a bad idea, so I thought the best place to ask would be the maintainers forum! For all you calorie counting maintainers, how do you count your calories now, and how has it changed from when you initially started counting them?
For me, it's the same. I have FitDay records for most days going back from when I started. It's part of my routine, and I just do it out of habit now. So it's just the same as I used to.
I share my food plan in our accountability thread, too...both are useful for keeping me on track!
I am not a maintainer in the sense that I've lost all my excess weight BUT I have maintained a significant weight loss and I'm continuing to lose- albeit at a slow pace.
I think the 'right' answer here is simple. It's whatever works for YOU based on your personality etc. I am ADD. That makes me pleasure seeking and impulsive and I get REALLY bored with repetitive seemingly meaningless detail. I may also have PCOS (I say may because I don't think I got a good diagnosis- I DON'T think I have it). IF I have it, it makes it hard to lose and maintain weight loss. I am the personality type LEAST likely to lose weight and maintain a loss.
In the past, I've tried to overcome my personality and force myself to do daily tracking of every calorie. I can and do do this for a day or two at a time as a way to 'check' myself but absolutely cannot live this way day in and day out. My sister, who is my personality opposite, thrives on having this kind of detailed data and derives satisfaction from logging it.
After failing to turn myself into someone else entirely in order to lose weight MANY times, I finally decided to start working WITH my traits instead of against them. It's there that I have found a balance that is sustainable for me and I'm succeeding against odds that are even greater than the average.
The point is you have to know yourself enough to know what is workable for you based on your natural personality. Every 'fault' has a 'work around' solution if you commit yourself to finding that solution instead of trying to fight your hard wired personality.
For many people, calorie counting everyday IS a natural outlet to their detail-oriented or organized personalities so it works well for them. For others, intuitive eating is the way to go EVEN THOUGH it has more potential pitfalls. The best thing to do is whatever solution is closest to keeping with your natural personality because you'll be most likely to 'stick' to it.
I no longer routinely log my calories. That being said, I KNOW the calorie counts in virtually everything I eat and I DO add them up in my head every day.
I still weigh my foods periodically to make sure my portions are exactly what I think they are. So far, I am still spot-on.
Now, IF my weight creeps up to my red line, then I am back logging every BLT and everything else.
I also still weigh daily so that I can take corrective action immediately before I stray too far from my goal.
It sounds cumbersome, but it has just become part of my routine. It is so natural, that I don't even think about it any more. And, truthfully - I will do WHATEVER it takes to stay here - I never want to go back. ALL efforts are worth it!
Last edited by CountingDown; 07-17-2009 at 07:45 PM.
Mine are exactly the same now as when I was losing. I log every day into The Daily Plate, I still weigh and measure. Some things I can eyeball a little bit, but I still track. Like Amanda, it has become a habit for me. I also post my food on the accountability thread, which helps keep me honest.
I am basically maintaining now and I still count my calories same as when I was losing. I think it depends on individual but I just know from my past experience that I do not have a natural gauge to tell me when I am full so if I don't count calories then I will eat beyond what I need. Also, it's amazing all the sneaky calories I will take in during the day when I am not counting exactly what I eat.
Also, it's amazing all the sneaky calories I will take in during the day when I am not counting exactly what I eat.
This is my issue as well. It begins "the creep." Soon enough my scale numbers head upwards.
So, I will try to do a head count of calories thru the day but I know that I am waaay more accountable if I am charting in the daily plate and checking in here.
After having counted calories for so many years, I have a pretty good idea of how many calories are in most foods. That said, I no longer log my calories, but when planning a meal, I think over the previous meals I've consumed that day so I have a guesstimate as to how many calories I can afford for that meal. I also try to keep certain meals at certain calorie totals (for example, lunch I try to keep at under 400 and dinner under 600). I also try to incorporate more vegetables into every meal because they are so low in calories yet still filling.
In addition to weighing myself everyday, I input my daily weight on google15 & take my measurements once a month.
I used to log every calorie in Fitday.com while I was losing weight & about 6 months into maintenance. Since I ate pretty much the same foods most of the time, I decided to finally stop Fitday (not w/o reservations) & instead made up an excel spreadsheet with all of the foods I normally consume & their calorie count (about 3 pages). I make sure I review & update this spreadsheet monthly.
Question for maintainers about calorie counting
