Diet head and reactionary/rebellious junk food eating kick in when I start writing down what I eat, counting calories, etc.

I'm willing to CUT my calories, but I'm not so eager to start tracking things in detail again.

The only thing I like to track in detail is how many steps I take per day. I love my pedometer.

Anyway, has anyone lost an appreciable amount of weight without writing stuff down, counting calories, just by reducing the amounts you eat---or is it close to impossible to lose more than 50lbs unless you do write and count?

I would definitely say it's not impossible. ANYthing is possible. But for many, it's just too easy to sneak in an extra bite here, a couple of nibbles there, etc.. It's that COUNTING that puts the brakes on. Like having a budget. Keeps one in check. It's built in accountability and forced portion control.

I was MORE then WILLING to count my calories. I had had more then enough of being overweight, underproductive, unenergetic, sedentary, worried, miserable, and unhealthy. I believe it's time well spent as it provides a fit, trim, healthy and happy me. I don't look at it as a burden at ALL. Just like I don't look at showering and brushing my teeth as burdens. It's just part of my daily routine to keep me fit, healthy and sound. It's freed me up to have the life I've always dreamed of - only better. MUCH better.

I think it depends on you personally. Some people swear by counting every calorie, writing it all down, and others don't. I personally watch my calorie intake, but I don't write it down or count every single bite. I lose weight just fine, but I will say that the most success I have had came during times where I was active, eating healthy, and just positive in spirit and mind. That is me though...

I do pay attention to what I eat and how much. I do pay attention to serving sizes, fat, and I do pay attention to calories. I just don't count every single bite. I did try writing things down, but it doesn't work for me personally. But some people have great success logging and counting their food. It just depends on you in the end.

Saying that though, in the beginning of my journey I was more into counting and things. I think it was important that I did count as I was learning and starting something new for me. I just reached a point where I took a different path, but it took me a year to get to where I am now.

What you are talking about is more in the intuitive eating way of thinking. I think they still have a thread somewhere, Chicks in Control or something like that. You might fine an answer for your question there. Good luck whatever you decide to do.

I went from 295 to 243 without doing anything beyond 1) not putting sugar in my coffee - I only drink one cup a day, and 2) just in general paying more attention to my choices (which includes reading labels and being aware, in a general way, of what I put in my body).

After about two years I gained 15 lbs. Now I still don't count calories, but I do write things down, weigh myself almost every morning, and read labels.

I don't count calories because I'm afraid of getting too obsessed with food. Combined with my Olympic-gold-medal-caliber self-sabotage, this is a real risk area for me.

I might lose weight faster if I did it another way, but this more or less works for me. Granted, I'm aware that I may have to do things differently when I get closer to goal.

Just a correction, Intuitive Eating is in General Diet Plans.

I lost my first 30 pounds that way - I didn't count them, I just made sure I had less of them, a LOT less.

I would have McDonald's & Dairy Queen each weekend - gone
I would eat chocolate/chips/treats after dinner - gone

Everything else was pretty much the same (i was always a big eater of salads and fruits). Dropped 30 lbs just cutting that crap out.

Then the scales stopped going dowwnnnnnnnn automatically each week, so I had to slash some calories here and there and the only way to see where to do it was to count them up and see what i could live without.

I still keep a tally - some days in my head but mostly on a little notepad in my purse - just in case...it's soooooooo easy to add 100s without even noticing!

i like a motto from here 'you bite it you write it' hehehe but that's just me, i'm sure lots get by just fine without it!

Thank you, Bunnababy. I do read that thread too, and guess that I'm kind of in the middle between two approaches. I very much believe in the non-diet approach, yet I also want to purposely do something to nudge myself into more active losing because the way I eat right now is terrible. I could live on breads, baked goods, chips, and candy. Doing pure intuitive eating hasn't worked real well for me in a weight loss sense. It does help me maintain where I am, when I don't care whether or not I'm losing.

I have a real problem with black and white, perfectionistic thinking. That's why being obsessive about counting and writing stuff down usually makes me worse off than what I was. Maybe it's all in my mindset though, and I'll need to take a different approach in order to get some different results.

I'm glad to see that several of you haven't had to track things down to the finest detail in order to lose. That's probably the way I'll do it too, at least at first, until I find out what works for me.

I've lost 150 lbs and I've never counted calories. I have had days of counting calories just to give myself an idea but I've never counted calories for more than a couple days at a time.

I think its possible, I've had a few good weeks where I didn't actually count or write anything down, but kept my portions under control, and I lost. And then other times I have to count, because I get out of hand, and eat too much.

It's different for everyone. Personally? I can't count calories, I just can't. It makes me mean, overwhelmed, and overly-obsessive. And thinking about having to count calories every day for the rest of my life? That just depresses me. What I'm doing now is something I can see myself doing for the rest of my life.

I do check labels for calories and nutrition. I check online sources for nutrition info so I know my options when going out to eat. I actually still eat fast food, but have altered my choices and proportions while making sure it's not something I have very often.

I no longer drink soda (not even diet), I watch my meal portions, I have snacks, I focus on fresh fruits, veggies, lean meats, and whole grains. I don't keep what I consider junk food in the house. In other words, I carry an awareness and a willingness to be accountable.

And here I am with a 95 pound loss.

If you have more than 50lbs to lose and just starting out you can probably get away with just cutting down, as long as you aren't lying to yourself, like the sneaking a bite here and there and watching what you eat when eating out or fast food.

They say the last 10-30 pounds are the hardest to lose, and that's when I feel you need to start counting more and being more accurate, atleast for me.

Yes, I read "Intuitive Eating" when the book first came out. I've also done "Overcoming Overeating", and several others of that sort. I credit this approach with getting over a compulsive eating habit that I had years ago.

I think the problem I'm having with the intuitive eating approach right now is that it's SO slow--and if you spend much time reading these boards, seeing the big losses that so many have here by counting calories can make you impatient to see more loss, then I start trying to count calories, or cut carbs, or whatever--but this never works for me. It makes me obsessed, and messes with my head.

I'm very encouraged by reading of the great losses some of you have had by NOT counting and tracking stuff! Up to 150lbs off by not counting is wonderful!

You see I think it's actually easier TO count calories then to rely on intuitive eating. My intuition tells me, it tastes good - have some more of it. I simply couldn't go that route any more. My very life was on the line. I was SUPER MORBIDLY OBESE. MORBIDLY. SUPER. As in, you have a good chance of dying from this. I had 3 children who needed their Mom. For me, and yes, we are all different, and there is DEFINITELY more then one "correct" way to lose weight - but I was done taking any chances. I needed this weight OFF. For me, I knew anything BUT counting calories would be playing Russian Roulette. Maybe it'll work, maybe it won't. I feel why leave something so crucial and vital to ones health - the calories we consume - up in the air?

I never became obsessive with it. I was/am more then happy to approximate how many calories are in that apple. Is it large or medium? No difference, I count it as 100. Next time, I'll make up for it when I approximate the salad that I've eaten to be 200 calories when it very well could have been 240.

Another thing, wanting to get the VERY most filling power, satisfaction, nutrition and volume for those calories - you suddenly are making better choices. You become educated on good health, nutrition and what foods work for you - and which ones don't.

Like anything new CC, seemed daunting and alien at first, but before I knew it, it was quite simple. Automatic. And just "what I do". I can do this forever and ever. And now that I'm at goal for over 2 years, hopefully that forever is a LOT longer.

We all have to find what works for each of us and then of course we have to be WILLING to MAKE whatever that is work. And continue to make it work.

The thing is, how can you tell you are eating fewer calories unless you're counting them? You can't, because calories are a unit of measure.

Now, you can eat less food--watch portions without weighing them--estimate how much--all without counting calories. And the proof will be in your weight loss!

So yes, it is possible. But it can also be a bit tricky.

Try it! See how it goes!

Jay