Hi, I am wondering if there is anybody else who has just couple of more pounds to lose (3-4 lb in my case) went off counting calories and just eating healthy and exercise and succeeded in losing?

I counted calories from Jan 1 to Feb 10 went from 135 lb to 127 lb. Then I got stuck, get frustrated and decided to take a break from counting calories .

I am able to keep it at 128 lb , but I am not losing at all, even thought I doubled my exercise and limited carbs. Now I am thinking ,should I start counting again on Monday or just do what I do now and hopefully I will get down to 124 lb.

Does anybody had success with this strategy or there is no easy way about it and I have to pull my food scale and start counting again ?

Also, if you girls don’t mind, would you share your opinion about my average menu?

B: coffee with Splenda and 10% cream
whole grain toast with peanut butter and jam

L: salad with olive oil and ether BBQ chicken or grilled salmon

D: grilled vegetables with fish or salad with all kinds of vegetables & chicken
most days I would have 1-2 glasses of red wine

Snack: nuts or fruit or berry

Thanks!

Hhhhmmm...as conscious as I am I haven't really noticed how I lose weight, just WHEN and IF I lose it. There have been times, though, I have consumed more calories than usual and was surprised the next day when the scale went down and stayed that way. There's a lot to be said for calorie-cycling, surprising your body, switching it up, etc., so breaking your routine may at times jumpstart things. What you seem to be doing (as you've obviously found out!) is consuming exactly what your body needs -- no more, no less -- hence, successfully maintaining.

Having said that, and fully recognizing that losing weight is anything but simple and very emotionally charged, what it all comes down to is a modified version of the First Law of Thermodynamics: if calories in = calories out, then you're stable. If calories in are more than calories out, then you're going to gain. If calories out are more than calories in, then you'll lose.

Just a somewhat convoluted way of saying that at its most basic, I believe in counting calories because it makes sense, it's tried and true. From personal experience, however, I have also noticed that WHERE I get my calories are also a factor. For example, increasing my protein intake and decreasing carbs once really helped me break a plateau.

Your menu really looks great and healthy. Perhaps you could add another serving or two of whole grains: brown rice, oatmeal, bulgur, Wheetabix, etc. I also noticed there's not much dairy in there...I know many disagree, but I believe in dairy Perhaps some plain yogurt, or a bit of cheese. You get your good fats in, your carbs from vegetables and fruits, and your protein from a variety of sources. Looks like a winning menu to me.

Are you exercising at all? Your menu (with maybe some of the tweaks suggested) looks good, but if you add in exercise you could lose a little more without subtracting much from your diet. You could also consider either cutting down to 1 glass of wine or going every other day. Red wine is definitely healthy, but it's also liquid calories that you could eschew for a short time or limit a little more and find a quick drop in your weight.

I've lost weight in the past without counting calories.

Counting calories just let's you know how much you are eating so you can adjust your food level. You can certainly lose weight by eating 800 calories a day but not knowing because you aren't keeping track, ya know?

Your menu looks very close to what I eat, except I don't eat meat so sub tofu in there, and I consume hummus on a daily basis and wine only on weekends. But I eat the same breakfast of pb&J on whole wheat toast almost daily with a cup of tea. I don't know what bread you are eating, but for me this is a 350 calorie sandwich, so assuming the other meals around about 400 it looks like you are in good shape of coming in around 1200 - 1500 calories a day. I would think you would lose weight unless your body adjusts to this intake, then you might have to adjust. Wine is generally about 100 calories per 4 oz glass. It depends on the alcohol level - higher alcohol wines have a bit more calories.

Thank you for replies! I was thinking to add small cup of Greek yogurt for lunch or breakfast, so probably will go ahead with it.

I do exercise but only weight lifting. It doesn’t burn many calories, but it builds muscles, which I hope will help me in the future to avoid flabbiness. Cardio makes me so hungry it’s crazy. If I have a great workout, running on treadmill, I am starving all evening long and usually end up eating back all my calories, so I try to keep it to 20 min less intense cardio per workout and the rest is weight lifting.

128 lb today, again, makes me think I need to spend couple of more weeks counting and be done with it! I’ll be honest; life is so much easier without counting and weighting every peace of food. Have to remember it when I’ll go to maintenance! Sometimes I just don’t understand why didn’t I go on the diet when I had 2-3 extra pounds? Why did I waited until it will be + 16 lb?

If you're not doing cardio, start doing some just to see what happens, this may just be the trick to surprise your body and lose those those last pounds and get off your plateau... To your eating plan, add more protein add more vegetables.... I don't eat dairy, you can get calcium through vegetables and fruits...

I lost my first ten pounds counting calories, but I lost my last ten just eating as healthy as I possibly could and exercising every day (5 days/week of cardio and 2 days/week of strength training).
Good luck!

Cardio makes me hungry, too, but less intense cardio isn't as bad. Here's one idea: I will sometimes work out after breakfast, and usually a high protein one (your peanut butter toast and Greek yogurt would be perfect). If you have time after you eat, jump on the treadmill but don't run, just walk at a brisk pace. You might find you're not as hungry but you're still getting in more cardio.

Weight lifting is amazing for toning, and though there's not as much cardio effect, a toned muscle burns more calories throughout the day, so your resting metabolic rate will stay higher, so definitely keep up your weight training habit!