This may not matter to a single person, but I feel the need to write about it - "coming clean".

I've stopped tracking my calories as I was doing, where I was adding up the exact amount of calories, super diligently. Since having started counting in September, I've come to have a pretty good idea of how many calories things have.

I'm still weighing things (particularly if it is high calorie) and then I'm doing the math in my head and always rounding the number off higher - usually to the nearest 50, 75 or 100.

I save a lot of time and its an easier number for me to remember at the end of the day.

So:

Apple 75
Banana 100
12g cheese 50

Anyway, I love calorie counting - just wanted to chime in that I'm now doing a "modified, rounded" version.

Anyone else finding ways to cut corners to be more efficient?

I think that's great, if it works for you! The trick is that you have to be super honest and get more vigilant the moment you realize it's not working for you.

I confess that there are a few things I consider "free" and I don't count them at all. A spoonful of fat-free Cool Whip at the end of the day, for instance, or the occasional Altoid (or several).

If I'm not getting the right numbers on the scale, I will toe the line, but this hasn't been a problem so far.

I do pretty much the same thing, although I don't weigh my food. I call it calorie guestimation, and when I happen to measure I'm not all that far off

Speaking as an older person, I have to log my calories as I go along or I just lose track! I eat the same things day after day so I know the calorie count but I can't keep the running total in my head.

I also have a few "free" foods - a 40-calorie caramel, say, or a few cashews. It hasn't been a problem yet but I'm aware that it's easy for the calories to add up quickly.