Has anyone managed to lose weight without calorie counting?

[ButteryNut]

It’s the only thing I’ve tried and it’s worked for me. But inevitably I stop and end up back where I started again.

I’ve tried getting back into the groove of it but it’s so boringly tedious.

I want to lose 2 stone.
How can I do it without counting every damn thing that goes in to my mouth?

I can’t do restrictive diets such as keto, low carb etc, I love potatoes too much!
I’m coeliac so I already have to watch what I eat and scrutinise every label.
And I do like how flexible calorie counting is, I can save enough cals for a treat now & then.
But when I’m cooking things from scratch it’s so time consuming…

Help 😢

Fasting doesn’t work for me, I get very cross without regular food.
What did work was dropping ready made lunches/snacks and reducing my portion size, especially of carbs and cheese, and eating more veg. So I suppose I’m calorie counting but without the actual count….
I have made veg soups and plan lunches so I can take them into work and I don’t have to think too much. Evenings I either eat a smaller portion or just don’t have as many carbs as everyone else here - I live with 3 people who are at least 8 inches taller than me, plus they all do significantly more sports, I really don’t need to eat as much as they do. I’ve lost a stone since Jan, feel loads better.

All of this is really helpful, thank you.

I do need to sit and reassess my relationship with food.
I don’t think of food as fuel. I wish I did.
I think of it as comfort. I don’t think of the good or harm it’s doing to me.
That’s something I need to address.

I’ve never ever calorie counted. My mantra is exercise (I actually enjoy the gym - but even if you don’t - walk walk walk), cooking balanced meals but nothing overboard (I had Sainsbury’s taste the difference pizza tonight with salad for example) and no random treats (cookies, crisps etc) in the evening. I do eat these things on the weekend. I make sure I have 1-2 veg or salad bits with every lunch and dinner. Keep it simple. Oh and I don’t drink (I don’t like alchohol anyway).

Portion size. Low fat (not no fat). Good protein. Slow but sure.

Find something else for comfort? Like
a hot bath ( not right now)
a magazine
a fun TV show
flowers
candles

I lost 2 stone by going to a boot camp twice a week at the gym and also eating smaller portions.

didn’t calorie count and had one treat day a week.

Calorie counting is pointless. The science behind it is completely flawed and it's out of date.

For example, there is no account for whether food is raw or cooked. The calorie count on a handful of raw celery versus cooked is totally different.

I put off IF for this same reason! Then I needed to cut down on caffeine and naturally started IF!

I have been down to 1 mid morning coffee a day (from 8) and am IF - the snacking and cravings have stopped! Not thinking about food in calories just getting 2/3 healthy meals in! Reducing caffeine has massively helped!

Try getting one of those portion sizes charts and use that?

Calorie counting apps do account for whether food is raw or cooked.

Calorie counting isn’t pointless. It’s not the whole story, but for most people if they take 500 calories off the amount they currently eat to maintain their size, need to stay the size they are, they will loose weight.

I am not a big fan of it either and I think it can drive anyone bonkers. But it is not entirely flawed just because IF/Zoe/avoiding UPF/keto/whateverthefuck is the new thing

I do IF - I can’t drink black coffee or black tea its makes me gag - I have a small splash of milk and I have still lost weight

Check out the 'Why we eat too much' thread on here. There's some great advice.

I lost about 3 stone a few years ago just being really careful about portion sizes, very minimal sweet foods, mainly eating vegetables. But I had to be very disciplined. I tried it again to lost the lock down weight and couldn't stick to it well enough, I had to calorie count to get anywhere.

I calorie count but flat out lie to MyFitnessPal. I’m trying to eat more actual food instead of peanut butter out of the tub! It’s a rut but as soon as I stop CC I balloon.

Walking has helped me, plus at home strength training.

I low carb-ish. I don't like sweet stuff anyway and can live without potatoes, pasta and rice.

I don't track anything. So no counting calories or anything else.

I eat full fat versions of everything. I don't snack because I'm satiated from meals so I don't feel the need to.

I don't eat ultra processed foods and try to eat as cleanly as possible.

OP, I think reassessing your relationship with food is a good idea - especially if you see it as comfort rather than fuel.

OP would it motivate you to read some of the science around it which might help reset your thinking?
I've just finished Ultra processed people and it's almost been similar to reading Alan Carr's the easy way. Ultra processed food just really puts me off now!
No other animal needs to turn food and exercise into data - we have the ability to self regulate if we cut out the crap. I'm not talking about low carb, keto or anything like that. Just eating proper food.
Really recommend listening on audio book.

The weight dropped of me (too quickly actually) when I was low carbing.

I now calorie count and IF which is more sustainable for me and I do often allow myself a day off for prosecco and crisps!

However the one thing for me has to be exercise. I go to the gym three times a week and run 5k twice a week and reallly notice the difference when I have a week without this, e.g. when on holiday. I WFH so barely move unless I gym, run or walk as well. Luckily I love the gym and the endorphins from running so am able to keep this up.

I lost 16lbs calorie counting and now adjusted my habits to maintain my weight. Things I’ve kept from calorie counting:

• Fill your plate with as much veg as possible
• Eat normal meals but reduce the calorific parts into smaller portions (I ate pizza weekly but just half a pizza with veg or salad)
• Have a very light breakfast or skip breakfast to allow more reasonable calories the rest of the day
• Drink lots of water
• Plan sensible snacks so you don’t reach for the biscuits
• Get as many steps in as possible
• Don’t worry if you have a couple of days off plan due to special events. The key is to go back to how you were eating before afterwards and not think you have ruined it so you give up

I've lost weight without calorie counting, though I've just started counting now for the last bit that I have to lose that is more challenging and slower to come off as I'm nearer my target weight.

I mainly just cut out all sugar, most processed food except "healthier" ones like peanut butter or stock powder, all sweets/chocolates/crisps, and most carbs.

I also upped my protein intake based on advice from the weight loss board here.

As a vegetarian, I also stopped making cheese the focus of every meal, which I think can be a big pitfall for us veggies.

I also changed my exercise to be more intense and work up a sweat more often.

Regarding exercise, I was very overweight even doing over 10000 steps per day as I always did before I started losing weight. For me personally, I have found that walking alone was not enough and I had to do more. I know that's different from most things you read where people say they started walking and the weight fell off, that was never the case for me even if walking did make me feel healthy.

I don't count calories I can't be that obsessed. I kept a food diary for a week which was an eye opener then from that I made different choices. Cut out the chocolate and unnecessary snacking. Started to exercise and the weight dropped off me.

I try and avoid ultra processed foods, I do eat chocolate but not as regularly and drink a lot of water. It's a lifestyle change not a change until you lose weight. The mindset has to shift and it can take time. Small changes make up the bigger picture in time.

Thanks everyone. Some helpful advice that I’m taking on board.
Im going to focus on meals and no snacking today.

The ridiculous thing is, I do a lot of reading and listening to podcasts about nutrition. I find it fascinating. But I just can’t seem to apply it to myself. It’s like I think I’m an anomaly and those facts don’t apply to me.
My oversized midriff says otherwise.

I also don’t understand my body shape.
I weigh 10st 13 at 5ft4
Yet I’m a 14-16 in most clothes. Granted, I do have a very large bust which makes most clothes impossible to size correctly. But all my weight seems to go round my middle. I have slim legs, fairly slim arms. I do have a waist so I don’t know if I’m classed as ‘apple’ shaped.
I look like I’m carrying a rubber ring below my waist. And back fat 😞
Is this all diet related? Will lowering my body fat help with this or is it exercise I need to focus on?

Sorry for the long post… just musing to myself and wondering why I am the way I am 😆

I don’t eat breakfast, just coffee. Walk at least 10,000 steps a day so it’s not like I’m completely sedentary. Love veg, fruit not so much.

I think I need to cut out the snacks and see if that helps…

I'm steadily losing with 16/8 IF. I actually do 17/7 most days, not eating til after 1pm and finishing before 8pm. I also did massive portion size reduction, so now I have half my share of food at dinnertime and the other half for lunch the following day. I've found with this that I usually want a snack around 4pm and I'm trying to make good choices with that, but actually not really worrying about it if it's a bar of chocolate that day. I also do have tea with milk in the morning sometimes and it's not drastically slowing me down.

I'm a bit laxer with food and booze on the weekends but still try to maintain the 16/8 ratio so at least the fasting is still happening. Been doing it 5 weeks and lost 3.5kg so far. Haven't counted a single calorie, and had 2 hen dos where I went completely off track for the weekend in that time too.

I've just stopped calorie counting as I'm sick of counting everything in my life, step counts, word counts, calories etc. It's not natural. I'm 48 this year and can feel my weight creeping up.

Latest strategy (started yesterday)

• competing with my husband to lose weight. this is surprisingly effective as I want to beat him.
• glass jug of water in kitchen - every time i go in I try to drink a glass as it stops me feeling hungry.
• salad of chopped up veggies and beans (eg white beans, kidney beans) in fridge. Will have this with tinned mackerel or sardines at lunch. Not sure about dinner but it will likely be more of that with some protein, even halloumi, and maybe melon or peach for dessert, or a hot chocolate.
• no sweets or chocolates as once i start I can't stop. No booze. Fruit or nuts or chopped up veggies for snacks.
• 10,000 steps a day and a swim or some other exercise.
• eating later in day (just had fried tomatoe with two eggs and yogurt on top, filling with some fat and protein in there.

That's it really. But i have to say, it's trying to beat my DH that is motivating me more than anything this time.