Anyone NOT calorie counting?

[Illbefinejustbloodyfine]

I'm on week 16. I've lost 2.5 st so far, with the same again yet to lose.

I started out calorie counting but stopped after a few weeks, most because I really hate doing it. I feel like I have a good enough idea to plod along without needing to calorie count. It's working for me so far. I'm just wondering though should I get into the habit to make it easier to maintain?

I didn't at the start because I had a pretty standard set of meals, however now the weather has changed so have my meals. I think I need to track again for a week or so. (Or maybe I just got lazy!) Def slipping on protein.

I don't calorie count - I did at the very start but I find it really triggering honestly. It makes me obsessive and unhappy. And I've lost five stone without counting! (Been on MJ for a year). I don't track protein, but I approach my diet in terms of what can I add in and how can I keep it varied? So picking lots of different types of fruit and vegetables across the week and making sure there is a decent portion of protein in every meal. I eat fresh, nourishing food according to appetite and I weight train at the gym. It's worked very well for me so far and I feel more connected to my body than ever before. It's the most peaceful I have ever felt around food and I don't want to disrupt that with counting and tracking when everything is going so well.

To clarify, I did track for a week or two to get a feeling for what I was eating, then spent 4 or so months without tracking, focusing on high nutrient meals, and was still getting sensible, appropriate losses.

12 weeks in, 2 stone lost and never counted a calorie since I started. I just aim for what I know to be nutritious and find it easier to eat smaller portions. For now at least it works for me and I am so glad not to have the tedious job of logging every bite. However I totally understand that it’s important and works well for others.

You've really summed up how I feel!

Me. It just wouldn’t work for me - I can be hyper focused which can become harmful to my mental health. Fortunately, it doesn’t seem to matter so far! 5 months in, just over 3 stone off.

I am v mindful, however, of what sort of food I eat. I make it as nutritious as possible, emphasising protein, good fats, whole grains and fruit and veg. MJ takes care of the portion size problem!

I am as healthy as I’ve ever been, I reckon.

I don’t

nor do I count protein

For me obsessing over the composition of the food i am eating would be as destructive as my previous obsessing over my next meal

I need to be able to maintain a healthy balanced diet as part of a normal day to day life and obsessing over any aspect of my meals is not going to allow me to achieve that

I am maintaining now so have stopped calorie counting. I still weigh every day and stick by the routines I put in pace when I was losing weight- I just try to add a bit more food in every day.

I am terrified of regaining though

I was at first but it started to do my head in. Now on 10mg I can't eat too much anyway so whilst I am conscious of calories im not actively counting them. I was using the WW app which is great but think I will switch to a free app

i don’t. Too boring and obsessive. I did check some meals early on though to get a sense of what the right amounts are.

Me! I haven’t counted at all and no intention of doing it! 9 weeks in and 2st 4lb lost.

life time of failed diets many of which included calorie counting means I hate it and it causes me stress and doesn’t help me at all!!

I am listening to my body, eating when I’m hungry and focusing on protein & veg & fruit but not counting that either.

feeling amazing so must be doing something right.

I'm not. Mainly because all it does it make you fucking miserable and doesn't really teach you anything.

I have lost nearly 1.3st in 5 weeks on the jabs. I haven't counted a single calorie. I have simply made smarter choices, swapping crisps/sweets for fruit and veg if i'm peckish. Poached egg on toast instead of jams etc. It has made me realise when I am full, where as calorie counting just always left me feeling hungry despite packing meals out with veg etc.

I don't calorie count. I'm pretty much maintaining now, maybe very slow loss, but I just don't want to eat loads and seem to shut off from food after half a meal.

Not really counting no. I have a vague idea of how much I’m consuming but do have days when I think I’ve eaten loads then when I log it all on the ‘what I eat’ thread it really isn’t too much at all!

I am in the early days of trying to stabilise and maintain my weight having lost over 100lbs so have just started to count and record a little bit to try and up my intake to stop losing. Actually finding this bit harder than the loss era!! 😂

I don’t. 11 months in. 5 stone lost so far with about 4 to go. Weight loss is a bit slower than I would like (especially the last 4 months) but it hasn’t ground to a halt so I will continue the way I am for now. Currently losing a max 1lb a week.

I don’t calorie count
Before starting Mounjaro I was doing SW and am just sticking to that and cutting back on alcohol plus smaller portions
I am on week 5 day 4 and have lost 13.5lb

Did at the start as was not eating enough and needed to know how much I was missing, then did for a few weeks to get a baseline, I haven’t now for probably 8-9 months, stayed on same dose.

If I stopped losing I’d probably track again for a couple of weeks to see what was going on and if I could fix it before considering increasing dose.

Nope, 9 months in and 4 stone down. Although I’d done so much counting over the years I can do a rough tally in my head, but I’m tapering off now so trying to be a little more considered. Upped my protein predominantly especially when the suppression was high.

I don't count calories, but I have counted different things over the last couple of years - number of different plants a week, grams of protein a day, grams of fibre a day, UPF-free meals a day, TRE hours etc. I do one thing for a bit and then move on to another depending on whether I'm focusing on my weight-lifting or emotional health or gut health...

I lost all my weight (70 lbs) and have no maintained since October 24, without counting a single calories. I selected meals that had protein and lots of vegetables and fruit, some carbs but less, ate when hungry, stopped when satisfied, and ate a little of other foods (cake, ice cream, crisps) every now and then. Even "bad" foods, I just listened to my stomach's signals (so would fancy a chocolate croissant, eat a quarter, feel "done" and stop). But I also found that now I wanted to choose the salad, rather than the creamy pasta, and, at the coffee shop, fancied just a cup of tea, rather than a large, full-fat latte. I just wanted to eat differently.
Years of disordered "if it's in the house, I am going to eat the whole packet" eating have also just stopped.

I don't count calories. I tried to do it when dieting a few years back but I wasn't convinced of the accuracy and I found the whole thing overly fussy and stressful.

I've made a few adjustments to my eating routines and the reduced appetite is doing the rest. I have a homemade protein shake for breakfast, salad + protein for lunch and mainly veg + protein for dinner. I've really minimised the UPFs, rarely snack, no cups of tea and minimal alcohol. Plus... The big game-changer is smaller portions. I'm probably eating a third of a plate less than I used to.

All these things together seem to be doing the job without the need for calorie counting.

I do because after years of poor eating, I'm still learning portion sizing. I find it helpful to normalise how much and what I should be eating. I can also see that if I sometimes go over, I am able to accommodate that and I don't need to freak out, obsess or feel guity about it. For me, it's part of my reset / learning process.

I don’t. Who wants to do that for the rest of their life? Or points, or syns? I’m basically following JERF - just eat real food. I’ve cut out refined sugar and as much processed food as possible. Basically eating good food (and not low fat or diet stuff either). I just happened to sign up to Voy because I wanted a prescriber with good back up, and was pleased to find that they don’t think counting calories is the way, they promote learning to eat a balanced plate, with 50% non starchy veg, 25% protein, 20% complex carbs and 5% healthy fats. I’m really enjoying what I’m eating so far. I’m eating fairly big portions and don’t have much suppression. But I’ve lost 18lbs in 6 weeks so far.

@PeachSnail ooh i’m going to be nosy & ask what you put in your home made protein shake please? Sorry for going off topic!!

I haven't been counting calories either. I have found it very liberating. If I keep losing, even if only half a pound a week, I won't go back to calorie counting -its really depressing and makes me obsessive.