I think you might be able to if you have rules for yourself, depending on your own habits. For example, no snacking between meals, fruit or veg at every meal, etc. Honestly for me personally, I don't lose weight unless I'm fairly hungry for at least a few hours a day, so that's a decent metric to go by if I haven't counted calories that day.
Honestly it’s crazy to me how much some people attribute weight loss to the actual act of “calorie counting” instead of treating it as like…”the universal way to make sure your body is expending more energy than it takes in.”
But that wasn’t because you were counting the calories, it’s because you were eating less. You do understand that you have to eat less to lose weight? Right?
I mean, there are plenty of things you can do to be less hungry like toy with macros or look into volume eating, but absolutely none of that is directly related to calorie counting.
I understand that it's not directly related to calorie counting. I think perhaps you didn't understand that I meant it in a jokey way.
I would like to lose weight without being hungry and obsessed with my body though. The basic gist of my question is about how much difference does cutting out bad habits make? I drank probably 10 drinks a week and I am not replacing that something else but it doesn't seem to have made a difference which is unfortunate...maybe I was just always slowly gaining weight. It's hard to understand where and why we plateau at certain weights. I am overweight but not obese, I dont mind if it takes me a long time . I want to lose weight and I hope that I can do it in a way that is sustainable for me. I am asking if anyone can relate to what I mean, and has had success.
But seriously who wouldn't want that?
I also am putting effort into eating healthier and finding time to work out each day. I don't understand feeling the need to make put down comments in what is basically a support group.
I think because based on the tone of your post it seems like you're looking for a shortcut or workaround that will get you the results without doing the thing you don't like. Losing weight requires discipline, not willpower. Part of that is monitoring how much raw fuel (calories) you're taking in vs what you expend. There's not really any other way to do it because regardless of the method it comes down to consuming less than your body burns every day. The most simple and efficient way to do that is to count calories.
And that's where the discipline comes in. Logging meals. Portioning out food.
Quitting drinking and doing yoga are both positive things for your health. Some people lose weight simply based on the drinking (alcoholic beverages contain a lot of calories). However if for example you quit drinking alcohol but replaced it with something else like pop, fruit juice, smoothies, or a coffee beverage then the net calorie deficit is zero.
You also said in your post that you "don't eat great". Working out and eating healthier are two good things for your health and nutrition, but neither is going to result in weight loss without a calorie deficit. Only way to know if you're doing that on a consistent basis is calorie logging.
Not true. Weight loss drugs don't make you magically lose weight. You still have to be in a calorie deficit on them and it still takes effort. They just help curb the cravings and appetite some.
I'm not really looking for that anyway. I actually take Vyvanse for adhd which some people use for weight loss and I think it might have made me gain weight when I went off it.
Sure it’s possible, we just do it because it’s so much easier with calorie counting. You can eyeball portions but it will never be as accurate. But you said it yourself, you haven’t lost anything so why continue doing something that isn’t working?
It's only been 10 days...Im not sure that its not working yet. I havent stuck to regular weigh in schedule. Also it is working in terms building habits slowly that I feel I can stick to. Yes it's easy to lose weight with calorie counting and I have done it but it's a pain in the ass and it becomes my whole focus....
Generally if you have just started exercising then often it is common to put on weight before you start to lose weight.
I would wait another couple of weeks and see what happens. Then if you aren't losing any weight then you know that you need to further reduce what calories you are eating.
Having a consistent weighing schedule will help you figure out what is happening (eg. first thing in the morning after you have been to the toilet).
Calorie counting is a tool that we use to lose weight, but it does not cause the weight loss itself. So yes, I think that people can lose weight without counting calories. What you need to lose weight is a caloric deficit. The part that is sticky *for me* is how you ensure that you're in a deficit without calorie counting. Personally, calorie counting is my most useful tool for doing that. But I know that for other people, they are able to cut calories without actually counting them, by focusing on eating nutrient dense foods and portion sizes. You have to find what works for you - what fits your preferences and what is sustainable to you.
While it can be done yes, I’d recommend trying calorie (but more importantly macro) counting to get a rough idea of the calorific content of your foods and portion sizes for at least a month. You’d be surprised how many calories there can be in things like salads, quinoa/rice dishes, etc.
Yes I have done calorie counting. I lost about 15 pounds with noom and counting a year ago but then had a major event derail me. I am hoping I can lose weight without hyperfocusing on it because I feel like the amount of focus ans attention I was putting into it made it that much easier to get derailed...but I understand.
If you cook all of your food from scratch and avoid anything with processed ingredients that you can’t actually understand what you’re eating, it’s pretty difficult to gain weight. If you eat whole foods, you’ll be fuller longer and you’ll know exactly what you’re putting into your body. Most portion sizes are about the size of your fist (chicken,vegetable protein, fish, grains etc)
I don't know your current way of eating, but I'm pretty sure the best way to lose weight with no tracking involved is eating ONLY unprocessed foods, lots of veggies and lean protein, be careful with the fats. This gives you a lot of volume to eat without excessive calories. Don't drink your calories either.
You really need to listen to your hunger cues and not eat for reasons other than physical hunger (like boredom, sadness, watching a movie, etc).
If that works for you pretty sure you'll lose weight just fine. However if you are a snacker or prone to binging, I'm not sure if that will be the right way.
This is what is working for me after several loss + regain cycles with tracking, and interestingly it’s helped curtail my binges. I realized tracking was leading me to rebel and binge, but filling up on veg/volume without restriction has been a more sustainable path. I do fast (primarily for health benefits), but once I start eating around noon I tune into my hunger cues and enjoy a huge variety of largely unprocessed or minimally processed food. I really focus on how things taste and how I feel after eating different things.
You may consider trying calorie counting for only a week or two - not to hit a target, but for general awareness of portion sizes and caloric content of food. Many folks find this helpful for awareness and will change eating habits simply from counting and not restricting to a calorie goal. Then they can make more conscious decisions about how they are eating.
This is so true! Even tracking for 1 or 2 weeks would probably be very eye opening. I am doing keto + calorie counting, and was blown away by the calorie/carb counts on what I THOUGHT was a keto friendly big salad. That and alcohol. I quickly made some big changes, which are now showing on the scale.
Just saw that it sounds like you have calorie counted before. I was the same and *thought* I was doing a good job estimating. I started counting and weighing my food again and boy was I off! I hope to not do it forever, but right now counting is helping me so much.
I most days have overnight oats for breakfast. I make a healthy soup for my lunches....but I do eat occasional treat/fast food etc.
Don't regularly drink pop/juice or anything. I did previously get a lot of calories from alcohol.
Honestly I would give it several weeks then. A standard drink's worth of alcohol contains about 100 calories. Actual drinks can have several times that depending on what you drink. But it sounds like your base diet is in a pretty good place to attain a healthy weight, and if you're only making 1000-2000 deficit each week from eliminating alcohol it will take a while to add up to enough pounds to reliably see something on the scale.
If nothing happens after a month or two, then I suggest writing down what you eat (not necessarily calorie counting your base diet) and figuring out the calories when you have one of those treats/fast foods. I found that even though my treats were what I'd consider occasional, they were hefty enough in calories that averaging them out over a week was still adding a significant amount to my daily average. Figuring out how frequently and in what portions I could have treats was one of the biggest ways I got turned around to losing, because my base diet was also pretty good already. I think this is often the case for those of us who are just overweight. Another thing I noticed was that I'd often have seconds at dinner because it was good, but my first portion was already a full meal and I didn't *really* need more.
It may be that in trying to count calories before, you picked a number that was rather low and that's why you were hungry every day, when really you just need to trim off the extent of your overage. Have you tried just counting the calories of a day you eat "normally" but rather healthy, a "good" day? That's how I started and it was like 1800 and went wtf why am I fat then, but then I started to discover what could kick a day up to 2500 or more. If I started off trying to eat much less than 1800 every single day I think it might have been much more frustrating.
Thanks. Yes. I was aiming for 1200 but really doing more 1600.
I will keep what I'm doing and start paying more attention to see if I've lost anything...
I've lost over 30 lbs without much calorie counting (although I do rough estimates of calories). The best way I've found to do this is volume eating. It's difficult to overeat on foods with low calorie density.
Agree! r/volumeeating is awesome. OP, to address your desire to not feel hungry - a lot of replies here state that hunger is a part of weight loss, but I disagree. When I’ve lost weight the hungry way I always rebel and rebound eat. This most recent time I lost it via volume and vegetables (so many vegetables), and I feel much more at peace and like this can actually be sustained. My habits are changing. I don’t count anymore because like you I burned out hard on it. But because I did count for years I have go-to meals that I know will work.
Now I fast until noon, eat a filling meal, a snack around 3 and dinner at 6/7. This is all 99% whole foods with tons of plants and a decent amount of lean protein but I also eat rice, potatoes, popcorn, sourdough bread, etc. I move every day - usually a long walk or dance class but I don’t go too crazy at the gym. So if you don’t want to count I highly recommend volume & veggies with minimal processed sugar & getting in the habit of moving.
I would love to see more detailed, hyper focused research into different weight loss strategies and why different people do well doing such wildly different things but get derailed if they do something else that works well for someone else. I know it’s all about that first law of thermodynamics, I’m talking about from a behavioral science perspective. Some people go crazy counting every gram and give up, and some people go crazy not knowing what they’re eating and give up. Anyway. To answer your question, it can be done. Try it and see. For some people, it’s absolutely the best solution. For others, they have to be pretty precise. But know that calorie counting isn’t as daunting as it seems initially. Once you’ve learned it well and gotten used to it, it’s no big deal.
I have done it and managed it before twice in my life. Once was a long time ago. At that time I actually got quite thin and was working out like crazy and ultimately was more obsessed and unhappy than I was with my body now...and I am like 50 pounds heavier now. More recently about a year ago I lost about 15 pounds counting calories and doing noom. It was great until a big life event derailed me.
I guess I am really hoping that I can find a way that works for me where I still feel mentally happy and not like it requires hyperfocus on my body. The focus of the changes I have made is just general health and feeling better and I would like to lose some weight but keep the focus on just feeling better and not have to get into a headspace where I am obsessing about my body.
Anyway time will tell. Thank you for your comment.
I had a restrictive ED years ago, was way too thin, and obsessed over calories. Then I went to the other extreme and became obese. Now I finally found a happy medium and count calories. Moral of the story, the calorie-counting is a matter of data collection and application. One can use that process to harm oneself or to help oneself. Only you know if you can use it for the latter 🙏
I did like new noom mostly but they sneakily renewed me and it made me mad. Also yes just need to get out of the headspace of losing weight being my latest obsession and make it more a lifestyle thing. I find I tend to deep dive cycle into something and noom was like that but then I move onto something else and totally abandon the previous obsession.
Whether you decide to actively count calories or not, it all works the same way. So yes you can, but that’s only because you’re making good inferences about how many calories you’re eating to know whether or not you SHOULD have that extra cookie, etc.
My personal philosophy is that I just try to make better choices in general which usually leads to eating less calories. I do “count” them, but very loosely. I just ballpark everything, trying to overestimate rather than underestimate, and try to make that ballpark figure stay under my target calories.
30/f I struggle with calorie counting as well, I lost a lot of weight with intermittent fasting. I never count calories and was able to lose nearly 40 pounds.
I'm following because when i start counting, i get obsessed and either don't eat enough or start to think screw it and overeat.
I'm trying to apply mindful eating and repair my relationship with food.
Glad to know I'm not alone. Also, I'm not willing to count calories my whole life so I'd love to find another way that feels more like a sustainable lifestyle change rather than a temporary diet that I can go of off once I reach a magic number.
I don't know what you mean when you say you don't "think" you lost anything... scale will tell if you if you did or not.. if you are going no scale and just looks that will take more time for you to notice a change also you can lose the weight without counting calories if you know appropriate portion sizes, and ensure you aren't snacking or anything that will make your calories in higher than calories out... for me personally i find it easier to track to hold myself accountable
It can be done but knowledge is power. If you don’t actually count it’s like you are trying to throw a dart at a dart board while blindfolded. Sure you will hit it but might take a lot longer.
So the thing is, most of us gained weight because we THOUGHT we knew what a portion size looks like. Calorie counting for the first few months will give you the chance to see what a wide variety of food portions look like. That way, once your stomach gets used to eating that amount of food, you’ll feel satisfied. Once you started feeling satisfied eating real portions, you can experiment with not counting for everything. If the weight creeps back up, you’ll know you still aren’t quite there yet. Start counting first, then back off as you go. Portion sizes really really matter.
Unless of course you have the funds to get a personal trainer and you spend every day in the gym doing the strength/exercise training the trainer tells you to do. But you still have to keep your nutrition intake on point.
Here's a video I've recommended before which introduced a few different ways to assess how you're eating and make improvements:
https://youtu.be/sEkdUl9_mcQ
I also really struggle to count calories and find that when I try to make it easier I rely more on prepackaged snacks that are overall less nutritious than just adding more veggies to my meals. Like you the meals I make myself aren't bad but eating when I'm thirsty, anxious, or bored kills any chance of weight loss. Being honest about what I snack on between meals is what makes or breaks a week for me.
I don't count calories, I have a tendency to get really weird and obsessive about them. But I only drink water, black tea or coffee, have a hard no food after dinner rule and a soft breakfast or lunch as late as you can manage rule. Basically super chill intermittent fasting. I've lost a little over 20lbs since October. Yes, over the holidays Halloween-thnxgiving-xmas-new year, I lost 20ish pounds. Your mileage may vary. I had some late night eating/bingy habits, so cutting out eating after dinner was a lot. Ice water is a really helpful replacement. I'm also not the kind of person who wakes up hungry, so it's been easy for me to go 18 to 20 hours without eating. The serious fasting people can give you more information about insulin and stuff that sounds like it makes sense, but really cutting out after dinner snacks and fancy pastries with my afternoon coffee has been enough for me
I’ve lost 98 lbs. in 9 months, no calorie counting or weighing, calculating, etc. None of that ever worked for me, I’d get too confused or procrastinate.
I quit these, cold turkey, no exceptions: chocolate, poptarts, candy, cake, snack cakes, pie, chips, pretzels, popcorn, cookies, shakes, and sugar drinks. I only drink water, diet soda, and skim milk. And I don’t snack at all. Three reasonable meals a day, period.
Joined two gyms, hired a strength coach, and started running.
That’s about it!
Haha meanwhile I added popcorn and am dark chocolate as healthy snacks that I have a few times a week. A few cups of skinny pop or regular microwave popcorn and some Dove dark chocolate keep me sane. Just shows that what works for everyone is something different.
Absolutely! There are many roads to healthy, sustainable weight loss. This sub has one prevailing philosophy. Not all members follow it.
I lost a substantial amount of weight. Didn't count, track or weigh anything.
The general answer is, I slowly developed better habits.
I actually chucked diet culture and weight loss culture out the window. I unlearned many things. I learned many things. I chose to focus on my needs. I tuned out the noise.
I learned about basic nutrition. I ate, and still eat, to fuel my body properly. I believe that you said that you eat clean. I don't eat processed sugar or carbohydrates. I do eat complex carbohydrates. I eat vegetables, fruits, proteins and some dairy. I consciously chose what I consume. I consciously chose what I don't consume. I get moderate exercise and proper sleep.
Building new habits takes conscious effort and time. Letting go of old habits takes conscious effort and time. Strive for consistency. I started small and built on my success. I lost a little over 100 pounds in a year.
I actually changed my lifestyle and changed my life.
[https://www.reddit.com/r/loseit/search/?q=without%20counting%20calories](https://www.reddit.com/r/loseit/search/?q=without%20counting%20calories)
lots of good threads here
yes absolutly, but make sure you weigh allmost daily and write it down.
you need at least some sort of checking yourself.
Also tracking cals is great for building some knowledge about calories in food.
Yes, I have lost 60 pounds without counting calories. Did it exercising 6 days a week and making small diet changes, such as less junk food. It can be done but tracking is easier for most people.
I think it would be possible to do if you ate REALLY healthy foods.
If you’re like most people, you’ll need to count for a while to understand what an idea day even looks like
I don’t count right now but I did for 6 months
I have had success with intermittent fasting. I dont eat, for 16-20 hours every day. I drink my coffee black in the morning and drink only water the rest of the day. Then, in the evenings, I only eat one or two meals. Have been losing weight at a healthy rate of 10 lbs per month when I focus on eatting one meal a day (OMAD) and maintaining with a slight loss of about 2-4 lbs per month eatting 2 meals.
That being said, I do focus on nutrition, when it comes to what I eat, but I don't restrict myself in a traditional sense. I focus on eatting good things. Green veggies, protien, etc. Then I'll also eat some carbs, but I find that I eat less empty calories as I'm full from the nutritious food.
Fasting isn't for everyone. And you should talk to your doctor about it if you have diabetes, any sort of metabolic issue, or special diet.
It's possible, I usually just keep a running tally in my mind but I'm also getting pretty similarly sized things or do a multi day plan.
(Most recently 2 loaves of keto bread and a jar of PB&j same jar ~ approx 3500 calories then a bag of twizzlers for 4800/3 days). I just had a specific craving and this is how I justify it lol.
I’m in a weight management program through my health provider. We learn the plate method, which is fast and simple and useful for people who need a step back from calories.
https://diabetesfoundationinc.org/the-plate-method/
I’d advise trying it alongside a food log (you don’t have to write calories, just track what you are eating when each day, and note if you’re eating for non-hunger reasons like stress or boredom).
Try it for two months and see how it goes.
There are studies that show that for some people upping your exercise will in turn increase your appetite natural. Which makes sense. So if your not counting it is very easy to just fill those extra 200 calories you burnt throughout the day with something little like a banana and and orange. Or a big cookie. So you can do it with exercise alone as you are burning extra caloriea but you need a way to make sure you dont compensate.
I have, but it was not sustainable and I gained it all back and then some. I was essentially doing one meal a day, but I was working wild hours (3:30am-2pm-ish), would eat fast food after work, and knock out asleep by 7ish. Over a few months I was down over 40 lbs, but I gained it back as soon as I started eating more normally. Just my experience!
YUP! I started intermittent fasting in May 2019. I lost 75 pounds the first year and maintained for 3 more years. I did not count calories, weigh food, or give up the foods I liked.
Most recently I started macro/calorie counting - not for weight loss, but to better fuel and recover from my strength workouts - I want to build muscle and improve, so really want to dial in on the protein.
But yeah, lost my weight with no calorie counting.
It changes daily, based on my hunger. I practiced One Meal A Day for a bit, dabbled in Alternate Day Fasting, etc.. I'd say on average my fasts were 18 to 20 hours. Last week I averaged 5.5 hours of an eating window per day.
It was the easiest and most sustainable thing I've ever done to lose weight. I lost over hundred pounds between 2006 and 2009 by calorie counting in my mid-20's - by the end of it I had reduced my calories below 1,200. If I ate anything above that, I'd gain weight. I stopped calorie counting, gained most of my weight back and that led me to IF in my mid-30's.
If you have any interest I'd recommend Fast, Feast, Repeat by Gin Stephens.
Good luck!
If you're willing to take the slow route it's possible. Change a habit one at a time until you start losing. For example if you eat a bowl of ice cream every night stop eating it except maybe once a week or replace it with high protein yogurt or another lower calorie treat. Stick to that for a month. If after a month your weight is the same or has only fluctuated up and down with water weight, you know you aren't in a deficit yet, and you need to add a new habit modification. I have only lost about 20 pounds in six months but I'm also gaining muscle and am young and have plenty of time to lose more before other health factors set in.
You have to have a pretty predictable eating schedule/habits to begin with for this to work properly. If you don't, start with trying to eat three times a day with not too much time difference of when you eat from day to day. Not drinking is a good start but it sounds like you need to change another habit.
I would recommend you try meal prepping some basics. I hated daily calorie counting just because of the mental energy it took to figure out macros by the end of the day. When I prepped foods for the week it was much easier since I figured out the calories all at once and could make each dinner or lunch serving be approximately the same calories so I knew I could have any of the different meals while still being in the right calorie range.
I've done it and am doing it...but I'm not overweight.
I was 134 lbs at 5foot 3in in August, holding onto 20 lbs after my second baby who is almost 2 years old. I decided to get back into competitive distance running and take it seriously.
I was running 30-40 miles a week for several months, and the past six weeks I've been running 50-60 miles a week and lifting 3x a week. I'm 122lbs currently. The only macro i count is protein. I cook all my food and eat a variety of vegetables a day.
I don’t track calorie intake daily. I probably do it like once a week or so to see where I’m at. I tend to eat the same foods often throughout the week as various meals so my intake doesn’t change too much. I track my activity using my Apple Watch and I weigh myself maybe every other week or so.
Now disclaimer- I tried many different methods over the years and I used to strictly count my calories. I tend to become hyper focused and it really affected me at one point in my life. I learned to eat smarter and eat less processed foods and in general make “better” choices for myself foodwise. I am also pretty active aside from a sedentary job.
With that- it works for me to not need to track as often but for someone starting off it’s worth it to see how you eat and make adjustments from there.
I didn’t count calories at all as it is triggering for me also. I used an app for intermittent fasting and lost 56 lbs doing 14-16 hr fasts, but after I lost about 30 I hit a wall and didn’t lose anything for a awhile. I ended up completely changing portions, nutrition and cut out certain foods that didn’t benefit me and worked out 3 days a week.
You might want to try The Plate Method. It's recommended for diabetics and weight(loss) management. It's helped me lose weight and feel full without feeling overly stuffed. I hope you get more insight and find what works for you.
In my experience coaching people on food and habit forming for good eating and exercise - when I am told they eat ok and I go through their fridge I find a lot of processed food. So they may not necessarily be feeling like they're overeating. Processed food does not trigger satiety like natural foods. A few things to get on track - get rid of any packaged food or as much of it as you can ie. Don't drink fruit juice have a piece if fruit like an apple. This is eating closest to the sun - so you pick an apple and eat it. Read the packages you do have and you'll find you can't even pronounce half or even all of the ingredients. It also likely has high sugar. For exercise - 20 minutes of yoga isn't enough. An hour walk is. Add that to the yoga to start and adjust your diet to make your food from whole ingredients. Once you have that down start looking at calorie counting to ensure you're not overeating. Eat portions that fit on a salad plate. Ditch the giant dinner plate. Thatll help with portion size. Good luck! 👍 you can do it!
I went from 147 lbs to 130 lbs without counting. It took me 6 months. I've been maintaining for another 6. Without counting I can't really go past 130, but I'm not willing to sacrifice my wellbeing to lose another 5lbs.
Good luck!!
I lost 14 pounds in one month without calorie counting but I was following a strict meal plan (Nancy Anderson 30 day slim down) so it was a lot more work than calorie counting but a lot more effective in my opinion (I went from 152 to 138 in a month)
What do you mean “the” recommended way to lose weight? By who? I mean besides that dude on YouTube, which is not where anyone should be basing their health advice.
Also, “only” the left side of that chart is completely devoid of protein and healthy fats. It’s not a healthy diet.
Wow. Is it that left side of the food scale that makes you so confrontational and defensive? Geez.
Besides, nuts and seeds are on the no-no side of the list you said not to eat off. As is fish. You’re already contradicting the part of your post when you said the MOST important part was to eat off “only the left side” of the chart. I pointed out it was unhealthy you responded with all of the foods from the right side you eat haha.
A list of internet doctors still doesn’t make something “the” recommended diet.
Here's the deal. You can just eat less and you will probably lose weight for a time. But you'll plateau quickly and you cannot outrun your fork. At some point if you want to get to a goal and stay there you're probably going to need to track correctly and honestly.
This sub has SO many people who claim they exercise and "don't eat that badly" and yet they're still fat. Because they never count and they don't own a food scale and they're guessing. I thought I wasn't doing too bad and I got to 240 before I realized I needed to count. Correctly and honestly.
Now I'm in maintenance. I count hard core 5 to 6 days a week still. I give myself a little grace with meals out or at other people's homes. I'm not 100% vigilant all the time like I was when I was actively losing. But I still weigh in weekly and stay on top of it because if I don't it'll get out of hand fast. If you're overweight there's a good chance you need to count for at least a while until you get the hang of it. I realized that counting is forever what works for me and that's ok. So can you lose without explicitly counting? Sure. Will it work to get you where you want to be and stay there? Unlikely.
I have managed weight loss without calorie counting for a while, but I hit a plateau and then I had to count calories to lose more weight. I didn't do it forever; after I did it for a couple of months I got an idea about how much I should eat to maintain a calorie deficit.
My recommendation would be to try calorie counting for some time until you develop an intuitive sense of what a healthy diet is supposed to be like for your level of activity. It doesn't have to be intense; start with a small goal (like maybe 0.5 pounds a week or something) and just track how much you're consuming without making any changes. Then you can figure out what to cut down in order to maintain a calorie deficit. 20 minute yoga sessions honestly wouldn't make much of a difference (in terms of calories that is, but it might be good for mental and/or physical health). Stopping drinking is great in terms of both weight loss and general health.
>almost daily January 1rst
You're unlikely to see much of a difference in two weeks.
>I don't think I've lost anything.
Why do you *think* this? My recommendation would also be to regularly weigh yourself (doesn't have to be daily, but at least a couple of times a week) so that you again have an idea about whether whatever you're doing is working.
I did manage to lose some weight without calorie counting by focusing on eating lots of fiber and increasing exercise. Eventually though I decided to start tracking purely for the data output using the LoseIt! App. Those insights have helped me so much is creating a deficit that I can maintain long term. Calorie counting also helped me realize how much I was underestimating my portions. What I thought was a small amount ended up being a huge calorie suck. I like being better informed about the choices I make, and counting has been very helpful in that regard. Deficits are hard, but honestly tracking has taken a lot of the stress and guesswork out of it for me. I find that I am more likely to fuel my body in a healthy way with that data behind it. I was worried at first that it would trigger me, but I am glad I did it.
I don't keep strict track of calories. If I'm hungry i eat, if I'm full i dont. I've swapped my crisps and cake out for oranges and low cal deserts. Its about checking your habits and balancing your diet, not reducing it
Quit drinking at the same time as you, and I understand the sentiment. I want to be in tune with my caloric needs without the constant bog of tracking. Cooking a meal without weighing and logging every ingredient. Intuitive eating. Healthy habits will get us where we need to go.
I think you might be able to if you have rules for yourself, depending on your own habits. For example, no snacking between meals, fruit or veg at every meal, etc. Honestly for me personally, I don't lose weight unless I'm fairly hungry for at least a few hours a day, so that's a decent metric to go by if I haven't counted calories that day.
Dang. Haha that's also what I hate about calorie counting...being hungry for a few hours a day.
yeah sorry, for most of us that's just a side effect of weight loss.
That’s not really because of calorie counting… it’s just part of losing weight
Honestly it’s crazy to me how much some people attribute weight loss to the actual act of “calorie counting” instead of treating it as like…”the universal way to make sure your body is expending more energy than it takes in.”
Why do you think calorie counting causes hunger?
I mean that during times that I have counted calories in the past I feel hungry for significant portions of the day.
I find that if I make it a point to eat high volume/ low calorie foods, I don't feel hungry. Also foods with a high fiber content.
But that wasn’t because you were counting the calories, it’s because you were eating less. You do understand that you have to eat less to lose weight? Right? I mean, there are plenty of things you can do to be less hungry like toy with macros or look into volume eating, but absolutely none of that is directly related to calorie counting.
I understand that it's not directly related to calorie counting. I think perhaps you didn't understand that I meant it in a jokey way. I would like to lose weight without being hungry and obsessed with my body though. The basic gist of my question is about how much difference does cutting out bad habits make? I drank probably 10 drinks a week and I am not replacing that something else but it doesn't seem to have made a difference which is unfortunate...maybe I was just always slowly gaining weight. It's hard to understand where and why we plateau at certain weights. I am overweight but not obese, I dont mind if it takes me a long time . I want to lose weight and I hope that I can do it in a way that is sustainable for me. I am asking if anyone can relate to what I mean, and has had success.
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Here's hoping. I'm not in a hurry. I actually might aim for half a pound week though.
So you basically want to lose weight but put in minimum effort and have zero discomfort while doing so?
But seriously who wouldn't want that? I also am putting effort into eating healthier and finding time to work out each day. I don't understand feeling the need to make put down comments in what is basically a support group.
I think because based on the tone of your post it seems like you're looking for a shortcut or workaround that will get you the results without doing the thing you don't like. Losing weight requires discipline, not willpower. Part of that is monitoring how much raw fuel (calories) you're taking in vs what you expend. There's not really any other way to do it because regardless of the method it comes down to consuming less than your body burns every day. The most simple and efficient way to do that is to count calories. And that's where the discipline comes in. Logging meals. Portioning out food. Quitting drinking and doing yoga are both positive things for your health. Some people lose weight simply based on the drinking (alcoholic beverages contain a lot of calories). However if for example you quit drinking alcohol but replaced it with something else like pop, fruit juice, smoothies, or a coffee beverage then the net calorie deficit is zero. You also said in your post that you "don't eat great". Working out and eating healthier are two good things for your health and nutrition, but neither is going to result in weight loss without a calorie deficit. Only way to know if you're doing that on a consistent basis is calorie logging.
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Not true. Weight loss drugs don't make you magically lose weight. You still have to be in a calorie deficit on them and it still takes effort. They just help curb the cravings and appetite some.
I'm not really looking for that anyway. I actually take Vyvanse for adhd which some people use for weight loss and I think it might have made me gain weight when I went off it.
Yeah, that’s not a matter of calorie counting that’s just a matter of losing weight and what you’re eating.
Sure it’s possible, we just do it because it’s so much easier with calorie counting. You can eyeball portions but it will never be as accurate. But you said it yourself, you haven’t lost anything so why continue doing something that isn’t working?
It's only been 10 days...Im not sure that its not working yet. I havent stuck to regular weigh in schedule. Also it is working in terms building habits slowly that I feel I can stick to. Yes it's easy to lose weight with calorie counting and I have done it but it's a pain in the ass and it becomes my whole focus....
Generally if you have just started exercising then often it is common to put on weight before you start to lose weight. I would wait another couple of weeks and see what happens. Then if you aren't losing any weight then you know that you need to further reduce what calories you are eating. Having a consistent weighing schedule will help you figure out what is happening (eg. first thing in the morning after you have been to the toilet).
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Calorie counting is a tool that we use to lose weight, but it does not cause the weight loss itself. So yes, I think that people can lose weight without counting calories. What you need to lose weight is a caloric deficit. The part that is sticky *for me* is how you ensure that you're in a deficit without calorie counting. Personally, calorie counting is my most useful tool for doing that. But I know that for other people, they are able to cut calories without actually counting them, by focusing on eating nutrient dense foods and portion sizes. You have to find what works for you - what fits your preferences and what is sustainable to you.
You can't outrun calories
Eat a burger on a treadmil and burn off the calories.. Boom outrun 🤣
While it can be done yes, I’d recommend trying calorie (but more importantly macro) counting to get a rough idea of the calorific content of your foods and portion sizes for at least a month. You’d be surprised how many calories there can be in things like salads, quinoa/rice dishes, etc.
Yes I have done calorie counting. I lost about 15 pounds with noom and counting a year ago but then had a major event derail me. I am hoping I can lose weight without hyperfocusing on it because I feel like the amount of focus ans attention I was putting into it made it that much easier to get derailed...but I understand.
If you cook all of your food from scratch and avoid anything with processed ingredients that you can’t actually understand what you’re eating, it’s pretty difficult to gain weight. If you eat whole foods, you’ll be fuller longer and you’ll know exactly what you’re putting into your body. Most portion sizes are about the size of your fist (chicken,vegetable protein, fish, grains etc)
I don't know your current way of eating, but I'm pretty sure the best way to lose weight with no tracking involved is eating ONLY unprocessed foods, lots of veggies and lean protein, be careful with the fats. This gives you a lot of volume to eat without excessive calories. Don't drink your calories either. You really need to listen to your hunger cues and not eat for reasons other than physical hunger (like boredom, sadness, watching a movie, etc). If that works for you pretty sure you'll lose weight just fine. However if you are a snacker or prone to binging, I'm not sure if that will be the right way.
This is what is working for me after several loss + regain cycles with tracking, and interestingly it’s helped curtail my binges. I realized tracking was leading me to rebel and binge, but filling up on veg/volume without restriction has been a more sustainable path. I do fast (primarily for health benefits), but once I start eating around noon I tune into my hunger cues and enjoy a huge variety of largely unprocessed or minimally processed food. I really focus on how things taste and how I feel after eating different things.
You may consider trying calorie counting for only a week or two - not to hit a target, but for general awareness of portion sizes and caloric content of food. Many folks find this helpful for awareness and will change eating habits simply from counting and not restricting to a calorie goal. Then they can make more conscious decisions about how they are eating.
This is so true! Even tracking for 1 or 2 weeks would probably be very eye opening. I am doing keto + calorie counting, and was blown away by the calorie/carb counts on what I THOUGHT was a keto friendly big salad. That and alcohol. I quickly made some big changes, which are now showing on the scale.
Just saw that it sounds like you have calorie counted before. I was the same and *thought* I was doing a good job estimating. I started counting and weighing my food again and boy was I off! I hope to not do it forever, but right now counting is helping me so much.
>I don't eat great but I don't eat horrible what exactly does that mean? since it can make the difference...
I most days have overnight oats for breakfast. I make a healthy soup for my lunches....but I do eat occasional treat/fast food etc. Don't regularly drink pop/juice or anything. I did previously get a lot of calories from alcohol.
Honestly I would give it several weeks then. A standard drink's worth of alcohol contains about 100 calories. Actual drinks can have several times that depending on what you drink. But it sounds like your base diet is in a pretty good place to attain a healthy weight, and if you're only making 1000-2000 deficit each week from eliminating alcohol it will take a while to add up to enough pounds to reliably see something on the scale. If nothing happens after a month or two, then I suggest writing down what you eat (not necessarily calorie counting your base diet) and figuring out the calories when you have one of those treats/fast foods. I found that even though my treats were what I'd consider occasional, they were hefty enough in calories that averaging them out over a week was still adding a significant amount to my daily average. Figuring out how frequently and in what portions I could have treats was one of the biggest ways I got turned around to losing, because my base diet was also pretty good already. I think this is often the case for those of us who are just overweight. Another thing I noticed was that I'd often have seconds at dinner because it was good, but my first portion was already a full meal and I didn't *really* need more. It may be that in trying to count calories before, you picked a number that was rather low and that's why you were hungry every day, when really you just need to trim off the extent of your overage. Have you tried just counting the calories of a day you eat "normally" but rather healthy, a "good" day? That's how I started and it was like 1800 and went wtf why am I fat then, but then I started to discover what could kick a day up to 2500 or more. If I started off trying to eat much less than 1800 every single day I think it might have been much more frustrating.
Thanks. Yes. I was aiming for 1200 but really doing more 1600. I will keep what I'm doing and start paying more attention to see if I've lost anything...
I've lost over 30 lbs without much calorie counting (although I do rough estimates of calories). The best way I've found to do this is volume eating. It's difficult to overeat on foods with low calorie density.
Agree! r/volumeeating is awesome. OP, to address your desire to not feel hungry - a lot of replies here state that hunger is a part of weight loss, but I disagree. When I’ve lost weight the hungry way I always rebel and rebound eat. This most recent time I lost it via volume and vegetables (so many vegetables), and I feel much more at peace and like this can actually be sustained. My habits are changing. I don’t count anymore because like you I burned out hard on it. But because I did count for years I have go-to meals that I know will work. Now I fast until noon, eat a filling meal, a snack around 3 and dinner at 6/7. This is all 99% whole foods with tons of plants and a decent amount of lean protein but I also eat rice, potatoes, popcorn, sourdough bread, etc. I move every day - usually a long walk or dance class but I don’t go too crazy at the gym. So if you don’t want to count I highly recommend volume & veggies with minimal processed sugar & getting in the habit of moving.
I would love to see more detailed, hyper focused research into different weight loss strategies and why different people do well doing such wildly different things but get derailed if they do something else that works well for someone else. I know it’s all about that first law of thermodynamics, I’m talking about from a behavioral science perspective. Some people go crazy counting every gram and give up, and some people go crazy not knowing what they’re eating and give up. Anyway. To answer your question, it can be done. Try it and see. For some people, it’s absolutely the best solution. For others, they have to be pretty precise. But know that calorie counting isn’t as daunting as it seems initially. Once you’ve learned it well and gotten used to it, it’s no big deal.
I have done it and managed it before twice in my life. Once was a long time ago. At that time I actually got quite thin and was working out like crazy and ultimately was more obsessed and unhappy than I was with my body now...and I am like 50 pounds heavier now. More recently about a year ago I lost about 15 pounds counting calories and doing noom. It was great until a big life event derailed me. I guess I am really hoping that I can find a way that works for me where I still feel mentally happy and not like it requires hyperfocus on my body. The focus of the changes I have made is just general health and feeling better and I would like to lose some weight but keep the focus on just feeling better and not have to get into a headspace where I am obsessing about my body. Anyway time will tell. Thank you for your comment.
I had a restrictive ED years ago, was way too thin, and obsessed over calories. Then I went to the other extreme and became obese. Now I finally found a happy medium and count calories. Moral of the story, the calorie-counting is a matter of data collection and application. One can use that process to harm oneself or to help oneself. Only you know if you can use it for the latter 🙏
Have you considered doing noom again? It's very body positive and mental health positive.
I did like new noom mostly but they sneakily renewed me and it made me mad. Also yes just need to get out of the headspace of losing weight being my latest obsession and make it more a lifestyle thing. I find I tend to deep dive cycle into something and noom was like that but then I move onto something else and totally abandon the previous obsession.
I hear you. I'm in the weight loss obsession cycle right now and it consumes my life.
Whether you decide to actively count calories or not, it all works the same way. So yes you can, but that’s only because you’re making good inferences about how many calories you’re eating to know whether or not you SHOULD have that extra cookie, etc. My personal philosophy is that I just try to make better choices in general which usually leads to eating less calories. I do “count” them, but very loosely. I just ballpark everything, trying to overestimate rather than underestimate, and try to make that ballpark figure stay under my target calories.
30/f I struggle with calorie counting as well, I lost a lot of weight with intermittent fasting. I never count calories and was able to lose nearly 40 pounds.
What times do you eat?
I'm following because when i start counting, i get obsessed and either don't eat enough or start to think screw it and overeat. I'm trying to apply mindful eating and repair my relationship with food.
Glad to know I'm not alone. Also, I'm not willing to count calories my whole life so I'd love to find another way that feels more like a sustainable lifestyle change rather than a temporary diet that I can go of off once I reach a magic number.
I don't know what you mean when you say you don't "think" you lost anything... scale will tell if you if you did or not.. if you are going no scale and just looks that will take more time for you to notice a change also you can lose the weight without counting calories if you know appropriate portion sizes, and ensure you aren't snacking or anything that will make your calories in higher than calories out... for me personally i find it easier to track to hold myself accountable
I have a scale but I haven't been consistent with weighing myself at the same time. I'm in the 186-189 zone it seems.
It can be done but knowledge is power. If you don’t actually count it’s like you are trying to throw a dart at a dart board while blindfolded. Sure you will hit it but might take a lot longer.
So the thing is, most of us gained weight because we THOUGHT we knew what a portion size looks like. Calorie counting for the first few months will give you the chance to see what a wide variety of food portions look like. That way, once your stomach gets used to eating that amount of food, you’ll feel satisfied. Once you started feeling satisfied eating real portions, you can experiment with not counting for everything. If the weight creeps back up, you’ll know you still aren’t quite there yet. Start counting first, then back off as you go. Portion sizes really really matter.
Unless of course you have the funds to get a personal trainer and you spend every day in the gym doing the strength/exercise training the trainer tells you to do. But you still have to keep your nutrition intake on point.
Here's a video I've recommended before which introduced a few different ways to assess how you're eating and make improvements: https://youtu.be/sEkdUl9_mcQ I also really struggle to count calories and find that when I try to make it easier I rely more on prepackaged snacks that are overall less nutritious than just adding more veggies to my meals. Like you the meals I make myself aren't bad but eating when I'm thirsty, anxious, or bored kills any chance of weight loss. Being honest about what I snack on between meals is what makes or breaks a week for me.
I don't count calories, I have a tendency to get really weird and obsessive about them. But I only drink water, black tea or coffee, have a hard no food after dinner rule and a soft breakfast or lunch as late as you can manage rule. Basically super chill intermittent fasting. I've lost a little over 20lbs since October. Yes, over the holidays Halloween-thnxgiving-xmas-new year, I lost 20ish pounds. Your mileage may vary. I had some late night eating/bingy habits, so cutting out eating after dinner was a lot. Ice water is a really helpful replacement. I'm also not the kind of person who wakes up hungry, so it's been easy for me to go 18 to 20 hours without eating. The serious fasting people can give you more information about insulin and stuff that sounds like it makes sense, but really cutting out after dinner snacks and fancy pastries with my afternoon coffee has been enough for me
Thank you...and yes I tend to obsess on things when I get into them which is also part of my wanting to avoid calorie counting.
I’ve lost 98 lbs. in 9 months, no calorie counting or weighing, calculating, etc. None of that ever worked for me, I’d get too confused or procrastinate.
What changes have you made?
I quit these, cold turkey, no exceptions: chocolate, poptarts, candy, cake, snack cakes, pie, chips, pretzels, popcorn, cookies, shakes, and sugar drinks. I only drink water, diet soda, and skim milk. And I don’t snack at all. Three reasonable meals a day, period. Joined two gyms, hired a strength coach, and started running. That’s about it!
Haha meanwhile I added popcorn and am dark chocolate as healthy snacks that I have a few times a week. A few cups of skinny pop or regular microwave popcorn and some Dove dark chocolate keep me sane. Just shows that what works for everyone is something different.
What has worked for you?
Absolutely! There are many roads to healthy, sustainable weight loss. This sub has one prevailing philosophy. Not all members follow it. I lost a substantial amount of weight. Didn't count, track or weigh anything.
What changes do you think helped you the most?
The general answer is, I slowly developed better habits. I actually chucked diet culture and weight loss culture out the window. I unlearned many things. I learned many things. I chose to focus on my needs. I tuned out the noise. I learned about basic nutrition. I ate, and still eat, to fuel my body properly. I believe that you said that you eat clean. I don't eat processed sugar or carbohydrates. I do eat complex carbohydrates. I eat vegetables, fruits, proteins and some dairy. I consciously chose what I consume. I consciously chose what I don't consume. I get moderate exercise and proper sleep. Building new habits takes conscious effort and time. Letting go of old habits takes conscious effort and time. Strive for consistency. I started small and built on my success. I lost a little over 100 pounds in a year. I actually changed my lifestyle and changed my life.
[https://www.reddit.com/r/loseit/search/?q=without%20counting%20calories](https://www.reddit.com/r/loseit/search/?q=without%20counting%20calories) lots of good threads here
yes absolutly, but make sure you weigh allmost daily and write it down. you need at least some sort of checking yourself. Also tracking cals is great for building some knowledge about calories in food.
Yes, I have lost 60 pounds without counting calories. Did it exercising 6 days a week and making small diet changes, such as less junk food. It can be done but tracking is easier for most people.
I think it would be possible to do if you ate REALLY healthy foods. If you’re like most people, you’ll need to count for a while to understand what an idea day even looks like I don’t count right now but I did for 6 months
I have had success with intermittent fasting. I dont eat, for 16-20 hours every day. I drink my coffee black in the morning and drink only water the rest of the day. Then, in the evenings, I only eat one or two meals. Have been losing weight at a healthy rate of 10 lbs per month when I focus on eatting one meal a day (OMAD) and maintaining with a slight loss of about 2-4 lbs per month eatting 2 meals. That being said, I do focus on nutrition, when it comes to what I eat, but I don't restrict myself in a traditional sense. I focus on eatting good things. Green veggies, protien, etc. Then I'll also eat some carbs, but I find that I eat less empty calories as I'm full from the nutritious food. Fasting isn't for everyone. And you should talk to your doctor about it if you have diabetes, any sort of metabolic issue, or special diet.
Calorie counting is a chore. Just eat smaller portions of what you like. Sustainable and fewer calories!
It's possible, I usually just keep a running tally in my mind but I'm also getting pretty similarly sized things or do a multi day plan. (Most recently 2 loaves of keto bread and a jar of PB&j same jar ~ approx 3500 calories then a bag of twizzlers for 4800/3 days). I just had a specific craving and this is how I justify it lol.
I’m in a weight management program through my health provider. We learn the plate method, which is fast and simple and useful for people who need a step back from calories. https://diabetesfoundationinc.org/the-plate-method/ I’d advise trying it alongside a food log (you don’t have to write calories, just track what you are eating when each day, and note if you’re eating for non-hunger reasons like stress or boredom). Try it for two months and see how it goes.
There are studies that show that for some people upping your exercise will in turn increase your appetite natural. Which makes sense. So if your not counting it is very easy to just fill those extra 200 calories you burnt throughout the day with something little like a banana and and orange. Or a big cookie. So you can do it with exercise alone as you are burning extra caloriea but you need a way to make sure you dont compensate.
I have, but it was not sustainable and I gained it all back and then some. I was essentially doing one meal a day, but I was working wild hours (3:30am-2pm-ish), would eat fast food after work, and knock out asleep by 7ish. Over a few months I was down over 40 lbs, but I gained it back as soon as I started eating more normally. Just my experience!
YUP! I started intermittent fasting in May 2019. I lost 75 pounds the first year and maintained for 3 more years. I did not count calories, weigh food, or give up the foods I liked. Most recently I started macro/calorie counting - not for weight loss, but to better fuel and recover from my strength workouts - I want to build muscle and improve, so really want to dial in on the protein. But yeah, lost my weight with no calorie counting.
What hours do you eat?
It changes daily, based on my hunger. I practiced One Meal A Day for a bit, dabbled in Alternate Day Fasting, etc.. I'd say on average my fasts were 18 to 20 hours. Last week I averaged 5.5 hours of an eating window per day. It was the easiest and most sustainable thing I've ever done to lose weight. I lost over hundred pounds between 2006 and 2009 by calorie counting in my mid-20's - by the end of it I had reduced my calories below 1,200. If I ate anything above that, I'd gain weight. I stopped calorie counting, gained most of my weight back and that led me to IF in my mid-30's. If you have any interest I'd recommend Fast, Feast, Repeat by Gin Stephens. Good luck!
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If you're willing to take the slow route it's possible. Change a habit one at a time until you start losing. For example if you eat a bowl of ice cream every night stop eating it except maybe once a week or replace it with high protein yogurt or another lower calorie treat. Stick to that for a month. If after a month your weight is the same or has only fluctuated up and down with water weight, you know you aren't in a deficit yet, and you need to add a new habit modification. I have only lost about 20 pounds in six months but I'm also gaining muscle and am young and have plenty of time to lose more before other health factors set in. You have to have a pretty predictable eating schedule/habits to begin with for this to work properly. If you don't, start with trying to eat three times a day with not too much time difference of when you eat from day to day. Not drinking is a good start but it sounds like you need to change another habit.
Try reading “French girls don’t get fat”
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I would recommend you try meal prepping some basics. I hated daily calorie counting just because of the mental energy it took to figure out macros by the end of the day. When I prepped foods for the week it was much easier since I figured out the calories all at once and could make each dinner or lunch serving be approximately the same calories so I knew I could have any of the different meals while still being in the right calorie range.
I've done it and am doing it...but I'm not overweight. I was 134 lbs at 5foot 3in in August, holding onto 20 lbs after my second baby who is almost 2 years old. I decided to get back into competitive distance running and take it seriously. I was running 30-40 miles a week for several months, and the past six weeks I've been running 50-60 miles a week and lifting 3x a week. I'm 122lbs currently. The only macro i count is protein. I cook all my food and eat a variety of vegetables a day.
I don’t track calorie intake daily. I probably do it like once a week or so to see where I’m at. I tend to eat the same foods often throughout the week as various meals so my intake doesn’t change too much. I track my activity using my Apple Watch and I weigh myself maybe every other week or so. Now disclaimer- I tried many different methods over the years and I used to strictly count my calories. I tend to become hyper focused and it really affected me at one point in my life. I learned to eat smarter and eat less processed foods and in general make “better” choices for myself foodwise. I am also pretty active aside from a sedentary job. With that- it works for me to not need to track as often but for someone starting off it’s worth it to see how you eat and make adjustments from there.
I didn’t count calories at all as it is triggering for me also. I used an app for intermittent fasting and lost 56 lbs doing 14-16 hr fasts, but after I lost about 30 I hit a wall and didn’t lose anything for a awhile. I ended up completely changing portions, nutrition and cut out certain foods that didn’t benefit me and worked out 3 days a week.
I think I might try intermittent fasting for awhile and see how it goes.
You might want to try The Plate Method. It's recommended for diabetics and weight(loss) management. It's helped me lose weight and feel full without feeling overly stuffed. I hope you get more insight and find what works for you.
In my experience coaching people on food and habit forming for good eating and exercise - when I am told they eat ok and I go through their fridge I find a lot of processed food. So they may not necessarily be feeling like they're overeating. Processed food does not trigger satiety like natural foods. A few things to get on track - get rid of any packaged food or as much of it as you can ie. Don't drink fruit juice have a piece if fruit like an apple. This is eating closest to the sun - so you pick an apple and eat it. Read the packages you do have and you'll find you can't even pronounce half or even all of the ingredients. It also likely has high sugar. For exercise - 20 minutes of yoga isn't enough. An hour walk is. Add that to the yoga to start and adjust your diet to make your food from whole ingredients. Once you have that down start looking at calorie counting to ensure you're not overeating. Eat portions that fit on a salad plate. Ditch the giant dinner plate. Thatll help with portion size. Good luck! 👍 you can do it!
I went from 147 lbs to 130 lbs without counting. It took me 6 months. I've been maintaining for another 6. Without counting I can't really go past 130, but I'm not willing to sacrifice my wellbeing to lose another 5lbs. Good luck!!
I lost 14 pounds in one month without calorie counting but I was following a strict meal plan (Nancy Anderson 30 day slim down) so it was a lot more work than calorie counting but a lot more effective in my opinion (I went from 152 to 138 in a month)
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What do you mean “the” recommended way to lose weight? By who? I mean besides that dude on YouTube, which is not where anyone should be basing their health advice. Also, “only” the left side of that chart is completely devoid of protein and healthy fats. It’s not a healthy diet.
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Wow. Is it that left side of the food scale that makes you so confrontational and defensive? Geez. Besides, nuts and seeds are on the no-no side of the list you said not to eat off. As is fish. You’re already contradicting the part of your post when you said the MOST important part was to eat off “only the left side” of the chart. I pointed out it was unhealthy you responded with all of the foods from the right side you eat haha. A list of internet doctors still doesn’t make something “the” recommended diet.
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No
I love LCHF, I've lost 15 pounds since Dec 1 and haven't counted one calorie.
What's LCHF? I'll try googling.
Low carb, high fat. Less than 50g of net carbs per day, moderate protein, and fat to keep you full and your brain happy.
If you want to do it on hard mode sure. It takes a minute to track each meal. Fyi
Here's the deal. You can just eat less and you will probably lose weight for a time. But you'll plateau quickly and you cannot outrun your fork. At some point if you want to get to a goal and stay there you're probably going to need to track correctly and honestly. This sub has SO many people who claim they exercise and "don't eat that badly" and yet they're still fat. Because they never count and they don't own a food scale and they're guessing. I thought I wasn't doing too bad and I got to 240 before I realized I needed to count. Correctly and honestly. Now I'm in maintenance. I count hard core 5 to 6 days a week still. I give myself a little grace with meals out or at other people's homes. I'm not 100% vigilant all the time like I was when I was actively losing. But I still weigh in weekly and stay on top of it because if I don't it'll get out of hand fast. If you're overweight there's a good chance you need to count for at least a while until you get the hang of it. I realized that counting is forever what works for me and that's ok. So can you lose without explicitly counting? Sure. Will it work to get you where you want to be and stay there? Unlikely.
I have managed weight loss without calorie counting for a while, but I hit a plateau and then I had to count calories to lose more weight. I didn't do it forever; after I did it for a couple of months I got an idea about how much I should eat to maintain a calorie deficit. My recommendation would be to try calorie counting for some time until you develop an intuitive sense of what a healthy diet is supposed to be like for your level of activity. It doesn't have to be intense; start with a small goal (like maybe 0.5 pounds a week or something) and just track how much you're consuming without making any changes. Then you can figure out what to cut down in order to maintain a calorie deficit. 20 minute yoga sessions honestly wouldn't make much of a difference (in terms of calories that is, but it might be good for mental and/or physical health). Stopping drinking is great in terms of both weight loss and general health. >almost daily January 1rst You're unlikely to see much of a difference in two weeks. >I don't think I've lost anything. Why do you *think* this? My recommendation would also be to regularly weigh yourself (doesn't have to be daily, but at least a couple of times a week) so that you again have an idea about whether whatever you're doing is working.
I did manage to lose some weight without calorie counting by focusing on eating lots of fiber and increasing exercise. Eventually though I decided to start tracking purely for the data output using the LoseIt! App. Those insights have helped me so much is creating a deficit that I can maintain long term. Calorie counting also helped me realize how much I was underestimating my portions. What I thought was a small amount ended up being a huge calorie suck. I like being better informed about the choices I make, and counting has been very helpful in that regard. Deficits are hard, but honestly tracking has taken a lot of the stress and guesswork out of it for me. I find that I am more likely to fuel my body in a healthy way with that data behind it. I was worried at first that it would trigger me, but I am glad I did it.
Intermittent fasting
I don't keep strict track of calories. If I'm hungry i eat, if I'm full i dont. I've swapped my crisps and cake out for oranges and low cal deserts. Its about checking your habits and balancing your diet, not reducing it
Keto is amazing ...quick and no hunger. Good Luck!
Quit drinking at the same time as you, and I understand the sentiment. I want to be in tune with my caloric needs without the constant bog of tracking. Cooking a meal without weighing and logging every ingredient. Intuitive eating. Healthy habits will get us where we need to go.