I need to stop the calorie counting

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JustForToday
Posts: 44
Joined: Sun Nov 04, 2012 2:10 pm
Location: Maryland, USA

I need to stop the calorie counting

Post by JustForToday » Sun Jan 06, 2013 7:58 pm

I'm running into a repeat problem as I plug away a NoS. I'm just having the hardest time stopping calorie counting! The problem is calorie counting keeps leading me to the WTH effect.

Example: Friday was a perfect N day - until the evening when I decided to look at the calorie total of my food for the day. I had logged my food all day on a popular calorie counting website but hadn't checked the total until the evening. My total was about 1750 calories. Now there is nothing wrong with 1750 calories. That's actually a rather moderate and normal amount for myself, a 5'9" 34 year old woman who exercises a few times a week. But I was completely discouraged when I saw the number. Although it was a successful N day, it felt like a horrible fail - as if 1750 was just too much food and that number should have been closer to 1300. So what do I do? Shrug my shoulders, pat myself on the back for successful N day and move on? Oh no - that would be entirely too normal! Instead I "punished" myself by eating two (not just one, but two!) candy bars that were meant for my children (treats from Grandpa). So even on a green day, I can manage to utterly sabotage myself with my calorie counting compulsions. And I don't use the word "punish" in jest. That is exactly what I was doing. Punishing myself because I felt so disappointed about having eaten "too many" calories by inflicting even more calories on myself.

I need to STOP with the calorie counting. I'm getting my desire to genuinely lose weight all mixed up with more practical goal of moderating my food intake.

Anyone else struggle with the urge to always be counting the calories instead of just letting NoS do its thing?

jasper
Posts: 34
Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2013 7:33 pm
Location: Scotland

Post by jasper » Sun Jan 06, 2013 10:54 pm

Why do you log all your food for the day? Isn't that the start of the problem?
The beauty of noS is you can forget all that :)

I can see how tempting it is to find out the calorie total, having logged it. There is nothing actualy wrong with doing that if it helps you stay on course , but for you it's doing the opposite - it's throwing you OFF course.

SO how about not logging the calories I the first place? Then you won't be tempted to check the total.

JustForToday
Posts: 44
Joined: Sun Nov 04, 2012 2:10 pm
Location: Maryland, USA

Post by JustForToday » Sun Jan 06, 2013 11:02 pm

Yes... the actual act of logging calories is one element of the problem. I feel this compulsion to log the food I eat - I think its a way of controlling and organizing or trying to prove to myself that I am eating "acceptably" on NoS. To not count calories or log food makes me feel out of control - almost as if it's too much freedom. Ironically the calorie counting is what really spins me out of control. And I can count whether I log or not.

I need to stop with calories period. Gotta find a way to turn off the internal calorie counter. :)

And I am curious to know if any one else who's done NoS for a while has encountered this issue.

jasper
Posts: 34
Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2013 7:33 pm
Location: Scotland

Post by jasper » Sun Jan 06, 2013 11:22 pm

Well I have been following noS for a grand total of six days and after years of counting I know the calorific value of every single food .
It's tempting to do a mental count - but I do think if I am to follow the true spirit of noS I need to learn to ditch that way of thinking. It hasn't worked long term in the past. That is why I am here.

What on earth am I going to do with all my free time when I am not logging food/ counting calories/ snacking/ thinking about food.... :lol:

mulliganagain
Posts: 116
Joined: Mon Apr 14, 2008 5:24 pm

Post by mulliganagain » Mon Jan 07, 2013 4:20 pm

I've most recently counted weight watchers points, and I catch myself trying to keep track in my head, even when I'm not officially counting, so I feel your pain!

For me it's just time that makes me stop. Luckily I'm lazy, so it doesn't take too long for my brain to go "yay! one last thing to do! Instead of doing that, I can day dream or loop the last song you heard on the radio until you go crazy now!" LOL! :wink:

I do actively try to drop the counting, though, because I notice that when I try to do both, I try to let the points balance when I'm hungry and not my actual hunger. I have to make myself realize that I'm learning to be in control... not the points!

Good luck in getting into the groove of not calorie counting! Let us know how it goes!
Sincerely,
Sarah H.

Starting BMI: 41.03/Current BMI: 33.53/Healthy BMI: 19-24

No S + Following "My Plate Guidelines"

milliem
Posts: 1178
Joined: Sun Mar 20, 2011 2:30 pm

Post by milliem » Mon Jan 07, 2013 7:12 pm

If you like to log your meals, why not just write them down in a diary or journal rather than on a website that calculates the calories? That way you can look at trends in what and when you are eating but not have to focus on the minute details of what your food contained. A possible compromise? :)

surfersuz
Posts: 27
Joined: Mon Dec 05, 2011 3:39 am
Location: Oahu

Post by surfersuz » Tue Jan 08, 2013 7:57 am

I know exactly how you feel. Almost the same exact thing happened to me today. At a workout class this morning I decided the only thing that would help me lose weight would be to start counting calories (I was struggling in the class, hence the disgust with myself and consequent desire to lose weight quickly).

I didn't even make it through my calorie-controlled breakfast without the calorie counting going out the window. But even later on this evening it led to a red day for me with a semi-binge. It happens every time I think about counting calories, without fail. I absolutely cannot go back to that obsessive mindset…but how do we really stop that? Or will it be a constant battle?

I think long-term with No S is probably the only answer.
At the moment of commitment, the universe conspires to assist you.
- Goethe inspired (I think…)

SW - 165

MJ7910
Posts: 504
Joined: Tue Jun 12, 2012 1:17 am

Post by MJ7910 » Tue Feb 12, 2013 8:59 pm

I'm right there with you. As soon as I start to think about it, I get worried. It's best to try not to count calories. But if in your head you still know the calorie count of stuff, try and minimize it (mentally) the best you can! something like "well i know this is approximately x calories but it's ok because it's a meal"... that's what i've been saying to myself.
Current BMI: 22.9. Height: 5'4.5"
Highest BMI: 25.5 in August 2011.
Lowest adult BMI: 20.8 in February 2012.

Kittykat150
Posts: 192
Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2013 11:29 pm

Post by Kittykat150 » Wed Feb 13, 2013 7:43 pm

I struggled with the same problem a few times since starting No-S. I was a point-counter and lost my weight that way. Maintenance is now my goal, but I am stuck in the points-mindset. So I tried do do No-S while tracking points as well. Just to be sure I wasn't exceeding my points allowance on Maintenance. I found that it was overwhelming to do both and worse than being on the weight loss diet I was trying to move away from...That is my point, I am trying to move away from counting and tracking and obsessing. So I just decided to "man up" and trust all of you lovely people who validate that this diet promotes the sanity I seek. Peace with food. What a concept!
Stop counting and join me in the surrender...
Kat
"Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn." -Harriet Beecher Stowe

oolala53
Posts: 10059
Joined: Mon Oct 06, 2008 1:46 am
Location: San Diego, CA USA

Post by oolala53 » Fri Feb 15, 2013 6:31 am

Been here for three years. Commit to healing your appetite.
Last edited by oolala53 on Tue Feb 26, 2013 12:48 am, edited 1 time in total.
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

MJ7910
Posts: 504
Joined: Tue Jun 12, 2012 1:17 am

Post by MJ7910 » Mon Feb 25, 2013 5:11 pm

glad i came back and read this post again. i was having a bit of the 'but i lose weight counting calories, maybe i can combine it with NoS' and on top of that, made the mistake of looking on myfitnesspal again and reading how great people were doing. i know i gained some weight doing NoS these last few weeks but I am trying to think of what else i have gained - the freedom of not having to obsess about food all the time . the freedom of not having to check the menu every time i go somewhere. the freedom of getting what i want to eat for each meal. whether that is oatmeal and protein bar mixed together, a huge omelet, or a hamburger . i can get what i want and it doesn't matter if it fits in calories/macros/etc for the day. of course, within reason, a moderate amount. i already eat pretty healthy so i know now there is no reason to obsess over the minutia of calories.

if i want to truly lose weight i need to work on just getting the structure down first. 3 meals a day. sdays have been a little wild which i think is why i may be seeing a weight gain (but i dont' know because i am not weighing myself until april!). so i think i will just be more cognizant of keeping the structure on sdays and having a few very minor mods in place. i could eat nonstop all day on sdays and i don't need that. i feel comfortable enough after about a month of this that i could decide to do a few minor mods (as long as it's not calorie counting!). my first mods are on my daily check in. but basically letting for 3 s-events on each sday should be a good start.

i think for anyone starting out on this, do it for 3 weeks and then if you are successful, think about what mods you need in order to reinforce the structure but allow yourself to enjoy some s-events on your Sdays.
Current BMI: 22.9. Height: 5'4.5"
Highest BMI: 25.5 in August 2011.
Lowest adult BMI: 20.8 in February 2012.

oolala53
Posts: 10059
Joined: Mon Oct 06, 2008 1:46 am
Location: San Diego, CA USA

Post by oolala53 » Tue Feb 26, 2013 12:45 am

Oops! I was just trying to edit my former post... I hope you know what I meant by "healing your appetite." I feel No S has helped me heal my appetite, meaning helped me feel what I really need to eat so that I get hungry for my meals. I've continued to lose weight as I mostly tamed my S days and accepted that I needed less and less even on N days. But it has taken three years. Worth the wait!
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

finallyfull
Posts: 354
Joined: Wed Mar 17, 2010 6:10 pm

calories

Post by finallyfull » Wed Feb 27, 2013 3:20 pm

I learned for myself that counting calories with No S was just another "real" diet -- short term success followed by losing even more ground.

It worked great, lost 10 pounds, felt great, then one day my body or my brain or the indignant soul inside me decided to take it all back and then some. I regained the 10 in oh, about two months or less, and am now up another 10. If ONLY I would have stayed vanilla, I am absolutely certain I'd be at that starting weight. I really regret taking a sane, moderate, peaceful life habit and finding a way to turn it into a diet.

I'm now on month 2 of vanilla with more red days than I'd like, but I embrace the red as important lessons in how to keep on keeping on. Also, every weekend I "re-learn" how much I prefer three nice meals. I'm getting there.

sleepygirlzzzz
Posts: 110
Joined: Thu Feb 28, 2013 1:38 pm
Location: Originally from Chicago; living in the UK for past 11yrs

Post by sleepygirlzzzz » Thu Feb 28, 2013 1:51 pm

MJ - I can relate to everything you said in your last post. I started on No S about 2 1/2 wks ago and went cold turkey on calorie counting.

Calorie counting did help me lose weight but then I'd always fall off the wagon and binge which would undo any good I had done. I'm fairly certain that I am eating much more than I was when calorie counting but I feel SO much happier and less stressed. I was completely obsessed with checking my calorie totals on myfitnesspal and did so about every 20 mins - I'm not kidding. I don't know what I thought was going to change from minute to minute but I was completely obsessed.

I feel so much more freedom now and can actually enjoy meals with friends rather than it causing me a near anxiety attack because I didn't know the calorie count of my meal.

I also need to learn to reign in my overindulgence on S days but hoping that my experience will mirror alot of others here who say that eventually the s days should calm down.

leafy_greens
Posts: 426
Joined: Mon Apr 26, 2010 8:18 pm

Post by leafy_greens » Thu Feb 28, 2013 4:18 pm

Why not experiment and give up the calorie counting for one month? If you start to feel even remotely better, then you know counting is not working for you. Look at it this way - There is no way you are going to become obese in one month (probably ever) by eating 3 plates of non-calorie-counted food.

oolala53
Posts: 10059
Joined: Mon Oct 06, 2008 1:46 am
Location: San Diego, CA USA

Post by oolala53 » Fri Mar 01, 2013 1:20 am

I have a general idea of how many calories I eat only because I logged similar meals and days of eating years ago. (Lost weight, but put almost all of it back on before finding No S.) I don't like to look too closely because I'm pretty sure my calorie count is lower than I ever thought I could maintain. I don't want to give myself a reason to think I'm not eating enough!

Appetite is my beacon. I try to eat only enough to feel satisfied for a few hours and get hungry for about an hour before the next meal, but I do usually feel full after lunch and dinner. I have to keep decreasing the dense foods to get that hour of hunger. But feeling hungry for meals and that lighter feeling from not being stuffed is worth it. Even after three years, I still have some witching hours of the day. But I remind myself how easy it is for old habits to take hold again, esp. with food. It doesn't feel like torture, but I am still mindful.

I am going to send some people I know a link this page because of how someone mourned over having ruined a good thing with calorie counting and that it didn't show up until AFTER it looked like it was "working."

I also keep reminding myself: the French and Italians don't worry about calories. They don't snack, they love good food, and they have the lowest average BMI's in Europe. They just don't long to overeat. Enough is enough! End the meal, have your caffe, and enjoy the memory of how good the food was. Food plays a big part of the psyche; overeating doesn't.
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

wosnes
Posts: 4168
Joined: Mon Sep 18, 2006 3:38 pm
Location: Indianapolis, IN, USA

Post by wosnes » Fri Mar 01, 2013 5:17 am

oolala53 wrote:
I also keep reminding myself: the French and Italians don't worry about calories. They don't snack, they love good food, and they have the lowest average BMI's in Europe. They just don't long to overeat. Enough is enough! End the meal, have your caffe, and enjoy the memory of how good the food was. Food plays a big part of the psyche; overeating doesn't.
And then they start planning the next meal and how much they will enjoy it.
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

jasper
Posts: 34
Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2013 7:33 pm
Location: Scotland

Post by jasper » Fri Mar 01, 2013 10:40 am

For me the problem with calorie counting is it puts things the wrong way round.

By the end of the day, when counting calories ( or WW points ) I would be thinking " I have 250 calories "left". What can I have ?" and then spend ages deliberating whether to blow it on a glass of wine or some chocolate, or take the sensible option and get more bang for my buck with less calorie dense foods. Or maybe not eat up the calories at all ( and risk "Starvation mode" ?? HA HA HA , don't even start me on that one)

I am absolutely certain that the calorie counting way of thinking/ eating causes a disconnect from my appetite and my body. And makes me obsessed with either eating or not eating.

MJ7910
Posts: 504
Joined: Tue Jun 12, 2012 1:17 am

Post by MJ7910 » Fri Mar 01, 2013 1:33 pm

I would do the same thing, aim for a certain number of calories and if I was under I would have something to put me right near the total, even if not hungry! Problem was when I went "over" I would beat myself up and overdo it even more. Bad cycle. Even a little over (less than 100 calories) would send me into binge mode. This is so much saner. I even kind of know where I am at calorie wise but since I am not counting, there is nothing to obsess over. A great feeling!
Current BMI: 22.9. Height: 5'4.5"
Highest BMI: 25.5 in August 2011.
Lowest adult BMI: 20.8 in February 2012.

emmay
Posts: 111
Joined: Thu Oct 18, 2012 2:10 am
Location: Australia

Post by emmay » Tue May 14, 2013 12:08 am

Great thread!
I recently signed up to a calorie tracking website because I thought it would be useful to see how many calories I'm eating. After reading all the comments here, I am not going to start. Much more useful to pay attention to my appetite to tell me of I am eating the right amount.

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