counting calories is exhausting!

grrrrr . . .i'm really tired of counting calories!! unfortunately for me, it's the only way i can really stay on track diet-wise. i exercise consistantly, and rarely slack in that area, and overall i eat pretty well. i think my problem is just that i tend to eat just a little too much than i should every day (to lose more weight-i've been maintaining a 40 lb weight loss for 2 years). As long as i count calories and stay in a certain range, my weight will drop . . .but i'm just tired of that, you know????

not looking for any advice really, just wanted to whine a little (and hopefully some of you out there will agree that you are tired of "the work" too!!).

Tue. Aug 1, 12:36am

Do you pay attention to eating only when you are hungry and stopping when you are full, rather than eating a certain amount of calories because you think you should? Otherwise, you CAN go crazy and get tired of counting calories. Use calories as a guideline, but listen to your body above all.

Tuesday, August 01, 2006, 8:46 AM

When I started using software to track my calories, it became less of a chore, and I have been able to do it consistently for months, instead of just 2 weeks at a time.

Tuesday, August 01, 2006, 9:43 AM

What software do you use to count calories?

Tuesday, August 01, 2006, 9:45 AM

can you plan out your meals/snacks for a couple of weeks, take an hour and calculate your anticipated calories? it will help with food shopping, too , if you have all that you're going to eat planned out.

Tuesday, August 01, 2006, 9:46 AM

Diet Power. I downloaded it online. I'll put the link below. There are also some free calorie-tracking websites.

Link

Tuesday, August 01, 2006, 9:49 AM

When I get sick of counting calories (which goes hand in hand with a plateau), I know I'm at risk of giving up. So I either go on something really restrictive where calories aren't counted or pick a plan with food lists that are absolutey yes/no, like Atkins, or even veganism.

Tuesday, August 01, 2006, 12:27 PM

One caveat with using veganism as a "diet" - carbs still have calories, too, and you can end up using carbs as the main entree at any meal (pasta, rice and potatoes can become a fallback at any restaurant) and vegan ice creams, cookies and desserts are in abundance in most grocery stores these days. I gained almost 20 pounds within a year of becoming vegan (for non-dietary reasons).

Tuesday, August 01, 2006, 12:32 PM

I don't know if you are able to eat the same foods all the time. I find it helps me. I eat all of the same things each week and buy the same things everytime I shop. I know now how many calories are in everything I eat so I really don't have to count anymore! But then again, I am ok with eating a pretty boring variety of food!

Tuesday, August 01, 2006, 12:41 PM

what is the relevance of your weight gain and it's association with becoming vegan if the weight gain was "for non-dietary reasons"?

Tuesday, August 01, 2006, 12:41 PM

When I became vegan, (for moral reasons, not to lose or gain weight), I ended up eating a lot of carbs, and they are easy to overeat. They are not as satisfying as protein and they don't stay in your stomach as long.

Also, since I felt restricted from not being able to eat a lot of things, I would overeat dessert when a vegan option was available or feel like I needed to eat more.

When eating out, your choices are often limited to a salad or pasta. At breakfast, you may end up choosing a bagel with peanut butter because it's the only vegan option available. Those carb calories add up quickly. You have to make sure you balance the carbs with fruits, veggies and soy protein.

Tuesday, August 01, 2006, 2:10 PM

I'm with you on counting calories. i have been maintaining a 25 poiund weight loss for 2 years and when I stop keeping track the scale just inches up gradually until I realize hey - my pants are getting tight. As long as I keep track I'm fine though (and no - intuitive eating doesn't work for me, and no - I am not an emotional eater). I used to resent that I had to be ever mindful about what I was eating, and now I look at it as just one of those things I need to do to be concientious about for my health. I can not go back to mindlessly eating whatever is handy or right in front of me and maintain the state of health I am in now. Plus I am miserable when I don't have my weight under control, and counting calories works for me - so I just do it. However I take it one step further and do my dardest to make sure I am getting the right number of servings of fruits, veggies, protein, dairy and fat. The logs work great for me - I'd be looking for a way to do this anyway and I like the support and accountability.

Tuesday, August 01, 2006, 3:23 PM

3:23 poster...

Thank you for your comment. I just reached my goal weight about 3 months ago, and I'm still couting calories. Sometimes I wonder how long I will have to keep doing it, and your insights are helpful. I need to accept I may have to count calories for the rest of my life if I want to maintain my weight.

as a side note -- I use fitday.com to track my calories. The software does the calculations for me, and it is helpful for me to know what % of fat carbs and protein I've eaten. I often use the info to determine what I'm going to have for an evening snack when I'm hungry.

Tuesday, August 01, 2006, 3:30 PM

To the vegan:

I know that veganism is a lifestyle and not a diet (I'm the one who posted about "using" it as a non-calorie-counting diet), but for someone like me who finds vegan alternatives to 'normal' food pretty unpleasant, I really was limited to fruit, veggies, beans, whole grains and just not a whole lot else. I could never do it long-term, but it helped with a plateau and I would do it again if I needed to. I have a newfound respect for vegans after trying that!

Tuesday, August 01, 2006, 3:43 PM

OP here . . thanks for all your comments, suggestions etc! nice to know that some of you are tired of the counting too, and also nice to hear that some of you have found ways to make it more bearable!

to the first responding poster-i do listen to my body, and eat when i'm hungry regardless of the calories-however, i have to be careful as i AM an emotional eater as well as a compulsive one and that is the reason why calorie counting helps me stay on track (i would just eat non stop some days otherwise), i just wish it wasn't something i had to do always. (i'm thinking of picking up "intuitive eating" though as it sounds like i may need it!)

some of you mentioned veganism and gaining vs. losing weight and that is funny that it came up as i was vegan for the first few months of my weight loss and i found that i lost weight sheerly because i had to avoid things like ice cream, chocolate, cheese and other things i ate too much of before. unfortunately, i found being vegan much too difficult to continue long term-lots of applause to those who are able to make the life-time commitment!

Tuesday, August 01, 2006, 9:17 PM

I AM SICK AND TIRED

of being sick and tired of counting cals myself! (No wisdom here, just whining- sorry, OP):
I am tired of measuring food, I'm tired of looking at labels, I'm tired of being slightly afraid of eating at a friend's house for dinner only to mentally calculate every bite that goes in my mouth, I'm tired of being told to eat eat eat and then to be told my butt is big, I'm tired of having lost over 30 lbs. and still not having a flat enough tummy to wear a god damn bikini!

Tuesday, August 01, 2006, 10:22 PM

op here again-thank you!! whine away last poster!! all i really wanted to hear was someone else say they are tired of it too! it's a full time job really!

congrats on losing 30 lbs so far!!

Tuesday, August 01, 2006, 10:49 PM

thanks :)
(as I count how many cals I've had, and since I'm still hungry, how many more can I have 'til lunch?)
-sigh-
lol

Wednesday, August 02, 2006, 8:30 AM

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