Tracking Calories versus No Longer Tracking

[tblodg15]

One of the first things I recommend to someone asking how to lose weight is to track their calories and adjust until the desired weight loss is achieved. Because it works! But for many of us who were successful in losing weight by tracking it can be intimidating when the time comes to wean off tracking.

I was overweight and started exercising and eating more healthy a little over 3 years ago now. The first 6 months or so I lost weight just by eating less junk food but when my progress stalled and actually started gaining some weight back I then started tracking my calories. For two years I tracked every single meal in MyfitnessPal and made sure I hit my protein and fat targets. I don’t think I would have lost 65 pounds and gotten into good shape for a 50+ year old without tracking my calories and macros.

But now for the last 6 months or so I have not tracked a single calorie and feel 100% in control of my weight. At first it was hard to stop tracking because of the concern with gaining weight back and the doubts from not feeling in control. Of course I am still eating the same foods which are probably 80% “clean” with fruits, veggies, and lean meats with maybe a few more treats than I had previously since I am basically in maintenance mode now. The best thing about going off tracking is that I can now safely trust my satiety signals and just eat until I am satisfied to maintain my weight. If I want to gain which I have done for the last several months I just eat until I am full. If I want to lose weight I just cut out breakfast and the cheese or tortilla or bread with my lunch and go to bed a tiny bit hungry and I lose weight.

Just thought I would share because a lot of folks are concerned with the thought of no longer tracking calories and I was also but not anymore.

My average weekly weight over the last 3 years:


You can see that my rate of gain over this winter without tracking is almost identical to last winter when I was tracking everything. I never felt it was a huge chore to enter meals into myfitnesspal but I will say it is nice not worrying about it. As long as I eat my routine meals I know my protein is covered but if it is an abnormal day like traveling for work or something I will just add up how much protein I had in my head to approximate the grams. If I am way under I might find something to make up for it or not worry about it and just get back to my normal foods the following day.

Where I started 3 years ago to a pic from this past fall. I am now up 9 pounds from that pic on purpose and will diet back down into the upper 160’s for summer. I don’t consider this “bulking” or “cutting”, I just prefer to be a little heavier and more filled out in the winter and a little leaner in the summer.


A side note - you can also see from my graph above that my original goal was just to get to 195 pounds as I had not been below 200 for 16 years before this! But once I got into the lifting and diet routine I was enjoying the process so much that I just kept going and found it was fun to push farther than most my age.

[blue9steel]

Great job! I know my habits have changed a lot over the years to the point where I would mostly eat the same whether I tracked or not. That said, I gain weight so easily I'm pretty much stuck with tracking. A few really small things here and there and I'd be gaining weight in no time. (slowly) My natural setpoint seems to be lean bulk.

[MrCarrot]

I remember you saying you were going to stop tracking. Glad it's working out.

I spent 9 months losing weight and it was tracking that enabled me to do this. I've then spent 9 months slowly bulking and again I think tracking has been important as my gains tend to stall and I have to continually increase calories. Without tracking I just don't know if I could reliably keep the trend going in the right direction.

I might start on a cut before too long and again I think I'll need to keep tracking in order to dial down my calories by the right amount.

If I were to go to maintenance it'd be different, I think I could eat at maintenance without tracking.

[grubman]

I think you should write a book.

I know you immediately think I’m being sarcastic (I’m not) but with the teen years, to being a fat middle aged man, to getting in the shape of your life...all intelligently and relatively painlessly, and now maintaining a healthy body, mind, and lifestyle...and all this with records and graphs to boot!

It’s an inspiration for the Everyman, and with your sense of humor and writing skills, it would probably be a good read. IMHO.

[Garage Rat]

I think you have more control over BF and weight when tracking between you get to where you want to be and have pretty good sense on what eat and how much even if your eye balling it it can work as you have proven.
I wouldn't recommend a beginner or someone competing to go unchecked.
I can come to a point your very diet smart and can tell if you go off track by just looking in the mirror or taking a waist measurement.

[drudixon]

Can't remember when I read it, but the study showed a two week lag between energy intake in response to changes in expenditures. Factors like ghrelin, gh, igf-1, test, etc were all considered. Assuming your training protocol is consistent and you can generally auto regulate intake. Once someone has weighed food long enough, you can generally maintain consistent intake.

I'm a fan of not weighing food for myself. It's a pain in the ass and after years of doing this, pretty consistent. That said, I've been more or less stuck for the past year and if I want to break it, I'd have to weigh again to ensure intake matches increases in volume, at least until my body adapted to the new stasis.

[supramax]

One of the first things I recommend to someone asking how to lose weight is to track their calories and adjust until the desired weight loss is achieved. Because it works! But for many of us who were successful in losing weight by tracking it can be intimidating when the time comes to wean off tracking.

I was overweight and started exercising and eating more healthy a little over 3 years ago now. The first 6 months or so I lost weight just by eating less junk food but when my progress stalled and actually started gaining some weight back I then started tracking my calories. For two years I tracked every single meal in MyfitnessPal and made sure I hit my protein and fat targets. I don’t think I would have lost 65 pounds and gotten into good shape for a 50+ year old without tracking my calories and macros.

But now for the last 6 months or so I have not tracked a single calorie and feel 100% in control of my weight. At first it was hard to stop tracking because of the concern with gaining weight back and the doubts from not feeling in control. Of course I am still eating the same foods which are probably 80% “clean” with fruits, veggies, and lean meats with maybe a few more treats than I had previously since I am basically in maintenance mode now. The best thing about going off tracking is that I can now safely trust my satiety signals and just eat until I am satisfied to maintain my weight. If I want to gain which I have done for the last several months I just eat until I am full. If I want to lose weight I just cut out breakfast and the cheese or tortilla or bread with my lunch and go to bed a tiny bit hungry and I lose weight.

Just thought I would share because a lot of folks are concerned with the thought of no longer tracking calories and I was also but not anymore.

My average weekly weight over the last 3 years:


You can see that my rate of gain over this winter without tracking is almost identical to last winter when I was tracking everything. I never felt it was a huge chore to enter meals into myfitnesspal but I will say it is nice not worrying about it. As long as I eat my routine meals I know my protein is covered but if it is an abnormal day like traveling for work or something I will just add up how much protein I had in my head to approximate the grams. If I am way under I might find something to make up for it or not worry about it and just get back to my normal foods the following day.

Where I started 3 years ago to a pic from this past fall. I am now up 9 pounds from that pic on purpose and will diet back down into the upper 160’s for summer. I don’t consider this “bulking” or “cutting”, I just prefer to be a little heavier and more filled out in the winter and a little leaner in the summer.


A side note - you can also see from my graph above that my original goal was just to get to 195 pounds as I had not been below 200 for 16 years before this! But once I got into the lifting and diet routine I was enjoying the process so much that I just kept going and found it was fun to push farther than most my age.

I see why you're so proud of yourself. Great job, dude.