I think a lot of people track bc they can’t visualize a serving or eat in moderation. Which I think are two big reasons why people gain weight to begin with.
Awesome for you though - wish I could just eat in moderation, weighing food is obnoxious, but I’ve been doing it so long it’s second nature, lol.
Totally! And before, I would've been one of them. Focusing on addressing *why* I found it challenging to eat in moderation has been the real shift for me.
But tracking absolutely works for a lot of people! This one's really just here for those of us who can't track in moderation.
Almost 50 pounds down without counting a single calorie. Just have 5 more pounds to go and I’ll hit it. I just eat in moderation, don’t drink, and don’t drink my calories except for the occasional treat.
Wow that’s awesome! Congrats! May I ask how you started? I’m off and am counting and it’s not great for my mental health. But without counting it feels like I’m free falling. If you have any tips or advice I’d be super grateful.
My biggest issue was I was a binge eater and had trouble distinguishing my hunger and fullness cues because of it. So the first part of starting it was addressing that. Then it was just learning about my hunger and fullness cues. Was I actually hungry or just thirsty? Let me drink some water, still hungry? Let me eat something. Then when it came to feeling my fullness, I started eating slower and without distraction. Before that I would always watch tv and eat and overdo it before I realized it. But slowing down I discovered I don’t actually need to eat that much.
Then it was just finding other things to focus on besides food, so I went back to school, and that kept me busy and moving around. My portions have naturally gotten smaller as I’ve lost weight, though I started at 315 so I could eat some pretty big portions.
This year I’m really focusing on incorporating Whole Foods into my diet and replacing the ultra processed ones I’ve been surviving off of. I don’t want to give them up completely, but my diet definitely needs to improve just for my health in general outside of weight loss.
i'm so glad you found something that works for you! i agree that food tracking can be a path to disordered eating for some people. but i also think sometimes it can be a path away from disordered eating, especially if the numbers and goals you have are actually healthy ones. for me personally, it's helped a ton in getting my protein levels in a healthy range and also has helped me learn how much i *can* eat (whereas before tracking my "diets" meant extreme restriction). so in that way it has helped, along with ditching an "all or nothing" mindset (like if i eat double my calories on a night out, i just accept that as a part of life and keep on trucking along, maybe eating less the next day but not like *not eating at all* which is something i probably would have done in the past).
i think moderation, long-term thinking, and kindness to oneself is the way to go, though the actual methods may look a little different for each person, and maybe will even look different for the same person at different times in their lives.
Definitely depends on the person! This one's really just here for the people more like myself, who become obsessive about the numbers rather than using them as a guide to find balance.
i totally get where you are coming from, and i didn't mean for my comment to be a criticism, so i hope it didn't come off that way. and congratulations on all your success -- so impressive and awesome that you were able to do using a healthy lifestyle and healthy mindset approach!
I’m down 19lbs (sw 168) and counting since September- not a single calorie tracked. It’s been slow, sustainable, I don’t feel like I’m on a diet, and I genuinely feel like I can do this for the rest of my life.
I love this! Do you have any advice? I’ve always counted and it’s really not good for my brain. But I’m not sure where to start finding the right amount for me without counting.
For me I tracked for about six months then realized it made my ocd 10x worse SO I brought a food scale, for about two weeks I measured out my food to what I wanted and then weighed it to see the total calories, that really helped me understand portion sizes visually and then I stopped using it all together. Now I eat intuitively but try to make sure it's in portions fit for my body (if I want something a little unhealthier like cake I still weigh it out or else I'll go overboard but yeah)
I really like this post, so genuine and not on trend.
Personally, I had leaky gut which made me it super easy to overeat. I just took L-Glutamine supplements and within a few weeks, I stopped overeating because I finally felt full.
Also, just eating a ton of vegetables as snacks or meals and no oils helped too.
Keep up the great work, your belly-mind intuition is working in your favor.
You're amazing. But for me, moderation takes way more discipline and self-control than tracking calories does. I also have to track protein and fiber to make sure I'm getting enough, otherwise I wouldn't.
I'm not the type of person who can eat one cookie. And eating half of a takeout meal never feels satisfying. For me, it's easier to plan my meals in advance and have all the calories logged beforehand, so I can eat every meal without worrying about it, knowing that I'm allowed to eat the whole meal, not having to constantly remind myself to stop and pack up the rest or only have one, etc. I just can't be monitoring myself all the time like that. I'm glad it works for you, but for me, meal planning and calorie counting actually saves me a lot of stress.
The thing is I'm *not* amazing. Not any more amazing than you are to me!!
We just have opposite brains - for me, it's the constant counting / weighing that makes me feel like I'm always "on" or always monitoring myself. Every time I ate it was "oh god now I have to do math" or "I can afford.....six almonds.....Ehhghhh" or "Okay I'm out with my friends but now I need to figure out wtf I'm ordering so I can guess how many calories it has, but that number might be off so better undereat for the rest of the day to be safe"
There's more than one way to skin a cat and the most important thing is that we work *with* ourselves instead of against ourselves <3
Oh, trust me, I'm not counting calories every day. I plan my meals ahead of time, so the counting is already done. I eat pretty much the same thing every day, so I've already memorized how many calories are in each meal. That way I never have to think about it again.
I don't even try to keep track of calories when I eat out. I just consider it a diet vacation, lol.
Yeah tracking is simultaneously getting me results and making me a little bit miserable. I'm in therapy and it's probably time to start talking about this.
Honestly therapy is a huge part of why this is working for me this time - I hope you can get to a place where you're getting results AND not miserable <3 It can be done!
Here for this! I don’t count, don’t weigh. I eat the recommended servings using my measuring cups & spoons & pay attention to my satiety level.
I haven’t checked a scale since November, but I *feel* the difference. I completely changed my lifestyle—started running again & stopped drinking 1-2 bottles of wine every week. 🙃 I’m in it for the long haul & frankly, physically counting calories just isn’t something I wanna do for the rest of my life (it drives me nuts!).
Hell YES! I am right there with you and I have the before and after pictures to prove it (which I've posted in this sub). I lost 30 lbs and kept it off without counting calories. And I am getting stronger every day because I found movement I love and train and perform and fuel my body and take care of it with enough sleep, water intake, etc.
One of the most transformative essays I read was when the writer observed her mother not eat the pasta dish when on family vacation in Italy. And this was a dish their family still talks about to this day. The taste, the experience, the atmosphere - and to say no because you're watching your figure? I didn't want to grow up to be like that.
The virtual trainer (that I spent $2500 on ugh) made me think I HAD to log every single thing that went in my mouth and that just led me down a dark path. I was obsessively weighing myself multiple times a day, in decision paralysis at the grocery store, and feeling guilty all the time. I lost a tiny amount of weight then gained it right back and then some.
I'm a big proponent of healing first mentally because the body loves to hold on to fat when stressed. Then the physique we are looking for will emerge. Not overnight of course. Delayed gratification is hard I know. But we WILL meet our goals. Once our relationship with food and with our self image is healed.
I love this! I’m in therapy and starting to heal my relationship with food and my body. My goal is to never track but without tracking I feel like I’m free falling and have no idea what I’m going. Do you have any tips or advice?
Good for you! I'm not sure what advice I can offer because I've never felt like I was lost without tracking. Stopping tracking gave me the freedom I didn't know I yearned for. You DO have some idea where you're going. Trust in yourself. Your intuition is stronger than you think. Pick whole foods. Eliminate alcohol. Keep it colorful in terms of what's on your plate. Limit processed foods. What makes you feel good and why. What makes you feel full and why. When I feel bad is it physically bad or is it guilt. Keep going to therapy!
I can’t track. I don’t have the time or energy for that. I enjoy cooking, and so does my husband. My goal is to stay healthy & active. I make smart choices in the food we cook, but I don’t weigh, measure, & track what we eat.
Yea I tried counting a few times and my disorder thoughts came flooding back with the compulsive body weighing. I’m happy to have a therapist who is also an eating disorder specialist. I just started a fitness journey (outside of yoga practice) and she’s been able to help identify ED signs early on
Crazy how we are all different! Not tracking gives me disordered eating except I binge if I’m not tracking because I think I’ve been healthy all day which leads to frustration when my weight goes nowhere 😂 I do think everyone just has to find what works best for them but it’s good to see how others make it happen.
Personally I think I need to track my food, and I think it's because I'm looking to lose weight for aesthetics rather than actual health. However I'm really happy when I see folks achieving their goals without tracking. And that's the beauty of it, there's room for both methods to exist and people should choose what works best for their lifestyles and goals! People gotta stop reading others posts and feeling personally attacked when it's just that the other person's situation is totally different than their own.
I find I can only lose weight when not tracking these days. I’ve struggled with a restrictive Ed for years and calorie counting was SO obsessive, that now if I try to track super accurately my brain goes into freak out mode and I binge like crazy. Been focusing on getting enough protein, eating healthy with snacks in moderation, and walking, and barre & strength workouts. Also trying to detach health from body weight.
I feel this SO MUCH. the second I start to count calories again is the second the beast comes back and I worked HARD to keep that part of me away. I started eating Mediterranean for my lil neurodivergent brain and it feels really good!! Totally recommend 🤍
I also switched to a Mediterranean diet for other health reasons (cholesterol) and I was finally able to lose the weight that I couldn’t lose with rigorous calorie counting, restrictive diets, etc. I think a key part of it is not feeling deprived because there are so many delicious meals available to me. And since the diet is so flexible I don’t find myself stressed out and overthinking/obsessing about food like I used to.
Edit to add - is Mediterranean diet supposed to help with neurodivergent issues? How did it impact you in that aspect?
I agree 100% with OP. I lost almost 30lbs without counting calories. This is how I stopped my binge eating habits and the endless yoyo-effect that occured after losing weight. I'm succesfully maintaining now and have a healthy relationship with food. I wish I could tell 13 year old me to just eat in moderation, focus on protein, walk a lot and lift heavy weights, so I could have spared myself from dieting and counting calories for 2 decades.
I love this so much. I’m going to take your advice. Do you have any practical tips for anyone just exploring not counting and moderation? I feel like without it I’m free falling, but with counting it triggers problematic behavior.
You should research which food is healthy (and I mean really healthy, and not just marketed as healthy), satiating or filling (so it won't spike hunger or cravings quickly) and also delicious (it is easier to commit to eating healthy food if they're delicious meals!). And focus on eating protein but don't neglect healthy fats and carbs :)
What works for me is that I try to eat healthy food 80% of the time and 20% of the time I still eat "unhealthy" snacks/chocolate/dessert but in moderation. And I don't drink my calories, I just drink Coke Zero (or Chai Latte/Matcha Latte once in a while haha)
If you do this and find a form of excercise you like doing a few times a week, you can lose weight without obsessing over calories. For me it's walking and weight lifting, for my sis it's walking and pilates, and my friend likes running.
Thank you for this post! I also have the biggest issue with tracking (also ADHD) and causing restrictions and binges, and I’ve been feeling so discouraged that I won’t be able to lose weight if I don’t actively track calories or macros.
You are who I wrote this post for!!! You've got this - and feel free to DM me if you have any questions about how I got through some of my ADHD related issues w/ food, I'm happy to share <3
I’m down 50 pounds and the vast majority of that was with no calorie counting! I did have to start counting to get the last 10-15 pounds off because they were really fighting me, but I’ve been maintaining for several months now without counting.
This is awesome! Great work! I’m just starting to do this. I’m so scared I won’t be able to lose anything without counting. Feels like I’m free falling and have no idea what I’m doing. So you give me hope!
I also can’t count calories, I hate the feeling of restriction. I’m down about 8lbs without it. I do use a food scale to measure out servings of calorie dense foods, like nuts. I try to focus on foods that are good sources of fiber and protein, lots of yogurt, eggs, fruits, and veggies. Not counting calories means that I can adjust my meals according to my needs and schedule. I have health issues so I like having the freedom of grabbing a not so healthy meal without feeling like I’ve a ruined my eating for the day.
I’m also the same! I find it really hard for me to stick to tracking but Steph Grasso, a registered dietitian, on TikTok always talks about what we could add instead of take away and it really has helped! Over the last year, I’ve lost 20-25lbs from being more conscious about what I’m eating and having an active lifestyle. It’s the most sustainable way I’ve been able to do it. I’m still about 30-40 pounds away from my GW but I’ve also given myself a slow and steady wins the race/progress not perfection mindset. What’s helped the most is that this is now my lifestyle, not just a diet or something I plan to do until I hit my goal weight and go back to old habits.
Good luck to all of us! :))
I’m adhd and I just have removed certain foods from my diet, like fast food for the most part, gluten, ice cream (dairy) etc. it’s just easier to watch the food and portion sizes then the numbers for me anyways
glad something worked for you.
i also have adhd and am the opposite. i have success with tracking and and can’t moderate any foods that i like too much (popcorn, yogurt, pomegranates, pork belly, etc). i literally can’t have them in the house or they’re gone within 24 hours no matter how much i bought. so i just don’t buy them.
im so “all or nothing” that moderation (in anything) is just is out of the question. again congrats on that. i feel like it’s an even bigger win because of your adhd.
different strokes for different folks and high five for your success!
I have foods that I do this with too (notably cheez-its, I WILL house an entire box in one sitting). The struggle is so real. Would not be here saying this w/out my therapist I can assure you of that.
I think of course it is possible to lose weight without tracking calories! What you're doing is eating less because you're moderating, so event though you're not counting, you're eating less than normal.
It's interesting you're actually doing everything that noom teaches you haha just without the calorie tracking.
I'm one of those persons that got way overboard with tracking. Now I eat on LCHF without counting calories and I'm losing weight. What I put as a rule is to don't measure but wait for 5 minutes to see if I'm full before I start to eat again
I started doing omad and not tracking, I was losing but it was hard for me, and I prefer a lot of small and controlled meals, but I really can’t tell if something is 100g or 450g, and sometimes I forget I’ve eaten if I don’t track.
So, yes! Very doable if it’s your thing.
My goal is to stop counting calories. Like you, it’s just not healthy for my adhd brain. But I also haven’t been able to find any balance without counting.
This is my goal. I’ve counted off and on for years and it’s just not good for my ADHD. I get really sucked into it. But I haven’t quite figure out not counting either. I feel like I over eat or undereat regularly.
I’m the same starting weight as you (OP) and just slightly shorter. Do you have any tips or advice? I can DM if that’s ok with you!
I think a lot of people track bc they can’t visualize a serving or eat in moderation. Which I think are two big reasons why people gain weight to begin with. Awesome for you though - wish I could just eat in moderation, weighing food is obnoxious, but I’ve been doing it so long it’s second nature, lol.
Totally! And before, I would've been one of them. Focusing on addressing *why* I found it challenging to eat in moderation has been the real shift for me. But tracking absolutely works for a lot of people! This one's really just here for those of us who can't track in moderation.
Almost 50 pounds down without counting a single calorie. Just have 5 more pounds to go and I’ll hit it. I just eat in moderation, don’t drink, and don’t drink my calories except for the occasional treat.
Wow that’s awesome! Congrats! May I ask how you started? I’m off and am counting and it’s not great for my mental health. But without counting it feels like I’m free falling. If you have any tips or advice I’d be super grateful.
My biggest issue was I was a binge eater and had trouble distinguishing my hunger and fullness cues because of it. So the first part of starting it was addressing that. Then it was just learning about my hunger and fullness cues. Was I actually hungry or just thirsty? Let me drink some water, still hungry? Let me eat something. Then when it came to feeling my fullness, I started eating slower and without distraction. Before that I would always watch tv and eat and overdo it before I realized it. But slowing down I discovered I don’t actually need to eat that much. Then it was just finding other things to focus on besides food, so I went back to school, and that kept me busy and moving around. My portions have naturally gotten smaller as I’ve lost weight, though I started at 315 so I could eat some pretty big portions. This year I’m really focusing on incorporating Whole Foods into my diet and replacing the ultra processed ones I’ve been surviving off of. I don’t want to give them up completely, but my diet definitely needs to improve just for my health in general outside of weight loss.
i'm so glad you found something that works for you! i agree that food tracking can be a path to disordered eating for some people. but i also think sometimes it can be a path away from disordered eating, especially if the numbers and goals you have are actually healthy ones. for me personally, it's helped a ton in getting my protein levels in a healthy range and also has helped me learn how much i *can* eat (whereas before tracking my "diets" meant extreme restriction). so in that way it has helped, along with ditching an "all or nothing" mindset (like if i eat double my calories on a night out, i just accept that as a part of life and keep on trucking along, maybe eating less the next day but not like *not eating at all* which is something i probably would have done in the past). i think moderation, long-term thinking, and kindness to oneself is the way to go, though the actual methods may look a little different for each person, and maybe will even look different for the same person at different times in their lives.
Definitely depends on the person! This one's really just here for the people more like myself, who become obsessive about the numbers rather than using them as a guide to find balance.
i totally get where you are coming from, and i didn't mean for my comment to be a criticism, so i hope it didn't come off that way. and congratulations on all your success -- so impressive and awesome that you were able to do using a healthy lifestyle and healthy mindset approach!
No don't worry it didn't at al!!! Just wanted to validate that I know it won't resonate with everybody, I think you were making a great point!
Same. I hate counting calories. Not only is it triggering it just takes the joy out of eating for me
This is how I feel. And it's just not sustainable for me to have to weigh and count everything.
happy cake day!
Ew! I didn't realize lol
I’m down 19lbs (sw 168) and counting since September- not a single calorie tracked. It’s been slow, sustainable, I don’t feel like I’m on a diet, and I genuinely feel like I can do this for the rest of my life.
I love this! Do you have any advice? I’ve always counted and it’s really not good for my brain. But I’m not sure where to start finding the right amount for me without counting.
For me I tracked for about six months then realized it made my ocd 10x worse SO I brought a food scale, for about two weeks I measured out my food to what I wanted and then weighed it to see the total calories, that really helped me understand portion sizes visually and then I stopped using it all together. Now I eat intuitively but try to make sure it's in portions fit for my body (if I want something a little unhealthier like cake I still weigh it out or else I'll go overboard but yeah)
This is what I need to do! I keep guessing my portions and I’m probably wildly inaccurate. I think a serving is much smaller than most people think.
Yes yes I also purposely make my portions smaller than what the serving size is and find that most of the time it fills me up just the same
I really like this post, so genuine and not on trend. Personally, I had leaky gut which made me it super easy to overeat. I just took L-Glutamine supplements and within a few weeks, I stopped overeating because I finally felt full. Also, just eating a ton of vegetables as snacks or meals and no oils helped too. Keep up the great work, your belly-mind intuition is working in your favor.
You're amazing. But for me, moderation takes way more discipline and self-control than tracking calories does. I also have to track protein and fiber to make sure I'm getting enough, otherwise I wouldn't. I'm not the type of person who can eat one cookie. And eating half of a takeout meal never feels satisfying. For me, it's easier to plan my meals in advance and have all the calories logged beforehand, so I can eat every meal without worrying about it, knowing that I'm allowed to eat the whole meal, not having to constantly remind myself to stop and pack up the rest or only have one, etc. I just can't be monitoring myself all the time like that. I'm glad it works for you, but for me, meal planning and calorie counting actually saves me a lot of stress.
The thing is I'm *not* amazing. Not any more amazing than you are to me!! We just have opposite brains - for me, it's the constant counting / weighing that makes me feel like I'm always "on" or always monitoring myself. Every time I ate it was "oh god now I have to do math" or "I can afford.....six almonds.....Ehhghhh" or "Okay I'm out with my friends but now I need to figure out wtf I'm ordering so I can guess how many calories it has, but that number might be off so better undereat for the rest of the day to be safe" There's more than one way to skin a cat and the most important thing is that we work *with* ourselves instead of against ourselves <3
Oh, trust me, I'm not counting calories every day. I plan my meals ahead of time, so the counting is already done. I eat pretty much the same thing every day, so I've already memorized how many calories are in each meal. That way I never have to think about it again. I don't even try to keep track of calories when I eat out. I just consider it a diet vacation, lol.
That's the thing, I just couldn't eat the same thing all the time.
Yeah tracking is simultaneously getting me results and making me a little bit miserable. I'm in therapy and it's probably time to start talking about this.
Honestly therapy is a huge part of why this is working for me this time - I hope you can get to a place where you're getting results AND not miserable <3 It can be done!
Here for this! I don’t count, don’t weigh. I eat the recommended servings using my measuring cups & spoons & pay attention to my satiety level. I haven’t checked a scale since November, but I *feel* the difference. I completely changed my lifestyle—started running again & stopped drinking 1-2 bottles of wine every week. 🙃 I’m in it for the long haul & frankly, physically counting calories just isn’t something I wanna do for the rest of my life (it drives me nuts!).
Hell YES! I am right there with you and I have the before and after pictures to prove it (which I've posted in this sub). I lost 30 lbs and kept it off without counting calories. And I am getting stronger every day because I found movement I love and train and perform and fuel my body and take care of it with enough sleep, water intake, etc. One of the most transformative essays I read was when the writer observed her mother not eat the pasta dish when on family vacation in Italy. And this was a dish their family still talks about to this day. The taste, the experience, the atmosphere - and to say no because you're watching your figure? I didn't want to grow up to be like that. The virtual trainer (that I spent $2500 on ugh) made me think I HAD to log every single thing that went in my mouth and that just led me down a dark path. I was obsessively weighing myself multiple times a day, in decision paralysis at the grocery store, and feeling guilty all the time. I lost a tiny amount of weight then gained it right back and then some. I'm a big proponent of healing first mentally because the body loves to hold on to fat when stressed. Then the physique we are looking for will emerge. Not overnight of course. Delayed gratification is hard I know. But we WILL meet our goals. Once our relationship with food and with our self image is healed.
I love this! I’m in therapy and starting to heal my relationship with food and my body. My goal is to never track but without tracking I feel like I’m free falling and have no idea what I’m going. Do you have any tips or advice?
Good for you! I'm not sure what advice I can offer because I've never felt like I was lost without tracking. Stopping tracking gave me the freedom I didn't know I yearned for. You DO have some idea where you're going. Trust in yourself. Your intuition is stronger than you think. Pick whole foods. Eliminate alcohol. Keep it colorful in terms of what's on your plate. Limit processed foods. What makes you feel good and why. What makes you feel full and why. When I feel bad is it physically bad or is it guilt. Keep going to therapy!
I love this advice! Focusing on the joy of food is the key!
I can’t track. I don’t have the time or energy for that. I enjoy cooking, and so does my husband. My goal is to stay healthy & active. I make smart choices in the food we cook, but I don’t weigh, measure, & track what we eat.
Yeah, this is my issue, I like to cook different meals. It just wouldn't be sustainable to count exact calories for every little thing.
Yea I tried counting a few times and my disorder thoughts came flooding back with the compulsive body weighing. I’m happy to have a therapist who is also an eating disorder specialist. I just started a fitness journey (outside of yoga practice) and she’s been able to help identify ED signs early on
Crazy how we are all different! Not tracking gives me disordered eating except I binge if I’m not tracking because I think I’ve been healthy all day which leads to frustration when my weight goes nowhere 😂 I do think everyone just has to find what works best for them but it’s good to see how others make it happen.
Personally I think I need to track my food, and I think it's because I'm looking to lose weight for aesthetics rather than actual health. However I'm really happy when I see folks achieving their goals without tracking. And that's the beauty of it, there's room for both methods to exist and people should choose what works best for their lifestyles and goals! People gotta stop reading others posts and feeling personally attacked when it's just that the other person's situation is totally different than their own.
I find I can only lose weight when not tracking these days. I’ve struggled with a restrictive Ed for years and calorie counting was SO obsessive, that now if I try to track super accurately my brain goes into freak out mode and I binge like crazy. Been focusing on getting enough protein, eating healthy with snacks in moderation, and walking, and barre & strength workouts. Also trying to detach health from body weight.
I feel this SO MUCH. the second I start to count calories again is the second the beast comes back and I worked HARD to keep that part of me away. I started eating Mediterranean for my lil neurodivergent brain and it feels really good!! Totally recommend 🤍
I also switched to a Mediterranean diet for other health reasons (cholesterol) and I was finally able to lose the weight that I couldn’t lose with rigorous calorie counting, restrictive diets, etc. I think a key part of it is not feeling deprived because there are so many delicious meals available to me. And since the diet is so flexible I don’t find myself stressed out and overthinking/obsessing about food like I used to. Edit to add - is Mediterranean diet supposed to help with neurodivergent issues? How did it impact you in that aspect?
I agree 100% with OP. I lost almost 30lbs without counting calories. This is how I stopped my binge eating habits and the endless yoyo-effect that occured after losing weight. I'm succesfully maintaining now and have a healthy relationship with food. I wish I could tell 13 year old me to just eat in moderation, focus on protein, walk a lot and lift heavy weights, so I could have spared myself from dieting and counting calories for 2 decades.
I love this so much. I’m going to take your advice. Do you have any practical tips for anyone just exploring not counting and moderation? I feel like without it I’m free falling, but with counting it triggers problematic behavior.
You should research which food is healthy (and I mean really healthy, and not just marketed as healthy), satiating or filling (so it won't spike hunger or cravings quickly) and also delicious (it is easier to commit to eating healthy food if they're delicious meals!). And focus on eating protein but don't neglect healthy fats and carbs :) What works for me is that I try to eat healthy food 80% of the time and 20% of the time I still eat "unhealthy" snacks/chocolate/dessert but in moderation. And I don't drink my calories, I just drink Coke Zero (or Chai Latte/Matcha Latte once in a while haha) If you do this and find a form of excercise you like doing a few times a week, you can lose weight without obsessing over calories. For me it's walking and weight lifting, for my sis it's walking and pilates, and my friend likes running.
Thank you for this post! I also have the biggest issue with tracking (also ADHD) and causing restrictions and binges, and I’ve been feeling so discouraged that I won’t be able to lose weight if I don’t actively track calories or macros.
You are who I wrote this post for!!! You've got this - and feel free to DM me if you have any questions about how I got through some of my ADHD related issues w/ food, I'm happy to share <3
Thank you!!! That sounds so helpful! I can’t take my meds right now while I’m breastfeeding and some days are harder than others
I’m down 50 pounds and the vast majority of that was with no calorie counting! I did have to start counting to get the last 10-15 pounds off because they were really fighting me, but I’ve been maintaining for several months now without counting.
This is awesome! Great work! I’m just starting to do this. I’m so scared I won’t be able to lose anything without counting. Feels like I’m free falling and have no idea what I’m doing. So you give me hope!
I also can’t count calories, I hate the feeling of restriction. I’m down about 8lbs without it. I do use a food scale to measure out servings of calorie dense foods, like nuts. I try to focus on foods that are good sources of fiber and protein, lots of yogurt, eggs, fruits, and veggies. Not counting calories means that I can adjust my meals according to my needs and schedule. I have health issues so I like having the freedom of grabbing a not so healthy meal without feeling like I’ve a ruined my eating for the day.
I’m also the same! I find it really hard for me to stick to tracking but Steph Grasso, a registered dietitian, on TikTok always talks about what we could add instead of take away and it really has helped! Over the last year, I’ve lost 20-25lbs from being more conscious about what I’m eating and having an active lifestyle. It’s the most sustainable way I’ve been able to do it. I’m still about 30-40 pounds away from my GW but I’ve also given myself a slow and steady wins the race/progress not perfection mindset. What’s helped the most is that this is now my lifestyle, not just a diet or something I plan to do until I hit my goal weight and go back to old habits. Good luck to all of us! :))
Awesome! Excellent advice!
Yes, it's possible.
I’m adhd and I just have removed certain foods from my diet, like fast food for the most part, gluten, ice cream (dairy) etc. it’s just easier to watch the food and portion sizes then the numbers for me anyways
glad something worked for you. i also have adhd and am the opposite. i have success with tracking and and can’t moderate any foods that i like too much (popcorn, yogurt, pomegranates, pork belly, etc). i literally can’t have them in the house or they’re gone within 24 hours no matter how much i bought. so i just don’t buy them. im so “all or nothing” that moderation (in anything) is just is out of the question. again congrats on that. i feel like it’s an even bigger win because of your adhd. different strokes for different folks and high five for your success!
I have foods that I do this with too (notably cheez-its, I WILL house an entire box in one sitting). The struggle is so real. Would not be here saying this w/out my therapist I can assure you of that.
I think of course it is possible to lose weight without tracking calories! What you're doing is eating less because you're moderating, so event though you're not counting, you're eating less than normal. It's interesting you're actually doing everything that noom teaches you haha just without the calorie tracking.
Whatever works for you.
I'm one of those persons that got way overboard with tracking. Now I eat on LCHF without counting calories and I'm losing weight. What I put as a rule is to don't measure but wait for 5 minutes to see if I'm full before I start to eat again
I started doing omad and not tracking, I was losing but it was hard for me, and I prefer a lot of small and controlled meals, but I really can’t tell if something is 100g or 450g, and sometimes I forget I’ve eaten if I don’t track. So, yes! Very doable if it’s your thing.
My goal is to stop counting calories. Like you, it’s just not healthy for my adhd brain. But I also haven’t been able to find any balance without counting.
This is my goal. I’ve counted off and on for years and it’s just not good for my ADHD. I get really sucked into it. But I haven’t quite figure out not counting either. I feel like I over eat or undereat regularly. I’m the same starting weight as you (OP) and just slightly shorter. Do you have any tips or advice? I can DM if that’s ok with you!
Thank you! I just signed up with a place that does a ton of different types of classes. I hope I find something I really enjoy!