When you say you don’t count calories, do you just eat literally whatever you want within your window? Or are you strictly on keto/paleo/vegan diets with no limits on calories?
I do 20/4, and don’t count calories. I don’t do anything special really, just try not to eat stuff that I know I shouldn’t eat.
I’ll eat a normal meal for dinner, then lightly snack during the remainder of my window as needed.
I don’t eat candy anymore, I’ll snack on nuts/cheese sticks/jerky/etc
I’m doing IF mainly to hold me accountable, weight loss/maintain for the most part, and to curb my “grazing”
I don’t count calories, and I don’t make any dietary restrictions. Does this mean I eat pizza and donuts all the time? Obviously not.
For me, it’s about being mindful of what I’m eating and listening to my body. I still have things I enjoy, because that’s part of life, but keep them in moderation. Otherwise I focus on eating well. Which is simply having a balanced variety of meals made with whole ingredients as much as possible.
Not sure I’d class myself necessarily as long-time, but after a few months I’ve developed a sense of whether I’m over or under in terms of calories. Mainly just focus on eating high-protein food, and having a snack to break the fast shortly followed by proper meal, and just stop when I feel full. Does the trick.
I’m on my second stint with IF and have never counted calories. I just eat healthy foods and keep it reasonable in terms of portion size. I think most of us are generally aware of what’s good and bad in terms of calories. I just stick to lean meats, rice, eggs, vegetables, and not a whole lot else. I try to find variations of foods I enjoy that I know are low in calories, but I never count.
I think of it like this: you either restrict your calories or you restrict your food choices.
If you are eating any kind of quantity of carbs, then it’s important to track things, for lots of reasons.Controversial, I know, especially in this sub, but: carbs aren’t “food”, in the strict sense that you don’t need to eat them to live.
So, if you truly eliminate all carbs from your diet, then everything else that’s left for you will be some combination of protein and fat, which are the two essential nutrients we need to stay alive. Fortunately, our bodies have extremely strong mechanisms to stop us from eating once we’ve eaten the proper amount of protein and fat. It’s similar to water. How much water do you drink when you get thirsty? You don’t know, you’re just thirsty and you start drinking water. At some point very quickly you get a strong feedback signal from your body telling you that you are no longer thirsty anymore, and you stop drinking. No measuring or tracking anything. It’s the same way with “real food” aka eating protein and fat. Of course you can intentionally override your feedback signals and gorge yourself, but if you just listen to your body when you’re eating those things, you will eventually end up directly at your ideal body weight, and you will stay there, forever.
I eat to feel good, I have lunch and dinner preplanned that’s sort of bland but nutritious.
I never eat two bad meals in a row. When I want a candy bar I have it.
I also never skip two workouts, i weight in weekly and adjust my habits if the numbers aren’t right.
Down to 261 from 400+. It works but I highly recommend learning about calories of foods and setting realistic goals. I always shot for 2 pounds a week of weight loss from calorie restrictions.
For me the magic bullet was 1000 calorie deficit from TDEE, and 5 miles of walking every day. Plus GreySkull lP Phraks 3 times a week. I averaged 5 pounds a week loss the entire time.
Edit: forgot to mention I eat in an 8 hour window, and occasionally go 23:1 for big nights like parties or Vegas trips.
I also quit drinking alcohol, caffeine, sugar and sodas, and gave up all processed foods except reasonably whole carbs. I don’t fret about rice or noodles, moderation is key. Even moderation of eating clean haha
I was just about to post a similar question! I’ll tag on to yours.
I have been doing IF and counting calories for 6 weeks, usually 16:8, sometimes 18:6, with a 36-hour fast that ended yesterday.
I’ve lost about 15 pounds. So…it’s working…but I know I’m not going to count calories forever. I’d like to lose another 15 to 20 pounds more. Should I take steps now to adapt my eating to something sustainable long-term?
I know this weight will be the hardest to lose, so I’d like to go in with an informed plan.
My daily calorie budget now (assuming no exercise) is only 1300 calories. It just seems like that’s going to be really hard to stay under without counting.
Should I switch to OMAD or 20:4? I was also considering having a fixed-calorie liquid lunch like green juice or a protein shake, then a filling dinner. Anybody have success with that?
Or should I keep counting calories (since it’s working!) until I get to my goal weight and then switch plans for maintenance?