Hello, hello blogging buddies!
Wow was that ever a corny intro. Sorry guys… I’m going to go ahead and blame it on hunger and a lack of food in my belly, so give me a sec to remedy that situation before I embarrass myself even further…
Coconut Greek yogurt – banana – blueberries – Kashi Cinnamon Harvest – Puffins – roasted almond butter.
Much better; I just hope it lasts for a while. I think I might be making up for the weekend because my appetite has seriously been off the charts. I was more-or-less a bottomless pit yesterday, and today looks like it’s going to be more of the same. But here’s the crazy part: it doesn’t bother me. Hungry? Eat. Hungry again 1.5 hours later? Eat some more. It wasn’t even that long ago that I admitted to getting a little anxious whenever I’d get hit with an insatiable appetite day, but somewhere between then and now the anxiety started to taper off to eventually disappear.
I’m not entirely sure how it happened, but I have a feeling that a lot of it came down to [repeatedly] taking a chance (ie: eating more to honor my increased hunger) and realizing that nothing bad happened as a result. I realize that makes it sound ridiculously easy in theory when it’s not in practice, but that’s what it basically comes down to. At the end of the day, you just have to do it.
If you find yourself stuck in that kind of situation, one piece of advice that I can give to make the whole process a little more effective, if not easier, is to ditch the numbers. Stop feeding the obsession and let them go. Don’t weigh yourself on a daily basis and don’t compulsively count calories – it’s not helping you. Yes, not knowing is terrifying at first, but you can’t expect to move forward if you’re clinging to what’s holding you back.
Remember when I asked you guys what you thought about me including nutrition labels on my recipes? After giving it a little bit of thought, I’ve decided that I’m not going to do it, and here’s why:
I don’t like numbers – they only complicate things.
After letting numbers control and make decisions for me for years, I’ve done my best to eliminate them from my life as much as I possibly can. I don’t count calories. I don’t weigh myself. I don’t use a heart rate monitor. I don’t tally up how long I spend working out every day. I don’t track how many miles I walk per week. Why? Because I don’t need to.
I’m not training for anything; I’m just trying to live my life and be healthy. And honestly? Numbers aren’t going to help me do that. If anything, they’re just going to get in the way by taking my focus off of what really matters and leading to an obsessive mindset that I’d rather avoid.
Think about it – how much control do you hand over to numbers? How many times has your day been ruined by the number you saw on the scale? How many times have you denied yourself something because of the number you saw on the label? How many times have you worked yourself into the ground because you just had to meet some number? My guess is probably more times than you’d like to admit. I hear ya – I’ve been there too; but I’ve fought tooth and nail to leave that place behind and I don’t want to go back.
This is a muffin…
It has blueberries and bananas. Oatmeal. There’s some Greek yogurt in there too. Healthy stuff. Sure it has a certain number of calories and a certain amount of carbs/fats/proteins, but what does that honestly tell you? Why does eating have to be an equation and cooking a calculation? Why can’t we just enjoy good food for what it is instead of fussing about the numbers behind it?
Because we’ve stopped listening to our bodies and started listening too much to our heads. Because we bought in to the idea that there’s a perfect or right way to eat. Because we shifted our focus from feeling good to being good, as if eating “right” somehow makes us a better person. Nonsense. If anything, I’d argue that an obsession with perfect eating does quite the opposite – it takes up so much time and energy and often makes us irritable and unpleasant to be around.
Of course there are instances where numbers can be beneficial, but I really believe that they only make things worse in the majority of situations. I can’t even tell you how much happier and more relaxed I’ve become since transitioning over to a number-free life, and I highly encourage you to give it a try for yourself 🙂
. – . – . – .
As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts!
How big of a role do numbers play in your life?
How would you feel without scales, heart rate monitors, measuring cups, clothing sizes, etc. Would not knowing be uncomfortable or blissful?
Counting calories is such a load of crap. It’s flawed, as everyone is unique, and everything we eat triggers a hormonal response. Our bodies aren’t hard at work figuring out out numerical equations, they’re responding to the TYPES of food we feed it based on our own individual biochemistry. I think if more people actually understood *what* makes us gain/lose weight and how irrelevant caloric #s actually play into the “equation” they’d never look back. You can’t look back, actually. It’s so silly. I hate that so many women are probably under-eating/over exercising based on some BS womens health magazine recommendation. It drives me crazy!!!
Love it !
As many have said above, I used to count EVERY calorie and I mean every piece of gum and my VITAMINS (some days vitamins did not fit into my calorie allotment).
I don’t count anymore and haven’t stepped on a scale in four months. It is freeing.
Sometimes I block nutrition labels or cut the package and throw it out to make sure I don’t get sucked in.
I’m working on everything slowly but surely and am feeling good, you’re inspiration gives me optimism to know that one day I CAN have your confidence and be comfortable and normal again
🙂
Thanks for staying true to yourself and being completely open with us all, 100% of the time
That’s really amazing, K! And with that much progress already, I’ve no doubt that you’ll be able to be “normal” again 😀
I try not to look at numbers EVER unless its how much weight im lifting!! LOL.
Let’s put it this way – when it comes to baking, I need those measuring cups 😉
The muffin looks delicious but the message behind it is even more delectable.
Love this post! (which should come as no surprise). I’ve been in that all-too-familiar place too…obsessing over numbers and somehow thinking it mattered whether I got 65g or 70g of protein in a day…complete nonsense. I haven’t weighed myself since oh…September? And I haven’t counted a single calorie since around that time either. Here’s the shocking part… I still look the same and feel great! haha. So glad I’m not in that place anymore.
YES. Love this. Sometimes I get hungry alllll day long and I just listen to my body and eat. It’s obviously telling you something when it’s hungry! 😀
Numbers play waaayyy too big of a role in my life – I wish I could be more like you and not track my calorie intake or worry about how long I’ve worked out for the day or how many miles I ran last week. Maybe I’ll be able to get there someday!
You will when you start getting frustrated enough with the way things are now to change. I went through a long period of not even wanting to let go of my bad habits, but one day everything just seemed to click and it made changing a little bit easier.
this is an amazing post. you are light years beyond me in this level of maturity. i have OCD and despite my best efforts to deal with it (therapy and medication included), I can’t get a grip on it. the control seeps into every part of my life – 2 of the biggies for me are exercise and food (and my job but that’s another story). so when you asked about nutrition facts i shouted YES! because this feeds my obsessions. you not posting initially made me cringe (i will still calculate them myself so it isn’t really a big deal), but then made me proud of you. for coming so far. day by day, day by day.
I read your blog all the time and I just wanted to thank you for your posts. I lost a lot of weight about a year ago and as amazing as I felt and how healthy I was eating, that healthy turned quickly to unhealthy. I struggled with counting calories and weighing myself daily. So scared of gaining the weight back and scared of food that I once loved. Your blog and posts have not only changed how I feel but make me feel better about myself. This post hit me hard because I am definitely here right now. I am sick of couting. I have thrown away my measuring cups and my scale. Thanks so much for making me feel better about life, living again and trusting myself. You are amazing!!!
I have stopped counting calories (which is SO freeing!), but I do still rely on reading nutrition labels, using measuring cups, and on the occasional check-up on the scale. I am trying to find a positive balance somewhere in between all of the numbers, which can be TOUGH!
I just love this post so much! Every single part of it is so very true. There is so much more to the food we eat than the number of calories it contains!
Numbers rule my life. Mathematics major for the LOSS in this case. It’s really rough with calories because I can easily keep track of numbers in my mind because I’m programmed (literally) to be able to do it. I have a hard time not thinking about it but if I catch myself that’s the important thing. I’m working on it and I’m challenging myself a lot lately. You’re right. YOU have to make the decision to challenge yourself, then DO IT.
I can honestly say YOU were the one to motivate me to ditch the numbers in regards to logging (borderline obsessively) with MyFitnessPal. Thank you is not a strong enough sentiment! I needed to do it for some time as it was defining me & taking-up way too much of my day. Your post about ditching the #’s coupled with the fact that I was out of the country with no interent access gave me the jump I needed. I didn’t log for an entire week & guess what, the world didn’t end?!? Since I’ve been back, I’ve logged ONE day (nobody’s perfect) & am continuing to deal with my “It will all be ok without logging” mentality. We are all works in progress, thanks for being a motivator 🙂
!!! That’s SO great to hear, Katie! It’s definitely something that takes a little work, but it WILL all be okay without logging. In fact, it’ll be better than okay 🙂
Thank you so much for doing this…this attitude is why I like this blog. Please keep it going in this direction. It’s been very helpful and inspirational.
So…have I told you lately how much I freakin’ adore you? (Yes. But I’m telling you again).
I 100% agree with you here, and I’m glad you decided to leave off the nutritional info – if it’s tasty and makes me feel good in that moment (whether it’s going to be spinach or chocolate) than that’s all I really need to know about what I’m eating. Sometimes when I get anxious and want to count up everything I’ve eaten that day, I stop and remind myself how much that sucks. Relying on a little internet counter to tell me whether I’ve been ‘good’ or ‘bad’ that day. It does not need to be that complicated! If my body wants food, I will give it food. Easy enough!
I don’t have a heart rate monitor, and that’s fine – I wouldn’t use it for workouts anyways. I do get anxious without numbers sometimes, but I know I’m better off without them.
Love the bit about spinach and chocolate
You’re all sorts of fabulous; don’t let numbers mess with that!
Love this post so much! Numbers play a very little role in my life now. Wow, I never thought I would ever say that looking from where I have come from but yeah, I don’t count calories and haven’t done for 2 years (best thing I EVER did) and I don’t count how many calories I burn or how long I exercise for and I rarely weigh myself – probably once a month just out of curiosity. I just don’t see the point. It drove me crazy and why should wholesome foods have labels on them anyway? They’re natural so they are healthy whatever their value – and your body can’t even count calories! All it knows is when it’s hungry or full and we should listen to that rather than numbers that mean nothing really..I always use the example when it comes to calories that I’d rather eat 300 calories of nuts than a 100 calorie diet bar full of shit. And your body will use the more calorific choice more efficiently because it’s natural!
Great post. I rarely count calories and eat whenever I am hungry….I I do not own a scale. I go by how my clothes fit. I try not to think of numbers and go by health and how I feel and I am raising my son the same way. Only time I needed to know my weight was when I was in labor and they needed to know for my epidural – oops sorry don’t know what I weigh lol. The nurse was not pleased and was rather shocked as well…It was a bit of an issue at the time lol.
So happy you decided not to post your numbers 🙂 Your whole attitude throughout this post is the reason I started reading you in the first place. And I have actually started to enjoy my insatiable appetite days. A reason to eat more delicious food? What could possibly be wrong with that?
Thanks for another fantastic and inspiring post, Amanda! Seeing how far you’ve come is truly amazing.
Granted, I do still give numbers too much power over my life I’ve at least managed to lower the amount lately. Calorie calculating websites are no longer part of my daily routine and I only do a rough estimate of calories. No exact – and exhausting at that – macro management for me anymore. Also, while still relying on my food scales, I started having unweighed and uncounted snacks like chips or cereal straight from the bag. These are all baby steps but they do feel quite good already and I’m hoping to get more and more independent from numbers.
Those kind of baby steps are huge! I remember taking them myself, and they honestly do feel great. Nothing better than being able to sit down with a bag of snacks and eat until you feel satisfied 🙂
Hey there blogging buddy 🙂 Haha, I personally enjoyed this intro. Almost every day I am tempted to start my posts with ‘Hey Y’all!’
Amen! I love this so much.
Numbers can suck it! Well, actually, I think numbers can be incredibly important during weight loss. However, I believe that if you’re a healthy and happy person, numbers have no place in your life!
This post just reminds me how much I absolutely love your blog. You seriously amaze me, girl!
Another fabulous post and one more reason why you’re one of my favorite bloggers, Amnda! Like you, I have spent (more like wasted) plenty of time worrying about eating around a specific calorie count and meeting a certain number of protein grams and you know what- it took the joy out of eating and my happiness each day was depicted about how well I met those goals. To put it short because you covered this topic so well: life is too short and yes giving up counting will cause anxiety at first…but the more you don’t track, the easier it becomes. And the reason why it causes so much anxiety because you’re coming out of your comfort zone and growing as a result! Our bodies are smart and as long as we trust and listen to them, they will serve us optimally!
as always so well put. I have stopped with letting numbers rule my life. I used to have to buy only single serving stuff for that reason. it makes me sad to think I let that side of me win for so long, now I see it as just fuel. more fuel more Alex to go around. am I right?
Enough Alex to go around to Alberta? #wishfulthinking
I love that you mentioned not listening to our bodies anymore. I’ve tried so many different “diets,” calorie counting, measuring, and the only thing that’s actually worked has been when I just started listening to my body – what felt good and what didn’t!
It was definitely the same for me! The more I tried to control, the more out-of-whack my body felt. When I finally threw up my hands in frustration and gave up all the control, everything seemed to fall into place.
I go back and forth all the time with numbers. I use apps like MyFitnessPal when I feel like I need to get back on track, and stop using them about a week later. I do use my HR monitor to make sure my workouts are more efficient, but try not to get caught up when the calorie burn isn’t as high as the day before!
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts on number because I had never really thought of how we can let numbers rule us. Numbers aren’t too big of an issue for me when it comes to food. I do check the label for calories, sugar, and protein on snack type things when I might be on-the-go at a convenient store. I never weight myself because I’m not trying to lose weight. However, numbers do kind of control me when it comes to working out. How many calories burned, miles ran, reps completed, and etc. In a way those numbers are okay as long as you have a healthy mind about them.
I like how you said this and it describes where I am currently, “I’m not training for anything; I’m just trying to live my life and be healthy.” That’s exactly what I’m doing. Trying to live a healthier life.
Your attitude to a healthy lifestyle is nothing short of inspirational. Posts like these keep me motivated to kick the obsession once and for all. At this stage I am a work in progress. Stopped weighing myself, sometimes measure, still counting abit but not deadset on meeting x amount of calories. If I’m hungry after dinner and I’ve reached a certain amount. . .heck to that I’m going to EAT 😉 . My major struggle right now is ‘controlling’ my food groups. I don’t calculate anything but its sort of . . . oats for breakfast,can’t have it again for dinner. wheat for lunch, no way can I have wheat cereal for a snack, too much wheat. can’t have milkshake, I just had something with cheese! Silly it may sound but its the main cause of my anxiety. Can anyone relate?! Did you ever feel that way?
You better believe I can relate! That was actually a big struggle for me as well, but it all comes down to that completely false idea that there’s a right way to eat. There isn’t. What would happen if you had oatmeal twice in one day or dairy two meals in a row? Nothing! Believe me, I’ve tried 😉 If you want it, go for it. There are days when I eat a lot of a particular thing, and then days where I don’t feel like eating it at all. It all balances out in the end!
I absolutely love this, Amanda, i’m really happy that you decided not to post the nutrition facts…it’s still way to easy for me to let numbers get in my head and control my decisions and i hate it. Better than i was and i know i will keep getting there as i practice letting go, but i’m definitely happier not knowing and going by feel/taste/want/etc
AMEN GIRL. I love this post so much and relate to it SO MUCH. Breaking things down into numbers completely distorts their value. Exactly what you said about the muffin – it has all these healthy ingredients, so why reduce it to a number or caloric content.
You are such an inspiration!
I think that obsession with numbers, points, calories, pounds, has really been a struggle for me too, probably why i gave up WW after a while because i hated counting and measuring and tracking every single thing, but then it backfired and i gained a lot of weight back, so i think for some people, at least when they are still trying to figure out what is “healthy” for themselves, some numbers are important to help find that balance, but it is true not to give them so much power. I often find myself feeling hungry but being scared of how many points i might eat, or having points left in the evening and not being hungry…its a difficult balance for me
Numbers do not play a big role in my life personally… except measuring cups.. my baking would be pretty whack without those 😉 I’ve never counted calories or weighed myself… although knowing/hearing my weight doesn’t bother me at all. I’ve always been active and health conscious though. My mom had anorexia in her teens and always refused to have a scale in our house as she said it could always lead to obsession and she didn’t want that for us (me and my sisters) or herself. Calorie was a dirty word to her.. I’ve lost or gained up to 10 pounds unintentionally and not noticed until my yearly physicals! It always balances out. I know this is abnormal, and over the years, reading some article or another, I’ve wondered, should I be tracking these things?? Because it’s just so prevalent.. But it’s just so unnatural to me and I suppose drilled into my head from my Mum how dangerous it can be that I don’t! Friends are always envious of this view, and say it’s only because I’m naturally petite (which is true) that I don’t obsess, but it’s not true… petite or not, my weight can still fluctuate naturally and this can still effect me negatively if I was to let it and listen to society in that regard. It’s all in your own head and your own choice, if you give these rules and standards power or not.
Your mum is a smart lady! Definitely keep on doing what you do and avoid numbers. It may start out as innocent curiosity, but it can quickly spiral down into an unhealthy obsession.
I have to say I do count calories and plan out my menus on excel spreadsheets. I am training for a figure competition in the fall and have to put on so much muscle before leaning out. When I was just working out for my health, I never used to count calories. It def. is time consuming weighing out all your food, but for right now it is worth it.
I can understand when someone is training for something; I just think it’s completely unnecessary for the average person. Good luck with your prep!
I used to let numbers control my life and it is exhausting. I’ve recently been trying to let them go and just live, and I have to be honest, it is one of the most freeing feelings ever. Thank you for such a great post! So encouraging.
THIS POST is why I love you! Your attitude is so refreshing. Keep it coming! I don’t rely on numbers anymore. I go by how I feel – I trust what my body is telling me because it’s a lot more honest than any scale I’ve ever owned!
Numbers do play a big role in my life still.. I only count calories though. I actually blame it on a class I took in high school– kinda got me hooked and I’ve just been for years lol but I’m a math person so I find it fun– dork here. Workout wise I don’t count… I figure it’s best not to know the exact number because then it can get obsessive.
Thanks for your inspiration girl!! You won’t believe it, but I am planning a post for next week about me and the scale. It’s good. Because it’s not me and the scale anymore, it’s only me. not too bad!! I am not number free yet, I need a bit of control or let’s say I FEEL that I need it. I know I can let it go one day, but I am giving myself all the time I need. It’s a great motivation though to see where it can lead to!! Thank you!
I’m definitely a big fan of the slow and steady approach – I think it makes things a little easier and more likely to last. I didn’t put too much pressure on myself either to change in any given time frame, and I definitely think that was part of why I was successful.
I love your decision <3 I agree, numbers both complicate things and put more importance on things that are not that important!
I’d have to say numbers do still play a minor part in my life. Maybe a bit above minor haa. I’m totally fine with eating, say, 2 apples a day now. However, I do admit to still counting calories (I guess I just know so much about calories now, it’s hard not too) and I still measure my food as well. Right now, it seems to work but I do know if I can’t measure things I do get anxious. I think it’s amazing how far you’ve come and hope I’ll get to that point. It’s just a matter of putting those things to rest for good!
I’m unsure of how it would make me feel to un-know these things. Part of be things it would be blissful while another part says it would be the worst, in terms of being uncomfortable.
Honestly, it’s only uncomfortable for a little while. I used to not be able to imagine how I’d function without knowing EXACTLY what/how much I was eating, but now I can’t imagine going back to that kind of life. If you take baby steps and start making small changes every day, you’ll get there too 🙂
I love this! I used to record every little calorie that entered my mouth. Not anymore. I haven’t weighed myself in over 6 months and I don’t plan on doing it anytime soon. I don’t need to be controlled by numbers and I don’t need to feel like I’m “failing” if a number is high. I love your approach to healthy living. I do count my miles but that’s because I’m a collegiate athlete and I kind of have to. But calories are just stressful! As long as you’re eating enough food to keep you feeling satiated, that’s all that really matters. Thanks for the reminder 🙂