Not counting macro's?

bell1986

bell1986

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Over the last 2 year i have counted calories/macro's constantly using myfitnesspal.

Well recently i have just stopped and im prefering it? Just making food as i am hungry and whatever i want really and not planning. When i use to count it would make me slightly unsocial with foods etc and saying ok *this* is for dinner as i need so much protein so much carbs and so on... Recently though (Only 2 weeks ago) i just says enough. I fast everyday anyway but around lunch time i will make whatever i fancy and even the *junk* foods as thier classed i will always have. I do eat relatively healthy and balanced but i also enjoy relaxing with whatever i want really.

My weight has remained stable and my training feels great. No dips in energy or anything. The biggest plus is my appetite has been stable where as previous i would have urge's to binge and constantly feel hungry even after big meals. I would use coffee etc to try blunt this but its very short lived. Weird but now it feels a normal appetite? My protein is still around roughly what i will need and fats and carbs will just fill any blanks but i dont count any at all. I think constant diet changes and your hormones must get all over the place and your body is trying to balance this? I have swapped my training around also from the classic bro split to full body routines and im enjoying that very much so far also. I cycle on my bike 5 times per week as at the moment its my transport so i just include that as cardio and dont do any other forms.

Do you think if training is on point and rest time this will still produce results? Im around 14% bodyfat which for the UK at this time of year (Currently 2c outside) Im more than happy with that. Summer time is a bit different but were months away from then.

I just needed to break the habit of constantly planning foods and i would make food almost *bland* just to satisfy the macro counter ie plain chicken etc just to bump proteins. Im never gonna compete i just want to be in good shape year round but also enjoy having a steady appetite and also enjoy any foods really.

Thanks guys
 
john.patterson

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If you've been tracking for a long time and you're familiar with what works best for your body, I don't think that tracking year round is really necessary. As long as you are eating healthy food and not binging on garbage you'll be fine with this approach. I track my food constantly, but I'm much more flexible during my bulking and lean bulking phases. I just like to keep track of things so I know where my intake is; this way I can accurately transition into a cut. But for 12-14% bf, eating intuitively is a great strategy. Less stress for sure
 
john.patterson

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If you've been tracking for a long time and you're familiar with what works best for your body, I don't think that tracking year round is really necessary. As long as you are eating healthy food and not binging on garbage you'll be fine with this approach. I track my food constantly, but I'm much more flexible during my bulking and lean bulking phases. I just like to keep track of things so I know where my intake is; this way I can accurately transition into a cut. But for 12-14% bf, eating intuitively is a great strategy. Less stress for sure
 
Whisky

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Over the last 2 year i have counted calories/macro's constantly using myfitnesspal.

Well recently i have just stopped and im prefering it? Just making food as i am hungry and whatever i want really and not planning. When i use to count it would make me slightly unsocial with foods etc and saying ok *this* is for dinner as i need so much protein so much carbs and so on... Recently though (Only 2 weeks ago) i just says enough. I fast everyday anyway but around lunch time i will make whatever i fancy and even the *junk* foods as thier classed i will always have. I do eat relatively healthy and balanced but i also enjoy relaxing with whatever i want really.

My weight has remained stable and my training feels great. No dips in energy or anything. The biggest plus is my appetite has been stable where as previous i would have urge's to binge and constantly feel hungry even after big meals. I would use coffee etc to try blunt this but its very short lived. Weird but now it feels a normal appetite? My protein is still around roughly what i will need and fats and carbs will just fill any blanks but i dont count any at all. I think constant diet changes and your hormones must get all over the place and your body is trying to balance this? I have swapped my training around also from the classic bro split to full body routines and im enjoying that very much so far also. I cycle on my bike 5 times per week as at the moment its my transport so i just include that as cardio and dont do any other forms.

Do you think if training is on point and rest time this will still produce results? Im around 14% bodyfat which for the UK at this time of year (Currently 2c outside) Im more than happy with that. Summer time is a bit different but were months away from then.

I just needed to break the habit of constantly planning foods and i would make food almost *bland* just to satisfy the macro counter ie plain chicken etc just to bump proteins. Im never gonna compete i just want to be in good shape year round but also enjoy having a steady appetite and also enjoy any foods really.

Thanks guys
Hey bro, IMO (and I’ve said this to loads of people) it’s all about making actions meet goals. If you want to be generally in shape and healthy then generally eat well most of the time and you’ll be fine (this is what your doing at the moment) - absolutely nothing wrong with this approach and the fact you tracked for a long time means you’ll know roughly where things need to be.

However, if you have specific goals then you need a specific plan and tracking consistently, hitting macros (hell even the largely disproved principles of nutrient timing start to play more of a role). Had you said you wanted to achieve 7-8% bf for example, or conduct a very lean bulk that would IMO require being precise.

Nothing wrong with either, just about what you want.

One method that works for many is tracking 1 month in 3 or 4, this enables you to ‘check’ your still broadly getting enough protein and gives a bit of insight into what your calorie intake is doing (I.e if you’ve maintained weight it’ll tell you your maintenance Cals etc).

To be honest it sounds like your enjoying your nutrition and your training and it’s achieving what you want so I wouldn’t change anything for the time being. If your goals change further down the line or if you start losing strength/gaining fat etc then re evaluate.

Personally I like to track, I’m quite anal about my fitness (my backstory plays a part in this) but totally believe there is multiple ways to skin a cat when it comes to Fitness.

I’m uk as well and your right it’s fackimg freezing right now, I can’t feel my face 5 mins into my morning run lol
 
Aleksandar37

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Yeah, if you've been doing it for a couple of years now, you should have a pretty good idea of what is enough or too much food. You can still get great results and you may find that eventually you want to go back to measuring in the future. For now, enjoy it!
 
bell1986

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Cheers guys.

Yeh i feel i am accurate enough to understand my body now.

The biggest plus is my weight hasnt fluctuated at all (Its slightly dropped a little) but im happy with the muscle i have gained over the 2 years so any gains are a plus but if i even have a recomp effect then even better. If i do gain a pound or 2 of fat then thats cool with me as i can minicut into the new year at some point and be back at my usual bodyfat % no biggy.. Also My appetite feels normal again where as previous i could hammer 3000 cals in one sitting and not feel satisfied? Weird one but now i have split out normal meals and at nights i feel better overall.

Need to give it atleast another month or two to assess strength.. As of now it feels as good as ever as i focus alot on compound lifts so i know what i can throw around comfortably. I have changed my training to full body workouts just so i can take days inbetween to focus on things at home and structure life a little easier.. 3 x full bodys a week. Some might say thats a bit much but i have read the studys and also.. Everyone is different in my opinion.

What is all your workout diet structures?
 
Whisky

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Cheers guys.

Yeh i feel i am accurate enough to understand my body now.

The biggest plus is my weight hasnt fluctuated at all (Its slightly dropped a little) but im happy with the muscle i have gained over the 2 years so any gains are a plus but if i even have a recomp effect then even better. If i do gain a pound or 2 of fat then thats cool with me as i can minicut into the new year at some point and be back at my usual bodyfat % no biggy.. Also My appetite feels normal again where as previous i could hammer 3000 cals in one sitting and not feel satisfied? Weird one but now i have split out normal meals and at nights i feel better overall.

Need to give it atleast another month or two to assess strength.. As of now it feels as good as ever as i focus alot on compound lifts so i know what i can throw around comfortably. I have changed my training to full body workouts just so i can take days inbetween to focus on things at home and structure life a little easier.. 3 x full bodys a week. Some might say thats a bit much but i have read the studys and also.. Everyone is different in my opinion.

What is all your workout diet structures?
To be honest i wouldnt say 3x full body pw is too much. If your natty and leaving at least one day between each session id suggest its an excellent way to train.

Im a big believer that you cant overtrain, only under recover. Or to put it another way the better you recover the better you train.

To me it sounds like you've (intentionally or otherwise) removed some stress and improved recovery. Both will have great positive impacts on body composition and performance.

Me personally i like to train 5 days a week. Currently enjoying a phat type split witb 3 days typical hyperthrophy focus and 2 strength focused. Two things ive learnt about myself in the past couple of years are

1 - i enjoy slightly higher volumes than average

2 - i perform much better with a set program to follow (thats not to say i wont adapt if i know im risking injury blindly pushing on)

Nutrition - i like food, i like eating a lot and i enjoy a 'clean' diet. Moderate carb and high protein seems to suit me best. I can do 3,500 cals and maintain.
 
John Smeton

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Thats fine as long as you can make progress without counting calories.

I prefer to do it because its a habit, and its a good habit. Ive stopped doing it last year . Somedays I dont count .
 

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