Anyone have success just "eyeballing" JUDDD?

[kbeth]

I am worried about learning to count calories. I don't want to become obsessed with numbers like I did when I learned to count carbs. Plus, I am not a numbers person. I am not lazy or stupid...I am just easily confused by digits!!
I'd like to think I know what an UD and a DD would look/feel like for me. Is there anyone that has done well not counting calories??
Thanks!

[Hazelsmrf]

Well, you could do it maybe if you counted some meals before hand and stuck to those. Like my down day meals are always the same, like 300g of chicken breast, a whole sliced cucumber, maybe a whole tomato... I DO weigh it and log it, but I always know this combination will come in under 500 calories. I also know that an egg is 70 calories so I know that on a down day I could eat like 7 hardboiled eggs. I know that a snack of 4 melba toasts, 2 pieces of light laughing cow cheese, and 2 pickles = 125 calories. Stuff like that.

[CatherineA]

Hi KBeth - I'm new to JUDDD too and am way out of practice counting/estimating calories. I had carne asada tacos today and was flabbergasted to see that those 3 flimsy tortillas were over 500 calories.... no filling!

I use ****** to record and count calories and, although not perfect, it does the numbers for you once you get the hang of it.

[SoHappy]

Originally Posted by kbeth

I am worried about learning to count calories. I don't want to become obsessed with numbers like I did when I learned to count carbs. Plus, I am not a numbers person. I am not lazy or stupid...I am just easily confused by digits!!
I'd like to think I know what an UD and a DD would look/feel like for me. Is there anyone that has done well not counting calories??
Thanks!

A few. At least, for awhile.

The thing is... JUDDD is a plan that is based on calories in such a way that it's sort of important to follow your numbers fairly accurately. It balances a fasting day against a feasting day in such a way as to trigger a lot of additional benefits beyond weight loss. So just eating fewer calories to the point of losing weight is little more than simply a diet *in general*, but it's not JUDDD.

Because of JUDDD's fasting day, which is very low calorie, it is important to eat a fairly full following day's worth of calories to prevent the metabolism from slowing down and slowing down weight loss along with it. So you can't eat too little on Up Days and expect optimal long term weight loss results. Usually weight loss slows down from being too low on Up Days.

But if your Up Days are too high, obviously that slows down your rate of loss too, because you will simply be eating more calories than is needed to promote a good rate of loss.

If you go over on your DDs by too many calories, that also will slow weight loss.

The best results are almost always experienced by those who do their calorie numbers pretty accurately and stimulate their bodies with a high/low calorie consumption.

You can always try just eating however you feel you want to, eating less on one day and more on the next, and judging your ability to control your eating and calories by whether you are happy with your rate of weight loss.

And I will say, even if you start without any calorie counting, you will probably pick up a lot of knowledge about your eating/portions just by reading what others here do, so that might be enough to get you off to a good start anyway.

Few of us actually love measuring our foods or counting our calories. And if we had eating habits that came naturally to us and kept us slim without effort, you can be sure that there would be few of us who didn't just eat at will. LOL But alas.. most of us deserve to be on a weight loss site because we are unable to control our weight without the help of a place like this.

At least JUDDD is a plan that allows us to eat whatever foods we want, for the rest of our lives, and will enable us to become slim and remain slim.. just by putting in the little extra effort of calorie control. It's worth it. Really, it is.

I wish you nothing but good luck in your weight loss journey. I hope you will stick around here with us and see if this might be the plan for you.

[sunday]

Pat is really the Queen of all things JUDDD!

I am one who has "eyeballed" a few times and I can tell you when I go back later and try to recall or bring it up on my ******, it is unbelievable that I could be so far over/under !?!? One thing that most nutritional websites allow is storage of your favs on a database, so that when you eat say "10 Blueberries", "Turkey Jerkey" or "hard boiled egg", it is already saved and then you know exactly what you are getting for the day. I also tend to want to guesstimate, but my success has come from knowing what I am doing and logging on an excel sheet my daily info. I have the same 10 meals that I rotate pretty regular and have beaucoup sides and treats that I keep saving to my profile.

[mykidsteacher]

An online tracker really helps. Yes, at first, it seems a bit obsessive. But after a couple of weeks, you get a good sampling of foods logged, and start getting an idea of what your favorites run.

I'd advise counting for the first couple weeks at least. It really is rather shocking what 2 TBSP of salad dressing really looks like (it's not nearly as much as you think it should be).

I use ************ and really like how I can input my own recipes so easily. I do a lot of homecooking, so use that feature a lot. And so far, I've only had to add 2 foods, everything else I've used has already been in the database.

[stargazer]

Read the book. Dr J emphasises just how crucial it is to monitor your eating.

I use Daily Burn - where an egg is 101 calories...

I think everyone should do the calorie counting every once in a while. I looked up my chocolate squares last UD and half a bar is 480 calories. I used to eat that twice a week or more and think "It's ok, dark chocolate is good for you"

I put a post it on my chocolate now "50 cals for just one square of this". Do the same for wine and spirits. A glass of red is 95 cals and half a bottle (what I usually drink with my H )- 450. On a diet you simply can't afford to do that too often without compromising your healthy food intake. I think it sort of helps you to grow up a bit. We all tend to be a bit immature around food.

[casmira]

I don't eyeball things on my DDs, sometimes on UDs.

I tend to go for things that come in packages with the calories on the side of them (I buy nothing without nutritional information) or things that are units of known calories (like eggs).

That way you don't have to be thinking about calories constantly but you are aware of what you're doing.

[gotsomeold]

Just for fun, I tried it at first. I guesstimated calories in a meal I planned to eat, then I looked the calories up. As Sunday says, I was stunned to see how far over or under my guesses were.

On both DD and UD, there is a range based on individual metabolism and usually centered around the calculated calories found on Dr J's website that we need to eat in. If we go above or below that range, weight loss stalls and we can even gain weight. Most of us who are here, got here because, for a variety of reasons, we are not good at 'feeling' what we eat.

You can certainly try it. It may work for you. Especially if you can keep DDs low enough to get JUDDD magic working for you, and high enough that your individual metabolism does not stall, then over time you may find (as many/most of us have found) that your relationship with food and with calories changes, becomes calmer, becomes more natural.

I couldn't do it. But it may work for you.

[Becky]

Originally Posted by kbeth

I am worried about learning to count calories. I don't want to become obsessed with numbers like I did when I learned to count carbs. Plus, I am not a numbers person. I am not lazy or stupid...I am just easily confused by digits!!
I'd like to think I know what an UD and a DD would look/feel like for me. Is there anyone that has done well not counting calories??
Thanks!

It may work for you but it would never work for me, my 1/2 cup of ice cream (NOT a lot!! But the typical serving size) would grow to 2 servings easily! Even 1 cup of ice cream is not much!

I track everything, it only takes a few minutes to look up the food and either track it on your computer, iPod, iPad, phone or whatever or write it down like I do, in a notebook. For that few minutes I get peace of mind that I will not go over or under both my UD and DDs. In my opinion I would not have lost as much as I have (22 pounds since I started at the end of March) if I was guestimating, and I realllllly want to get to goal!

Just to put the numbers problem in perspective, I'm a total math moron, I can't even help my 3rd grader with his math homework anymore (his older brother helps him if he has a question). I had a checkbook at one point and my accountant (Thank goodness!) husband had to constantly balance it for me because I would get so miffed! But with JUDDD I simply write down what I eat what the calories are and keep a running tab of what I've used (and how much I still have left), I use a calculator at times, that is not cheating...

[Kissa]

No harm in trying.... but personally I agree that a good online counting site make it easy and safe!

You must please yourself but the advice is, count those calories, at least for a while.

[gotsomeold]

Oh golly. If using a calculator was cheating.......

I once added 2 + 2 = 5.

[fozzie99]

One large grade egg is 71 cals+or-according to several sources. I weigh my eggs and most are 2oz. which classifies them as "extra large" (83cals +or-)even though the carton says "large" Measured in ounces 1 ounce of egg is 47cals so 1 2 ounce egg is pushing 100cals. Pick a number that you can live with and call it.

[MelissaMN]

A little off topic, but it would be helpful to use a smartphone to track and look up calories. Anyone have a great app they have downloaded??

[KeirasMom]

Originally Posted by MelissaMN

A little off topic, but it would be helpful to use a smartphone to track and look up calories. Anyone have a great app they have downloaded??

************ works great.

[mttemple4]

Originally Posted by MelissaMN

A little off topic, but it would be helpful to use a smartphone to track and look up calories. Anyone have a great app they have downloaded??

I love the Lose It app but I know lots of folks here enjoy My Fitness Pal too. I just ended up starting with Lose It and don't want to lose my database.

To the original poster, there are such great tips here! I agree it will get easier as you build up a stable of usual meals. Though this would seem counterintuitive for someone who doesn't like to count, I have noticed a world of difference once I got a really good kitchen scale that weighs in grams or ounces. I do weigh everything but I don't get annoyed with the process like I used to because I really KNOW what the calories are now. Before if I would count out chips or use a measuring cup or whatever, I would know that it was a little off (or count out only the big chips instead of the tiny shards ) and just kind of fall of track more quickly.

[Hazelsmrf]

************ lets you scan barcodes too, makes it easy to quickly log new foods.

[sterlinggirl]

Well i use my fitness pal to find out what the calories are BUT. I EYEBALL what my amts of that food are, i have never weighed a peice of chicken or even the tbs of peanutbutter i eat, i round up calories to.. if somthing say 90 i put 100,, i know this is the reason that after 2 months JUDDDing that perhaps i was falling under my calories and stalled.. But for two months i didnt measure anything, just ate what looked like 1/2 cup and so on.. Guess you will have to try it an see for your self..

[piratejenny]

One of the problems with eyeballing is that if you stall, you might not know what to change. Everyone will start suggesting things like "increase/decrease your UD/DD calories by 100 cals/day" and it will be difficult to be accurate if you're guesstimating.

Part of the beauty of JUDDD is that you may be able, on UDs & in maintenance, to eat more than you'd be able to on other WL plans. But if you keep your cals too low, or don't explore/challenge how high you can go, you may get "stuck" with a slightly slowed-down metabolism.

To answer your question: I've been mostly eyeballing on UDs, and it's taken me almost 7 months to lose 16lbs. A lot of other JUDDDers lose that much in a month or two.

OTOH, I have several health issues including diabetes, bipolar disorder, mild hypertension, and insomnia, so I've been doing a lot of experimenting with nutrition & supplements to see what makes me feel best. I have taken a few breaks from JUDDD as well as used an alternate schedule/higher DD calories to minimize side effects from my meds.

Someone else doing JUDDD more strictly might be able to eyeball more successfully.

I can totally relate to your concern about becoming obsessed with calorie-counting. It seems to me, though, that JUDDD has such positive effects on people's mental health/moods/anxiety levels that there is a lot less "obsessing" going on than you might expect!

[kbeth]

WOW. Seriously. Thank you for all of the advice/opinions. Soo, one thing is clear. I need to count calories, lol.
Pat....You made some great points! I'm sure no one *loves* to count calories.

I'm going online to check out more info, and see if the library has the book. I hope to be joining you soon!!!

[Joyjoy]

And I'm going to buy my first food scale. Thanks. I think.
Kristin

[Becky]

Originally Posted by KeirasMom

************ works great.

Second that!!! I have it on both my iPhone and iPad.

[Becky]

Originally Posted by gotsomeold

Oh golly. If using a calculator was cheating.......

I once added 2 + 2 = 5.

They always tell my 3rd grader, "no calculators...that is cheating". I need my calculator my brain to too full of useless crap to try and add numbers!

[Muffabuff]

I have a computer, I pod, I touch, and an I pad and I keep track of my calories with a notebook and pen lol.

[Joyjoy]

I'm SO happy to be counting. I was away from the net and calorie counters for a few days. At one point I "guesstimated" my way up to what must have been a 4,000 calorie UD. It wasn't pretty, unless you find gaining weight at the speed of sound (the sound of me eating steak, eggs, hash browns, monster cookie, chicken and rice, calamari, lamb kebabs, pulled pork, French fries, creme brûlée, and homemade doughnuts) attractive. The day after that free-for-all was the happiest DD ever. Counting every crumb, now,
Kristin

[gotsomeold]

I have no will power, no moral compass, no concept of space & time, and absolutely no self-control when facing a well made creme brulee.

Fortunately, most of the presentations around here that are called 'creme brulee' are just pudding with burned sugar on top - that I can say 'no' to in a heart beat.

Sound like a great UUAD Kristin! Which, of course, made DD all the better.

[Becky]

Originally Posted by Muffabuff

I have a computer, I pod, I touch, and an I pad and I keep track of my calories with a notebook and pen lol.

Me too! We're such rebels!! I actually don't have an iTouch anymore my son busted it when he dropped it and it died a slow death, I have an iPhone and iPad that he doesn't touch...

[buttoni]

Histroy has proven I don't have any luck eyeballing ANY diet. I'm a poor judge of age, weight and volume......for sure!! I measure and weigh everything for my recipes and log everything I eat without fail. Because the scale and measuring cup results always prove my guesstimates were wrong!

[Luna Loca]

I don't measure and weigh EVERY time, but often enough that I keep a good eyeballing measure in my head. I do not estimate what I've eaten, I use my fitness pal. Better database of foods than the app I was using before. Having a smartphone really helps with this WOE because you can input the stuff you ate right away, no needing to remember for hours until you can get to the computer, no writing stuff down. I find I don't obsess if I can get it logged right away. If I can't, that's when I get obsessed, because I have to save room in my brain for what I've eaten, and worry about how much I have left. With an app, I know for sure. Helps a lot.

HTH.