I know it's weight loss heresy, but . . .

(Originally published 21 May 2012 as "I know it's Spark heresy, but . . .") 

. . . I don't track my food. Now I don't object to anyone else tracking theirs. I've heard *many* Sparkers report how tracking is one of their most cherished and useful tools here on the site, and I say more power to 'em! I just don't want to do it.

And just to let you know, I've lost over 60 pounds in the last year-and-a-half-plus, which represents more than a 25% reduction in my body weight, without weighing and measuring food or counting calories, carbs, fat, and the rest.

I do track my freggie servings daily, and my water—which is woefully shy of the recommended 8 or more cups per day. I also track a couple of team goals related to food: on A Gathering of Goddesses, my Earth goal is to eat one or more servings of raw, unprocessed fruit or vegetables, and my healthy eating goal on the Babysteps Brigade is to eat no more than one dessert serving daily. (I tend to prefer "pick your own goals based on what is meaningful to you" on the teams I co-lead.)

I've been wanting to put this out there, because there may be others who, like me, don't want to quantify every morsel for whatever reason. I don't suffer from math anxiety, which I know plagues many, but I love to eat. I'm an intuitive cook who likes to toss ingredients together without following recipes. And I passionately endorse the piece of advice I heard here in the Sparkverse:

"Don't do anything to lose weight that you aren't willing to do for the rest of your life."

I have no idea who first said that, but I couldn't agree more, and have passed that bit of wisdom on to many others.

I have, of course, made numerous changes in the way I eat and the amount of exercise I get. But I know I have to find tools that work for me, that I can maintain—and I have. Again, for all of you who like to track, or have found salvation there—please continue! You have my support and sincere admiration!

But for folks like me, who loved reading the beginning of The Spark, but got bogged down and just plain quit reading because it all seemed to be about tracking food—take heart! You can modify your eating, make substitutions (I rarely eat my beloved Rosemary & Olive Oil Triscuits anymore, instead going for the tangy Trader Joe's Roasted Seaweed Snacks that let me eat 1 or 2 packages for the same calories as 6 Triscuits), eat smaller portions (I've become quite enamored of those single serving ice cream cups, since I've never ever managed to stretch a pint of ice cream into 4 servings!), increase fiber and reduce calories overall, without turning it into a total numbers game.

It's up to you. Find what works, and what you are willing to do for the long run. If tracking works for you, keep it up; don't stop just because I don't! But if you keep trying and it hasn't worked for you, and you keep beating yourself up, wondering what is wrong with you—stop trying to force yourself to do something you don't want to do! Find a different tool and different strategies! Do not let anyone tell you it must be done a certain way. And even if they say it, you can choose to believe them OR NOT. It's up to you to find what YOU can do—and are WILLING to do for the rest of your life—to get healthy.

I wish you all the joy and success your heart can hold! Blessed Be, Amanda