calorie counting

tami_nelson43

Does anyone else find calorie counting annoying, I know why I have to but it seems so unfair. I came up with fatty liver disease in April of 2014 and I did lose 56 lbs. But I feel like it so unfair that now I'm so restricted to the things I eat. Like pizza I had my very first piece of pizza in a year and it was amazing! But what's worse is having to sit in a restaurant with family members watching them eat while the only thing on the menu you can eat is a salad. Yeah another SALAD! I hope that everything I'm doing to prolong my life is worth it! Cause I miss a lot of thing's about being able to eat though not healthy but so good!

Leana088

I plan those things into my calories. It is annoying. So here's a suggestion for you. Set a number of calories for each meal you eat. Let's say 400 p/meal. Then, dedicate some time to getting creative. Create your own meal plan and "go-to meals". Think of 3-4 meals that have 400 calories for each course and rotate between them daily.

It's not perfect but it works for me. I change up my go-tos every few weeks. My dinner is normally some sort of protein, 100grams, with the rest of the plate being just veg. I only pre-plan breakfast and lunch. I don't count anymore, unless I'm creating menus.

When it comes to eating out, well just enjoy it and continue on with your plan as normal. I usually exercise a bit more or don't eat back the calories I burn for a week or so after a splurge.

Maybe also plan some "lighter meals" with your go-to's. That way you can automatically burn some extra.

In short, create a routine which you can easily add variety to (starch with dinner? Swop that potato for rice or pasta! Just be sure it's a fairly even trade). You don't have to count so much if you eat mostly the same stuff daily.

jenncornelsen

meh i order what i want in a restaurant. ( i dont go out more than once a week though) what i do though is look up the calories online... pick my meal, and only eat half of it. as soon as it arrives i cut it in half. restaurant meals are massive servings but u can still have what u want. just plan your day out. i would sure hate salads if i thought that was all i could order for the rest of my life

Leana088

Yeah just order what you want and take half home for the next meal. I did that with pizza yesterday. I had leftover pizza for breakfast this morning.

sjohnson__1

Every now and then, eat it all! Counting your calories is more of a large scale goal. ie: monthly calories vs. daily... If you go big one day, you can make it up with several slightly fewer calorie days (if you really want to get picky) but to be honest over a month, one day isn't going to make or break you! Cheat wisely, but cheat when you must!

gypsyish

I count calories but I still largely eat what I want. I just eat the things I want more sensibly. I eat one or two slices of pizza depending on how high my count is for the day instead of half the whole pizza. If I know I'm going out to eat or to a cookout or something, I'll eat small healthy meals for my other meals that day. And going over every once in a while won't sabotage weight loss as long as it truly only is every once in a while. Also, the more practice I get at calorie counting, the less time it takes me to do it.

dubird

Yeah, I can say it's something I don't like doing. I bribe myself to log everyday, and it's becoming a habit, but it's annoying to realize I'll probably be doing this the rest of my life. Still, it does work for me, and it's much easier than some fancy diet or exercise plan, so I consider it lesser of evils. XD

earlnabby

I understand where you are coming from. I love my bread and pasta and had to start limiting them when I was diagnosed T2 diabetic. With that exception, I am finding that I enjoy my food more now that I started counting calories because it has made me focus on what foods I really enjoy. I have gotten back into cooking more plus have been trying out things I never ate before. I never was a big fan of beans, but I now have several dishes that incorporate black beans and I am finding that I love them (still refuse to put kidney beans in my chili).

Unknown

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DirrtyH

Annoying? Sometimes.
Unfair? Not really.

One of the best things I've figured out while calorie counting (and I'll be honest, I understood it from the beginning but I didn't really get it for a long time.) is that you don't have to force feed yourself stuff you don't like to lose weight. You can lose weight eating the foods you enjoy. Stop constraining yourself by some arbitrary rules about what you're "supposed" to eat, and eat what you like. Make it fit your calories. Make sure you're getting enough of the nutrients you care about. And then just let go.

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO ONLY EAT SALAD. You can never eat salad again if that's what you want.

(Edited for very awkward grammar.)

DirrtyH

herrspoons wrote: »

tami_nelson43 wrote: »

Does anyone else find calorie counting annoying, I know why I have to but it seems so unfair. I came up with fatty liver disease in April of 2014 and I did lose 56 lbs. But I feel like it so unfair that now I'm so restricted to the things I eat. Like pizza I had my very first piece of pizza in a year and it was amazing! But what's worse is having to sit in a restaurant with family members watching them eat while the only thing on the menu you can eat is a salad. Yeah another SALAD! I hope that everything I'm doing to prolong my life is worth it! Cause I miss a lot of thing's about being able to eat though not healthy but so good!

Yeah, it sucks. But what can you do?

I feel like I've been transported to alternate MFP universe. I don't know if I like it.

Mr_Knight

Yes, it's annoying. But if you can stick to it, it's guaranteed to work.

There are alternatives - eg strict meal plans/schedules that in effect pre-count for you - WW or Jenny Craig - exercise like a MOFO - etc.

But annoying as it is, calorie counting is less annoying than any other alternative I've tried.

CrabNebula

tami_nelson43 wrote: »

But what's worse is having to sit in a restaurant with family members watching them eat while the only thing on the menu you can eat is a salad. Yeah another SALAD! I hope that everything I'm doing to prolong my life is worth it! Cause I miss a lot of thing's about being able to eat though not healthy but so good!

Pretty much all of my family is either overweight to nearly super morbidly obese. Funny thing is, I used to be the only obese one in the family for a long time. Anyway, I don't feel jealous of them when they order some grease soaked disaster and put butter on it. I feel bad for them because eating like that is having serious consequences on their health. It is constant incentive to make the right choices, at least for myself.

Also, I rarely eat salads out, save for some fast food joints. Most salads at sit down restaurants are calorie bombs even if you hold the dressing. I generally will go for a grilled protein, steamed veg, and baked potato (plain...I like them with just salt anyway).

jmiller1028

Well absolutely, counting calories is so tedious and I resent the *kitten* out of it. But if I don't do it, then I do not lose any weight because I cannot maintain any accountability with my eating. Without counting calories, i stress eating like crazy.

Spyer116

You let yourself get fat. Just like the vast majority of people here. Its yourself to blame.
Its not a punishment. Its what it takes for you to learn portion and food control. Just like most people here.
People who were never fat, don't need to do it because they naturally ate the right amount of portions, or limited their junk foods and what not. Or they did sufficient exercise and activity for what they were eating.

And you can eat a pizza if you want. Fit it into your calorie limit. Easy as that. Eat less earlier in the day. Or do extra exercise to be able to eat some more calories without any negative effect.
Complaining about not being able to eat an entire pizza by youreslf. Is just stupid and being greedy. Portion control. Half a pizza is easily 500-700 calories which is more than enough for a dinner, if you want to 'treat' yourself.

Otherwise, don't get angry and upset that you have to learn moderation, healthy eating, portion control, and use some bit of effort to lose weight.

We're all in the same boat.

lauracups

Choices are a b!#%$ aren't they? Free will such a burden.

swimminginseattle

tami_nelson43 wrote: »

Does anyone else find calorie counting annoying, I know why I have to but it seems so unfair. I came up with fatty liver disease in April of 2014 and I did lose 56 lbs.

I agree, counting is annoying. Considering the fatty liver disease my guess is that you have talked to a nutritionist? If not, please do, expand your salad diet with other healthy options. And golly, congratulations to the weight you have dropped, rock on!

Domineer

I was totally against calorie counting up until this month. Now, after seeing a dramatic swing in weight (only 1 week in) I am a believer. The only annoying part about it is weighing out the food but that doesn't bother me anymore. The results are much more important than a couple of inconvenient steps, atleast to me. Logically, it makes perfect sense. Also, you do not have to deprive yourself of the foods you love. Work them into your daily caloric intake. If you eat a little more than anticipate, just keep a pedometer on you and go for a nice long walk until you make up some of the difference.

Domineer

gypsyish wrote: »

I count calories but I still largely eat what I want. I just eat the things I want more sensibly. I eat one or two slices of pizza depending on how high my count is for the day instead of half the whole pizza. If I know I'm going out to eat or to a cookout or something, I'll eat small healthy meals for my other meals that day. And going over every once in a while won't sabotage weight loss as long as it truly only is every once in a while. Also, the more practice I get at calorie counting, the less time it takes me to do it.

This is exactly how I approach it. As long as your monthly net calories are in the green, that is all that matters.