What are your feelings on calorie counting?
Replies
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HappyCampr1 wrote: »
Most of the difference between pizzas is going to be in the crust. Cheese is pretty much cheese and pepperoni is pretty much pepperoni. For local pizza places, I try to find a similar size pizza, with a similar crust (thin/crispy, hand tossed, pan...) from a national chain and use their entries. It's not exact, but it's generally close enough.It's effective but, can be sometimes annoying. Like I have a groupon for a pizza place that only has 2 locations. Instead I'm eating a pretty good frozen pizza for dinner because the box has calories printed on it. I haven't had a burrito from my local mexican place in 4 months because i don't know quite how to log it. I didn't get drunk the other night because i wasn't sure if my shot glasses were 1oz or 1.5oz shot glasses (probably for the best). Maybe I'm being too obsessive about this
For Mexican, On the Border has pretty good online nutrition information for traditional Mexican food. Also, Moe's will let you customize burritos, nachos, tacos... and give you the nutritional information based on what you put on it. http://www.moes.com/food/nutrition/burritos/ At least it will give you an idea.
I can't help you with the shot glass. A food scale will fix that issue though and will also help with a whole host of logging issues you're sure to encounter in your journey.
Good luck!
Yep, I just use the data from pizza hut, even though I never get pizzas from there. Same with other take away foods, I can usually find a substitute in the data base.0 -
I'll try that moes site for sure. I know exactly what brand of tortillas they use because last time i walked past it was windy and the boxes were everywhere. Then it's just a matter of the amount of meat and other stuff on there. Maybe I'll just weight the meet once. It's too convenient and delicious not to eat there (10 minute walk).0
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I like to log my food.0
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I'll try that moes site for sure. I know exactly what brand of tortillas they use because last time i walked past it was windy and the boxes were everywhere. Then it's just a matter of the amount of meat and other stuff on there. Maybe I'll just weight the meet once. It's too convenient and delicious not to eat there (10 minute walk).
Now this is sounding a bit obsessive. Find a burrito at a big chain restaurant that has similar ingredients and just log that.
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WinoGelato wrote: »I'll try that moes site for sure. I know exactly what brand of tortillas they use because last time i walked past it was windy and the boxes were everywhere. Then it's just a matter of the amount of meat and other stuff on there. Maybe I'll just weight the meet once. It's too convenient and delicious not to eat there (10 minute walk).
Now this is sounding a bit obsessive. Find a burrito at a big chain restaurant that has similar ingredients and just log that.
OK fair enough.0 -
I regret that it's necessary; my satiety cues don't work and I got myself to 272 pounds (on a 5'1/2" frame) by eating until I was full. But this is the first thing that's clicked for me. Counting points with WW helped me lose 42 pounds once. Taught me nothing about what I was truly eating, though, so when I could no longer afford it I was right back where I started, eating to "full" and regained that plus some. A VLC liquid diet helped me lose 80+ pounds, but taught me nothing but avoidance so when I stumbled I ended up back where I started. Regained it all plus 20 on top of that.
Since April 19th I've lost 68.8 pounds and am rarely miserably hungry. I've gone to bed hungry maybe a couple of times in the past 8.5 months. Whether I have the money for good, healthy food or just cheap crap, I can eat within my calories and still lose weight. Sometimes I can have cottage cheese and fruit and good lean proteins, etc. Sometimes I have to have a package of ramen and add an egg to it. Either way, I'm staying within my calories 90+% of the time. There's only one day I didn't log every single meal. That was Christmas. I had reasonable portions of dinner (prime rib w/fat cut off, scalloped potatoes, a popover, and orange salad). Went overboard with the peanut butter fudge, as planned, and made myself sick with it. I only make it once a year and I was going to enjoy the hell out of it! Thanks to calorie counting I was enough in a deficit despite that that I still lost 1.2 pounds this week.
Do I hope someday I'll be able to eyeball and stay at maintenance? You bet. I'd love to develop that skill. But I'm still a fan of counting calories and if I end up having to do it the rest of my life, so be it.0 -
It's how I lost 62 pounds. Without MFP I probably would have quit within a month because I didn't know about how badly I guessed at what I was eating. Sadly I've gained 20+ pounds back because I've been too stressed to focus on weight loss, but I know exactly what I need to do to get down to my goal.0
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Good, I hope you make it.It's how I lost 62 pounds. Without MFP I probably would have quit within a month because I didn't know about how badly I guessed at what I was eating. Sadly I've gained 20+ pounds back because I've been too stressed to focus on weight loss, but I know exactly what I need to do to get down to my goal.
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It drives me nuts. I use MFP for the forum. I've lost a good amount of weight without calorie counting. I eat a little more than I used to but alot healthier too. I owe alot of it to working out 4-5 days a week0
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I don't like it. I've yo yo dieted all my life including calorie counting. As I feel it is always limiting me. It's a necessary evil at moment so that I lose this last bit of weight. But I don't to do this my whole life. Now I live an active and healthy lifestyle just having some trouble w this last but of weight. Just my thoughts.0
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whaddupw8loss wrote: »In response to all: I never said that CICO isn't the way to lose weight. I said, there's a lot more to it that would prohibit the weight loss only using the base of CICO. Yes, obviously there is going to be a loss of weight with any calorie deficit. However, there are PLENTY of people who stop calorie counting once they achieve their desired weight and gain it all back. Why? Because they never formed healthy eating, they only formed reducing calories. I'm not saying that anyone has to only eat healthy, of course you should be able to have treats or unhealthy foods in moderation. Now for those of you who have learned better eating habits from MFP, good for you. I never said you couldn't. In fact, there are people who do. But there are plenty more people who don't have that experience. I don't know how many posts I've read where they just yo-yo and yo-yo, because it's hard to maintain eating junk food with no nutrients at a deficit, your body inevitably gets hungry. You eat, and sometimes you eat WAY too much due to this. So, no. Calorie counting is not the devil, it can be VERY beneficial. However, I don't seem to find too many overweight, calorie-counting, avid MFP users who have a well balanced diet, with nutrients. Obviously there is a reason people get obese, or overweight. If it's from junk food, then they cannot continue eating like *kitten*, and expecting life long results. Yes, you can restrict and eat like *kitten*, but how long will that last. Just take a look at how many "I fell off the bandwagon...again" posts you see on this site. So, if this site manages to give you the right tools you need to be healthier, then great. My original post was NOT ABOUT YOU. "If it doesn't apply to you, then don't get insulted by it."
Also, there are other calorie counting sites that don't require you to purchase a "premium" account to enable you to use all of it's offered tools. If you think this site isn't to line the pockets of the creator, then I believe you're misguided. Weight loss is a BIG market for making money, the creators of MFP were well aware of that. There are plenty of sites that give you all the tools for free and came way before MFP. MFP hasn't done anything new or special. You could search on google, find ANY calorie counting site, and you'd have the same results on those as you would MFP, it's about the habits of the user, not the site. If the user is determined to lose weight, they'll do so on any calorie counting platform. Weight Watchers, another popular calorie counting mechanism, has such a poor long term success rate, and guess what? When the user "falls off the bandwagon" because they only learned points, and CICO, they go right back to it. Weight loss websites and companies are in it for the money.
actually, in my experience most people eat what they perceive to be healthy and nutritious when dieting and they exercise, etc...but it's a temporary thing in their minds...once the weight is gone, it's back to "normal". most people fail to realize that there has to be a new normal, and that doesn't have anything to do with calorie counting or not...regardless of what diet or plan or methodology people use to lose weight, most people fail at actually making a change to a more healthful lifestyle overall. only about 5% of people who lose weight keep it off long term, regardless of what diet plan they use, calorie counting or otherwise.0 -
Budgeting. Like with money. I'd love to buy out the whole store, but knowing, I just can't.
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The only times I have been successful at weight loss, is when I have counted calories. I was counting calories before MFP, but like MFP because it does the math for me. I have taken a multi-vitamin in the past when eating at a deficit but have found that I am much happier and feel better when I get my nutrients from food. The motivation for me is to manage my health with limited use of medication. For me logging is not just about counting calories but counting nutrients as well. Perhaps with more practice I will be able to do less counting. For now, it appears to be a choice of counting calories and nutrients or counting mg of medication.0
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I feel that it's probably saved my life, or at least greatly increased the quality of it. Doesn't matter if I enjoy it or not, but it's fairly unobtrusive.0
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I think it is necessary for people who are trying to lose or maintain weight by diet alone because they need to squeeze every calorie into their diet.
I also think that people who are trying to lose or maintain weight through exercise and diet should only log food until they learn how to eat without logging.
I kind of think it's a bad habit, and people should be able to keep themselves accountable without it.
JMO though.0 -
bcalvanese wrote: »I think it is necessary for people who are trying to lose or maintain weight by diet alone because they need to squeeze every calorie into their diet.
I also think that people who are trying to lose or maintain weight through exercise and diet should only log food until they learn how to eat without logging.
I kind of think it's a bad habit, and people should be able to keep themselves accountable without it.
JMO though.
I don't know, I definitely do both diet and exercise, but even when I was very active in college I was never able to maintain a healthy weight without calorie counting. My hunger and satiety are always out of whack with what they should be.
I think it's a very easy thing to count for a lifetime - it takes me less time to plan and log the next day's meals than it does to brush my teeth in the evenings, and it gives benefits other than weight loss, like making dinner prep easy because all the decisions are already made.0 -
rankinsect wrote: »bcalvanese wrote: »I think it is necessary for people who are trying to lose or maintain weight by diet alone because they need to squeeze every calorie into their diet.
I also think that people who are trying to lose or maintain weight through exercise and diet should only log food until they learn how to eat without logging.
I kind of think it's a bad habit, and people should be able to keep themselves accountable without it.
JMO though.
I don't know, I definitely do both diet and exercise, but even when I was very active in college I was never able to maintain a healthy weight without calorie counting. My hunger and satiety are always out of whack with what they should be.
I think it's a very easy thing to count for a lifetime - it takes me less time to plan and log the next day's meals than it does to brush my teeth in the evenings, and it gives benefits other than weight loss, like making dinner prep easy because all the decisions are already made.
This is one of the main draw-cards for me too. Plus I really enjoy planning my days and filling out my diary every morning.. Maybe I'm just weird
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I love calorie counting and logging exercise! I am at my goal and maintaining! I will be on here everyday!0
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I love it. I wish I understood the basics of weight loss sooner. I spent my whole life overweight. If I had known I could track calories like this...man! Anyway, can't dwell on the past.
It has also been a good tool for me because I am horrible at keeping track of anything. My calendar, bank account, emails-all a mess. This is the first time in my life I have ever kept up with tracking anything.
I DO hope to be able to stop logging in the app someday. I'll know when it's time though, and it's not yet.0 -
I don't mind weighing & logging food & exercise. I do plan on having a week or two sometime in the near future to see how well i can manage my weight without using mfp or my fitbit, and "intuitively eating." if i see too much weight creeping up after the two weeks, I'm logging back into my metrics tools.0
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rankinsect wrote: »bcalvanese wrote: »I think it is necessary for people who are trying to lose or maintain weight by diet alone because they need to squeeze every calorie into their diet.
I also think that people who are trying to lose or maintain weight through exercise and diet should only log food until they learn how to eat without logging.
I kind of think it's a bad habit, and people should be able to keep themselves accountable without it.
JMO though.
I don't know, I definitely do both diet and exercise, but even when I was very active in college I was never able to maintain a healthy weight without calorie counting. My hunger and satiety are always out of whack with what they should be.
I think it's a very easy thing to count for a lifetime - it takes me less time to plan and log the next day's meals than it does to brush my teeth in the evenings, and it gives benefits other than weight loss, like making dinner prep easy because all the decisions are already made.
I know what you mean, and some people enjoy logging. It's kind of like a hobby to many people, and that's fine. Whatever it takes to get the job done.
When I was young and very fit (I could do 70 pushups in 2 minutes, 70 situps in 2 minutes, and run 2 miles in 14 minutes), I never had to worry about my weight or what I ate. I always ate good foods (some junk food but not a whole lot) and could eat pretty much any time I wanted. My weight problem came when I got a desk job and ate the same for 20+ years.
I became obese and so out of shape I was pathetic. I am now in the process of reversing what I have done by getting back in shape and eating smarter. I've lost 55 lbs. so far mainly from power walking every single day. I ball parked my calories and still stayed under because I had plenty left over.
Now that I am within 20 lbs. of my goal I am training myself to eat smart without having to log my food at all. So far I have gained 2 lbs., lost 2 lbs., and gained 2 lbs. I blame most of that on the holidays, but I will continue to put myself in check until I can lose without even thinking about it, and that to me is developing a good habit of eating smartly all by myself.
Plus I'm lazy... 0 -
You don't have to necessarily count them, but you sure can't discount them!0
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WinoGelato wrote: »whaddupw8loss wrote: »In response to all: I never said that CICO isn't the way to lose weight. I said, there's a lot more to it that would prohibit the weight loss only using the base of CICO. Yes, obviously there is going to be a loss of weight with any calorie deficit. However, there are PLENTY of people who stop calorie counting once they achieve their desired weight and gain it all back. Why? Because they never formed healthy eating, they only formed reducing calories. I'm not saying that anyone has to only eat healthy, of course you should be able to have treats or unhealthy foods in moderation. Now for those of you who have learned better eating habits from MFP, good for you. I never said you couldn't. In fact, there are people who do. But there are plenty more people who don't have that experience. I don't know how many posts I've read where they just yo-yo and yo-yo, because it's hard to maintain eating junk food with no nutrients at a deficit, your body inevitably gets hungry. You eat, and sometimes you eat WAY too much due to this. So, no. Calorie counting is not the devil, it can be VERY beneficial. However, I don't seem to find too many overweight, calorie-counting, avid MFP users who have a well balanced diet, with nutrients. Obviously there is a reason people get obese, or overweight. If it's from junk food, then they cannot continue eating like *kitten*, and expecting life long results. Yes, you can restrict and eat like *kitten*, but how long will that last. Just take a look at how many "I fell off the bandwagon...again" posts you see on this site. So, if this site manages to give you the right tools you need to be healthier, then great. My original post was NOT ABOUT YOU. "If it doesn't apply to you, then don't get insulted by it."
Also, there are other calorie counting sites that don't require you to purchase a "premium" account to enable you to use all of it's offered tools. If you think this site isn't to line the pockets of the creator, then I believe you're misguided. Weight loss is a BIG market for making money, the creators of MFP were well aware of that. There are plenty of sites that give you all the tools for free and came way before MFP. MFP hasn't done anything new or special. You could search on google, find ANY calorie counting site, and you'd have the same results on those as you would MFP, it's about the habits of the user, not the site. If the user is determined to lose weight, they'll do so on any calorie counting platform. Weight Watchers, another popular calorie counting mechanism, has such a poor long term success rate, and guess what? When the user "falls off the bandwagon" because they only learned points, and CICO, they go right back to it. Weight loss websites and companies are in it for the money.
It sounds like you are projecting many of your own choices on the community as a whole. Because you chose to eat mostly junk food, weren't satiated, and then gave up doesn't mean that most people do that or that calorie counting and MFP encourages that. In fact, most of the "I gave up but am now back again" posts come from people who have unrealistic expectations about weight loss, whether it be trying to lose weight too fast, trying to restrict entire groups of food (aka cutting out sugars or "white foods" or only eating "clean"). The people who come to MFP, with reasonable expectations and use the tool the way it is designed, are the ones who have long term, sustainable results. If you aren't seeing people who are using this tool with well balanced, nutrient dense diets, and losing weight in the process, then I think you're not looking in the right place
My exact point in the fact that people should learn nutrition before attempting to calorie count? Remember when MFP would allow you to submit a calorie day under 1200? When you could per say, eat 400 calories, submit your diary and then it'd tell you that if "every day was today...you would be x weight by y day" How isn't that not leading the users into unrealistic expectations, by idk..giving them unhealthy ways to get skinny quick? Actually, now you're allowed to submit diaries at 900- 1000(depending on your original calorie target, I'm thinking it's 200 calories less than you are targeted to eat), which is below healthy calorie intake. Of course, anything used how it was designed would probably work. Me overgeneralizing the fail rate of MFP is no better than you overgeneralizing the success rate in which MFP users are able to count calories, and stay in a deficit, a healthy deficit.0 -
HappyCampr1 wrote: »
Wow. This does not even remotely resemble my experience with MFP and calorie counting over the past two years. My nutrition has gotten much better over time with MFP. I never cut anything out of my diet, but that doesn't mean I haven't added more nutrient dense foods.whaddupw8loss wrote: »Calorie counting only teaches the counter to have a relationship with food on a basis of calorie intake. Meaning, they'd opt for unhealthy choices with low calories instead of healthy choices that will essentially fill them up longer. When I counted calories, I would consume the same old crap that made me gain weight in the first place. Junk food almost ALWAYS has one serving to be an okay amount of calories, but the serving does nothing nutritional in the body, and then you want more...cause you're still hungry. I think calorie counting should ONLY come after the person knows about nutrition. And, I honestly don't care about the "ALL IT IS IS CICO, NOTHING ELSE" people, because lets face it...a body full of nutrition works with you, and your weight loss. A body full of crap, works against you, and your weight loss. So, yes, calorie counting is beneficial when used with nutritious foods. But sites like MFP are taking advantage of the user by saying "eat anything, as long as it's in your calorie range, you'll lose weight." Except when the user pigs out on 500 calories worth of junk, feels hungry for the rest of the day, continues to pig out, and goes way over calorie goal. Then what? "I'll shrug it off and start again tomorrow...and again the next day...and so on." I only use MFP to read community posts, and log my weight. I'm losing weight MUCH faster than I ever did about obsessing over calories, and just eating healthier.
You mention the user who eats 500 calories of junk and is still hungry and then what? Well, in my experience that user then learns that eating that way leaves them hungry and they change their eating habits.
I'm sorry you've had such a bitter experience.
Yes,that's what any halfway intelligent person would do. I assume people are capable of it, because to do otherwise would be insulting.0 -
not a huge fan of counting but it is was a necessary evil in my weight loss. After a few years I seem to have this figured out and only log occasionally to keep track of macros or when I have little mini goals I am chasing.0
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bcalvanese wrote: »I think it is necessary for people who are trying to lose or maintain weight by diet alone because they need to squeeze every calorie into their diet.
I also think that people who are trying to lose or maintain weight through exercise and diet should only log food until they learn how to eat without logging.
I kind of think it's a bad habit, and people should be able to keep themselves accountable without it.
JMO though.
I can maintain my weight without calorie counting, but I like to do both sometimes and lose better when I count (despite some heavy training).
I think it's weird you've appointed yourself speaker for those who exercise when all you do is walk a bit.0 -
whaddupw8loss wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »whaddupw8loss wrote: »In response to all: I never said that CICO isn't the way to lose weight. I said, there's a lot more to it that would prohibit the weight loss only using the base of CICO. Yes, obviously there is going to be a loss of weight with any calorie deficit. However, there are PLENTY of people who stop calorie counting once they achieve their desired weight and gain it all back. Why? Because they never formed healthy eating, they only formed reducing calories. I'm not saying that anyone has to only eat healthy, of course you should be able to have treats or unhealthy foods in moderation. Now for those of you who have learned better eating habits from MFP, good for you. I never said you couldn't. In fact, there are people who do. But there are plenty more people who don't have that experience. I don't know how many posts I've read where they just yo-yo and yo-yo, because it's hard to maintain eating junk food with no nutrients at a deficit, your body inevitably gets hungry. You eat, and sometimes you eat WAY too much due to this. So, no. Calorie counting is not the devil, it can be VERY beneficial. However, I don't seem to find too many overweight, calorie-counting, avid MFP users who have a well balanced diet, with nutrients. Obviously there is a reason people get obese, or overweight. If it's from junk food, then they cannot continue eating like *kitten*, and expecting life long results. Yes, you can restrict and eat like *kitten*, but how long will that last. Just take a look at how many "I fell off the bandwagon...again" posts you see on this site. So, if this site manages to give you the right tools you need to be healthier, then great. My original post was NOT ABOUT YOU. "If it doesn't apply to you, then don't get insulted by it."
Also, there are other calorie counting sites that don't require you to purchase a "premium" account to enable you to use all of it's offered tools. If you think this site isn't to line the pockets of the creator, then I believe you're misguided. Weight loss is a BIG market for making money, the creators of MFP were well aware of that. There are plenty of sites that give you all the tools for free and came way before MFP. MFP hasn't done anything new or special. You could search on google, find ANY calorie counting site, and you'd have the same results on those as you would MFP, it's about the habits of the user, not the site. If the user is determined to lose weight, they'll do so on any calorie counting platform. Weight Watchers, another popular calorie counting mechanism, has such a poor long term success rate, and guess what? When the user "falls off the bandwagon" because they only learned points, and CICO, they go right back to it. Weight loss websites and companies are in it for the money.
It sounds like you are projecting many of your own choices on the community as a whole. Because you chose to eat mostly junk food, weren't satiated, and then gave up doesn't mean that most people do that or that calorie counting and MFP encourages that. In fact, most of the "I gave up but am now back again" posts come from people who have unrealistic expectations about weight loss, whether it be trying to lose weight too fast, trying to restrict entire groups of food (aka cutting out sugars or "white foods" or only eating "clean"). The people who come to MFP, with reasonable expectations and use the tool the way it is designed, are the ones who have long term, sustainable results. If you aren't seeing people who are using this tool with well balanced, nutrient dense diets, and losing weight in the process, then I think you're not looking in the right place
My exact point in the fact that people should learn nutrition before attempting to calorie count?
In theory I agree, but most don't care to, and MFP is an incentive to do so.Remember when MFP would allow you to submit a calorie day under 1200? When you could per say, eat 400 calories, submit your diary and then it'd tell you that if "every day was today...you would be x weight by y day" How isn't that not leading the users into unrealistic expectations, by idk..giving them unhealthy ways to get skinny quick?
Yeah, agreed, but it doesn't anymore.
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lemurcat12 wrote: »whaddupw8loss wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »whaddupw8loss wrote: »In response to all: I never said that CICO isn't the way to lose weight. I said, there's a lot more to it that would prohibit the weight loss only using the base of CICO. Yes, obviously there is going to be a loss of weight with any calorie deficit. However, there are PLENTY of people who stop calorie counting once they achieve their desired weight and gain it all back. Why? Because they never formed healthy eating, they only formed reducing calories. I'm not saying that anyone has to only eat healthy, of course you should be able to have treats or unhealthy foods in moderation. Now for those of you who have learned better eating habits from MFP, good for you. I never said you couldn't. In fact, there are people who do. But there are plenty more people who don't have that experience. I don't know how many posts I've read where they just yo-yo and yo-yo, because it's hard to maintain eating junk food with no nutrients at a deficit, your body inevitably gets hungry. You eat, and sometimes you eat WAY too much due to this. So, no. Calorie counting is not the devil, it can be VERY beneficial. However, I don't seem to find too many overweight, calorie-counting, avid MFP users who have a well balanced diet, with nutrients. Obviously there is a reason people get obese, or overweight. If it's from junk food, then they cannot continue eating like *kitten*, and expecting life long results. Yes, you can restrict and eat like *kitten*, but how long will that last. Just take a look at how many "I fell off the bandwagon...again" posts you see on this site. So, if this site manages to give you the right tools you need to be healthier, then great. My original post was NOT ABOUT YOU. "If it doesn't apply to you, then don't get insulted by it."
Also, there are other calorie counting sites that don't require you to purchase a "premium" account to enable you to use all of it's offered tools. If you think this site isn't to line the pockets of the creator, then I believe you're misguided. Weight loss is a BIG market for making money, the creators of MFP were well aware of that. There are plenty of sites that give you all the tools for free and came way before MFP. MFP hasn't done anything new or special. You could search on google, find ANY calorie counting site, and you'd have the same results on those as you would MFP, it's about the habits of the user, not the site. If the user is determined to lose weight, they'll do so on any calorie counting platform. Weight Watchers, another popular calorie counting mechanism, has such a poor long term success rate, and guess what? When the user "falls off the bandwagon" because they only learned points, and CICO, they go right back to it. Weight loss websites and companies are in it for the money.
It sounds like you are projecting many of your own choices on the community as a whole. Because you chose to eat mostly junk food, weren't satiated, and then gave up doesn't mean that most people do that or that calorie counting and MFP encourages that. In fact, most of the "I gave up but am now back again" posts come from people who have unrealistic expectations about weight loss, whether it be trying to lose weight too fast, trying to restrict entire groups of food (aka cutting out sugars or "white foods" or only eating "clean"). The people who come to MFP, with reasonable expectations and use the tool the way it is designed, are the ones who have long term, sustainable results. If you aren't seeing people who are using this tool with well balanced, nutrient dense diets, and losing weight in the process, then I think you're not looking in the right place
My exact point in the fact that people should learn nutrition before attempting to calorie count?
In theory I agree, but most don't care to, and MFP is an incentive to do so.Remember when MFP would allow you to submit a calorie day under 1200? When you could per say, eat 400 calories, submit your diary and then it'd tell you that if "every day was today...you would be x weight by y day" How isn't that not leading the users into unrealistic expectations, by idk..giving them unhealthy ways to get skinny quick?
Yeah, agreed, but it doesn't anymore.
I fully agree that some users are able to learn nutrition through MFP. But, not all. But heres the thing, some people may come into MFP with an unhealthy diet which includes very little nutrition, so they eat large quantities of the food. Now, those people trying to calorie count and have a deficit, it's going to drive them insane. Which, leads a lot of people to quit. If they simply learned nutrition prior to, it wouldn't be such a leap to cut back on food.
I'm not saying that MFP doesn't work, I'm not saying that it only works if you eat healthy. I'm saying if you aren't use to calorie counting, and your not use to eating foods that will allow you to stay in a deficit, then it's going to feel like you're losing at every angle.
I'm happy that there are success stories, I'm happy that MFP is working for people. But, I'm annoyed by those who have success in it, think there is literally no downside to it. Or that the people will just learn. When in reality, a lot of people give up.0 -
I love calorie counting... I was one of those people who never understood WHY I was gaining weight... thought that "i barely eat anything... how am I gaining???"... and then I started tracking and realized how MUCH I was actually consuming... and how poor my nutrition was. Almost 80 lbs later it has CHANGED my life.0
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