9 reasons why counting calories is dumb
Replies
-
I read this and sighed..... There are SO MANY people out there who tell us that what we're doing is dumb, unhealthy, stupid, etc.etc.
A calorie, is a calorie (or kilo-calorie to be exact). A kilo-calorie is the amount of heat required to raise one gram of water through one degree centigrade So if you eat 10 calories of protein, or ten calories of fat,. then you need the same amount of energy to burn that 10 calories off. The only difference in the calories is the order, and how, your metabolism burns off calories. That's an exact science, and too involved to dump into a blog.
I know that counting calories works, it IS sustainable, and it IS a healthy way of losing weight. That is all there is to it. thousands of other people on MFP will agree, we have counted calories and we have lost weight. The only addition to counting calories that we make, and that we know is essential for our success is that we run, walk, swim, cross-train or lift heavy.
Eat less, exercise more, count calories = lose weight.
It's not rocket science - and please excuse the quote - MFP works. Count calories.
to hell with all your simplicity and logic!
Everyone knows that counting calories is pointless and you can eat more than you take in and still lose weight as long as you do master cleanses, followed by ketone cleanses, and then go on the cabbage diet for a month ...
calories in vs calories out pffffffffft who does that????
Who does that?? People that cant do it any other way..0 -
I read this and sighed..... There are SO MANY people out there who tell us that what we're doing is dumb, unhealthy, stupid, etc.etc.
A calorie, is a calorie (or kilo-calorie to be exact). A kilo-calorie is the amount of heat required to raise one gram of water through one degree centigrade So if you eat 10 calories of protein, or ten calories of fat,. then you need the same amount of energy to burn that 10 calories off. The only difference in the calories is the order, and how, your metabolism burns off calories. That's an exact science, and too involved to dump into a blog.
I know that counting calories works, it IS sustainable, and it IS a healthy way of losing weight. That is all there is to it. thousands of other people on MFP will agree, we have counted calories and we have lost weight. The only addition to counting calories that we make, and that we know is essential for our success is that we run, walk, swim, cross-train or lift heavy.
Eat less, exercise more, count calories = lose weight.
It's not rocket science - and please excuse the quote - MFP works. Count calories.
to hell with all your simplicity and logic!
Everyone knows that counting calories is pointless and you can eat more than you take in and still lose weight as long as you do master cleanses, followed by ketone cleanses, and then go on the cabbage diet for a month ...
calories in vs calories out pffffffffft who does that????
Who does that?? People that cant do it any other way..
Calories in calories out is literally the only way to do it. Some people do it directly, some people kinda wing it or fake it with other methods and the calories actually work out for them.
I prefer to focus on the things that literally, actually matter. At the end of the day, calories in calories out is how this all works. So I exercise direct control over the calories in and the calories out. And it works.0 -
why you calling me names?
You should report this post. It's in violations of the terms.
I know right!!!
And...I am not dumb..just for the record..I just suck
I had noticed that.0 -
9 reasons that article is stupid.
1. NUTRIENT LABELS CAN BE OFF BY 20%
>Implying I eat enough packaged foods for this to be relevant
2. YOU DON’T ESTIMATE WELL
>Implying I estimate my portion sizes
3. MEASURING CALORIE EXPENDITURE IS SIGNIFICANTLY INACCURATE
>Implying I log exercise
4. RESTING METABOLIC RATE VARIES DAY TO DAY
>implying this doesn't even out over time
5. WHEN YOU EAT FEWER CALORIES, YOUR BODY BURNS FEWER CALORIES
>Implying I don't already know about and compensate for adaptive thermogenesis
6. A CALORIE OF PROTEIN IS NOT THE SAME AS A CALORIE OF FAT OR CARBOHYDRATE
>Implying I don't count macros
7. CALORIE COUNTING ISN’T SUSTAINABLE
Sustainable for whom? It's sustainable for me and has been for a year.
8. NO STUDY HAS SHOWN LOW-CALORIE DIETS ARE EFFECTIVE FOR LONG-TERM WEIGHT LOSS
Is the author arguing calories in < calories out doesn't cause weight loss? :laugh:
9. PEOPLE DON’T GAIN WEIGHT BECAUSE THEY EAT TOO MANY CALORIES, THEY EAT TOO MANY CALORIES BECAUSE THEY’RE GAINING WEIGHT
Lol wut :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
Now if only MFP let us green text.
Nice and to the point, love it
0 -
At the end of the day, calorie count comes from multiplying carbs, protein, and fat by a certain number and adding them together. In turn, reducing calories :ohwell:0
-
One reason counting calories is not dumb:
Score:
Counting calories 1
Not counting calories 0
And my heart just skipped a beat :blushing:0 -
9 reasons that article is stupid.
1. NUTRIENT LABELS CAN BE OFF BY 20%
>Implying I eat enough packaged foods for this to be relevant
2. YOU DON’T ESTIMATE WELL
>Implying I estimate my portion sizes
3. MEASURING CALORIE EXPENDITURE IS SIGNIFICANTLY INACCURATE
>Implying I log exercise
4. RESTING METABOLIC RATE VARIES DAY TO DAY
>implying this doesn't even out over time
5. WHEN YOU EAT FEWER CALORIES, YOUR BODY BURNS FEWER CALORIES
>Implying I don't already know about and compensate for adaptive thermogenesis
6. A CALORIE OF PROTEIN IS NOT THE SAME AS A CALORIE OF FAT OR CARBOHYDRATE
>Implying I don't count macros
7. CALORIE COUNTING ISN’T SUSTAINABLE
Sustainable for whom? It's sustainable for me and has been for a year.
8. NO STUDY HAS SHOWN LOW-CALORIE DIETS ARE EFFECTIVE FOR LONG-TERM WEIGHT LOSS
Is the author arguing calories in < calories out doesn't cause weight loss? :laugh:
9. PEOPLE DON’T GAIN WEIGHT BECAUSE THEY EAT TOO MANY CALORIES, THEY EAT TOO MANY CALORIES BECAUSE THEY’RE GAINING WEIGHT
Lol wut :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
Now if only MFP let us green text.
Pretty much this. I enjoyed the 'calorie counting isn't sustainable' argument too... I needed a good laugh for the day.0 -
SImply no.0
-
9 reasons that article is stupid.
1. NUTRIENT LABELS CAN BE OFF BY 20%
>Implying I eat enough packaged foods for this to be relevant
2. YOU DON’T ESTIMATE WELL
>Implying I estimate my portion sizes
3. MEASURING CALORIE EXPENDITURE IS SIGNIFICANTLY INACCURATE
>Implying I log exercise
4. RESTING METABOLIC RATE VARIES DAY TO DAY
>implying this doesn't even out over time
5. WHEN YOU EAT FEWER CALORIES, YOUR BODY BURNS FEWER CALORIES
>Implying I don't already know about and compensate for adaptive thermogenesis
6. A CALORIE OF PROTEIN IS NOT THE SAME AS A CALORIE OF FAT OR CARBOHYDRATE
>Implying I don't count macros
7. CALORIE COUNTING ISN’T SUSTAINABLE
Sustainable for whom? It's sustainable for me and has been for a year.
8. NO STUDY HAS SHOWN LOW-CALORIE DIETS ARE EFFECTIVE FOR LONG-TERM WEIGHT LOSS
Is the author arguing calories in < calories out doesn't cause weight loss? :laugh:
9. PEOPLE DON’T GAIN WEIGHT BECAUSE THEY EAT TOO MANY CALORIES, THEY EAT TOO MANY CALORIES BECAUSE THEY’RE GAINING WEIGHT
Lol wut :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
Now if only MFP let us green text.
QFT, and may I add "Low Calorie Diet" is extremely subjective. I eat 2000ish calories daily..,0 -
One reason counting calories is not dumb:
Score:
Counting calories 1
Not counting calories 0
Wow. Made my day! So happy I clicked on this thread! :bigsmile:0 -
I don't have much to add to what's been said, but by counting calories I've learned portion sizes. I know what I log isn't exact (even though I do try), but I'm moving more and eating less because the calorie counting taught me what I should be trying to do to lose weight. I may not have to count calories for my entire life, but what I learned from just two weeks of it has helped me make better food choices than if I hadn't.
So I guess I'm dumb. Well, my English is. What I wrote probably only made sense to me.
0 -
you do realize that, in the end, this is a numbers game... right?Nobody said math is hard...I said its annoying, and not the only way to lose/maintain weight..
And again, it works for some, not everybody.
ETA: Not that I know anything about losing weight, though.. .0 -
for me... when i began counting calories, i began choosing better foods.. then i added exercise to the mix.. which has equaled weight/ inches lost..
so in my book : calories counting = good!
This. To me it's like Oakland A's GM Billy Beane in Moneyball or managing a fantasy football team. I have this much to spend. I have find foods that give me value so I can come in around that number or slightly below.0 -
One reason counting calories is not dumb:
Score:
Counting calories 1
Not counting calories 0
❤❤❤ awesome!! My progress pics = reason #20 -
toplel
[citation needed] :laugh:
0 -
From the article:
"People don’t gain weight because they eat too many calories, they eat too many calories because they’re gaining weight"
Stupidest statement I've seen/heard in quite a while.0 -
8. NO STUDY HAS SHOWN LOW-CALORIE DIETS ARE EFFECTIVE FOR LONG-TERM WEIGHT LOSS
Is the author arguing calories in < calories out doesn't cause weight loss?
Good thing I am not on a low calorie diet (1200 or less) then. Has anyone ever in the history of humanity ever lost weight by not either increasing exercise or cutting calories or a combination of both? Oh and without having become sick, I have heard that you can drop weight for no apparent reason and there is usually some kind of illness involved. This article which I didn't read because the headline alone screams stupid and subsequent comments have affirmed my stupid meter is not broken.0 -
People are saying counting calories does not work for them, but that simply just isn't true, or you wouldn't be losing weight at all. Just because you aren't putting a number to everything doesn't mean you aren't counting calories. You are counting calories, but you are pretty much just using your body as the calculator. You are using how much you eat minus daily activity, and using weight loss or gain as a result which is the same exact thing, just no numbers involved. Some people are better at listening to what there body is tellling them than others are. So some of us need to see that number on paper to do it.0
-
1. NUTRIENT LABELS CAN BE OFF BY 20%
True....but by eating more whole foods, you can avoid this.
2. YOU DON’T ESTIMATE WELL
This is why I weigh and measure everything. Estimation will get you nowhere.
3. MEASURING CALORIE EXPENDITURE IS SIGNIFICANTLY INACCURATE
True, but there are tools that can help. When I tracked exercise calories, I used a heart-rate-monitor. A Fitbit or BodyMediaFit would also help.
4. RESTING METABOLIC RATE VARIES DAY TO DAY
That's why averages are important.
5. WHEN YOU EAT FEWER CALORIES, YOUR BODY BURNS FEWER CALORIES
Which is why it's often recommended that you take a week or two off now and then. Or at least have cheat days. A lot of people are very successful this way. Also, TDEE-20% is much better to combat this issue than VLCD.
6. A CALORIE OF PROTEIN IS NOT THE SAME AS A CALORIE OF FAT OR CARBOHYDRATE
Which is why you should find the macro ratio that works for you and your needs.
7. CALORIE COUNTING ISN’T SUSTAINABLE
I find it very sustainable and plan on counting for a very long time. It takes me 5 minutes per day. The author suggests that I should want "all that time back". I find that I'm happy to give up 5 minutes a day if it helps keep me fit, lean and happy with my body. Surely I'm worth 5 minutes?
8. NO STUDY HAS SHOWN LOW-CALORIE DIETS ARE EFFECTIVE FOR LONG-TERM WEIGHT LOSS
That's why I don't eat low calorie. I eat less than I need.
9. PEOPLE DON’T GAIN WEIGHT BECAUSE THEY EAT TOO MANY CALORIES, THEY EAT TOO MANY CALORIES BECAUSE THEY’RE GAINING WEIGHT
Gary Taubes. Enough said.
+20 -
Not counting calories while trying to lose weight makes as much sense as not balancing my checkbook while trying to stick to a budget.0
-
I NEED to count calories.
I have never watched what I ate and it left me 100lbs overweight. Before I started counting calories I would eat till I was over stuffed just because it tasted good. I had no idea how much I actually needed to live or how much I had to eat to feel satisfied. Now, I am learning how to listen to my body with calorie counting as a guide. I try to stay around my 1440 calories per day but if I don't, it's not the end of the world. Doing this is going to save my life. I call BS on anyone who says otherwise 0 -
Bet the OP doesn't have a great financial portfolio because counting at all is probably dumb there too.
A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
I think that all the people have flaws that need to take care of somehow. My flaw is that I like food to the point I can eat without being hungry and I can eat even if I'm stuffed.
Calorie counting is a good solution for me because I often lose control when I don't count calories. I can manage my portions,what I eat and I make smarter choices. As for calorie goals,I don't have any because I get depressed when I get over it and I don't want to get obsessed with those numbers. I can eat 1300 or 1800 or even 2000 in a day,depending on the food we have at home or if I go out.
I have lost more than 60 lbs counting calories and I'm planning to lose more. :smokin:0 -
It's a kilogram actually for future reference, the dietary "calorie" is actually the kg-calorie or Calorie ie 4.18 kJwhere a calorie is defined as the amount of energy required to heat 1 gram of water by 1 degree celsius0 -
For someone like myself that has fallen somewhere between obese and morbidly obese almost my entire life (from 13 on, and I'm 43), counting calories has been a lifesaver to relearn portion sizes, to relearn nutrition and to just make myself accountable for what I put in my mouth.
Between this and the "cardio makes you fat" article over in fitness, it's been an entertaining thread reading day.0 -
Counting calories is a great option for a lot of people. If it doesn't work for you, I guess the graceful thing is to bash the hell out of it.0
-
I read the article. It smacks of the kind of bias that comes from having an interest in self-promotion. I try to avoid that, just as I avoid taking nutrition advice from people on commission.0
-
I read this and sighed..... There are SO MANY people out there who tell us that what we're doing is dumb, unhealthy, stupid, etc.etc.
A calorie, is a calorie (or kilo-calorie to be exact). A kilo-calorie is the amount of heat required to raise one gram of water through one degree centigrade So if you eat 10 calories of protein, or ten calories of fat,. then you need the same amount of energy to burn that 10 calories off. The only difference in the calories is the order, and how, your metabolism burns off calories. That's an exact science, and too involved to dump into a blog.
I know that counting calories works, it IS sustainable, and it IS a healthy way of losing weight. That is all there is to it. thousands of other people on MFP will agree, we have counted calories and we have lost weight. The only addition to counting calories that we make, and that we know is essential for our success is that we run, walk, swim, cross-train or lift heavy.
Eat less, exercise more, count calories = lose weight.
It's not rocket science - and please excuse the quote - MFP works. Count calories.
to hell with all your simplicity and logic!
Everyone knows that counting calories is pointless and you can eat more than you take in and still lose weight as long as you do master cleanses, followed by ketone cleanses, and then go on the cabbage diet for a month ...
calories in vs calories out pffffffffft who does that????
Who does that?? People that cant do it any other way..
Calories in calories out is literally the only way to do it. Some people do it directly, some people kinda wing it or fake it with other methods and the calories actually work out for them.
I prefer to focus on the things that literally, actually matter. At the end of the day, calories in calories out is how this all works. So I exercise direct control over the calories in and the calories out. And it works.
wow...I guess my sarcasm went right over ya'lls heads...0 -
I read this and sighed..... There are SO MANY people out there who tell us that what we're doing is dumb, unhealthy, stupid, etc.etc.
A calorie, is a calorie (or kilo-calorie to be exact). A kilo-calorie is the amount of heat required to raise one gram of water through one degree centigrade So if you eat 10 calories of protein, or ten calories of fat,. then you need the same amount of energy to burn that 10 calories off. The only difference in the calories is the order, and how, your metabolism burns off calories. That's an exact science, and too involved to dump into a blog.
I know that counting calories works, it IS sustainable, and it IS a healthy way of losing weight. That is all there is to it. thousands of other people on MFP will agree, we have counted calories and we have lost weight. The only addition to counting calories that we make, and that we know is essential for our success is that we run, walk, swim, cross-train or lift heavy.
Eat less, exercise more, count calories = lose weight.
It's not rocket science - and please excuse the quote - MFP works. Count calories.
to hell with all your simplicity and logic!
Everyone knows that counting calories is pointless and you can eat more than you take in and still lose weight as long as you do master cleanses, followed by ketone cleanses, and then go on the cabbage diet for a month ...
calories in vs calories out pffffffffft who does that????
Who does that?? People that cant do it any other way..
Calories in calories out is literally the only way to do it. Some people do it directly, some people kinda wing it or fake it with other methods and the calories actually work out for them.
I prefer to focus on the things that literally, actually matter. At the end of the day, calories in calories out is how this all works. So I exercise direct control over the calories in and the calories out. And it works.
wow...I guess my sarcasm went right over ya'lls heads...
You forgot to include a sarcasm meter with your post.0 -
I read this and sighed..... There are SO MANY people out there who tell us that what we're doing is dumb, unhealthy, stupid, etc.etc.
A calorie, is a calorie (or kilo-calorie to be exact). A kilo-calorie is the amount of heat required to raise one gram of water through one degree centigrade So if you eat 10 calories of protein, or ten calories of fat,. then you need the same amount of energy to burn that 10 calories off. The only difference in the calories is the order, and how, your metabolism burns off calories. That's an exact science, and too involved to dump into a blog.
I know that counting calories works, it IS sustainable, and it IS a healthy way of losing weight. That is all there is to it. thousands of other people on MFP will agree, we have counted calories and we have lost weight. The only addition to counting calories that we make, and that we know is essential for our success is that we run, walk, swim, cross-train or lift heavy.
Eat less, exercise more, count calories = lose weight.
It's not rocket science - and please excuse the quote - MFP works. Count calories.
to hell with all your simplicity and logic!
Everyone knows that counting calories is pointless and you can eat more than you take in and still lose weight as long as you do master cleanses, followed by ketone cleanses, and then go on the cabbage diet for a month ...
calories in vs calories out pffffffffft who does that????
Who does that?? People that cant do it any other way..
Calories in calories out is literally the only way to do it. Some people do it directly, some people kinda wing it or fake it with other methods and the calories actually work out for them.
I prefer to focus on the things that literally, actually matter. At the end of the day, calories in calories out is how this all works. So I exercise direct control over the calories in and the calories out. And it works.
wow...I guess my sarcasm went right over ya'lls heads...
I was responding to CountingCalories, not you.0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.7K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.3K Health and Weight Loss
- 176K Food and Nutrition
- 47.5K Recipes
- 232.6K Fitness and Exercise
- 431 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.6K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8.1K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.4K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.8K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 1.2K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions