9 reasons why counting calories is dumb

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  • recoveryjunky
    recoveryjunky Posts: 162 Member
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    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 :)
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,679 Member
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    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 nutrition
  • GameOfPounds
    GameOfPounds Posts: 128 Member
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    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:
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    where a calorie is defined as the amount of energy required to heat 1 gram of water by 1 degree celsius
    It's a kilogram actually for future reference, the dietary "calorie" is actually the kg-calorie or Calorie ie 4.18 kJ
  • quiltlovinlisa
    quiltlovinlisa Posts: 1,710 Member
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    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.
  • tatasmagik
    tatasmagik Posts: 185
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    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.
  • ttippie2000
    ttippie2000 Posts: 412 Member
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    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.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    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...
  • SteelySunshine
    SteelySunshine Posts: 1,092 Member
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    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.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    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.
  • CountingCaloriesSuxass
    CountingCaloriesSuxass Posts: 387 Member
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    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.

    How can you fake it though..I mean we all agree that is calorie in/calorie out..so there is no way to fake it...You either are one of those people that need to count calories to maintain control or you are not...
    There are tons of people out there in the world that are not fat and very healthy that have to idea how many calories they eat..are they fake healthy??
  • myofibril
    myofibril Posts: 4,500 Member
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    How can you fake it though..I mean we all agree that is calorie in/calorie out..so there is no way to fake it...You either are one of those people that need to count calories to maintain control or you are not...
    There are tons of people out there in the world that are not fat and very healthy that have to idea how many calories they eat..are they fake healthy??

    You mean my wife's been faking it the entire time I've known her?

    I knew it!
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    Options
    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.

    How can you fake it though..I mean we all agree that is calorie in/calorie out..so there is no way to fake it...You either are one of those people that need to count calories to maintain control or you are not...
    There are tons of people out there in the world that are not fat and very healthy that have to idea how many calories they eat..are they fake healthy??

    What I meant was that you can fake your method. You can say "I'm not counting calories" and lose weight, but the reality is that if you're losing weight it's because you're restricting your calorie intake. No matter what method you find successful, at its base it's calorie counting through some method.

    I prefer to take the direct route by counting them directly, instead of implementing some extra abstraction layer to pretend I'm not actually worried about calories.
  • ShaniWulffe
    ShaniWulffe Posts: 458 Member
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    One reason counting calories is not dumb:

    Comparison-6-13_small.png


    Score:
    Counting calories 1
    Not counting calories 0

    Another reason:

    100_3717_zps849fa08d.jpg100_3718_zpsfc6928b5.jpg

    And one year later...

    IMAG1950_zps364027ea.jpgIMAG1951_zps80feaa3e.jpg

    All of my progress pics, including measurements, are here: http://s571.photobucket.com/user/ShannonYTP/library/MFP

    Running Total Score:
    Counting calories 2
    Not counting calories 0
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    ***wall of text removed ***

    What I meant was that you can fake your method. You can say "I'm not counting calories" and lose weight, but the reality is that if you're losing weight it's because you're restricting your calorie intake. No matter what method you find successful, at its base it's calorie counting through some method.

    I prefer to take the direct route by counting them directly, instead of implementing some extra abstraction layer to pretend I'm not actually worried about calories.

    I believe this is mostly true. I do believe there are some people who have eaten to maintain their weight so long that they don't give it much thought any more. That their eating habits are simply that - habit. But I find it hard to believe that anyone has never thought about it and remained thin.

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