Does anybody else hate counting calories?

absie107

I certainly do. I hate how I've come to a point where I get hungry, want food, and think about maximizing nutritional density in my meal, the number of servings of vegetables or grains on my plate instead of really enjoying and dining upon seasonal eats. I eat slower now, much slower than I used to, and I love drinking water. This country is so incredibly screwed up when it comes to eating, to food, to weight. You wonder how a lot of us got overweight or obese... well, this is what happens when you attempt to treat food as a commodity. I'm in the process of teaching myself what foods are in season when and in what parts of the country, knowledge that seems lost upon many of us these days. Dieting, gym memberships... I'm sick of it. I'm sick of macronutrient ratios and weird 'health' foods. I want to love the food I'm eating, give it ample thought and time. These days, 9% of our paychecks go to food, an extremely low proportion compared to a lot of other peoples who spend more money, time, and effort on preparing/consuming meals. Incidentally, people who spend more time and give more thought to food... weigh less on the whole. Huh.

Why do you guys think America has such an extreme weight/diet problem?

kk_stephens

I think we have gotten here because we say that we are too busy to fit in a healthy liefstyle. We are tired from running around and fast foods and eating out have taken the place of someone actually cooking.

If you ask me it also comes from eating too much processed foods -- animals pumped with antibiodics and growth hormones and living in their own filth.

Fast food nation, or supersize me...Look for them at a library and it will change your outlook on food.

jrich1

I dont becuase it keeps me accountable, and without being accountable I became 314lbs

aippolito1

You just joined but I don't know how long you've been on this journey. I think usually in the beginning everyone dreads it, but it becomes a way of life and you get to know estimates of foods you eat a lot and eventually, you won't have to meticulously count every little thing, you'll just know how much fuel your body needs.

mfpchar

I think its because we try to control external circumstances instead of doing inner work. Sadly, it often takes loss and suffering to realize what's going on inside. There's a whole world of information involved in what I'm saying but its basically what life coaches are about.

absie107

Actually... I didn't just join this journey. I've been wrestling with my weight since 8th grade, I've done Weight Watchers, seen a nutritionist, even went vegan for a month before realizing how ridiculous THAT was. Even being a vegetarian for 2 years is just me trying to escape the reality of meat eating and of industry. I'm sick and tired of America and its mediocre approach to food. I just finished reading two books, "The Omnivore's Dilemma" and "Pandora's Seed." We have such a paradox going on. This country is obsessed with health, with nutritional science, with exercise... and yet we're some of the unhealthiest people out there. In contrast, French people could keep themselves slim because they have a cuisine, a cultural thing that is adaptive and helping them deal with abundance without getting huge. This country doesn't really have an established cuisine... and now we're so worried about shaky food science correlational studies that constantly conflict due to lots of variables... it's just ridiculous.

Food is a very complex thing and is more than calories burned or gained. At least it should be. I think this country has an eating disorder.

susiewusie

I love counting calories best way to lose weight in my opinion ,you know what your getting ,none of this daft, points /syns /shake rubbish .

SoldierDad

I personally love counting calories. I love numbers and watching how they mesh. I hate fastfood and stuff like that anyway. I love baked chicken and veggies and fish. But I mainly love helping others reach a healthy point in their life journey. Counting cals is a big time way to do that!

lutzsher

I used to . . . but that was when it was all done on paper, with my paperback edition of a calorie counting book, and manually adding everything . . . that was tough. MFP has made it easy. When I first started I played with various items BEFORE my meal to see how it would effect my daily totals.
I've faithfully logged in now for a number of months and can honestly say it has become an addiction. I don't start, or end, my day without MFP. I've come to depend on it and the community and amazing support from my friends.

I can honestly say that I truly love counting calories now with MFP.

absie107

Okay yes an online journal helps with putting calories down but I'm talking about the principle of the thing. Food is a complex thing. Do you know where your food comes from? Who makes it? How much petroleum it takes to get it to your supermarket? This food system and the way we're responding to it... I really can't stand it. How does a country get to a point where they have to think about the sum of the parts instead of the whole? What's with these 100-calorie packs - can't we learn to control portions on our own? Can't we just put in more time and effort with regards to meals and food instead of relying on, again, shaky food science? I don't mean to be rude to any food scientists... but let's be real. We know a lot less about food and metabolism and our guts than we think we do.

shell1205

I used to . . . but that was when it was all done on paper, with my paperback edition of a calorie counting book, and manually adding everything . . . that was tough. MFP has made it easy. When I first started I played with various items BEFORE my meal to see how it would effect my daily totals.
I've faithfully logged in now for a number of months and can honestly say it has become an addiction. I don't start, or end, my day without MFP. I've come to depend on it and the community and amazing support from my friends.

I can honestly say that I truly love counting calories now with MFP.

Here, Here!! I second that emotion!! (sans Smokey Robinson... tee hee):bigsmile:

melodyg

Food is a very complex thing and is more than calories burned or gained. At least it should be. I think this country has an eating disorder.

I agree with you here. I think there are many things about our culture that make it more difficult to eat heathily. I also see some movements that make it easier (greenways, bike paths on streets in some cities, CSA & Farmers Markets).

You are correct that eating nutritiously is more than calories burned or gained. But right now I need to count calories burned/gained in order to teach myself how to eat healthier. Without it... I either eat junk and go over or eat what I consider healthy and struggle to get to my minimum calories. I agree that part of eating is the whole experience... and what we need to do is retrain ourselves that the experience doesn't have to include only food that is unhealthy. I have gained a whole new appreciation for salads over the past month... without dressing. They are healthy, visually appealing, and complex in flavors. I'm learning to use fresh produce and meat (even though I can't afford organic)... and I am fortunate that I have a little more time on my hands than I used to to be able to prepare it.

I noticed earlier you said you were learning to shop in season. I came across a website a few months ago (and can't find it now!) that shows what food is in season depending on where in the world you are. My way of shopping in season (and helping my grocery budget!) is shopping the sales for produce. If it is on sale... it is usually in season. Right now, that is summer squash, zucchini, peaches, plums, nectarines, blueberries... among others I am sure.

khskr1

I wish everyone would think as deeply about this as you have. Every other country I've worked and lived in has been a "work to live" country. Living life is the important part for them. We unfortuantly "live to work". We do this because we are a consumed society. We are consumed with "things"...keeping up with the jones per se. I personally think that has permeated every other part of our lives. Because we work so much we started to rely on other means to get food. And that's all it was, get something and shovel it in! We don't take the time to prepare our meals and then enjoy them with friends and family. It's a race for us. If we ever get back to the point where we learn to slow down and enjoy life...then I think we will also see a turn around in obesity. Just my two cents. I'd really be interested in what others think...

SoliQ

I like to count the calories and much better that I don't have to write it down, it keeps me focus and you know exactly what you are eating.

mlavila

I hate counting calories too, but it works.

I think you can see why America has weight problems when you look at our grocery stores and the abundance of fast, cheap food available to us. You used to have to grow it or kill it in order to eat. Now we just go to the store and there is this amazing array of packaged, processed and frozen foods that are stuffed full of fat, sodium and preservatives. And it tastes really good! Add fast food restaurants on most corners which appeal to our busy lifestyles. Market many of these foods to kids and see how they acquire a taste for them at a young age. We also have so many modern inventions that make our lives more convenient and this causes us to be less active. We live in wonderful age but it is making us fat!

absie107

Melodyg - I guess I can see how if the goal is weight loss only, then calories are the forefront.... Initially it helps me see how much I'm taking in on a daily basis. Food must be about the whole experience instead of eating on the run or in the car or whatever. I'm just coming to a point where I see a food and I think more about where it comes from and what's put in it along with taste, and I don't crave the nasties anymore. I just haven't been wanting all the processed crap. It's hard to escape though. Farmers markets and local places are beautiful, beautiful things. I think it's great that you're gaining a new approach to salads - I love experimenting with different greens. But we shouldn't be afraid of butter, of full fat. We just have to, I think, remake this country's culture and form a cuisine. In France... I mean, goodness, they have bread with meals, they have croissants... but when I was there, eating lunch took hours. So did dinner. You get small portions of delicious, pleasurable food, and you eat slowly and savor the bites. They just have their culture to guide them in a lot of ways. I think we just have a very unhealthy relationship with food in America, and it makes me want to get out of here that much more.

It's hard to shop in season in college though... stupid meal plan. I'm currently figuring out how to learn exactly where my school's food comes from. Also, don't buy industrial organic. It's still industrial.

absie107

khskr1 - I completely agree with you, haha. Why do we dedicate so little time to food these days and so much to... facebook...

cranky2003

I don't mind count calories at all.

ChrissyM

I think we as a nation rely too much on processed foods. I grew up having a garden and raising our own meat and while I have continued to do this in my adulthood processed foods were easier and started to become the norm in my families diet. In the last few years I have been cutting back on processed foods and focusing more on the food my family raises and grows. I know this isn't possible for everyone but most communities have farmers markets and many farmers if asked are willing to sell directly to consumers.

jackpotclown

Only when I go somewhere that I can't find the nutrition information.....I hate guessing but I like knowing that my diet is balanced

melodyg

I wish everyone would think as deeply about this as you have. Every other country I've worked and lived in has been a "work to live" country. Living life is the important part for them. We unfortuantly "live to work". We do this because we are a consumed society. We are consumed with "things"...keeping up with the jones per se. I personally think that has permeated every other part of our lives. Because we work so much we started to rely on other means to get food. And that's all it was, get something and shovel it in! We don't take the time to prepare our meals and then enjoy them with friends and family. It's a race for us. If we ever get back to the point where we learn to slow down and enjoy life...then I think we will also see a turn around in obesity. Just my two cents. I'd really be interested in what others think...

I agree with this to an extent... I also know that there are many issues beyond this. Personally, I have made a lot of financial sacrifices so that I can be less stressed and "work to live" (okay, actually, one of those is being a SAHM 90% of the time so I suppose it is my husband who is working for us to live... my career field is one that does not lend itself towards balancing work/family life... or pay enough that the money is worth the time/stress... at least not for now). However... the nature of food in our country is that it is harder to eat healthy on little money than it is to eat junk and processed food. I am not at all saying it is impossible... but it is hard. Even the government commodities programs often have overprocessed food (government "cheese" is basically Velveeta). I am actually quite fortunate compared to many, many people I have known and worked with (I have a work background in social work). I've seen people working very hard who barely make enough money to buy necessities, much less luxuries. There are plenty of studies correlating poverty with obesity because of the fact that food in "corner grocery stores" or "neighborhood stores" costs more and is of inferior quality (i.e., snack food, processed food). For people without transportation... what they can walk to is what they rely on. And that is not even getting into the whole difficulty of trying to stand against decades of cultural eating and food meaning more than just a way to keep your body fueled... across all income levels. Trying to say a lot without writing a book there...

absie107

I agree - it's absurd that the cheapest food is the most calorie-dense. And it's cool, my blog is like my writing little novels. It's great to hear people's opinions and mindsets on this subject because we need everybody's inputs to get a better idea of what people are really living like and feeling. It's also absurd that social workers/teachers are not paid well. We need to do something to change this country's approach to food because it can really account for a heck of a lot of issues we're facing today. I have to go to class which is why this is short. But yes.

melodyg

Melodyg - I guess I can see how if the goal is weight loss only, then calories are the forefront.... Initially it helps me see how much I'm taking in on a daily basis. ... I think it's great that you're gaining a new approach to salads - I love experimenting with different greens. But we shouldn't be afraid of butter, of full fat. We just have to, I think, remake this country's culture and form a cuisine. In France... I mean, goodness, they have bread with meals, they have croissants... but when I was there, eating lunch took hours. So did dinner. You get small portions of delicious, pleasurable food, and you eat slowly and savor the bites. They just have their culture to guide them in a lot of ways. I think we just have a very unhealthy relationship with food in America, and it makes me want to get out of here that much more.

It's hard to shop in season in college though... stupid meal plan. I'm currently figuring out how to learn exactly where my school's food comes from. Also, don't buy industrial organic. It's still industrial.

I think one thing I have learned is that by eating fresh food and eating healthier that I *can* eat butter (healthier for you than margarine anyway!) and bread and full fat foods. I do think that as a nation we have gotten so into the "diet" food that isn't really good for you and that is part of the problem.

As for college... I know the college I went to had a salad bar and also a "healthy" food line where they had vegetarian options, soy burgers, etc. Now that may not be the healthiest either, but better than the cheeseburger and fries options! I've been thinking too how much access to working out and exercise I had in college that I didn't take advantage of -- free gym, free fitness trails, etc. Not to mention more time! Take advantage of it all. Do you *have* to be on a meal plan? I know it is tough to cook for yourself in college, especially if you are relying on a microwave in a dorm room, but I actually felt like I ate better (and it was cheaper) when I got off of the meal plan and started going to the grocery store and supplementing with the cafeteria food as well.

Dreaj79

I hate the idea that this is something I have to think about everyday. Idk if this will ever be second nature for me. I have to make the decision to eat healthy and exercise everyday. Just so I don't get bogged down in day to day calorie counting, I plan my meals on Sunday as I'm preparing for the work week. That way all I have to do each day is consult my list. If we have to eat out unexpectedly, I adjust my meal plan and so on. I've spent so many years trying to fit my life into a weight loss plan that now I'm trying to fit my weight loss plan into my life. I might not look the same for me as it does for someone else. But at the end of the day I know that I need some structure and boundaries bc just going willy nilly has me with more than 100 lbs to lose.

leix

yes, at firsti hated it. It got boring, seemed very restricted, now 6 months down the line its normal day to day life & i enjoy it. I enjoy food, most important part!

kayemme

i think the US has lost a connection with their food and food sources. We utilize far too many convenience foods and don't put out the work required to eat it.

it's a matter of energy transfer.

kayemme

i think the US has lost a connection with their food and food sources. We utilize far too many convenience foods and don't put out the work required to eat it.

it's a matter of energy transfer.

michlingle

I agree with the above poster. I also think that a lot of Americans are lazy and have a sense of entitlement and think that they can reward themselves with food because they deserve it. Our values are warped and we teach our kids to reward themselves with food at such an early age....i.e. m and ms for using the toilet? We are taught to be such huge consumers, no wonder the rest of the world hates us, we consume to a fault, we're like the big fat kid on the playground that steals everyone's lunch money and pushes them over...hahaha.

Alleghany

Counting my calories actually helps me enjoy my food. I'm more in the moment and aware of what I'm eating. I don't shovel it in and instead am thankful of the farmers who grew my veggies. Unfortunately I don't have a garden but will some day. Then I won't have to buy food that comes from "who knows where" with "who knows what" in it/on it.

I look at counting cals now as my "$ in the bank". I manage my cals like I do with $ and have to be wise on how I spend them. I won't log my food forever and soon I won't need to since I will have learned portion sizes and healthy balances of vitamins/nutrients. MFP is like my own Suze Orman to assist in my food "finances" and get me on track.

Just my "2 cents"...:flowerforyou:

Galathea

I learned to love counting calories. It's crazy what you eat over a day, if you don't watch calories or nutrition infos. To me it seems most people have lost the feeling for their bodies and what they need or just eat because it's available. Counting calories has helped me to get a better understanding of my body. And I already feel a change. I feel better in myself.
It can be annoying for people around (especially my mom), when you count everything you put in xour mouth. But this is about me and how I feel, so why should I care what others think about what I do?

kayemme

i don't really count calories. i'm using mfp as a method to examine my eating habits and the benefit of it telling me how many calories i've consumed is really just a big bonus.

i don't always eat perfectly, but i think i mostly do. if i can eat as normally would, record it here for, say six months or a year, i can refine and build my diet to something that is really working for me, not against me.

i've made so many changes in the way i eat already, that now i'm trying to just be really aware of what i'm doing.