Just counting calories?

dizzysarah

I'm 281lb (I think that's just over 20 stone)

I am totally ignorant to macros and such, I don't watch my carb protein or fats intake. I was planning to just count calories.

I've been reading through threads and I realise I need to do some reading up, but before I do educate myself my question is... will I lose weight just eating my recommended calorie intake as indicated mfp? Would it matter if I used those calories solely eating potatoes, or using them all just eating bacon fat? Obviously I won't do that but I'm curious as to what people think?

Anyone else eat what they want within their calorie limit without counting fats carbs & proteins and still lose weight?

HappyGrape

yes you will. But the chances are if you are only eating lets say 1500 calories of pizza and coke you will be much hungrier and unlikely to keep at your calorie goal, compared to if you have 1500 of chicken, broccoli, apples, oats etc.

dizzysarah

Thank you for your advice

HappyGrape

no issues, good luck. I didn't worry about grams of anything to be honest but aimed for mostly whole food. And I have slice or two of pizza once or twice weekly. so it's not like you can't have it!

SkinnyGirlCarrie

yes, you will lose weight as long as you eat within your calorie allowance!

i didn't pay attention to my macros much at all and lost 30lbs that way. now i am starting to pay attention a bit more, as i want to get more protein in. for me it helps me feel fuller longer, but you need to experiment to see what works for you.

totally in with the pizza - life without pizza would be awful so i make it fit in my goal when i want it.

CharlieBeansmomTracey

HappyGrape wrote: »

yes you will. But the chances are if you are only eating lets say 1500 calories of pizza and coke you will be much hungrier and unlikely to keep at your calorie goal, compared to if you have 1500 of chicken, broccoli, apples, oats etc.

it wont work like this for everyone. I know for me if I ate 1500 calories of pizza and coke I would be stuffed most of the day. what satiates one may not satiate another. some arent as hungry eating high carb,some low carb. some say eating more fat keeps them satiated others say it doesnt have an effect on them.I do believe that a balanced diet is best of all,which means things you like in moderation but hey if a person wants to eat pizza and coke one day and it keeps them full then thats okay.

TeaBea

It's calories first and foremost. But if I'm eating a bunch of junk, I'm going to be hungry. So you want to find a balance. Eat mostly nutritious foods but leave room for treats here & there. The treats will help keep you on track. Plus measuring & logging treats teaches you real portion sizes.

Keep an eye on protein, you want to meet that goal everyday. Going over protein is okay too.

lawsprings22

I am no expert, but I think (from what I have read on here and elsewhere) that most people don't feel well if they didn't try to hit goals of protein and not go over on carbs - while watching calories. I mean, feel physically awful after a while. Not enough protein makes me tired and grouchy. Too many carbs makes me lazy and foggy. All those feeling lead me to go for junk food, not exercise, and go over calories.
So, it is right that everyone is different. You could start with logging everything in to where it shows calories, protein, carbs and fat - but pay attention to only calories. Then, in a week or so, go back and see how your mental attitude and physical energy on any given day correlates to the amount of fat, or carbs, you had that day. Best of luck to us all

manderson27

Yes you will still lose weight no matter what you eat provided it is within your calorie goal. I don't pay much attention to my macros but then I do eat reasonably healthy food. I do like a McDonalds on occasion but usually regret it as I am hungry again soon after. Just watch your calories and enjoy the foods you like.

crzycatlady1

dizzysarah wrote: »

I'm 281lb (I think that's just over 20 stone)

I am totally ignorant to macros and such, I don't watch my carb protein or fats intake. I was planning to just count calories.

I've been reading through threads and I realise I need to do some reading up, but before I do educate myself my question is... will I lose weight just eating my recommended calorie intake as indicated mfp? Would it matter if I used those calories solely eating potatoes, or using them all just eating bacon fat? Obviously I won't do that but I'm curious as to what people think?

Anyone else eat what they want within their calorie limit without counting fats carbs & proteins and still lose weight?

The only thing you need to do, in order to lose weight, is eat at the correct calorie deficit for your weight goals. That's really the only thing that matters for weight loss.

As you go along you'll probably start experimenting with different foods to find which ones have higher satiety levels for you and you'll also find lower calorie options for some of the higher calorie things you eat now (for example I now drink diet soda instead of regular ).

crzycatlady1

CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »

HappyGrape wrote: »

yes you will. But the chances are if you are only eating lets say 1500 calories of pizza and coke you will be much hungrier and unlikely to keep at your calorie goal, compared to if you have 1500 of chicken, broccoli, apples, oats etc.

it wont work like this for everyone. I know for me if I ate 1500 calories of pizza and coke I would be stuffed most of the day. what satiates one may not satiate another. some arent as hungry eating high carb,some low carb. some say eating more fat keeps them satiated others say it doesnt have an effect on them.I do believe that a balanced diet is best of all,which means things you like in moderation but hey if a person wants to eat pizza and coke one day and it keeps them full then thats okay.

Yep this. I had a 1,300 calorie sub earlier today and several hours later I'm still feeling full. I'll have a bowl of soup tonight and end the day at 1,500 calories. Satiety is a very individual thing and varies greatly between people. Op will figure out what foods have more staying power for her as she gets further into the process.

dizzysarah

Thank you for all of your replies, it's all very helpful

shadowlike

Count your proteins, try to hit a number you choose every day. If you lift heavy I'd recommend 1g per 1lb of your lean body mass, if you don't 0.5g would suffice. Also I'd never go below 50g fats daily. They are responsible for too much hormonal processes in your body. With rest of your calories you can do whatever you like. You can eat them from carbs or go keto or whatever your lifestyle suits best.

amusedmonkey

It really doesn't matter what you eat within your calories, but you will notice as you become more accustomed to dieting that certain foods or macro distributions make dieting easier for you. Don't stress about it right now, it will come with time. Protein is also often seen as a good thing to focus on because it spares muscle, but again, you don't need to overwhelm yourself with things right now. You have enough weight on you to spare muscle even if your protein is not on point.

The "nothing but pizza" strawman is silly. Few people eat like that. As long as your food has enough variety and you don't consume specific foods that are not the best choice for you for medical reasons you should be fine health-wise. For weight loss specifically? Calories is all that matters, provided your choice of food does not affect you in ways that may make it hard to achieve a deficit.