Do I still have to count calories if I eat healthy foods (Fruits, vegetables and protein)

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Replies

  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    KingDolph340 wrote: »
    Has anybody lost weight just counting but eating whatever they felt like eating?

    Yes, because a calorie is a calorie no matter the type of food.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    IMG_0542-Edit-2.jpg

    Too much food will cause you to gain no matter where it comes from. I eat a wide variety of foods, some of which are considered "dirty", and I still lose or maintain....as long as I stay within my calorie allowance for the day.


    My calorie allowance pretty well eliminates certain calorie bombs, because I like to eat small frequent meals throughout the day. I'm not going to blow the entire day's calories on a single meal.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,053 Member
    KingDolph340 wrote: »
    Has anybody lost weight just counting but eating whatever they felt like eating?

    Two other things to consider in addition to "whatever they felt like eating" are:

    1. In the quantities they felt like eating
    2. In the frequency they felt like eating it

    I still eat high calorie foods like pizza and ice cream, but less often and in smaller servings.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    KingDolph340 wrote: »
    Has anybody lost weight just counting but eating whatever they felt like eating?

    Two other things to consider in addition to "whatever they felt like eating" are:

    1. In the quantities they felt like eating
    2. In the frequency they felt like eating it

    I still eat high calorie foods like pizza and ice cream, but less often and in smaller servings.

    This is a key point. I do eat whatever I want, but I often have a serving that is smaller than my "ideal" and less often than I would like to have it.
  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,745 Member
    edited February 2017
    Some people can lose weight without counting, just by "eating healthy", because fruit, veg, protein and whole grains are more filling for a lot of people than foods which involve a lot of fat and sugar and are low in fibre and protein.

    But this is only working because "eating healthy" also causes them to eat less in calorie terms.

    Also, it doesn't work for everyone. Personally, I could get fat on any diet. I just love eating. Counting calories is the only way I'll ever reliably eat less than I burn.
  • leanjogreen18
    leanjogreen18 Posts: 2,492 Member
    I say try smaller portions and eating healthy give it a few months and see if you lose. Years ago I was able to do that without counting I just ate half of what I normally ate.

    When or if you stall you can always start counting calories.

  • Wicklatpr
    Wicklatpr Posts: 10 Member
    Healthy food does not need to be boring food. Portion size plays a big part in a healthy diet also. If you're trying to lose weight, weigh everything and keep it varied.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    You don't have to count calories to lose weight, but tracking your calories and making sure you are eating less than you burn works very well.

    Just eating healthy foods will not cause you to lose weight. Dark chocolate and nuts are two healthy foods, but it would be easy to gain weight while eating chocolate covered almonds.

    To lose weight without counting calories you need to develop actions that lead to that. Which is basically what healthy food diets are trying to get you to do. At home, eat from smaller plates and fill them 2/3 of the way with vegetables. Skip the bread and dessert. At restaurants you will typically receive twice or three times as much food as you need. Throw half of it away. Seek to be hungry. Don't allow yourself to get too hungry, but if you feel hungry before nearly every meal then you can be sure that you are losing weight. And be sure to exercise.
  • Afura
    Afura Posts: 2,054 Member
    KingDolph340 wrote: »
    Has anybody lost weight just counting but eating whatever they felt like eating?

    Yup, the key is just to weight and keep calories at your deficit. If I cut out foods I like to eat I'd end up binging. There's no such thing as bad foods, just eating too much and going over calories!
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    KingDolph340 wrote: »
    I'm going to go with the "eat healthy " way but do I still have to count my calorie from healthy natural foods? I'm confused af

    It depends and could change.

    If you are eating a not very nutritious or filling diet now, it is likely that you will cut calories (even enough to lose weight) by changing what you eat and eating a "healthier" diet -- usually meaning more vegetables and lean meats and fish and legumes and whole grains, basically foods that tend to be filling. Also, if you tend to overeat foods like sweets or chips that many people can consume lots of, cutting them out or way down will also tend to reduce calories. The point is that this is NOT because calories don't matter or that you can't get fat on those foods. It's because you have found a way to cut calories without counting.

    The problem is that often people are able to overeat on even so-called healthy foods, and the ability to do this increases as you become used to eating those foods. If you cut out a bunch of things you were eating it takes a while to find other things you are likely to overeat and if you aren't that used to lean meat and vegetables you might think they are impossible to overeat. They are not. Many of us who rarely ate packaged junk food or fast food, etc., still found it easy to overeat on whole foods in the context of a nutritionally dense diet. The more you already eat a pretty healthful diet and lots of veg, etc., the less likely it is that just "eating healthy" will be sufficient, IMO.

    You don't have to count calories if you don't want to. Many people find it's easy to lose in other ways, and whether you like counting calories or not tends to vary by person. What you do have to do is find a way of eating that controls and reduces calories somewhat. For me, if I stick to 3 meals (usually homemade or otherwise where I don't have to worry that there are way more calories than I assume -- occasional dinner out is fine), no snacks, am active, and cut down on extras, I can lose, but that's in part because I have a good sense of how much I should be eating for that to be the case.

    That said, it's easier for me and more efficient to count and tends to allow for more freedom in what I choose to eat--I'll see that I have room for some cheese or more oil or nuts or some ice cream, for example.

    Another issue with the "just eat healthy" thing is that if for you it does mean cutting out foods you tend to overeat completely you may end up going totally nuts with them at some point. It often works better to figure out how to include them in your diet in moderation and not make them into some (inaccurate) thing to fear and avoid. It's all just food with different mixes of nutrients and calories.

    All of this.

    Although I do sort of have a different eating pattern than lemurcat, I find sticking to an eating pattern that works for me to be helpful.

    When I was eating healthy, it wasn't enough, because I still overate. My eye for portion size is really skewed.
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
    KingDolph340 wrote: »
    Has anybody lost weight just counting but eating whatever they felt like eating?

    Yep. Lost around 50lbs that way and improved all my health markers in the process as well. Maintaining now, doing the same thing. I focus on my calorie intake and then eat a varied and balanced diet full of all the foods I like.

    The only thing that matters for weight loss is that you're at the correct calorie deficit for your weight loss goals.

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