Is this a diet or REALLY just tracking what you eat?

MrsQueenG

Hi, my name is Amy. I have used my fitness pal before and lost a few pounds but after seeing pictures from the weekends night out I am MORTIFIED. I have downloaded this app and made myself extra commited by going premium. Diets make me bloody miserable so my question is... has anybody managed to lose a good amount of weight simply by just tracking what they eat and going by their calorie goal? I do have gym membership and intend to start using it but I really don’t want to be miserable with dieting and Im a busy working mum of 3 and the thought of spending ages cooking depresses me. So again weight loss sucess just by tracking food intake?

rheddmobile

Down 105 lbs in 11 months, no special diet, just tracking and exercise.

Not only does it work, it's the only thing that does work. All "diets" are ways of getting you to restrict calories. You don't need a diet to eat the right number of calories.

My suggestion is to log everything for one week without doing anything different, just to get an idea of where you are. It will also help you get used to logging. Then you can look at your diary and see where it would be easiest to make changes. Are there certain places, people, or situations which cause you to overeat? Certain foods which are problematic for you? Could you substitute lower calorie foods for higher calorie ones? Sometimes it's helpful to add stuff - for example, I am much less tempted by sweets when I eat enough fruit, and I don't binge on junk in the afternoon when I eat a bigger breakfast. Everyone is different and knowing where you are will help you figure out what's best for you.

In the meantime, finding some activity you enjoy enough to keep at it will earn you some more calories.

Good luck!

Rincewind_1965

It's not about tracking but controlling the intake.
Tracking is just the method by which you control.

In fact it doesn't require complicated recipes, nor do you have to omit your favourite food.
You may (and most likely: will) have to reduce portion-sizes though.
What is required in large amounts though is discipline. It may work without (at least for some time), but it will take significantly longer to reach the goal.

I am not very fond of complicated cooking neither.
Most of my meals consist of a maximum of 6 ingredients and don't take longer than 25 minutes active preparation time.

MrsQueenG

Thank you for your reply. I have logged a mcdnalds I had today and I just cant believe how many calories it has. Therefore this app really will be a usefull tool to me to keep track of what I’m actually eating and help me see i dont have to starve or be miserable as long as I stick to my goal

Stoney031201

You can do it!!

mk2fit

I lost 70+ lbs in less than a year. And I've kept them off for over two years. Yes, tracking calories in and out works. @rheddmobile has some good advice.

I was certainly suprised at the amount of calories I was eating when I first started here; you may be as well. Don't let it get you down. Signup for the Hello Healthy blog from MFP. It is full of recipes to keep you from getting bored eating chicken breasts and broccoli. The blog also has exercise ideas.

Don't be in a rush and keep your eyes on your goal. If you fall off the wagon, jump back on. It is so worth it!

heybales

MrsQueenG wrote: »

Thank you for your reply. I have logged a mcdnalds I had today and I just cant believe how many calories it has. Therefore this app really will be a usefull tool to me to keep track of what I’m actually eating and help me see i dont have to starve or be miserable as long as I stick to my goal

Discoveries such as that is when you decide some planning is in order too.

Planning and preparation is usually needed for success at any goal.

If fast food is what is needed sometimes (or if no desire to cook often), then look through their website and find those items that will cause smaller portion.
Or perhaps another place has better options.

At least with fast food (compared to say restaurants) is they are pretty consistent with the serving size, so not as bad inaccuracy in what you are logging.
Unless they go nuts giving you extra fries, or my fun of hitting up Panda Express before closing and getting much larger portions than normal (which I need to weigh for accuracy).

JamWam12

MrsQueenG wrote: »

has anybody managed to lose a good amount of weight simply by just tracking what they eat and going by their calorie goal?

That's what I'm doing now. I don't like to think of what I'm doing as dieting. Yes I'm restricting calories to lose weight BUT I still don't consider this a diet and more of a lifestyle change. If you have seen what I eat you'll notice I don't eat great foods either and just things I would normally enjoy consuming. Literally all I'm doing is tracking the calories I eat, that's all.

MrsQueenG

JamWam12 wrote: »

MrsQueenG wrote: »

has anybody managed to lose a good amount of weight simply by just tracking what they eat and going by their calorie goal?

That's what I'm doing now. I don't like to think of what I'm doing as dieting. Yes I'm restricting calories to lose weight BUT I still don't consider this a diet and more of a lifestyle change. If you have seen what I eat you'll notice I don't eat great foods either and just things I would normally enjoy consuming. Literally all I'm doing is tracking the calories I eat, that's all.

Love this way of thinking. The word diet strikes fear in me

HeidiCooksSupper

That's exactly how I'm doing it. I'm just eating less. I log what I eat and stay within my calorie limits the majority of the time but my record is not perfect. Last night, for example, we had Chinese takeout and I ate it with reckless abandon. My weight will go up for a couple days, mostly from the sodium, but then, with continued attention to how much I eat and counting calories, the march down will resume. I'm 30 pounds down since July without "dieting."

MrsQueenG

Heidi well done and thank you for sharing. You have given me hope!

shan_reg

I've made a concerted effort to not view MFP as a diet. I despise the concept. Knowing myself, I'm much more likely to remain committed utilizing MFP, tracking, and making mindful choices that way. I've lost 124lbs with the tracking and informed food choices. I also had the "sticker shock" of realizing just what's certain foods. That specific part of MFP has been huge for me. On the advice of the person who got me started with MFP, I don't eliminate ANY foods from my diet and I have one cheat meal per week. I actually turned down my cheat meal yesterday and opted for stir fried veggies and chicken. Without giving myself too much credit; that was pretty cool.

mnmprom

I find that tracking everything diligently is absolutely key to weight loss. It's amazing how people don't realize how much they actually ate! Anyone is free to add me for motivation and tips. Excited to get through my first month asap! I actually think before holidays is a great time to start so you don't gain holiday weight !

sharper1003

Using the tracker helps me make better choices. If your anything like me it will help you choose food that are low on calories/fat/carbs and still allow you to have larger portions. There is nothing worse than finishing eating and feel starved til the next meal.