Is counting calories necessary?

rainbow198

For me, knowing how much I'm consuming is very important. It allows me to fit in whatever I want to eat, plus it has helped me lose a lot of weight and keep it off for several years without regain.

I've never used a calorie counting service though. I use a notebook and pencil to plan and track my meals and I know the approximate amount of calories I'm eating everyday.

This has worked well for me so I have no plans in stopping. Just have to find what works for you and stick with it.

Good luck.

Hamsibian

I haven't weighed or counted calories in months, and I still can find support on here and on my page.

callsitlikeiseeit

some people can maintain a deficit without counting.

some can't.

i cant do a deficit without counting. i can maintain without counting.

i ignore macros.

but when you find you have stalled, you may want to reconsider making the food scale your best friend.

kshama2001

lr60372 wrote: »

I changed my eating habits because people raved about macros and how important they are to be healthy. This weight gain has been over about a months time. Since I started with the macros. In the past I was eating low glycemic index. I ate as many veggies as i wanted(cooked appropriately of course). They were my main dish on my plate, 3-4 ounces of protein, and a side of a carb like a sweet potato. I was still losing weight when I started with the macros. I really just want the support end of MFP, so I will continue with that aspect of it and go back to my low glycemic eating. I track my weight, hydration and body fat in a journal.

Macros are more important for satiety than health. I know healthy and fit vegans who eat upwards of 60% carbs and there are successful keto-ers here who eat around 70% fat and 5 % carbs.

So sure, go back to doing what was working

Or you could adjust the macros to how you are actually eating.

No one (who wants to remain sane) tries to juggle all three macros at once. I'm naturally fine on fat, and just look at protein, and let the carbs fall where they may.

mrsbarnett1012

lr60372 wrote: »

I changed my eating habits because people raved about macros and how important they are to be healthy. This weight gain has been over about a months time. Since I started with the macros. In the past I was eating low glycemic index. I ate as many veggies as i wanted(cooked appropriately of course). They were my main dish on my plate, 3-4 ounces of protein, and a side of a carb like a sweet potato. I was still losing weight when I started with the macros. I really just want the support end of MFP, so I will continue with that aspect of it and go back to my low glycemic eating. I track my weight, hydration and body fat in a journal.

I think if what you were doing before was working for you then go back to that. You can still be a part of the community without tracking your calories. What you've been doing sounds very similar to what I'm currently doing as far as how I plate my food and with what and tracking everything down with pen and paper, without counting calories, etc. If that works for you, then do it! You can always come back to counting calories at any point if you decide you want to.

mhlew

I used to but it’s tedious, I don’t own a food scale so I was never sure if my amounts were correct and I always ended up forgetting something or some ingredient.

I now do IF and have lost about 25 lbs in the last 8 weeks or so. I use judgement now and it’s much easier by keeping it simple. Just use common sense when eating in regards to what you eat and portion size. I’m don’t logging food and I’m doing better than I have ever done.

What I do, do - is weigh myself daily. If there is an increase in weight I log in my note pad why it may have increased (ie- had beers last night for example)

It helps me understand temporary weight fluctuations and weight loss patterns. At the end of the day do what works for u. For me- logging is no longer necessary and too tedious.

harding0010

Ghirardell espresso sundae

TrishSeren

lr60372 wrote: »

I changed my eating habits because people raved about macros and how important they are to be healthy. This weight gain has been over about a months time. Since I started with the macros. In the past I was eating low glycemic index. I ate as many veggies as i wanted(cooked appropriately of course). They were my main dish on my plate, 3-4 ounces of protein, and a side of a carb like a sweet potato. I was still losing weight when I started with the macros. I really just want the support end of MFP, so I will continue with that aspect of it and go back to my low glycemic eating. I track my weight, hydration and body fat in a journal.

In most instances, if your following a balanced diet (like you mentioned you were doing in the beginning) you’ll actually be meeting your bodies macro needs naturally. I’d say don’t worry too much about macros if your goal at this stage is only to lose fat.

Calories are king when it comes to losing fat. Macros are handy to know when working out what keeps you feeling full whilst trying to lose fat (for me protein and carbs, fat is tasty but doesn’t help me feel full).

I’d say if you were doing well your original way go back to that. You would have been meeting your bodies “macro needs” naturally.

jennifer_417

It's a means to an end. The only say to lose weight is to burn more calories than you consume, so counting calories is just keeping track of that process.

lr60372

Well I stopped counting calories and started eating low glycemic again and i am happy to report that I lost almost all that I gained while trying to count calories and tracking macros. lesson learned...

TonyB0588

lr60372 wrote: »

I changed my eating habits because people raved about macros and how important they are to be healthy. This weight gain has been over about a months time. Since I started with the macros. In the past I was eating low glycemic index. I ate as many veggies as i wanted(cooked appropriately of course). They were my main dish on my plate, 3-4 ounces of protein, and a side of a carb like a sweet potato. I was still losing weight when I started with the macros. I really just want the support end of MFP, so I will continue with that aspect of it and go back to my low glycemic eating. I track my weight, hydration and body fat in a journal.

Yes. This sounds like the best option for you.

dragonghost

No though i have a problem with not eating enough calories so it helps so i do not get run down.

If i only ate when i was hungry i would only eat like once or twice a day if that.

mmnv79

I don't log my meals all the time. I did in the beginning, to learn about portion sizes, etc. and now I do it mainly when I'm going to have something else that I don't normally eat and/or I know it's calorific, to know how much I should eat without going off the tracks...

rsclause

I counted in the beginning and learned a lot about portion size. It was a pain and I quit, I also gained 30 pounds for reasons other than the logging (beer and reduced exercise). I recently started keto or LCHF. It helped me with my beer problem and I am losing without hunger or counting. Ironically I decided to log breakfast because I was curious and it came in as 760 calories. Lunch is a large salad with steak, Avocado, guacamole , mushrooms, tomatoes, pumpkin seeds, cheese and oil. There is just too much going on there for me to take the time to log. Since winging it is working I am not too worried about it.

ascberaht

I think I pay the most attention to nutrition and then maybe calories second. I’ll sacrifice screwing up my macros if it means I’m not deficient in something, lol.

diannethegeek

lr60372 wrote: »

Well I stopped counting calories and started eating low glycemic again and i am happy to report that I lost almost all that I gained while trying to count calories and tracking macros. lesson learned...

Great! I'm glad you've found what's working for you :drinker: