calorie counting is impossible in the long run

fitbulky · September 2013

OK......Give me your opinion.

calorie counting leads to obsession.It is not ideal for permanent fatloss.Instead one should focus on nourishing ones body and use
progressive strength training to get stronger .Fatloss will be a byproduct of getting healthy...

Joehenny · September 2013

"Obsessed is a word the lazy use to describe the dedicated"

DemoraFairy · September 2013

Only if you have an obsessive attitude. There are plenty of people over in the maintenance forums that have been doing it for years. I agree it's probably better to use it as a tool to learn about healthy portions and what you should eat so that you eventually don't have to, but if you want to stick with it then there's nothing wrong with that, I don't think.

workout_ninja · September 2013

This. What exactly is wrong with calorie counting for the rest of your life? I will need to do it in order to maintain as I cant be trusted to guess. Its not a big deal, really, how long does it take? no time at all!!

Railr0aderTony · September 2013

I love that^^^^

I will count calories for the rest of my life. I have proven time and again I can not be trusted otherwise.

jackielou867 · September 2013

Both. I eat nourishing foods, and I train, and I have a good idea what I should be eating. But I have been counting for 8 months now. I find it quick and easy. I don't need to be so strict on measuring. I estimate a lot more. I will be a few calories out here and there, but I like to see I am still on track. I still have some goals left though. Will I be counting next year, probably. The one after, probably not

EvgeniZyntx · September 2013

False dichotomy - one can focus on both calorie management and fitness. You can't out train a poor diet.

TavistockToad · September 2013

this!

jim9097 · September 2013

Much like exercise; if you don't write it down, how do you know what you did? If you don't know what you did; how do you improve upon what you did? This has to be a lifestyle change; most people can't make that change without actually seeing on paper or computer log in this case, exactly what is what. Even in the long term, it is a good idea to track calories in and calories out.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics · September 2013

I have two thoughts. Well three actually--

1. There needs to be a focus on staying mentally as well as physically healthy. I can't say for others but for me calorie counting doesn't lead to obsession if I don't let it. I log as accurately as I can, while keeping in mind that it's not going to be completely 100% accurate, so there's no need to bring a food scale out to eat with me, etc. I also find that I need occasional days off from logging. I don't take them often-- generally 3 or 4 per year tops-- but they help me to reset mentally and prevent burn-out.

2. You don't have to focus on just fitness and nourishment or just calorie counting. I do all of the above.

3. Nourishing foods can still be eaten in excess. I know that I have a tendency to eat just slightly too much. Calorie counting is like wearing glasses for me. It helps to correct my perception of how much I'm eating, just like wearing glasses corrects my vision. And yes, I plan to do it forever.

Fuzzipeg · September 2013

3. Nourishing foods can still be eaten in excess. I know that I have a tendency to eat just slightly too much. Calorie counting is like wearing glasses for me. It helps to correct my perception of how much I'm eating, just like wearing glasses corrects my vision. And yes, I plan to do it forever.
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Thank you for this thought

I did think I was eating healthily but I have over done the actual quantities of the foods I can eat as a slaicylate sensitive person. I was doing my own recipes avoiding vanilla and vanillin in chocolate products from bars to drinks, dried fruit, tomato purée, spices, pineapples, apples and much more.

Cheers - To a healthy life which ever way your body permits.

MityMax96 · September 2013

If your goal and desire is to be healthy and lose weight.....obsession may not be a bad thing....
But like anything else in life.....going to extremes is usually not a good thing.

But eating smart and foods that are good for you, will result in fat loss.....

If you sit down to eat, and your meals consist of:
a) fried chicken, mac n cheese, mashed potatoes, cole slaw and a biscuit
b) Grilled chicken breast, sweet potato and broccoli

And you choose meal (a) vs (b).....well what do you think the results will be....

Now of course if you are Michael Phelps,and you are swimming all day, then meal (a) will be the one you want....but for the rest of us......

Yanicka1 · September 2013

I have been doing this for the last 3 years and i still count calories. Not perfectly, not even everyday....but for me it is my to go tool when I feel like my pants are getting a bit snug.

igotabulletproofheart · September 2013

Even if you ]think you're nourishing your body you could still be giving your body too many calories so what isn't used as energy will get stored.

It's only "impossible in the long run" for those people who are prone to addictive behaviours. Everyone who knows anything about anything should know that once you've reached your goal weight you can begin to increase your calories to maintenance calories and then try to wean yourself off calorie counting once you know how to control your portions and eat mindfully, not mindlessly.

mattschwartz01 · September 2013

I respectfully disagree as logging only becomes an obsession if one allows it to become that way. An obsession is where one is concerned about the accuracy of everything involved in the activity for which they are engaged. As long as there is an understanding that logging and calorie counting is not an exact science but gives a general idea, it is a healthy way to become a weight manager. That much said, it is important also to make good, nourishing food choices and the logging helps one see what it is they are eating and make it more nutritious if necessary.

Well, also there is a difference between calorie counting and logging. Calorie counting only accounts for the number of calories consumed whereas logging looks at the entire picture and accounts for choices as well as caloric intake. In some respects, calorie counting doesn't work whereas logging does.

Chevy_Quest · September 2013

In response to the statement: "calorie counting leads to obsession"

This ^^^ Right on

BoomstickChick · September 2013

I don't think it's impossible for the long run. It's a good habit to get into. It's something you CAN actually maintain long-term.

hookilau · September 2013

I don't plan on counting calories for the rest of my life and yes, I think for some people, it can lead to unhealthy obsessive behavior.

I haven't had much issue with maintaining & I'm still learning how to manage my T2D along with my first length of time at a 'healthy' adult weight since my early '30's.

I expect that if there should come a point in time, that my clothes start to get tight again, I would check my facts, starting with my caloric intake, exercise etc. so I wouldn't say it's something I will never do again.

This being said, I'm currently watching calories, but whether something is high in calories or not, does not dictate whether or not I'll eat it. I have different parameters to live by now as well as hard cold numbers.

hookilau · September 2013

I don't agree. I think obsessive is where something starts to become detrimental to one's health or well being.

I live by numbers. A1C, glucometer, blood values, scale weight, body fat %, etc. (T2D)

With respect to my glucometer, it can be a slippery slope & I actively try not to get hung up on it. I find that whether or not I see a 'logical' number following a predictable pattern that had always been predictable can send me into a tailspin.

When this happens though, I stop testing for a couple of days & tighten up as best I can. I check my bg's up to 7 times daily and it can be frustrating sometimes. It's a balance.

LJSmith1989 · September 2013

I like that

silken555 · September 2013

I don't just log to count calories. I also log to keep track of my digestive health. I have some issues sometimes which I'm going to be seeing a gastroentamologist for but logging the food helps bring about a pattern.

I don't find it obsessive at all...I find it enjoyable and fun...it's like a game.

KateK8LoseW8 · September 2013

I really don't think spending 5-10 minutes every day deciding what I'm going to eat and logging it is obsessive. Lots of people plan their meals ahead of time, and I just go the extra step to put it into an app that does all the math for me. I really honestly don't mind having to do it forever either. Hopefully I'll reach a point where I can eat intuitively and maintain my weight, but based on personal and family history, that may never happen. And that's okay.

BeachIron · September 2013

Whatever excuse floats your boat.

5ftnFun · September 2013

:laugh:

I laugh because I've been doing this for 30+ years. I lost my weight at 20-21 years of age. I started learning about vitamins & minerals as a teen, but didn't really "get it" , didn't grasp the how-to of eating well & moving my body, til I got into college. Granted, life sometimes has gotten in the way, so there have been times where I wasn't as focused. A high risk pregnancy requiring complete bed rest, sick husband, elderly parents, etc. BUT, I always come back to it. It's not so hard after a while. I feel like a pro. I don't always even have to log anything because I can guess my intake pretty well.

Obsessed? Maybe, but it has served me well. But to say it is impossible for the long run.....:laugh:

Quieau · September 2013

but .... consider this: is using the toilet an obsession? brushing our teeth? and how about the way we shower once or twice a day? sounds silly, but it's really the same thing to people who log. it's a basic habit of personal wellness/hygiene/bodily function that maintains a positive outcome.

my logging has taught me about making better choices. it also helps me plan ahead.

may not use it forever, but i hope i do! i want it to be part of my daily life like other good health habits like drinking water and exercise. those aren't obsessions, are they?

257_Lag · September 2013

If we had the tools that we have now (nutritional information and an easy way to log it) I don't think we would be as overweight as we are. When you have the tools why not use them? I'll take a calculator over a pencil and paper any day.

FlaxMilk · September 2013

Not if you look at it in terms of tending to your energy needs. Not too much, not too little. Calorie counting is as normal a health activity as brushing your teeth (unless you are very in tune with your body's needs and don't have any need to do it.) If someone does a lot of physical activity, that person might not find a need to calorie count because while they eat a lot, they aren't overeating for their energy needs. It's easy to take in a lot of calories for minimal effort in today's society though, which is one reason a lot of us have to count calories to maintain our health.

_KrisMarie_ · September 2013

Me, too!

My climbing partner and I weigh ourselves daily, and the other day we were commenting to a climbing gym staff member, who is also a friend, that we no longer had a 100 lb difference between the two of us, so maybe I didn't need to anchor in when belaying him. Our friend was shocked that we knew our weights from that morning and said we shouldn't be doing that, but instead just living a healthy lifestyle. I respectfully disagreed. To me, knowing your calories or your weight is no different that knowing how much you have in your bank account, and not overspending. Sure, there can be those who "obsess" in an unhealthy manner, but I think for most of us, we're simply informed.

AllonsYtotheTardis · September 2013

how else do you propose I focus on nourishing my body? tracking is how I know that I'm giving my body what it needs.

graysmom2005 · September 2013

+1!
I've been on MFP since 2009

Hellbent_Heidi · September 2013

Not everyone becomes obsessed...you just have to find a balance :ohwell:

calorie counting is impossible in the long run

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