calorie counting is impossible in the long run

KateK8LoseW8

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

Whatever excuse floats your boat.

5ftnFun

: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

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

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

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_

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...

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

I like that

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

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

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...

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

+1!
I've been on MFP since 2009

Hellbent_Heidi

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...

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

ashandstuff

It just all depends on the person.

I consider it a habit, and also necessary so I can make sure I’m getting ENOUGH food during my weight loss journey. Most other diets I ended not eating enough and harming my body.

For some people, it works. For some, I won’t.

dawn_h_d

Not if it is for portion control. I have been doing very well. I haven't "cut" a lot of foods out of my diet, but I am cutting down on how much I have of them. It is an eye opener on what I can actually eat and still be under calories if I just watch HOW much I eat of them. As one person stated, it is like eyeglasses, and they are for me. I actually enjoy logging. It really helps me.

Will I do it long term? Well, if I weigh less than I did 8 years ago by Thanksgiving - heck yeah! Talk about inspiration and motivation!

Spiderkeys

I enjoy counting calories, as now I feel in control, and thanks to the modern age of computers, there are sites/software that "count" for us, I couldn't diet without them.

I don't expect my calorie intake to be accurate, but gives me a rough ideas, just gotta remember the extras you might put on your dinner, such as gravy or butter, they are easy to forget and leave them out.

HefferSprint

I bet when you first road a bike, your folks put training wheels on it. You learned to balance yourself on the bike, while the training wheels were on. When the wheels came off, you had learned how to balance, and were no longer relying on the training wheels to catch you.

Likewise, if you are heavy and have had no idea how many calories are in the foods you eat, you need to learn about caloric intake and what you're eating. So no, the idea would not be to log every single calorie that you eat for the rest of your life. The idea is that you learn about portion control and calorie values so that you can make better choices for the rest of your life, once the training wheels come off.

Pfa74

Calorie Counting can lead to obsession but I prefer to think to think of it as Calorie Counting leads to Education of what one puts in their body.

darrensurrey

It's a good topic. I don't think everyone who has a decent shape counts calories but if you have a very specific goal, then you need to approach things scientifically leaving out a lot of guesswork. Eg if you want to lose weight then you need to monitor things so you're not eating too little and not eating too much.

As they say, you can't outrun a bad diet.

However, I'm getting an idea of how much I need to eat per meal in order to eat enough protein and the right amount of calories for the amount of training I do. I'll still use MFP until the point where something crops up (whatever that may be).

MaryJane_8810002

go back into your cave little troll .......

I thought trolls live under bridges?

5ftnFun

I bet when you first road a bike, your folks put training wheels on it. You learned to balance yourself on the bike, while the training wheels were on. When the wheels came off, you had learned how to balance, and were no longer relying on the training wheels to catch you.

Likewise, if you are heavy and have had no idea how many calories are in the foods you eat, you need to learn about caloric intake and what you're eating. So no, the idea would not be to log every single calorie that you eat for the rest of your life. The idea is that you learn about portion control and calorie values so that you can make better choices for the rest of your life, once the training wheels come off.

I really like this. Nice way to explain it. My "training wheels" came off a long time ago, but I still like to ride my bike.

mrslcoop

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

Love this