Explain diets that don't count calories to me

TeaBea

How do diets like Atkins work if you're not counting calories? I don't think everyone that has followed it has been a flat out failure - otherwise the products wouldn't sell. Since weightloss seems to be all about calories in < calories out, how does weightloss happen if you're not counting calories?

(No I'm not interested in trying Atkins. I need my carbs. This is just pure curiosity.)

One method..............

A plan like Weight Watchers has you count points (instead of calories)......a "portion" of different foods are assigned a point value. So you are learning portion control....just not exact calorie counts.

alexanderzamani

Urgh, enough of hating one another's diets.

Sabine_Stroehm

I lost my weight without counting, calories or carbs or anything else. I kept it off without counting for 10 years. I started counting, here a year or so ago, due to hormonal changes. I've stopped counting again.

I focus on building my diet around tasty, nutrient dense foods. I eat lots of high fiber vegetables, proteins, dairy, fruit, some grains (quinoa, 100%whole wheat when my tummy allows it...), snacks with very little added sugar...and to drink, tea, water, coffee, wine...

No counting calories. no counting carbs.

How did I lose weight? I created a calorie deficit. FOR ME, that was easier eating as described above.
As I've said many times: everyone has to figure out how this works best for them, for me, creating the deficit while eating intuitively, and being mindful of what I was eating worked for me. Still does.

As others have said, folks lost weight before calorie counting.
Do whatever works for you.
I did count here for a bit, and do check in with the app when I'm trying something new to see if it fits my way of eating,and to help me make wise choices at restaurants.

Sabine_Stroehm

Something I found really interesting about Atkins is that in the mid-2000s when it first became really popular many people lost a lot of weight on it. Then food companies cottoned on to the opportunity to provide Atkins-compliant foods and it stopped being the miracle diet. The thing that changed was that the available range of foods for people on Atkins increased, therefore so did calorie intake, and the success of the diet overall rapidly declined.

Even on Atkins it is still calories in vs calories out that is the main reason you see weight loss.

Sure. This is in line with the whole "low fat" craze that got so many folks fat. Low fat cookies still have a ton of calories...

eddiesmith1

Low carb diets like Atkins by necessity force you to eat more protein and fat, both of which are very satiating, so people naturally eat less. Plus low carb diets deplete water storage in the body, resulting in more perceived loss than is actually occurring.

All diets should deplete storage because they all encourage you to drink an adequate amount of water (something almost no-one does until they are dieting I think.;) )

I did atkins 3 years back and lost 45 pounds and it worked well for me at the time. The people who mention how protiens and fat sate you are correct. it's quite easy to feel full, and the recipes on the atkins website in general are pretty good (and low calorie actually) I gained back the weight though a number of things (drinking too much beer, too many sweets which are everywhere at work and a weakness and quitting smoking) I started on atkins again this time but have decided to go thios route after 5 weeks of Atkins. Atkins was easier to follow to be honest , but this is working better for me overall. there are studies showing more weight loss at 3 and 6 months on low carb (atkins/paleo etc) but equal at the 12 month time frame. I think for the long term retraining myself the calorie counting way will be more effective.

eddiesmith1

the same thing happens on calorie counting, you need a deficit to have this kick in - the deficit in atkins comes from following the recipes and recommendations which are fat/protein heavy and make you feel full, but really are creating a deficit.

parkscs

Just throwing this out there eddie but there's absolutely no reason you can't do both. If you're counting your carbs accurately, you're already weighing and logging all of your food. Particularly on Atkins where you're supposed to reintroduce carbs gradually into your diet, you already need to have an accurate food log in order to follow the plan successfully. And, if you already have a food log, there's really no reason you can't watch your protein macro and your total calories for the day as well. While Dr. Atkins didn't specifically advocate counting calories for everyone (although he does suggest it for people not seeing weight loss simply by eating low carb foods), there's absolutely nothing wrong with basically doing an IIFYM while on a low carb diet.

stealthq

Urgh, enough of hating one another's diets.

It isn't 'hating', it's understanding how they work. If you understand calories in < calories out, and some of the psychology/physiology behind the fad diets, then you can pick a diet or engineer a diet that works well for you, and make adjustments as you need. It benefits no one to believe they're losing weight (or doing anything else) as a result of something that does nothing for you.

bcattoes

All diets should deplete storage because they all encourage you to drink an adequate amount of water (something almost no-one does until they are dieting I think.;) )

What?? :huh:

3dogsrunning

Urgh, enough of hating one another's diets.

It isn't 'hating', it's understanding how they work. If you understand calories in < calories out, and some of the psychology/physiology behind the fad diets, then you can pick a diet or engineer a diet that works well for you, and make adjustments as you need. It benefits no one to believe they're losing weight (or doing anything else) as a result of something that does nothing for you.

Exactly. Heaven forbid people actually discuss different ideas.

MysteriousMerlin

I did a low carb diet after I was diagnosed with diabetes. It helped lower my blood sugar. I lost 50lbs without counting calories. I gained most of it back due to using birth control and depression.

Sabine_Stroehm

Urgh, enough of hating one another's diets.

It isn't 'hating', it's understanding how they work. If you understand calories in < calories out, and some of the psychology/physiology behind the fad diets, then you can pick a diet or engineer a diet that works well for you, and make adjustments as you need. It benefits no one to believe they're losing weight (or doing anything else) as a result of something that does nothing for you.

Curious how you define "fad diets"?

nehushtan

I don't believe Atkins dieters are losing weight because of calories in vs. calories out. I believe there's a different metabolism at work.

Before you start beating me with the energy-equation-orthodoxy stick, you should know that I am a firm believer in counting calories. It works for me... I've lost 90 lbs and kept it off for over 2 years now. I've been consistently logging for over 3 years and plan to keep to a calorie budget for the rest of my life.

But in 1996 I got on Atkins and lost a great deal of weight eating a lot of fatty foods. Though I didn't count the calories I ate, looking back with what I know now I see that it was well over the 2000 per day recommended limit. I had fatty sausage and eggs with butter for breakfast, bunless double cheeseburgers with a full-fat mayo dip for lunch, salads with plenty of ranch dressing, cheese cubes, and ham, and full-fat cheese and pork rinds as snacks. I avoided starch and sugar religiously and generally kept within a 20-30 carbs per day limit.

According to the calorie theory I should have been gaining weight, but I was losing it and I kept it off for over a year.

What is the explanation? I'm not sure... I'm sure Lustig is sure of his explanations, but he's a head case so I'd prefer to say some process not yet completely understood governs the management of the energy sources in the body.

I did eventually go off Atkins and gained all my weight back. Why? I can't say whether the fault lies with the diet or myself. I do know that it's a real battle in a world that doesn't get it. In 1996 almost no one got it. Also while falling off the wagon can happen with any diet, I think low carb is less forgiving because it really doesn't take a lot of starch & sugar to throw you out of ketosis.

WendyTerry420

How do diets like Atkins work if you're not counting calories? I don't think everyone that has followed it has been a flat out failure - otherwise the products wouldn't sell. Since weightloss seems to be all about calories in < calories out, how does weightloss happen if you're not counting calories?

(No I'm not interested in trying Atkins. I need my carbs. This is just pure curiosity.)

Atkins is a bad example, I think. My mom gained weight on it because meat has calories.

Ambrodel

I think the most interesting aspect from a lot of the people who lost weight from low carb diets is that they all gained weight when carbs were introduced significantly in their diets. Weight-loss was effortless when carbohydrates only comprised of less than 25% of their caloric intake. Weight gained occurred when carbohydrates started to make up 50% or more of their diet.

I think calorie counting is necessary when you have a diet that is 50+% carbs. Calorie counting is a nice to have, but not required when carbs make-up for less than 25+% of your diet.

In the end, it all comes down to what works for you.

Qskim

I lost weight at the start without counting calories. Australian government had a "swap it" campaign on TV - eg. Switch to whole grain food, swap soda for water, get off the couch and play with your kids, leave the car at home and walk your kids to school etc. etc I decided WTH? Try it. I found with whole foods my portions got smaller but also I'd experiment with smaller portions of takeaway etc and found I could survive that lol. At a deficit but not sure how much. I walked 1/2hr per day. Lost 32lbs roughly and steadily until hubs bought me a smartphone the next Xmas then I found Mfp. Sometimes I wish I'd never found Mfp though tbh. On the other hand, I do also wonder how much further I'd have gone without counting calories. I was enjoying the thought of getting better nutrition and setting a better example for my kids which I feel is sustainable and still motivates me.

The best thing about Mfp and why I'm still here is my friends but everything else has been a see saw of love/hate.

DavidSTC

I don't believe Atkins dieters are losing weight because of calories in vs. calories out. I believe there's a different metabolism at work.

Before you start beating me with the energy-equation-orthodoxy stick, you should know that I am a firm believer in counting calories. It works for me... I've lost 90 lbs and kept it off for over 2 years now. I've been consistently logging for over 3 years and plan to keep to a calorie budget for the rest of my life.

But in 1996 I got on Atkins and lost a great deal of weight eating a lot of fatty foods. Though I didn't count the calories I ate, looking back with what I know now I see that it was well over the 2000 per day recommended limit. I had fatty sausage and eggs with butter for breakfast, bunless double cheeseburgers with a full-fat mayo dip for lunch, salads with plenty of ranch dressing, cheese cubes, and ham, and full-fat cheese and pork rinds as snacks. I avoided starch and sugar religiously and generally kept within a 20-30 carbs per day limit.

According to the calorie theory I should have been gaining weight, but I was losing it and I kept it off for over a year.

What is the explanation? I'm not sure... I'm sure Lustig is sure of his explanations, but he's a head case so I'd prefer to say some process not yet completely understood governs the management of the energy sources in the body.

I did eventually go off Atkins and gained all my weight back. Why? I can't say whether the fault lies with the diet or myself. I do know that it's a real battle in a world that doesn't get it. In 1996 almost no one got it. Also while falling off the wagon can happen with any diet, I think low carb is less forgiving because it really doesn't take a lot of starch & sugar to throw you out of ketosis.

That was my experience.

Looking back at it, it's possible that I had a calorie deficit. At the same time, I truly believe that the diet burned fat much more efficiently than a calorie deficit with regular carb intake.

Sabine_Stroehm

I think the most interesting aspect from a lot of the people who lost weight from low carb diets is that they all gained weight when carbs were introduced significantly in their diets. Weight-loss was effortless when carbohydrates only comprised of less than 25% of their caloric intake. Weight gained occurred when carbohydrates started to make up 50% or more of their diet.

I think calorie counting is necessary when you have a diet that is 50+% carbs. Calorie counting is a nice to have, but not required when carbs make-up for less than 25+% of your diet.

In the end, it all comes down to what works for you.

So it's no longer calories in, calories out?

WendyTerry420

Calorie counting is a nice to have, but not required when carbs make-up for less than 25+% of your diet.

It's absurd to think that if it's protein or fats that suddenly excess calories are ok. Like I said, my mom gained weight when she tried Atkins.