Do I HAVE to count calories?

FunkyTobias

Looks like a happy sloth.

There's a sloth in that picture?

perseverance14

I always said I would never count calories, I was not the weigh and measure type of person. I have been doing it for just about 6 months, and now I wish I had done it sooner, it is great to know what you really ate instead of playing guessing games. To know you have enough of a deficit to lose a pound, instead of wondering if you will or not.

paperpudding

ps. people who look at my diary notice a lot of sugar in my diet when I am out and get thirsty like in a mall etc. but I also mitigate the sugar intake by muscular activity which uses sugar as energy (if you examine my logs you will see my fitbit goal is a marathon every day)

These malls that you get thirsty in - they do not sell bottles of water?
Or you couldn't take your own water with you? You have no choice but to buy sugary coke?

Yes I agree you probably ' mitigate your sugar intake by muscular activity' - in other words you use more calories than you consume,therefore you do not gain weight.
Basic stuff that, I don't think anyone is arguing otherwise.

perseverance14

Yes, very real, and driving is VERY DEADLY.

Some of us live in states that get very cold in the Winter, some of us have very long commutes. Some of us travel around to other states, even other countries, places too far to travel on some electric scooter thing.

Get off your soap box dude, you solution is not workable for a huge chunk of the population, even if we wanted to do it.

paperpudding

I'm just beginning to try to lose weight, and I think that counting calories might just be more effort/more destructive or discouraging...thoughts?

You DO NOT NEED TO COUNT CALORIES. Eat as much as you can possibly stuff into yourself, just be sure that everything you eat is FOOD. You will be healthy beyond belief in several months. p.s. Doritos and Pepsi is not food. Stay out of bakeries, bakeries do not sell food. Candy stores do not sell food. 90% of your local supermarket shelves are filled with substances which are not food. People can never become obese by eating food.

Seriously? No, this is WRONG. YES, you should be eating REAL food, but not "as much as you can possibly stuff into yourself". It is absurd to think you will not gain weight by eating unlimited amounts of anything. It is STILL calories in verses calories out!

Seriously, when you nourish your body properly you will discover natural limitations on how much you can eat because your body will tell you when it has had enough. This does not happen with food-like substances from a bakery, candy store or Doritos bag. Contrary to popular belief, it is not calories in/calories out. Eating too little will put your body in starvation mode and slow your metabolism. Eating more will quite often help in losing weight as long as you only eat food. Chemicals which resemble food such as Doritos do not have this same effect and the calories in/calories out theory will indeed occur. Deprivation is an extremely idiotic and ineffective method of losing weight.

All these things are factually wrong and your advice has been proven over and over to be largely counterproductive and ineffective.

LOL, NO WONDER THERE IS AN OBESITY EPIDEMIC. I GIVE UP. ENJOY YOUR DORITOS AND BE SURE TO TAKE YOUR METHFORMIN REGULARLY.

I like Doritos,have eaten them many times.
And yet I am not obese and indeed I have never been obese.

Amazing,hey?

perseverance14

The Failure of Low Calorie Diets
The American Paradox

A study (1) published in 1997 shows that, between 1980 and 1990, Americans were consuming 4% less calories and 11% less fats than previously. As concerns fat-free foods, in ten years their consumption rose from 19% to 76%. In spite of this, during the same period, obesity in the US increased by 31%. The authors of this study, bewildered by this contradiction, called their study the « The American Paradox ».

This study simply confirmed the facts: contrary to what most nutritionists sustain, there is no correlation between obesity and calories.
Calories have nothing to do with gaining weight

In his comments on the SUVIMAX (2) study, French Professor Jacques Freg remarked that the information collected reveals that people do no actually consume large amounts of lipids (fats), contrary to what is commonly believed.


This French survey, which involved over 14,000 persons who were followed over an 8-year period (from 1995 to 2003), revealed that men consumed an average of 2200 calories per day and women consumed 1600. Not only was this figure lower than expected, it was also below daily recommended energy intake. In spite of a 6% reduction in calorie intake, the average weight of the people surveyed had increased by 30% during the period studied.

Another study, the ASPCC (3), carried out on a representative sample of French people and published in 1997, proves that people’s calorie intake is actually fairly low. The study shows that people consume fewer calories than the daily nutritional amounts recommended by nutritionists.

Professor Creff had already reported similar findings when he published statistics on the medical check-ups of obese people in the hospital where he worked, the Hospital Saint-Michel in Paris. He had in fact observed that over 50% of the people who are obese eat very little.

Several studies carried out on children (4 and 5 years old) reached the same conclusion: weight gain does not depend on caloric intake.

This is particularly noticeable among the Russians where 56% of the women over 30 are obese and they do not consume more than 1500 calories a day for a daily workload which normally demands enormous energy expenditure.

Statistics highlight the prevalence of obesity among farmers, artisans and factory workers. This is particularly surprising considering that these professions demand more physical effort than others. How can we still believe official nutritional recommendations which tell us that one of the mayor causes of obesity is the lack of physical exercise?
The energy factor does not determine weight gain

Globally, calorie consumption in Western countries is from 30 to 35% lower than 50 years ago. Paradoxically, obesity has risen by 400% during the same time lapse in these countries. In France, there are 4 times more obese people now than in the 1960s.

Approximately, 20% of the people in India have become obese in the past 20 years even if they have for the most part remained vegetarian, have moderate calorie consumption and have not really changed their lifestyles and eating habits.

Two questions come to mind: How can what we now know serve to improve people’s health through better eating habits? Me must first ask ourselves, however how dietitians can continue to ignore this evidence.

Contrary to long-held beliefs, the energy factor (calories) is not a key cause of weight gain. Thus, the principle behind low-calorie diets is totally false. We must accept more advanced findings and work from there to reverse the harm done to our societies by misguided beliefs; but first we must look back on our mistakes.
Looking back on our failures

Low-calorie diets recommended by most nutritionists and dietitians are not only totally useless, they are also dangerous. Statistics, such as those put forth by Prof. Van Gaal, show that less than 5% of the cases succeed.

This a ridiculous percentage and even more so, if we compare it to success figures of 15 to 25% for people who stop smoking and drinking, something which is known to be much harder to do.
Our bodies ajust to reduced calorie consumption

Low-calorie diets are useless since, as we reduce the amount of calories we consume, our bodies’ survival instinct automatically makes the best use possible of the energy we put at its disposal. Our bodies learn to optimize the amount of calories we feed them. This is why, when we go back to normal calorie consumption (something we necessarily have to do since we cannot under nourish our bodies forever) our bodies, which have learned to store fats, simply stock these ‘extra’ calories turning them into extra weight. Chances are that once we have taught our body to make do with low-caloric levels, it will gain even more weight when we go back to a more regular intake.

Prof. Brownell (6) has validated this phenomenon through tests carried out on animals alternating high-protein diets with low-calorie diets. The animals gained and lost weight but each time their diet changed, the results were even more marked than before. The results for first diet were rapid and considerable weight loss. However, with each new diet, it proved to be easier for the animals to gain weight (and to gain more weight than before) and harder to lose the new weight gained. This goes to show how our metabolism adjusts to reduced calorie consumption.


Caloric deficits can, in effect, reduce the amount of energy we burn by up to 50%. The problem is that, when we return (even if only temporarily) to our normal caloric intake, our bodies do not adjust by storing less fats. They continue storing fats as in ‘times of shortage’, that which makes us gain even more weight than before.

The « accordion » effect of continuous low-cal diets provokes increasing resistance to losing weight, as shown by numerous studies. (7). Additionally, low-cal diets are risky because they induce a deficiency in micronutrients (salts minerals, vitamins, oleo-elements, essential fatty acids) which are absolutely necessary for our bodies. Without them, our bodies become weak and suffer from chronic fatigue and our immunity system becomes more vulnerable to illness. Added to this is the fact that insufficient proteins tend to reduce our muscular mass, which is replaced by fat as we gain weight.
Nutritionists are unwilling to accept how misguided they have been

The low-cal principle has been the financial mainstay for numerous industries and people: the food industry, the pharmaceutical industry, public and private weight loss centers, health institutes and spas, thallasotherapy centers, nutritionists, dietitians, just to mention a few…Naturally, it is not easy to get the message across that what these industries and people are selling is not as miraculous as they say and that, what is even worse, it is useless and even dangerous for people’s health.

The issue, which is addressed at some medical conventions, is often carefully avoided by the press. Some well-know personalities have approached the subject directly or indirectly. Professor Arnaud Basdevant affirmed in a radio conference in 1990 that « the best way to gain weight is to follow restrictive diets.” In the 1993 Obesity Convention in Anvers, Professor Marian Affelbaum declared to her shocked colleagues: “Yes, we have been collectively fooled.” He assumed this fact to the point that he continued mentioning the issue when he retired.

Prof. W.Willett, one of the most eminent epidemiologists in the US, has been one of the few people to have had the courage to denounce the immense damage caused by low-cal recommendations. (8) In his opinion, these recommendations made by nutritionists “are not even worth the paper they’re written on.” He stated that “These recommendations have even contributed to spreading obesity.”
Counting calories is absurd

Counting calories, like most traditional dietary dogmas, is all theory and no facts. In effect it is a heads and tails approach, it is meaningless and totally ineffective.

The following seven reasons should make this clear:

- macro-nutrients: In order to count the number of calories contained in our food, we have to first determine macro-nutrient (carbs, fats and proteins) content. The problem with counting calories is that, the amount of factors that determine the macro nutrients contained in our foods make for wide variations in caloric content.

Anne Noël’s Charts*, for example, gives sausage meat chair à saucisse for a 100g of 14g g of proteins (14g x 4 Kcal = 56 Kcal) and 38g of lipids (38 x 9 Kcal = 342 Kcal) for a total of 398 Kcal.


Comparatively, the 10,000 delicatessens in France probably have 10,000 different ways of preparing sausage meat chair à saucisse. This means that the caloric content can vary from 15 to 20% from one preparation to another. For certain products, such as mince pie/potted pork rillettes, the amount of calories can vary up to 40% from one preparation to another.

The amount of calories contained in steak varies depending on the animal’s race/stock, what it has been fed on (natural or industrial feed), how it is bred (pasture or stable) and possible chemical treatments (antibiotics hormones…). Its true caloric content can thus vary from 15 to 30% as compared to theoretical chart figures.


As concerns fish, the amount of calories it contains depend on where it was caught (particularly if it industrially bred) as well as from one season to another.

Additionally, the amount of calories contained in our food is also modified by the way we cook it, it is higher or lower depending on if it is deep fried, grilled or boiled.

We can trhen conclude that the calories assigned are purely theoretical. They are therefore mistaken and, what’s more, they differ from one chart/table to another.

- Fibers : theoretical estimates never take into account the role played by fibers in the degree of absorption of the carbs and fats consumed. The fibers eaten with our meals can reduce the amount of calories absorbed.

- Intestinal absorption : Pr. G. Slama has shown that «starches are not interchangeable. ». Starches as for example fries and lentils, might have the same fat content, thus the same amount of calories. This, notwithstanding, does not imply that these calories will be absorbed to the same degree.
The same thing happens with lipid calories whose degree of intestinal wall absorption depends on where fatty acids are positioned on the glycerol molecule (triglycerides), as described by Pr. Serge Renaud in 1995.

- Fatty acids: saturated fatty acids are harder to burn and have a greater tendency to get stored as fat than mono-unsaturated fatty acids.


Comparatively, poly-unsaturated fatty acids (oméga 3), which are found in fish, are never sotored. Better yet, they stimulate metabolic mechanisms which aid weigh loss by increasing thermalgenesis and stimulatng lipolysis.

- Chronobiology : carb, fatty and protein absorption varies depending, not only on time at which we eat our meal, but also on the season (9, 10 et 11). This discovery has set the principles for a new science: chronobiology.

- Breaking up meals: eating the same amount of food (in terms of calories) split up in three to six different meals provokes different energy consumption levels. The more we break up the calories we consume in different meals, the more calories we burn.

- Chemical environment: theoretical estimates do not take into consideration the chemical environment of the food we eat as they enter our intestine, the order of entry nor the volume of their particles despite the fact that these factors condition food nutrients’ degree of absorption. For example, equal portions of sugar (saccharose) will have very little impact on blood sugar levels when eat after a meal whereas, when eaten before a meal, they tend to raise blood sugar levels.

This list, which is not exhaustive, should suffice to appeal to our common sense and convince us of the need to stop the absurd tendency to count calories as a means to losing weight.

If dietitians and nutritionists refuse to accept clear cut evidence to this effect, it is up to people to watch out for their own interests and health by being informed and informing others.
Scientific references:

(1) Adrian F. Heini “Divergent trends in obesity and fat intake patterns : The American Paradox”. The American Journal of Medicine 1997.


(2) Hercberg S. & coll. “Result of a list of a pilot study of the SUVIMAX project”. Rev. Epidemiol. Santé Publique 1995 ; 43 : 139-146


(3) Rigaud D., Giachetti I., Deheeger M., Borys JM., Volatier J.L., Lemoine A., Cassuto D.A., (1997) “Enquête Française de consommation alimentaire I. Energie et macronutriments. » (ASPCC) Cahiers Nutrition & Diététique, 32, 379-389


(4) Bellisle F. « Obesity and food intake in children : evidence for a role of metabolic and /or behavorial daily rythms » Appetite 1988, 11, 111-118


(5) Rolland-Cachera MF., Bellisle F. “No correlation between adiposity and food intake : why are working class children fatter ?” Am.J.Clin.Nutr., 1986, 44, 779-787
Rolland-Cachera MF., Deheeger M. “Adiposity and food intake in young children : the environmental challenge to individual susceptibility” Br.Med.J. 1988, 296, 1037-1038


(6) Brownell KD. “The effects of repeated cycles of weight loss and regain in rats” Phy.Behaviour 1986, 38, 459-464


(7) Louis-Sylvestre L. « poids accordéon : de plus en plus difficile à perdre » Le Généraliste, 1989 ; 1087 ; 18-20


(8) Science & Avenir (février 1999)


(9) Bellisle F, Rolland-Cachera MF, Deheeger M et Guilloud-Bataille M. “Obesity and food intake in children : evidence for a role a metabolic and/or behavorial daily rhythms” (Appetite, 1988, 11 : 111-118)


(10) Armstrong S, Shahbaz C and Singer G. “Inclusion of meal-reversal in a behavior modification program for obesity” (Appetite, 1981, 2 : 1-5).


(11) Halberg F. “Protection by timing treatment according to bodily rhythms. An analogy to protection by scrubbing before surgery”. (Chronobiologia, suppl. 1, 23-68, 1974).

Really....I got out of obese range on a low calorie diet, after that I started eating more but am still losing and 20 lbs. from my goal weight. The ADVANTAGE of eating low calorie (say 1200) for obese people is it can get them out of that range faster, and make it easier for them to do the workouts that will help them be toned when they get to their goal weight. I have about 20 lbs. to go, but I am getting very toned from lifting heavy weights. By the time I was out of obese range, I had tons of energy and was ready to tackle what I needed to do to lose the rest and be fit, toned and healthy. You would think if you walk these marathons you claim and ride your bicycle everywhere you would not be overweight at all. How much garbage can you possibly spue in one topic in one day?

perseverance14

This is the worst kind of dangerous nonsense. There is a tremendous difference in how our bodies handle calories from food as opposed to calories from non-food substances. Calories from food are used for energy and anabolic processes but calories from non-foods are immediately stored as fat because the body has no use for them. Whenever you ingest something which your body cannot use, it is stored as fat because the body does not know what else to do with it. It is extremely difficult to get rid of this type of fat.

OMG...you can't be serious. If your body can't use something, it doesn't digest it and it goes out the other end. If your body digests it, it uses it unless there is EXCESS, EXCESS is stored as fat.

SymphonynSonata

I'm just beginning to try to lose weight, and I think that counting calories might just be more effort/more destructive or discouraging...thoughts?

You DO NOT NEED TO COUNT CALORIES. Eat as much as you can possibly stuff into yourself, just be sure that everything you eat is FOOD. You will be healthy beyond belief in several months. p.s. Doritos and Pepsi is not food. Stay out of bakeries, bakeries do not sell food. Candy stores do not sell food. 90% of your local supermarket shelves are filled with substances which are not food. People can never become obese by eating food.

Seriously? No, this is WRONG. YES, you should be eating REAL food, but not "as much as you can possibly stuff into yourself". It is absurd to think you will not gain weight by eating unlimited amounts of anything. It is STILL calories in verses calories out!

Seriously, when you nourish your body properly you will discover natural limitations on how much you can eat because your body will tell you when it has had enough. This does not happen with food-like substances from a bakery, candy store or Doritos bag. Contrary to popular belief, it is not calories in/calories out. Eating too little will put your body in starvation mode and slow your metabolism. Eating more will quite often help in losing weight as long as you only eat food. Chemicals which resemble food such as Doritos do not have this same effect and the calories in/calories out theory will indeed occur. Deprivation is an extremely idiotic and ineffective method of losing weight.

All these things are factually wrong and your advice has been proven over and over to be largely counterproductive and ineffective.

LOL, NO WONDER THERE IS AN OBESITY EPIDEMIC. I GIVE UP. ENJOY YOUR DORITOS AND BE SURE TO TAKE YOUR METHFORMIN REGULARLY.

I like Doritos,have eaten them many times.
And yet I am not obese and indeed I have never been obese.

Amazing,hey?

You're just a special snowflake, or whatever people say around here. You know full and well that eating Doritos, if even only one time a year, or a few a day, will MAKE YOUR *kitten* HUGE. Oh Goodness, don't you get me started, you. I bet you drive a vehicle and use a computer that transmits CANCEROUS RAYS into your brain, you orange cheese finger licking demon.

Despite thousands of years of evolution (thousands, right?) the human body is so fragile that it simply cannot handle any foods that cave men weren't able to eat! Do you think that Adam and Eve went to 7/11 in their Mustang and bought Slurpees and chips??? NO! They ate APPLES, AND AS MANY AS THEY COULD HUMANLY INGEST. Do you think they had fat *kitten*? NO.

We need to turn up the prayer conditioning in this thread.

BigT555

I was just trying to make a point that there will never be a cure for obesity in America because Americans will risk death to avoid any movement which, in itself is a major cause of obesity.

Just curious Bill---drive much?

DO NOT DRIVE AT ALL-EVER. 61 YEARS OLD NEVER HAD A CAR. Ride an electric bicycle 10,000 miles per year and use a whopping $30. worth of electricity. My Fitbit tells me I walk 50,000 steps almost every day. I am 15 pounds overweight. I eat 3000 calories per day. People say it is impossible to live without a car so I must be dead. I also eat large amounts of sugar and fat. Cars are far more destructive than any dietary habit in existence. You can eat perfectly and still be close to death because driving is the most deadly extreme activity there is.

never would have guessed that based on your posts you dont drive. let me guess, you live in a city? try biking 30 km just to get groceries

Snoof1980

I'm just beginning to try to lose weight, and I think that counting calories might just be more effort/more destructive or discouraging...thoughts?

You DO NOT NEED TO COUNT CALORIES. Eat as much as you can possibly stuff into yourself, just be sure that everything you eat is FOOD. You will be healthy beyond belief in several months. p.s. Doritos and Pepsi is not food. Stay out of bakeries, bakeries do not sell food. Candy stores do not sell food. 90% of your local supermarket shelves are filled with substances which are not food. People can never become obese by eating food.

And just what in the hell do you expect people to eat? o_O I mean, I understand the point you're making, and I agree to the extent that, yes, it's best to avoid processed foods. But the thing is: I, and most other people, live in the real world, where processed foods can't be completely avoided. For myself, I live in a small town on an island where the climate is not conducive to growing your own food for the most part, and "organic" is just something we hear on the news. According to what you've said, it should have been impossible for me to lose weight. Yet I lost 65 pounds, by eating what was available to me (omg, processed foods!) Did I gain back a few (20) of those pounds? Yes. Was it because of the *type* of food I ate? Nope. It was because of the *amount* of food I ate. You can lose weight eating nothing but pizza, and you can gain weight eating nothing but fruits and vegetables. It all depends on your intake.

SymphonynSonata

I'm just beginning to try to lose weight, and I think that counting calories might just be more effort/more destructive or discouraging...thoughts?

You DO NOT NEED TO COUNT CALORIES. Eat as much as you can possibly stuff into yourself, just be sure that everything you eat is FOOD. You will be healthy beyond belief in several months. p.s. Doritos and Pepsi is not food. Stay out of bakeries, bakeries do not sell food. Candy stores do not sell food. 90% of your local supermarket shelves are filled with substances which are not food. People can never become obese by eating food.

And just what in the hell do you expect people to eat? o_O I mean, I understand the point you're making, and I agree to the extent that, yes, it's best to avoid processed foods. But the thing is: I, and most other people, live in the real world, where processed foods can't be completely avoided. For myself, I live in a small town on an island where the climate is not conducive to growing your own food for the most part, and "organic" is just something we hear on the news. According to what you've said, it should have been impossible for me to lose weight. Yet I lost 65 pounds, by eating what was available to me (omg, processed foods!) Did I gain back a few (20) of those pounds? Yes. Was it because of the *type* of food I ate? Nope. It was because of the *amount* of food I ate. You can lose weight eating nothing but pizza, and you can gain weight eating nothing but fruits and vegetables. It all depends on your intake.

YOU ONLY LOST WEIGHT BECAUSE THE AIR IS PURER AND LESS POLLUTED WHERE YOU LIVE. YOUR INSIDES ARE DYING BECAUSE YOU ATE PIZZA. SHAME ON YOU.

DYELB

Without cars there would be no bangbus.

SabrinaLC

No you don't.
It helps a lot of people but there are plenty out there that do not count calories and do just fine.
Eat real food, mostly plants.

levitateme

What the hell is going on in this thread? TIA

Off to eat some "not food" and gain 5 lbs in 5 minutes because my body doesn't know what Coffee Creamer is.

That's how it works right? If you eat something that is "not food" it is automatically converted to fat because you're body doen't know what to do with it?

:laugh:

JK I know what's going on in this thread. Typical crazy MFP stuff. Happy Monday.

Snoof1980

I'm just beginning to try to lose weight, and I think that counting calories might just be more effort/more destructive or discouraging...thoughts?

You DO NOT NEED TO COUNT CALORIES. Eat as much as you can possibly stuff into yourself, just be sure that everything you eat is FOOD. You will be healthy beyond belief in several months. p.s. Doritos and Pepsi is not food. Stay out of bakeries, bakeries do not sell food. Candy stores do not sell food. 90% of your local supermarket shelves are filled with substances which are not food. People can never become obese by eating food.

And just what in the hell do you expect people to eat? o_O I mean, I understand the point you're making, and I agree to the extent that, yes, it's best to avoid processed foods. But the thing is: I, and most other people, live in the real world, where processed foods can't be completely avoided. For myself, I live in a small town on an island where the climate is not conducive to growing your own food for the most part, and "organic" is just something we hear on the news. According to what you've said, it should have been impossible for me to lose weight. Yet I lost 65 pounds, by eating what was available to me (omg, processed foods!) Did I gain back a few (20) of those pounds? Yes. Was it because of the *type* of food I ate? Nope. It was because of the *amount* of food I ate. You can lose weight eating nothing but pizza, and you can gain weight eating nothing but fruits and vegetables. It all depends on your intake.

YOU ONLY LOST WEIGHT BECAUSE THE AIR IS PURER AND LESS POLLUTED WHERE YOU LIVE. YOUR INSIDES ARE DYING BECAUSE YOU ATE PIZZA. SHAME ON YOU.

But what a way to go, amirite? I won't be any worse off than this yahoo, who preaches eating only "real" food (as opposed to what? "Fake" food?) and has a diary filled with Taco Bell and other "non-foods."

jofjltncb6

I wonder how I gained 20+ pounds in 2012 (during a strict paleo kick) while almost completely avoiding white sugar and white flour?

Oh yeah, I know how I did it...by intentionally eating "real food" at a calorie surplus.

I have also lost 20 pounds in a year while eating quite a lot of what *some* in this thread would call "not food" by eating at a calorie deficit.

*shrug*

SymphonynSonata

I'm just beginning to try to lose weight, and I think that counting calories might just be more effort/more destructive or discouraging...thoughts?

You DO NOT NEED TO COUNT CALORIES. Eat as much as you can possibly stuff into yourself, just be sure that everything you eat is FOOD. You will be healthy beyond belief in several months. p.s. Doritos and Pepsi is not food. Stay out of bakeries, bakeries do not sell food. Candy stores do not sell food. 90% of your local supermarket shelves are filled with substances which are not food. People can never become obese by eating food.

And just what in the hell do you expect people to eat? o_O I mean, I understand the point you're making, and I agree to the extent that, yes, it's best to avoid processed foods. But the thing is: I, and most other people, live in the real world, where processed foods can't be completely avoided. For myself, I live in a small town on an island where the climate is not conducive to growing your own food for the most part, and "organic" is just something we hear on the news. According to what you've said, it should have been impossible for me to lose weight. Yet I lost 65 pounds, by eating what was available to me (omg, processed foods!) Did I gain back a few (20) of those pounds? Yes. Was it because of the *type* of food I ate? Nope. It was because of the *amount* of food I ate. You can lose weight eating nothing but pizza, and you can gain weight eating nothing but fruits and vegetables. It all depends on your intake.

YOU ONLY LOST WEIGHT BECAUSE THE AIR IS PURER AND LESS POLLUTED WHERE YOU LIVE. YOUR INSIDES ARE DYING BECAUSE YOU ATE PIZZA. SHAME ON YOU.

But what a way to go, amirite? I won't be any worse off than this yahoo, who preaches eating only "real" food (as opposed to what? "Fake" food?) and has a diary filled with Taco Bell and other "non-foods."

Pardon, Taco Bell has tomatos, lettuce, beef, cheese and onions. What is not 'real' about that? The tortillas are made with flour too, duh.

Heatherybit

Wait was this created by honeylissabee other...other..account?

lyanes

Wait was this created by honeylissabee other...other..account?

That's exactly what I thought when I saw this thread

NOMORECARS

Really.... How much garbage can you possibly spue in one topic in one day?

Not nearly as much as you can shovel down your gullet.

NOMORECARS

Yes, very real, and driving is VERY DEADLY.

Some of us live in states that get very cold in the Winter, some of us have very long commutes. Some of us travel around to other states, even other countries, places too far to travel on some electric scooter thing.

Get off your soap box dude, you solution is not workable for a huge chunk of the population, even if we wanted to do it.

Too bad Americans have no choice about where they live and work, eh?

NOMORECARS

I'm just beginning to try to lose weight, and I think that counting calories might just be more effort/more destructive or discouraging...thoughts?

90% of your local supermarket shelves are filled with substances which are not food.

And just what in the hell do you expect people to eat?

Try the remaining 10% of what is on your supermarket shelves.

brower47

Yes, very real, and driving is VERY DEADLY.

Some of us live in states that get very cold in the Winter, some of us have very long commutes. Some of us travel around to other states, even other countries, places too far to travel on some electric scooter thing.

Get off your soap box dude, you solution is not workable for a huge chunk of the population, even if we wanted to do it.

Too bad Americans have no choice about where they live and work, eh?

Too bad agriculture, at a scale needed to feed an entire nation, can't be conducted in urban environments where vehicles aren't strictly necessary.

Classic, "My way of thinking/lifestyle should apply to EVERYONE despite that it would actually be impossible to practice in reality," thinking.

BigT555

I'm just beginning to try to lose weight, and I think that counting calories might just be more effort/more destructive or discouraging...thoughts?

90% of your local supermarket shelves are filled with substances which are not food.

And just what in the hell do you expect people to eat?

Try the remaining 10% of what is on your supermarket shelves.

you've already said you dont do this yourself, so why are you wasting time preaching this bull that is completely impractical and unnecessary?

pinkraynedropjacki

I was just trying to make a point that there will never be a cure for obesity in America because Americans will risk death to avoid any movement which, in itself is a major cause of obesity.

Too bad Americans have no choice about where they live and work, eh?

Wait...I don't live in America at all. Never have. So you are basing your whole argument on American diets. Do you think this site is only US? I guess that's why I became obese eating more food than I burnt off.... cause I am not American. I've never even visited.


Your whole argument is stupid & actually dangerous. You could actually cause someone to get into some serious health problems.

SymphonynSonata

I was just trying to make a point that there will never be a cure for obesity in America because Americans will risk death to avoid any movement which, in itself is a major cause of obesity.

Too bad Americans have no choice about where they live and work, eh?

Wait...I don't live in America at all. Never have. So you are basing your whole argument on American diets. Do you think this site is only US? I guess that's why I became obese eating more food than I burnt off.... cause I am not American. I've never even visited.


Your whole argument is stupid & actually dangerous. You could actually cause someone to get into some serious health problems.

NON AMERICANS DON'T DRIVE CARS OR EAT THIS HIGHLY ACCLAIMED FAKE FOOD PRODUCT. YOU'RE OBESE BECAUSE IN ENGLAND (or wherever you live) THE QUEEN IS PUTTING FLUORIDE INTO YOUR WATER, MAKING IT NOT REAL LIQUID; BECAUSE IT IS NOW RENDERED FAKE, YOU'RE PUTTING A CHEMICAL CONCOCTION OF FAKE INTO YOUR BODY SO ALL OF THE WHOLE FOODS YOU EAT ARE BEING STORED IN A LAST DITCH EFFORT NOT TO DEHYDRATE.

Find pure water, preferably licking from a natural spring in a highly unpolluted area, and you won't be obese anymore.

RAGING EDIT: THIS POSTER IS A FRAUD, THE FOOD PAPARAZZI IS LOOKING TO CORRUPT YOU BY MAKING FALSE CLAIMS ABOUT GAINING WEIGHT EATING NATURAL FOODS. USER HID LOCATION. SUSPICIOUS.

snowflake954

I don't count calories and am still losing weight. I don't walk marathons everyday either.

I don't walk to lose weight; I walk because that is what humans are built for, not strapped into a tin box to burn gasoline.

I like counting calories, don't have to. As for this comment ^^^ what are people that live in states like Minnesota supposed to do when it's 30-? The winters are slippery and riding a bike is not possible, not eveyone lives in California.

snowflake954

Yes, very real, and driving is VERY DEADLY.

Some of us live in states that get very cold in the Winter, some of us have very long commutes. Some of us travel around to other states, even other countries, places too far to travel on some electric scooter thing.

Get off your soap box dude, you solution is not workable for a huge chunk of the population, even if we wanted to do it.

Sorry, someone already adressed this problem. Any answers for us?

snowflake954

[/quote]Really....I got out of obese range on a low calorie diet, after that I started eating more but am still losing and 20 lbs. from my goal weight. The ADVANTAGE of eating low calorie (say 1200) for obese people is it can get them out of that range faster, and make it easier for them to do the workouts that will help them be toned when they get to their goal weight. I have about 20 lbs. to go, but I am getting very toned from lifting heavy weights. By the time I was out of obese range, I had tons of energy and was ready to tackle what I needed to do to lose the rest and be fit, toned and healthy. You would think if you walk these marathons you claim and ride your bicycle everywhere you would not be overweight at all. How much garbage can you possibly spue in one topic in one day?
[/quote]

You will find that Bill has all these "facts" that he, himself refuses to follow. He says his advice is sound regardless, and gets upset if you point out the contradictions.

Shaselai

It is in MY BELIEF that MOSTpeople gain weight to the point of going on a diet is because they can't control themselves, myself included. I think having a calorie counter is most helpful for me as it keeps me in check of how much i have put in my mouth and combining with a fitness tool like fitbit i can see how much i am expending. I know there are diet plans that says "eat till full" or "dont count calories" - they could work for sure and they probably count on your body's natural reaction to being full from eating whatever food groups they recommend you to eat. BUT my question back at them is that many got to this point becaue they couldnt "feel full" and if you tell them "eat till full" it will take a lot of mental power to resist the urge. A calorie tool is black and white - you are either cheating yourself and straying from the diet or you aren't - there is no gray area and that's why I advocate a calorie counting tool.

Also as a side bonus once you do enough of these calorie entries you will naturally get smarter purchasing food items doing calculations in your head which results in making the right choices at the market.