Do we take weight loss far too seriously??

nicjane113

After joining MFP to lose a few lbs, I've been reading alot of posts on the messageboards to get some advice from others and to see how everyone else is doing.
I've noticed that some poeple are so religious in their calorie counting that it can be a little scary. I want to lost a little bit of weight to feel better about myself and it is good that people want to feel better about themselves and gain a healthier lifestyle but is the concept of counting calories of every food we consume taking over our lives?
I tend to stick to my calorie counting monday to friday and not bother on a weekend. That doesn't mean I eat as much junk as I can on a weekend but if I want a takeaway or something not so great on a saturday night with a glass of wine then why not. Is this maybe because I am at a healthy weight anyway and don't have much to lose to get to my 'ideal' weight that I can afford to let a few snacks slip past?
Life is for living right?

Maggie1960

Life is certainly for living!
However some of us on here have a lot of weight to lose and the only way to do it is to be meticulous about calorie counting. Once I get to a normal weight (150lbs for me, 29lbs to go) I will ease up a bit and allow myself the odd treat. But right now, I'm happy to log every mouthful and watch the scales go down.

IngeS18

Maggie has a point. When you're already at a good weight and you're just trying to lose a couple pounds, you of course don';t have to be that serious about it.
But if you have lots of pounds to lose, because you want to be healthier then it's a good thing if you're being very strict to yourself and count everything you eat. Little treats might just be the thing to push you over the edge again...

peanut352

I think it is because you are not far from your ideal weight. For people like myself, who found this website and found the answer to weight loss, which is as simple as counting calories and exercising it's a very serious thing, and I do take it very seriously. I do religiously add every single thing I put in my mouth. But I also dont deprive myself of anything. I dont have cheat days, I just eat what I want anytime I want as long as it's within my calories, and I havent found this to be difficult at all.
I enjoy getting on here every morning and seeing how everyone else is doing, learning from questions people ask on the boards, and knowing that there are people here that support you and care about how your doing. :flowerforyou:

BrendaKayS

I often get burnt out of this whole "weight loss" taking so much time - counting everything gets very tedious to me and I hate it. However, I am obese, I suffer from diabetes, high blood pressure and high triglcerides because of my obesity. I have two children and a husband who need me around and I'm only 33. Three nights ago a doctor called me "a walking time bomb". Realistically if I don't take this seriously I won't be around much longer. So, I guess it's relative. I'm sure if I only had a few pounds to lose or even if I didn't have the health risks I do I could afford to be more laid back about it but at this point I feel it's life or death.

toya860

But if you have lots of pounds to lose, because you want to be healthier then it's a good thing if you're being very strict to yourself and count everything you eat. Little treats might just be the thing to push you over the edge again...

So true IngeSnethen, when I allow myself treats (Godiva) I go overboard (the whole box)! So I must stay strict until I reach my goal. I'm rethinking my cheat days as well. Because I've indulged in my favorite fattening, unhealty treats for so long it's robbed me of my confidence and I've stopped living. But counting every bite that goes in my mouth and staying focused on my goals is getting me back to living and it makes me happy! :bigsmile:

TateFTW

Yes, it is because your a healthy weight. You say life is for living, well there are thousands of people out there dying every day because of the way they've chosen to eat. I'm a healthy weight now, but the way I see and feel about food is still very similiar to an overweight person, and it's so different from how someone who's naturally healthy sees food, it's scary. A skinny person trying to understand a fat person's relationship to food is like the white male writing this saying he understands everything about how a black female feels. I can try, but in the end I'll never see the world the same way. There's nothing wrong with that, as long as we acknowledge it. Entering everything we eat gives us a level of control we've never known over how we eat. It helps to remove the emotion and confusion because we can see it all, laid out before us. That's why I'm no obsessive about entering everything. I can't control it if I don't know what's going on.

AlyRoseNYC

Considering the obesity epidemic plaguing this country, it seems like we as a nation don't take weight loss and fitness seriously enough. Every person that you see on here that seems a bit too "hard core" is one less person who will not die from obesity related issues like heart disease, diabetes, etc. When I see the die hards, I see hope for our future generations.

NutritionDivaRD

Yes, it is because your a healthy weight. You say life is for living, well there are thousands of people out there dying every day because of the way they've chosen to eat. I'm a healthy weight now, but the way I see and feel about food is still very similiar to an overweight person, and it's so different from how someone who's naturally healthy sees food, it's scary. A skinny person trying to understand a fat person's relationship to food is like the white male writing this saying he understands everything about how a black female feels. I can try, but in the end I'll never see the world the same way. There's nothing wrong with that, as long as we acknowledge it. Entering everything we eat gives us a level of control we've never known over how we eat. It helps to remove the emotion and confusion because we can see it all, laid out before us. That's why I'm no obsessive about entering everything. I can't control it if I don't know what's going on.

Well that was beautifully and perfectly articulated! You said it all!

a1schwei

i tend to agree with both sides...with mfp i have been able to get to a weight that i didn't think possible and my confidence has improved because of that i find myself much more accountable and tracking calories has made me MUCH more aware of what i eat and helped me to make exercise a huge priority in my life again (hopefully for good this time)...i've learned a lot from the message boards but i have also been surprised by the extremes people take! i try to be open-minded though and aware that everyone has a different journey...i have lost 15lbs but i've done it my way...i still eat what i want, mostly in moderation, but i know that if i want a bag of hot tamales or a yummy brownie from the teacher's lounge, i need to run a bit longer or spend more time on the elliptical..occassionally i feel guilty but for the most part i remind myself that i want to enjoy my life and for me restricting too much is a recipe for disaster!

Ellem86

I agree that how serious people take weight loss is directly proportionate to how much they have to lose. I am now at the top end of the healthy weight range for my height and build so while I would like to lose another 10 pounds, I'm no longer as militant about it as I was before I reached this stage. I still aim to log everything I put in my mouth but I now go by the saying "everything in moderation and even moderation in moderation". However, I also think that "obsessed" is a word used by the lazy to describe the determined (not that I'm calling you lazy!!!).

stroutman81

I'm split. Let me preface this by saying I help people lose weight for a living. I've been doing so for a decade now. I can say without a doubt that for some, a rigid approach is optimal. By rigid approach, I mean keeping food logs, counting calories and nutrients, following meal plans, etc.

On the flip side, many of my clients do better and prefer a looser approach. I literally outlay some simple rules they need to follow the majority of the time (the old Pareto's 80/20 principle). Then it's about finding ways to hold themselves accountable to said rules consistently. This indirectly controls calories without ever counting.

Some claim that keeping food logs and counting calories is their accountability. They know if they have to log then they'll behavior will follow suit. This begs the question in my mind, though, "Is this the only way to find accountability?"

Most of my clients have a simple spreadsheet listing out their individualized "food rules." There's a box for each day of the week where they either place a check or an X for compliance or not. This, for most, is enough. Of course I'm constantly reinforcing why they came to me in the first place, which seems to get lost in the shuffle after the novelty of starting out on a "lifestyle" subsides.

I'm of the opinion it's silly to needlessly muddy the waters unless you have to because some people do seem to take it too far. Everyone lashes out about not being "on a diet" and this is a "lifestyle" for me. But being fanatical about calories to a degree where you won't even a surplus 1 damn day is about as rigid as you can get... and that's what dieting is all about. Not living.

Besides, in my experience, it's the people who get fanatical about rigidity who rebound and yo yo time and time again. We're physiologically and psychologically hardwired to rebel after too much rigidity is imposed on our systems nutritionally.

That said, I do feel that counting calories, at least for a short while, is great. It provides insights regarding energy density and portion size that you'll never get otherwise.

lifeisgoodBev

Good Morning. Way to go with your weight loss!!!!! Keep up the great work! Each person needs to do what is right for them, their personal journey. It totally is all about living life to the fullest every day & lifestyle change.

I personally need the commitment & tracking to lose the 55 1bs. I have been to goal previously & I used to have 1 cheat day a weekend, it also worked for me then. I was alot younger , higher metabolism & extremely different active lifestyle. Now I will again achieve goal with the resources, support of MFP & all the great people on here.
I still treat myself occasionally. food or a glass of wine. The only difference is I track & plan. lol Last night my best girlfriend ( known each other for 30 years) came over & we had a 1/8 piece of pumpkin pie with our coffee (no dream whip lol forgot to buy it lol) & had a lovely visit. It was awesome. I still was under my calorie intake. It is about the visit & doing portion control & choices.
Have a fantastic day. As I always say keep smiling & shining!

stroutman81

I agree that how serious people take weight loss is directly proportionate to how much they have to lose.

This may be the case many times... but I know PLENTY of people who in my opinion don't need to lose more weight yet live life by one calorie count at a time.

I call them perpetual dieters and they're really a byproduct of our society's need to reinforce dieting, ridiculous body images, etc. In fact, dieting for some folks regardless of their weight is the norm.

It's very unfortunate and more times than not leads to health problems.

Dieting in itself is a stress. Just as exercise is a stress. And our bodies have finite capacities to manage the stress that's place upon it. Add in life stresses and many of these folks I speak of wind up driving their bodies to a point where they're plateaued, injured, sickly, demotivated, etc.

SP0472

Considering the obesity epidemic plaguing this country, it seems like we as a nation don't take weight loss and fitness seriously enough. Every person that you see on here that seems a bit too "hard core" is one less person who will not die from obesity related issues like heart disease, diabetes, etc. When I see the die hards, I see hope for our future generations.

VERY well said! I agree 100%!

stroutman81

Let me also add (sorry for so many posts!) that it's a false dichotomy to say, "you either count or you don't."

Take myself for instance. I never count calories, fat grams, carb grams, etc. What I do count is protein grams. Why? Well, for starters, I have a target I like to hit for muscle maintenance. More importantly, and this goes for the majority of my clients as well, I've found that if you meet your protein target it becomes increasingly harder to overeat calories. Protein is the most satiating nutrient.

And this is partly why "low carb" diets "work" for many folks. It's not the low carbs per se... rather it's the concomitant increase in protein consumption that typically goes with eating low carb. It controls hunger, slightly elevates metabolism, etc.

Just one trick of the trade to indirectly control calories without actually tracking every single variable. Not saying it's The Way. It's simply a tool that has proven effective for a broad range of people.

binary_jester

Great points

All I can add is...tracking soothes my type A personality.

stroutman81

Great points

All I can add is...tracking soothes my type A personality.

And that's sort of my point. There isn't a one-size-fits all approach. That's for sure. Some will fare better with tracking than others. I do believe that many are tracking, however, that shouldn't be. Their personalities don't mix with it and they wind up taking it to a degree that's "unhealthy."

Bermudabarbie

The MFP program allows an individual to structure his/her weight and fitness goals on an individual basis. Making changes in our diet and activity level takes focus. No two of us are following the exact same "diet.". There is no MFP "diet.". This is a personal program for each. I find the need to "focus" on the details of the program a positive thing. But I've only been following the program less than two months. I, personally, need to take the program seriously at this time in order to make balancing my daily calories and nutrients an easy habit.

stroutman81

The MFP program allows an individual to structure his/her weight and fitness goals on an individual basis. Making changes in our diet and activity level takes focus. No two of us are following the exact same "diet.". There is no MFP "diet.". This is a personal program for each. I find the need to "focus" on the details of the program a positive thing. But I've only been following the program less than two months. I, personally, need to take the program seriously at this time in order to make balancing my daily calories and nutrients an easy habit.

I don't think anyone out there is saying there's a MFP diet. We're talking about meticulously tracking vs. not meticulously tracking. MFP is merely one avenue that helps people meticulously track. That doesn't make it good or bad. It's just a tool. A tool that will fit some better than others - even if they're aware of this fact or not.

And I agree with you... more often than not it's the novice clients I have that I will have track meticulously. It gets them off on the right foot. I simply promote it as a means to an end though. Most of them won't be tracking as long as most folks I see on the web. But some will.

erinkate82

I tend to stick to my calorie counting monday to friday and not bother on a weekend. That doesn't mean I eat as much junk as I can on a weekend but if I want a takeaway or something not so great on a saturday night with a glass of wine then why not. Is this maybe because I am at a healthy weight anyway and don't have much to lose to get to my 'ideal' weight that I can afford to let a few snacks slip past?
Life is for living right?

I do the same thing - I keep track Monday thru Friday and maybe on the weekends if I'm not too busy. I still think about what I am eating but I never withhold any foods or drinks from myself, just control my portion sizes. Some people with MFP are very obsessive with documenting and keeping track of EVERYTHING, but it's more of a tool to help you stay within a specific caloric range to optomize weight loss.

AmandaB4588

I think the only appropriate (and obvious) answer is that different things work for different people.

I don't count calories because I DO get too obsessed with it and am too hard on myself about it. Not everybody is like that, though.

ChubbieTubbie

Life is certainly for living!
However some of us on here have a lot of weight to lose and the only way to do it is to be meticulous about calorie counting. Once I get to a normal weight (150lbs for me, 29lbs to go) I will ease up a bit and allow myself the odd treat. But right now, I'm happy to log every mouthful and watch the scales go down.

I agree. I have over 100 pounds to lose and it won't happen if I don't log in every single thing every single day.

rybo

I agree with you a lot.
BUT I also understand that I really can’t put myself in the shoes of a lot of people here, so I can never fully understand the struggles that some people go thru. What may seem like such a simple concept to me, could be next to impossible for someone else to achieve.

That said, I do think many times people over complicate things by attempting to adhere to an ultra strict diet plan or methodology and the change is so drastic in such short time, they fail and repeat the cycle with a different methodology hoping that that’s the one.
I wonder if more people would be more successful if they kept realistic goals, and gradual implementations?
Start slow, reduce or cut out things you know are bad, pull things into your diet that are healthy. Gradual just might help a lot more people. I also think pulling from different diets also helps. I buy into a lot of the raw eating principles. But to think I could immerse myself completely is absurd in my situation. So I fit it in where I can. I don’t really care for breads, pasta or rice, but I love fish, chicken & meat. So I tend to eat high protein and tons of veggies as my carbs with smaller amounts of coming from rice & grains.

All that to say, I realize some people need an ultra structured plan to succeed, but for those who continuously fight the cycle from plan to plan, they might be better off trying to blend in aspects that suit their tastes, while still helping them reach their goals.

sillygoose1977

I agree with both sides as well. I just posted something similiar yesterday. I have stopped keeping my food diary because I want to be able to do this for the rest of my life without a crutch. However, I never would have come this far without strict counting. I have basically taught myself the basic tools to know what I can and can't do to keep losing and eventually maintain my weight. For myself, I don't want to be obsessive about calories the rest of my life. I am already neurotic about too many other things. If I start to slip up I will get back on the diary.

People are just as diverse as the methods out there. However people can find success is great. We are all here to be healthy and happy!