How strict are you on calorie counting?

christannahoner

Hello,

So I lost a bunch of weight last year, now I'm back to square one-- I mean, I knew it was happening when it was happening but I didn't care at the time. Anyway, I was really really diligent previously about counting calories and netting 1200/day. I lost 12 lbs over 5 months and was exercising 6 days a week.

However, if I went over 1200 by the slightest, I freaked out that I was going to destroy my progress. I would usually figure out how much it was and then tack that on to my deficit for the following day so that i'd be even for the week. My life was consumed by calorie counting, and it continued even after I reached my goal weight.

I just want to know if there are people who are losing weight without being meticulous about their counting. Ie, if you go over by 100 or 200 here and there, if that seems to hamper you or you're still able to make progress? I'm trying out 1550 cals/day right now. I just want to start seeing weight fall off soon, but I don't want to drive myself insane again. I think that's what lead to me regaining weight.



Thanks!
-Christanna

Sobus76

I've counted and stayed under my goal probably 98% of the time over the last 9 months, there has been days where i've gone over and i didnt even bother counting like birthday parties, and a week vacation i didnt count but tried to eat halfway healthy. the days that i have gone over, i made sure that they were just days and not weeks/months.
knowing that im at around 1000-1500 deficit daily, I know 100-200 over wont kill my weight loss, but it will obviously slow my efforts long term.

lynn_glenmont

I'm strict on the counting -- pretty much weigh all solids (unless it's a packaged food and I'm eating the whole package, such as a can of soup) and measure all liquids at home, and do my best to estimate when I eat away from home at places that don't post their nutrition values. Everything gets logged (except occasionally when I'm lazy I'll skip herbs and spices, vinegar, mustard, zero-calorie drinks, and small amounts of very low-calories veggies, like the lettuce on a sandwich).

But I'm pretty relaxed about the number I hit every day. I have a net goal that's close to 700 calories below maintenance , but I don't worry about going over that goal. As long as I'm below maintenance, which is about 95% of the time, I don't see anything to fuss about -- it's not a race. On those days I go over maintenance, like Thanksgiving and Christmas -- well, as long as I'm below maintenance for the week, it's still a win. I think I've only had one week (vacation) where I was over maintenance for the week, and I knew (because I still logged everything) that I was only over by about 1000 calories a day, or 2 lbs for the week, so when the scale said I had gained about 7 lbs, I didn't let it worry me too much, because I knew the rest of it had to be water and undigested gluttony still moving through me. The next week's weigh-in all but 2 lbs of what I had gained was gone.

Tillyecl1

I weigh and log everything I eat and drink (except water), so in that way I'm strict.

But I'm not worried about the number of calories I eat too much. I normally eat under my calorie goal for the day once exercise is taken into account but as long as I'm under maintenance (with the exception of my birthday and Christmas day) I'm happy.

The reason I am strict with logging everything is because if I don't lose I want to know why. If I overate then I shouldn't be surprised to not lose much weight. It's very easy to convince yourself you've been eating perfectly (so easy to forget what you've actually eaten) and get annoyed at not losing that week, but if you log everything then generally I have the explanation.

SarahxApple

If you feel that being overly strict about counting is part of the reason for gaining why don't you agree to not log one day a week?

I have mild OCD and one thing for me is numbers (sounds weird I know) and I could feel myself getting obsessive about logging (I logged continually for 3 months) so now I don't log weekends, BUT I am not looking to lose massive amounts of weight, I am already a healthy weight (my ticker has a weight goal but it's probably a little too low as I lift and workout a lot), I think it's more important to be strict if you are trying to lose lots.

I guess what I am trying to say is approach this in a healthy way (for both body and mind) if you feel logging every day will make you crazy/regain don't log everyday or set up an agreement with yourself that you allowed to go up to 100/150/200 calories over your limit without freaking out. The weight will come off if your week is at a deficit and as someone else said it's not a race if you are trying to lose weight for a certain time/event losing slowly isn't a bad thing.

Good luck!

knra_grl

Don't beat yourself up for going over every once in a while. If you are exercising enter the exercise in MFP and eat some of those cals back. Guilt free.

Yes weigh and measure everything, it's a learning process and helps keep on track. Some foods are better left for the occasional treat and once you figure out what foods are denser in cals then you find a way to fit them in. You want a big plate of pasta? Have it but plan for it.

honkytonks85

I don't measure and I'm not overly strict. Some days I don't count at all.
I've lost 55kg

Siigh_duck

I've gone over plenty the past few months, it bothers me at the time but I literally just get back on track the next day, any extra consequential weight is gone within a day or two. You have to remember that you KNOW how to lose weight now, so if you slip up it's not a big deal, not like any damage done is permanent.

JazzFischer1989

I was really strict for the first couple months, tracking every single thing I ate right after I ate it to make sure I didn't go over my calorie allotment but the counting was driving me nuts and I was slowly losing weight which wasn't what I wanted (trying to maintain). I made some adjustments to allow for more calories and now I pay less attention to how much I consume. On days I do track, I seem to stay within 100-200 calories give or take anyway and I'm not losing anymore weight so this is how I'll operate from here on out.

Calorie counting can really turn into an unhealthy obsession if you don't actually understand how you should go about it and what's going on with your body.

jimmmer

The closer to lean you get, the more strict you need to be (and the closer to your maintenance value you need to hit).

ETA: this is if you want to spare lbm losses whilst getting quite lean. That's obviously my priority when cutting weight, but may not be necessary for everyone...

SezxyStef

I log 100% of what I eat, weigh/measure 98% of it...sometimes I can't weigh etc as I am in a resturant or out and about.

Prior to maitenance I would try to stay in daily goal sometimes a few under (but I was at 1600 not 1200) but I would always look at my weekly goal and try to stay at that....

But that being said it didn't always happen. If it wasn't going to happen on a day (celebration etc) I wouldn't stress it.

My goal while losing weight was 1600...I averaged 1750 which includes holidays (Thanksgiving/Christmas) and other various celebration such as Birthdays, graduations etc.

There is no point in stressing it....that just raises cortisol levels etc. and makes losing weight too stressful.

Not stressing obviously works as well...note ticker below.

LovelyLaura2321

the more strict i am with counting, the worse i tend to do. with that being said, i make a conscious effort to know the calories that are going in my body, but i don't worry about writing it down, although i did at first just so i could understand the value of a calorie.

try not to worry about going over a few hundred calories here and there. it's not going to hurt you. i eat anywhere from 1500-1900 calories a day, and about once a week i will eat around 2500 or so. i've lost 10 pounds in 2 months doing that.

don't let the counting discourage you. try to not count as strictly and see how you feel. having a healthy relationship with food is important and if counting calories strictly is making food seem like a chore, that's going to discourage you. you just need to find what works for you. good luck

_Zardoz_

It's called calorie counting not calorie guessing so I'm probably around 98% accurate. If your going to do it there is no point doing it wrong. If you don't have accurate data if it's not working you have no information to go on

doctorsookie

My only rule (which even gets broke time to time) is to try and net 1200. I go over some days. Some weeks are worse than others. ;-) But it doesn't get me down. Its great practice for maintenance. I'm bound to slip up from time to time once I hit goal weight and the key is to get right back on track. I don't say to myself, oh, well that's that. I just keep going. If I'm hungry I'm gonna eat and if that means I'm going over then that's what it means and if i want to do a little extra workout to make up later in the week so be it.

Enjoy life and its obstacles because that's where we learn the most. Dont be too hard on yourself. Have a great day.

Francl27

As long as you eat under your TDEE (which is probably around 500 more calories than your goal), you will lose.

I used to be much stricter, but I'm very close to my goal so it's no big deal if I just maintain instead.

BoxerBrawler

I am fairly strict and aim for accuracy about 99% of the time. If I eat out I just try to modify the meal and take a best guess. If I am on vacation I don't log but continue to eat healthy... but allow myself treats I wouldn't normally have. I do log over the weekends as well but those numbers may or may not be as accurate as the weekly numbers.

I can tell you that although I do still log, I don't take it as seriously as I used too. I lost all of my weight before I even came to MFP and since I've been here logging, tracking, counting and obsessing... I haven't lost a thing. It was only when I stopped listening to a computer program and started listening to my body again that I started losing again.

After a while, it's just common sense and habit.

I am still here because I'm focusing on my macro's until I get the hang of it and I just make sure I net 1200 a day with or without exercise. That's it.

candistyx

My calorie goal is 1800 and I go over it probably 50% of the time. I only go over by at most 300 calories and usually only 50-100 calories though. I've been losing fine although it's only been 6 weeks.