Counting calories CAN be pointless

24

Replies

  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    in for the comedy. BTW I do not count calories.
  • __freckles__
    __freckles__ Posts: 1,238 Member
    OP, you are correct. Counting calories is not the only way to achieve a healthy lifestyle. And it may be pointless for you to do so as a 19 year old who is extremely active.

    So.........don't count. The end.
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    Definitely not pointless. I've lost over 50 pounds counting calories and I also work out 6-7 days a week and am pretty active.

    Like others have said, you can't outrun a bad diet no matter how active you are.

    What's easier to do, to cut out 300 calories from a meal or to burn 300 calories at the gym?

    And that's the answer to your question basically although I understand what you're trying to say.

    I don't know about a "bad diet" (whatever that is), but you most certainly *can* out train/run a "calorie surplus diet" such that it becomes a calorie deficit/neutral diet. A lot of people have been doing that for a very long time with excellent results.
  • wheird
    wheird Posts: 7,963 Member
    If you are active enough to be in a calorie deficit consistently and your goals are not necessarily body composition related, it isn't strictly necessary.

    But you are missing the whole picture.
  • baba_helly
    baba_helly Posts: 810 Member
    counting calories is hard. luckily I have an app for that.
  • __freckles__
    __freckles__ Posts: 1,238 Member
    If you are active enough to be in a calorie deficit consistently and your goals are not necessarily body composition related, it isn't strictly necessary.

    But you are missing the whole picture.

    Honest question - what's the "whole picture." I don't know the OP's goals, but I'm only counting calories during bulking/cutting cycles.

    Are we talking macros, etc? Cuz I feel I have a pretty good handle on them so I don't have to count during maintenance.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,970 Member
    Check back in 20 years and let's see if you still feel the same. Pointless for someone is when it doesn't apply to them. Right now it doesn't, which is why you feel the way you do.

    A.C.E. Certified Group Fitness and Personal Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • muggzie399
    muggzie399 Posts: 116 Member
    I am sedentary by choice of course. I sit at work all day. I do try to get up every hour at least and go up to the front of the building to visit.

    I have been counting my calories since I started here 90 some days ago. I am 20 lbs. lighter. Counting calories pointless, Not in my eyes.
  • Tanie98
    Tanie98 Posts: 675 Member
    No its not.even when you are that active you could gain weight if you eat more than you burn
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  • Deipneus
    Deipneus Posts: 1,861 Member
    I lost weight counting calories without exercise. It worked all by itself. I got fit by counting calories and exercising.
  • j4nash
    j4nash Posts: 1,719 Member
    Just wait until you get older, then it really starts to matter.
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  • wheird
    wheird Posts: 7,963 Member
    If you are active enough to be in a calorie deficit consistently and your goals are not necessarily body composition related, it isn't strictly necessary.

    But you are missing the whole picture.

    Honest question - what's the "whole picture." I don't know the OP's goals, but I'm only counting calories during bulking/cutting cycles.

    Are we talking macros, etc? Cuz I feel I have a pretty good handle on them so I don't have to count during maintenance.

    The whole picture is taking into account a person's current and future goals. Is the person simply trying to drop a few pounds? Or drop a lot of weight? Do they intend to build muscle/strength afterward? Will they compete in cycling/strength/bodybuilding competitions? Do they have any special medical issues? Etc.
  • anaconda469
    anaconda469 Posts: 3,477 Member
    This won't end well

    ^This. IMO counting calories s a good thing. It helps guide you to a healthier lifestyle and that other thing about logging calories, accountability. But I too agree, this is not going to end well.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member

    ...Like I run and workouts six, seven times a week. I typically run a good six or seven miles and do plenty of strength training. Anyone feel at time that counting calories is pointless, especially when you're as or almost as active as me?

    Years ago, I trained for a marathon (my first) without counting calories and I actually gained a couple of pounds over time. (No, it wasn't muscle gain, LOL.) Clearly, since I wasn't paying attention, I packed on some weight because training made me hungry and I ate above and beyond my caloric needs. The last several times I've trained that hasn't been an issue since I keep track of my calories now. Not pointless. Exercise doesn't give you carte blanche to ignore your intake. I know plenty of active people who are still overweight because they ignore their nutritional needs. If it works for you, that's fine, but some of us need to keep track. :drinker:

    ETA: I see that you are 19. That explains everything. When I was 19, I didn't have to count calories either. Don't worry, your time will come...:wink:
  • goldfinger88
    goldfinger88 Posts: 686 Member
    I never count calories and I've lost all the weight I wanted and made my goal. I'm not wasting my time counting calories. Is that the way people want to spend the one life they have? But I don't run either. That eventually busts your knees. All the baby boomers have had to get new knees. They were runners too. It's also not good for the heart.

    But yes, counting calories is just stupid. Doing it once or twice to see where you're at is fine.
  • wheird
    wheird Posts: 7,963 Member
    I think a better argument would be if it is as stone cold necessary as is often spouted rather than if it is pointless. There is definitely a point to it, but not absolutely necessary. You can hammer in a few nails with a brick, but using a hammer is more efficient.
  • Carlywiese
    Carlywiese Posts: 51 Member
    .
  • jequirity
    jequirity Posts: 37 Member
    You can't out lift or outrun a bad diet. I stopped counting calories and gained a lot of my weight back.

    My experience was the same. I figured that since I was so active that there was no point in counting calories anymore.

    Jinkies! I was sure wrong about that one. :/
  • Akimajuktuq
    Akimajuktuq Posts: 3,037 Member
    Yup, pointless, unnecessary, and can even be detrimental (because in our efforts to count one can end up under-eating). However, the FOOD matters.

    I know there will be lots of people to jump in and tell me that food doesn't matter at all and that everything is simply calories in and calories out, but this isn't my first rodeo and I have enough education and experience with biological processes to know that there is far more going on in the human body than JUST cico.
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
    You are 19. You won't be saying it's useless 3-5 years from now.
  • __freckles__
    __freckles__ Posts: 1,238 Member
    I never count calories and I've lost all the weight I wanted and made my goal. I'm not wasting my time counting calories. Is that the way people want to spend the one life they have? But I don't run either. That eventually busts your knees. All the baby boomers have had to get new knees. They were runners too. It's also not good for the heart.

    But yes, counting calories is just stupid. Doing it once or twice to see where you're at is fine.

    Congrats on losing all your weight without counting calories. I also did that once and ended up undereating and losing a bunch of muscle. It left me skinny fat and I wasn't very happy. After doing a 15 week bulk, this time I'm counting calories during my cut. And guess what? I'm almost down to the same low weight I was...and I'm not skinny fat this time around.

    So I'd have to disagree with you that counting calories is stupid. It is a tool. If you don't like it, that's fine. If you don't feel you need it, that's just dandy. But please don't go around posting that it's stupid when the majority of MFP members count calories.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Anyone feel at time that counting calories is pointless, especially when you're as or almost as active as me?

    It might be for you. I don't know if I'd have done it at 19 (I was in pretty good shape, a healthy weight and active, and could generally eat what I wanted and not gain, although I always thought I should be thinner), but I kind of wish I'd had something like MFP available to me at the time. I might have understood how to track my nutrition and how to lose a few pounds and if I'd felt like I could figure out the weight I wanted to be I might have felt better about the weight I was. Or, even better, I might have discovered strength training!

    But at my current age and weight calorie counting is definitely not pointless for me, even though I'm sure I could manage to lose without it. I think it's the most sensible way for me to lose and keep up my own activity without eating more or less than I'd like to. Plus, I still think it's kind of fun.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    at your age in the military running my butt off losing weight left right and center nope it wouldn't have been pointless...I lost a lot of weight very fast...ate like a horse...but guess what basic and trades training kicks *kitten*...

    at my age after leaving the military and getting fat no it's a valuable tool thanks...

    remember this if you can't exercise as much as you do now...
  • jequirity
    jequirity Posts: 37 Member
    Congrats on losing all your weight without counting calories. I also did that once and ended up undereating and losing a bunch of muscle. It left me skinny fat and I wasn't very happy. After doing a 15 week bulk, this time I'm counting calories during my cut. And guess what? I'm almost down to the same low weight I was...and I'm not skinny fat this time around.

    So I'd have to disagree with you that counting calories is stupid. It is a tool. If you don't like it, that's fine. If you don't feel you need it, that's just dandy. But please don't go around posting that it's stupid when the majority of MFP members count calories.

    Agreed.
  • wheird
    wheird Posts: 7,963 Member
    I never count calories and I've lost all the weight I wanted and made my goal. I'm not wasting my time counting calories. Is that the way people want to spend the one life they have? But I don't run either. That eventually busts your knees. All the baby boomers have had to get new knees. They were runners too. It's also not good for the heart.

    But yes, counting calories is just stupid. Doing it once or twice to see where you're at is fine.

    So out of curiosity, why are you on a calorie counting website?

    The awesome recipes, right?
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    The awesome recipes, right?

    Out of new ideas for cauliflower, no doubt.
  • Bostonsoul
    Bostonsoul Posts: 151 Member
    Why isn't everyone skinny and hot like me? It's not hard.

    :explode:

    Urge to kill...rising.
  • __freckles__
    __freckles__ Posts: 1,238 Member
    Why isn't everyone skinny and hot like me? It's not hard.

    :explode:

    Urge to kill...rising.

    This made me LOL hard. :laugh:

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