Counting calories CAN be pointless

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Replies

  • j4nash
    j4nash Posts: 1,719 Member
    Just wait until you get older, then it really starts to matter.
  • 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: 3,472 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: 15,268 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:
  • zericaaaaa
    zericaaaaa Posts: 313 Member
    im actually in the process of learning that i can't outrun my diet some days haha. it depends on what you consider 'bad' though. for me, i personally can't sustain 800+ calorie burns every day to make up for eating burgers and pizza. you eat a 900 calorie cheeseburger and the next thing you know you're hungry again. i was eating 2000+ calories when i'm supposed to be eating around 1400 and trying to burn off the rest. i just ended up feeling like complete crap and i ate back all the calories i was burning. i was doing a little test run to see if i could still eat the foods i used to love and be successful and honestly its not even worth it. i was eating pizza hut and all kinds of fast foods but still logging everything i was doing. so unless you've been dieting for years and know whats in the foods you eat, calorie counting is pretty important. that little boneless chicken wing may seem harmless but its actually 270 calories for two of them stupid things. (at least the garlic parm ones from pizza hut are hahaha.) i believe one of the most common mistakes in weight loss is inaccurately logging food and exercise.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    "You can't compete with what you eat"

    love this

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