Counting calories CAN be pointless

jofjltncb6

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?

Perhaps just for the consistently vast intellectual depth of the forums?

yo_andi

Congrats on being like, totally like, active and all.

jequirity

Perhaps just for the consistently vast intellectual depth of the forums?

I know that is what I am here for.

Serah87

Your 19 yrs old....



Pointless.......

daw0518

No matter how active you are, you can still consume more than you're burning and gain weight. Some [most] people can't just eyeball it or guesstimate. Plus, as others have said, if you're very active it's especially important to know that you're eating properly to fuel your body. So no, I would say calorie counting isn't pointless at all, but whatever floats your boat.

Personally, if I were as active as you are I would need MFP even more because without the accountability, I'm the kind of person who does a little bit of exercise & then thinks I can eat whatever I want without consequence, which isn't true.

SquashedChocolateFrog

I think for those who are naturally able to regulate their eating habits, and are able to intuitively decide how much to eat and recognise hunger as opposed to boredom etc. calorie counting isn't really necessary (although it can still be helpful if looking to build muscle or focus on macros and general health). However as this is a calorie counting site that seems to be predominantly aimed at weight loss, I'm guessing that most of us here (unless you're athletic and here for macro counting, muscle building purposes etc.) are the unlucky ones who have through whatever varied reasons formed a different relationship with food that means that we aren't always able to either respond or interpret to our bodies hunger signals or lack of - this is where calorie counting becomes so helpful to us trying to lose - it means that we can start to understand how much we should be giving our bodies, and when to stop.

As someone (a 19 year old for what it's worth) that has lost weight, only to stop counting calories and mistakenly believe that because I was now skinny, I'd automatically be able to naturally regulate my eating like those who had been skinny forever, and gain it all back, I think I'm probably going to need to count calories, or at the very least monitor them forever, to ensure I can make sure that firstly, I don't continue to overeat and yo-yo all over the scales, and secondly, that when I am ready to stop losing weight and focus solely on my fitness and muscle goals, I'll be able to maximise my results.

Personally I think that no matter how active I am, or fit I feel and look, I'm always going to want to eat like a fat person and calorie counting is the best way I can think of to moderate that. Obviously though this isn't the case for everyone and I'm sure there are MANY people that have successfully lost weight and maintained without counting a thing - in which case, you may want to give it up, although if I were as active as you - I'd still count to make sure that all the time I was putting into my workouts was really paying off - if I was putting that much effort in, I'd feel cheated if I didn't have the body to show for it!!

brennenjones

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.

"Bad" may be a poor choice of word but I think most people get the point. That's why I also gave an example of cutting calories out of diet is easier then exercising and burning the same amount of calories at the gym.

Biggirllittledreams

I honestly think it comes down to the individual. When you grow up in a household overeating/without healthy eating habits, you grow so accustomed to your habits/lifestyle that you start to flat out ignore your hunger cues. If you are one of those individuals (i used to be), you could easily consume 4-6 thousand calories, and not even realize it as being so many.

If you're somebody who is very aware of their hunger cues and whatnot, calorie counting would be pointless as long as you followed a intuitive plan of eating.

SO, it all comes down to the person, and their habits/environment/etc.

Achrya

Subjective is subjective. For some people i some situations it's pointless. For other's it's crucial.

I'm fairly active (active enough to be set at moderately active and then still have my activity tracker tossing calories at me every day) and yet I had 30 pounds to lose.

Biggirllittledreams

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.

"Bad" may be a poor choice of word but I think most people get the point. That's why I also gave an example of cutting calories out of diet is easier then exercising and burning the same amount of calories at the gym.

Going to the gym (in the long run) would be a more beneficial option here, assuming that you don't just go to the gym for cardio. If you're serious about weight loss, a combination of resistance training AND cardio would make a pretty nice difference in your calories expended, as more muscle mass means more calories being burned.

If somebody builds a bit of muscle, the calories those muscles burn on a rather consistent basis would be much more significant than the mere calories burned running (again, making an assumption that you aren't talking about running marathons).

Birder155

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.

As this is a calorie counting site, may I ask how you're using mfp? Is it for the forums or groups?
Just curious, not being snarky.

Donald_Dozier_50

Counting calories is not a requirement for anyone, feel free not to and those of us that log in our foods daily will not care.

sculli123

No I think it's one tool in the tool box along with lifting weights, running, and other forms of exercise.

caracrawford1

No. for my last marathon I not only ran 6 miles a day but a 20 miler every other weekend and on the "off" weekends a 13-15 miler. Gained weight because I assumed I could eat whatever. I Learned my lesson. I'm active andtraining for another one and do not want to gain. So I count cals. But you do you. Let us know what the results are.

hookilau

It's only pointless if you are not trying to lose, gain or maintain.
For some people it's effortless. I hope to get back to that set point eventually :blushing:

vjohn04

I love when people come to a calorie counting website to slam counting calories.

sculli123

I love when people come to a calorie counting website to slam counting calories.

I love when people tell me "you're in shape you can eat whatever you want and can skip some workouts". Uhhhhh wrong! How do they think I got in shape in the first place?

brianpperkins

A thread based upon the experiential wisdom of a 19 year old with the expected resulting comments.

amy_kee

Counting calories works for numerous reasons. Also with lots of good exercise, you need good nutrients in your body, along with the appropriate calories.

NOT counting calorie leaves you flying blind, with half the ammunition that you need to achieve good, healthy results. It also helps great with control in what you eat. You also learn a whole lot about food that you need to know to have a healthier body.

You seem to care what your body looks like, since you are exercising so much. Care enough about what your body needs in terms of food and nutrients too. You will be so much better off.

Edit--I just say the reply post about mine. OMG, this is a 19 yr old thinking this? This explains a lot. :noway:

paperpudding

You are 19. You won't be saying it's useless 3-5 years from now.

Oh I don't know.
There are many people who don't ever count calories and live a long and healthy life.
My father has always been slim and has never counted calories and he is in his mid 70's.

I agree that for some people counting calories is pointless and unnecessary - those people who don't need to lose/gain/maintain weight and/or can lose/ gain/ maintain weight without counting.

A bit like for many people, taking their blood sugar levels is pointless - if you are not diabetic and your body regulates blood sugars without intervention then buying a blood sugar machine is pointless.

Doesn't make it pointless for everybody though.

And doesn't make sense to join a forum for diabetics and post that blood sugar machines are pointless.