Why Counting Calories?

helenarriaza

I am not trying to stir the water, really.

Thing is, I've ran into several websites, ads, messages and people everywhere who are either:

- Burning out every nerve at the gym and not eating
- Eating so bad and not moving at all they are reaching the point of no return
- Doing every single diet they see
- Waiting for magical solutions

Doctors are calling me, telling me to go to X or Y diet, to take N or M pill or shake and to do whatever they saw on tv (they even suggested surgery since I was 15). The internet is loaded with tips and tricks to lose weight and all against CICO.

So, how would you tell someone who gives you the magical solution that counting calories is better?

alyssamaryw

Simple Answer: If there was a magical solution, there would be no overweight people.

Fsunami

For those who ask, I tell them:

Calorie tracking is considered a good choice (whether boring or not) because it tells you where you really are (just like your check register tells you your balance) - it helps you to be honest with yourself all the time. Ultimately, you will achieve that which you are seeking much sooner. And? 3500 cals = 1 pound. At the end of the day, it's math.

melduf

Simple Answer: If there was a magical solution, there would be no overweight people.

Exactly!

TR0berts

The internet is loaded with tips and tricks to lose weight and all against CICO.

This is because there's little to no money to be had by telling people about CICO. No product to hold? No money.

So, how would you tell someone who gives you the magical solution that counting calories is better?

It's better because it's free.

kaseyr1505

I love to cook, pretty much everyone close to me knows that. So, I don't really talk about CICO unless they want more details. I usually just say I'm eating everything I love in moderation.


Most of the people say "That's really the only way to do it", some will tell me how I need low carb/low fat/no gluten/no sugar, but . they shut up when I remind them I've lost 40+ my way.

I think I'm pretty lucky, no one in my immediate family really falls for the fads, and a majority of my friends either don't fall for them or are smart enough to shut up.

martinel2099

I count calories because I want to eat all of my favorite foods and not have to eat like a caveman (a pun directed at paleo). If you calorie count you can have all of your favorite foods in moderation and still lose weight, best diet ever.

You can do a diet like paleo and avoid all of your favorite sweets and treats and maybe even lose the weight you desire. Problem with diets like these is once you complete the diet what then? It's not sustainable for the average bear, most people will burn out before completing a tough diet program or just go back to what they were doing before. All of that hard work learning Paleo only to become useless once you go back to eating like a normal person again. Most people tend to gain all of the weight back and more after completing a tough diet program once they return to their old eating habits. No matter how healthy the food is or the diet you follow, you will only lose weight if you eat at a calorie deficit, there's no magic behind these fat diets.

If you just calorie count from the beginning, you learn healthy habits and how to enjoy your favorite foods in moderation for the rest of your life. I can still have pizza, ice cream, bacon, beer and etc etc and still lose weight. Best kind of diet.

sharonpink

I just think counting calories is holding yourself accountable about how you are treating your body. Simple as that.

mojohowitz

So, how would you tell someone who gives you the magical solution that counting calories is better?

You don't. You just go back to counting your own.

wibutterflymagic

Because "diets" and pills don't work in the long run because they don't teach you serving sizes and how to eat healthy. By counting calories you have to consciously look at your food and learn what serving sizes look like and how to get the most food within your calorie range and isn't restrictive.

Counting calories gives a good base to learn how to make healthy food choices so you can eat a lot, give your body great nutrition and still lose weight. It allows you to make a lifestyle change that is sustainable and doesn't deprive you of things you like to eat. It helps you learn to eat healthy more often than not and know that you can have cake, pizza or whatever your weakness is and kinow that you are still making progress in your weight loss. It allows you to live life!!

trogalicious

The internet is loaded with tips and tricks to lose weight and all against CICO.

This is because there's little to no money to be had by telling people about CICO. No product to hold? No money.

So, how would you tell someone who gives you the magical solution that counting calories is better?

It's better because it's free.

Agreed with this. 100%.

dcristo213

You have to do your own research and find what works best for you. For me a 3500 weekly calorie deficit doesn't always equal a 1 pound loss. It's not simple math. The human body is more complicated than that. For me, it is dependent on what I eat. If I eat high carb and low fat, it does not work. Since I change my lifestyle to ketogenic diet, the weight if finally coming off and I don't feel as crappy as I did eating carbs.

cwolfman13

I don't think counting calories is inherently better than anything else. Just hang around these parts long enough and you will see a multitude of individuals for whom counting calories has resulted in substantially disordered thinking at best and full on eating disorders at worst.

Any diet, including counting calories can be abused and become unhealthy...it really comes down to the individual. In large part, when someone is so obsessed with a number on the scale rather than general health and well being, they're going to do unhealthy things and abuse their diet and fitness.

Conversely, when people put a premium on actual health and well being, you tend to see them doing things with their diet and fitness that are overwhelmingly healthful regardless of whether they're low carbing, counting calories, paleo, etc....

So...counting calories in and of itself isn't inherently "better" than anything else...it can and often is just as abused as any other diet.

klaff411

I am not trying to stir the water, really.

Thing is, I've ran into several websites, ads, messages and people everywhere who are either:

- Burning out every nerve at the gym and not eating
- Eating so bad and not moving at all they are reaching the point of no return
- Doing every single diet they see
- Waiting for magical solutions

Doctors are calling me, telling me to go to X or Y diet, to take N or M pill or shake and to do whatever they saw on tv (they even suggested surgery since I was 15). The internet is loaded with tips and tricks to lose weight and all against CICO.

So, how would you tell someone who gives you the magical solution that counting calories is better?

There is no magic. I've lost 90lbs total because of hardwork and lifestyle changes. I went from 250lbs in April 2013 and now I'm 158lbs. It was no magic.

1. Counting calories helps me stay accountable to what I'm eating.
2. I need to maintain a deficit to lose fat so obvious its easier if I know precisely what I"m eating.
3. Since I'm LCHF and suffer from compulsive overeating I've found both MFP and Keto to be my saving grace.

4. I HAVE NEVER FELT BETTER. I just ran my first 12:00 min mile today. Then did some HIIT. I could have never had the energy or motivation to do that before.


Calories in>Calories out. Its simple math and thermodynamics. People try to over-complicate it. But its because they don't want acknowledge what they are doing. They want to continue downing 20oz big gulps and family bags of Doritos. Self-denial is hard and so is REAL change. Its the same mentality as the "Health at every size" bs and "Fat acceptance" crap. You can't be 300lbs and be an "elite" athlete or not be on deaths doorstep.

Losing weight takes time. Its not instant gratification and requires LONG term commitment. Diets don't work. Only LIFESTYLE changes work.

itsbasschick

i haven't done any fad diets - i do calorie counting because it works for me. i like using MFP because it's easy to see at a glance how much protein, carbs and fat is in each meal and how much is eaten each day. that makes it very easy to adjust if i need more of something (usually protein). i also log in a notebook, but the actual calorie counting is SO much easier here...

opalsqueak007

I have tried to avoid calorie counting until I joined MFP as I couldn't be bothered, and didn't eat consciously. Counting calories has made me realise how much I used to eat without realising. It has worked for me.

dcristo213

The internet is loaded with tips and tricks to lose weight and all against CICO.

This is because there's little to no money to be had by telling people about CICO. No product to hold? No money.

So, how would you tell someone who gives you the magical solution that counting calories is better?

It's better because it's free.

Agreed with this. 100%.

There are a lot of free ways to lose weight. Counting calories is not the only one. You don't need any special supplements, shakes, or chocolate bars, etc. You don't need to pay for any special websites.

trogalicious

There are a lot of free ways to lose weight. Counting calories is not the only one. You don't need any special supplements, shakes, or chocolate bars, etc. You don't need to pay for any special websites.

You're correct, counting calories isn't the only way.
Creating a calorie deficit is. Counting and logging intake accurately is about the most accurate way to achieve that.

yungibear

I just watched a documentary yesterday that explores the history of diets. It's pretty fascinating because fad diets began during a time where America was quite healthy and not going through an obesity epidemic. Here's the link if you're interested:

http://youtu.be/I-_LoAm_etU

I think there is a part two as well, but I didn't watch that one.

Edit: I feel I should throw in my opinion, while I'm at it.

I am now a strong believer in the slow, but sure way of counting calories and exercise. For me, being fat was not only a physical condition, but also a mental condition. Forcing myself to come to terms with my old eating habits taught me a lot about WHY I was eating so much and address those issues head on. I can now identify the patterns that precede a binge because I was paying attention while going at this slowly.

Also, I still make mistakes, now, so I reflect on how I made my mistake and what to do to avoid it later. For example, I used to waaaaaaaaay overeat at our monthly church potlucks. When I joined MFP, I learned that I needed to tone it down, if I wanted to lose weight. Now, I don't treat our potlucks as a free-for-all. Instead, I now step back, look at the spread of food, map a "game plan," and get only the foods I really want. If I was on a fad diet, I would not have noticed that about myself and I'd still pig out at the potlucks after getting to my goal weight with that diet.

helenarriaza

I just think counting calories is holding yourself accountable about how you are treating your body. Simple as that.

I like this response

garnerish

Because the only way to lose weight is to have a calorific deficit, and after years of ****ty habits I can't eyeball correct serving sizes and ****.

So I count so I know that I'm getting a deficit.