Does just counting calories really work?

salty134

Hi all, I see lots of success stories with before and after photos. Some area massive change so well done to you all.

My question is have you all lost weight just by counting calories and using myfitnesspal

I guess you must be combining this with exercise?

Or are any of you combining calorie counting along with any of those extreme exercise DVDs such as px90/insanity

Any advise will be appreciated

Salty

JessByrdy

All I know is just cutting calories worked for me and my husband. Just having the knowledge of how many calories are in your food (and getting a food scale to make sure you are eating the appropriate serving size) has made all the difference.

Eventually I got into the gym and love being active now.

But the majority of our weight loss was strictly watching our caloric intake.

Also, we've both done the gym (ARC trainer, treadmill, free weights) and DVDs (insanity & P90X) ... and now I'm doing Barre classes. They all work, it's just about finding something you enjoy

Good Luck!

Mr_Knight

For people who can stick to it and who use sensible numbers - yes, it can work.

Unfortunately most people can't stick to it any better than they can stick to the grapefruit diet (or etc).

Only way to answer the question for you is for you to give it a try.

Sharon_C

I lost all my weight by calorie counting only and eating at a deficit. I didn't start working out until afterward. Now I go to the gym 4-5 times a week and do weight lifting. I've only lost a few more pounds but I've lost a lot of inches since weight lifting.

BrianSharpe

A caloric deficit is all it takes to lose weight, even a modest deficit of 100 cal/day would result in a 10lb loss over a year.

It takes discipline and accuracy to work though, you will see all sorts of threads along the lines of "I'm doing everything and not losing....", usually they're doing everything except accurately logging consumption.

Exercise can help but it's real goal is fitness and health.

paulandrachelk

Have been reading MFP for a bit over a year and most people seem to combine calorie counting (deficit calories) with some sort of exercise. This either gives you more deficit or some extra calories to enjoy. Most of us are also out of shape and need to get healthier overall, hence another reason for exercise.

j4nash

exercise, even a few times a week and calorie counting does it for me.

Falling2Grace

Counting calories didn't work for me whatsoever. I guess it just depends on the person, but calorie counting was not successful to me no matter how well i followed it. Also, i recently read that the FDA allowes up to a 20% error on the label for calories....that could add up to a lot of extra weight per year! It isn't just calories in, calories out. Unfortunately the science of losing weight isn't that reduced. Although, yes, it can work, but is it sustainable....thats debatable. I do believe in clean eating will conqur a lot. Your weight loss sucess will be 90% what you eat, 10% how you move. Obviously calorie counting works for some as there have been great successes seen here, but the only way you would know is to try it.

gem2001

Haven't lost a pound calorie counting. I may need to adjust my numbers. But I set out to eat like a grown up and record what I ate. Some non scale related benefits are that I am more aware of calorie density. I haven't eaten out since I started logging everything and I generally feel better.

I'll be adding exercise back in shortly because clearly my body needs it to let go of the pounds.

scaryhygienist

Hi! My story is that I started just counting calories and doing lighter exercise like walking to jogging. I lost about 40lbs that way in about 3 months! I am feeling stronger so I recently purchased PiYo from a friend that is a beachbody coach. I have lost 10 more lbs in less than 2 months. The other thing that changed is that I have a fitbit that counts my calories burned as well...that has been very helpful. I am looking into a more accurate devise that measures heart rate and everything.

Juliarosemary66

To me it is a combination of calories in and calories out! It's not rocket science- eat less, move more! Losing weight through diet alone works ok at the start of your weight loss journey but exercise helps to tone and strenghten and keep the weight loss going! I hated exercise but have found activities I really enjoy, things I couldn't or wouldn't have done when I was a couch potato!

Smirnoff65

It has worked really well for me combined with exercise for when I want to eat or drink more, this was only walking at the start but since then I have become a lot fitter so now go to the gym as well now. Be truthful and honest with your logging, keep to a deficit and you will lose weight and inches.

ABabilonia

A caloric deficit is all it takes to lose weight, even a modest deficit of 100 cal/day would result in a 10lb loss over a year.

It takes discipline and accuracy to work though, you will see all sorts of threads along the lines of "I'm doing everything and not losing....", usually they're doing everything except accurately logging consumption.

Exercise can help but it's real goal is fitness and health.

Excellent post!!!

Cheyenelikewyoming

Counting calories kind of gives me a cut off point. Like when I go for some cookies, I know that three is better than six. And at the end of the day I don't go rummaging around in the kitchen to eat again if I'm at my cut off.:drinker:

Shalva

I lost a great deal of weight in the past counting calories alone and am just coming back fro am 18 mos. injury to my ankle and subsequent surgery and am losing what I gained during the injury by just calorie counting and exercise (about 80 minutes of good cardio 5-6 days a week) does it work without the exercise sure, losing weight is pretty basic math.

The cardio gives me a bit of squeak room and I never eat back more than a bumpers worth of those calories. The FDA allows for 20% well thats really only a problem if you are eating a lot of packaged or processed foods and are relying on the manufacturer of that food. If you are eating clean, not processed foods then honestly that is really not an issue. I count everything I eat, I seldom eat my entire calorie alotment for the day just in case I messed up somewhere or couldn't accurately count something (like the double chocolate chip cookie pieces I had at lunch, pitiful honestly) or whatever.

I am consistently losing

paulperryman

for the most part yes, tho the body will throw you curve balls, exercise and counting calories is the way to go, sometimes the numbers dont add up but just keep at it, if you are at a helathy deficit and exercising consistantly you are doing good for your body whether you are losing "weight" or not

you wont always lose weight, but if you are dilligent and counting what you eat, the matchs say it has to be paying off one way or another 3500 calories a week deficit is 1lb roughly. the problem comes with under or over estimating intake/exercise other bodily issues like hormones, disease, water retention which throw everything out.

For me personally i ate around 1600-2000 calories and trained like a mad man for nearly 6 months straight before i mixed things up to get out of a plateau, and then back to it when i started losing again, plateaus will happen it's almost enevitable, now i stick to around 2400 for maintenance eat below that i dont gain, eat above 2400 i gain regardless

mommy22alyns

I've lost 43 lbs this year just by counting calories.

mynameisush

Counting Calories has been the only diet that has ever worked for me and I have stuck with. When I diet hard core I'll do my calorie counting 6 days a week and I will take a day off to enjoy a meal I love. That doesn't mean go over board and eat all day. Just eat a meal you love like pizza. Exercise will definitely speed things up. If your like me and loathe exercise try to do things that don't really feel like exercise. I really enjoy walking trails with friends it will get me tired but the conversation pushes me forward. Also swimming. The lake really has helped me this past summer. When you train your self and stick with the counting calories, you wont have to count them as badly. I pretty well know my limits. You wont feel as deprived either when you stop counting. The first week of counting is terribly hard. Every last calorie counts (just one more pretzel...)lol. You will feel better when you start seeing those numbers drop. What also has helped me is buying a scale and weighing myself daily. It can be easy to get off track and eat what you want for a week and still have one number in your head and expect to see the same number when you go to weigh yourself. Granted I don't weigh myself the day after an "off" day. Some the scales help, others it discourages them. Keeps me on track. Good luck with your weight loss, stay strong you can do it!

socalkay

Because of medical problems, I'm relying mostly on counting calories. I did buy a stationary bike and try to do 25 - 30 minutes at least 5 days a week. I wish I could go swimming too, but it is what it is. Still, I've lost 10 lbs in 2 months so progress is being made, mostly because I am now paying attention to what I eat 24/7.

Rosie5025

I've lost 71 lbs in a yr by just cutting calories. In the begining I was exercising but I was getting over whelmed trying to figure it all out.
Now that I have things *food * intake and counting under control I am starting to get back on my Nordic Track. I have to start toning and losing inches. But I think going from a size 30 pant to a size 18 is prettt good for just calorie counting.

Good luck,
Rosie.