Anybody surprised how well calorie counting works?

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Replies

  • galprincess
    galprincess Posts: 683 Member
    YES!!!! ok I do more exercise but ive tried every diet going which are basically calorie controlled diets and failed by stripping it back to this and logging im getting there well done you on your fab loss
  • dsusanka
    dsusanka Posts: 2 Member
    I find that if I really want something that will put me over my calories for the day, I need to plan to work out to offset those additional calories. While I don't want to get into a habit or mindset of "punishing" myself for eating a donut or making another less than optimal food choice by needing to work out to offset those calories, I am more inclined to make better choices with my caloric intake. Yesterday I knew I was going to have a higher calorie dinner (Buffalo Wild Wings) so I made sure I got in a workout beforehand to offset those additional calories. I also planned what I was going to eat there ahead of time so I didn't go way over my calories.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    Not surprised, but amazed, MFP takes the anxiety out of the equation and replaces it with overview. I have done this before, but what surprised me this time, was how easy it is to prepare, feel full and be satisfied on real, cheap, yummy, full fat, whole foods, and that I even can make room for occasional "empty calorie" treats. It's all about amounts and frequency.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    I'll admit that in the beginning it did kinda shock me that you really could eat what you want and lose weight. I had never studied nutrition before starting so I came in thinking what most people do.....sugar is bad, carbs are bad, have to eat "clean", it has to be miserable to succeed...all the myths like that. Of course, the forums taught me a lot, and made me start reading science and understanding it. Now it is of no shock at all to me cause I realize it really is just about energy balance.
  • LeslieTSUK
    LeslieTSUK Posts: 215 Member
    For me I don't care about calories, I originally came just fir the android app, to keep a check on my carbs and sugars.
    Some days I do binge, though knowing I have to put it in my diary, and have now set it for friends to look at, it seems to be making me think twice.

    Like today, was quite stressful, normally i'd get some snacks to chill out, but for 1st time I thought nahhhhhh, doing too well, so just came home.

    So my attitude towards binging also seems to be changing for the better....
  • MamaRiss
    MamaRiss Posts: 481 Member
    Not surprised myself, but I find other people are surprised when I tell them how I am losing the weight. A calorie deficit, and exercise to maintain muscle. Everyone thinks I have to be using some gimick product or cutting an extreme amount of food.

    A few years ago, I thought my body just wanted to hold on to everything. That it would be pointless to even try to lose weight, as all the women in my family were over-weight (even morbidly obese). I figured as long as my weight wasn't going up, I was good. Now I know most days I was eating at maintenance or slightly over, that's why my weight wasn't changing. All it took was cutting a few hundred calories, and BAM! the weight started falling off.
  • fabulousmomma
    fabulousmomma Posts: 172 Member
    I'm a math and numbers geek so it amazed me that there was such an "easy" way to lose weight. I treat my calories like a bank account. If I don't have enough left, I can't "afford" to eat anything. I lost 40 lbs over the course of a few months last year doing it and, since starting back this year, the pounds are dropping off. It's simply accounting and accountability. What truly amazes me is seeing other people starving themselves trying to lose weight. They look unhappy, they deprive themselves, and they don't have nearly the success I have had and that I've seen with other people on MFP. Love this site and I love calorie counting!

    Well said, I have lost almost 10 pounds from the short time Ive been here. It's all about math and doing the math right!
    I used to be the person that thought counting calories was dumb. But then I was the one gaining weight! But since rejoining MFP I understand the calories and why it's important to count them! Woo wooooooo!!!
  • Screwedntattooed
    Screwedntattooed Posts: 238 Member
    No
  • Losingthedamnweight
    Losingthedamnweight Posts: 536 Member
    Yes, amazed. Everyone I saw in my life trying to lose weight made it seem impossible and so awful. I was simply amazed at how simple (not easy!) it turned out to be.

    I know right? That's what always got to me. I always saw these really obese people that just gave up saying "I tried everything and nothing worked". I remember thinking "oh ****. They tried EVERYTHING? I'm screwed. May as well give up too"

    They tried everything but calorie counting apparently. Fad diets don't count. There are entire industries dependent on you being fat. You can't trust any of these damn infomercials
  • Losingthedamnweight
    Losingthedamnweight Posts: 536 Member
    Not really surprised.

    I think why people would be surprised is because the "experts" and media rarely talk about calorie counting. Calorie counting is not sexy. It's not cool. It's not trendy. It's not "revolutionary." All it is -- is effective. You can't make too much money telling people that they should count calories.

    Discovering fitness pal was such a shocking experience for me. I genuinely felt like the entire world was hiding some very important information from me just so they could get rich. Why isn't it all over tv while the news and tv specials are talking about obesity how easy it can be to lose it? All I ever hear are "abc news...could cutting carbs be the way to go?" Or "nbc news reporting in with a shocking new discovery. Bacon melts fat. Who knew?"

    If calorie counting was more widely known and consumers were more educated, we wouldn't have this obesity epidemic. I'm sure of it. We are truly the first generation that is helplessly fat with endless excuses as to why and almost no solutions
  • Deborah271
    Deborah271 Posts: 73 Member
    Thank you for reminding me that it's all about calories in and calories out, I've been really struggling lately with going on all these stupid food plans that restrict carbs, the truth is I love my carbs and when I deprive myself, I end of eating them to a very uncomfortable level. Good luck on your weight loss journey!
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
    Not really...when you understand energy balance and you understand that a calorie is a unit of energy, it's not surprising at all. Of course, 5th grade math isn't going to equate to a billion dollar diet and fitness industry, so it's not going to get much play...nothing to sell. The diet and fitness industry at large is built on ignorance and desperation.
    bingo.

    I'm not shocked, because science and math work.
  • peopletalk
    peopletalk Posts: 519 Member
    i'm pretty stoked about it :)
    makes life so much easier.
    being in school and working full time, i always told myself "i don't have time to diet" but i find i'm still happy, get to eat what i want and focus on all the things i'm doing at the same time.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    To me, CICO is the overarching umbrella to weight loss. CICO is often compared to other diets (Paleo, Keto, Atkins, Twinkie, etc), but really CICO is the predecessor to those diets. All diets fall under the CICO umbrella as an energy deficit is what is needed regardless of the method used to get there.
  • bookworm_847
    bookworm_847 Posts: 1,903 Member
    I was surprised when I began seeing the scale move. I remember thinking, "This is it? All I have to do is count calories and burn more than I take in?"

    For the longest time, I thought I was doomed to never wear my "skinny" clothes again because I didn't want to spend money on whatever weight loss miracle Dr. Oz, Jillian Michaels, or the Kardashians were promoting that week. I couldn't see spending the rest of my life just eating boiled chicken and fish, and never having pizza or ice cream again.

    I try to tell people about MFP when they tell me they're going to do a cleanse, shakes, or whatever starvation diet is popular. They usually respond with something along the lines of: "Yeah, you're probably right. But this will be faster and easier." When I ask what's going to happen once they're done, they usually tell me they'll just do it again if they gain the weight back. Alrighty then.
  • MaddyT122
    MaddyT122 Posts: 152 Member
    I honestly don't think it is all calories in vs. calories out. Obviously on one level it is, but if you notice .. there are A LOT of "I'm doing all the right things and it isn't working" posts out there. There is a ton of advice on drink more water, exercise less your cortisol is too high, its your time of the month, you are gaining muscle .. etc etc etc. I just did a DietBet that is ALLLLL about the scale and that final number. If I didn't eat enough, my body didn't lose weight, if I had too much sodium my body held onto water. I had 1200 calories a day and exercised 250-300 calories 6 days a week and didn't lose anything for 3 weeks and then only dropped 1.5 pounds. I weighed everything and counted meticulously .. didn't eat my exercise calories.. used an HRM for exercise.

    So .. while yes it is on some level calories in vs. calories out, it isn't always that simple.
    Because when someone says they are "doing it right", it must actually mean they are doing it right.

    Well I don't know about all the somebodies .. I just know me and I know how I did it. It wasn't as simple as calories in vs. calories out.

    I agree. I am now losing 1 pound a month. It's not coming off that quickly and I am measuring my food and I am exercising 4-5 days per week. I also am gaining muscle and went down a pants size so the results are there but oh-so-slowly!
  • rjmudlax13
    rjmudlax13 Posts: 900 Member
    I honestly don't think it is all calories in vs. calories out. Obviously on one level it is, but if you notice .. there are A LOT of "I'm doing all the right things and it isn't working" posts out there. There is a ton of advice on drink more water, exercise less your cortisol is too high, its your time of the month, you are gaining muscle .. etc etc etc. I just did a DietBet that is ALLLLL about the scale and that final number. If I didn't eat enough, my body didn't lose weight, if I had too much sodium my body held onto water. I had 1200 calories a day and exercised 250-300 calories 6 days a week and didn't lose anything for 3 weeks and then only dropped 1.5 pounds. I weighed everything and counted meticulously .. didn't eat my exercise calories.. used an HRM for exercise.

    So .. while yes it is on some level calories in vs. calories out, it isn't always that simple.
    Because when someone says they are "doing it right", it must actually mean they are doing it right.

    Well I don't know about all the somebodies .. I just know me and I know how I did it. It wasn't as simple as calories in vs. calories out.

    I agree. I am now losing 1 pound a month. It's not coming off that quickly and I am measuring my food and I am exercising 4-5 days per week. I also am gaining muscle and went down a pants size so the results are there but oh-so-slowly!

    You gained muscle while in a calorie deficit???
  • gvhunterollie
    gvhunterollie Posts: 74 Member
    A member of another (non-related) site posted about losing 100 pounds and everyone (including me) started asking for the site name. When I first saw it I was really skeptical, mostly because I knew I was one of those who had hoped it was a quick fix. The more I read about not giving up the foods I love and no need for exercise, I figured I might as well try it since I wasn't really giving anything up.

    One month later, I am (ignoring my ticker) 16 pounds down from my heaviest weight, 10 pounds down from the day of joining MFP, and my wife has decided it works well enough to join me as well. I have not given up any food I enjoy (although I just eat less of it), and I walk and hike a little more than I used to.

    Am I surprised? Only at how simple it really is and how blind I was to ignore it for so long!
  • forkofpower
    forkofpower Posts: 171 Member
    YES, calorie counting is the best. It clears up all the confusion, the paranoia, the magical thinking. Just eat your calculated deficit, and you're good to go.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    I concur. It's awesome.

    For 20 years I really thought there were some magical/evil things going on...or more likely, a severe metabolic disorder...keeping me fat because I didn't seem to eat as much as my friends and was still obese (while they were thin, average, or very slightly overweight). Now I'm losing weight and have learned a lot.
  • Joanjett88
    Joanjett88 Posts: 87 Member
    It is quite funny when you think about how easy it is. However, as others have said, there are many factors that play into what that scale shows. I think at some point measurements and pictures are more accurate.

    I have actually just hit my goal today and I'm researching in to how I'm going to increase my calories to maintain. All I keep thinking about is how am I going to eat any more food as I am stuffed as it is! I don't know if it's eating whole and fiber/protein rich foods that keeps me full, or if my stomach has shrank that much, lol. I guess I'll be eating a lot of peanut butter.
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
    Yes, amazed. Everyone I saw in my life trying to lose weight made it seem impossible and so awful. I was simply amazed at how simple (not easy!) it turned out to be.

    I know right? That's what always got to me. I always saw these really obese people that just gave up saying "I tried everything and nothing worked". I remember thinking "oh ****. They tried EVERYTHING? I'm screwed. May as well give up too"

    They tried everything but calorie counting apparently. Fad diets don't count. There are entire industries dependent on you being fat. You can't trust any of these damn infomercials

    You can't trust the infomercials, but calorie counting doesn't work for some people:

    - Lack of control or insight into the content of their diets
    - No tools to make it easy (if I had to paper journal and then look up everything, I'm not sure I could)
    - Texture issues or other things that drive limited choices
    - Metabolic or medication issues (I was insatiably ravenous until I started regular exercise. I don't think I could just limit calories)
    - Body image/food issues
    - Metabolisms with little flexibility (I seem to be able to swing hundreds of calories of variation without a lot of impact on my weight because my body just adjusts. Some of my friends have about 100 calories between gaining weight and starving.)
  • shireeniebeanie
    shireeniebeanie Posts: 293 Member
    It is quite funny when you think about how easy it is. However, as others have said, there are many factors that play into what that scale shows. I think at some point measurements and pictures are more accurate.

    I have actually just hit my goal today and I'm researching in to how I'm going to increase my calories to maintain. All I keep thinking about is how am I going to eat any more food as I am stuffed as it is! I don't know if it's eating whole and fiber/protein rich foods that keeps me full, or if my stomach has shrank that much, lol. I guess I'll be eating a lot of peanut butter.
    Hey, congratulations are in order! Way to go!
  • MaddyT122
    MaddyT122 Posts: 152 Member

    You gained muscle while in a calorie deficit???

    That's what I said, yes.
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member

    You gained muscle while in a calorie deficit???

    That's what I said, yes.

    Losing half a pound a week puts her really close to the recomp zone.
  • eganita
    eganita Posts: 501 Member
    I completely agree! I wish some of my friends/family would understand that. They still are hung up on fad diets and that kind of thing. I don't think those are generally healthy or sustainable. Oh well - I will just keep doing my moderation/calorie counting and hope they will all come on board eventually :)
  • lorib642
    lorib642 Posts: 1,942 Member
    Yes. This is working better for me than other diets that have you eliminate foods or are lower calorie. It is something I can stick with. And no "diet" foods :) I do have areas to work on (move more, measure better) but it is working well for me so far.
  • KylaDenay
    KylaDenay Posts: 1,585 Member
    No surprise here. I lost most of my baby weight with calorie counting. Of course the dreaded 1200 cal a day thing, but nonetheless it works great!!
  • jannthompson
    jannthompson Posts: 23 Member
    Yes! I started seriously logging after I had already lost 10 lbs, so my weight loss is not entirely accurate on my profile. I was shocked at how much easier the weight came off when I became dedicated to logging.
  • georgiaTRIs
    georgiaTRIs Posts: 229 Member
    Nice!!! Counting calories is a pain in the beginning but wow does it pay off. Six years ago I started my journey and took 3 years to lose 60 pounds. I have maintained for a long time by watching the calories of what I take it. You learn so much and realize what foods were literally killing you. Great job!!!!!!

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