Does Calorie Counting work for everybody?

miller0438

Just wondering or do some people only lose weight cutting their carb intake?

kleighsamboer

i feel everyone is an individual and really needs to listen to their body. i eat a really clean diet full of veg and some fruit. i have to be careful with the carbs because i am a diabetic where as someone else that isn't a diabetic may be able to have more cabs and be just fine. find what works best for you

Le_Joy

I think calorie counting works for everyone who truly keeps track of EVERYTHING they eat and has some weigh to be certain of how much they eat. Either weighing or measuring it.

mysongislove930

Calorie counting works great when it comes to awareness, for me anyway. When I'm counting calories, I can see what I put it my body and I also pay attention to the other stats like fats, carbs, protein, sugar, etc. It works for portion control! Also, counting calories will only work if you're eating healthy, too. You can stay under your calorie goal by eating chips and candies all day, but you're not going to lose weight. You need to have a balanced diet.

Tempe729

I really only pay attention to the number of calories.. but doing that alone has helped me with a lot of changes in what I eat. I never really monitor carbs though since I've always eaten "good" carbs to begin with... but I definently agree with others... everyone's body is different & you have to find what works for you.... if you're not losing weight as well as you hoped or are perhaps gaining a little sometimes then I'd suggest cutting back on the carbs a bit or increase your overall protein intake.

Avengertk

Calorie counting works great when it comes to awareness, for me anyway. When I'm counting calories, I can see what I put it my body and I also pay attention to the other stats like fats, carbs, protein, sugar, etc.

I agree. I also pay so much more attention to my portion sizes that was a shock to see little 75g of pasta actually was for example. buying new kitchen and bathroom scales vital for me at least to work alongside calorie counting. You have to be very honest too when it comes to logging.

YassSpartan

Calorie Counting doesn't work for those who don't know how to count, those who are too lazy to count, or those who are in denial and refuse to count every single calorie they eat :bigsmile:

Zichu

I try to put as much data into MFP as I can, calories, carbs, fat, protein, sugar, etc. I don't want to get to obsessed with calorie counting. If I am going out to eat, I won't ask the waiter or manager to get the nutritional information for everything I have ordered and start putting everything exactly into my diary. I will just eat the food and choose something that seems close to what I have eaten, be it over or under my goal.

I will hopefully be able to see how much I am eating without having to weigh everything. I used to weigh crisps which I really should of taken out of my diet all together or limited them.

Foods that I weigh are potatoes because you just never know how heavy they can be until you put them on the scales lol. Cereals, cheese, pieces of chicken, etc. I will also measure certain liquids just to make sure my food is the right consistency to eat, such as Ready Brek. Don't want my Ready Brek looking like a puddle of water.


I just don't want to go over the top with this sort of thing because it will most likely take over my life if I carry on doing it for a long time. The eating part is healthy, but I think getting obsessed with it is unhealthy. Don't want to start panicking over foods that are unhealthy and start judging people.

anetap2000

Calorie counting works great when it comes to awareness, for me anyway. When I'm counting calories, I can see what I put it my body and I also pay attention to the other stats like fats, carbs, protein, sugar, etc. It works for portion control! Also, counting calories will only work if you're eating healthy, too. You can stay under your calorie goal by eating chips and candies all day, but you're not going to lose weight. You need to have a balanced diet.

I so agree with you
When I count calories I think twice what I put into my mouth, so I eat healtier.
For the last 2 weeks I'Ve tried South Beach Diet ( zero carbs , a lot of vegetables and protein ) and I lost 2 lb only.
Trust me I have tried everything and so far calorie counting works the best for me

CherylPierce

I've been following a plan written by Dr. Mike Roussell called, "The Six Pillars of Nutrition." It's not as much a "diet" as a healthy eating plan. Within this plan I count calories. I weigh and measure everything and enter all of it into MFP. The plan is a little bit carb-restricted in that starchy carbs are only allowed at certain times; first thing in the morning and after a workout, when my muscles are depleted of glycogen. It's really working for me and I'm not hungry on 1200 calories a day, which is the key, because I don't handle hunger well.

tigersword

Calorie Counting doesn't work for those who don't know how to count, those who are too lazy to count, or those who are in denial and refuse to count every single calorie they eat :bigsmile:

^ This.

AntWrig

Calorie counting works great when it comes to awareness, for me anyway. When I'm counting calories, I can see what I put it my body and I also pay attention to the other stats like fats, carbs, protein, sugar, etc. It works for portion control! Also, counting calories will only work if you're eating healthy, too. You can stay under your calorie goal by eating chips and candies all day, but you're not going to lose weight. You need to have a balanced diet.

I so agree with you
When I count calories I think twice what I put into my mouth, so I eat healtier.
For the last 2 weeks I'Ve tried South Beach Diet ( zero carbs , a lot of vegetables and protein ) and I lost 2 lb only.
Trust me I have tried everything and so far calorie counting works the best for me

Veggies have carbs.

gleechick609

Calorie Counting doesn't work for those who don't know how to count, those who are too lazy to count, or those who are in denial and refuse to count every single calorie they eat :bigsmile:

^ This.

I second this

student94

Calorie counting works for everyone that does it correctly. A few years ago my parents and I all lost a significant amount of weight just counting carbs. None could seem to lose all of our excess weight. I maintained the weight until I came here and started losing the last 20 pounds I could never seem to touch with low carb. My parents have gained back more than they lost, and when they tried low carb again, it didn't work.

freezerburn2012

Calorie counting works if you are honest about your logging and measure your food for acturate tracking.

Carb cutting = calorie cutting.

ninerbuff

Just wondering or do some people only lose weight cutting their carb intake?

Been doing it for over 28 years and not gained any significant amount of weight to put me in horrible shape.

A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

ElPumaMex

Calorie counting works for everyone that does it correctly. A few years ago my parents and I all lost a significant amount of weight just counting carbs. None could seem to lose all of our excess weight. I maintained the weight until I came here and started losing the last 20 pounds I could never seem to touch with low carb. My parents have gained back more than they lost, and when they tried low carb again, it didn't work.

^^^ This

Perfect example of the power of counting calories !
And as many said here, MFP also allows you to monitor your intake of nutrients, for better health.

Delena8

I had been counting carbs since last summer and successfully lost 25 lbs. I switched to counting EVERY. SINGLE. CALORIE that goes into my mouth for the past two weeks with an emphasis on no sugar, whole grains, lots of fruits, veggies and protein. All I've gotten is a whole lotta nothin'. I'm very frustrated. MFP suggests I eat 1370 calories/day. I'm exercising 1-2 hours/day with P90x, Jillian's 30 day shred and yoga, walking 3 miles/day, etc. It hasn't changed the scale a bit. I'm going back to carb counting - I was actually losing weight then.

Devlyn_P

Once you have calculated your TDEE, counting is key to your "weight loss" goal. Calories In vs Out will influence your progress.

Macros help fine tune the above statement. For example, I adjusted my macros to achieve my goal in cutting body fat % but maintaining as much lean body mass (LBM) possible. My goal is not essentially weight loss, it is a lower body fat % that I am striving for. So I have calculated my TDEE and did my deficit/macros from there. High protein, low carb, and mid fats.

I am a firm believer and supporter of If It Fits In Your Macros (IIFIYM).

katiew00t

I had been counting carbs since last summer and successfully lost 25 lbs. I switched to counting EVERY. SINGLE. CALORIE that goes into my mouth for the past two weeks with an emphasis on no sugar, whole grains, lots of fruits, veggies and protein. All I've gotten is a whole lotta nothin'. I'm very frustrated. MFP suggests I eat 1370 calories/day. I'm exercising 1-2 hours/day with P90x, Jillian's 30 day shred and yoga, walking 3 miles/day, etc. It hasn't changed the scale a bit. I'm going back to carb counting - I was actually losing weight then.

are you eating back your calories burned? if not, you should be eating back at least some of them. Otherwise your body is hungry and you won't lose weight.

kfox15

Macros help fine tune the above statement....

I am a firm believer and supporter of If It Fits In Your Macros (IIFIYM).

Totally agree, when I first started doing this I didn't track macros but just focused on calories. After a while, I started taking a closer look at macros and really started to focus on protein to go with my lifting. I've found that they go hand in hand in that aiming for good macros helps me stay under. That said, balancing marcos takes time and planning, there is no way around that. There are definitely days when the S**t hits the fan and I go way over in carbs and totally miss the protein but I try to at least meet my calorie goal.

funkycamper

I do both. I mainly count calories and try to keep my carbs in the 80-100 range. Sometimes I'm under, sometimes over, but I do lose better and feel better if I don't eat too many carbs. Some folks can eat a lot and have no problem. You'll have to experiment and see what works best for you. I was never really successful with just counting carbs. I have always needed to count both.

bloodguilt

Just wondering or do some people only lose weight cutting their carb intake?

Yes, counting calories in and calories out each day works for me. You can't expect to drink lemonade when you squeeze an orange.

bloodguilt

Calorie counting works great when it comes to awareness, for me anyway. When I'm counting calories, I can see what I put it my body and I also pay attention to the other stats like fats, carbs, protein, sugar, etc. It works for portion control! Also, counting calories will only work if you're eating healthy, too. You can stay under your calorie goal by eating chips and candies all day, but you're not going to lose weight. You need to have a balanced diet.

This. :-)

AllanMisner

I'm focused on two things, calories and protein. If I go over calories, I definitely want it to be because of protein and not because of carbs or fat. I've lost 22 lbs in the 55 days I've been on the site.

PercivalHackworth

counting calories is good.
counting calories and tracking weight is better

TabbyKatzzz

My husband lost weight counting carbs before, but it was difficult to maintain, and also made him feel deprived. We have been following MFP's plan for only 2 months now, counting calories and exercising. He has already lost 22 pounds, and doesn't feel hungry or deprived at all! If you want it, eat it, but you have to log it and be accountable for it. If I want to have more one day, then I will be hitting the gym, it's pretty easy. This is our new lifestyle, not a diet.

lorenzoinlr

I can only speak from personal experience. Counting calories is very important for a number of reasons. It's the broadest measure there is so it adds control that would otherwise be difficult to achieve. But you have to be skilled at counting calories. We all scratch our heads sometimes wondering if that log entry was correct. The MFP database is littered with contradictory statistics on foods. It also isn't easy to get precise with your personal calorie statistics. There may be some trial and error involved. This is particularly the case when it comes to calculation and treatment of exercise calories.

Notwithstanding, to really be effective long term you can't stop at calories, you have to monitor your other measures, especially if you exercise a fair amount. I've been good at getting plenty of protein but thought the lower the carbs the better. What I've had to learn the hard way is shorting on carbs had reduced my metabolism. Adding them back has seemed to put me back on track, consistent with what a prior poster had to say.

This can be a little bit of a winding road but from a lifestyle standpoint really worth the trouble. Good luck!

Mcctin65

From playing around on here counting calories and such I am under the impression that carbs are my biggest hindrance. I'm talking specifically about carbs from mostly processed foods such as bread, chips, crackers, pastas, white rice, frozen fries, etc. Of course, those are my favorite things. If I want to get serious about weight loss all I really have to do it cut out those items along with alcohol, white potatoes and junk food and I drop weight like crazy. Sticking to it, well, that's just not so easy.

carolann_22

I need to count calories AND keep carbs low to lose.

carriecarrot

Counting calories works for me but I hate doing it. I find that it is not sustainable. Lately, I have been trying to lose weight with portion control only and have been losing weight, but not as much as I did when I strictly counted calories. I decided to put in my calories to see how my portion control method was working out one day though and it came out to 1800 calories which according to MFP is too high for me. I still refuse to go back to calorie counting though and am just going to have to eat even smaller portions and make some better food choices.