"calorie counting will get you no where"
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My metabolism is actually much faster than it used to be.
I combine a calorie deficit with daily fitness.
edit;; was a response to the person saying that calorie counting slowed the metabolism.0 -
well, you can always look at it the other way, not counting calories has brought us all to where we are today so apparently not knowing what you are consuming is not working either so something has to change.
I totally agree! It's mind over matter, make up your mind to do it and it will happen.0 -
How does ignoring all the science that goes on into the bio-chemical processing of energy except the 1st law of thermodynamics helping anyone? Its not. People need to stop talking about candy bar diets that are completely unsustainable and unhealthy.
Well, why don't you tell us what to do, oh most High Grinch? I have never seen so much negativity on one post before...I'm officially off the forums for a while...you guys are so freaking GROUCHY!! Maybe you need to EAT!
I'm negative about rubbish posts that are unhelpful. Do you really think a candy bar diet is a good way to lose weight and improve health?
The problem is much of the content of this thread is not grounded in any science. Unwanted weight gain is not a psychological disorder, it is a physiological disorder caused by the modern foods most commonly consumed. I already said my solution, which is to eat foods better for the body (ie. more natural, less processed), and not just thinking in terms of calories. Even that isn't good enough, because once someone is obese, they are metabolically damaged such that the lower their weight becomes, the harder it is to maintain. But that's about the best they can do right now.0 -
If a 95% failure rate is any evidence, then counting calories doesn't work.
You've been on this site since October 2011, and you've posted 985 times. Your ticker stands at zero.... I understand your disappointment, but your remarks are not helping people looking for support.
EXACTLY! the "P" in MFP stands for Pal... Pals support- they don't throw a big, wet blanket over everything. Stop being so defeatist and keep the negativity to yourself.
I agree with the many who have said this is a lifestyle change not a diet. Track your food. Set your calorie goal at a healthy level. Google how to figure your BMR and set your calorie goal to that. Eat as many whole foods as possible. Stay hydrated & get moving. Even a little bit of exercise every day can make a huge difference. And be patient. You did not become overweight in one week, your body will not suddenly transform in one week. It takes a long time of being consistent. Get some supportive MFP friends and log in every day for motivation & encouragement. You can do this. Being healthy FEELS GOOD! :flowerforyou:0 -
Most successful weight loss is based on calorie counting, like WW. Understanding the emotional triggers, however, is just as important. I recommend getting therapy specifically geared towards overeating as a emotional issue and not just a physical one. Dana Wallach does some over the phone work too, and she's great. Helped me a lot! Keep at it lady, you can do it. I also found that making my food diary public was extremely helpful. More accountability! I'm also competitive, so if my friends were under their goal then I wanted to be too!!!
WW has a much better track record than straight calorie counting. But don't be fooled, WW is not simply a calorie restricted diet in disguise as a point system. Its point system is carefully crafted to improve bodily hormonal responses by valuing foods good for the body over those bad for the body. The key to sustained weight loss is managing appetite such that a person doesn't over-consume calories. If a person is hungry all the time as a result of calorie restriction, they WILL fail and regain all the weight. This is what happens 90% of the time because people don't understand that the body's hormones have the final say. Calorie deficit IS a side effect of good eating in the long term. Manual calorie deficit based on eating frozen dinners and 100-calorie packs is a temporary weight loss solution.
Not really, no. The WW points system is basically calorie counting. It's disguised to keep people from hacking the formula, and thus bypassing the program (believe me, I've done it). That's why they change it every year or so. It doesn't really have anything to do with hormonal responses or anything else. That might make for nice marketing copy, but WW is in the business of adding and keeping paid members.
For evidence of the role of behavior/lifestyle change in successfully maintaining and losing weight:
http://www.ajcn.org/content/82/1/222S.full
WW goes by fibre, fat, and one other nutritional value. WW is for some people, and not for others.
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NO!!!!!!!!!!! It will get you EVERYWHERE!!!!!!!!!! You just have to keep yourself accountable and only eat the amount of calories you are allotted for the day, at a level where you'll lose 1 lb per week. And you have to remember that it is going to take a LONG, EXTENDED amount of effort and time for you to see real results. Go into your journey with the understanding that it is a real journey that will take you a year or more...... and stick to your plan! It works!! I promise!! It is the best thing you can do, if you make sure to log every single thing you eat and not go over your daily amount!
Also -- you do not have to go to the gym every single day to lose weight. I never did, but I still managed to get myself in great cardiovascular shape, AND lose weight. The key is the FOOD. Not the exercise. Watch your food intake!!!! Count your calories!!!! If you do that, you will be successful.0 -
To the OP: Calorie counting can work, provided you do it correctly and stay committed. It will be a very slow weight loss, and most of the battle is staying patient. But you CAN DO IT! Just live your life and be as healthy as you can be, and you will lose weight. Eventually it will be 6 months from now and you will be a few pounds lighter and a few sizes smaller, and you can say to your roommate "Do you still think it doesn't work?" Let your haters be your motivators!!!0
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Most successful weight loss is based on calorie counting, like WW. Understanding the emotional triggers, however, is just as important. I recommend getting therapy specifically geared towards overeating as a emotional issue and not just a physical one. Dana Wallach does some over the phone work too, and she's great. Helped me a lot! Keep at it lady, you can do it. I also found that making my food diary public was extremely helpful. More accountability! I'm also competitive, so if my friends were under their goal then I wanted to be too!!!
WW has a much better track record than straight calorie counting. But don't be fooled, WW is not simply a calorie restricted diet in disguise as a point system. Its point system is carefully crafted to improve bodily hormonal responses by valuing foods good for the body over those bad for the body. The key to sustained weight loss is managing appetite such that a person doesn't over-consume calories. If a person is hungry all the time as a result of calorie restriction, they WILL fail and regain all the weight. This is what happens 90% of the time because people don't understand that the body's hormones have the final say. Calorie deficit IS a side effect of good eating in the long term. Manual calorie deficit based on eating frozen dinners and 100-calorie packs is a temporary weight loss solution.
Not really, no. The WW points system is basically calorie counting. It's disguised to keep people from hacking the formula, and thus bypassing the program (believe me, I've done it). That's why they change it every year or so. It doesn't really have anything to do with hormonal responses or anything else. That might make for nice marketing copy, but WW is in the business of adding and keeping paid members.
For evidence of the role of behavior/lifestyle change in successfully maintaining and losing weight:
http://www.ajcn.org/content/82/1/222S.full
No WW is using more modern science to value its foods such that the dieter is able to satisfy hunger, get good quality nutrients, and maintain a caloric deficit at the same time. That is why they changed their formula, because the old formula was based on bad science and wasn't so effective at improving health. The definition of healthy foods has been changing.0 -
I guess different things work differently for different people, but calorie counting has worked for me. I've lost 18 pounds in 3 months (205 to 187), and it's because I am mindful of what I'm eating, and i work hard to stay under the goal. I am also exercising regularly, but i find that if I am going out for dinner, or someplace where i know I'm going to have a beer (or a few), I spend more time at the gym. I guess you just have to decide that you are going to stick with it, then do it. it's not always easy, that's for sure, but i wish you the best in your journey.0
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The ONLY way to lose weight is to have a calorie deficit at the end of the day. No matter what diet you do, it's the calorie deficit that ultimately determines your weight loss. Last year I read about a Professor in Utah that sought to prove that premise by going on a diet of nothing but candy bars. He watched his calorie intake and tool some vitamin supplements and ended up losing weight due to the calorie deficit. There are things you can do in manipulating the macronutrients that you ingest and exercise that you perform to target more fat loss vs. LBM, but the basic premise of lower calorie intake still remains in tact.
How does ignoring all the science that goes on into the bio-chemical processing of energy except the 1st law of thermodynamics helping anyone? Its not. People need to stop talking about candy bar diets that are completely unsustainable and unhealthy.
I think the point of this was to say that as long as you have a deficit of calories you will lose weight. Is it heathy to lose weight eating this way? No. You probably wouldn't be able to maintain this weight lose without changing your diet.
Burning more calories than you consume will result in weight lose. Counting calories is a great way to ensure you are getting the right amount of calories, and you also need to track how much you actually burn in order to determine the amount you should consume.
I have a problem with reiterating the same point that everybody already knows. This is looking at weight loss from a blimp in the sky, but is truly unhelpful. It really over-simplifies things and sets people up for failure.0 -
If a 95% failure rate is any evidence, then counting calories doesn't work.
So if you aren't counting calories, why are you on MFP where the biggest thing is logging food and keeping track of calories, among other things.
It may say swiss milk on the side of the bus, as in advertising, but the bus doesn't necessarily go to Switzerland. j/k
I'm here to get fitter, and to share my imput and knowledge about nutrition and weight loss with others even at the expense of not being popular with some of my statements, this thread obviously one of them. My point is and always will be that until someone makes fundamental changes in their overall attitute to food, exercise, stress etc, that simply by counting calories almost all will not find longterm weight loss or health. That 95% failure rate isn't something I pulled out of a hat, it's reality. I'm not saying it won't work, but chances are it won't.
I seriously think it might be wise to work on your people skills. In your original post you shared absolutely nothing with regards to your "knowledge about nutrition and weight loss". All you did was trash what others are doing and leave a comment void of hope. The FACTS are that counting calories ALONE rarely works and the success rate for any "diet" over the long term is low. However, that in no way means that people don't succeed and truly ANYONE CAN succeed. Part of getting that statistic up is people having positive support, which MFP provides. That doesn't mean just "Tell them what they want to here" but neither does it mean to "kick them when their down". Posting facts is one thing (and by the way.... if you are going to throw out a number, please source it for the sake of credibility). Doing a drive-by posting of pure negativity is a whole different story.0 -
There have been studies that have shown that journaling your food (not just calories, but it does help to mindful of what you are putting into your body) and what you are feeling when you eat it does work... but each individual has to make it work.0
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Calories counters work IF you are diligent.
When I joined MFP I had been AT THE SAME weight since highscool. And been unhappy about it, but NOTHING I did seemed to work.
I have been on MFP for 7 weeks and have been VERY VERY diligent and lost 10 lbs. For me, that is 7% of my total body weight. That is A HUGE change for me! And you know what? I am going to keep going. Because it WORKS!
The funny thing is, my wonderful bf who is VERY fit kept telling me that being so "anal" about keeping track of things would NEVER work. And that is because he has gotten used to being healthy from a very young age so he was adamant that if I did calorie count I would get disappointed from the stringency and give up. He MEANT well but in the end, he was wrong and I am living proof. (and yeah, of COURSE I rub it in his face :laugh: )
Calorie counting DOES work for the diligent. It DOES. Look at the success stories boards. HUNDREDS and THOUSANDS of pounds have been lost calorie counting. Your roommate and anyone who would dispute these facts is ignorant.
What DOESN'T work is doing it the wrong way, whether that be not being diligent or having the wrong daily goal due to misinformation (see this ALL the time on MFP, but TRUST the calculator, not some of the "eat more to lose more" crazies).
You have other issues going on than weight. Emotional eating. Not good (I have been there :sad: ) . You might need a psychologist, or you might need to just work through your demons like EVERYONE who is on here has had to do at one point or another. Only you can decide that. But don't be so hard on yourself, and realize you aren't JUST counting calories. You are changing habits, and most importantly your emotional issues. That takes alot more than just reading the nutrition label on your cereal box.
Losing weight and/or getting healthy is more about WILL POWER and your BRAIN more than eating and your body.
If you want to and are willing to lose, you CAN. Promise. :flowerforyou: Don't lose hope.0 -
Most successful weight loss is based on calorie counting, like WW. Understanding the emotional triggers, however, is just as important. I recommend getting therapy specifically geared towards overeating as a emotional issue and not just a physical one. Dana Wallach does some over the phone work too, and she's great. Helped me a lot! Keep at it lady, you can do it. I also found that making my food diary public was extremely helpful. More accountability! I'm also competitive, so if my friends were under their goal then I wanted to be too!!!
WW has a much better track record than straight calorie counting. But don't be fooled, WW is not simply a calorie restricted diet in disguise as a point system. Its point system is carefully crafted to improve bodily hormonal responses by valuing foods good for the body over those bad for the body. The key to sustained weight loss is managing appetite such that a person doesn't over-consume calories. If a person is hungry all the time as a result of calorie restriction, they WILL fail and regain all the weight. This is what happens 90% of the time because people don't understand that the body's hormones have the final say. Calorie deficit IS a side effect of good eating in the long term. Manual calorie deficit based on eating frozen dinners and 100-calorie packs is a temporary weight loss solution.
Not really, no. The WW points system is basically calorie counting. It's disguised to keep people from hacking the formula, and thus bypassing the program (believe me, I've done it). That's why they change it every year or so. It doesn't really have anything to do with hormonal responses or anything else. That might make for nice marketing copy, but WW is in the business of adding and keeping paid members.
For evidence of the role of behavior/lifestyle change in successfully maintaining and losing weight:
http://www.ajcn.org/content/82/1/222S.full
No WW is using more modern science to value its foods such that the dieter is able to satisfy hunger, get good quality nutrients, and maintain a caloric deficit at the same time. That is why they changed their formula, because the old formula was based on bad science and wasn't so effective at improving health. The definition of healthy foods has been changing.
Ok, it's admittedly been a while since I've done WW. The main point was, successful weight loss requires a calorie deficit as well as lifestyle changes for maintenance.0 -
Most successful weight loss is based on calorie counting, like WW. Understanding the emotional triggers, however, is just as important. I recommend getting therapy specifically geared towards overeating as a emotional issue and not just a physical one. Dana Wallach does some over the phone work too, and she's great. Helped me a lot! Keep at it lady, you can do it. I also found that making my food diary public was extremely helpful. More accountability! I'm also competitive, so if my friends were under their goal then I wanted to be too!!!
WW has a much better track record than straight calorie counting. But don't be fooled, WW is not simply a calorie restricted diet in disguise as a point system. Its point system is carefully crafted to improve bodily hormonal responses by valuing foods good for the body over those bad for the body. The key to sustained weight loss is managing appetite such that a person doesn't over-consume calories. If a person is hungry all the time as a result of calorie restriction, they WILL fail and regain all the weight. This is what happens 90% of the time because people don't understand that the body's hormones have the final say. Calorie deficit IS a side effect of good eating in the long term. Manual calorie deficit based on eating frozen dinners and 100-calorie packs is a temporary weight loss solution.
Not really, no. The WW points system is basically calorie counting. It's disguised to keep people from hacking the formula, and thus bypassing the program (believe me, I've done it). That's why they change it every year or so. It doesn't really have anything to do with hormonal responses or anything else. That might make for nice marketing copy, but WW is in the business of adding and keeping paid members.
For evidence of the role of behavior/lifestyle change in successfully maintaining and losing weight:
http://www.ajcn.org/content/82/1/222S.full
No WW is using more modern science to value its foods such that the dieter is able to satisfy hunger, get good quality nutrients, and maintain a caloric deficit at the same time. That is why they changed their formula, because the old formula was based on bad science and wasn't so effective at improving health. The definition of healthy foods has been changing.
This, however, I agree with. WW is a whole different story and, if worked as written, gives you the balance to lose weight and keep it off in a healthy way, while properly fueling your body with nutrients.0 -
I have a hard time finding time to exercise, too. I have committed to at least a brisk 30 minute walk every day AND a good 1 hr workout twice a week... even if that "twice" ends up Saturday and Sunday.
Some people won't understand. My husband is as supportive as he can be, but he also can eat about 3,000 calories a day and not gain weight (it may be more than that... he eats incessantly).0 -
Sorry you're having a rough go of it right now. The idea of 'counting calories' didn't work for me- stay with me here lol- it didn't work because I was trying to restrict my food intake too low. I had a correlation of eating less was 'good' and if I was 'good' that meant I ate less. "Eat less move more" was a lie for me because I didn't understand the bigger picture. I would be 'good' and restrict restrict restrict- only to lose it all in an 'emotional' (ie, last ditch effort by my body to get some calories in me) eating splurge. Then- restart the cycle of feeling 'bad' because of a 2x2 inch square of flour and eggs.
Far better to fuel ourselves than to starve. If I were to take a person and put them in a box- only feed them less and less food.. would I be good then? No. So why do I give myself a pass to do the same to me? Starving myself now won't fix the overeating in the past.
What changed my thinking was finally seeing whether I ate or didn't had NO bearing on whether I was 'good' or 'bad'. The terms have lost their meaning.
So that brownie? I would eat it and enjoy it. Log it- account for it and make room for it in a sensible eating plan. Then remember nothing but good things about the brownie and me eating it- no longer is my food chained to guilt and remorse.
So I no longer 'count calories' in the same way I was before- now I'm adding up fuel and making sure I have enough for the busy life I have planned. I will never be 'bad' because of what I ate again- I am liberated and free. Hope this rambling made sense
EXCELLENT way to put it!!!! Couldn't agree more!! :drinker:0 -
Honestly I had a girl who is a Body by Vi distributor inform me that calorie counting isn't the 'smart' or 'healthy' way to lose weight... all while she was touting how wonderful her Body by Vi shakes are.
I just about choked.
Some people just cannot see reason and you'd do best to just not worry about it.0 -
It is only true if you don't have your head in the right place. Don't listen to naysayers. Figure out what works for you and work it into the ground!! If she isn't positive or supportive, then don't talk to her about your health/fitness program. It is really noone's business, but your doctor's anyway. Best of luck to you!!0
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Ok, it's admittedly been a while since I've done WW. The main point was, successful weight loss requires a calorie deficit as well as lifestyle changes for maintenance.
I agree with you. But if I want to get rich, are people going to say, "In order to get rich, you must spend less money than you earn, and you must work harder". If only things were that simple.0
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