Is everybody just "counting calories"?

debrapeterson

II'm wondering if 1240 calories is too little for me? my weigh is 238, lost 5 pounds in a week, and then nothing. I just started excercising 2 days ago, and still nothing. I was blaming the diet (because I wasn't following it like I should) but I was counting everything that I ate!!! I know there is something I'm doing wrong, I just can't figure out what is it?

I watch as much as MFP allows Cal/Car/Col/Sug/Fat/Sodium. I try to keep it as close to 1200 as possible. I have been doing it since Jan. A couple weeks I gained a tad but mostly I have lost 1-2.5 per week. I also watch my water. My exercise isn't there yet but working on it. I find if I watch everything it helps me get in a balanced diet. It's not easy but I just keep working the program. I need to loose atleast 50 and have lost 19. I wish you only the best on your journey. Also you may want to search for weighting in every day and see all the comments about that. I found it very helpful

bjnorvell

I count calories and do Insanity 6 days a week

Freakynympho

hello i am wondering the same about myself..the 1st week i lost alot (i think it was mostly water weight) and now it seems like i lose a pound a week. I am on the 1200 calorie i exercise 5 times a week and eat alot healthier.My husband has lost over 50 lbs.He shed it over a period of 9 months. I guess everyone is different.I am counting every calorie i can so i know i have done my part in the calorie logging. Good luck to you and everyone in their weight goals.

cbirdso

Yes, I counted calories right from the beginning and continue to count calories. I try to make those calories as nutritious as I can, paying attention to micro and macro nutrients. However, as part of my plan I get in some form of exercise EVERY day, and eat those calories, too. Right from the start I kept as close to a 250 to 500 deficit (as calculated by MFP) as possible and lost 1 to 2 pounds every week without fail until I reached around 45 pounds lost. The next 20 pounds came off slower, like .5 to 1 lb a week but I averaged no more than a 200 to a 300 calorie defict because as you know, as you get smaller, your calorie need decreases, too. I think that is a cruel reward for meeting your goal weight, but I digress. Thank goodness for exercise calories! They motivated me to move more and kept me motivated to make this a life change!

Sabine_Stroehm

I've been counting calories and eating healthier than I used to for almost 2 weeks and, I was expecting a little more weigh loss but Im still happy with my progress. I was following a diet plan but no to the "t", it was more like a "guide" for me, but I was counting my calories, (not carbs or fat) and this week I haven't seen any weigh loss so far (5 days) I have a ton of weigh to loose so I'm a little dissapointed. I just need a little feed back on what is your program? Are you following a diet plan? or just counting calories? I cut back on carbs and fats too, I was wondering if that matters..... ?????

no diet plan here. But I don't eat the whites (flour, sugar, rice). But that holds true when I'm not trying to lose as well.

temp666777

I count ONLY CARBOHYDRATES.

Calories are of secondary importance.

If you want to LOSE BODY FAT, you must very very carefully track your CARBOHYDRATE INTAKE.

patkterry

I count calories, watch fat, sodium intake.. I have switched to just water and 3 diet drinks a week. I also work out 3-4 times a week. I do not eat my exercise calories. I have MFP calorie count to 1.5 lbs a week, I usually do not eat all my calories for the day. In eat 3 meals plus 2 snack a day.. breakfast is like 150 calories, lunch 400-500, snack 150 and dinner is 700 usually unless I go out to eat- then its closer to 1000, last snack of the day is 200.. GOOD LUCK

ladyraven68

I've been counting calories and eating healthier than I used to for almost 2 weeks and, I was expecting a little more weigh loss but Im still happy with my progress. I was following a diet plan but no to the "t", it was more like a "guide" for me, but I was counting my calories, (not carbs or fat) and this week I haven't seen any weigh loss so far (5 days) I have a ton of weigh to loose so I'm a little dissapointed. I just need a little feed back on what is your program? Are you following a diet plan? or just counting calories? I cut back on carbs and fats too, I was wondering if that matters..... ?????

My macros are set to 40%Carb, 30%fat and 30%Protein.

I try to get to at least 100g of protein, and stay within the limits on the others.

I like to use the pie chart on the phone app so I can check whick macro I am low on and eat accordingly.

Pauline39

I am not just "counting calories; I am also using MyFitnessPal to make sure that I consume enough healthy food to meet my needs. I have a small scale that weighs in ounces and grams. I search the MyFitnessPal Food databases, to find the best data available (in their database) to describe what I am planning to eat. Or look it up on the internet. No guessing! I try to be as accurate as possible about Calorie count, Carbs, Protein, Fat, Calcium and Fiber. I think many people may underestimate the calories they are consuming. It takes a lot of time and patience to learn a new way of eating, and to develop healthy eating habits. And if you have to stop for lunch at McDonalds, and order a "meal", get the data and actually enter your cheese quarter pounder, fries and coca-cola., so you can see how much that cost you. At one time, I weighed 229 pounds. Fourteen months ago, when I started MyFitnessPal, I weighed 207. Now I weigh 178 pounds. So, I have averaged a loss of 2 pounds per month, I have actually lost 50 pounds, from what I used to be. I know that if I keep on using MyFitnessPal, the way I am using it now, I will probably lose at least another 25 pounds in the next year, ,and that would be great. Just now I'm beginning to think that maybe I should get rid of the clothes that are too big.

BlueInkDot

I not only monitor not only my calories, but also my protein intake, I blog about my journey to keep my mind in the right place, I record my calories burned, and get advice on higher quality foods to improve my strength training progress.

While it's essentially this site focuses on calorie counting, it also allows you to keep track of the quality of the calories that you're consuming and the nutrients that come along with them, and keep track of which workouts work for you.

Weight loss isn't a cut and dry thing. Our bodies are complicated biological structures with way more components and systems than we seem to be able to keep track of. Monitoring correlations between what you eat, when you eat, what workouts you do, when you work out, how you feel in general, what the scale says, your measurements, how your pants fit, etc. etc. etc. is really where the money is at. Try new things and do what works for you.

So weight loss isn't JUST calorie counting, that's just where you start.

And as far as the carbs and fats thing goes - I would focus more on INCREASING PROTEIN rather than DECREASING the other two. By increasing your protein intake, your carbs and fats will automatically decrease just because you don't need them cuz you're full. Also more protein means more intense workouts.

wahmx3

1240 is way too little, you won't continue to lose weight unless you eat more and what you lose will be muscle not fat. Definitely increase your calories, drink more water and watch your sodium.

II'm wondering if 1240 calories is too little for me? my weigh is 238, lost 5 pounds in a week, and then nothing. I just started excercising 2 days ago, and still nothing. I was blaming the diet (because I wasn't following it like I should) but I was counting everything that I ate!!! I know there is something I'm doing wrong, I just can't figure out what is it?

BigDaddyBRC

This website pretty much is a calorie counting website. I counted calories, i.e. weigh and measure portions, read labels, using this site. I also exercise 3-4 times a week but when I started it was more about reducing calories.

You're doing it wrong.

This website is not just a calorie counting website. There is a TON of solid information and resources (members) to help you out. You can track your exercise, interact on the boards, etc.

OP - The key in your journey is to be come aware of your nutritional intake (diet) and assist you in finding a healthier diet (your regular regimen of nutritional intake; not to be considered as a "FAD" or short-term Diet). The greatest challenge you have is this. It is a mental change. Your greatest bodily change will occur as your nutrition does.

rawhidenadz

I count ONLY CARBOHYDRATES.

Calories are of secondary importance.

If you want to LOSE BODY FAT, you must very very carefully track your CARBOHYDRATE INTAKE.

Totally false statement alert.

danaamace

I recently had this problem. I had been eating right and exercising all week long and didn't lose any weight. But... I finally figure out why (and maybe this will help you). It's not just about how many calories you eat... it's also about when you eat them and how you split them up. I found that when I ate 3 small meals and 2 snacks a day... I just wanted to keep eating and would usually end my day with dessert around an hour before I was going to sleep. Now, I dropped the snacks and if I want dessert I eat it right after dinner. I get a little hungry during the day at work (probably from boredom), but if I get up and take a little walk... it goes right away. Now my weight loss has started picking up again. Hope this helps.

Sarauk2sf

The thing a lot of people do is to overcomplicate this process of losing fat. For MOST of us, it really doesn't matter WHAT we eat, as long as we do the following:

1) Eat a calorie deficit

2) Hit your macros (Fat, Protein, etc)

3) Lift heavy.


There you go. That's it, for most people. Do that, and you will lose fat, while maintaining most of your muscle mass. All this cut this out, cut that out, dont have this, drink more of that etc are just ways to the same goal, and overcomplicate it.

How you get to the calorie deficit can be through diet, exercise, or better yet, both. It's all I did, and it worked like a charm.

^^this

mandelea

II'm wondering if 1240 calories is too little for me? my weigh is 238, lost 5 pounds in a week, and then nothing. I just started excercising 2 days ago, and still nothing. I was blaming the diet (because I wasn't following it like I should) but I was counting everything that I ate!!! I know there is something I'm doing wrong, I just can't figure out what is it?

It is really important to understand that when we abuse our bodies using food as we have for so many years, we need to give our bodies a chance to heal. The first 4-6 weeks could simply be your body trying to figure out what to do with the changes metabolically. Chances are, if you were over-consuming calories, or consuming empty calories (sugar and junk food), your metabolism is close to a stand-still.

Two days of exercise is not going to immediately produce the results you want. My recommendation is that you put the scale away for one whole month, and set a goal of exercising 3-4 times a week, at a minimum of 30 minutes, and count your calories (and reducing the amount of empty calories), you will see a good change both in weight and in inches .

Remember, eating 1200 calories that are all junk is going to keep your metabolism at a stand-still, make those calories count .

Good luck! Feel free to add for motivation and support, I'm always looking for support!

rextcat

i walk, and i count, thats it

mandelea

I count ONLY CARBOHYDRATES.

Calories are of secondary importance.

If you want to LOSE BODY FAT, you must very very carefully track your CARBOHYDRATE INTAKE.

Totally false statement alert.

Agreed. Our bodies need carbohydrates to live. Ever wonder what vegetables fall under? If you guessed carbohydrates, you guessed right! Could you imagine reducing your veggie intake? How about instead of watching your carbohydrates, you watched your sugar intake instead?

Huffdogg

I can guarantee that 1240 lbs is far too little for a 240 lb person.

Personally, I follow Leangains, pay close attention to macros, and lift heavy weights RPT method 2-3 times a week. In almost 3 years of trying to "lose weight," this has gotten me the best results by FAR.

Natihilator

I count calories and try to take in a low-moderate amount of carbs, but above all else, I try to hit my protein goal of 30% per day. I think it's as important as the right calorie intake, personally.