Eat healthy or count calories?

ktapia08

I go back and forth between eating healthy foods, and eating not so healthy foods but count calories. Does it make a difference when your trying to loose weight?

lbaileyjohannsen

I would say that even lots of healthy foods contain lots of calories, and not so healthy foods obviously don't always contain the nutrients your body needs. It seems to me that counting calories, at least until you get an idea of how many calories are in food you eat a lot, is probably the best bet of actually having a concrete method of losing weight. You burn more calories than you take in in a day, you burn fat. I've tried the 'eat healthy' method where I wasn't meticulous with calories, and I don't think I really lost any weight that way. It's good to keep track.


ETA: I'm not saying don't eat healthfully! You should try to combine the two and keep track of your healthy eating.

dreamsofsomeday

I try to eat healthy foods but count my calories strictly. It seems to work for me.

dia77

yes , it does make a difference. I think it is about nutrition when I try to get to my healthy weight. . I am actaully doing it both:: eat healthy and count calories. the ocasional chocolate or ice cream doesn't' count:)
However, what I noticed long time ago is that eating healthy gets me more energy, I am not hungry between meals and I mantain/lose weight.

MoreBean13

Why is it one or the other? Eating healthy AND counting calories is the way to be successful. Of course, by successful I mean healthfully losing weight. If you want to lose weight, you count calories, if you want to be healthy, you eat healthy. I want both!

tsh0ck

the only unhealthy food is one eaten to excess.

quietlywinning

Both at once with the occasional indulgences to keep me enjoying it.

spigenerb

It does make a difference. If you are trying to gain muscle and don't eat enough protein you won't gain muscle. If its all processed sugars it can slow down your weight loss.

I will say this though, if you are above 15% (for guys) or 25% (for women) body fat then you can make progress just by counting. But I don't know anyone who just counts calories and can get below that without making sure you are eating healthy too.

gatecityradio

I pretty much eat whatever I want, as long as I don't go over on my calories. So...idk.

monicasuze

Mmm.. I count calories and eat whatever I want.

turtledreamer

I count calories because it works for me, but I find that while counting calories, I make healthier choices because I am not willing to "sacrifice" my calories on junk or unhealthy choices.
For me, this is motivation and invitational to make the right choice in every situation. If I choose to use calories for unhealthy choices, I definitely log it to remind myself of the cost associated with my choice.

But this method works for me, maybe not for others.

Creativeballance

I usually use green veggies (which are low in calories) to make me feel full when I'm almost out of calories for the day. Also, an occasional splurge with a whole box of cookes to "reset your adjusted metabolism" is perfectly acceptable.

sheri02r

Both.

darkangel74

I would mix both and see if my body will be responding with weight loss/strength. Than I`d try to adjust depending on results, but one thing for sure I would not go straight one or another way. Same as few others said you need both nutrition and calories.

Jotell

I've been doing both, but lately haven't lost anything. So I'm eating a little more (I exercise 6 days a week for 1 hr a day). Turns out I wasn't eating enough! But, I know that watching my calories and eating healthy makes me feel better and more energetic then on the days when I don't eat healthy.

spigenerb

I've been doing both, but lately haven't lost anything. So I'm eating a little more (I exercise 6 days a week for 1 hr a day). Turns out I wasn't eating enough! But, I know that watching my calories and eating healthy makes me feel better and more energetic then on the days when I don't eat healthy.

You got it! I would go so far as to say that most people don't eat enough. I've designed meal plans for people and they are amazed at how much they eat on them but they start losing weight.

pamelad77

Both

DavPul

Counting calories. Google "twinkie diet " and you'll find out about a nutritionist that lost 27 pounds eating nothing but snack cakes. His vitals improved as well. Now, ot would be hard to gain muscle that way. And you probably increase your risk for some malady down the road. But the answer to your question about weight loss is calories calories calories. If you ate 1500 calories of taco bell per day you would lose weight compared to eating 2500 calories of lean fish and vegetables per day. But we'll have to address your constipation another day.

MoreBean13

Counting calories. Google "twinkie diet " and you'll find out about a nutritionist that lost 27 pounds eating nothing but snack cakes. His vitals improved as well. Now, ot would be hard to gain muscle that way. And you probably increase your risk for some malady down the road. But the answer to your question about weight loss is calories calories calories. If you ate 1500 calories of taco bell per day you would lose weight compared to eating 2500 calories of lean fish and vegetables per day. But we'll have to address your constipation another day.

He ate more than just twinkies- I haven't looked at this in a while but I'm pretty sure he supplemented protein shakes and some form of veg.

suziecue66

Counting calories. Google "twinkie diet " and you'll find out about a nutritionist that lost 27 pounds eating nothing but snack cakes. His vitals improved as well. Now, ot would be hard to gain muscle that way. And you probably increase your risk for some malady down the road. But the answer to your question about weight loss is calories calories calories. If you ate 1500 calories of taco bell per day you would lose weight compared to eating 2500 calories of lean fish and vegetables per day. But we'll have to address your constipation another day.

He ate more than just twinkies- I haven't looked at this in a while but I'm pretty sure he supplemented protein shakes and some form of veg.

Yes he did.

Debbe2

I eat what I want and I count calories and watch macros. It's teaching me on what eating healthy and balance is all about.