Tracking Calories...a diet killer

tabulator32

The process of tracking the calories (and the other aspects of the food you eat, i.e.: sodium, fat, etc.) is that it teaches you about the food you eat.

You don't have to track the rest of your life, but if you train yourself while you are tracking, you will have better knowledge of how to eat well going forward regardless of whether you continue to track.

Having said that...unlike many "diet" programs...if you continue to track, you will NOT gain the weight back.

rachaelgifford

I don't tend to be completely anal about calorie counting. As long as I have a rough idea I am happy :-)

kittyhasclaws

Disagree. It's actually motivating for me to learn about my intake, finding people who have taught me about BMR and TDEE so that I can see what a healthy intake is for me. I can see days where I'm really off, and days where I'm doing awesome. I can see just how bad some things are and feel better about staying away from them. There are some days where it gets frustrating, but most days, I'm pretty happy with it.

BarbWhite09

I love to count calories....so I don't have a problem with it. Lol

TracyAnn90

I completely disagree. I have lost 16 pounds in about two months by calorie counting. People greatly under estimate how many calories they are taking in as well as what a serving is. I was guilty of both of these things. Now I am better educated and can pretty much eyeball a correct serving. I will stick with my calorie counting, it holds me accountable and I LOVE the results.

Seahawks909

Why am I on this site? To chat with people about weightloss and hopefully to find some people that weren't ****s like at many other comparable sites. Is there really a reason or need to ask?

findingme07

I find counting calories keeps me focused and accountable for what I put in my mouth. When I didn't count calories I was kidding myself as far as the amount I was eating. I now measure and chart EVERYTHING eat. With this I have lost 10 lbs. in the past 4 weeks by being responsible for my eating. In fact, charting my food has helped me make better, healthier choices in my daily meals. It can be time consuming; it is something good with which to consume your time. Stay motivated!

Misslisat

I completely disagree. By counting calories and reading labels, it makes me more accountable as to what goes into my body!

HotCuppaJo

I don't agree either. I think the calorie counting has helped me to figure out how MUCH I can eat of certain things...now that I am more in maintenance mode, I'm not counting the calories as much, but that's because I know how many calories are IN everything, and I know what I can and can't have. Counting calories was a stepping stone to getting me to this point, and I wouldn't change a thing!

astrampe

S

Are avocados "bad"? If you are losing weight, absolutely. That would be counterproductive. But if you are a weightlifter and you can support/need more calories than someone who doesn't do weightlifting, no. right now, I wouldn't touch any avocados.

:noway: Oh wow...you have a lot to learn - not just about counting calories...Good luck...

DeeDee2211

To me there are no bad foods, I eat whatever I want as long as I have the calories to support it, and I have lost over 22 pounds since May.

JesterMFP

Sorry, as I listed in the other post, it is all about calories to weight in stomach (volume) so I agree with you on there.

Yes, obviously your whole diet is dependent on each meal.

Are avocados "bad"? If you are losing weight, absolutely. That would be counterproductive. But if you are a weightlifter and you can support/need more calories than someone who doesn't do weightlifting, no. right now, I wouldn't touch any avocados.

Its dependent.

I am not saying you can never have "bad" foods, I am saying you dont need to count calories to know (99% of the time) what the better option is if you are looking to lose maximum weight.

"Good" and "bad" are completely subjective terms. It seems you view food as being good or bad based on their calorie content. Not everyone would agree. Some people view diet coke as "bad", even though it is very low in calories. Other people view meat as "bad", or anything with sugar in as "bad". I am actively losing weight and have absolutely no problem with eating avocados. They are very nutritious. I also eat nuts, cheese, butter, fruit, chocolate, beef and bread. Each of those things are considered "bad food" by some people, depending on their point of view. Clearly, calorie-counting isn't for you, but it's working fine for lots of people here.

tishad58

I don't mind it a bit- I am more successful counting calories than not. And ironically, I am eating better as well as eating foods I love.

zyxst

Counting calories, nutritional info, and weighing and measuring are pains. I hate that I have to do them every day for every piece of food I eat. My diet* would be a thousand times less stressful without tracking all that.









*The sum of food I eat. Back off lifestyle trolls.

Seahawks909

I didn't realize this whole entire website was counting calories. I didn't know that diets/exercise routines were all 100% about counting calories.

I never complained about counting calories in the first place, I simply said that it makes me frustrated and I personally know people who have given up because of it.

Then i asked everyone for their opinion, most of you gave it and I didn't argue. To each is their own. Just because I don't find calorie counting necessary doesn't mean it is a "bad" thing.

Im sorry some of you guys got so hurt about it.

MamaKatel

I found that once I started to track calories I became quickly discouraged by how fast they added up, and then at the end of the day I was depressed because I had no calories left for a snack and would go back to eating whatever. Now I am pregnant and am desperate not to gain a boat load of weight so my only option is to count calories and not to cheat, because we i cheat during pregnancy I can easily gain 5lbs in one week and its stuck there until after the pregnancy is over, and I have no chance of reversing it until then. I guess what im trying to say is that if you have a big enough incentive to lose weight, then you will...and if not you will get discouraged all fall back to old ways. Its frustrating but just take it day by day and look at it as more of a lifestyle change, your not going to change in a day its going to take time to get used to this new way of eating.

beachlover317

In my young adult life, Ive lost a combine total of 75 pounds (25 lbs on 3 separate occasions) and never once counted calories for more than a day.


My point is:

Your body/stomach goes by the weight of the food not the calories. For example, currently I eat over 3000 calories a day, which would be something around 50 cans of greenbeans. Could I possible eat 50 cans of greenbeans? no of course not, but that would be my calorie intake of now. The point is to eat food with less calories per weight, thats how you trick yourself/stomach to not eat as many.


Now breaking away from great tasting terrible food is another issue.

If what you're doing is working for you - great! I like counting calories. I also have lost in the past. But this time is different. I'm accountable to myself when I log what I eat. Why did you gain your weight back??

BarringtonFinbarNash

calories and tracking the enternal delima, counting just your calories by itself does nothing to educate you it just sticks to a gimmick style plan that might be good if you can stick with it, but otherwise will not be helpfull, caus eit's easy to get frustrated.

tracking the nutrional information for all of it, will tell you much more about a meal and make you aware of not just portion size(as not everyone knows what a good portion size is) it will tell you if what you are eating is any good.

the tracking on here has really helped me controll my eating, i'm still eating a simular level to what i ate befor ebu ti have a much better concept of portion sizes for the various things i eat now, but i would not have achiewved that with just calorie counting alone, it was the other nutrional information that helped me balance my foods better.

xxnellie146xx

Counting calories doesn't bother me at all. I log everything I eat/drink. When someone is starting this process, I think it is very important for them to count calories. Too many people have no idea what an actual portion should be. For instance, someone might cutback on their "normal" serving on food is, but it still might be more than what a portion consists of and they don't realize it and think they are consuming less than they actually are. Until you have an idea of what a portion is and what you are consuming, logging is important.

Seahawks909

And what exactly do I have to learn from this statement?

High calorie foods cause you to gain weight period. They could be strawberries or they could be KFC.

The point Ive been trying to make is about VOLUME your stomach can hold.

For example:

Someone who is overweight wouldn't run to the store and buy a bunch of avocados...they may be healthy but they will set you back for the time being. The whole point of a good diet is to get vitamins and nutrients but at the same time, EAT FOODS THAT MAKE YOU FEEL SATISFIED.

Yes, you can drink chocolate milk, yes you can eat avocados, yes you can have macaroni and cheese but will the portion size of those things fill you up like a side of green beans or carrots? NO!

The point is people often struggle dealing with hunger (myself) and telling them to eat less of a good tasting (or good for you item that can be substituted like avocados) in my honest opinion is terrible advice! You want them to eat foods that have less calories but help them feel full...which I dont see avocados doing for the calories it possesses.