Only caring about calories?

Annabel89
Annabel89 Posts: 63 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi All,

I've noticed a few people on MFP who seem to only worry about the end calorie deficit, not the quality/health benefits of the food they are eating.

I know we are all on here to lose weight, so I was wondering if your primary focus is the healthiness of your diet, or just the end calorie deficit?

Any thoughts welcome!!

A x
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Replies

  • Firefox7275
    Firefox7275 Posts: 2,040 Member
    We are not all on here to lose weight, many are here to treat health conditions or descrease risks, fitness or sporting goals or gain size. It's Myfitnesspal not Mydietpal.
  • closenre
    closenre Posts: 225 Member
    I really only care about the deficit.. Once I hit my goal I may care more but until then I just want to see a lower body fat %!
  • Annabel89
    Annabel89 Posts: 63 Member
    Of course- sorry for the generalisation.
  • AllTehBeers
    AllTehBeers Posts: 5,030 Member
    I really only care about the deficit.. Once I hit my goal I may care more but until then I just want to see a lower body fat %!

    Me too.

    That said, I've also added a lot of vegetables, fish and chicken to my diet just so I can eat a bigger volume of food. As much as I love fast food, not much fits into my daily routine.
  • Nanook8
    Nanook8 Posts: 33 Member
    I want to be healthy, so while I do watch the calories as a basis for weight loss, I really want to eat healthy, quality foods and use Myfitnesspal so log and keep up with what I am putting in my body. I guess you can lose weight eating packaged food if you stay under your calorie count, but from what I can tell, you get to eat LESS food that way. Healthy foods, fresh vegetables and fruits, allow you to actually fill up while losing weight. At least this it what works for me. To each his/her own.
  • Melarie59
    Melarie59 Posts: 44
    I am 53, in pretty good shape..just have this extra insulation I want to get rid of! I think I am paying more attention to what I eat, and eating clean, because I am older...and I want to be healthy and do what I can to preserve that health. Everything I read says that what you eat is 80% of your success to achieving a healthy fit body. that being said, I think everyone needs to do what they feel is best for them!

    By the way, we have the same goal weight...good luck to both of us! Happy New Year!

    ML
  • AllTehBeers
    AllTehBeers Posts: 5,030 Member
    I want to be healthy, so while I do watch the calories as a basis for weight loss, I really want to eat healthy, quality foods and use Myfitnesspal so log and keep up with what I am putting in my body. I guess you can lose weight eating packaged food if you stay under your calorie count, but from what I can tell, you get to eat LESS food that way. Healthy foods, fresh vegetables and fruits, allow you to actually fill up while losing weight. At least this it what works for me. To each his/her own.

    I guess it depends on where you're at too. With the small amount of weight you want to lose, quality becomes more important. For me, just losing the 100 pounds I still have to go would do wonders for my health, no matter what I ate to lose it.
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
    I want to look good nekkid.

    I try to do this by getting my daily share of decent protein sources, cutting the trans fats, trying to get my Omega 3's, buying local, grass fed and been read a bedtime story every night beef, etc.

    I've read all the 'real food' books and still, I just want to look good nekkid.

    Health? Tell me about it when I look Fakkin Awesome.

    And, damn it, I'm winning the battle. Hell yeh.

    My aim is to look like a gym bunny having never ever entered a gym, ever.

    And I will get there, very soon.

    I suppose I could insert something in here about wanting to be around longer for my daughter and guff like that but actually I just want to look good ... ... Nekkid. Because I am selfish and my ego is king.
  • Zekela
    Zekela Posts: 634 Member
    I care about both. Some foods are high in calorie but low in nutritional contents to meet daily needs. So, I have to watch what I eat as well as the caloric content in food. For example, I have been maintaining my caloric needs but my sodium intake was high. I checked my blood pressure and I was pre hypertensive... I weigh 125lbs, exercise freak, excellent heart and blood sugar level but pre hypertensive! This is definitely not good since this will lead to strokes and the likes. What good is it, watching calories only when you may die from bad eating? Not good, might as well eat whatever I want, enjoy and die happy... lol. Therefore, I think it's essential to watch what you eat.
    Also, you should know your nutritional and caloric needs. MFP is just a suggestion. For example, I do not agree with eating 1200 cals a day. That just sets one up for binge eating when off the diet. I think it should be a life long change. And, sometimes mfp may tell you that this is what you need but in fact it isn't! For example, I'm always over my daily sugar intake. ALWAYS! However, I have a tendancy of low blood sugar level. If I cut my sugar level according to what mfp suggests, I'd end up deficient.
  • elisha8685
    elisha8685 Posts: 20
    I think many people find that when they count calories they end up leaning towards healthier foods because you get so much more bang for your buck. I care about both and constantly check my nutrient reports to see if I am consistently deficient in anything. When one doughnut has the same amount of calories as a nice big turkey sandwich, I'll take the turkey sandwich 9 times out of 10.
  • KarenJ15
    KarenJ15 Posts: 81 Member
    I am really trying to pay more attention to what I eat, not just the calories. Especially the sodium. It makes me feel gross and bloated, so I try to stay under the recommended amount set for me. It seems to work for me. I find it is easier to make healthier choices as I go along. I never used to be much of a label reader, but I read them now automatically.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,207 Member
    For me, it's all about the food, but I'm biased, I'm a chef.
  • quirkytizzy
    quirkytizzy Posts: 4,052 Member
    I think many people find that when they count calories they end up leaning towards healthier foods because you get so much more bang for your buck. I care about both and constantly check my nutrient reports to see if I am consistently deficient in anything. When one doughnut has the same amount of calories as a nice big turkey sandwich, I'll take the turkey sandwich 9 times out of 10.

    This. I eat plenty of processed and some junk foods still, but have learned to limit them. That high calorie doughnut just isn't going to keep me as full as the turkey sandwich. I hate being hungry!
  • Carol_L
    Carol_L Posts: 296 Member
    I care about calories only to the extent that I get to around 85% of my TDEE. My focus is on balancing my macros - protein/fat/carbs in a 40/40/20 ratio right now.

    When I do that, the calories pretty much take care of themselves.
  • bcf7683
    bcf7683 Posts: 1,653 Member
    When I was losing weight, I was less concerned about my macros/mircros. Now that I'm trying to put some weight back on in muscle, it's a little trickier, so I monitor everything from calories, protein, carbs, fats, etc.
  • bsmith404
    bsmith404 Posts: 333 Member
    I want to be able to eat a lot so I eat healthy for the most part. Today I wanted a sandwich with chips, which of course I could have had but for less points believe it or not, I was able to have honey glazed salmon, asparagus, and 1/2c of brown rice. I'm full and satisfied. Besides I'm going to dinner so I wanted to save calories for that.

    I like to mess around with my calories on here and find the best healthy fulfilling meal.
  • lotusspark
    lotusspark Posts: 367
    Coming from the size I once was, 316, were I to completely void foods I liked I might fall into a serious binge, as I have seen many others done. I don't deprive myself but the holidays are over and my goal is more serious, the foods I eat are generally tracked by cals alone but I also watch my fat/protein/sugars.
  • amyann2
    amyann2 Posts: 69 Member
    At the moment I would like to lose about 11 pounds, but was at my "goal weight" (I go to Weight Watchers) within the last few years and I plan to use MFP to look at my overall calories, fat, fiber, etc., while making the kind of food choices I learned at WW. to further complicate things, Santa brought me a Nike Fuelband, which is probably similar to WW's new 360 device, but which I think I will trust more. (I had a WW pedometer that was garbage, and my WW calculator is a nightmare to use -- the buttons barely work.)

    I may be going a little crazy, but I do find that a multi-pronged approach seems to work better for me.
  • amyann2
    amyann2 Posts: 69 Member
    I should also mention that while losing on WW, when I paid close attention to my food choices, I tended to lose more. The exact number of points didn't seem to matter as much, within a reasonable range, of course.

    I do believe that the only way to lose weight is make sure calories in < calories out, but I also believe that choices within that framework affect the rate and effectiveness of weight loss. And choices definitely affect how full you feel!
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    I care about my total cals and my macros. I care about how things taste.

    I care very little about the processed/packaged/salted/preserved/hormoned/pesticided/whatever else nature of what I am or am not eating.
  • Lalouse
    Lalouse Posts: 221 Member
    I think there's a mix of people. Lots of people who are trying to "eat clean" and lots of people concerned about the kinds of things they eat, not just the calorie counts. There are people concerned with their carb intake, or sugar intake, or people concerned with sodium, fat, etc..

    There are some people on MFP trying to gain weight too, because they are underweight or just want more muscle. I think for people who are really obese, or who are starting out after a long time, their primary goal may be the calorie deficit, and that's not unreasonable.

    So you'll find all kinds of people here!
  • Bobby__Clerici
    Bobby__Clerici Posts: 741 Member
    Hi All,
    I've noticed a few people on MFP who seem to only worry about the end calorie deficit, not the quality/health benefits of the food they are eating.
    I know we are all on here to lose weight, so I was wondering if your primary focus is the healthiness of your diet, or just the end calorie deficit?
    Any thoughts welcome!!
    Weight loss is a primary focus - sure.
    And that is just part of the overall picture. Yes, clean eating is important, but what I enjoy about MFP is that there is not an intense focus of the various fad "diets" out there.
    Those are such scams.
    Just eat right, maintain a deficit and lose weight slowly in a safe and lasting way.
    Exercise smart....make positive connections with others.
    No pills.
    No crash diets.
    No BS.
    I enjoy keeping it real, because I am in this for life, and as another said.
    It's about fitness - not diet.
    :flowerforyou:
  • YoungDoc2B
    YoungDoc2B Posts: 1,593 Member
    Nah, I focus on the bigger picture. I don't just want to be slim, but to be healthy with a nice physique. Simply focusing on calories will definitely help you lose weight, but you will not be as healthy internally
  • BurtHuttz
    BurtHuttz Posts: 3,653 Member
    I think many people find that when they count calories they end up leaning towards healthier foods because you get so much more bang for your buck. I care about both and constantly check my nutrient reports to see if I am consistently deficient in anything. When one doughnut has the same amount of calories as a nice big turkey sandwich, I'll take the turkey sandwich 9 times out of 10.

    This. I eat plenty of processed and some junk foods still, but have learned to limit them. That high calorie doughnut just isn't going to keep me as full as the turkey sandwich. I hate being hungry!

    These. I started at just a deficit, saw results in terms of weight loss, but found myself hungry. Over time, I started eating better foods solely because "better" actually equates to "more physiologically satisfying". Now I eat pretty clean (last month notwithstanding) solely because I can do so much more on a belly full of good stuff. Back to weight loss - all that matters is the deficit. Everything else is go-faster stripes and racing slicks.
  • freckledrats
    freckledrats Posts: 251 Member
    Counting calories is tough to start, and it's a great way for beginners to get into this lifestyle change thing.

    It's true that there's a lot more to being healthy than just losing weight. Counting calories helps you lose weight, so it's a definite starting place for someone who's not great at dieting and making healthy choices. Once you're pretty good at counting calories, it's a good idea to step up your game and make some changes in other directions too, but nobody here is making anyone do anything.

    If all you care about is calories, that's your business. Maybe that's all you can stick to. I can respect that. Anything is better than nothing. Some folks don't really give a crap about being perfect with their diet (or even pretty awesome). They just wanna lose weight. That's their business. Step up offa their grills.

    Let's not discourage these folks by scaring them off with 50 new lifestyle change suggestions, okay?

    I'm proud of you, calorie counters!
  • Khittle123
    Khittle123 Posts: 24 Member
    yes an no. I care about calories when it doesn't seem to have any nutritional value to me. I don't care about calories when the food does have nutritional value, such as fruits or veggies. The healthy benefits outweigh the amount of calories that I would consume from that food.
    I personally am just using MFP to just track my food and see where I can make improvements. The calorie tracking isn't as important to me as it would be to someone else.
  • Goal_Driven
    Goal_Driven Posts: 371 Member
    I care about the calories.. but I also care about the protein, fiber, carbs, sodium and now trying to work more on my sugar intake... that's a tough one since most my sugar comes from fruit. :ohwell:
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/817188-iifym
  • xxcooneyxx
    xxcooneyxx Posts: 221 Member
    I think we are all here to get to our different goals. I would say at the beginning of my weight loss journey It was just about calories to me. ALL I cared about was being under my calorie goal. Once I got used to that and managed it well I started caring about my activity level. I started exercising. After quite a while I became used to being an active person who ate under her calorie goal. Then as time went on I started to care about how much protein I was eating, got used to getting lots of protein while exercising and being under calorie goal. Then I tracked Carbs too. Then I tried to get more fruits and veggies. Then I started adding juiced veggies into my diet. Then I tried to eliminate most animal products from my diet.

    If you approached me at the beginning of all this and told me "You are going to be an exercising Vegan who juices, eats low carbs and high protein and stays under 1,200 calories a day." I would have told you to F*** off. It's all about small changes over long periods of time and I think most people just start off with being under their calorie goal, but the healthier they become, the better they feel, the more they chase that healthy feeling.

    At least, this has been my experience. If you try to fix EVERYTHING at once, you will get overwhelmed and quit.
  • lisalower
    lisalower Posts: 30 Member
    I've developed some weird habits from various diets over the years. Fat limiting diets, carb limiting diets, high protein diets etc. etc. it's getting so that I've lost the basic understanding of the concept of "calories in less than calories out" to lose weight.

    So it's refreshing to use this site and count calories.

    Having said that, I wrote my food diary in advance of today and noticed I was getting over my calorie target. I had two choices, up my exercise or reduce my eating plan. When I looked at the total I noticed more fat and protein had creeped in than suggested,so I looked for an item to cut that was higher in protein and fat - it was the grated cheese I was adding to my tacos tonight and it brought me under my target, but also rebalanced my nutrients to a healthier place.

    I know I'm just starting here, and know next to nothing, but wanted to share what's happening for me based on intuition.

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