Is counting calories and exercising enough?

I still eat ice cream, cookies, and the occasional candy. The only things I really cut out are bread and pasta, because they're not very nutritious and I'd rather spend the calories on ice cream, cookies, and the occasional candy.

My problem is that I couldn't stop at one cookie or just a few potato chips. I had to cut all of that out and "reset" my awareness of food using a food scale and a low carb diet.

After a while, I don't really crave the stuff anymore. I'd like to say I don't ever touch it, but I'll be honest: I'll have a bite once in a while.

It's all about, for me at least, relearning all of the stuff I didn't learn about nutrition growing up.

ETA: Diabetes runs on my dad's side of the family and I've already inherited his hypothyroidism. It's working for me, and I RARELY feel deprived.

I also use MFP's calorie recommendations, I just set my macros up differently.

For me, to give up on something won't work. For me, moderation works.

Yes, I can have that cheesecake, but its THE ONLY snack I may have.

I can have that huny bun, but why? That's most of my calories for the day.

Yet, I find if I can control myself than I do fine but like Dancingj2 said. That's how I do it too. If I am really bad day, than its to the gym with me. So I can work off calories...

if only to eat dinner. It's working for me. Slow but it's working.

I have lost over 21 pounds since August and I haven't cut out a single thing from my diet. If I want to eat a cookie, I'll eat a damn cookie. If I want to screw up one day, I will screw up one day, and then exercise a little extra or pick myself up the next day, or the next meal even. I used to go into diets feeling like I was walking into a funeral or some kind of death sentence. Then I started here and, *lightbulb*, it can't be a "diet," it has to be a relationship with food. A HEALTHY relationship with food. If we are constantly telling ourselves that certain foods are "evil," it will make them forbidden, and it will make you want to stuff your face with even more of them. And you crash and burn and give up because you feel like a failure. If you even the playing field and put all foods equally, then a piece of broccoli is equal to a cookie is equal to a cheeseburger is equal to an apple, the "evil" foods lose their appeal. You start WANTING to eat a more balanced diet and more fruits and veggies because you realize you FEEL better when you stay within your calories!! You also start LIKING exercise, and LIKING to drink water instead of soda because of the same reason. I haven't felt this great since I was a kid!! I feel free!! And I feel happy! And I also feel like I'm worth it!! I feel like I NEVER want to go back to eating the way I used to. And I'm confident I never, ever will!! Take a peek at my diary. Some days are really crappy, some days are brilliant. And it's working for me. I never thought I could do it. But I am!! And you can too!!

The majority of the food that I eat is healthy meats, vegetables, fruits, and nuts. Sometimes I eat ice cream or other sweet treats. I stay within my calorie range and I make sure that I burn a good amount of calories throughout the day by wearing an HRM. If I find myself at a plateau I change my goals accordingly and I try not to snack as much. I drink a ton of water throughout the day. I'm not finding it hard to lose weight with the system that I'm following. My diet is kinda what I call Neo- Paleo I am Paleo for most of my week, but then I have snacks every so often. I keep an eye on my weight to see what foods affect my weight. I would love to go 100% Paleo, but I work in the Culinary Field, I taste different foods frequently and I work in a great place that gives us food somedays, I'm not going to deny a FREE meal. hahaha. I'm doing great though. I've lost 35 pounds in less than five months.

Two years ago I lost 35 pounds by counting calories and jogging. I ate reasonably healthy, but my diet consisted of a lot of carbs because I just plain love carbs. I had the occasional treat as long as the numbers worked out, including sweets and beer. I kept up my exercising even after I lost that weight and I managed to keep it off (for the most part) for two years.

I recently started trying to lose weight again and did the same exact thing. This time I could not lose at all. In order to start losing again I had to change what I am eating. I can't eat all the carbs and sweets that I love so much. What changed? I have no idea! But I have had to start eating a lot cleaner, eating more lean protein and less starch & sugar.

I think all you can do is listen to your body. Ideally, your diet should be something you can live with for the rest of your life if you had to (maybe not the amount of calories, but the kinds of foods). So you don't want to be so deprived that you won't ever stick with it, but you don't want to indulge so much that you get zero results.

I have lost, maintained, & bulked etc., all with calorie counting and exercise. I have very good control based on learning how to accurately track both. Works for me is the short answer. 140 lbs in 7 months.

Well I've been calorie counting/exercising for about 5 months now, and I've been pretty satisfied with the results. It isn't as complicated as I thought it would be. Since my journey I can't say that I eat healthy 24/7, in fact, I eat most of what I had, I just cut out on the things that consist of a lot of calories: sweets and fast food for example. Can't cut pop out though lol, I tried that, it's too addicting to me. Although I replace it with Arizona tea at times.

your mindset is perfect, if you deprive yourself of anything, it is going to be hard to succeed, when i want something extra, i do a little extra exercise for it.