Count Calories or Be aware of your eating

Bluebox32
Bluebox32 Posts: 100 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Do you count your calories or do you just eat healthy portions?

Replies

  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,237 Member
    Count calories. How do you know what a healthy portion is if you're not watching calories? Just 2 TBSP of peanut butter, an apple, and a banana equal about 1/4 of my daily calories.
  • dawlschic007
    dawlschic007 Posts: 636 Member
    I count my calories still. After almost a year of logging food on a daily basis, I pretty much know how many calories are in the items I consume regularly and the portion size I can eat, but in the beginning, it was essential to count the calories until I learned all that information.
  • Nancy_hc
    Nancy_hc Posts: 123 Member
    I count my calories still. After almost a year of logging food on a daily basis, I pretty much know how many calories are in the items I consume regularly and the portion size I can eat, but in the beginning, it was essential to count the calories until I learned all that information.

    This - It took me some time to know how many calories were in my portions. So technically both.
  • pmaxson
    pmaxson Posts: 137
    I do both. Sometimes I find that counting calories because all-consuming. During those times I try to be very mindful rather than counting. However, I do probably eat more than I think I am when I am not counting. Do what works for you, realizing that you can vary your method.

    Good luck!
  • runfatmanrun
    runfatmanrun Posts: 1,090 Member
    I count my calories still. After almost a year of logging food on a daily basis, I pretty much know how many calories are in the items I consume regularly and the portion size I can eat, but in the beginning, it was essential to count the calories until I learned all that information.

    Yep, pretty much this.
  • ladevee
    ladevee Posts: 1
    Is there a specific diet plan or must I make my own based on calories? Need help getting started.:smile:
  • quill16
    quill16 Posts: 373 Member
    Counting, weighing and measuring works best for me . No excuses. :smile:
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    Do you count your calories or do you just eat healthy portions?
    I consider about a half-jar of peanut butter as a healthy portion, so I count calories instead.
  • MochaMixAZ
    MochaMixAZ Posts: 844 Member
    Both. I watch portions to not pass out with the calorie count. :-)
  • Lyra89
    Lyra89 Posts: 674 Member
    I counted calories while losing, then transitioned into maintenance, now I'm losing by just making sure I eat healthy and eat moderate portions throughout the day...calorie counting made me obsessive and restricted my freedom somewhat in living spontaneously. I find that meticulous planning and calorie counting gave me a disordered relationship with food & now I'm doing great! I maintained for a few months at the end of 2012 just eating healthy foods in whatever quantities filled me up (as I had reached goal weight) then gained a few lbs over the holidays as I indulged, but now I'm back to losing. Do what works for you - if you find that it feels like having a part time job, however, just use MFP for the support network like I do, and update your friends of your food choices in the newsfeed XXX
  • megleo818
    megleo818 Posts: 595 Member
    Do you count your calories or do you just eat healthy portions?
    I consider about a half-jar of peanut butter as a healthy portion, so I count calories instead.

    EXACTLY!! Gotta count.

    You can google menu plans of all sorts -- do a little digging online and you'll find tons of ideas. Have fun!
  • StephCoff1969
    StephCoff1969 Posts: 357
    I count mine... Every thing that goes into my pie hole gets weighed and measured out...
  • x_pix_x
    x_pix_x Posts: 21
    I weigh/measure and count everything, I've only just started so I have to. Just by doing it I can easily see how I've gained weight in the past because of the calories/fat I probably ate without realising or wanting to realise. If it goes in my mouth then it's weighed/measured and logged, for me personally it's the only way that I can be 100% sure of how much I'm eating. I've never really given a second thought to the coffee whitener I have in my numerous cups of coffee per day or the condiments/croutons/butter etc that I've been having that have probably actually increased my intake a lot along side the other stuff I was eating. Now that I account for and moderate every one of these things it feels great as I know how many calories I'm having from everything and can either substitute them or work them into my plan.
  • rosesigil
    rosesigil Posts: 105 Member
    I count every single calorie I consume. I home make evrything so I look up the calories of each ingrediant ( by typing in "How many calories in a cup of......" on google) and then add them all and then divide by the portions I'm cooking. This works, and is pretty fun. I have learned so much about what has lots of calories and what's a healthier choice. :flowerforyou:
  • Bluebox32
    Bluebox32 Posts: 100 Member
    Thanks for your input... I started counting calories this morning. My only issue with counting calories is I am a sticker and hold on to those calories as long as possible ... for that just incase. May sound stupid but I do. Sometimes with breakfast, 2 snacks and lunch I still have 500 calories for dinner. I dont know how everyone spaces out their food but I always have a hard time doing this. Not only do I have a hard time with calories I have a very restricted diet due to IBS and tons of food intolerances.

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