Are you really losing weight by counting calories?

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latoyasmith1985
latoyasmith1985 Posts: 71 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I want to know the truth lol.. Are you really losing weight by just counting calories and exercise? Is counting your calories teaching you to make better decision? What are you doing to make sure you stay under your calories? If you don't mind please also tell me you start weight and current weight from when you started counting your calories? I am just a little curious.
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  • AvsFreak
    AvsFreak Posts: 152 Member
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    Yup. Just counting calories and exercise.

    Losing weight is nothing more than calories vs calories out. I have eaten better now I admit. Knowing how many calories is in something that I used to eat every day is shocking sometimes. I still enjoy myself every now and then, just make sure it fits in for the day. I was 350 pounds and am now 240. I lost 140 pounds in 2 years and put on 40 last year trying to gain some muscle. (And working two jobs and not eating right, my fault I know) Now I am back at cutting for summer and have lost 10 pounds in a month.

    I tried all the fad diets over the years and would lose some weight, but it would come right back on when I stopped. I never counted calories though, and looking back I can see that I was probably really under-eating and starving myself. It wasn't sustainable. Nobody really told me how calories worked.

    I usually have my dinner planned out, use the left overs from dinner for lunch the next day and fill in the rest of my calories with whatever I am lacking (Protein, fats or carbs) Sometimes if I am having a big dinner, I skip lunch so I can enjoy it more. I weigh or measure everything I eat, other than veggies.

    Feel free to check my diary if you want.
  • RhonndaJ
    RhonndaJ Posts: 1,615 Member
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    Are you really losing weight by just counting calories and exercise?
    Yes

    Is counting your calories teaching you to make better decision?
    Yes. Examples: portion control, how many calories are in what foods.

    What are you doing to make sure you stay under your calories?
    Measure, weigh, record.

    If you don't mind please also tell me you start weight and current weight from when you started counting your calories?
    SW410
    CW350
  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
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    yes.

    If you boil it down, the only thing you really have to do to lose weight is count your calories and stop eating when you don't have any more left for the day.
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
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    I've lost 48lbs by counting calories. I started at 230lbs and I'm at 182 now.

    I eat what I want. I try to make good decisions as frequently as possible, but I'm not going to turn down cake at a birthday party. I have treats, but I keep it in my calorie goal. Sometimes, I go over. I have days where I don't count at all. But when I do count and I'm consistently under, I lose weight.
  • jj1983
    jj1983 Posts: 146 Member
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    Yes I have lost weight counting my calories and exercising. I started at around 164lbs, steadily with counting and exercising i've gotten down to 136. My goals are no longer about the number I see on the scale but how I feel and how my clothes fit. I am try to make sure I get around 30% of my daily calories from protien and I have not cut fat out of my diet as I feel the things fat gets substituted with are worse.
  • mdepko
    mdepko Posts: 283 Member
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    Yes, most definitely counting calories and exercise will work. It's pretty basic, I started at 342, I visited a couple websites, put in my information and they said top maintain my weight I need to eat over 3000 calories a day. Which I might say I was having no problem doing. So, eating less than that and not changing anything else about my lifestyle would allow me to lose weight. Adding in the exercise allows you to lose it a little quicker. MFP says I can eat over 2000 calories a day and meet my goals, but I try to keep it around 1500. I've dropped 19lbs in 2 weeks.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    Yes.
  • kjf1982
    kjf1982 Posts: 102 Member
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    I started at 382 and am currently at 367. Counting my calories has opened my eyes to the junk I was eating before. It's amazing how when you see what's really in something your appetite changes.
  • 1ConcreteGirl
    1ConcreteGirl Posts: 3,677 Member
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    I'm just curious....OTHER THAN watching calories, how do you think one would lose weight?
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
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    I want to know the truth lol.. Are you really losing weight by just counting calories and exercise?
    No. Counting calories doesn't make you lose weight. You have to count calories and make sure that you're taking in less than you're expending. If I was counting calories and taking in 4000 of them every day, the fact that I was counting them wouldn't make a bit of difference.
    Is counting your calories teaching you to make better decision?
    Being aware of what you eat and the calorie/macronutrient content teaches you to make better decisions.
    What are you doing to make sure you stay under your calories?
    Tracking them and not eating anymore when I reach my calorie goal. Simple as that.
    If you don't mind please also tell me you start weight and current weight from when you started counting your calories?
    SW: 263
    CW: 224
  • RevanCounts
    RevanCounts Posts: 7
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    I've been counting calories for two and a half weeks now. I eat everything, I'm eating about 1400 calories a day.
  • olDave
    olDave Posts: 557 Member
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    Yes...I am losing weight. It's a simple matter of calories burned versus calories eaten. I don't pay attention to anything but calories. I like to keep things simple.

    I started a month ago and have lost seven pounds.

    One thing to remember is not to be in a hurry. One to two pounds a week is a good AVERAGE. Don't weigh everyday expecting to see results. Stick with it for at least three months or don't even try this method.

    Good luck! :smile:
  • _Witsy_
    _Witsy_ Posts: 609 Member
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    Sure is the tried and true way to lose weight...
  • moustache_flavored_lube
    moustache_flavored_lube Posts: 849 Member
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    Yes
  • Erienneb
    Erienneb Posts: 592 Member
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    I want to know the truth lol.. Are you really losing weight by just counting calories and exercise? Is counting your calories teaching you to make better decision? What are you doing to make sure you stay under your calories? If you don't mind please also tell me you start weight and current weight from when you started counting your calories? I am just a little curious.

    Yes, and I'm not being insane with it. 30-45 min of cardio 4-5 days a week and an hour or so of lifting 1-2.
    Counting calories makes me make way better decisions and is teaching me to think critically.
    September 7th 2012 I was my highest weight ever at 307lbs which is also when I started counting calories. I started with the workouts maybe a week later.
  • CharityGC
    CharityGC Posts: 499 Member
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    I'm actually not in it for weight loss but with counting calories alone I lost seven pounds. I am doing it for my health and learning about portion control.
  • Cr01502
    Cr01502 Posts: 3,614 Member
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    I want to know the truth lol.. Are you really losing weight by just counting calories and exercise? Is counting your calories teaching you to make better decision? What are you doing to make sure you stay under your calories? If you don't mind please also tell me you start weight and current weight from when you started counting your calories? I am just a little curious.

    I don't lose weight by counting the calories.

    I lose weight by eating less of them.
  • LadyBeryl
    LadyBeryl Posts: 344 Member
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    Definitely. Exercise also helps.

    Logging everything I eat every single day kept my weight good for 6 years. I stopped logging and gained it all back plus. 1 year ago, I started again and it is working -- albeit slowly. This is what I need to do for the rest of my life (or until I'm served my meals).
  • BlessedWith3
    BlessedWith3 Posts: 152
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    I'm just curious....OTHER THAN watching calories, how do you think one would lose weight?

    Some people have lost weight by eating intuitively...nothing is off limits, they eat only when hungry and stop when satisfied. I have a friend who lost (and has kept off) close to 75 pounds this way. Me, I am never satisfied so I could not do that. :laugh:
  • mag2906
    mag2906 Posts: 57 Member
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    You bet. After a month of counting calories, it became clear that I'm doing just fine as long as I stay away from cookies, chocolate, and general over eating.

    It's very easy to lose track or conveniently "not notice" this small treats throughout the day. A cookie here, a piece of chocolate there. It seems like nothing but it adds up quickly.

    Counting calories is the best way to keep you accountable. I've been doing this since September, lost 15 pounds and also have pretty good feel now how much of what foods I can eat. I still measure and log everything - no second guessing.

    I happen to have cheat days but I do not plan them - they tend to find their way to me. lol
    Yet, still lost 15 pounds - yay me. Oh, and I exercise as well.

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