Are you really losing weight by counting calories?

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Replies

  • Bumdrahp
    Bumdrahp Posts: 1,314 Member
    YEP!!! I have lost between 48-50 lbs ( fluctuates) just by calorie counting, and some work outs...or just simply walking.

    SW around 245
    CW 197

    Some days are MUCH harder than others, since I used to just eat whatever whenever I wanted.. ( dunkin for breakfast, sandwich for lunch, mcdonalds for dinner.. icecream later on...this was the norm) and now that my body is used to healtheir choices, it's been harder for the weight to come off.. but it's still coming off, and I feel better than ever.
  • drchimpanzee
    drchimpanzee Posts: 892 Member
    No, counting calories is not helping me long-term. It's making me obsessed with food and measuring it. Making better food choices and eating when I am hungry, listening to my body, and staying active is actually what has helped me lose the most weight. I feel more stressed and lose less weight now that I have started counted calories again. I know how to eat. I just binge. So that's my problem. However, if someone has no idea of how many calories in most foods, I think calorie tracking is a useful tool. For me, I've been counting calories since grade school so I'm not learning anything new by doing it. I'm just being obsessive.

    Best answer I've read. Calorie counting is great if you want to figure out how you can squeeze a snickers bar and a piece of pizza in to your day but it mostly pointless if you're eating healthy. I didn't do it at all until recently when I started adding more "fun" foods back in my diet now and then.
  • sarahertzberger
    sarahertzberger Posts: 534 Member
    I started out as 185 and I'm now down to just about 178, I've only been doing it for 3 1/2 weeks and it is great, I haven't really changed what I ate because I do love food, and I can't just cut out stuff that I like to eat, I just eat less of it now, I feel so much better, I am losing the weight where as before I wasn't at all, and I am even starting to notice changes in my body I can see the weightloss and I know that the counting calories is helping me lose this weight. Just stick with it and you will see the results too.
  • LeahRandom
    LeahRandom Posts: 34 Member
    Start - 165.5 Current- 156.8 Goal -130 ish

    Yes!
    I lost weight before without counting, just eating healthier and excercise. This time around I didn't have a lot things like fast food to cut out, they were already gone. I did have lack of exercise, and too much dessert. My wife was making fun of me for measuring and weighing my food, until I told her by measuring out 1 tablespoon, I had realized that I had been putting about 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise on my burgers. Whether I keep good track each day or not, I am now more aware of portion size, calories, etc. and it helps me make better decisions. I don't measure/weigh all of my food, but now I know what many 'portions' actually look like.
    I exercise at least 3 days a week, mainly just walking and light strength training now, due to some injuries.
  • aladams83
    aladams83 Posts: 47
    Starting Weight: 150 lb
    Current Weight: 145 lb
    Goal Weight: 125 lb

    i've found that its not only counting the calories but learngin how many carbs, fats, protiens etc... that you are taking in. Exercising has def helped things along. I have def focused more on how I feel and look and go by measurements more so than the scale. I workout 6 days a week and eat right... and its been a nice steady journey to the me I want to be. :)
  • lucypeaks
    lucypeaks Posts: 96 Member
    oh yes! have been on here consistently since the 2nd January and have lost 13 lbs in just over a month (tracker shows less as i signed up before xmas and put on a few lbs,so it's counting from my previous lower weight!). I exercise most days and eat back some of the calories some of the time. If i want something naughty to eat i just do a little extra exercise! starting weight : 175lbs current weight: 162lbs....17lbs to go and i'll be a very happy bunny!
  • daj150
    daj150 Posts: 815 Member
    No, counting calories is not helping me long-term. It's making me obsessed with food and measuring it. Making better food choices and eating when I am hungry, listening to my body, and staying active is actually what has helped me lose the most weight. I feel more stressed and lose less weight now that I have started counted calories again. I know how to eat. I just binge. So that's my problem. However, if someone has no idea of how many calories in most foods, I think calorie tracking is a useful tool. For me, I've been counting calories since grade school so I'm not learning anything new by doing it. I'm just being obsessive.

    Best answer I've read. Calorie counting is great if you want to figure out how you can squeeze a snickers bar and a piece of pizza in to your day but it mostly pointless if you're eating healthy. I didn't do it at all until recently when I started adding more "fun" foods back in my diet now and then.

    Sadly, portion control is typically one of the most common culprits when deciding you want to stop calorie counting. So, although I agree with the statement, and I really hate how counting has made me obsessed with food and measuring, I, and many others, find it really hard to reach that mental point where you can (without thinking) limit your portions.
  • porkchop_13
    porkchop_13 Posts: 122
    Yes, it's really my only reason for using MFP
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
    I think so. I weigh 5 lbs less than I did in January. I'm curious about something from you OP. What else did you think would be involved? Is there some other thing you feel needs to happen to lose weight?
  • PomegranatePriestess
    PomegranatePriestess Posts: 2,455 Member
    I've lost 40 lbs in 165 days by just logging my foods and exercising vigorously approximately five days a week.

    Yes, I make better choices because seeing the food on the page shows me its nutritional value in relation to the goals I have set for myself in order to lose weight.

    Measuring my foods has been a tremendous help. I use a digital scale that cost me less than $20, and a set of measuring cups and measuring spoons. These tools help me log my food accurately.

    Planning my meals has been invaluable. I use a grocery delivery service (Peapod) -- the website helps me plan more effectively and efficiently. It allows me to quickly and easily see what I am bringing into the house: I can check labels online. I can also see what percentage of my order is produce (almost half of my items usually come from this section), how much protein, dairy, etc. I can also stand right in my kitchen and see what I already have, check recipes in my book for what I might need, etc. and order it all right then. It has cut down on the volume of food that goes bad and has to be tossed.

    For exercise, I have tried to vary what I do so as not to get bored. I do cardio and High Intensity Interval Training (think Crossfit). One night a week, I do water aerobics. Twice a week I typically do some form of equipment-based steady-state cardio, like the elliptical or treadmill. Sometimes, I do intervals on those machines. I did my HIIT class three times a week in January; I'm dropping it down to twice a week now to incorporate more lifting and circuit training at my gym. I have a personal training appointment scheduled for this Thursday.

    For me, making subtle changes in my typical food intake and increasing my activity level has paid off. I am healthier and happier as a result. There's no big secret to what I'm doing. I think almost anyone could do this as long as they put their minds to it.
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
    I'm just curious....OTHER THAN watching calories, how do you think one would lose weight?

    I dont count calories, i dont log food, i eat primal/paleo, lots of protien from fish, meat, eggs, bacon, lots of veggies, nuts and fruits for snacks. The protien keeps me full so I dont have those constant hunger cravings, because i stay full, i nautrally control portions becasue i dont have to eat as much (which limits calories) and I dont haev any blood sugar spikes and crashes which REALLY used to make me hungry. I maintain an 80/20 paleo lifestyle since Jan 1 this year and I've lost 12 lbs so far.

    I did a no calorie counting plan called somersize. it took me 6 months to lose 51 lbs that way. there is a new version now which I don't know anything about so I refer to the old version circa 2001. I stayed thin for a few years that way before a couple surgeries put my weight back on, I know that doesn't happen to everyone, but it happened to me.
  • wormy80
    wormy80 Posts: 64 Member
    bump
  • sunsnstatheart
    sunsnstatheart Posts: 2,544 Member
    I lost about 50 pounds by counting calories. It's the only thing that worked for me.
  • monicalosesweight
    monicalosesweight Posts: 1,173 Member
    Yes. But, I also eat back my exercise calories. :)
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    nah it's just a gimmick
  • Trilby16
    Trilby16 Posts: 707 Member
    Counting calories is a great way to lose weight because you are working within a "budget" but have no other restrictions. It helps you get real about what you're putting in your mouth. When you start to learn how many calories are in your food, you re-evalute what's worth eating and what's not.

    I worked for me a few years back but then I slipped and slowly gained. This time I am exercising as well. And tracking calories and exercise on this site is fun.
  • sozisfitnow
    sozisfitnow Posts: 209 Member
    Yes thanks
  • _Witsy_
    _Witsy_ Posts: 609 Member
    Yes and no!

    You can count all your calories but if they are coming from a bad source of nutrition it doesn't change a thing!

    Speaking strictly for weight loss, the source of the calories does not effect whether you lose weight. Calorie deficit does.
  • DocMarr
    DocMarr Posts: 132 Member
    So, I have a similar question... for you who lost using only the calorie counting method. Did you use the calculator here on MFP to arrive at your "goal calorie" Intake? Do they differ at different sites?
    They differ because MFP puts you at a base level of calories based upon your normal daily activity level (minus exercise), then expects you to eat back the calories you burn exercising. Many other sites factor exercise into your daily base calorie level.

    A different method that some use here is detailed in Helloitsdan's "In Place of a Roadmap" post:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    In this method, you calculate your total daily calorie burn (with exercise and activity included), then take a straight cut from it. The catch is that you need to be honest about your daily activity levels (and stick to them), or you could be consuming too many (or too few) calories.

    Thanks for the help. I read this nice man's post and am shocked at the much higher number of calories the website he suggests I look into tells me to use. I have been STARVING TO DEATH using the calorie guidelines MFP suggested...and not losing weight . This website he suggestes gives me about 500 calories more per day. I am kind of confused but will up my calorie intake and see if that helps. I appreciate your kind feedback. Thank You.

    I sooo want to back up that starving yourself is not the way to go. I lost 31 pounds eating an average of 2000 calories per day. I set myself at maintenance levels for a sedentary lifestyle (which would allow me about about 1600 calories), I got myself a fitbit to measure my activity, so it was pretty accurate, and then just ate about 250 calories fewer per day than I burned. However, as 1600 was never enough for me, I exercised for the extra calories I needed. So I did an average of around 400-600 calories of exercise a day, 6 days per week, to give me the deficit I needed (much of which was built into my day like walking, climbing stairs etc that Fitbit records but people often ignore unless it's 'formal' exercise in the gym). So I'd eat 2000 but burn around 2200-2300.

    I have seen lots of diaries where people set themselves up with a goal of 1200, which would already give them a big deficit, and then leave lots of calories over. I can understand - people like to see the green and not the red at the end of the day - so they eat under goal. But if the goal already has a big built in deficit then it makes your deficit too big. So working back from maintenance level, so I could see my actual deficit, made sense to me.

    It meant a slow but steady loss of about half a pound a week. I started in November 2011 and reached target in April 2012 and I have maintained my weight to within a pound if that since last April, as I have now reached a balance at 145lbs. Doing it slowly is far better than losing it quickly - you learn better habits and how to balance your intake with your output. Lose it fast - like in a 'diet' and you tend to pile it all back on again when you 'stop dieting'. Learning how to handle foods sensibly and how to build exercise into your day, is a more likely recipe for long term success.

    Good luck to both you and the OP on your journey.
  • WhoTheHellIsBen
    WhoTheHellIsBen Posts: 1,238 Member
    I'm just curious....OTHER THAN watching calories, how do you think one would lose weight?

    If you eat enough then gain enough weight to the point where your butt get's sooooo big you can't see it anymore technically you have lost all that weight...right?:noway:
  • strawberrylola
    strawberrylola Posts: 36 Member
    yes :happy: its as easy as that
  • agoofynut
    agoofynut Posts: 101 Member
    Are you really losing weight by just counting calories and exercise?


    Yes, and for several months by counting calories alone. Exercise is still pretty new for me.
    Is counting your calories teaching you to make better decision?

    I definitely make better decisions.
    What are you doing to make sure you stay under your calories?

    I log every bite. And I mean EVERY bite. No "taste testing" while making dinner or it's logged. I build recipes in here to be sure that I'm tracking my food correctly and I weigh/measure everything.
    If you don't mind please also tell me you start weight and current weight from when you started counting your calories?

    SW 340
    CW 224.8
    This has taken around 15 months.
  • witchy_wife
    witchy_wife Posts: 792 Member
    The general consensus is YES here, but be mindful of the quality of foods.

    Yes, Calories In < Calories out = weight loss, but if you're aiming for a healthy, long term resullt and maybe eventually tone up, it's much more than the number.

    I've just met with a nutritionist last night. She was explaining to me that we can often get too caught up with the caloric numbers and that it's better to have a 300 calorie meal/snack that is balanced between protein and carbs vs having that 90-calories cereal bar. She says, with nutritious foods, we feel fuller longer, and at the end of the day, you end up consuming the same amount of calories within your MFP budget because you are eating smaller portions of these nutritious, more satisfying foods. Makes sense, every time I have one of my "low-calorie snacks," Im hungry and hour and a half later.

    I'm also a HUGE fan of never depriving yourself, like LoraF83 says. Enjoy the things you love, but in moderation. It's all about balance. I may have an extra glass of wine (or two), but that just means I have to work out harder the next day, or balance out my meal choices across the rest of the day.

    Hope this helps...

    Yep, exactly this. Staying in calorie defecit and getting some exercise will result in weight loss, but some foods will help you feel more satisfied.

    I grabbed one of the kids yoghurts this morning as I fancied one, when I logged it after I was shocked to find it was 200 calories. It didn't fill me up in the slightest. If I'd logged it before eating I would have chosen something more filling.

    Things like 90 cal special K cereal bars are nice, but I could eat like 5 without feeling full lol. But if I had some of my home made flap jack with oats and raisins and nuts in, might be 350 calories but much more satisfying treat than special k bar (or 5 lol)
  • ldbuster0
    ldbuster0 Posts: 207
    Yes, counting calories(tracking) makes me aware of how much I really eat. Without counting calories, there is no way I would lose this extra weight. I exercise, mostly cardio and yoga, about 3 to 4 times a week.
  • WhoTheHellIsBen
    WhoTheHellIsBen Posts: 1,238 Member
    I don't count calories. I lose weight by a strict diet of HCG, Rasberry keytones, green tean, and Green coffee grounded up and mixed into my body by vi/ herbalife / shakeology shake. IT....IS...MAGIC!
  • bpwparents
    bpwparents Posts: 359 Member
    Yes it works!! I started out at 263 and am down to 205. Using MFP counting calories has made me aware of what I was eating and how much of. Even the "healthy" stuff wasn't so healthy.
  • MZWHITE1
    MZWHITE1 Posts: 1 Member
    I totally agree, becuase I lost a lot of weight almost 10 years ago and I didn't exercise. This time around I weigh more, but I'm in smaller size and exercise. So I'm with you it's all about size to me.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    Yes.
  • MiniMichelle
    MiniMichelle Posts: 801 Member
    YES!! I've lost almost 35lbs (as of this am) from counting cals, watching what I eat, increasing my water, and making my portions smaller...

    I have YET to walk into a gym... its possible... Im not saying don't workout... I'm saying you can lose weight on MFP if YOU do the work by just watching what you consume!
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
    43 months ago I started at 560 lbs. and began watching my caloric intake and concentrating on my 3 main Macro's (Carb's, Protein's, and Fat's) and of course I could not walk back then so I had my Doctor right me a script for Aquatic therapy and I used water displacement to allow me to stand so that I could walk from one side of the pool (therapy pool) to the other and so my journey began.. Nothing has changed much still track my calories and macro's and am doing alot more different exercises along with walking and have lost a few pounds.... Best of Luck....

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