Are you really losing weight by counting calories?

The pictures tell the story. Well done. I like your philosophy, logging for the rest of your life. Why not? Just like cleaning your teeth. If it becomes a habit, it should work. Kathryn(Sydney, Australia).

Yep counting & exercise as well here. My ticker says it all. I got to that weight in 7 months. Counting & exercise. No cheat days, no rest days & sure as hell no slacking off & making any excuses.

Exercise and eating right is the way to do it. Don't trust some magic pill or starving yourself. I count my calories and check labels carefully now. I won't go near a frozen pizza these days. Why have a bite of a pizza when I can have an entire chicken breast for the same calories? (Obviousy the chicken is lower in fat.)

My starting weight was 230. My current weight is 175. It has taken a year. I did slack off for a while. January 1, 2013 I weighed 202 pounds. So being serious about what I'm doing, I've lost over 25 pounds in 4 months.

Well, not really. I lost 80 lbs before I joined MFP and started counting calories. I continued to lose at about the same rate while I was counting them, and recently decided to stop. I was getting really preoccupied by numbers instead of just eating healthily. I've continued to lose weight at the same rate. So counting calories hasn't been that amazing for me, but for some people it really helps keep them on course.

Yes counting calories and exercise. I was 333 at Feb 28th I,m 297 now. I'm not actually finding it that difficult. Sorry I always feel guilty when I tell people I.m not finding it that hard. I,m aiming for a fitness level near what I was 10 years ago

A few years ago, I lost about 30 pounds and got back to my skinniest (Junior High) weight by counting my calories. I also did lots of Tae Bo! I made exercise a habit. It definitely helped me to make better choices. I got pretty good at estimating how many calories were in what- although I always double-checked to be sure. I gained all of it back and more when I stopped exercising and especially when my eating habits went back to my "normal". I'm giving it another go and am hoping I will have as much luck as I did before when I was consistent and stuck with it. Good luck to you!

I honestly don't know why counting calories gets such a bad rap! Why wouldn't you keep track of how much you're eating? The total amount of calories you eat in a daily basis is extremely important when you're dieting, so naturally you should actually keep track.

When I count calories it forces me to look at what I've eaten on a given day and cut back if I'm eating too much. You can overeat if you're not keeping track of what you're eating and how much you're eating. I think that it's just too much effort for some people, but you don't need to actually pull out a calculator and count them up.

I have a general idea of how many calories I consume on a daily basis, I don't write down what I eat, but I know how many calories are in what I eat. For example I may eat a breakfast burrito that has 200 calories so I know that for breakfast I consumed 200 calories and I add that to my rough estimate of how much I eat for lunch and dinner.

I've lost 32 lbs. already just by watching how much I eat and I'm going to start to also pay more attention to what I'm eating as well. However, remember that counting calories only helps if you're eating proper foods. If you're just eating a bunch of junk food counting calories doesn't have the same effect it would if you were eating healthier foods.

103lbs down yep1 it works believe all the hype you want the only way to do it is eat healthy, exercise, cut portion sizes and make sure what you put in is less than you burn.

Doctors tell us the truth might not be what you want to hear but believe me it's the only way that worked for me

Week 1 of my 'restart' and counting calories and eating clean as possible but also walking as much as possible each day and I have lost 8 lbs. Hodgie x

i started at 265 and down to 218. i started to get serious januray 1st. it was very hard at first trying to balance things. but i have found what works for me now. i eat generally 1800 calories a day. high protein. and i exercise an hour a day. i do have days where i go over and i do have days i dont get exercise. but i go into everyday as a new day and dont get caught up if i mess up. i do not wear a heart monitor and i dont own a scale to weigh food. but i do watch more of what i eat and read labels. no fad diet or pills here. i eat junk food and fast food. i keep it real. and my progress shows its working....

Yes, I just count the calories, I don't worry about the burn it know it will fall it place & eat right

I've been on here a while as a member, but I neglected it for months. So, I actually officially started 10 days ago at 128lbs. This morning I weighed in at 123.6. It's really impressive being aware of what calories go in vs. out can do.

And to mention, I've eaten better food for sure, but I haven't cut out the junk completely. I never realized calories were more important to keep track of than other things, I can see my abs coming through where the fat used to be it's seriously amazing.

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 didn't read all the replies but I can answer this easily. I am losing weight by calorie counting but I do believe calorie counting has taught me to make better food choices and it has taught me moderation which is something I severely lacked as an overweight person my whole life. I see my allotted calories as money that I can "spend" each day. If I want a treat I decide whether it is worth it to spend so much on one calorie dense item or to eat much more food for the same amount. Sometimes I do have that treat and sometimes I find a better alternative. It is all about balance, not deprivation. I started at 250 and I am down to 150. My current coal is 145 and my ultimate goal is 130