Is everybody just "counting calories"?

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Replies

  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
    I am also a carb-counter ... the calories are of secondary importance to me.

    I've cut wheat and sugar and I feel much better balanced.

    There IS no such thing as an essential carbohydrate. (based in science too, whodathunkit?).

    I started using MFP as a calorie counting exercise, realised what my body needed and now I laugh in the face of the macronutrient guidelines.

    Here are some side-effects of this, for me:
    - I feel full
    - I don't snack
    - The meals are tasty
    - My body composition is improving
    - My belt is no longer a decorative item and has a purpose
    - It just feels right AND is backed by scientific fact

    Scrambled eggs for brekkie with cayenne pepper, lamb steaks with leftover sausages and veggies for lunch and tuna bake with 3 cheese sauce and salad for dinner followed by a generous helping of red wine.

    Low fat cheese spread on some crackers? Don't make me laugh.

    We need fat, our bodies are fat, consuming fat will not kill you.

    Yes, there are arguments against it which will be endlessly rehashed but the science is there to back it up, unlike the relatively new concept (started in the 70s) of the 'low fat' starvation diet which is based on Bad Science.

    If yer interested then 'The Art And Science Of Low Carbohydrate Living' or 'Why We Get Fat' is a decent start.

    <Preaching from the pulpit ends, I promise only one a week>
  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
    I count ONLY CARBOHYDRATES.

    Calories are of secondary importance.

    If you want to LOSE BODY FAT, you must very very carefully track your CARBOHYDRATE INTAKE.

    Please tell me you're just trolling...
  • elfo
    elfo Posts: 353 Member

    When I stick to my calories and exercise I lose.
    When I stick to my calories I maintain.
    When I don't log I gain.


    THIS IS SOOOOOO TRUE!
  • lc52820
    lc52820 Posts: 76 Member
    My 2 cents. Don't count weight... use a tape measure instead. You also need more time - it takes a month to establish a new a habit.

    Not all calories are equal. My diet is paleo-inspired and lowish-carb. I use the calorie calculator here to get a rough esitmate, but I don't like the nutritent goals - adjust the protein and fat to be 35%, carbs 30%.

    I have found measuring myself to be helpful as well. I do weigh myself once a week but there have been times where I didn't lose any weight but I did lose inches, which was weird but encouraging.

    I've been trying to watch what I eat & exercise regularly but when my schedule gets busy it seems like exercise is the first thing to go. For awhile I was obsessive about it but right now I'm feeling like I need to find a way to renew my motivation. I haven't totally fallen off the wagon, but I'm not as enthusiastic as I was a few months ago.
  • mandelea
    mandelea Posts: 27
    I not only monitor not only my calories, but also my protein intake, I blog about my journey to keep my mind in the right place, I record my calories burned, and get advice on higher quality foods to improve my strength training progress.

    While it's essentially this site focuses on calorie counting, it also allows you to keep track of the quality of the calories that you're consuming and the nutrients that come along with them, and keep track of which workouts work for you.

    Weight loss isn't a cut and dry thing. Our bodies are complicated biological structures with way more components and systems than we seem to be able to keep track of. Monitoring correlations between what you eat, when you eat, what workouts you do, when you work out, how you feel in general, what the scale says, your measurements, how your pants fit, etc. etc. etc. is really where the money is at. Try new things and do what works for you.

    So weight loss isn't JUST calorie counting, that's just where you start. :)

    And as far as the carbs and fats thing goes - I would focus more on INCREASING PROTEIN rather than DECREASING the other two. By increasing your protein intake, your carbs and fats will automatically decrease just because you don't need them cuz you're full. Also more protein means more intense workouts. :D

    Beautifully said!
  • ebang8689
    ebang8689 Posts: 4 Member
    You may have reached the dreaded stage of "Plateau"... here is some info. with suggested tips..
    http://www.healthdiscovery.net/articles/15Plateau_tips.htm
  • Linda_Darlene
    Linda_Darlene Posts: 453 Member
    You got that right!
  • jenschnack
    jenschnack Posts: 112 Member
    Eat more calories! There are several topics about eating more to lose fit2fat is a good site to check out. I am 5'2" current weight 147.6 lbs and I am netting 1440 and still losing. I am even thinking about going up more calories. I exercise 2-3 times a week and make sure to eat back my calories. HRMs help you know how many calories to burn exercising.
  • ScottFree_66
    ScottFree_66 Posts: 200
    I first came to this site to help me track sodium after my cardiologist recomended the Dash diet. Later he told me I should also eat more potassium so i started tracking that as well.

    If I can keep my sodium down, I've found that my calories will usually be around what MFP set as my goal.

    It's a daily struggle and I've only been doing this for a month... right now it takes conscientious effort to eat correctly, but slowly I feel it is becoming a lifestyle.
  • Linda_Darlene
    Linda_Darlene Posts: 453 Member
    It's not just the amount of calories. I believe that it's the 'quality' of them as well. And exercise. How active are you?

    I tried losing weight a few years ago by just watching my calories without changing how I ate. I lost some weight, but it was tough going. This time I have been eating healthy high fiber, fruits, veggies and low fat foods. If I eat a protein meal first thing in the morning, I find I have a smaller appetite and end up having to work at eating more instead of the other way around. I am having better success.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    You may have reached the dreaded stage of "Plateau"... here is some info. with suggested tips..
    http://www.healthdiscovery.net/articles/15Plateau_tips.htm

    5 days in not a plateau
  • abodyjoe
    abodyjoe Posts: 4
    first off 5 days is nothing, just counting wont get fast results. you have to eat better, count calories and most of all you have to exercise in some way. exercise is the most important. as stated already don't go by the scale 100%. you'll see your clothes fitting looser first as long as your getting some exercise. i have lost 15 pounds in about 5 weeks.

    i'm seeing a dietition and she has me slowly changing my diet. replacing all kinds of foods with better foods. food with highewr fiber will hold you over longer. healthy snacks during the day are good. when you eat meat make sure its lean meat. my biggest thing is adding more veggies to my diet. i'm working on that now.

    good luck. don't stop. if it was easy then everyone would be 150 pounds.
  • jadedone
    jadedone Posts: 2,446 Member
    I started at the beginning of the year, and I am down a little more than 30 pounds.
    The pounds were falling off pretty steadily from January through mid March. And then things stopped, and are finally picking up again.

    From Jan - Mar I ate ~1600 calories and 25% of exercise calories. I exercised pretty intensely 3-4 days a week (50/50 strength and interval cardio).

    I didn't make big diet changes. I have been eating pretty clean for 5-7 years now. Before I ate the right stuff + dessert. I have now cut that back to dessert occasionally. I don't have a big appetite, but I struggle with being a member of the clean plate club. And eating too much of my faves (pastries, dessert, white rice, pasta) I am not an emotional eater, so I am just paying a lot more attention to portions.

    In April, I switched things up. I had been feeling much hungrier, and I upped my calories to 1750 (which should be about my BMR). I am exercising more consistently 4 times a week and I replaced the elliptical trainer with walking outside. Hunger isn't as much of an issue anymore.

    I probably have a slow metabolism. I am hypothyroid. A few years ago, I started a new job and added 10-15 miles of walking (during the commute) to my activity (up from 1 visits to the gym a week and not much else). This office also had stairs, so I did more daily activity. My calorie consumption probably increased around 500 a week. I had lattes and drinks a little more often, but the daily activity should have more than made up for it. After 18 months, I gained 15 pounds. Completely unfair.

    What I learned is my body only counts intense exercise as work, so my workouts are focused on the most intensity in the shortest amount of time.

    I also have a slightly different philosophy. I am only doing things I plan to in maintenance. I don't plan to add more workouts or workout time. Or eat any lower than 1500 calories. Because I won't want to do that in maintenance. So efficiency and sustainability are really key for me.
  • lc52820
    lc52820 Posts: 76 Member
    I first came to this site to help me track sodium after my cardiologist recomended the Dash diet. Later he told me I should also eat more potassium so i started tracking that as well.

    If I can keep my sodium down, I've found that my calories will usually be around what MFP set as my goal.

    It's a daily struggle and I've only been doing this for a month... right now it takes conscientious effort to eat correctly, but slowly I feel it is becoming a lifestyle.

    I've been trying to watch sodium as well since it is not good for blood pressure & high blood pressure runs in my family. It is difficult though because it seems like if you trade off on fat & calories, a lot of times there will be a lot of sodium or sugar in foods marketed as "healthy".

    Other people have encouraged me to not think about "diets" since those tend to be temporary but rather a lifestyle change. I try to focus on striving to be healthy rather than a specific weight or size.
  • ScottFree_66
    ScottFree_66 Posts: 200
    @lc52820 - I agree completely... I have been battling (and losing) blood pressure for over 10 years. I really hate that they (the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) call it the "Dash Diet". They should call it the "Dash Lifestyle". :)

    Lots of diet foods have more sodium than their non-diet variations. Before I came to MFP I thought I was eating healthy by going to subway. Now that I actually track the nutrients (sodium) in my food I realize that a 12" grilled chicken sub actually has over 2,000mg of sodium. even a 6" sandwhich would be too much sodium for one meal!
  • theladyy
    theladyy Posts: 176
    I just count them...I don't even really eat that healthy and I'm loosing between 1 and 2 lbs a week with 1500 calories. I have a ton of weight to lose though, so right now it's working well, but I know I'll have to start exercising and eating better after a while.
  • carld256
    carld256 Posts: 855 Member
    I count calories to keep myself honest and to avoid falling back into bad habits.
  • cspark1982
    cspark1982 Posts: 30
    When I first started I was rain 1200 cals and exercising but not eating back my exercise calories.
    Now most days I do .
    I would definantly suggest measuring to. Purely because at the time when you don't loose much weight you will proberly find you will loose a lot of cms
  • sinman22807
    sinman22807 Posts: 66 Member
    I count calories & exercise every day for atleast 1 hour... I eat 1560 calories a day (not including the extra calories you eat after you burn all the calories) Ive been doing this for almost 1 week now, and i was 173 when i started and according to the scale i weigh myself on at the gym, im down to 169. And i always try to leave atleast 200 to 300 calories left over at the end of the night.
  • dragonsheart84
    dragonsheart84 Posts: 75
    I weigh 235 and am 5'6. My calorie goal without exercising is 1780. This is set with a sedentary lifestyle because I stay at home and do online schooling. I have my goal to lose 1 lb a week. I have lost 13 lbs since Jan. I had some issues in March that I feel off the wagon. Use a measuring tape to measure. That was about the only thing that kept me sane for a while. Add me if you like.
  • adrian_indy
    adrian_indy Posts: 1,444 Member
    I've been counting calories and eating healthier than I used to for almost 2 weeks and, I was expecting a little more weigh loss but Im still happy with my progress. I was following a diet plan but no to the "t", it was more like a "guide" for me, but I was counting my calories, (not carbs or fat) and this week I haven't seen any weigh loss so far (5 days) I have a ton of weigh to loose so I'm a little dissapointed. I just need a little feed back on what is your program? Are you following a diet plan? or just counting calories? I cut back on carbs and fats too, I was wondering if that matters..... ?????

    I count my calories and try to eat as nutritiously as possible. Lean meats, frutis and veggies with the least amounts of sodium, trans fats, sugars, and artificial sweeteners as possible.

    Suprisingly, nutritious food is more filling and you can eat more of it. I had a 6 ounce lean sirloin the other day...210 calories in it. I could eat two of those for every hostess apple pie I can get at the gas station.
  • Jersey_Devil
    Jersey_Devil Posts: 4,142 Member
    theres a lot more to losing weight than just counting calories. it's a nice starting point, but there is sooooo much more to being fit than just calorie count.
  • HMonsterX
    HMonsterX Posts: 3,000 Member
    losing weight
    being fit

    Two different things entirely. For losing weight, it IS all just about the calories. Body composition afterwards however, is a different matter.
  • SlidingDown
    SlidingDown Posts: 64 Member
    Since starting logging food, I realised quickly that what you eat does matter in the battle. If you want to be able to stick to your calorie goal, you can't be consuming a day's worth of calories in one sandwich, for instance. So the flip side of that is that if you choose foods which are more filling, but low calorie, you can go through your day feeling satisfied and stick to your plan... and success will follow.

    With that in mind I started out by looking at Calories, and also Carbs / Protein / Fat, with a vague aim of eating more protein and less fat. After a while I noticed that the Sodium column was out of control (just never really looked at it before) so I started to pay more attention to all information on labels.

    For what it's worth, I'm on 1400 cal/day and most days I am fine with it, when I am making good choices. As I go about my day, I mentally allow an average of 300-350 cals for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner, plus 350 for snacks. If one of my meals is higher, I compensate with the others. So when I am making those good choices, an example would be for lunch I might have a big salad (about 600g) and then add to it 100g of either ham / cold chicken / tuna / egg. My calories for that lunch would come in between 200 and 320, with protein of up to 35g and carbs of less than 10g. And after that, I am not remotely hungry for a few hours, it really is satisfying. On the other hand if I had something like I would have before I started paying attention, the same calorie allowance might "buy" me half a sausage roll, and I know for a fact I would be hungry again a couple of hours sooner if that is what I ate. So yes, there's more to it than calories.

    I have a follow-on question though - any suggestions on ways to increase protein without increasing carbs and sodium?
    My current macros are set at Carbohydrates 40% / Protein 40% / Fat 20%

    In reality, I am consistently very close to my macro goals on carbs and fat, but only managing to eat about half of my protein goal most days.
    I am finding that the majority of food I would normally have has significantly more carbs than protein, so if I stop when I get to the carb limit, I am naturally going to end up with only half of the Protein.
    Also, on the rare days I managed to get all the protein and only go over a little on carbs, I see that I am WAY over on sodium!
    Protein and sodium seem to go together in many foods. Any tips would be welcome.
  • socalifas
    socalifas Posts: 2
    The thing a lot of people do is to overcomplicate this process of losing fat. For MOST of us, it really doesn't matter WHAT we eat, as long as we do the following:

    1) Eat a calorie deficit

    2) Hit your macros (Fat, Protein, etc)

    3) Lift heavy.


    There you go. That's it, for most people. Do that, and you will lose fat, while maintaining most of your muscle mass. All this cut this out, cut that out, dont have this, drink more of that etc are just ways to the same goal, and overcomplicate it.

    How you get to the calorie deficit can be through diet, exercise, or better yet, both. It's all I did, and it worked like a charm. :)

    Amen
  • LesliePierceRN
    LesliePierceRN Posts: 860 Member
    I don't count calories so much as I watch my macros and micros. I consider myself an athlete, I focus on the active side of the equation and feed myself to either fuel my workouts or recovery. Everything I eat has a purpose from that perspective, and I watch my macros and micros to decide what I need to eat when. If I need more protein, I choose something with protein. If I need more potassium, that's what I choose. So many people do it backwards.. they eat and then try to exercise it off. Remember, dieters aren't skinny.. athletes are.
  • Michellerawrrr
    Michellerawrrr Posts: 310 Member
    theres a lot more to losing weight than just counting calories. it's a nice starting point, but there is sooooo much more to being fit than just calorie count.

    This. I don't think I will ever stop learning and I like that!
  • Pauline39
    Pauline39 Posts: 5 Member
    I use a small kitchen scale to weigh fruits and vegetables and breakfast cereals (i.e. 100 g. fresh strawberries and . 52 g. Fiber One with Honey Clusters) and measure (i.e. 1/2 cup soy milk, starting the day watching the fiber and calcium first, During the day balance the macros, and later in the day, watch the calories and stop eating before reaching the calorie goal.
  • upperleft
    upperleft Posts: 2
    You flushed out a lot of water weight when your carb intake dropped. As long as you are patient and honest with your intake, the weight will come off.
  • squiggyflop
    squiggyflop Posts: 148 Member
    Yup, just calories. I do not bother with sodium because I really dont care about water weight. Fat weight is whats important. I eat whatever I feel like eating.
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