What exactly do I need to count to lose weight?

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minilees
minilees Posts: 4 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Sorry if this seems like a silly question to some people but I don't know where to start!

I am aiming to eat 1500 calories a day to lose weight steadily, what I want to know is could I eat this number of calories say from something full of fat like cake or do my food choices need to be low fat as well as calorie counted? I understand the health benefits of eating low fat nutritional foods but I am curious if I would still lose weight if I purely concentrate on the calories I consume and take no notice of fat, sugar and carbohydrates.
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  • farway
    farway Posts: 1,264 Member
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    Yep, you would lose weight eating 1500 if you just ate 1500 calories of jam doughnuts or fish & chips

    As you recognise, not healthy choices, but it really is calories in versus calories out, the healthy & nutritious option is of course the best one [and if loads of veg the most bulk & filling]

    I tend generally concentrate on calories & ignore the rest, but for me carbs are a big problem so I try & avoid high carb, like pasta, rice, bread etc if I can

    But you have to find what works for you & your li
  • dgodin67
    dgodin67 Posts: 10
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    Or you can do it the easier way and only count sugar calories (it is called "The 100") not a diet but a way of eating.:wink:
  • megsmom2
    megsmom2 Posts: 2,362 Member
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    Count calories. Everything else will fall into place if you're eating a good balanced diet. Low carb or low sugar can help you meet your calorie goals, but may not be your best nutritional choice.
  • jollyjoe321
    jollyjoe321 Posts: 529 Member
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    You can generally eat larger amounts of healthier foods, so you feel more satisfied.
  • minilees
    minilees Posts: 4 Member
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    Thank you for your replies :-)

    I will try just looking at the calories in foods I chose rather than worrying about fat and all the other stuff. It just worries me that even though something can be relatively low in calories, the fat in the food can be pretty high!

    Luckily I love veggies and stuff so that's a good place to start, I was just curious how you all lose weight counting calories when I seem to complicate it and confuse myself lol!
  • toutmonpossible
    toutmonpossible Posts: 1,580 Member
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    Count everything. It sounds as if you need to educate yourself about the calorie content of foods. Sometime in the future if you lose weight you can experiment with more streamlined methods that will automatically reduce your calories, such as eliminating most carbs and all sugar.

    Weigh your food with a digital scale.
  • minilees
    minilees Posts: 4 Member
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    Yes toutmonpossib, I certainly do need to educate myself in the calorie contents of things. I've been doing slimming world where it didn't matter about calories but there's just too much freedom to eat lots of food and it be ok on that diet! I need to go back to basics and learn portion control etc.

    I will be reading a lot of information through this website and research in order to start calorie counting the right way.

    Thank you all for your advice.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,104 Member
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    I have my fat set to 45% of my total calorie percentage for the day. Fats are not the devil. Just keep your calories in line. It takes a while to learn this stuff - like anything.
  • joeysfacts
    joeysfacts Posts: 83 Member
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    As I always say time and time again, it is not just the quantity of calories, but the quality of those calories. If you want to be lean and muscular, you should not be eating crappy sugary processed food. You should be filling up on lean proteins and healthy carbs. You will not get that 6 pack eating crap food. There is a thing called "skinny fat". Don't eat healthy and right, and you may still get skinny, but you may be a flabby skinny. This is just my opinion. Take it as you will.
  • Juelz2013
    Juelz2013 Posts: 33
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    The saying "You are what you eat" is very true. It's not just about being a certain size that matters, it's also about being healthy. I would choose to eat real wholesome foods most of the time and once in a while have a slice of cake or popcorn at the movies etc. When you treat yourself once in a while you won't feel guilty about it, you've earned it!
  • samntha14
    samntha14 Posts: 2,084 Member
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    If you're just starting out, just count the calories. Eventually you'll learn to maximize those calories and learn how much of each thing you can eat and what you should avoid. You may need to worry about macros, your carbs protein and such, as you progress or hit a plateau.
  • Velum_cado
    Velum_cado Posts: 1,608 Member
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    I used to count calories. Now that I've got some experience with it, I just sort of keep a general idea of how many I'm eating. That's all I've ever counted, but different things work better for different people
  • eazy_
    eazy_ Posts: 516 Member
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    I am curious if I would still lose weight if I purely concentrate on the calories I consume and take no notice of fat, sugar and carbohydrates.

    Yes
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
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    To lose weight: count calories

    To lose fat and be healthy: calories and macros. Aim for at least .35g fat per pound of body weight and 1g protein per pound of lean body mass while staying under your calories.

    It doesn't matter if your food is "clean"/natural or packaged
    It doesn't matter how many times a day you eat
    It doesn't matter what time you eat
    It doesn't matter if you want to do keto, paleo, vegan, etc.

    Just hit your macros and stay under your calories. For best results lift a few weights here and there and if you feel like it, you can do some cardio. Good luck!
  • lcfairbairn74
    lcfairbairn74 Posts: 412 Member
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    I would begin by focusing on the calories alone. The rest, you will learn along the way! :flowerforyou:
  • Ann_Marie_2x_MORE
    Ann_Marie_2x_MORE Posts: 68 Member
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    You COULD.... however, your body will feel a lot better, more energy, more motivation, feel better if you make healthier more nutritious choices.

    I like to say that I'm the fastest person suffering from starvation, if you give your body empty calories (no nutritional value) you may feel full for a couple of hours, but when you crash you're still going to be hungry, then eat more empty calories, then crash and are starving again (repeat however often you eat something with no nutritional value). However, if you give your body the nutrition it needs then you won't be hungry until your next meal. Then at that meal, if you give your body what it needs then you won't feel run down and hungry before your next meal.

    Eating right, I have more energy than I've had in years - and I'm starting to get to the point where I have to remind myself when to eat.
  • jo_marnes
    jo_marnes Posts: 1,601 Member
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    I would begin by focusing on the calories alone. The rest, you will learn along the way! :flowerforyou:

    This.

    You will soon learn which high calorie foods are not worth eating! I eat a LOT of low cal food as I prefer to eat larger quantities and feel satisfied. Use the database on here to get ideas as to what you can use as alternatives. Fruit and veggies are a great place to start - I make many a massive meal this way ;-)
  • ellew70
    ellew70 Posts: 222 Member
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    Thank you for your replies :-)

    I will try just looking at the calories in foods I chose rather than worrying about fat and all the other stuff. It just worries me that even though something can be relatively low in calories, the fat in the food can be pretty high!

    Luckily I love veggies and stuff so that's a good place to start, I was just curious how you all lose weight counting calories when I seem to complicate it and confuse myself lol!

    I think this is a good place to start. So many people don't realize how many calories they eat just straight up without any modifications. Start tracking where you are now... you'll see how small changes (smaller portions, mustard instead of mayo, fruit instead of chips) make big changes.

    From there you can start refining on things like lean protein, less carbs, good carbs, lower fats, etc. But see where you are first and get used to it.. and as you see results, you'll be motivated to look at the numbers more deeply.
  • Momjogger
    Momjogger Posts: 750 Member
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    I agree with lot of posters about primarily worrying about the calories first. Making slower changes on everything else will help and you will have to figure out over time what works for you. I eat more protein and fruits and veggies and less processed food - it is healthier and more filling as many posters have said. You will learn as you go!
  • minilees
    minilees Posts: 4 Member
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    I have decided I am going to start by just counting the calories but being aware of the fat/sugars/protein/carbs. I would like to get a lot of food for my calorie allowance so will try eating lower calorie foods and lots of fruit and veg.

    Some of you guys have had amazing weight losses. Congratulations to you all and thanks again for your input :-)

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