Does the calorie tracker really help you lose weight?

Hi! I've been using this app for about 12 months. It's really not the counter, its you. You need to make yourself accountable for what you consume, this tracker just puts in a better perspective. In other words, because you are visually looking at how many calories, sugar and fat you are eating in that particular meal, makes you want to change and make better choices. Don't get me wrong, its hard to keep track of every single thing you eat, but it gets easier along the way. Good luck!

I personally don't agree with calorie counting, but I believe in awareness of eating. What you eat really really matters.
I don't look at calories when I see my log. I see the portion of nutrition, especially if I eat too much sugar and too less protein. And there's difference when I care about what I eat or not. Logging is not the only way but a great way to be aware what you're eating. Exercise alone isn't enough for most of normal people, because many people eat a lot of junk and we don't have that much time to consume by just exercising. Also if you're not providing enough nutrition, your body can't exercise well.

The way I see calorie counting is not being obsessed about calories but understanding better what you eat, and calorie is a part of understanding. For example, if you see nutrition composition, soda is definitely something you should avoid. It has nothing but sugar. You'll not be able to lose if you drink soda like water.

So I would say what you eat really matters, but calorie is only small part of the whole picture. You don't need to count crazy but genuinely care about nutrition composition.

Does this answer your question?

It has really helped me. I stopped logging for a while and then I stopped losing weight. I started back just little under a month ago and I have already lost over 5 pounds. I was eating way more than I thought. When you log it in it makes you see how much you are really consuming. Then you have to be accountable for what you eat. So yes, it does help a lot!

Absolutely! I think when people ask me how I lost weight I tell them the food logging is the key. I'd exercised before 0ff and on and "dieted" from time to time even losing about 10 pounds with nutrisystem. (Yuck) The single -most important factor in my losing 30 pounds this last year was making myself accountable for the calories I consumed by logging them in. The past few months I had stopped logging and back crept almost 10 pounds! In the immortal words of Dr. Seuss, "Try it, try it, then you'll see!"

Good luck!

how do you deal with eating out at small restaurants that aren't chains and thus required to have nutritional information. we don't eat at chains. Mostly high end boutique kind of restaurants.

I am thinking enter the baseline for what you know was in it and then figure an extra 1/4 oil?

I eat out a lot! And mainly at higher end restaurants that don't post nutrition. I either search for something similar (e.g. had a really rich/really fancy table side of macaroni the other day--I ate 1/4, friend ate 1/4 and we each took 1/4 home--I figured that 1/4 of it = 1 side at Ruby Tuesdays = 453 calories (even if it was much higher quality cheese, etc.)). I also do this religiously with ethnic food b/c it's harder to count...and it's getting easier with nutrition posting laws and the likes so more even small chains have data up that you can check and compare a nonchain place (e.g. for Thai food or empanadas). Or, I will add up the ingredients and add at least 2 tablespoons of oil to any meat entree and then butter/oil, etc. to veggies and other items (this is easy if the restaurant lists basically everything on the plate and you are good at measuring meat sizes--often you'll get 8 or more oz of fish instead of four, etc.). For desserts and other odd things (like chocolate pave or the corn and blackbean cakes I had the other night), I'll go onto epicurious or food.com and find a really rich recipe and use those macros. It takes a bit of time--but I don't believe others who say it doesn't work. Unless you weigh everything you eat, you'll never be 100% on for calories. I figure it isn't perfect, but it's better than (a) depriving myself and my social life or (b) not counting at all. I've been able to keep on track doing this.

Feel free to send me a message if you want more details about what I do.

Edit: If it really is a small local place, I've asked for a recipe or two before (e.g. one that I'd actually use--did it for a stellar tomato pie--i had certainty (it was wayy more healthy than I thought it was) and now I have the recipe too.

It really does help. It forces you to be honest about what you are eating and how much you are eating. I have read in many many health articles that weight loss is 75% diet and 25% exercise. It's really true.

I have been trying to lose weight since November. I started working out, doing insanity and running. I lost some then plateu'd, i couldnt figure out what I was doing, because surely all my workouts burned what i ate right?! WRONG!!! I started this site 2 weeks ago and lost 6lbs already. Yes it would be great not to have to do it and eventually it would be nice if I just knew what I should eat and what I shouldnt but until that day comes I will log everything into my diary.

I downloaded the app as well so I write in my diary wherever I am.

As for eating out, I only eat out in places that have calories on the menu, in saying that, I hardly ever eat out as Im pretty poor!!

100% yes. I underestimated my intake SO MUCH before I started tracking!

As people have indicated it works

I was similar to you in that I tried doing it by myself without tracking and failed everytime

Points perhaps to take on board;

*Log evrything that goes into your mouth

*Try and stay within your calorie goal

*Eat less. move more (start walking 30 mins in the morning /30 mins in the after noon -build on that

I started like this just over 3 months ago and lost on average 2.5 llb a week and I consider myself not very good at sticking to anything-MFP has been brilliant

read the success stories and say to yourself : I can do that

Good Morning. I have been using myfitnesspal calorie counter for a while. I count calories and track my exercise too. I have lost 50 lbs since I started using it. It helps me to see what I am poking in my mouth. I was shocked when I first started at how much I was eating. It was no wonder I was 90 lbs overweight. Feel free to join me if you need a pal. I have lost everyone that was using it with me.

Yay! I have been using almost a year now and today I hit the 50 lb mark. I know my ticker says 47, but I had lost 3 before I started. I refuse not to count them. LOL. I am EXCITED! I love mfp.

Been struggling for the better part of my life as well, iv been using this straight for 7 days or so, its helped me a lot so far just mentally. it also shows you more than just cals, you can track everything.

I agree. I use it to track my sleep and it has shown me that I wasn't getting nearly all the sleep I thought I was getting. That alone has made me feel better.

I've been using it for 5 weeks and its a big help to me. It won't magically make you lose weight, it just makes it easier to see exactly what you're eating! Before I started to use it, it was so easy to have a bit of bread and butter, or a yogurt, or a small chocolate bar and kid myself it didnt count. But it does! So if you log everything you eat and stay within your calories you will lose weight! Forget fad diets and pills etc, counting calories is the easiest and cheapest way to lose weight!

As thers have said, its your behaviour not the counter that helps you lose weight. Its worked for me, becuse I log everything - every "thanks, I'd love a chocolate", every "Happy birthday, I'll have a doughnut", every "shame to waste that last potato". And I weigh most things - not lettuce, but cheese, cereal, pasta etc. I weigh potatoes before they are cooked, and for boiled make a note of how many are "mine".

how do you deal with eating out at small restaurants that aren't chains and thus required to have nutritional information. we don't eat at chains. Mostly high end boutique kind of restaurants.

I am thinking enter the baseline for what you know was in it and then figure an extra 1/4 oil?

I either look at values already on the database and either pick the highest (because a nice restaurant is not going to use "lite" cooking oil, low fat cheese etc:bigsmile: ) or call it 1.25 or 1.5 portions depending on the size of serving, or I look on recipe websites for something similar (e.g. chicken stuffed with goats cheese and wrapped in parma ham) and round it up to the nearest 100 calories. I also make sure I eat lighter the rest of the week so I have "spare" calories - that way its a "treat" day not a "cheat" day. (And remember to allow the calories for wine - and make a note of the size of glass, or else enter it as a proportion of a bottle.)