People At The Gym Don't Count Calories

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TP2323
TP2323 Posts: 32
in Food and Nutrition
I joined a gym about 5 weeks ago and I have been meeting people along the way. I always ask if they count calories and not a single person has said yes so far.

I am not comfortable enough to ask them why not- but I wonder about it. Why are WE all counting calories yet the gym regulars not even worried about it?
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Replies

  • amnsetie
    amnsetie Posts: 666 Member
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    maybe they do but they think it's not cool so they lie

    or

    maybe they think they don't need to cos they work out

    or

    maybe they don't know how easy it is on MFP.

    when it was first suggested to me I thought how totally obsessive that is, but with MFP it only takes minutes a day.
    The database here is so excellent.

    been logging 2 years and am reaching my goal nice and steadily
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    Well, I don't know why the people at your gym don't count calories. I know why I do. I count calories because I can't trust my body to give me accurate hunger signals and I can't trust my mind to accurately interpret them. If I listened to my body I'd still be 215 pounds and probably gaining. Because my body confuses emotions and hunger.

    Not everyone needs to count calories. I do.
  • AlongCame_Molly
    AlongCame_Molly Posts: 2,835 Member
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    I don't know what to tell ya... I bust *kitten* at the gym 6 days a week, and I count every single calorie that goes into my mouth.

    I think your experiment pool is a little too small to be making such wide assumptions about who does and does not track their calories. Just sayin.

    edited for typos
  • wanzik
    wanzik Posts: 326 Member
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    I go to the gym and I count them. I imagine after a while you get a clear picture of things and don't have to do it anymore. Or maybe weight/calories isn't an issue for them and they are there for other reasons. Once you reach a certain point you probably don't need to worry about being so precise but just be sensible. For now I count. It's very eye opening.
  • BigMech
    BigMech Posts: 420 Member
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    I'm at the gym 5 days a week, and run and bike besides, and I still count calories.

    It wasn't the gym that made me lose the weight, it was eating less than I was burning. I'll stick with it!
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
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    Who cares what other people's do just do what works for you
  • SoreTodayStrongTomorrow222
    SoreTodayStrongTomorrow222 Posts: 252 Member
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    I hope I can get to the point where I dont have to count calories anymore!! If you are surveying really fit, health conscience people - I am sure they know about how much nutrition they need to maintain and stay healthy and still have energy - no reason to count calories if you already have a healthy lifestyle and are at a healthy weight - Im new to this stuff so Ill be counting calories for a while. :-)
  • R_Calvillo
    R_Calvillo Posts: 177 Member
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    When I was younger, and went to the gym all the time, I wasn't informed enough to know my results would be better if I did count calories. I would guess a lot of people just don't know they should. That's not to say that everyone needs to either.
  • Mr_Bad_Example
    Mr_Bad_Example Posts: 2,403 Member
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    I joined a gym about 5 weeks ago and I have been meeting people along the way. I always ask if they count calories and not a single person has said yes so far.

    I am not comfortable enough to ask them why not- but I wonder about it. Why are WE all counting calories yet the gym regulars not even worried about it?

    Who cares if they do or don't? If it works for you, isn't that what matters?

    A wise person once said to me, "Worry about yourself." It was good advice.
  • luluinca
    luluinca Posts: 2,899 Member
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    I'm at the gym 5 days a week and while I've never thought to ask anyone else if they count calories or not, two of the girls who do water aerobics while I'm swimming laps probably don't. They're always complaining about not losing any weight.

    I count!
  • devil_in_a_blue_dress
    devil_in_a_blue_dress Posts: 5,214 Member
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    Are they trying to lose weight?
  • Phaedra2014
    Phaedra2014 Posts: 1,254 Member
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    I joined a gym about 5 weeks ago and I have been meeting people along the way. I always ask if they count calories and not a single person has said yes so far.

    I am not comfortable enough to ask them why not- but I wonder about it. Why are WE all counting calories yet the gym regulars not even worried about it?

    Not everyone goes to the gym because of weight loss goals. If your goal is weight loss then yeah you're going to have to watch your calorie intake.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    In maintenance I don't count calories, just when I'm trying to cut and I will also do it if I decide to bulk. I actually know quite a few guys in the weight room who track their calories and macros because they're usually on either a cut or bulk.

    Also, a lot of people everywhere don't count calories. It has been my experience though that it makes losing weight a whole lot easier than doing some damned fool diet.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    Why are WE all counting calories yet the gym regulars not even worried about it?

    Maybe they don't understand or they don't care. Not everyone at the gym is trying to lose weight and not everyone at the gym has a problem with over eating. When I first started going I had no idea what calorie counting was. I know some bodybuilders who instinctively do well without needing to count calories because they can tell when they are eating too much.

    Different goals. Different needs.
  • GummyHuman
    GummyHuman Posts: 193 Member
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    Do they say "no" like you're an idiot for asking or do they say it like they understand why you're asking but they just don't do it?

    Also, are they very fit? I'll bet most people don't count them, because they never had an issue with being overweight. I would guess that if I asked around, say, my office, most of the people would say they don't, because they are all pretty trim. I could probably guess the 4-5 ladies who would say "yes" or "I should" or "I used to". They are up and down in weight all the time and on perpetual diets.
  • silverinc13
    silverinc13 Posts: 216 Member
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    I go to the gym 5-6 days a week, lifting and light cardio - I keep up with my cals mainly to keep up with my macros. Depends on what your goals are if you need to or not. Pretty sure your blanket statement is false.

    Also, they may just not be interested in discussing their eating habits with a perfect stranger. Or maybe they're insulted that you are insinuating that they need to be counting calories. Just saying.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    Counting calories isn't necessary. All that's necessary is to have a good understanding of what you're eating. Scale goes - eating cuts back.

    Voila.

    Weight management without counting calories.
  • leahgoldgirl
    leahgoldgirl Posts: 61 Member
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    I don't really count calories... I eat healthy foods in proper portions and I workout. I log in here every once in a while to keep me on point, but once a person embraces fitness and a healthy lifestyle, counting calories becomes unnecessary. I know how much my body needs and when to stop. I don't eat junk food, so I don't have to worry about that at all either.

    When I was starting out, I counted a little bit. I wanted to know what got a result, but still left me feeling satisfied, what was too much and what was not enough. It's only important to count until it becomes routine.
  • Mcgrawhaha
    Mcgrawhaha Posts: 1,596 Member
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    not everyone has had issues with weight. if you never have weight issues, and you allow your body to guide you on eating, counting calories is not needed. for alot of us here, we count, because we need to learn how to eat like normal people... i have alot of friends who dont count calories... they have never had a need to count calories. why fix whats not broken? im slowly transitioning to being able to eat without logging and counting calories. i log two weeks, then i dont log for two weeks, and so on...
  • RobotZombieNinja
    RobotZombieNinja Posts: 8
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    Calorie counting isn't a factor in everyone's goals.

    While it may or may not be the best, most efficient way to do so, it is entirely possible to lose weight without counting calories. I suck at it, but that doesn't mean everyone does.

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