Do I HAVE to count calories?

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  • Snow3y
    Snow3y Posts: 1,412 Member
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    I don't know what counting macros is haha?

    Macros = Protein, carbs and fats.. These each add up to calories :) If you want to read more detail about it, go through to www.iifym.com or www.macrofit.com :)
  • Snow3y
    Snow3y Posts: 1,412 Member
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    I'm just beginning to try to lose weight, and I think that counting calories might just be more effort/more destructive or discouraging...thoughts?

    You DO NOT NEED TO COUNT CALORIES. Eat as much as you can possibly stuff into yourself, just be sure that everything you eat is FOOD. You will be healthy beyond belief in several months. p.s. Doritos and Pepsi is not food. Stay out of bakeries, bakeries do not sell food. Candy stores do not sell food. 90% of your local supermarket shelves are filled with substances which are not food. People can never become obese by eating food.

    You sir, are reversing on a steep hill.... :/
  • Taterpoof
    Taterpoof Posts: 416 Member
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    I counted for a few months and formed a habit like the other guy said so I stopped. Some people do great counting calories, but others like myself get tired of it and it just becomes another chore in life. You will probably get better and faster results if you count, but I don't really care how fast I lose fat so I'm happy not counting. =)
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
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    I'm just beginning to try to lose weight, and I think that counting calories might just be more effort/more destructive or discouraging...thoughts?

    You DO NOT NEED TO COUNT CALORIES. Eat as much as you can possibly stuff into yourself, just be sure that everything you eat is FOOD. You will be healthy beyond belief in several months. p.s. Doritos and Pepsi is not food. Stay out of bakeries, bakeries do not sell food. Candy stores do not sell food. 90% of your local supermarket shelves are filled with substances which are not food. People can never become obese by eating food.

    ^ Profile says this "expert" just joined. Please ignore this nonsense, OP. I guess it would work if you were morbidly obese and had been consuming nothing but crap all your life. Then, any healthy changes you make will work for awhile. I, myself, have always eaten "healthy food" and avoided the junk described above. It didn't stop me from gaining weight. Too many calories of anything will cause you to gain. Eating as much "healthy food" as I could possibly stuff into my face would cause be to balloon out.

    P.S. You can have junk, as long as it's within your calorie limit. It just might not be the best thing nutritionally for you.
  • lw0123
    lw0123 Posts: 9
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    I actually have been consuming a lot of junk lately haha...so I'm hoping to fix that. But I understand it's important to understand how much food you're eating, even if it's healthy.
  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
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    I'm just beginning to try to lose weight, and I think that counting calories might just be more effort/more destructive or discouraging...thoughts?

    Takes 5 minutes (if that per day)....
  • Skoster1
    Skoster1 Posts: 134 Member
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    I lost virtually all my weight so far without counting, but I think the benefits are multiple:

    1. Develop real control over your eating
    2. Learn what works to keep you full without over eating
    3. Experiment with different macro ratios to learn how they impact you
    4. Maximize your dieting potential instead of wasting time and energy
    5. Learn about new foods you love because they fit your macro profile
    6. Prepare yourself for those last vanity pounds when the margin for error is narrower
    7. Impress your friends and co-workers by being able to eat stuff they wouldn't expect while still losing weight
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    Count macros, not calories :) Yes, it's even more work than counting mere calories, but the results are worth it :) There's no lying to your body, if you eat crap you'll look crap. If you're lazy to work for it, you'll never get it.

    macros are for health...

    calorie deficet is for weight...

    My macros are set at 45/30/25...based on percentages...and if I ate that split on a 3000 calorie diet I would gain weight...
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    I'm just beginning to try to lose weight, and I think that counting calories might just be more effort/more destructive or discouraging...thoughts?

    how can something that helps you lose weight/be healthier be "destructive"
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    I'm just beginning to try to lose weight, and I think that counting calories might just be more effort/more destructive or discouraging...thoughts?

    You DO NOT NEED TO COUNT CALORIES. Eat as much as you can possibly stuff into yourself, just be sure that everything you eat is FOOD. You will be healthy beyond belief in several months. p.s. Doritos and Pepsi is not food. Stay out of bakeries, bakeries do not sell food. Candy stores do not sell food. 90% of your local supermarket shelves are filled with substances which are not food. People can never become obese by eating food.

    wait, if I eat 1000 calories a day over maintenance on these magical "good" foods then I will not gain weight, really? What are some of these magical foods?

    OP please disregard this advice..
  • ktsmom430
    ktsmom430 Posts: 1,100 Member
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    It is pretty effective if you are consistent and eat less calories than you burn. Using MFP is pretty easy and does not take much of an effort. Well worth it for many of us.
  • gypsy_spirit
    gypsy_spirit Posts: 2,107 Member
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    I'm just beginning to try to lose weight, and I think that counting calories might just be more effort/more destructive or discouraging...thoughts?

    You DO NOT NEED TO COUNT CALORIES. Eat as much as you can possibly stuff into yourself, just be sure that everything you eat is FOOD. You will be healthy beyond belief in several months. p.s. Doritos and Pepsi is not food. Stay out of bakeries, bakeries do not sell food. Candy stores do not sell food. 90% of your local supermarket shelves are filled with substances which are not food. People can never become obese by eating food.

    LOL What? This is possibly the most "unhelpful" advice I have read today.
  • BoxerBrawler
    BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
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    I used to not care so much about the number of calories but realized that it's really important to lose weight. Proper portion size, weighing food, counting your calories, etc. all plays into weight loss, getting fit, etc. At first it was a huge pain and effort but after a while, if you're like me and tend to eat the same things, it gets easier. MFP builds up a nice database of your foods for you. Plus once you do it for a while you pretty much know that there's 120 calories in the type of turkey breast you buy, etc... It gets easier. Suck it up and give it a try...
  • UpEarly
    UpEarly Posts: 2,555 Member
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    You don't 'HAVE TO' do anything. But it's sort of the point of MFP to log food and count calories. I'm not sure this site is the best fit for you if you think those practices are detrimental/destructive.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    I'm just beginning to try to lose weight, and I think that counting calories might just be more effort/more destructive or discouraging...thoughts?

    how can something that helps you lose weight/be healthier be "destructive"

    LOL…troll much..?

    Based on their posts this looks like someone who was here before and asked about the eliptical was effective for weight loss 10x....
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    I'm just beginning to try to lose weight, and I think that counting calories might just be more effort/more destructive or discouraging...thoughts?

    how can something that helps you lose weight/be healthier be "destructive"

    LOL…troll much..?

    Based on their posts this looks like someone who was here before and asked about the eliptical was effective for weight loss 10x....

    ahhh yes, the elliptical, the magic fat burning machine…similar to the "mini trampoline"
  • Joanne_Moniz
    Joanne_Moniz Posts: 347 Member
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    For me it was easier to start by cutting one item. For me it was soda, I had been up to a liter of Coke every day, so that one change has helped a lot. A couple weeks later I started weighing and logging everything. Preplanning my foods for the day, as well as preplanning a workout has been a great way to keep me on track. I'm not perfect yet, I tend to not get enough protien, and too much sugar, but it's working, and I am seeing results much faster than I anticipated. I have a move coming up in a month, and after that I'm going to start focusing on getting my Macros in line. Stay in your comfort zone for a couple weeks, then start stepping it up as you start feeling more confident with the lifestyle changes you make
  • Joanne_Moniz
    Joanne_Moniz Posts: 347 Member
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    It's good to change one habit at a time.
  • Joanne_Moniz
    Joanne_Moniz Posts: 347 Member
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    You're on the right track. Counting calories was once helpful, but actually never really needed back in the day when there was no fake food. Not today though. What are we counting? Fake food does not count.

    We can still count calories; but it is the QUALITY, not the quantity. Certain foods, although low in calories, will make you gain weight, not lose it.

    Joanne Moniz
    The Skinny on Obesity

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