Counting calories CAN be pointless

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  • amy_kee
    amy_kee Posts: 694 Member
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    Counting calories works for numerous reasons. Also with lots of good exercise, you need good nutrients in your body, along with the appropriate calories.

    NOT counting calorie leaves you flying blind, with half the ammunition that you need to achieve good, healthy results. It also helps great with control in what you eat. You also learn a whole lot about food that you need to know to have a healthier body.

    You seem to care what your body looks like, since you are exercising so much. Care enough about what your body needs in terms of food and nutrients too. You will be so much better off.

    Edit--I just say the reply post about mine. OMG, this is a 19 yr old thinking this? This explains a lot. :noway:
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,068 Member
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    You are 19. You won't be saying it's useless 3-5 years from now.

    Oh I don't know.
    There are many people who don't ever count calories and live a long and healthy life.
    My father has always been slim and has never counted calories and he is in his mid 70's.

    I agree that for some people counting calories is pointless and unnecessary - those people who don't need to lose/gain/maintain weight and/or can lose/ gain/ maintain weight without counting.

    A bit like for many people, taking their blood sugar levels is pointless - if you are not diabetic and your body regulates blood sugars without intervention then buying a blood sugar machine is pointless.

    Doesn't make it pointless for everybody though.

    And doesn't make sense to join a forum for diabetics and post that blood sugar machines are pointless.
  • eric_sg61
    eric_sg61 Posts: 2,925 Member
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    Trollololo
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  • liekewheeless
    liekewheeless Posts: 416 Member
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    If you're one of the lucky people who won't over eat if not counting. Great for you!

    For the rest of us it's a must, if I don't count I underestimate my intake by a lot. I really have no idea. I'll think I had a pretty good day and over eat by 500 or more calories. I think I'll stick to counting!
  • cosmiqrust
    cosmiqrust Posts: 214 Member
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    Counting calories was pointless until I got into my mid-twenties.

    At 19, your personal experience and anecdotal observations may not supply you a fair representative sample.

    But counting calories is not the only way. There are a thousand others.
    exactly. when i was 19 i was exactly the same way, running an hour a day on top of pilates for 2 hours 6-7 days a week. i was privileged to have the time to obsess over those things instead of my calorie counts. now, 21 with a full time desk job, not so much. counting may be pointless when you have a youthful metabolism and all the time in the world to put into your fitness, but for others it's vital. i do think that people in their teens shouldn't be counting their calories unless they're at particular health risk. i'm sure if i hadn't been so busy flitting from one eating disorder to another every year of my teens i would have actually accomplished something.
  • kimnsc
    kimnsc Posts: 560 Member
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    You can't out lift or outrun a bad diet. I stopped counting calories and gained a lot of my weight back.

    ^^^ This.
  • 1911JR
    1911JR Posts: 276
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    Okay so this is my honest belief here. Counting calories should be used to guide people into a healthier lifestyle but it shouldn't be the ONLY way.

    Like I run and workouts six, seven times a week. I typically run a good six or seven miles and do plenty of strength training. Anyone feel at time that counting calories is pointless, especially when you're as or almost as active as me?

    You`re 19 years old and active. My suggestion is, print what you said out and laminate it for safe keeping. But also, record you weight and measurements along with it. Then measure weight and compare every 10 years. It will be lots of fun!
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    So you're telling me a 19 year old with no real responsibility and tons of time on her hands to work out 2-3 hours a day has no trouble losing weight without counting calories? Surely not!

    This!
  • bugaboo_sue
    bugaboo_sue Posts: 552 Member
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    No because for me counting calories makes me cognizant of portions. There were some real eye openers when I first started counting calories.
  • MissMissle
    MissMissle Posts: 293 Member
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    You`re 19 years old and active. My suggestion is, print what you said out and laminate it for safe keeping. But also, record you weight and measurements along with it. Then measure weight and compare every 10 years. It will be lots of fun!

    ^This... such a sad hard truth. God I miss eating velveeta every night...
  • MzOnree
    MzOnree Posts: 124 Member
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    I saw where you live. I used to live in Uniontown! I miss Ohio.

    You are young and when you get older you will count calories. Give it time and you shall see, lol!
  • jasonmh630
    jasonmh630 Posts: 2,850 Member
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    That's an ignorant statement, mam. You're 19 and very active, so you may not have to count calories a lot. Doesn't mean it's pointless. For me, who has a sedentary office job, calorie counting is invaluable.
  • cosmiqrust
    cosmiqrust Posts: 214 Member
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    Okay so this is my honest belief here. Counting calories should be used to guide people into a healthier lifestyle but it shouldn't be the ONLY way.

    Like I run and workouts six, seven times a week. I typically run a good six or seven miles and do plenty of strength training. Anyone feel at time that counting calories is pointless, especially when you're as or almost as active as me?

    You`re 19 years old and active. My suggestion is, print what you said out and laminate it for safe keeping. But also, record you weight and measurements along with it. Then measure weight and compare every 10 years. It will be lots of fun!
    more like every two years for added fun and neurosis. :sick:
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,068 Member
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    I saw where you live. I used to live in Uniontown! I miss Ohio.

    You are young and when you get older you will count calories. Give it time and you shall see, lol!

    She may, she may not.

    Many people do stay within a healthy weight range without counting calories.
    I am not one of them hence why I count mine - but doesn't mean nobody is.
  • PrissyPisces
    PrissyPisces Posts: 117 Member
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    I ended up on MFP because I thought like you. I worked out A LOT. Spin classes several times a week, lifting several times a week, other classes. People would say to me "you should be SO skinny (GRRR) as much as you work out!". Yeah, unfortunately, I LOVE to eat. And I would eat a lot of food. And guess what?! I gained weight! Started counting calories and discovered just how much I was eating and started making changes. Then I thought I knew what I was doing and when life got in the way I stopped really logging and BAM hello 15 lbs. that I thought were gone forever. So for me, counting calories IS the point.

    Which is the reason I am also counting calories, because my "judgement" lead me to size 18/20 jeans. I'm also quite lazy, but that's not to be discussed....:huh: :laugh:

    I hope it works out for you, hun. I'm not hating on the way you do things. Some people DO say they exercise a lot to keep the weight off, and it works for them. If you DO happen to overeat a bit and gain, I'm sure you know what to do to get the extra pounds off. I also understand that just because you said you don't want to count calories, doesn't mean you're going to eat a bunch of cake and disregard the nutritional value of your food.

    I KNOW that this wouldn't work for me, though. :laugh: Best of luck to you! :flowerforyou:
  • maria_antoinette
    maria_antoinette Posts: 239 Member
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    Definitely not for everyone.. Although I must say.. When trying to lose weight for whatever reason at whatever time in my life. I have noticed that WHEN I ACTUALLY COUNT them, i pick up calories that otherwise might not be counted and therefore reasons why different diets did not work.. Any diet or any lifestyle works when you dont go OVER to much in calories .. you know? Calorie Counting therefore.. for me personally is awesome.. and basically after years i know how much everything has and that has also taught me what each food brings to the table... because i have to look at the nutrients etc.... ESPECIALLY THE EMPTY calories which bring nothing... so just the process of counting calories TEACHES you all about the foods you are eating and portion size etc.. its been 30 years since i weighed like i did in highschool - which was TOOO much to talk about....and i really think that its because i learned things about food by counting calories.. ( do i do it all the time.. NO WAY.. to much work ).. did it teach me.. ( OMG YES )!!! to me its about RESEARCH and just knowing what you are putting in your body and learning...
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    That's like saying a hammer is completely pointless in your tool box when you really need a screwdriver.

    No- it doesn't make the hammer pointless- it just means it's not the right tool at that time for you.

    Lack of need for something does not mean it is a useless item.
  • baba_helly
    baba_helly Posts: 810 Member
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    You`re 19 years old and active. My suggestion is, print what you said out and laminate it for safe keeping. But also, record you weight and measurements along with it. Then measure weight and compare every 10 years. It will be lots of fun!

    ^This... such a sad hard truth. God I miss eating velveeta every night...

    Off topic and random but I just wanted to say your horse is stunning!! :flowerforyou:
  • Thinnest_1
    Thinnest_1 Posts: 5
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    Well the people who dont understand why they arnt losing weight tend to be the same people who are dont coumt calories

    A coincidence?

    I think not

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