Why choose other diets over calorie counting?

And also groups like weight watchers etc where you have syns or points and complicate thing? And how do certain diets have "free foods" where you can eat as much fruit and veg as you want? Surely if you're going in to surplus with these "free foods" you're still going to put on weight?

My friend is a big lad, he's been on a diet with free foods and syns etc and hasn't really lost much at a all. In the same time I've lost 22lb for free using just portion control and very loose calorie counting. Some people think if you pay for a diet plan, it seems more worthy for one reason or another..

I mentioned an apple was around 100kcal but that was "free" for some reason?..

Lots of those diets are just ways to create a deficit without having to count.

I also prefer counting and the freedom and good sense of being able to construct my own food plan, based on what matters to me.

I use WW because I like the community, occassional meetings, and recipes. I know I can do it alone with calorie counting but at the moment I'm enjoying both.

A lot of those other diets you mentioned appeal to people for different reasons, sometimes it's because calorie counting can seem daunting and it's easier to have a set food list to eat 'freely' from.

calorie counting is tedious
yeah it works, but it suckssssssssssssss

i don't use expensive diets or supplements
i just eat very small portions and restrict certain foods

everyone has different preferences and ideas about what works best for them
as long as they're having moderate success then i can't really fault them for using a different approach

I'm completely new at dieting. Started calorie counting about 7 weeks ago, learned about caloric deficit, BMR etc and started the gym. Easy, and I've lost more weight than I ever thought I would in this time.
Which now makes me think, what's the point in any other diet? Slim fast or herbalife in particular, or even the Atkins diet or other fad diets? Why spend loads of money when all you need to do is be in deficit?

The truth is artfully hidden in these plans. Why? Because the truth will set you free (and is free). Can't make any money that way. Keep on keeping on.

Slim fast or herbalife in particular, or even the Atkins diet or other fad diets?

Atkins isn't a fad diet. You eat real food like nuts and greens and cheese and meat. You watch your carbohydrate count. Been around since the 70s and sustainable. Not a fad. SlimFast drinks shakes and asks you to eat sensibly the rest of the time. Herbalife, shakes. Not equal. It's the orange in your apple comparison.

Lots of those diets are just ways to create a deficit without having to count.

I agree. Non-fad diets like Atkins and Weight Watchers are basically this.^^
Some people need this structure. Some people struggle with cravings that are hard to manage and ignore.
Sometimes just the accountability to a community and/or the fact that you've spent money on it, is enough to keep you on course. This does work for some people.

I use self-education and the accountability of free resources and communities/forums to keep me on track.

There is really no shame in needing a little structure or help. I'm working it and succeeding. You have to want it bad and no matter how hard it is, keep working it. Regardless whether you need support or not.

I think laziness is a big factor for many people (I won't say all, because I'm sure some people have had success with some of these programs). They don't want to have to count, or think about it. They pay loads of money so that someone else will tell them what to eat & when.

^this & they do not want it bad enough.

calorie counting is tedious
yeah it works, but it suckssssssssssssss

I have been counting calories for almost 2 years now, and I have to loosely agree with this statement. There are times when it really sucks, but I still do it. But after so long counting, it does get better and not so tedious. There is no other way as effective.

MFP has made those other diets obsolete in my opinion. Why spend butt-loads of $ on plans that do the same thing I can do here for free? Plus, on alot of those other diets, you often see folks gain back the weight as soon as they go off them, mainly because it wasn't a lifestyle change.

This!^

Calorie counting takes work. What people tend to overlook....maintenance takes work too!

I'll speak only for myself. I began this journey wanting to learn how to eat right, to fuel my body, and to lose a bit of weight. I chose an approach that did that. It didn't include counting. No laziness. No money spent besides a few books. Just a different approach.

Because people don't want to sound obsessed and think it's too much work to count calories... and they're all stuck in the 'good food, bad food' mentality and it doesn't even occur to them that they don't have to completely cut some foods to lose weight.

And also groups like weight watchers etc where you have syns or points and complicate thing? And how do certain diets have "free foods" where you can eat as much fruit and veg as you want? Surely if you're going in to surplus with these "free foods" you're still going to put on weight?

My friend is a big lad, he's been on a diet with free foods and syns etc and hasn't really lost much at a all. In the same time I've lost 22lb for free using just portion control and very loose calorie counting. Some people think if you pay for a diet plan, it seems more worthy for one reason or another..

I mentioned an apple was around 100kcal but that was "free" for some reason?..

Just because the fruits and veggies are free doesn't mean you go overboard on them... I was doing weight watchers and started transitioning to MFP as I was near goal and tightening up the budget. I found I was only eating 1200 calories a day on WW even with the free fruits and veggies. They DO still recommend to eat a reasonable amount of them. ETA: Also wanted to say that the WW points calculations assume you will be eating the fruit and veggies already - much like setting your daily activity to lightly active, MFP assumes you will exercise. When WW switched from points to points plus - people complained that they had fewer daily points they could use, but loved that fruits were free! See what they did there?

Also - for me - there is no way I would have gotten as far as I did with WW if I'd been on a free site. I'm cheap and I won't waste money. So if I'm paying for it, I'm darned well going to use it. That's how I was with my diet back when I started. I honestly didn't really care much if I lost weight, but I cared about losing money. So I did both. I've been able to switch to MFP because I've become motivated by other things now. But it still took a while for that to come. You can't force yourself to be motivated by something after all, and money worked for me for a while! Now I'm motivated by feeling good digestively...

I think those kinds of diets have their place (the pay for ones that are still basically calorie counting).

I agree with OP though about the cleanses and stuff. I wouldn't be able to live on shakes alone. I also agree that some of the programs people go for might be absurdly expensive.

That being said, if I were a person who really liked drinking stuff and didn't really like chewing (you know a person could be this way), then maybe shakes are the way to go... if it's nutritionally balanced (which I think would be the hardest thing to find).

Unlike others here, I don't have any problem with people who try different "diets" in order to find out what works for them, and makes it easy for them to limit calories. As long as you're not convincing yourself that ridiculous pseudo-science like "cleanses" and fake miracle pills like raspberry keytones are anything but placebos, then try whatever you want.

Here's the thing to remember:

If you have to pay for it, it's BS. Shakeology, Slim Fast, etc., don't want to you lose weight; they want you to buy their products. So forget them. Instead of clinging to *products* to help you reach your goals, stick to *ways of eating.* Atkins works for some, and there's nothing to buy (if you don't want to), so as a beginner there's nothing wrong with finding out if that will work for you. Ditto for Paleo. And intermittent fasting. And even Weight Watchers.

All of these things make it easier for some people to more easily control their food intake, and so there's nothing wrong with them. If one doesn't work, move on and try something else. Or just count calories.

Lots of those diets are just ways to create a deficit without having to count.

I also prefer counting and the freedom and good sense of being able to construct my own food plan, based on what matters to me.

^ This is also what I wished I had said first Most diets create a deficit and most diets do work, if you stick to them. Many diets are also sustainable to certain people. I speak from personal experience and I have friends who have been successful for decades doing different things that work for them.

Because people don't want to sound obsessed and think it's too much work to count calories... and they're all stuck in the 'good food, bad food' mentality and it doesn't even occur to them that they don't have to completely cut some foods to lose weight.

Don't be ridiculous. There's just as many educated dieters opting for alternative approaches as there are those blindly following any diet. We're not stuck, we're not deprived, we're not unaware.

We're also just as successful (or unsuccessful) losing the weight and maintaining that weight loss as anyone else.