Anybody surprised how well calorie counting works?

Not really...when you understand energy balance and you understand that a calorie is a unit of energy, it's not surprising at all. Of course, 5th grade math isn't going to equate to a billion dollar diet and fitness industry, so it's not going to get much play...nothing to sell. The diet and fitness industry at large is built on ignorance and desperation.

I love MFP and how well it works! The diet industry demonises 'calorie counting', and so do a couple of my overweight friends. I stopped trying to change their mind about it. But I find it easy, and weighing my food is something I actually enjoy (didn't anyone always wonder how much they were actually eating, while gaining weight? I always did, and never owned scales so I couldn't even check out of interest).

I feel like I lucked out though - I put in my height and weight and goals, MFP gave me a set number of calories to eat, I log my exercise and eat them back. I lose pretty steadily. I don't have to fiddle with figuring my BMR and TDEE and calculating percentages to find my number, I don't have to worry about only eating 83.6% of my exercise calories back. MFP gives me a green number, that's how much I'm allowed to eat!

I know every body is different so I'm not judging, just happy to be one of the 'average' people like their forumulas are based on I guess lol.

Yes. I was surprised at how not-hungry I felt when I had a reasonable calorie goal. I was surprised at how much "nutritious" food I actually needed to meet my RDA (not as much as I'd thought). I was surprised at the effects of "only" 30 minutes of walk/running 3 days a week. I was surprised at how little time logging my food actually took.

I'm really surprised at how difficult we make it for ourselves when there is literally no reason.

Yes and no. Basic math logic. If you burn more fuel than you have in the main tank, then you will dip into your reserves to keep going.

I am surprised at how quickly I began losing weight. I lost 10 pounds in 20 days with very little effort, which surprised me
I was expecting weight loss but not that quickly with no added exercise.
I did add a little exercise the past few days, but not a HUGE effort. Just walking the dog and riding my bike a little

Keeping a record of my diet has caused me to be aware of my healthy and not so healthy food choices. I am drinking much less coffee because I could see that I was getting a small meal worth of calories with each coffee. (I like sweet coffee) So I am instead choosing to have a small 150-200 calorie meal of real food. That one action has changed everything about my weight loss.

I honestly don't think it is all calories in vs. calories out. Obviously on one level it is, but if you notice .. there are A LOT of "I'm doing all the right things and it isn't working" posts out there. There is a ton of advice on drink more water, exercise less your cortisol is too high, its your time of the month, you are gaining muscle .. etc etc etc. I just did a DietBet that is ALLLLL about the scale and that final number. If I didn't eat enough, my body didn't lose weight, if I had too much sodium my body held onto water. I had 1200 calories a day and exercised 250-300 calories 6 days a week and didn't lose anything for 3 weeks and then only dropped 1.5 pounds. I weighed everything and counted meticulously .. didn't eat my exercise calories.. used an HRM for exercise.

So .. while yes it is on some level calories in vs. calories out, it isn't always that simple.

Because when someone says they are "doing it right", it must actually mean they are doing it right.

Well I don't know about all the somebodies .. I just know me and I know how I did it. It wasn't as simple as calories in vs. calories out.

YES!!!! ok I do more exercise but ive tried every diet going which are basically calorie controlled diets and failed by stripping it back to this and logging im getting there well done you on your fab loss

For me I don't care about calories, I originally came just fir the android app, to keep a check on my carbs and sugars.
Some days I do binge, though knowing I have to put it in my diary, and have now set it for friends to look at, it seems to be making me think twice.

Like today, was quite stressful, normally i'd get some snacks to chill out, but for 1st time I thought nahhhhhh, doing too well, so just came home.

So my attitude towards binging also seems to be changing for the better....

I'm a math and numbers geek so it amazed me that there was such an "easy" way to lose weight. I treat my calories like a bank account. If I don't have enough left, I can't "afford" to eat anything. I lost 40 lbs over the course of a few months last year doing it and, since starting back this year, the pounds are dropping off. It's simply accounting and accountability. What truly amazes me is seeing other people starving themselves trying to lose weight. They look unhappy, they deprive themselves, and they don't have nearly the success I have had and that I've seen with other people on MFP. Love this site and I love calorie counting!

Well said, I have lost almost 10 pounds from the short time Ive been here. It's all about math and doing the math right!
I used to be the person that thought counting calories was dumb. But then I was the one gaining weight! But since rejoining MFP I understand the calories and why it's important to count them! Woo wooooooo!!!