Are you doing anything besides counting calories?

2»

Replies

  • lorib642
    lorib642 Posts: 1,942 Member
    I am counting calories (I have a range I am shooting for) and watching protein and fiber. I don't have any food restrictions, but I try to meet those goals. And I am starting to exercise.
  • wonderfullymadebyhim
    wonderfullymadebyhim Posts: 170 Member
    I started off just counting calories (1200 or so) and weight was not coming barely at all, even in the first 2 weeks. So I changed based on some research I was doing.

    So now I do count calories (1600) but have specific macros I'm trying to hit doing a ketogenic diet. 20 gm carb, 80 gm protein, 116g fat. (specific to my body composition/activity level) Sounds weird but it is very intentional so my body becomes more efficient burning fat plus I'm not hungry! Fat and protein provide excellent satiety and that's important for a hungry girl like me who never really has a shut off mechanism for eating otherwise.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    In addition to counting calories, I generally eat in a way that I believe is healthy and that makes me feel good and meets my goals (to be energetic, make progress with my fitness efforts, so on).

    This does not involve following any named diets or eliminating any foods other than because (a) I don't care for them, or (b) on any particular day they don't fit in my nutrition plan/calories for the day and aren't worth sacrificing anything else I wish to eat. The result of (b) is that there are various foods I rarely eat even though I like them, but I have not eliminated them. In some cases I just save them for a special occasion. (I plan to make and eat pie on Thanksgiving, for example.)
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,724 Member
    Counting calories and watching protein casually. As in, oh no! I just ended a day at 44g of protein, better do better tomorrow.

    I also watch a weekly deficit rather than a daily one. Some days I exercise more some less. Some days I feel like eating everything and other days, a bit better control
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Do you guys use IIFYM to calculate your macros?

    No. Personally, I decided that it would make sense to keep my protein at about my lean body mass, which I estimated as meaning over 100 grams of protein to be safe, so long as I was trying to exercise a lot and eating at a deficit. When I first started I was doing 1250 calories (plus exercise calories), so I rounded that up to 35%. I tend to do better cutting calories that low when I eat fewer carbs (not low carb), so after experimenting I set carbs to 30% and fat at the remaining 35%.

    I'm now much more active and have raised my calories to 1600, so I revised this to 30% protein and fat (which puts me above my minimum protein that I'm aiming for without being crazy high) and 40% carbs, as I tend to prefer a bit more carbs due to activity, but this feels sufficient. I'm not adverse to revising this more depending on how I feel, but so far it's working well for me.
  • suppakana
    suppakana Posts: 307 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/reports

    Swap it from "Weight" to "Net calories"

    INCREDIBLY informative if you track diligently yet find yourself slipping; if you're going over a wee bit on a regular basis, it will show.
  • mymodernbabylon
    mymodernbabylon Posts: 1,038 Member
    I count calories but I also keep an eye on my protein macros. I try to eat more whole foods but I also enjoy having beer & wine & burgers & the like.
  • just_special
    just_special Posts: 99 Member
    I make sure my protein numbers are high enough. I have been focusing on keeping my protein high and my sugar and sodium within the goal ranges I set on MFP.

    For protein intake, my goal is 0.5g for every 1 pound I weigh. It is a challenge, but I find with the higher protein levels, my weight loss has been more steady and consistent.
  • MsHarryWinston
    MsHarryWinston Posts: 1,027 Member
    I count calories, watch my macros and my micros.
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,590 Member
    Naw, I see no need for those restrictions in the absence of any medical conditions that would warrant them. I eat nutritious foods that I cook from scratch, not processed crap, but the foods I make are of all varieties. No type of food is cut out from my diet, unless you count processed junk with chemicals as a type lol. bread, no problem. Apple crumble made with sugar, no problem... what I try to avoid is stuff that's NOT food added to my foods. Chemicals, antibiotics, hormones, etc, are not foods. So I buy unprocessed meats, vegetables, fruits, unbleached flour, etc, and I bake breads here at home. Cooking is recreational for me. :) The idea of cutting out whole categories of food, like grains, would just never work for me.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    When I can, I weigh everything I eat and use the diary. When I can't, I don't fret.
    I try to hit my calorie goal, if not exactly, I want to be in the "ballpark". I can look to the whole week as well.
    I try to get around 20% protein, and strive for same amount of fat and protein.
    I'm not very fond of bread, and it's high in calories, so I don't eat it regularly. Same for baked goods generally, except crispbread, which I eat daily. Rice, potatoes, pasta - I always eat some starch with dinner.
    I try to eat three servings of fruit and five servings of vegetables, and some nuts, every day.
    I prefer to base my intake on whole foods and do my own cooking.
    I don't try to steer away from natural, fatty foods.
    I usually eat five meals a day, two of them are usually some sort of "healthy comfort food" - smoothie, yogurt, nuts, honey, fruit, ham, cheese.
    I limit the intake of "true" junk food; I've discovered that some things aren't worth the calories, but there are certain things I'll never give up.
    I try to be frugal and keep waste to a minimum, and most frequently choose the cheaper alternatives from each food group.
  • gratitudelife
    gratitudelife Posts: 17 Member
    I haven't counted calories for weight loss in many years... done a ton of other (some controversial) methods and just can't stick with anything that restricts certain foods... The most successful I've ever been at weight loss was in high school when I counted calories. Go figure... LOL Here I am at age 38, full circle. One small difference, the food I prepare at home is primarily organic whole foods. Treats and eating out I don't worry about it so much... Probably a 50/50 split... I just like the flavour of organics a lot more than not... I'm struggling with the whole macros thing a bit, to be honest. Today is day 1 of week 2 and because I have PCOS and am insulin resistant, I want to find the carb/protein/fat ratio that works best for my body, and I don't have a clue what that is yet... I am playing around with them a little to find my sweet spot...
  • Jennloella
    Jennloella Posts: 2,286 Member
    I don't count calories at all. I track my sodium and protein on here, a by product is getting my calorie count and I look back at it (I quick add calories and macros only) occasionally. I just eat healthy and it all falls into place. Right now I'm struggling to tone up and get stronger while not losing any more weight. My focus is more on good foods and working out, don't get me wrong though - if I feel like a beer or a cupcake I have one. Just not every day.
  • Jetta_C
    Jetta_C Posts: 58
    I avoid dairy and wheat (though not all gluten) because I find they do not add value to my diet for the calories they have. I also track all my micro-nutrients with Cronometer.com, since I practice CRON.

    My plan ends up looking like a low-calorie Paleo plan with a little rice now and then--
  • EdCamera
    EdCamera Posts: 2 Member
    I'm trying to reduce the amount of salt in my diet using the DASH diet. Hope to eliminate/reduce the amount of BP meds I take. A side benefit is my daily glucose counts are in the normal range and my calorie count is down and I'm losing a little weight.
  • asciident
    asciident Posts: 166 Member
    There's a pretty wide variety of ways people are using MFP. Personally, I'm watching my calories as well as trying to keep my carbs under 40% (which is still a pretty high percentage so not at all "low" or "moderate" carb) and sodium at about 3,400mg.

    My husband's dietary needs are different; he's trying to keep his carbs significantly lower for example.

    Aside from that, we are not eliminating foods or food groups from our diet.
  • Stripeness
    Stripeness Posts: 511 Member
    Not too different from many of the other respondents: I count calories and watch my macros. The one other bit of effort is making sure there are some veggies and fruits eaten - it is REALLY easy for me to eat NONE at all, while still hitting my carb macro just fine.

    I think we can all (almost all) agree that it's best if your carbs come from a variety of sources, and have noticed this is my Waterloo. Not eating veggies & fruits might not prevent me from losing weight, but I'm interested in being a bit better balanced and healthier. So I do work at that a bit..and it's working!

    To me the uber-restrictive diets create an unhealthy attitude towards food. FOR ME. Others experience it differently. YMMV.
  • SteveMFP123
    SteveMFP123 Posts: 298 Member
    I count calories, and I've also cut out 99% of the stuff that made me fat (soda, crisps, sweets, chocolate, cakes etc). My portions are way smaller now, but they're plenty which tells me I was massively overeating without even realizing it. And I still get to eat my favourite food every week (homemade pizza) while being under my calorie limit.
  • Fitteacherc
    Fitteacherc Posts: 38 Member
    I stay within my calories but I find that I spend more time thinking about macros. I'm powerlifting (gaining muscle) and trying to lose weight at the same time so I need to pay attention to carbs, fat, and protein. Since I need efficient sources of protein (ones that don't have tons of fat or carbs), I find that I've been eating whole foods.

Categories