Do you just use the calorie counter or a specific diet?

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bagshaw
bagshaw Posts: 3
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi, I just wondered whether most of you on here are just eating sensibly and using the calorie counter or if you are also following specific diet plans?
My brother just used the counter and upped his exercise and lost 3 stone.....I've just started but am happy to have lost 2lb in my first week!
Sarah

Replies

  • bagshaw
    bagshaw Posts: 3
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    Hi, I just wondered whether most of you on here are just eating sensibly and using the calorie counter or if you are also following specific diet plans?
    My brother just used the counter and upped his exercise and lost 3 stone.....I've just started but am happy to have lost 2lb in my first week!
    Sarah
  • DBranchaud
    DBranchaud Posts: 827 Member
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    Yeah, I just try to eat sensibly and I use the calorie counter. The last couple of days I haven't been that good though:blushing:
  • tsg177
    tsg177 Posts: 10
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    I Sarah,

    I was just wondering the same thing. I think I am going to try to use the counter today. I am definitely going to log my exercise. It can't hurt. I think it can only help. Let me know how it goes.

    Sandy

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  • Mahlia
    Mahlia Posts: 190
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    Wow! That's great! :smile:
    And I'm just using the counter to start with, seeing how it goes, you know?
  • tekrueger
    tekrueger Posts: 85
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    No real specific diet plan - for better or for worse - just trying to use the calorie counter to track what I'm eating and trying to make better choices, especially useful was all the input I received from all the others in the forum on all sorts of matters from foods, recipes, nutrition (thanks ya'all :flowerforyou: ).
    Getting a glimpse with the counter of what impact there is with exercise helps a lot too. All this goes into just making more healthy choices I think and therefore being able to continue to keep myself in better shape :)
  • sbacon1203
    sbacon1203 Posts: 307 Member
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    I mainly used the calories counter and it has NOT been difficult. Not to say that I have gone over at times :wink:

    I love to give tips and they are:
    1) Log it BEFORE you eat it, this can help you make wise choices :tongue:
    2) Weigh and/or measure everything, my eye was much larger than actual amounts :noway:

    Wishing you all much success :drinker:
  • bagshaw
    bagshaw Posts: 3
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    Thanks for all the replies...it seems that most of you just use the counter as a guide.
    It really helps you to see how the calories can surprisingly mount up during a day!!
  • allaboutme
    allaboutme Posts: 391 Member
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    I just use the calorie counter and try to make sure I am getting the daily recommended intake of my nutrients and vitamens, sometimes this takes some substituting when I chose a food to eat and see it doesn't have enough iron or protien or whatever. I know since I have been using it I feel healthier. I fill it in in the morning and try to stick with it for the day. It is much better than any diet I have tried to follow in the past.
  • chrissyh
    chrissyh Posts: 8,235 Member
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    I too am eating smart and tracking it all - with my past habits it's really easy to go way over. Even eat about all my calories in one meal. It's an eye opener. by following the suggested 1360 calories to lose 1.5# a week, I am actually averaging 2# per week
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
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    Thanks for all the replies...it seems that most of you just use the counter as a guide.
    It really helps you to see how the calories can surprisingly mount up during a day!!

    that is how I transformed. I started the 1st week not changing my diet, just logging everything. WOW It was an eye opener.

    I then removed fast food from my diet, added veggies and fruits, etc

    I find that if I have 1200 cals for the day I dont want a 800 calorie cheeseburger!! I learned to make my own at home. Now I cant eat that junk for nothin'. It just tastes gross to me.

    Take little steps, learn, apply, lose. Pretty simple....oh and stick to it! :flowerforyou:
  • nomorebutts
    nomorebutts Posts: 6
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    Hey Sarah!

    I have been counting my calories and have discovered that it hasn't been that bad! It helps me to know I can eat what I want, it just has to "fit" within my allotted calories for the day. On top of that, any exercise I do negates what I've eaten so I can either eat more or just be happy with losing more!

    I hope things are going well with your weight loss and welcome to the club!
  • menjivas
    menjivas Posts: 124 Member
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    I completely agree. It's not that hard to do and if you eat something regularly, you can save it as a meal. Plus logging before let's you know how much you have for the rest of the day and an idea of what you need to eat for your next meal. I love it!
  • blink14
    blink14 Posts: 57 Member
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    I just use the calorie counter, but I tend to eat the same or similar breakfast and lunches during the week, so it makes it easy just to save those as my own meals. I also try to plan what I'm going to have for dinner earlier in the day, so that I enter most of my food in the morning, and know what's left over for snacks and stuff like that.

    a huge tip if you are going out to eat is to look up the nutrition menus first of the restaurant, if available, or compare the menu to similar items on here or another calorie counter website. you'll be shocked sometimes at how many calories are in certain things or are not in certain things, and it makes it that much easier to plan what you will eat when you're out.

    if you don't do that, another great thing to do is either immediately cut the plate in half and take that portion home, or if you have a strong will, haha, only eat half and then take the rest home. it makes most meals come back down to a reasonable calorie size if you do that.

    good luck!

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