opinions on counting calories. HELP!

x_sotonguetied
x_sotonguetied Posts: 97
edited September 25 in Health and Weight Loss
hello everyone! i just wanted other people's opinions on counting calories. i always feel like it's a hassle to to it and it's never been something i've kept up with. i also find myself obsessing/stressing over food when i count calories sometimes.

part of me thinks i need to do it to lose the weight i want to, but another part of me just wants to eat healthy and sensibly and not worry so much about stressing over every little thing i eat as long as i know i'm not eating terrible. i just don't know what kind of results i'd get from that.

SO WHAT I WANT TO KNOW IS, if you think counting calories works better than not counting them, or if you think it's worth it or just any other opinions on it.

thanks! :)

Replies

  • themommie
    themommie Posts: 5,033 Member
    I diffinately think counting calories is important. It is the only way I have been able to lose more then 15 lbs. It is worth it
  • MegJo
    MegJo Posts: 398 Member
    I think everyone is different. I needed this, badly. I had no idea how MUCH of the bad stuff I was eating and how little of the good stuff. Instead of stressing me out it actually does the opposite because I know at the end of the day if I was honest about my logging then I'm allset - everything WILL fall into place.

    However, if you have a good grasp on healthy eating then I can see why you'd feel this site isn't for you. If nothing else use it for the awesome people, the forums, and the motivation of belonging to something.

    Not sure how long you've acutally logged things - maybe set a goal like log for a month straight, maybe once you get use to logging things and seeing that different days will have different numbers your stress will settle.
  • lalilalu
    lalilalu Posts: 102 Member
    I think to get you started and make you aware of what you are eating it's a great thing. There's no need to do it forever, but as someone else said do it for a month or something and see how it goes. You might find that you do so well you will want to continue, or you might find that you have an idea of what you should eat and your limits and will be able to continue on without logging your foods.
  • jellyfishjen
    jellyfishjen Posts: 1,787 Member
    I was always so against counting calories. I thought I ate healthy good foods. I am vegetarian, and 90% of food in house was fresh and unprocesssed. Well I'm here now because I am obese. Its not just counting the calories that has helped but noting the fat, sodium, carb, fibre content and quantity. I weigh and measure foods. I was a know all and yet I have learnt so much.
  • Christine1110
    Christine1110 Posts: 1,786 Member
    I believe you can't lose much weight without counting calories & exercising. You don't need to stress over it....once you get used to doing it you will have no problem. It gets easier the longer you do it.


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  • msjackson1019
    msjackson1019 Posts: 10 Member
    The 19 Pounds I have lost in the last two months by counting calories using this website tells me it's worth it. It can be a hassle at times and I do obsess a bit about it some times. But without that hassle, I might eat a little more every day, knowing I only have to think about it while I am eating the food and once the food is gone, I don't have to worry about it or log it later. Without the little bit of obsession, I might not do the exercising I really should do to burn off the extra calories I may have consumed in a given day. Being held accountable makes a huge difference for me. It's made a big difference for my husband too. He has lost 23 pounds and surprisingly is more obsessive about it than I am.
  • sbchasin
    sbchasin Posts: 14
    I would say YES, without a doubt.

    Counting, while a pain, is the only way I can reliably track how much I am eating, and making sure I stay within the limits I have set.

    I found that it was the only way I saw weight loss and also allows me to concentrate on also eating correctly (or at least more correctly than I was).

    It is working for me.
  • april_denise
    april_denise Posts: 24 Member
    I definitely can relate to what you're saying about counting calories being tedious and repetitive sometimes. I get that feeling too, and I admit, sometimes I've given into it and totally blew off logging what I ate that day. But keeping track of the calories really helps to put some perspective on what you're eating and how much of it. I've found that the days that I haven't kept track of what I ate, I've gained a few pounds on my next weigh-in and it's really discouraging. Yet when I keep track of the calories, I seem to be losing at least 1 pound per weigh-in. (I check twice a week)

    But everyone else who posted previously have brought up some excellent points as well. You have to find what works for YOU. =]
  • x_sotonguetied
    x_sotonguetied Posts: 97
    thank you, everyone! i really like the idea of setting some sort of goal for logging in my calories. i think that way it will help keep me accountable for actually sticking to it for a period of time which would probably help not only get me used to eating the right amounts everyday, but also make logging more of a habit rather than a chore.

    i'm sure if it's proved to be of great value to all of you wonderful people, i will probably find it most useful as well :)

    thank you all again!! :)
  • cindywhitney
    cindywhitney Posts: 25 Member
    It helps me not eat so much, and I have lost big chunks of weight as a result. The only thing is that I didn't know the whole story and I kept my calories too low. As a result, I would go off on a food bender, be totally burned out, and the pounds would creep back on. This time around I feel so much better since learning that I need to eat more to lose. I like to workout hard and I need to fuel my body to make it work for me. Counting calories helps me not to eat too much of a good thing and helps me make sure I get enough protein....but the thing that helps me the most about logging my food that suprised me was it helps me not to eat too little! I would be successful for a time eating lowered calories, but I would stall out and plateau. It happened again recently and thanks to all the posts on here about eating more, I'm back on the losing train :) There are days when I've eaten really well and feel like I ate a lot, then I go log it and realize my calories are way too low! It is an adjustment to count, but this site makes it much easier :)
  • x_sotonguetied
    x_sotonguetied Posts: 97
    It helps me not eat so much, and I have lost big chunks of weight as a result. The only thing is that I didn't know the whole story and I kept my calories too low. As a result, I would go off on a food bender, be totally burned out, and the pounds would creep back on. This time around I feel so much better since learning that I need to eat more to lose. I like to workout hard and I need to fuel my body to make it work for me. Counting calories helps me not to eat too much of a good thing and helps me make sure I get enough protein....but the thing that helps me the most about logging my food that suprised me was it helps me not to eat too little! I would be successful for a time eating lowered calories, but I would stall out and plateau. It happened again recently and thanks to all the posts on here about eating more, I'm back on the losing train :) There are days when I've eaten really well and feel like I ate a lot, then I go log it and realize my calories are way too low! It is an adjustment to count, but this site makes it much easier :)

    this is super true, as well! and it makes sense, because i know i've had periods of time where i was probably eating too little and then would go binge crazy on food, and then i've also had times when i was probably eating too much. very valid point that i didn't even think of! thank you :)
  • Mredwards12
    Mredwards12 Posts: 19 Member
    I use to think the same thing until counting calories became second nature to me. The counting of calories is a necessary part of eating healthy. Not only does it help you track your consumption, it educates you on the nutritional fact of the different food groups; :wink:
  • skinnyhopes
    skinnyhopes Posts: 402 Member
    I HATE counting too, but in the end it pays off.
  • westcoastSW
    westcoastSW Posts: 320 Member
    hello everyone! i just wanted other people's opinions on counting calories. i always feel like it's a hassle to to it and it's never been something i've kept up with. i also find myself obsessing/stressing over food when i count calories sometimes.

    part of me thinks i need to do it to lose the weight i want to, but another part of me just wants to eat healthy and sensibly and not worry so much about stressing over every little thing i eat as long as i know i'm not eating terrible. i just don't know what kind of results i'd get from that.

    SO WHAT I WANT TO KNOW IS, if you think counting calories works better than not counting them, or if you think it's worth it or just any other opinions on it.

    thanks! :)
    As a rough analogy, I view it similarly to maintaining a budget and a bank account. Once you *know* how to budget, it's no big deal, comes naturally, and poses few problems. However, that said, clearly there are more than a few people who struggle with getting to that point (myself included, 100%!). So I look at this somewhat like bankruptcy: you're not totally s**t out of luck, but you know you're not doing well. Counting calories is analogous to managing a budget: looking at how much you're spending and how much you're taking in; really getting a grasp on what's happening day-to-day. It's important to track for as long as it takes for you to understand your [body's] patterns. After you get the scale[/budget] balanced, it's all about maintenance: where, if you've learned anything along the journey, will come reasonably naturally. For some, it doesn't, and that's fine -- provided that said people recognize their limitations and continue to track their [money/calorie] patterns to maintain.
  • sarahbear1981
    sarahbear1981 Posts: 610 Member
    I think counting calories is paramount to weight loss success. I thought I was eating healthy and boy was I wrong. Some of the things we think are good for us are definitely not. Read this if you want to know how I learned how important paying attention to the nutrition labels is: http://phatgirlsguidetoquitting.blogspot.com/2011/03/pay-attention.html

    I am new to MFP, but since I started about a week ago I have noticed a drastic change in my well-being, health, weight loss and confidence all from logging what I eat consistently and candidly. Hope that helps and good luck in your weight loss journey =)
  • x_sotonguetied
    x_sotonguetied Posts: 97
    hello everyone! i just wanted other people's opinions on counting calories. i always feel like it's a hassle to to it and it's never been something i've kept up with. i also find myself obsessing/stressing over food when i count calories sometimes.

    part of me thinks i need to do it to lose the weight i want to, but another part of me just wants to eat healthy and sensibly and not worry so much about stressing over every little thing i eat as long as i know i'm not eating terrible. i just don't know what kind of results i'd get from that.

    SO WHAT I WANT TO KNOW IS, if you think counting calories works better than not counting them, or if you think it's worth it or just any other opinions on it.

    thanks! :)
    As a rough analogy, I view it similarly to maintaining a budget and a bank account. Once you *know* how to budget, it's no big deal, comes naturally, and poses few problems. However, that said, clearly there are more than a few people who struggle with getting to that point (myself included, 100%!). So I look at this somewhat like bankruptcy: you're not totally s**t out of luck, but you know you're not doing well. Counting calories is analogous to managing a budget: looking at how much you're spending and how much you're taking in; really getting a grasp on what's happening day-to-day. It's important to track for as long as it takes for you to understand your [body's] patterns. After you get the scale[/budget] balanced, it's all about maintenance: where, if you've learned anything along the journey, will come reasonably naturally. For some, it doesn't, and that's fine -- provided that said people recognize their limitations and continue to track their [money/calorie] patterns to maintain.

    that's actually a really good way of looking at it, i'd never even thought of thinking that way about it. thank you! :)
  • x_sotonguetied
    x_sotonguetied Posts: 97
    I think counting calories is paramount to weight loss success. I thought I was eating healthy and boy was I wrong. Some of the things we think are good for us are definitely not. Read this if you want to know how I learned how important paying attention to the nutrition labels is: http://phatgirlsguidetoquitting.blogspot.com/2011/03/pay-attention.html

    I am new to MFP, but since I started about a week ago I have noticed a drastic change in my well-being, health, weight loss and confidence all from logging what I eat consistently and candidly. Hope that helps and good luck in your weight loss journey =)

    thank you! and i read the post from that link, and that totally makes you re-think things! it's so true that even when you think you're eating something healthy it might be a lot worse than you anticipated. definitely makes you think!
  • suzycreamcheese
    suzycreamcheese Posts: 1,766 Member
    i think its good to count calories at least for a while, and then hopefully over time you would find that you naturally know what the right sort of things to eat and amounts of things to eat are and could ease off with the counting calories then.

    I found when starting tracking, i was SHOCKED by how easy it is to eat way over your needs
  • Eviesmum
    Eviesmum Posts: 270 Member
    I hate counting calories, so I don't do it. Like you I couldn't be bothered and then I started stressing about food.

    I did it for a while to see what foods kind of add up to what I'm supposed to eat.

    Then I started a different eating plan which means I don't have to anymore.
  • jeaniedev
    jeaniedev Posts: 117 Member
    I have counted and not counted calories...and for the first time with MFP I have been really changing my eating and thinking. I have seen amazing things in the past 4 weeks with myself and I think that counting the calories and journaling it on MFP is the reason that I have had such success.
    GOOD luck on your journey
  • edleim
    edleim Posts: 81 Member
    It takes 28 days to break a habit. That is why I am on here, not because I really have a lot to lose but I really want to change my whole outlook on eating. I think being forced to really pay attention for 28 days straight can break the habit of mindless eating or whatever else your problem is, It is annoying to add things in but a few almonds here, some fruit there, etc... a couple of crackers. It adds up.
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