I hate calorie counting

2»

Replies

  • MiSo_SeXy
    MiSo_SeXy Posts: 210 Member
    It is a pain in the butt, but atleast for me... It's the only way i stay on track. I pre log my meals the night before so i don't stress out and it keeps me from wavering to foods i shouldnt have or snacks i should not be having.
    And there are many home made dishes that are hard to calculate the cals for so i just try to pick the closest number i think fits and i usually pick the higher calorie to log so I stay under my allotted intake for the day. It's hard but you can do it! Keep at it!
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    crazyfordogs18 wrote: »
    I have just started it has almost been a month though I have only lost 5lbs which sucks. Calorie goal for the day is 1,710 I have a condition that makes it harder to lose weight. I wanted to just let everyone know what a daily day of food looks like for me.


    Breakfast

    Green tea with a teaspoon of honey

    1/4 cup of ground flaxseed with a 1/4 cup of coconut milk (it is like an oatmeal you heat it up)
    I add in a banana and 2 tablespoons of almond butter.



    Lunch

    Two or three slices of boars head deli meat Turkey or Ham or chicken I switch it up.

    1 slice of cheese and a babybell cheese

    Left over steamed vegetables normally a bowl full.



    Dinner

    Normally a meat, steamed veggies and a salad
    I cook a lot of paleo recipes. My portion at night can sometimes be too big I'm going to cut back even more.


    Late night snack

    If I'm still hungry I will eat an apple before bed.















    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    Either work on figuring out calorie counting and how to make it easier for yourself or find a different way to eat less.

    I don't know how long you've been doing this, but I found that it got easier as it went along, since I learned to spot the good entries or already had them in my diary or foods. I don't tend to use a lot of ingredients (I use lots of vegetables, but not lots of other things like making a marinade or some such, so my cooking might be simpler), but one thought is to create some standard recipes for yourself based on what you plan to cook that week on the weekend and then just adjust quantities. Also remember to save recipes or meals to adjust if you have them again.

    I found it fun to track what I was eating, and the attitude toward it probably makes a difference. (I note down weights when cooking and I weigh after chopping--during cooking or when setting up a mis en place. It really adds no time. The ingredients I use are generally easy to find now, since I tend to use lots of the same things.)

    If you find counting is just not for you, try other ways to eat less: cut quantities, decrease portions of higher cal items (a bit less oil or cheese or butter, smaller portions of the starch course) and replace with more non-starchy vegetables. Or swap out some fattier meats for leaner meats/fish. Other tricks that people use to eat less without counting are eating only at meals or having an eating window.

    From what you write it doesn't sound like you are eating that much--what's your calorie goal? How much are you trying to lose? Are you giving this enough time before deciding you are having a hard time?


    5 pounds in a month is a good rate of loss. Since you didn't include any measurements in grams, my guess is that you are not weighing things with a kitchen scale. If you want to be sure that you are eating within your goal, get a digital kitchen scale and use it. Then log your foods using good MFP entries (those from the USDA, food labels, etc.)
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
    jim180155 wrote: »
    Ceoverturl, as you know, macros are protein, carbohydrates and fat. Sugar is a carb, yes, but it's a subset of carbs. Sugar is not a macro.

    Well, the argument you put forth is that sugar doesn't contain micro nutrients. My point is sugar, being 100% carb, obviously doesn't contain micronutrients. The same could be argued of 100% fat (lard for example) or 100% protein (whey isolate for example). My point, is it's a weak, non-sensical argument.
    A sugar binge in response to trying to quit sounds like addiction to me. If it doesn't sound that way to you, that's fine. It's not a major point anyway. The point is that you adapt. Sugar cravings/addictions/fantasies/wishings, or whatever you want to call them, decrease as you decrease your consumption.

    And again, my point being that is YOUR experience. Others have reported the opposite effect. You keep applying your own experience as if it were the truth for all.
    Donuts don't taste as good sounds like a horrible way to live life? I didn't say they don't taste good.

    No, that's EXACTLY what you said.

    Give it time and your taste buds will become more sensitive. Also, those donuts won't taste as good as they used to.
    But ridiculing someone out of the blue is not something that I like seeing, so I called him on it.

    Fair enough...I can agree on that point. But the post WAS ridiculous, and though I don't support ridiculing the poster, ridiculous content can and should be pointed out.
  • jim180155
    jim180155 Posts: 769 Member
    You go ahead and argue that sugar is a macro. I'm obviously not going to get through to you on this.

    Donuts don't taste as good. AS good. They still taste good, but not as good. Do I need more words than "as" and "good?" I should be able to come up with something if necessary.

    And I didn't necessarily think the original post was ridiculous. It might have been, because you could have read it that way. Or it might have been something more reasonable. I usually try to give people the benefit of the doubt rather than assuming that I know what they're thinking, even though they never posted those thoughts.
  • crazyfordogs18
    crazyfordogs18 Posts: 8 Member

    You taste buds change when you cut out sweets believe me. Before I always craved candy and chocolate and know I can eat watermelon or an apple and it tastes sweet like a dessert. I have an autoimmune diease skin and inflammation arthritis that is way worse with sugar. I have had sugar on special occasion and let me tell you enjoy it wayyy better when you don't eat it often.

    Sugar and sweets was always my downfall, I couldn't just eat one cookie or one candy I would binge eat.

    I understand some people may not be able to go cold turkey and cut out sweets. It has worked for me and my family.

    You can make sweets with honey and coconut sugar it is way better for you.

    I was trying to share a healthy brownie recipe but don't know how to share links on here?






    jim180155 wrote: »
    ceoverturf wrote: »
    jim180155 wrote: »
    However, sugar does nothing for you on a micro nutrient level and does nothing more than a quick boost on a macro level

    Well...yeah. The same is true of protein and fat. Macro nutrients, by definition, do nothing for you on a micro nutrient level.

    However, it's entirely possible to eat foods that have sugar that DO also contain ingredients that supply micro nutrients (vitamin-fortified cereal being one obvious example).
    And reducing your intake of sugar helps change your tastes so that you appreciate the sweetness in other foods more.

    For some people.

    For others, cutting out sugar will only cause them to crave it more and binge.


    And for the record, I'm pretty sure the "nonsense" being referred to was the likening of sugar to addictive drugs, though that's the extent of what I'll say about that.

    Sugar is not a macro. Protein is essential for life, as is fat. Sugar in no way belongs in the same category.

    And yes, sugar is usually combined with other foods. Those other foods may or may not have specific benefits.

    Cutting down on sugar = a resulting sugar binge? Aside from that sounding like you making the case FOR sugar being addictive, sugar binges are just part of the adaption. Give it time and your taste buds will become more sensitive. Also, those donuts won't taste as good as they used to.

    And last, simple carbs like sugar do trigger chemical/ brain rewards.

  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
    edited September 2015
    jim180155 wrote: »
    You go ahead and argue that sugar is a macro. I'm obviously not going to get through to you on this.

    Passive aggressive insults aside, my argument, as I clarified, is that sugar is 100% carb. It contains nothing else. Making the argument, as you did, that it doesn't contain micronutrients is as silly as complaining that 100% whey protein don't contain micronutrients.

    Since you seem to be stuck on semantics over content, I will concede that you will not see "sugar" listed as a macronutrient. However, to deny that it is entirely, 100% carbs is disingenuous as well.


    As to the latter, I cannot possibly fathom how one could NOT see someone equating sugar with addictive drugs as ridiculous.
  • jim180155
    jim180155 Posts: 769 Member
    I didn't deny that sugar is 100% carbs. I didn't try to verify whether it is or not, but your claim sounds right to me. But sugar is not a macro, sugar is a type of carbohydrate. It is a subset. I will not call you passive aggressive, illogical or silly. But really, stop arguing and just think for a minute.

    And sugar has been shown in tests to trigger some of the same reward responses as cocaine. That doesn't mean that sugar is as addictive as cocaine, but there is definitely something there beyond just the pleasant taste of sugar.


    OK, I quit. I don't have to have the last word, but I'm done going in circles.
  • crazyfordogs18
    crazyfordogs18 Posts: 8 Member

    Yes Amen!

    And sugar has been shown in tests to trigger some of the same reward responses as cocaine. That doesn't mean that sugar is as addictive as cocaine, but there is definitely something there beyond just the pleasant taste of sugar.


    OK, I quit. I don't have to have the last word, but I'm done going in circles.[/quote]

  • enterdanger
    enterdanger Posts: 2,447 Member
    So I guess what we should take away from this little argument is that calorie counting is tedious but works and we should all ditch sugar and start doing coke.
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,486 Member
    Can't stand coke, will Pepsi, or better yet, gin and tonic do instead?

    Sorry for the frivolity, enterdanger's post hit me on the silly side.

    Cheers, h.
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,474 Member
    I don't........................
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited September 2015
    jim180155 wrote: »
    And sugar has been shown in tests to trigger some of the same reward responses as cocaine. That doesn't mean that sugar is as addictive as cocaine, but there is definitely something there beyond just the pleasant taste of sugar.

    The usual response to this is "so does petting puppies," but I actually do think there's something (although I wouldn't call it addiction) to the way that people react to hyperpalatable foods, so instead I'll point out that so does fat. For example, check out the discussion in Michael Moss' Sugar, Salt, Fat. Or, actually, the scientists who argue for a type of food addiction--they think it has to do with hyperpalatable foods, and often fatty or (especially) sugar + fat or salt + fat foods.

    I don't really think addiction is a helpful concept with specific foods (I think it doesn't help explain why many feel out of control with them or how to stop, which is pretty context specific), but my bigger issue is the focus on sugar only (or sometimes "carbs") only when that's not actually what the evidence indicates.

    I do think that lowering (sometimes cutting out) added sugar is a smart thing to do for most people trying to lose weight (and likely a good majority of Americans in general). And I say that as someone who wasn't really a sugar fiend when gaining weight and who has never had a problem appreciating the sweetness in fruits and vegetables.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    enterdanger wrote: »
    So I guess what we should take away from this little argument is that calorie counting is tedious but works and we should all ditch sugar and start doing coke.

    I understand it helps with the weight loss.
  • jim180155
    jim180155 Posts: 769 Member
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    jim180155 wrote: »
    And sugar has been shown in tests to trigger some of the same reward responses as cocaine. That doesn't mean that sugar is as addictive as cocaine, but there is definitely something there beyond just the pleasant taste of sugar.

    The usual response to this is "so does petting puppies," but I actually do think there's something (although I wouldn't call it addiction) to the way that people react to hyperpalatable foods, so instead I'll point out that so does fat. For example, check out the discussion in Michael Moss' Sugar, Salt, Fat. Or, actually, the scientists who argue for a type of food addiction--they think it has to do with hyperpalatable foods, and often fatty or (especially) sugar + fat or salt + fat foods.

    I don't really think addiction is a helpful concept with specific foods (I think it doesn't help explain why many feel out of control with them or how to stop, which is pretty context specific), but my bigger issue is the focus on sugar only (or sometimes "carbs") only when that's not actually what the evidence indicates.

    I do think that lowering (sometimes cutting out) added sugar is a smart thing to do for most people trying to lose weight (and likely a good majority of Americans in general). And I say that as someone who wasn't really a sugar fiend when gaining weight and who has never had a problem appreciating the sweetness in fruits and vegetables.

    I read that book and liked it a lot, particularly from the food manufacturing/ historical aspect. I don't remember the part about fats causing the same responses as sugar, but I'll take your word for it.

    I agree with your whole post, especially the part about addiction not being a helpful way of looking at things. There may be something to it, but it still sounds like it borders on excuse-making.

Categories