Things YOU do to succeed at counting calories

2snakeswoman
2snakeswoman Posts: 655 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
1) I keep a pencil and piece of paper beside my food scale on the kitchen counter. It reminds me to weigh/measure my portion and write it down. When I have time to sit at the computer, I use the handwritten notes to fill in my food diary here at MFP.
2) I set a rule for myself to drink one water bottle full of water or one pot of tea (they both hold about 3 cups) before lunch and another one before dinner.
3) I don't eat sooner than 3 hours after the last meal. I need to give myself these rules, otherwise the fat woman inside my skin tells me she's hungry all day long. It helps to be able to tell myself, for example, "Lunch is at 1 PM, better get to work on that water/tea."

I've been overweight/obese for more than 2 decades now, starting and abandoning diets the whole time. This time I need to succeed because I have significant arthritis in my left foot and NEED to be lighter on my feet. So I've buckled myself down for success to the best of my ability.

Now I need your helpful hints.

Replies

  • kate2004rock
    kate2004rock Posts: 223 Member
    1) Try (as best I Can - sometimes life happens) to plan my food out for the entire day.
    2) Have fun trying new recipes and taking the "Me" time to prep things ahead of time!
    3) Don't be afraid to find something "close enough" in the database and just move on.
  • neldabg
    neldabg Posts: 1,452 Member
    edited March 2016
    1) Always logging BEFORE I eat my snack/meal.
    2) Planning for success. If I know I'm going to have a super busy week ahead, I plan out my meals so that I don't go around just eating whatever is in sight in response to stress.
    3) Lurking on health discussion boards. People always have tips to offer, and it helps me keep my head in the game.
  • mdrichardsons
    mdrichardsons Posts: 83 Member
    Keep reminding myself how much better my life is and all the fun experiences I can have now that I can move and don't feel so ridiculous looking. The fun clothes I can wear.

    Also reminding myself that happiness doesn't come from feeling stuffed all day.

    Logging my day ahead of time really helps.

    I like to eat light in the weekdays and save myself extra calories for the weekends. When we go out with friends or family I want to feel like I can have what I want and not feel restricted because I don't have enough calories (obviously there's still a limit) but because I'm used to small meals during the week when the weekend comes I really do feel stuffed on 1800 calories. Like this last weekend was Easter and I was a little worried but it didn't end up hindering me at all because I had those extra saved. That method isn't for everybody though.

  • ElizabethOakes2
    ElizabethOakes2 Posts: 1,038 Member
    1) Keeping a white board on the fridge so I can record what I put into recipes as I'm cooking.
    2) I try not to wait until I'm hungry to eat something.
    3) "saving up" calories for weekends, special events, etc.
  • BoaRestrictor
    BoaRestrictor Posts: 194 Member
    neldabg wrote: »
    1) Always logging BEFORE I eat my snack/meal.

    Yes, that one was key for me last summer. Run the numbers before you eat.
  • ehrenlynae7
    ehrenlynae7 Posts: 63 Member
    1. Log meals ahead of time.
    2. Eat at scheduled times.
    3. Close the kitchen down after dinner (it doesn't help with faster weight loss, but I tend to eat mindlessly at night).
    4. Log it all. Even on days I go over.
  • mbcieslak87
    mbcieslak87 Posts: 206 Member
    I have come to love using MFP because it's like a puzzle to figure out how to fit all the things I want to eat into my week and ways to take recipes I love and make them lower calorie/better macros, so that I can have my cake and eat it too :)

    It also really helps with grocery lists when I plan ahead and then can just go through my upcoming week and look at each ingredient and think "do I have this in the house" if yes, awesome, if not, then I add it to my list. I know others look at counting calories like its a chore but it really is "me time" and has become second nature and helpful.

    Obviously things come up and not every single meal that I plan gets made at the time I plan it, but it definitely helps keep me on the track overall!
  • nadler64
    nadler64 Posts: 124 Member
    edited March 2016
    1) Plan and log in advance. Hubs and I plan and log our meals for the WEEK before we eat, then adjust as necessary. We're much more effective at staying within our calorie and macro ranges that way. Keeps our grocery bill down too, as I don't buy something if we don't need it for the week.

    2) Measure and weigh.

    3) Using the iPhone app, because the phone is always with me and I have no excuses not to log. Actually I much prefer using the app; I find it more intuitive and faster than this website.

  • megzchica23
    megzchica23 Posts: 419 Member
    1. Log into MFP every morning and log all my meals. I decide every morning what to make for dinner. I see my calories are all spent. So I don't eat extra in between. It also makes me feel more obligated to cook dinner.
    2. Look up calories before going out to eat and stick with the plan.
    3. Find time to relax a bit, so I don't get over stressed and want to eat. I have started to spend more alone time in the bedroom instead of spending all my time with fiance. I also skip the break room for lunch and relax alone at my desk with show.
    4. Plan snacks ahead of time. Have then between breakfast and lunch, lunch and dinner.
    5. Don't skimp on breakfast on weekends.
    6. Eat at the same times everyday.
    7. Find new recipes so I don't get bored.
    8. After a long week of following all the rules, let myself have a treat but don't go crazy overboard.
  • Timelordlady85
    Timelordlady85 Posts: 797 Member
    1. log into MFP to plan my meals for the day
    2. weigh all my food with food scale, measuring cups or spoons
    3. plan ahead for when my family wants to eat out by searching their menu for calorie options ahead of time.
    4. try new recipes and ideas so I don't get stuck eating the same meals over and over again.
    5. If i slip up I don't beat myself up over it, tomorrow is another day to make better choices.
    6. MFP app is the best, the bar code scanner makes tracking food easy when your away from your computer.
  • Smccabe8
    Smccabe8 Posts: 129 Member
    1. Log everything before I eat it.
    2. Meal Prep - Weigh and measure (divide equally) - then save the prepped meals in MFP. Then for lunch, just pick a meal and log it. I don't have to remember what everything weighed because it's all saved for me!
    3. Forums help a lot for staying motivated and getting meal ideas and advice. :)
  • Hjaye7512
    Hjaye7512 Posts: 116 Member
    I log every single thing I eat no matter what and either pre plan and log or do it when I'm making the food... I need this to be a lifestyle so I'm trying to making logging a habit
  • mkakids
    mkakids Posts: 1,913 Member
    Save enough calories for a great dinner and pre bed snack. For me, thats usually around 800 of my 1350 cals on non exercise days. On days that i dont do that, like today, I really regret it'
  • sarabushby
    sarabushby Posts: 784 Member
    1) If in doubt... overestimate calories consumed, underestimate calories burned
    2) log EVERYTHING every single bite or sip so you can honestly say you've never cheated
    3) be really careful which food entry in the database you choose, there's so much duplication and some are clearly totally inaccurate or missing macro info.
  • EddieP50
    EddieP50 Posts: 192 Member
    1) Keep my smartphone or tablet with me in the kitchen
    2) Prepare and measure if needed on a digital kitchen scale the food for the meal
    3) Grab the phone or tablet and log everything before I start eating
    4) Sometimes I site down in the evening and log what I will have the next day for breakfast and what I will take for lunch.
  • 100df
    100df Posts: 668 Member
    2snakeswoman wrote: »
    1) I keep a pencil and piece of paper beside my food scale on the kitchen counter. It reminds me to weigh/measure my portion and write it down. When I have time to sit at the computer, I use the handwritten notes to fill in my food diary here at MFP.
    2) I set a rule for myself to drink one water bottle full of water or one pot of tea (they both hold about 3 cups) before lunch and another one before dinner.
    3) I don't eat sooner than 3 hours after the last meal. I need to give myself these rules, otherwise the fat woman inside my skin tells me she's hungry all day long. It helps to be able to tell myself, for example, "Lunch is at 1 PM, better get to work on that water/tea."

    I've been overweight/obese for more than 2 decades now, starting and abandoning diets the whole time. This time I need to succeed because I have significant arthritis in my left foot and NEED to be lighter on my feet. So I've buckled myself down for success to the best of my ability.

    Now I need your helpful hints.

    Sounds like the fat woman inside of you and the fat woman inside of me need to get together and take a vacation so we have some peace!!

    I have meal timing rules too. The clock is more honest about whether I am really hungry or if I just want to eat. However sometimes I am not hungry when it's time to eat. I skip then. 9 times out of 10, I make it up later. The 10th time is just a little extra deficit.

    I save calories for what I call my witching hour before I go to bed. Usually need those calories but occasionally I just go to bed without eating them.

    I check calories and servings on foods with labels as I shop. Saves me from buying calorie bombs without realizing.

    When I go over my calorie allowance, I log and move on. Get back to it the next time I eat.



  • CrabNebula
    CrabNebula Posts: 1,119 Member
    I eat pretty boring during the work week. I can go for weeks or months eating the same thing for breakfast and lunch. My lack of need for variety helps keep the calorie count on autopilot. Dinners vary more, but we tend to eat the same thing 2-3 nights in a row out of convenience. From Friday night to Sunday, it is less regimented, but I have calorie counts and servings sizes noted and logged for every meal I make.

    On the odd occasion we go out to eat, I will always try to look up the menu and nutritional info when available and make a selection before we have even set food in the restaurant.
  • ModernRock
    ModernRock Posts: 372 Member
    Prepare extra servings, weigh them out and store them individually. This saves time and money, and also makes it easier to log. I'd like to get even more ambitious with this approach making my own frozen dinners with my foodsaver and deep freezer.
  • cheer4beer
    cheer4beer Posts: 22 Member
    Logging in advance and banking a couple of hundred calories a day during the week allows me to indulge more on the weekends.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    I always have s green salad with a few toppings & EVOO/vinegar with dinner. Not many cslories but really fills me up compared to having the same meal without a salad. Ding go crazy on high cal toppings or dressing.

    I often have one square of good chocolate, 72-85% cacao in the evening. Really cures cravings & sweet tooth. High % choc has health benefits. One square of a large bar =60 cals. Gotta stop at one. Initially I bought Giradehlli pre wrapped squares which helped me stop at one, but my store no longer has them in the high%.
  • 2snakeswoman
    2snakeswoman Posts: 655 Member
    I love one square of really strong dark chocolate, too.
  • Asher_Ethan
    Asher_Ethan Posts: 2,430 Member
    1. Setting a calorie goal that isn't too aggressive.
    2. The day after a binge is a brand new day, no need to eat less to make up for it.
    3. Save calories during the week so o can splurge on the weekends.
  • cate320
    cate320 Posts: 130 Member
    I actually plan my meals on MFP before cooking. It lets me know exactly how many calories I am going to be eating, and I can adjust my ingredients accordingly. Especially if it's early in the day and I don't want to accidentally use up my entire calorie quota.

    Another trick I use is to drink a ton of water *during* my meal. It, along with the taste of the yummy food, makes me feel like I have actually eaten way more than I really have. I have a 700 ml bottle, and I make a point to drink the entire thing between my first and last bites of a meal.
  • cbihatt
    cbihatt Posts: 319 Member
    1. Log everything, even when it isn't pretty. Sometimes, it's not as bad as I anticipated. And I always feel better knowing it is recorded.
    2. Make a schedule for exercise and stick to it. If I don't plan out what I am going to do, I have a tendency to put it off and it never gets done.
    3. Change or add new goals every four weeks. This keeps me focused and stops boredom before it starts. I am always working toward something.
    4. Make a deliberate decision about everything I eat. I don't allow myself to eat mindlessly. I must think about it and choose to eat, even when I go over my calorie allotment.
  • barby8051
    barby8051 Posts: 11 Member
    My biggest one is to stick with CICO because I know that after 40 years of dieting, it is the only thing that works long term for me. And most importantly, not listen to well meaning friends,family, and even my doctor, when they tell me the proper way to lose weight. I used to get upset and become exasperated trying to point out that I must be doing something right after shedding 90 pounds, but now I just politely smile and let them rattle on.
  • Glampinupdoll
    Glampinupdoll Posts: 234 Member
    Pre log meals
    Eat a balance of food
    Have a sweet if it fits
    Continue wishing for more calorie friendly alcohol
    DRINK LOTS OF WATER!!

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