You NEED to stop calorie counting and restricting!

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Replies

  • eringrace95_
    eringrace95_ Posts: 296 Member
    I can't stop watching freelee videos despite their dumbness
  • chrislee1628
    chrislee1628 Posts: 305 Member
    my younger sister uses weight watchers, from what I gather they have a point system, which is no different really from calorie counting

    they have a given a certain amount of points they can eat per day, how many depends on the person, just like here, how many calories depends on how active you are, height etc
  • JaneSnowe
    JaneSnowe Posts: 1,283 Member
    wytey wrote: »
    my younger sister uses weight watchers, from what I gather they have a point system, which is no different really from calorie counting

    they have a given a certain amount of points they can eat per day, how many depends on the person, just like here, how many calories depends on how active you are, height etc

    How does she like it? I hear mixed reviews.
  • AuroraGeorge8393
    AuroraGeorge8393 Posts: 100 Member
    JaneiR36 wrote: »
    Again, I am very happy that so many people on this site have had success with calorie counting. Having said that, I do not know a single person, or know a person who knows a person, who counts calories. And many of these people have lost weight or have maintained the correct weight. Why? Because for most people, weighing and measuring and counting every morsel of food you eat is a total non-starter.

    A) Are you sure? Not everyone who counts calories goes around advertising it. This can be rather personal

    Exactly. I bet @gonetothedogs DOES know people who count calories, they just don't talk about it. My family and a few close friends are aware of my calorie counting and weighing, because they've seen me do it at home, but I certainly don't advertise the fact that I count/weigh. Unless someone asked me, they would never know.
  • eringrace95_
    eringrace95_ Posts: 296 Member
    JaneiR36 wrote: »
    Again, I am very happy that so many people on this site have had success with calorie counting. Having said that, I do not know a single person, or know a person who knows a person, who counts calories. And many of these people have lost weight or have maintained the correct weight. Why? Because for most people, weighing and measuring and counting every morsel of food you eat is a total non-starter.

    A) Are you sure? Not everyone who counts calories goes around advertising it. This can be rather personal

    Exactly. I bet @gonetothedogs DOES know people who count calories, they just don't talk about it. My family and a few close friends are aware of my calorie counting and weighing, because they've seen me do it at home, but I certainly don't advertise the fact that I count/weigh. Unless someone asked me, they would never know.

    Amen! Even when they ask I don't like advertising I calorie count cause for SOME reason they have been brainwashed to think it's a negative thinng
  • AuroraGeorge8393
    AuroraGeorge8393 Posts: 100 Member
    ErinSot wrote: »
    JaneiR36 wrote: »
    Again, I am very happy that so many people on this site have had success with calorie counting. Having said that, I do not know a single person, or know a person who knows a person, who counts calories. And many of these people have lost weight or have maintained the correct weight. Why? Because for most people, weighing and measuring and counting every morsel of food you eat is a total non-starter.

    A) Are you sure? Not everyone who counts calories goes around advertising it. This can be rather personal

    Exactly. I bet @gonetothedogs DOES know people who count calories, they just don't talk about it. My family and a few close friends are aware of my calorie counting and weighing, because they've seen me do it at home, but I certainly don't advertise the fact that I count/weigh. Unless someone asked me, they would never know.

    Amen! Even when they ask I don't like advertising I calorie count cause for SOME reason they have been brainwashed to think it's a negative thinng

    I think many people have trouble accepting the idea of CICO because it seems too simple. If you've tried every fad diet under the sun, with limited success, it must sound incredible to believe that people could lose weight simply by counting calories. Also, anyone with a TV, computer or tablet is constantly confronted with endless charlatans trying to make money peddling these latest "miracle" fads.
  • eringrace95_
    eringrace95_ Posts: 296 Member
    ErinSot wrote: »
    JaneiR36 wrote: »
    Again, I am very happy that so many people on this site have had success with calorie counting. Having said that, I do not know a single person, or know a person who knows a person, who counts calories. And many of these people have lost weight or have maintained the correct weight. Why? Because for most people, weighing and measuring and counting every morsel of food you eat is a total non-starter.

    A) Are you sure? Not everyone who counts calories goes around advertising it. This can be rather personal

    Exactly. I bet @gonetothedogs DOES know people who count calories, they just don't talk about it. My family and a few close friends are aware of my calorie counting and weighing, because they've seen me do it at home, but I certainly don't advertise the fact that I count/weigh. Unless someone asked me, they would never know.

    Amen! Even when they ask I don't like advertising I calorie count cause for SOME reason they have been brainwashed to think it's a negative thinng

    I think many people have trouble accepting the idea of CICO because it seems too simple. If you've tried every fad diet under the sun, with limited success, it must sound incredible to believe that people could lose weight simply by counting calories. Also, anyone with a TV, computer or tablet is constantly confronted with endless charlatans trying to make money peddling these latest "miracle" fads.

    Good point!
  • eringrace95_
    eringrace95_ Posts: 296 Member
    Savyna wrote: »
    I used to count calories and lost weight. Then I got bored because I had (in my opinion) had it at such a low level for the weight that I was at, and got bored of starving/eating the same things, so I stopped. Gained the weight back. Then I decided to start working out again but without counting calories. I got stronger and I could run longer distances but I was barely losing any weight. So I started counting again because I suck at portion control/eyeballing things. Some people are great at that, can eat on a smaller plate and all of that, but I find a lot of success just by counting. What also helps is that I'm now smarter at calculating how much calories to eat so that I'm on a more gradual restriction and not anything drastic.
    In the end, whatever works for you though ^_^

    Yes!! Calorie counting just makes everything so much easier
  • deannasawyer
    deannasawyer Posts: 47 Member
    It's really frustrating! I watch what I eat and count most of the time to maintain, and everyone IRL says it's eating disorder behavior and that I'm "naturally thin" and can eat whatever I want. We end up getting into full-blown arguments about it. :( I'm a healthy weight. I'm 5'5" and bounce back and forth between 110-115lbs. I would like to keep it that way, and MFP makes this SUPER easy. I can even put stuff in on MFP before I eat, to see if I can afford to eat a double-serving of those amazing leftovers from last night or not. Sometimes, I'm pleasantly surprised. :)

    I don't know about you guys, but my appetite is full of misfires and cannot be trusted. Some days she says "Naw dawg, you just did 4 hours of back-breaking manual labor, but you don't need to eat, it's cool", and other days it fires back with "NOOOO! You don't understand! You may have been on your butt all day, but you really need to eat ALL THE FOOD IN THE HOUSE."
  • ugofatcat
    ugofatcat Posts: 385 Member
    I have never been overweight (5'7 between 146-150) but I was so resistant to count calories because deep down I knew I was eating to much. I liked to say that it was all in my boobs plus I strength train so my body needed the nutrition.

    But when I started using my MFP I realized I had a very poor understanding of portion sizes. So I bought a food scale. And then I started seeing how much I was really eating. I would do between 2,500-4,000 a day! What I found interesting, though, is the next day I wouldn't eat as much (1,200) which I think was part of the reason I never gained a significant amount of weight.

    I started to see that I was eating way to much and needed to make changes. For example, I was eating 500 calories of tortilla chips. I just didn't feel like they where worth it so I stopped eating them.

    Now I go between 141-146. I still go over my calorie limit which is why I have't lost more weight. But tracking has helped me figure out my weak areas that I need to improve on. I have noticed that I will overeat at night. I started to wonder why I always do that, and started to suspect it is because I am reading stuff on my computer. If I eat distracted I am still hungry after finishing my meal. When I just eat my meal without watching TV or reading, I get full and don't need to keep eating. So now I am working on just focusing on my meal and slowing down. MFP has helped make me more aware and a more mindful eater.

    Its a great tool that helps empower people to take control of their life, and I get so sad seeing all this misinformation because it is holding people down and keeping them from succeeding.

  • ugofatcat
    ugofatcat Posts: 385 Member
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    MissusMoon wrote: »
    Here's a guy who ate a huge caloric surplus (high fat, little carb) for a month, and didn't gain weight. How can that be?

    Summary: "Here is a difference between overeating and overeating.

    When eating bad carbohydrates it’s easy to gain weight quickly. You’ll get plenty of the fat-storing hormone insulin in your blood.

    It’s generally hard to gain weight on an LCHF diet. It’s even difficult to eat too much food, as you then usually have to eat more than you want. Even if you force down large amounts of LCHF-food, against your will, the result is usually as it was for Feltham. It’s a constant struggle and weight gain will likely be modest.

    Overweight people eating as much as they want on an LCHF diet will typically lose weight."

    http://thehealthhelp.co/what-happens-if-you-eat-5800-calories-daily-on-an-lchf-diet/

    The claims in this link are just that: claims. Unless this person is working out enough to maintain they are not consuming that much without gaining weight. No one can defy science.

    I was eating LCHF and it got me to Obese II. Meats, cheeses, nuts, avocados. Very little refined sugar, and flour and rice products were an extreme rarity.

    The "science" this dude spouts is woo. Nutritionally speaking a calorie is not a calorie. But with weight, your body processes a calorie from any source the same way. It is an EXCESS of anything that causes fat storage. There are a lot of articles and such. There is no solid science unless you are talking about a few very specific health issues.

    TL;DR version: Subject of the article is not being honest.

    Well if you want to believe that eating 1,500 calories of donuts for six months (yes, I know nobody is recommending that) or 1,500 calories of mostly healthy food for six months will result in the same weight loss, be my guest.

    Here is one of thousands of articles that says you are absolutely wrong. And he's not selling anything.

    http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/05/09/fed-up-asks-are-all-calories-equal/
    Actually, yes. Weight loss would result if 1500 calories puts both people in a calorie deficit and food has been weighed. Nutrition isn't the same (of course), but calories are. I thought the twinkie study/diet confirmed that.

    I lost over 80lbs eating nutritious as well as snacks and treats that include chocolate, cake, donuts....etc..

    A calorie is a calorie.
    A calorie is a unit of energy.

    "A calorie is a unit of energy." True, but don't you think it's possible that eating crappy food for extended periods can screw up your metabolism over time, and result in weight gain? Unit of energy does not reflect changes in metabolism.

    If our metabolism slows with age, why couldn't change based on what you eat?

    5 Foods That Slow Down Your Metabolism - http://annagodfrey.com/5-foods-that-slow-down-your-metabolism/

    again, this is not science. :(

    OK, how about this one. Conclusion - "Saying that weight (or health for that matter) is simply a function of “calories in, calories out” is completely wrong. It is a drastic oversimplification that doesn’t account for the complex metabolic pathways that different foods go through, or the effects that foods have on our brain and hormones."

    "https://authoritynutrition.com/debunking-the-calorie-myth/

    I don't think CICO is a simplification and it is not wrong. What is difficult is figuring out exactly what you CO is and what you CI is. I don't understand how CICO fails to account for the complex metabolic pathways or the effects food have on our brain or hormones. The complex metabolic pathways and hormones are the CO part of the equation.

    There was a teacher who lost 60 pounds eating nothing but McDonalds for 6 months, but he ate 2,000 calories. His cholesterol and other labs improved. http://abc7.com/health/teacher-loses-60-pounds-while-eating-nothing-but-mcdonalds/705916/ Various nutrition professors have lost weight eating nothing but Twinkies. No one is saying this is healthy as the Twinkie diet lacked numerous vitamins and minerals. The point of these studies is that you don't need complicated meal plans or to buy only organic or any special equipment. You need to eat less then what you ate yesterday.
  • Evamutt
    Evamutt Posts: 2,261 Member
    counting calories has been the ONLY thing that is working for me. People like to give their opinions about what ever you're doing. I have a friend who thinks she's helping by constantly telling me "they said to do this or that" and telling me how she's lost 60lbs 3 times(gained it all back) I feel like saying who are "they" & why aren't you doing it?She gives me advise every time we talk, so annoying. she needs to loose wt too but i don't say anything to her, it's up to her
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,879 Member
    If someone is eating healthfully and losing weight they are restrictiing calories whether they know it or not. I personally find it much harder to overeat when diet is primarily whole foods, but not impossible. ..I don't count calories so just eating really well works for me. ..but if I'm dropping weight I have a calorie deficiency.
  • SCoil123
    SCoil123 Posts: 2,108 Member
    I lost weight last time (80+ lbs) without counting a single calorie. I increased my activity level and switched my portions up to have the salad or whatever as my main course with the protein and starches as smaller sides. It worked for me then.

    This time Im older and my auto-immune/hormonal issues have progressed. What worked before didnt work this time so I joined MFP and worked with my doctor to design a new approach.

    Different things work for different people. And different approaches might work for the same person at different points in their life.
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    MissusMoon wrote: »
    Here's a guy who ate a huge caloric surplus (high fat, little carb) for a month, and didn't gain weight. How can that be?

    Summary: "Here is a difference between overeating and overeating.

    When eating bad carbohydrates it’s easy to gain weight quickly. You’ll get plenty of the fat-storing hormone insulin in your blood.

    It’s generally hard to gain weight on an LCHF diet. It’s even difficult to eat too much food, as you then usually have to eat more than you want. Even if you force down large amounts of LCHF-food, against your will, the result is usually as it was for Feltham. It’s a constant struggle and weight gain will likely be modest.

    Overweight people eating as much as they want on an LCHF diet will typically lose weight."

    http://thehealthhelp.co/what-happens-if-you-eat-5800-calories-daily-on-an-lchf-diet/

    The claims in this link are just that: claims. Unless this person is working out enough to maintain they are not consuming that much without gaining weight. No one can defy science.

    I was eating LCHF and it got me to Obese II. Meats, cheeses, nuts, avocados. Very little refined sugar, and flour and rice products were an extreme rarity.

    The "science" this dude spouts is woo. Nutritionally speaking a calorie is not a calorie. But with weight, your body processes a calorie from any source the same way. It is an EXCESS of anything that causes fat storage. There are a lot of articles and such. There is no solid science unless you are talking about a few very specific health issues.

    TL;DR version: Subject of the article is not being honest.

    Well if you want to believe that eating 1,500 calories of donuts for six months (yes, I know nobody is recommending that) or 1,500 calories of mostly healthy food for six months will result in the same weight loss, be my guest.

    Here is one of thousands of articles that says you are absolutely wrong. And he's not selling anything.

    http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/05/09/fed-up-asks-are-all-calories-equal/
    Actually, yes. Weight loss would result if 1500 calories puts both people in a calorie deficit and food has been weighed. Nutrition isn't the same (of course), but calories are. I thought the twinkie study/diet confirmed that.

    I lost over 80lbs eating nutritious as well as snacks and treats that include chocolate, cake, donuts....etc..

    A calorie is a calorie.
    A calorie is a unit of energy.

    "A calorie is a unit of energy." True, but don't you think it's possible that eating crappy food for extended periods can screw up your metabolism over time, and result in weight gain? Unit of energy does not reflect changes in metabolism.

    If our metabolism slows with age, why couldn't change based on what you eat?

    5 Foods That Slow Down Your Metabolism - http://annagodfrey.com/5-foods-that-slow-down-your-metabolism/

    again, this is not science. :(

    OK, how about this one. Conclusion - "Saying that weight (or health for that matter) is simply a function of “calories in, calories out” is completely wrong. It is a drastic oversimplification that doesn’t account for the complex metabolic pathways that different foods go through, or the effects that foods have on our brain and hormones."

    "https://authoritynutrition.com/debunking-the-calorie-myth/

    Yea ... because a site that hawks an e-book called "Want to Lose Weight? Six Things to Eat Before Bed" and provides references from non peer-reviewed journals is credible ... (end sarcasm).
  • gonetothedogs19
    gonetothedogs19 Posts: 325 Member
    SCoil123 wrote: »
    I lost weight last time (80+ lbs) without counting a single calorie. I increased my activity level and switched my portions up to have the salad or whatever as my main course with the protein and starches as smaller sides. It worked for me then.

    This time Im older and my auto-immune/hormonal issues have progressed. What worked before didnt work this time so I joined MFP and worked with my doctor to design a new approach.

    Different things work for different people. And different approaches might work for the same person at different points in their life.

    The vast majority of people who lose weight don't count calories. You are one of many.

    Kudos to those who count calories. It is something I could never do.
  • ARGriffy
    ARGriffy Posts: 1,002 Member
    Reading this made me angry. Why must you read an article then decide that it's true? Or read another one and argue that yours is true? Did you do the market research? Did you write it? So who gives a monkeys??!! Ffs grow up. Each body is a little different. Some people respond well to some stuff. Some to others. For me carbs spike insulin and make me tired.. For some it won't. I lost weight in a deficit with terrible food (nutritionally speaking) you know fries and cider whilst at work. I lost eating lovely veggie stir fries too i was in a deficit bothways. WHO CARES WHAT SOME ARTICLE SAYS YOUR LOSS IS INDIVIDUAL AND NOT DEFINED BY ANYONE BUT YOU. You're not the same as anyone else! What works for you might not for others urrghhh