Calorie Counting: Does it Work Long-Term?

Options
Dinosaurs6259
Dinosaurs6259 Posts: 2 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've been doing some research and I understand that different things work for different people, but has anyone lost a good amount of weight and kept it off by counting calories? And if you have, did counting calories make you obsessed with the numbers, and obsessed with food? Or were you able to transition into a "normal" eater?
«1

Replies

  • MelissaGraham7
    MelissaGraham7 Posts: 403 Member
    Options
    P.S. I consider myself a "normal eater." I eat all food groups and partake of any food that I wish. I just limit my portions (usually). Counting calories isn't abnormal or obsessive, in my humble opinion.
  • Ming1951
    Ming1951 Posts: 514 Member
    edited January 2017
    Options
    Well I am 52 lbs down on my journey with another 25 to go. The only thing that keeps me honest with what I eat is logging the food. I've lost weight before albeit not as well as this time, but I always gained it back and I only logged while I was losing the weight. Once I reached goal I basically slowly stopped my logging and fell back into over eating. This time I will continue to log and weigh every day to keep myself accountable to myself.
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
    edited January 2017
    Options
    I've lost around 50lbs and I'm approaching 4 years of maintenance. I'm where I'm at today because I continue to be mindful of my calorie intake. I keep things simple though and usually just track on a piece of paper on my kitchen counter :)
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
    Options
    I looked at calorie counting as a teaching tool...I calorie counted for much of my initial weight loss...I haven't counted calories in about four years...I liken it to training wheels...eventually you should just know how to ride and you can take those things off.

    I have more or less maintained going on four years without calorie counting and just going by what I learned when I was calorie counting. I usually put 8-10 Lb on over the late fall and early winter due primarily to a decrease in overall activity...I've never had issue dropping that weight without going back to calorie counting.
  • mizroxy13
    mizroxy13 Posts: 466 Member
    Options
    Calorie counting has definitely been my biggest helper. More for understanding portions than anything (THAT's 2 tablespoons of peanut butter?!). Eventually you really start getting a grasp on what portions look like, but I still count every day because it's easy to get off track without it. Also, it hasn't made me obsessed whatsoever. For someone who has to meal prep for most of the day since I'm out of the house, it's fun to figure out how to have the most filling, nutritious meals with the least amount of calories. Eventually, it becomes much easier, just gotta stick with it.

    *This is my experience only. As with most things, I'm sure it's different for everyone! :)
  • red99ryder
    red99ryder Posts: 399 Member
    Options
    Normal eater ? would not that be someone that maintained a NORMAL weight ?
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,122 Member
    Options
    Dinosaurs6259 wrote: »
    I've been doing some research and I understand that different things work for different people, but has anyone lost a good amount of weight and kept it off by counting calories? And if you have, did counting calories make you obsessed with the numbers, and obsessed with food? Or were you able to transition into a "normal" eater?

    Two questions:

    1) What do you mean by "obsessed with number . . . food"?
    I ask because part of my issue with weight grows out of a big obsession with food already. Being concerned with the number of calories one eats does not mean being obsessed.

    2) What is a ""normal" eater" to you?
  • cross2bear
    cross2bear Posts: 1,106 Member
    Options
    Ive lost over 100 lbs - managing to inch down a little bit more, and hope to keep it off. Calorie counting is the only way I know for sure that I am eating appropriately - you can sure as heck put on weight eating "healthy" - I gotta know how much I am consuming.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    Options
    Personally, I can't do long term calorie counting for the purpose of long-term maintenance. It seems to work fine for losing weight, but when I'm at maintenance I find myself fudging on my calorie counts. Then I eat right up to my "limit" even though I know I haven't accounted for all calories. When I'm at maintenance and not counting calories, all I have to know is whether I'm hungry or not. If I'm hungry then I just need to eat moderate portions. Occasionally, if my weight starts to climb I might count calories for a few weeks. But once I start fudging the numbers again I stop counting.
  • Dinosaurs6259
    Dinosaurs6259 Posts: 2 Member
    edited January 2017
    Options
    thank you guys for all your input!
    By "normal" eating, I just meant that since counting calories, although it does work, I can't seem to maintain it for too long. An apple is no longer a source of nutrition for me, but 60 calories. If I go over my caloric limit, I end up sabotaging the rest of the day with a binge, that or I end up being heavily disappointed in myself which ends up ruining the rest of my day.

    The thing was, I used to be pretty skinny and never really watched what I ate (BMI of 19-20) but I was also younger and a lot more active. When I gained a little weight I discovered calorie counting as a means to shed a few pounds. But after restricting my calories for a few months, I binged out of control and regained all the weight I lost. After a couple of years of counting and not counting I gained about 40 lbs. I know calorie counting works, but I don't know what my problem is and why I can't stick with it for more than 2 weeks at a time. I personally became obsessed with food and the numbers and if something didn't have a nutritional label on it it would freak me out.

    For those of you who have lost the weight calorie counting and kept it off (first of all that's amazing, congratulations), how did you stick with it? Without becoming crazy (like me)?

    Again thanks for all your honest input.

  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
    Options
    It better. My maintenance calories aren't going to be huge, and I obviously cannot just go back to how I ate before. I figure I'm going to be doing some kind of tracking forever.

Categories