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    Calorie Counting Addict??

    Posts: 128 Member
    edited November 2024 in Food and Nutrition
    I've recently started my journey to lose 100 pounds. So far down 10 pounds Yay! Anyways, I've been reading about calorie deficits and whatnot and so everything I eat I log into my FitBit account. I've been trying to just focus on portion control, but I end up counting calories again. It's really annoying trying to keep up with calories I've eaten, but I'm trying to stay below my BMR which is 1800 calories a day. Does anyone else have this problem?

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    • Posts: 1,094 Member
      Ummm, I'm not sure of the question, since that's what this site is made to do?
    • Posts: 470 Member
      Counting calories is usually what you do to lose weight, so I'd say everyone here "has that problem".
    • Posts: 292 Member
      edited April 2017
      Tracking my calorie intake and hitting my calorie targets is why I lost 50lbs. OP, I'm not sure what you're asking?
    • Posts: 128 Member
      It sounded better in my head lol but I guess what I'm trying to ask is if anyone has benefitted from just relying on portion control to lose weight. It's annoying to keep up with calories. I understand that this is what this site is about but I came for others' input and inspiration.
    • Posts: 6 Member
      As a relative newbie to calorie counting myself, I feel your pain, Rajions. It can be a pain in the butt. But after three weeks of doing this, I've noticed that simply logging in my foods has made me more aware of what I put in my mouth and why. (Again. LOL) It's also helping me to re-learn what a true portion size is. I move more, eat better, and I have so far lost 3.5 lbs.
      Another benefit, even if you don't do the calorie thing religiously, is that if you hit a slump, you can go back over your week and find out where you went wrong (hidden or empty calories, a less active day, etc.) and correct for balance or in order to get back on track.
      In previous years, portion control was enough for me, to be fair. But as I've hit my mid thirties, it's harder to lose the weight. Monitoring my calories now --- NOT obsessing, just keeping track and being aware --- helps me a ton, even if it's annoying.
    • Posts: 1,094 Member
      Ahhh that makes more sense. Portion control isn't easy for me. I have to weigh and measure and track to be successful. Portion sizes at restaurants are way over what a normal portion would be. You could be eating way more calories than you think you are if you're not measuring/weighing and logging.
    • Posts: 9,487 Member
      Portion control is a nice idea but unfortunately many people aren't very good at it - which is why they calorie count instead. If we were able to accurately portion control we probably wouldn't be here - there would be no need a site like MFP.
    • Posts: 2,942 Member
      Rajions wrote: »
      It sounded better in my head lol but I guess what I'm trying to ask is if anyone has benefitted from just relying on portion control to lose weight. It's annoying to keep up with calories. I understand that this is what this site is about but I came for others' input and inspiration.

      I stopped using the site for calorie counting, gained back 5-6 lbs in about 9 months. Then, boom, stress/life happened and I gained back 20 more lbs. I'm back to calorie counting. Go with what works for you. When I hit my goal again I am going to weigh myself at least 2X a week and calorie count any time I go up 5 lbs. Womp. Wish I restarted sooner.
    • Posts: 128 Member
      collectingblues wrote: »
      How well did you do with portion control when you got to the point when you needed to lose 100 pounds?

      It was really hard at first but I kind of gotten used to is because I've recently started intermittent fasting so that cut out my eat time drastically.
    • Posts: 6 Member
      Rajions wrote: »
      show previous quotes

      It was really hard at first but I kind of gotten used to is because I've recently started intermittent fasting so that cut out my eat time drastically.

      Is this a liquid fast or total? I tried a liquid fast recently (the last Friday of Lent) and it went well. I wouldn't do it more than once a week personally else the cravings would be a nightmare.
    • Posts: 11,750 Member
      Why are you trying to eat under your bmr?
    • Posts: 314 Member
      Yep, guilty. I am sometimes OCD about certain things though and if i am OCD about the calorie counting i hope it's at least keeping me on track. I love to plan a week ahead, log everything and see what it comes out to. It helps me know even if i'm eating dinner leftovers from the night before for lunch that i can stay on track with calories. It also helps me see this IS what i am eating today. There is no straying or surprises. I am also looking to lose 95 and am 13 pounds in. Good luck!
    • Posts: 2,564 Member
      Maybe you should try logging using MFP instead of the Fitbit app.
      If you are frustrated with their app, suggest you pursue on their site rather than here.
    • Posts: 2,865 Member
      I would love to go by portion size rather than calorie counting. It would be so much easier. My goal is to get there in time but meanwhile I'll continue as I am until I am confident enough that I would be accurate enough with portion size only. I expect I'll be in maintenance for a year to bet a real grasp of it before this could occur.
    • Posts: 128 Member
      Ravenwing101 wrote: »
      show previous quotes

      Is this a liquid fast or total? I tried a liquid fast recently (the last Friday of Lent) and it went well. I wouldn't do it more than once a week personally else the cravings would be a nightmare.

      Intermittent fasting is basically an eating schedule. Most people go with the 16-8 split. You fast for 16 hours and eat in the 8 hour time frame. My schedule is eat from 11am-7pm and fast from 7pm-11am. Depending on whether you go to bed, you will only be up for a couple hours of the fast, so that makes it easier.
    • Posts: 128 Member
      livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
      Why are you trying to eat under your bmr?

      That's how you create a deficit to lose weight... If I eat at my bmr, then it will maintain my weight. I don't want that.
    • Posts: 11,750 Member
      Rajions wrote: »
      show previous quotes

      That's how you create a deficit to lose weight... If I eat at my bmr, then it will maintain my weight. I don't want that.

      No, no it's not. Bmr is what your body requires to function, at rest. Lying in bed all day. Doing diddly squat. You don't do that, you get up and move around just to do life (using more calories), then you add excercise ok top (which uses more again). Please don't eat under your bmr.
    • Posts: 128 Member
      livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
      show previous quotes

      No, no it's not. Bmr is what your body requires to function, at rest. Lying in bed all day. Doing diddly squat. You don't do that, you get up and move around just to do life (using more calories), then you add excercise ok top (which uses more again). Please don't eat under your bmr.
      livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
      show previous quotes

      No, no it's not. Bmr is what your body requires to function, at rest. Lying in bed all day. Doing diddly squat. You don't do that, you get up and move around just to do life (using more calories), then you add excercise ok top (which uses more again). Please don't eat under your bmr.

      My Fitbit tracks my calories and I burn between 1800-1900 a day.. and when I workout it can get up to 2200.. I don't always eat under my bmr when I workout, but when I don't I eat under that.
    • Posts: 13,454 Member
      Rajions wrote: »
      show previous quotes
      show previous quotes

      My Fitbit tracks my calories and I burn between 1800-1900 a day.. and when I workout it can get up to 2200.. I don't always eat under my bmr when I workout, but when I don't I eat under that.

      Ahh... ok. FitBit total calories burned it equivalent to your TDEE, your Total Daily Energy Expenditure. That's not your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) which is only the calories needed to keep you alive if you were on bed rest.

      Eating below TDEE is how you lose weight.

      I do think you should log food in MFP not FitBit.
    • Posts: 128 Member
      livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
      show previous quotes

      Thats not your bmr.

      Ok
    • Posts: 5,468 Member
      edited April 2017
      livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
      show previous quotes

      Thats not your bmr.

      Agreed. OP, you're referring to TDEE, not BMR. TDEE is total calories burned in a day. To lose weight we eat under this number. BMR is the calories we'd be fed if in a coma- the calories we'd need to consume for our body to function without movement, to maintain.

      Anyone telling you to "eat under BMR" has BMR and TDEE utterly confused.
    • Posts: 288 Member
      yup count me in. I even tell people the approximate calories of what they are consuming. :(
    • Posts: 10,321 Member
      Once I did it long enough, I learned enough to do it in my head. Don't have to log if I don't want to. It's still counting calories though, but it takes about 30 seconds a day. Since I am maintaining, "close enough" is good enough at this point. When I want to cut, I will probably need to log for a few weeks to get my numbers figured out.
    • Unknown
      Unknown
      edited April 2017
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