Are people REALLY counting calories here?

Luna3386 · April 2017

If it is very overwhelming, maybe start with tracking one meal. Ease into it a bit.

L1zardQueen · April 2017

Christine_72 wrote: »

Tiny_Dancer_in_Pink wrote: »

mph323 wrote: »

Tiny_Dancer_in_Pink wrote: »

Try counting calories 30 years ago and you think this is hard? This is easy.

The more you do this, the easier it gets.

Haha! I used to have quite a collection of calorie books. And my little notebook for logging my calories. And no idea how many I was supposed to eat! This is like living in a futuristic science fiction book

When I see threads asking about how to get a bigger butt, I can't help but giggle.

Can you imagine someone asking that question back in the 80's People would have been questioning if they were the full quid lol

Yep! My jaw would drop open!

VainMommy · April 2017

I know what you mean! In the beginning it is A PAIN AND HARD! I've been at it since September it's easier but I'm losing motivation lately

inertiastrength · April 2017

It is overwhelming in the beginning. And you'll be wrong a few times (I once found out I was logging 150 calorie coffee as 60 2 x a day lol). If you invest the month or so it'll take you to figure things out, you will be rewarded for the rest of your life. Promise!

Daddy78230 · April 2017

I've done it on paper and then on spreadsheets - having to look up calories and calculate each macro. I usually did that for a few weeks to get an idea how I should eat. That's just way too much work.

I was planning to keep this app for a few weeks, (nearly 2 months ago) but instead of being a pain it's actually kind of fun. MFP made it very easy. I don't consider this counting.

nrbutton · April 2017

I've been using MFP since it was only on a website, no app. I logged everything on my computer to lose 40 lbs after I had my son in 2006. I have been using MFP ever since and I always come back when I have weight to lose. I've had 2 more babies since then and I still swear by logging food and calories as the most effective way to lose weight. I haven't wasted one minute or dollar on fad diets since and I've managed to reach and stay at my goal weight minus pregnancies.

Most people have a regular set of foods and recipes they eat so once you have a group of foods you eat regularly logged, you can take advantage of quick add. Then there's the scan feature which is awesome. They've made it so much simpler to find the foods you eat since I first started using the site.

Do people really count calories here?
Absolutely! Since having my baby 7 weeks ago I've not only lost the regular 25-35 lbs from the pregnancy, but I'm also down an additional 20 lbs with another 35 lbs to go and I know with time and adherence to my allotted daily calories I'll be down to my goal weight by September

Areila94 · April 2017

First and foremost, do not think of it as a need. If you continue to pressure yourself and make yourself feel worse, it only gets harder. You need to want it. You have to be comfortable taking that step. Do not compare yourself to others in a negative way. If someone is doing better than you with weight loss, ask them what they do. Ask them what they've changed. Don't be afraid to reach out for support and encouragement.

Cutting fast food out of your diet completely will help a lot! I actually ate way more fast food when I lived with my parents than after I moved out and started living on my own. I'm a pretty avid cook and cooking delicious healthy meals is actually really fun and can definitely be easy! I use Pintrest a lot and I also picked up some of those super lame looking lean cooking cookbooks from my local Goodwill to just get ideas. Also, DO NOT think of it as a diet. Think of it as a life long thing. You want to be healthier overall. It makes it a little less pressuring and you feel like you can go at your own pace.

I'm overweight, and I also found the calorie counting to be a tad hard in the beginning because you need to log EVERYTHING in order to get the correct intake. But, each day it got easier. You just have to do it. No excuses. I recently found out I could search foods within the entire database and it just flipped my world upside down. Explore the app. That always helps.

Don't let that overwhelm you though. You will get that 40 lbs down, but it'll take time. Please remember to lose weight steadily and in a healthy way. Rapid weight lose is extremely unhealthy and it's much easier for you to gain it back.

Sorry for the SUPER long post. I just see a lot of people saying "it's easy" or whatever else. Yes, it indeed is easy, but what's not easy is getting over the mental blocks that happen subconsciously on the path to a healthier life.

I hope this helps you or anyone!

JohnnyPenso · April 2017

It takes time to log, especially if you are like me and cook new things all the time and have to log recipe ingredients but the results make it worth it. For the first time in my life I feel like I have total control over my weight and you can't put a price on that, in terms of money or time.

Cortelli · April 2017

annacole94 wrote: »

Fast food is perfectly easy to log, and you can make good choices anywhere. I'd argue that eating fast food would be faster to log than my homemade food, as I cook new recipes frequently.

Yes. Agree completely. Logging a McDonald's Egg White Delight is way easier than a homemade scramble of egg whites, mushrooms, spinach, green onions, bacon, sour cream and salsa.

But OP - it gets much, much easier. Stick with it a bit and you'll get a lot more efficient and you'll gain a lot more insight into why, and how, you might control your weight. From the first response (Marine MP) to many others -- it gets easier, and you learn things you never even thought about trying to learn.

Christine_72 · April 2017

JohnnyPenso wrote: »

It takes time to log, especially if you are like me and cook new things all the time and have to log recipe ingredients but the results make it worth it. For the first time in my life I feel like I have total control over my weight and you can't put a price on that, in terms of money or time.

Yeah it would be that bit harder if you always cooked new and different things. I must admit, i do not particularly enjoy adding new recipes in here, but once it's done, it's done! I have 6 pages of recipes that i rotate, that'll have to do me for now.

minniestar55 · April 2017

I did WW for a couple of years; it worked well for me, I got to my goal, but the most important thing it taught me is that I needed to weigh, measure & track what I was eating. It really was a matter of deciding what my priorities were, & how I wanted to live my life & maintain my health. I swapped over to MFP & calorie counting because it is free, & actually easier, as calorie info is listed on most foods, or more easily obtainable. So I've done this , weighing, measuring, & tracking ALL my food, for more than 5 years. I have been at maintenance for most of that time.

It's not difficult, & in fact, takes up about 5 minutes out of my day. I have a digital food scale on my kitchen counter, & it only takes a few seconds to weigh something. It's worth it!

It only takes a week or two to develop a new habits & that's exactly what it is, a habit. It does take a bit of self discipline, which is a handy thing to cultivate. If you have to eat fast food, you can check in advance & find the things that are the healthiest or least calorific, but personally I think fast food is expensive for what it is. If you really want to lose the weight, really & seriously, you might want to think about all the benefits for such little effort. Good luck!

jenscolinharris · April 2017

I have only been using this a few days. The one thing it has done immediately for me is make me fully aware of what I'm putting in my mouth. There would be days I'd walk past the biscuits and just pick one up. Walk past the biscuits more than a few times and you get what I'm talking about.

Looking to see if I make the progress projected in 5 weeks time.

HeliumIsNoble · April 2017

Tiny_Dancer_in_Pink wrote: »

Christine_72 wrote: »

Tiny_Dancer_in_Pink wrote: »

mph323 wrote: »

Tiny_Dancer_in_Pink wrote: »

Try counting calories 30 years ago and you think this is hard? This is easy.

The more you do this, the easier it gets.

Haha! I used to have quite a collection of calorie books. And my little notebook for logging my calories. And no idea how many I was supposed to eat! This is like living in a futuristic science fiction book

When I see threads asking about how to get a bigger butt, I can't help but giggle.

Can you imagine someone asking that question back in the 80's People would have been questioning if they were the full quid lol

Yep! My jaw would drop open!

I was thinking this last night. Every time I see a make-your-*kitten*-bigger DVD for sale or see requests for glute workouts, my mind is blown. Does. Not. Compute.

This must be how my grandmother felt about punk.

Duchy82 · April 2017

Op tracking what you eat is easy, slightly more work in the beginning as you need to find everything in the database, but after a while it gets easier and quicker. If sticking to it is hard maybe start at a lower deficit and build on lowering it in steps. Say 200kcal below maintenance once that is easier lower it again, rinse and repeat until you are at the deficit you want to be. In the meantime consider slowly changing what you eat so that creating that deficit also becomes easier. Small sustainable steps for weightloss and eventually maintenance.

AlanahCFit · April 2017

Duchy82 wrote: »

Op tracking what you eat is easy, slightly more work in the beginning as you need to find everything in the database, but after a while it gets easier and quicker. If sticking to it is hard maybe start at a lower deficit and build on lowering it in steps. Say 200kcal below maintenance once that is easier lower it again, rinse and repeat until you are at the deficit you want to be. In the meantime consider slowly changing what you eat so that creating that deficit also becomes easier. Small sustainable steps for weightloss and eventually maintenance.

Omg your posts were AWESOME! Im gonna check out that guide. I think the hardest thing is eating my recommended cals anywhere from 1600-1900 depending on which formula is used. That is soo little, i think i take in 2700-3000 right now maybe not every single day but still.

I do want this tho, and i do see the worth in trying, especially if others are really doing it lol.

I like your suggestion of starting with a higher calorie goal and tightening it from there and slowly switching out foods to make it sustainable.

I also like what someone said, you just do it, no excuses.

Machka9 · April 2017

Lesismore2011 wrote: »

Are people REALLY counting calories here? I just find it crazy hard.

Absolutely! And after the first couple weeks, it's actually quite easy.

Duchy82 · April 2017

Lesismore2011 wrote: »

Duchy82 wrote: »

Op tracking what you eat is easy, slightly more work in the beginning as you need to find everything in the database, but after a while it gets easier and quicker. If sticking to it is hard maybe start at a lower deficit and build on lowering it in steps. Say 200kcal below maintenance once that is easier lower it again, rinse and repeat until you are at the deficit you want to be. In the meantime consider slowly changing what you eat so that creating that deficit also becomes easier. Small sustainable steps for weightloss and eventually maintenance.

Omg your posts were AWESOME! Im gonna check out that guide. I think the hardest thing is eating my recommended cals anywhere from 1600-1900 depending on which formula is used. That is soo little, i think i take in 2700-3000 right now maybe not every single day but still.

I do want this tho, and i do see the worth in trying, especially if others are really doing it lol.

I like your suggestion of starting with a higher calorie goal and tightening it from there and slowly switching out foods to make it sustainable.

I also like what someone said, you just do it, no excuses.

Your welcome!

Just remember every little bit lost is a step closer, there is no rush you didn't get overweight overnight and it won't come off overnight.

Also if you have a day where it doesn't go as well, then take it as a day in isolation, don't beat yourself up and try to stick to your plan the next day, life gets in the way sometimes that's just the way it is.

rdmitch · April 2017

If you desire to lose, you will have to learn to log. It's just that simple
C'mon these days everyone has smart phones and the free MFP makes it
easy to log. You can do it while your chewing. There is no excuse unless,you're
trying to justify not counting as a reason to keep overeating.

I rationalized my way into a 40 lb gain by not logging and avoiding the scale which
was just too many steps away and my poor feet might get cold walking to it.

fitoverfortymom · April 2017

It took a few weeks to get the hang of it, but now it feels second nature to me. I've worked it into meal planning, so it is less if an inconvenience in the moment. Using the food scale is what set me free from the difficulty of weight loss. I could, in a measurable way and with a high degree of certainty, know that my intake was in a deficit, and as a result, I could expect weight loss. That has indeed been the case for me for going on 9 months.

Lounmoun · April 2017

I suggest just start logging what you would normally eat/drink. Notice where most of your calories are going. Is it satisfying? Is it meeting your nutritional needs? Maybe you will see you could cut drink calories pretty easily or something.

Planning. Start thinking about what you will eat in advance- try things like prelogging, looking up nutritional info for places you go and figuring out what will fit your goals, planning meals, preparing food in advance.

Look at some other people's diaries to see how other people manage. Some of us have our diaries set to public so you can just select our name and go see it. There are many threads like "what did you have for breakfast?". Do a search for those type threads if you want some meal ideas.

I prelog my food every morning for the day and adjust portion sizes to fit my goals. I look at calories first then meeting my protein goal. I try to eat several servings of vegetables or fruits a day. I generally have 100-300 calories for snacks.
I pair higher calorie foods with more lower calorie vegetables. I might have a regular burger, side salad and unsweetened tea.
I reduce calories in foods by using less cheese, less oil, lower fat milk, thinner crust for pizza. I might skip rice or bread if it doesn't fit well that day.
I eat food I like but common sense applies. I don't try to have doughnuts, stuffed crust pizza, fried chicken, bacon cheeseburger and a peanut butter shake all in one day.

Typically I eat like this:
Breakfast- things like Greek yogurt, granola bars, cereal with milk, sandwich, dinner leftovers, fruit, cottage cheese (about 200-300 calories)
Lunch- things like sandwich, salad, or dinner leftovers (about 300-500 calories)
Dinner- something different every night of the month. (about 500-600 calories) I have soup once a week usually.
Snacks- things like fruit, chips, popcorn, pretzels, chocolate, cookies, granola bar, carrots, celery, broccoli, trail mix, deviled eggs, pickles, cottage cheese (about 100-300 calories)

Are people REALLY counting calories here?

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