Are people REALLY counting calories here?

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  • JohnnyPenso
    JohnnyPenso Posts: 412 Member
    edited May 2017
    Cortelli wrote: »
    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.
    This also happened to me. I started on Calorie Count and then moved here, but along the way I learned a ton of stuff without even trying. It becomes kind of a game for me, to balance everything out, meet my macros, make sure I get enough vitamins and minerals in there too. Even cooking is that way as well. What can I put in here to up the fat/carb/protein content that will taste good? How much of this can I eat. Can I really eat this huge piece of blueberry cheesecake or a whole homemade pizza and not worry about gaining weight?

    I've always enjoyed eating but I can honestly say, I enjoy it now more than ever.

  • LuMax132
    LuMax132 Posts: 12 Member
    Yes I definitely count my calories. Right now I'm in a bulk and I'm still counting my calories. I go well over my set calories but i try to stay within 4,000-5,000 calories a day.

    Counting calories helps and works.
  • karahm78
    karahm78 Posts: 505 Member
    Worst case I would just quick-add some calories and move on, not that hard to guess an amount for one bite? Keep it simple. I only do this 1-2 times a month though, if you were to graze too often that can easily sneak up on you.
  • Raciem
    Raciem Posts: 2 Member
    One of the number one things that people who lose a lot of weight (and keep it off) have in common is that they log their food/calories. I'm now committed to logging calories forever because I am tired of yo-yoing. I have always lost weight when I tracked calories, and then I would stop and I gain it back. No more. Tracking calories is my new normal. :)

    Like everyone said, it does get easier as you practice! Also, make sure you set a reasonable calorie goal for yourself. If you are feeling overwhelmed you don't have to change everything about your life at once. If you eat a lot of fast food, start looking at the calories in the food and choose options that fit into your calorie goals -you can just search for the items in the MFP database. Or even try tracking calories before you start trying to lose weight; a lot of dietitians think it is a good idea to keep a two week journal of how you eat pre-diet so that you know what your habits are.
  • rontafoya
    rontafoya Posts: 365 Member
    How have I done it? I made it a commitment and priority. It was worth the sacrifices. I gained a lot of self-awareness. You begin to dislike foods that--although tasty--consume half your daily caloric budget and give you little nutrition. And you appreciate foods that taste good, satisfy you, and are relatively low in calories. You won't gain that level of self-awareness any other way.
  • ericatoday
    ericatoday Posts: 454 Member
    Once you get into the swing its super easy. Its become almost habit and I'm 45 lbs down right now. So it may seem like a lot but its worth it if you really want it off
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    rontafoya wrote: »
    How have I done it? I made it a commitment and priority. It was worth the sacrifices. I gained a lot of self-awareness. You begin to dislike foods that--although tasty--consume half your daily caloric budget and give you little nutrition. And you appreciate foods that taste good, satisfy you, and are relatively low in calories. You won't gain that level of self-awareness any other way.

    I can't count how many times I've wanted something, checked out the calories, and determined that it just wasn't worth it. I will still make room for my absolute favorite foods, but calorie counting helped teach me that so many things were not worth the calories for me.
  • sarahpro85
    sarahpro85 Posts: 7 Member
    Do not obsess over it, just be as accurate as you can and move on with your day :)
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