Is calorie counting really going to work?
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I found it easier to get rid of the weight by raising my metabolism -> yup, that means physical activity. Add that to really being HONEST about counting calories and for 4 months I lost 2 lbs a week. Sadly, I couldn't maintain that and life got in the way, but I kept logging my food, didn't gain it all back and just started up at the gym again.
Ask your husband how he would feel if you undermined his goals like that. What a turd!4 -
I found it easier to get rid of the weight by raising my metabolism -> yup, that means physical activity. Add that to really being HONEST about counting calories and for 4 months I lost 2 lbs a week. Sadly, I couldn't maintain that and life got in the way, but I kept logging my food, didn't gain it all back and just started up at the gym again.
Ask your husband how he would feel if you undermined his goals like that. What a turd!
Well, yes it works. But you have to do an awful lot to create a calorie deficit through workouts. Say you enjoy running. weight in lbs * distance in miles * 0.68 is a scientifically fairly accepted calorie burn for running. So if you're 170lbs and you want to create a daily deficit of 500kcal you'd need to run (not walk) over 4 miles each day. And this distance gets longer the lighter you get. any kind of strength training burns less calories.7 -
I found it easier to get rid of the weight by raising my metabolism -> yup, that means physical activity. Add that to really being HONEST about counting calories and for 4 months I lost 2 lbs a week. Sadly, I couldn't maintain that and life got in the way, but I kept logging my food, didn't gain it all back and just started up at the gym again.
Ask your husband how he would feel if you undermined his goals like that. What a turd!
I don't know that you can outrun a bad diet. In fact I'm sure of it. You can't. For most of us that have tried, we didn't realize we had a bad diet because most of us didn't count calories. And if we thought we were, we weren't because you can't count calories unless you measure accurately.
Once you have that down, activity helps you get healthy, and allows you to eat more, which you should do in those cases in order to fuel yourself to get healthy. See how it all works together?
Activity absolutely helps me, but aside from the obvious fitness benefits, it allows me to eat more comfortably without feeling extra hungry.
The single most freeing change is the revelation that accurate weighing and measuring is 80% (or more) of the process. And it works.6 -
OP - I was almost exactly where you are 10 months ago. I am 5'4'' and was 168 pounds. I am now 129. Use that food scale, log religiously and the weight will come off. It may be slow going sometimes and you will probably have weeks you don't lose anything. Just be patient and you will see results.2
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I've lost 54lbs this year calorie counting, it 100% works!!1
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I've been at this myfitnesspal thing for over a week now at 1200 calories per day. Though I've been trying portion control for over a month and cut out sodas over 3 weeks ago and am drinking only water now.
If I google lots of sites come up saying calorie counting doesn't work. Also doing a search about egg consumption some sites say no more than 3 a day and others say 6 per week. So which is it?
Some websites suggest barely eating causes your metabolism to slow down and other say that is a bunch of hooey otherwise the cast of survivor wouldn't be so skinny by the end of the month.
I usually get so busy and stressed out I used to eat once a day at dinner. So now I'm trying to eat three times a day and its hard since I'm not hungry. Some days I don't even hit 1200 calories, i could be 300-400 short. I also started walking 10-30 minutes per day and yet it feels like nothing is happening.
I just want to be able to stand on the scale and see numbers in the 160's whether i am dressed or not, that is my small goal/be at 165 by 9/15. It didn't seem impossible from reading everyone else's stories, but now I'm starting to doubt.
Yes it will work...like a charm if you apply it correctly.
As well if you are curious about things and want to research ensure that you are using reputable sites...not just random blogs etc.
Another thing...fasting is fine if you want to do it that way but make sure you are getting in enough calories to fuel your body and walks...and I expect 1200 isn't enough.
When I started I was about 185 and I was eating 1600 a day...with exercise calories.
As for your husband telling you that you were fat...I have to ask...did you ask him if you were and he agreed or did he just randomly say you were fat.
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Yeah I did buy a scale, just one of those cheapy 5.99 ones at BBB. My husband is already making fun of me and not happy that i'm counting calories even though he told me i was fat.
Height 5'6" and i seem to flop between 169 and 172 on a daily basis currently
your husband doesn't sound very supportive
And the scale doesn't matter as long as you have one and can weigh what you are eating.
Feel free to add me as a friend! I lost 25 lbs on MFP a year and a half ago along with Weight Watchers. The weight comes off slower when counting calories but it comes off. I like that I can eat what I want as long as I keep it within my calories for the day. You've got this!2 -
He may be jealous - he may not. Either way - just do you! You can't worry about another person's choice to lose weight along with you. He doesn't sound supportive or like he's really in it for the long haul. Just do your thing and when he sees you making results he might come around again and start back.
I just bought that scale tonight!
Per others:
As for my husband I think he's just jealous. Before we left for vacation he was on a treadmill after work every day for about 30 minutes. We have been back for 2 solid weeks and he hasn't been back on it.
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I've lost 31 pounds since April JUST from counting calories. I sit at a desk for 10 hours a day, so I'm lucky if I get over 5000 steps in, and I haven't gone to the gym in about 3 months.3
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Not only "does" it work, it's the only thing that works.
No matter what "diet" you do or what supplements/pills/smoothies/potions you take, you won't lose weight unless you're consuming less calories than you're expending. Period. Different diet approaches are just different ways of arriving at that necessary caloric deficit.
Can't believe I'm going to disagree with @anvilhead. But I think it might just be semantics.
Calorie counting works, but there are other effective ways to reduce your calories without actually counting and lots of people have lost weight without counting. In all cases they lose weight because of reducing calories, but it can be done without counting.
But yes, counting does work. I'm down 100 lbs using MFP and counting. To me, it's the easiest way to lose weight as it becomes a math problem for me, and I'm an Accountant.5 -
theledger5 wrote: »Personally I would just ditch the husband - you'd lose a tonne of dead weight there straight away. What a incredibly insensitive plank he is
So much this. Been there, done that.1 -
Tacklewasher wrote: »Not only "does" it work, it's the only thing that works.
No matter what "diet" you do or what supplements/pills/smoothies/potions you take, you won't lose weight unless you're consuming less calories than you're expending. Period. Different diet approaches are just different ways of arriving at that necessary caloric deficit.
Can't believe I'm going to disagree with @anvilhead. But I think it might just be semantics.
Calorie counting works, but there are other effective ways to reduce your calories without actually counting and lots of people have lost weight without counting. In all cases they lose weight because of reducing calories, but it can be done without counting.
But yes, counting does work. I'm down 100 lbs using MFP and counting. To me, it's the easiest way to lose weight as it becomes a math problem for me, and I'm an Accountant.
Semantics. Your point stands.6 -
Thanks for the education ladies and gentlemen. Maybe after a couple weeks I will get better at this.starsofmotown wrote: »I've lost 31 pounds since April JUST from counting calories. I sit at a desk for 10 hours a day, so I'm lucky if I get over 5000 steps in, and I haven't gone to the gym in about 3 months.
This is kind of my deal too. I can be more active now but once January gets here I'm practically chained to my desk during tax season. That is when the worst eating habits are.
Its expensive but I've discovered if I keep deli meat on hand, boiled eggs in the fridge, and cut up rotisserie chicken and some fruit handy I manage to actually make time for lunch now instead of grabbing for that bag of potato chips to eat at my desk or when I have to run out the door to get the kid from school.
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As everyone else said: Of course it works. Reducing calories is how EVERY effective diet works, even the ones that claim you don't have to count anythign at all.
However: You have to commit to being absolutely honest while doing it, because it only works if you actually count everything. You can undermine your success in a few ways, like:
1) Not counting everything, including liquids. That little tub of coffee creamer? Guess what, if you drink enough coffee in a day, those tubs ADD UP!
2) Thinking you know how to count. Do you eat peanut butter? Use a food scale and weigh out how much you usually eat. Compare that to "one serving" and think about it for a bit.
3) Giving yourself too much credit for activity. Statistically, as an American, you're probably "sedentary." You just are. Sure, you feel like you walk a lot and you're tired at the end of the day, but if you actually tallied up your steps, you're sedentary. And while you're at it? That walk was NOT "Brisk," unless you're doing a mile in less than 15 minutes.
Basically, undercounting the calories you eat and overcounting the calories you give yourself from "exercise" are big reasons why calorie counting doesn't work as well for some people as for others.7 -
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Thanks for the education ladies and gentlemen. Maybe after a couple weeks I will get better at this.starsofmotown wrote: »I've lost 31 pounds since April JUST from counting calories. I sit at a desk for 10 hours a day, so I'm lucky if I get over 5000 steps in, and I haven't gone to the gym in about 3 months.
This is kind of my deal too. I can be more active now but once January gets here I'm practically chained to my desk during tax season. That is when the worst eating habits are.
Its expensive but I've discovered if I keep deli meat on hand, boiled eggs in the fridge, and cut up rotisserie chicken and some fruit handy I manage to actually make time for lunch now instead of grabbing for that bag of potato chips to eat at my desk or when I have to run out the door to get the kid from school.
Try to expand your mindset beyond so-called "diet" foods like you described. You can eat foods that you enjoy just less of them. Staring at those limited items in the fridge after a few days would cause anyone to burn out!1 -
It works!! Do it for yourself - my husband has never said that I'm fat or that I'd put on weight, he doesn't have a problem with me weighing my portions when serving, it's your body you decide what you eat.1
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Thanks for the education ladies and gentlemen. Maybe after a couple weeks I will get better at this.starsofmotown wrote: »I've lost 31 pounds since April JUST from counting calories. I sit at a desk for 10 hours a day, so I'm lucky if I get over 5000 steps in, and I haven't gone to the gym in about 3 months.
This is kind of my deal too. I can be more active now but once January gets here I'm practically chained to my desk during tax season. That is when the worst eating habits are.
Its expensive but I've discovered if I keep deli meat on hand, boiled eggs in the fridge, and cut up rotisserie chicken and some fruit handy I manage to actually make time for lunch now instead of grabbing for that bag of potato chips to eat at my desk or when I have to run out the door to get the kid from school.
Try to expand your mindset beyond so-called "diet" foods like you described. You can eat foods that you enjoy just less of them. Staring at those limited items in the fridge after a few days would cause anyone to burn out!
Normally we don't have anything but dinner type stuff and I'm too pressed for time to cook a lunch. Hence the chips or grabbing fast food while I'm out running errands. I don't think of them as diet foods as opposed to having food quick to grab that I'll eat. (seriously id eat rotisserie chicken every day if I had too)2
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