Why counting calories indefinitely perceived as bad thing?

After losing and gaining back the weight over and over..I now decide that counting will be part of my life..I realized too that my maintenance calories won't be that much higher than what I'm eating right now as i'm only losing 0.5 lb per week. I only had 10 pounds to loose.

However, I was showing my boyfriend the myfitnesspal app and how i track my calories. And he said hopefully you will be able to know how much you need without having to check all the time..the problem is , when I don't have anything to keep accountable its easy to start over eating without realizing it. So counting will keep me on check

I can't help to feel that people might find me weird for constantly track and might have to track calories behind his back if we do move in together. Not to mention they're countless of videos on yutube of people encouraging people not to count calories and giving tips such as avoiding looking at food nutrition labels and that counting calories is unnatural and it's not way anyone should be living...And some give tips to stay in shape without counting but they all involved some type of restriction and interment fasting

I personally don't think feel like it's big deal having to track if that will prevent weight creep up. And people already have other things we have to do everyday as part of our routine without having second thoughts.

Have you been looked weird for counting calories?
«1345

Replies

  • mariomicro
    mariomicro Posts: 74 Member
    @Tanie98, counting calories is something only a tiny minority of people do, therefore it stands out and it might attract criticism, because most people want to follow the beaten track and do what the herd do. Counting carbs is more niche and fasting is even more niche.

    Spare a moment of pity for those like me who count both calories and carbs and, God forbid, also do intermittent dry fasting!
  • briscogun
    briscogun Posts: 1,135 Member
    edited November 2020
    It's just a tool. If it's a tool that works for you then who cares? If you have some other tool that you like better than use that.

    For me right now, I've been in the yo-yo lifestyle for too many years so I will probably do some kind of logging for as long as I want to maintain my weight at this level. I don't always log EVERYTHING that I eat all day long, but usually when I start the day off by logging it keeps me mindful of watching what I eat for the day. So as long as I log and track fairly well and keep weighing myself most of the time, it's been working for like 6 months.

    Do what works for you. It's your life, your weight, your weight loss journey.
  • April_M_2015
    April_M_2015 Posts: 18 Member
    Hi @Tanie98 - I am with you on the counting. Because I am a small person (short, small frame) my maintain calories are still very low. I've gone through the cycle a few times of losing and gaining about 5 pounds and the gain always comes when I let my guard down and stop counting the calories. I'm in lose mode right now but as soon as I hit my goal weight - I'm still going to count. I'll probably just enter my calories once a day and be a little less strict about weighing my food though. Be proud of your counting :)!!
  • OHFlamingo
    OHFlamingo Posts: 239 Member
    I will count calories 'til the day I die! Just like I will keep track of all my checks and debits in my checking book! Neither takes much effort, is a good thing to do, and avoids big problems! This is what works for me!