What are benefits of counting calories ?

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Tanie98
Tanie98 Posts: 675 Member
in Motivation and Support
Counting calories gets alot of negativity but it has some benefits..I learned things like portion sizes..can you share what you've learned from counting calories?

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  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,878 Member
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    I lose weight when I count calories because I know what I am eating and what I am burning.
    It's mathematically logical.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,170 Member
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    Made me better at remembering numbers (without transposing digits), and at arithmetic, long a weakness.

    Oh yeah, and that part about how to manageably lose 50+ pounds, maintain a healthy weight for 5+ years since (after around 3 previous decades of obesity), get from high cholesterol/triglycerides and blood pressure to solidly normal, and stay there. Oh, and dial in routine good nutrition.

    Taught me how to change my life for the better, pretty much.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
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    the benefit?

    weight loss. if thats what you need.

    weight gain, if that's what you need.

    maintaining weight, if that's what you need.
  • rosebarnalice
    rosebarnalice Posts: 3,488 Member
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    Portion size is a good lesson to learn.

    The main benefit for me is that it keeps me honest.

    It's very easy for me to get into the mindset of "it's just one cookie . . ." or, "I just need a treat today" and that cookie becomes 4 or 7 or 12, and that treat starts a food binge that racks up a day's worth of calories in a couple of hours. When I keep track of my calories, I am more likely to catch myself before I fall into an emotional eating trap: "whoa, hey, ho-- whatcha doin' in the kitchen, there, hon? You're not really hungry because you've already had XXX calories today, so let's close the pantry door and walk away and figure out what you're REALLY feeling because we know it isn't hunger!"
  • aubintex
    aubintex Posts: 29 Member
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    I agree with what everyone else said. Calorie counting is the only weight loss and maintenance strategy that works for me. I can't lose weight without it, and when I stopp logging I gain weight easily. It's also an easy thing to do on your own.
  • TequilaExpress
    TequilaExpress Posts: 13 Member
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    Obtaining abs visibility has been a longtime goal of mine. Never got there until I started counting calories. It really is in "calories in, calories out."
  • nanastaci2020
    nanastaci2020 Posts: 1,072 Member
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    Tanie98 wrote: »
    Counting calories gets alot of negativity but it has some benefits..I learned things like portion sizes..can you share what you've learned from counting calories?

    I learned about how my body uses energy. It is no different than tracking one's personal financial budget. If you want to pay off a credit card balance, you would need to keep spending and bills under your income so that you save a little to throw at the debt. Excess weight is the credit card debt. Your caloric deficit brings it down over time.
  • MaltedTea
    MaltedTea Posts: 6,286 Member
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    Tanie98 wrote: »
    Counting calories gets alot of negativity but it has some benefits..I learned things like portion sizes..can you share what you've learned from counting calories?

    Brownies are small, calorie-dense desserts...and worth every sweet morsel on occasion.

    I keep it simple with CICO and fool about with IIFYM. Beyond that, calorie counting is not complicated.
  • thelastnightingale
    thelastnightingale Posts: 725 Member
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    • What looks like a reasonable portion isn't always a reasonable number of calories.
    • Some foods are worth the calories; others have no room on my plate at that cost.
    • Maths is always the answer.
  • erosemiller314
    erosemiller314 Posts: 48 Member
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    aubintex wrote: »
    I agree with what everyone else said. Calorie counting is the only weight loss and maintenance strategy that works for me. I can't lose weight without it, and when I stopp logging I gain weight easily. It's also an easy thing to do on your own.

    Same for me. Calorie counting works for me. It always works. Its math and logic. If I know I have X number of calories a day, I naturally make healthier choices to make those calories go farther. Consume less calories per day than you're burning off and you will lose weight. And like Aubintex said, when I stop paying attention to the calories,I gain weight. Personally I am still trying to work on "paying attention" even when I'm not trying to lose. But regardless, counting calories is what works for me.
  • Whatsthemotive
    Whatsthemotive Posts: 145 Member
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    I find that I don’t “need” nearly as much food as I think I do. I eat because it’s there, because I’m bored, because I’m nervous or anxious, etc. When I count calories and become aware of how much I need to eat to fuel my body, I realize that I eat less and enjoy what I eat more. That doesn’t mean it’s easy. Habits are hard to break, but I do find that I’m not actually hungry even though I’m eating a lot fewer calories.
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,287 Member
    edited January 2021
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    It teaches you how many calories are in the items one tends to eat. We all think we know.. but not really.

    I'm not a calorie counter in my weight loss plan. But, I am glad I counted them for a good while just for the education. I think everyone should do it for a good while..just to learn where the hidden fat causing foods in their diets.


    I'll also add that measuring and weighing food is also a vital education .. it has made me really learn what two, three, or four ounces of protein looks like. And a 1/2 up of a carb.. so. on.. I keep my scale out all the time.. it is key.
  • NalaBellyFIT
    NalaBellyFIT Posts: 47 Member
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    The biggest benefit for me is accountability. I'm not going to mindlessly have seven handfuls of goldfish if I have to log it and see the 450 calories it just added to my day.

    As others have said, it also trains you to realize how many calories are in the foods that you commonly eat, so that you can make an informed decision about whether or not it's worth it.
  • Crlion43
    Crlion43 Posts: 31 Member
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    counting calories has also made me weigh what I eat. those portion sizes can be much more calories if you just eye ball the size.
    counting calories is the only thing that works for me to lose weight. energy in to energy out maths and gives me a goal and something to track to.

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