Is everybody just "counting calories"?

Just counting calories. I have to exercise to lose weight, when I just made my net I seemed to only maintain. I eat back my exercise calories as well. If I didn't, I wouldn't lose as well.

My 2 cents. Don't count weight... use a tape measure instead. You also need more time - it takes a month to establish a new a habit.

Not all calories are equal. My diet is paleo-inspired and lowish-carb. I use the calorie calculator here to get a rough esitmate, but I don't like the nutritent goals - adjust the protein and fat to be 35%, carbs 30%.

Counting calories for the most part, but I try to focus more on what i NEED to eat vs what i shouldnt eat. So making sure i get plenty of good protein, veggies and lots and lots of water. Also-theres no substitute for exercise. Also- the time-tested truth is that inches disappear faster than the number on the scale, so try to focus on how your clothes feel, and how your body feels eating healthier foods!

good luck!

I count calories and exercise every day. I don't deprive myself from eating unhealthy foods that I enjoy; I just eat them less often and in smaller portions. If I know I will be eating a meal high in calorie,s then I will spend more time at the gym or eat less throughout the day. I also give myself a cheat day once every two weeks. If you continue to eat well and exercise the weight will come off but it will take time. I abused my body for years so it's going to take time to get the body I want.

I use the site to count calories and track my exercise. I don't lose much without the exercise though. I had to start kinda slow (low impact) since I was too heavy at first for my knees to take a pounding doing running or anything.
I've tried to stick to protein and keep carbs down but I still eat things like oatmeal and all.

When I stick to my calories and exercise I lose.
When I stick to my calories I maintain.
When I don't log I gain.

Also expect plateaus. Eating more for a day or two (nothing crazy) and then going back to normal can sometimes help you through it by jump starting your metabolism again. Also changing up your exercise routine can help too.

Good luck!

I count calories and exercise. i have been making better choices with food, trying to stay away from fast food and high fat foods. I also drink 8-12 glasses of water a day. I cut out soda, for the most part. I also don't allow myself to have anything else to drink other than water (and my morning coffee) until I have drank at least the full 64oz of water. My biggest problem before MFP is that I wasn't paying attention to what I was drinking and I was getting a lot of empty calories from it.

II'm wondering if 1240 calories is too little for me? my weigh is 238, lost 5 pounds in a week, and then nothing. I just started excercising 2 days ago, and still nothing. I was blaming the diet (because I wasn't following it like I should) but I was counting everything that I ate!!! I know there is something I'm doing wrong, I just can't figure out what is it?

I'd say so. When I was in the 200s I lost about 2 pounds a week by cutting my daily calories to 1800-2000. You burn a lot more calories when you're that heavy. 1240 probably puts you at an unreasonably large deficit, and that can be unsustainable if you have a lot of weight to lose.

When you say you "weren't following the diet the way you should" what does that mean exactly? How much were you eating?

When I 1st started, I weighed 185lbs. I only counted cals. I ate between 1200-1350 & the lbs just fell off. I would exercise, but no so consistently. When I got in the 140s, things started getting more complicated. I workout much more often, 6 days a week & I try to watch my fat & sodium in take. I try to stay in the carbs mfp allows me. I dont limit them, cuz that's where u get ur energy. & I try 2 eat cleaner. Although sometimes I do slip up when I'm havin a craving.
I think everyone is probably different w/ how they lose weight tho.

I count my calories almost obsessively, but only to make sure that I don't go over.

I also work out five times per week for 65 minutes per day, burning, on average, 300 calories. So far, it's working; I've lost a bit of weight and quite a few inches.

I also track what foods I eat -- no sweets, no junk, no sodas, no taking in more than one serving size, no fast food. I drink nothing but water and calorie-free, sugar-free flavored waters (sometimes carbonated).

1200 cals a day / 20 - 25 carbs a day / lots of protein. This is what I'm doing and alot of my friends and have made great progress! Good Luck!