Do I really need to track my calories?

moonlightturk
moonlightturk Posts: 398
in Health and Weight Loss
I feel like focusing and counting calories is too exhausting and stressfull. If I'm eating clean and exercising regularly, why should I focus on that? Would I still lose a significant amount of weight without doing that?
I understand everything in moderation but aren't all vegetables able to be eaten guilt free. Can I stuff myself with veggies of my choice without a limit. Let's say fruits...do these need to be tracked too?

Replies

  • lasim26
    lasim26 Posts: 6
    The quick answer to this is yes. Even though fruits and veggies are very nutritious, some have a lot of sugar and carbs. Paying attention to this as well as portion sizes (which I think is shocking for most people) is the only way to lose weight and keep it off as far as I am concerned. Good luck!
  • selig0730
    selig0730 Posts: 509 Member
    if your on MFP you should count all calories, and keep you knowing what your eating
  • airangel59
    airangel59 Posts: 1,887 Member
    Everything has calories, how are you going to know what you've eaten and what you have left to eat if you don't track.
    Very little falls into free. Fruits and veggies are not calorie free.
    I enjoy tracking what I'm eating as it keeps me accountable, but whatever works for you is how you should do it.
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
    If you get the results you want without tracking, no problem.
  • MashaSK
    MashaSK Posts: 142 Member
    Fruits...sugar..sigh I stop tracking any food from today, it made me phycho If you have lots of weight to lose fruits and berries and dark chocolate shall be treated as deserts
  • rhonniema
    rhonniema Posts: 522 Member
    Those calories will start to add up no matter how good they are.
  • kdeaux1959
    kdeaux1959 Posts: 2,675 Member
    if what you are doing is working; keep doing it. However, for many of us tracking calories helps us keep things in perspective. All things have caloric value. Even veggies ... and they all add up; therefore, I log everything and try to keep my values down. It has worked for me. Best wishes on your journey.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    There are plenty of people who've lost weight without tracking calories so it's certainly not impossible. Personally, my results are a lot better when I do track them. Let your results be the guide - if it's working for you, go with it. If your weight loss is slow and you suffer stalls/setbacks, maybe it's time to buckle down.
  • SenshiV
    SenshiV Posts: 131 Member
    If after a couple of months you think you have learned enough what to eat and not on a single day, I would think it could be safe for you not logging your cals every day, but just every now and then to keep yourself in check.

    I do track, but I've learned for example not to eat tortilla/bread/potatoes/rices in a combination of 2 or more in as single day or at least in very small amounts if i do the same day, is just an example 9of me) of 'learning how to eat' for yourself.
  • moonlightturk
    moonlightturk Posts: 398
    Thank you all :).
  • SW8689
    SW8689 Posts: 22
    I think so, especially if you have portion distortion like me! I just stuff myself with huge amounts of green veggies and still need to track them, especially because I'm not giving up my two tsp of butter on them..
  • WickedBean
    WickedBean Posts: 244 Member
    Its your choice. I watch portions (weigh and measure everything) but I don't track calories at all... most people think its foreign but if you are intuitively eating than there isn't much of a problem honestly.
  • Differjean
    Differjean Posts: 6 Member
    Weight Watchers doesn't count fruits and veggies, but they still push moderation with them. I lost 30 with WW, but I'm about to cancel them and stick with mfp (it's free and the food database is much bigger here). Most of the time I was using info from here to calculate my points from food eaten.

    If you are doing fine without tracking, then keep it up. For me, if I don't track, I gain. I've had a lot of learning to do (and still do) on what foods are really better for you. There have been many times where I thought something was healthy and it wasn't near as healthy as I thought.
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    You don't HAVE to do anything. MFP is a great tool if you want to track your cals, but if you find that you can eat healthy foods and lose weight without counting - go for it!

    My opinion is that you need to find a way of eating and exercising that you will be able to keep up for the rest of your life - there is no right or wrong, only whats works for you.

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