Not counting calories...

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follmer20
follmer20 Posts: 129 Member
edited December 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
When I lost weight after my first baby was born, I didn't count calories, I just watched what I ate. I kinda did a special K kinda diet but I ate shredded wheat for breakfast and lunch and then a supper whatever I wanted, I lost like 20-25 lbs doing that. Is that a bad way to lose weight or should I keep with counting calories? I did gain back weight but that was because I started eating all is of junk food when I got preto again. Should I keep with the calorie counting or try that again? I don't feel like I'm having a lot of success with counting. I also exercised 6-7 days a week the last time.

Any suggestions?

Replies

  • kd_mazur
    kd_mazur Posts: 569 Member
    The way you lost it before was kind of counting cals anyway. Why not find something you like for breakfast and lunch that is low cal and have that each day with a sensible dinner. I am having success with the MFP method because I eat the same types of food each day for the most part and then have dinner with my family at night. I think it doesn't matter if you eat the same things over and over again as long as you are meeting your nutritional needs or consider taking a vitamin each day also.
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
    Have you been keeping your diary correctly? There are a lot of days where it looks like all you ate all day was like a piece of bread and an apple.
  • douglasmobbs
    douglasmobbs Posts: 563 Member
    The cereal type diets do work, but they are a complete change to what you were doing before or what you will be doing afterwards. The problem is you have no basis to build a maintenance diet from if you lose on a cereal diet.

    If you lose best on a cereal diet by all means go back to it, but whilst you are on it try to work out how you will maintain afterwards. Perhaps have the cereal diet style 3-5 days per week and other diet for the rest.
  • caraiselite
    caraiselite Posts: 2,631 Member
    do what works for you, but 'cereal' diets are completely retarded. too many carbs, not enough protein/fats/veggies
  • knk1553
    knk1553 Posts: 438 Member
    The main thing I like about counting calories/using MFP/using a food scale is that its teaching me portion sizes, and how to make healthier choices. because with those healthier choices I get to eat more food for less calories. The reason special K works is because you're drastically cutting your calories for breakfast and lunch (around 250 or less for each meal if you just eat thecorrect portion of cereal and skim milk) and then dinner if its a reasonable, sensible, dinner, you're consuming 500-600 calories, therefore each day, you're consuming less than 1200 calories and working out, and burning lets say 300, which mean's you're netting around 900 a day, so of course you're going to lose weight. I think its effective in the short term, but you aren't learning proper portions or really making a lifestyle change, because you're most likely not going to eat cereal for breakfast and lunch for the rest of your life. Thats just my personal opinion, not trying to push it on you, but I've seen a lot of people fail after losing weight with a Special K type diet when they switch back to a regular one
  • TeachTheGirl
    TeachTheGirl Posts: 2,091 Member
    Continue to count your calories. It WORKS.

    Just from a quick scan of your food journal, I think you could benefit from changing your diet up a little more. You eat a lot of the same things and could probably afford to have more protein.

    Are you working out regularly like you did before?
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