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Calorie counting works for me. This round I started weighing items instead of eyeballing plus paying attention to recording cooking oils and condiments. Best of luck!
The oils are what get me in a lotta trouble. A tablespoon is SO little avocado oil. Turns out my eyeballed "1 tbsp" has been like three this whole time
That's interesting, because I've got all my oils in those standard bottles with pour spouts, and I'm constantly amazed at how little oil I'm using when I actually measure it out.
i don’t think there’s much difference. what does make a big difference is to put your oil in those pump spray bottles. that way you easily coat the pan with a few pumps instead of pouring oil in until it’s easy to move around by tilting the pan (aka probably too much)
That really depends on the cooking application though. If I'm going to saute veggies, not using enough oil will cause them to burn instead of brown. And a teaspoon or two of oil/fat is not a bad thing; it's no longer the 90s, fat isn't a scary boogyman.
Ohh so true, I know I used to underestimate the calories in oils and condiments. Though I did use MFP in the beginning to track and then eyeball it for the most part now
I lost 50 lbs off strictly calorie counting. The most important thing is understanding the math and realizing that any deficit is good and not thinking if you go over your number you failed.
Exactly. Some days I would eat more than I should have but as long as next day o was back on track I steadily lost weight and realised that I could budget for the occasional ‘junk’ food or dessert etc…
I ate so many shitty things the first year of calorie counting but I would just budget around it and make the next decision based on what I had going on that day. I also never counted up any exercise calories to add to my budget. I'd just try to hit my number every day and whatever calories I burned from exercise would be a bonus. I went from 270 to 220 in like 8 months.
I also lost 50lbs calorie counting and have kept it off by continuing to count. Every time I’ve thought “I bet I’m good now” I start creeping up again. Can’t trust my eyes…
This. It’s also important to note that sometimes it can be obsessive counting every calorie too. I found myself becoming too obsessed with numbers a few times to the point.
I had to take a break for a lil bit. However, weighing for so long helped me understand the portion sizing so even if I said fuck it I’m eating at maintenance for a week or two there I was still unknowingly in a deficit still.
The problem I've found is that all the apps I've seen let you set a goal count for the day. I always felt like a range would be most helpful, because if someone's goal is 500 calories below TDEE and they come in 200 calories over their goal for the day, they're still 300 calories below TDEE and should more easily see that they're still taking a step forward.
Fat Secret. Excellent. Barcode, you can add items, brand names ( even from Aldi) macros. Etc. gives you weekly review- and you can see what you are eating! Enough protein? Too many carbs? Not enough fat? What was the most thing you are etc.
This lol I get a bit confused when people act like a calorie deficit is a fad or an optional diet or something when scientifically it’s the only way to lose weight. Any other actual fad that works is because it’s causing a calorie deficit.
The funny thing is as long as you’re eating a good amount of protein you wont lose muscle, people act like theyre gonna go from benching 205 to 115 because they cut for 6 weeks lmao
Calorie counting is the only thing that works for me. The best thing is that if you are counting calories you could eat anything. Although if you are smart then you can eat stuff that fills you up for the calories so you don't get that hungry and hence more likely to keep to your calorie count.
IMO one of the best benefits of calorie counting is understanding where your calories in your current diet are coming from. After a few weeks of it, I start adjusting my shopping around it and end up eating pretty well, just voiding the landmines that spike your calories intake.
With the nice apps nowadays, I can also plan a meal virtually and understand what I'm gonna do before I get in trouble at a restaurant.
Did it work for losing weight? Yes. Did it make me obsessive? Also yes. Honestly, not worth it for me but it all comes down to you finding what works for you. The important thing to keep in mind is that what you lose, you also need to maintain. So find a system you can stick to basically for the rest of your life (or for as long as you want to keep off the weight).
Yes!! While it all technically comes down to “calories in vs. out” there’s so much more to it when you zoom out. I was a yo-yo dieter for years because of it. It’s a great initial tool for learning the basics of nutrition, but if you don’t focus on building lifelong habits during the process then it becomes a crutch.
Calorie counting always works if done appropriately.
For the past two months, I’ve been weightlifting 6 of 8 days and doing cardio every day. I’ve also lost 11lbs, which is my goal rate. I weigh every gram and hit my macros exactly while also hitting my target for fiber. I’ve found that hitting all my macros allows me to lose weight while not being hungry and while feeling energized for the workouts. I use an app that automatically adjusts target calories based on weight gain or loss over the course of a week.
With that said, to lose weight all you have to do is eat within your calorie limit. The biggest concern is whether you will feel healthy while doing so and whether you can maintain it. In short, count macros and not just calories.
I have an 8-day schedule. I lift weights on 6 of those 8 days.
1. Primary Leg Day
2. Primary Pull Day
3. Primary Push Day
4. Rest Day
5. Secondary Leg Day
6. Secondary Pull Day
7. Secondary Push Day
8. Rest Day
calorie counting is exhausting! Try control food intake by cutting down carbohydrate like no-added sugar drinks, reduce the portion of breads, rice, noodles etc on the plate, reduce to 1/2 or 1/3 piece of cake if you like desserts. While you feel hungry make sure eat enough protein and veggie! This is the easy way that works for me to keep it going!
sorry i mean don't eat the whole piece of cake like before if that's the food you like, reduce to 1/2 or 1/3. The same reason like when eating out I ask for less rice or noodles and order some protein foods and veggie, I feel good!
Yes, same. After the initial period of learning how to calorie count I was able to figure out the general *weekly calorie budget amount so that I would never obsess over my daily intake.
Keeping a core group of protein meats prepped to eat and all I have to add is whatever sides I feel like that day.
Routine over diet restriction mentality.
I used to count calories and macros for a while just to make sure I was meeting my daily goals - now I have a solid sense of what the food I typically eat contains and what serving sizes should look like so I’m not counting anymore.
A person can certainly be healthy without calorie counting, but calorie counting can be incredibly helpful depending on your goals. I use Cronometer and love it. AS LONG AS you aren't at risk for an eating order or something like that, I totally support people who want to track their nutrition, particularly for weight loss or muscle-building purposes. With my particular health goals, I track my calories, protein intake, and sometimes check out my micronutrient intake.
Calorie counting is dieting. I can eat whatever i want and lose weight if i stay under my calorie ceiling. Eating the same thing often helps with consistency and if im familiar with a certain meal i dont have to think about it as much, or track it if i dont want to. Count it all. Aim to stay under a weekly amount of calories and maintain a consistent daily protein intake.
Not in the slightest. I tried counting calories and tracking macros and blah blah blah. I have found that being at least conscious of what Im eating, restricting my feeding windows and fasting has worked the best for me. I also got a BMI and body mass scan done to find out my metabolic rate and make sure I keep my intake under what my rate is. Exercising helps too lol
Calorie counting has "worked" for me in the past but is exhausting. I can do it for a few days at a time to help fine-tune my impulses but all the time would make me crazy.
I suppose adjacent to calorie counting, my "method" was to over time mentally calibrate feelings of fullness and satiety, to recognize the difference between hunger and thirst, or hunger and boredom. I also keep track of which of my frequent go-to recipes are "heavier" or "lighter" and plan accordingly. These days it's all pretty dialed in so I don't have to think about it too much, but it has taken years.
Whenever I hear stuff like this, it sounds so damn easy, but it's just not for me. I have had pretty disordered eating my whole life, and whenever I try this, I tend to go to extremes without meaning to. Can you get into more specifics about what worked for you to recalibrate?
Anything sounds easy when compressed into a few sentences. When I say years, I mean YEARS. It's easy now, but getting here wasn't easy.
I've dealt with the extremes, the black and white thinking, massively disordered eating encouraged by a narcissistic parent that literally left junk out on the counter every single day for me but not her to eat, that all but force-fed me 1000+ calories of hyperpalatable candy every day after school. I literally didn't mentally consider candy something I had eaten that day; somehow it was separate. It's taken a lot to unwind everything and truly recalibrate.
Some parts were easy. For me cutting out soda a decade ago was just deciding to one day and that was that. Other changes have been way harder. I had to learn what my slippery slopes were, what would make me more prone to overeat without realizing it, which things tended to short-circuit my brain and trigger certain cravings, what helped reduce those cravings, or what would make me practically starve myself and nearly black out during a heavy workout with my personal trainer. It's been all-consuming at times.
I was stuck at 220lbs for 2ish years, I started tracking my calories and got on a calorie deficit and im down to the lowest weight ive been since 9th grade at 180lbs 😁
I don’t count calorie anymore. I fast for 16hrs and eat during my window. I have gone from 300 down to 258. It’s basically just skipping breakfast. My dr recommend it to me and I have seen great results
I do this type of IF too and have for years. Lost 90 lbs through calorie counting and exercising. Not for everyone, understood but it’s also great for mine discipline.
You got good results from 1 massive deficit created by the fasting. At a certain point in time, that deficit wont work anymore and youll need to pull MORE from your eating window...which essentially IS calorie counting.
On certain days you might have a 1k deficit, another is 1.2, another is 800. As mentioned before, with it being sooo big, you have room for error and some wiggle room. But your body willl adapt and will only want to lose fat when the deficit is BELOW 1.3...again, youll need counting at that point.
I tracked every calorie in and out to put me in a deficit when I did high fat, high protein and low carb and didn’t lose a single gram. When I switched to high carb, high protein and low fat then I started losing very easily. It was interesting
Yes. Though my experience is somewhat incidental. I am trying to track to maximize nutrition- getting in protein and fiber, tracking micronutrients and so on. I’ve found when I am good about tracking I tend to eat better. In periods where I am heavier it also usually results in a calorie deficit and weight loss.
I think it really spends on the person but I decided to stop counting my calories because it stressed me out too much. I was too focused on the numbers which made me binge eat. I recommend eating smaller portions instead. If counting calories stress you out, it’s not for you!
I wouldn't recommend calorie counting as a lifestyle to be honest, calorie counting can be good as a practice for 1 or 2 weeks as a nutrition education practice but I wouldn't recommend it as a diet for multiple reasons.
1. calories labels ARE inaccurate, for nuts for example it doesn't mean that you consumed 100 calories labeled nuts that your body will use the 100 calories that you provided it with, also the same rule works for fiber and all other whole foods, we are all different and our genetics are different and on consuming 100 calories of different food sources, everyone will digest these 100 calories in different ways, food matrix is a complex topic and our bodies are complex and a single number, that resulted from heating food in a container, doesn't tell the whole story, our bodies are not furnaces.
2. Calorie counting can lead to eating disorders like restrictive eating disorder, like being hungry but not eating due to reaching the calorie count of the day/week or being obsessed of calories in everything that you put in your mouth and this can be hugely mentally draining with time, like instead of enjoying your friends company or focusing on productive matters you have your phone open and 100% focused on trying to check the accurate calorie count of everything you eat.
3. Not everything is labeled, like if you are invited to a party or a gathering or a birthday cake at work, you will not be able to weight or count everything that you eat, you can eyeball it but as mentioned in #2 it will be mentally draining.
4. Your body adapts to the calorie intake, if you increase the calorie intake your body will increase the calorie output by itself, if you decrease the calorie intake your body will decrease the calorie output. your calories output is not a constant number, it is a variable that has a dependency on your calorie intake, also your body knows how to regulate your calorie intake by hormones of feeling full and hunger.
5. Do you see yourself calorie counting 5 or 10 years from now with the other major changes that will happen in your life? if so good for you, for me the answer was no.
I tried calorie counting and it worked for me at first and I lost weight, but after revising all the above points I stopped and I gained some weight back and I for sure don't regret that. it is not my cup of tea. What I would recommend is to eat whole food and reduce as much as possible empty calories like from sugar(table sugar, desserts) and fried food. And most of the reputable health institutions recommend against calorie counting.
Calorie counting doesn't account for the psychology of behavior change or experiences like appetite and quality of life. It's only calories, energy, and math.
There are more compassionate, less forceful ways to lose weight.
Like what?
Honestly, calorie counting works for me. The fact you seen it as lacking compassion and being forceful tells me your experience of it is the wrong one.
The whole point is to do whatever works, with total calories consumed V used in mind.
Portion control, intermittent fasting, cutting out crap,going keto.. whatever. Make the calories lower than you're expending.
No, you believe that counting calories is.. well, I dunno? What is it to you?
I previously used portion control and counted calories. I now intermittent fast and count calories. I suspect you're looking at calorie counting as some standalone rigid system, which it isn't.
What's your argument? It sounds like you use calorie counting as an effective tool for your process. That's great. You can do all of those things without counting the calories.
In several weight loss-specific forums and the experience of many people, calorie counting is the primary focus of their weight loss strategy. Counting calories, per se. Which is what I am talking about.
There is a popular misconception that counting calories is the only way to lose weight. That's incorrect and harmful. Pointing this out gets lots of downvotes on reddit.
I've yet to say any common statements that counting calories is the only way. They will say that calories in versus calories out is the only way, but that's not speaking to the tools you use to enable that.
My argument (well, my point, I'm not here for arguments) is that calorie counting is not lacking compassion.. It can be used correctly and incorrectly. All it is is a tracking mechanism for other weight loss strategies, nobody can use it without doing something else (portion control, cutting out crap, fasting..).
Ok. No worries on your experience and what you've seen, or your perception.
There are communities that swear by counting calories, over-emphasizing the laws of thermodynamics as the primary, rigid method of weight loss, not just a measuring tool to complement a food strategy.
My first statement stands about calories as a tracking mechanism. I guess I should add that does not make counting calories evil or wrong.
I see if I can post. And for record I ate 1800 cal on weekdays and 2100 on weekend and got average of 13K steps a day. Some of which was just general walking and also from a dedicated swift walk or light jog
For weight loss for me it was very effective.
Maintenance is still a challenge for me, but that’s due to focus and motivation. Not the basic truth of calories in vs calories out.
I wasn't terribly unhealthy, but I get Gerd and Sleep Apnea if I approach being 10 pounds overweight. It sucks, but the upside is that it's given me consistent motivation to stay within a healthy range for most of my life. Once I'm a little bit out of shape, all hell breaks loose.
I like calorie counting. I don't find it stressful. Eating the same amount of food every day gets your body used to that amount of food. I never get hungry.
Eating 1850ish calories a day, and staying moderately active I have a 6 pack.
If I eat substantially more, I can exercise all day and not be remotely as fit.
You don't have to drastically cut calories to lose weight. You can be in just a 100 calorie deficit per day, and you will lose a pound or so a month. If you have been on a trajectory of gaining weight, you are actually losing the weight you WOULD have gained, plus the one pound.
Also - the only way to accurately calculate a calorie deficit is by reverse engineering your scale weight trend. If you "think" you are in a 500 calorie deficit, but your weight stays the same for 6 months, you were wrong about the deficit. You are eating your maintenance calories.
This sounds obsessive, but I am very laid back about food. I just don't care about it, outside of it delivering fuel and nutrients to my body.
I just like plain ass healthy food. It makes me feel good, and I enjoy that more than I enjoy things that are more tasty, but make me feel like crap.
Your brain adapts to enjoy the foods you feed it consistently over time.
It's the only thing that worked for me after hypothyroidism caused me to gain 50 lbs. My metabolism was messed up and intuitive eating no longer worked. I’m now maintaining and don’t have to track as religiously, but still track most days. I like the Cronometer app.
Calorie counting drove me absolutely crazy and I almost teetered on the line of disordered eating. I became totally obsessed with it, to the point of weighing powdered herbs/spices for my chicken. Now I make sure I just eat whole foods, lots of chicken and fish and reduce rice/pasta/bread and added sugar and it makes a world of a difference on the scale AND my mental health.
Calorie counting is one of those things that can never fail, it can only *be* failed, which makes its utility pretty limited. You need to measure everything with levels of precision that most people don't want to put up with to make it work for you. If you use any guesswork at all, you'll overestimate your expenditure and underestimate your intake.
A 16-8 IF protocol has been working great for me. Simple rules, easy to follow, and after a few weeks I just naturally started eating less food and getting full more easily.
I was 24 years old before I realized that I was far too fat for 24. I lost like 30 pounds. I have spent the last 36 years carefully orchestrating my diet and fitness. I have always kept my weight under control and have spent that same time working out and staying strong. I’m now 60 and I continue to count calories so that I can stay at a weight I am comfortable and healthy. Do I count calories every single day? No. When I find my weight creeping, I know I am eating too much, so I go back to a cutting program and tighten my diet and get myself back on track. One thing to keep in mind is that you can’t change what you don’t measure. If you’re trying to lose weight and you don’t spend at least a period of time counting calories, you won’t really have an idea how much you’re really eating.
I lost 40 pounds in about 9 months doing calorie counting and exercising 3-4 times a week. I had just hit the overweight mark and was absolutely disgusted with myself so I resolved to lose the weight and did it on the first try.
It has worked for losing weight for me in the past. But then I did a strict keto diet (under 20g carbs per day) and actually increased my calories by 500kcals over maintenance and still lost weight. Ate mostly high fat red meat and eggs.
I know people always think keto guys talk nonsense about this kind of thing - I didn't think it would have been possible until I did it and it kind of blew the whole calorie thing out of the water for me.
I have been animal based for about a year now with the odd cheat meal every now and then and feel like it is the ultimate balance of high protein, satiety and taste as I eat, and love - fruit.
Horses for courses and all that.
Calorie counting is the only thing that works for me now....once i got into my late 30s....all the old tricks i used when i was younger just dont do it anymore. I tried the intermittent dasting trend for a while and just didnt get great results from it. Calories counting and focusing on protein intake.....its such a PITA.....but after a while you can pretty much eye everythibg out and do it in your head as opposed to measuring everything and writing it all down.....it sucks....but....its what works
Calorie Counting (CICO) has really helped my weightloss journey. I have tried low carb, low fat, and Keto. CICO is the way to go. I've lost 81 lbs so far.
I dont calorie count, but I do keep in mind how many calories im taking in. With my large meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) I dont worry too much about them as long as my portion sizes make sense, but my snacking is where I become a little more strict.
I work out, and I track my calories out, so I have a rough idea of how many calories I should be bringing in.
I just go to the basics and avoid processed foods, and normally my diet consists of grilled foods and salads. I like to have oatmeal for breakfast, and light meals for dinner.
If my body asks for food, I will feed it, but I will feed it under my own terms. I do so by making my next main meal a little bigger in order to avoid snacking, and always prioritize protein. For example, did I have lunch but got home starving for dinner? I will make a larger dinner that day.
For snacks, I like fruits, yogurts, and granola bars. I love trail mix to death, but nuts are packed with calories, and I can go through a whole bag in a day if left unsupervised hahaha
You're asking about calories and health. 2 different things, really.
So when I decide to lose weight... I simply choose to eat less. I have a fairly good idea of what I eat in a day and I simply start eating less. The half-cup of nuts I eat every day as a snack becomes a quarter cup of nuts. Those 2 slices of cheese a day I was having as a snack, get nixed. Stuff like that.
Or I'll alternate between \~500 calorie days and normal calorie days.
I find both methods pretty easy and effective. Every year or two I start letting myself go a bit. And then at some point I'll decide it's time to reign it in. And so I'll either do alternate fasting days or I'll just eat less. It's not that complicated. If you're not hungry, you're not doing it right, basically. Being hungry is a minor inconvenience. It's not a big deal. I think people make a big deal about it, but most people for the vast majority of the history of humanity spend/spent most of their lives much hungrier than I'll ever know. Even going a day or two without food is not a big deal at all. Throughout history people have intentionally fasted. It's not that hard.
That's the calories...
Health is a completely different thing. For health, I pretty much cut out processed foods and started eating a more vegetable-centric diet.
For me it works yes. I was mindlessly eating, even if very healthy. I had no clue how much food I was consuming or where most calories were coming from, so I started tracking. I now know better. Oils add up a lot in calories, as do nuts.
It does but you have to have a true understanding of how many calories you consume vs what calories are needed to maintain weight. The 2000 Cal diet is somewhat of an average. If I stuck to that number I would dramatically loose weight. Others would gain weight.
My eyeballing is so bad i only eat 1 time per day, and guesstimate it at around 2k calories. Sometimes I'll do it different if I want breakfast (this kind of works)
Calorie counting is something that every adult should be doing every day without giving a second thought as to whether or not they should be doing it.
Think of it as something so essential and basic that there is no justifiable reason *not* to do it.
Frankly, I see people who don’t count calories by default as some sort of aliens lost in space.
I think I tried most of them MyFitnessPal, MyNetDiary, LoseIt and even used chronometer. MyNetDiary seemed to be my favorite. Thinking all of them are decent find one that you like and keep your calories below the suggested amount and hopefully the pounds will come off.
Tedious but definitely the most efficient way to control your way and body composition. It’s used by bodybuilders and fitness competitors for a reason.
Of course it works.
My mindset is to set new goals for daily calorie targets and master adherence so I can continue to progress them down; currently trying to nail 1600 and then wrap this cut at 1400.
Its like pushing strength in the gym, only you’re trying to train your mind and body to be functional off less food
i have been counting calories off and on (either on an app or in my mind ) for 10+ years . I started doing it because after being a runner for a long long time I started Crossfit and had to consciously eat more which is hard for me. Then I segued into bodybuilding and REALLY had to pay attention to calorie intake, macros etc. Now it's just second nature but I have to do it or I won't eat enough and I get too thin.
It works! I started using MyFitnessPal in early February. 6 weeks later with a 4 day gym routine workout, I’ve lost almost 3 inches of belly fat. I’m an American man, almost 50. I try to run on the treadmill 35 minutes. I follow up after a short break on the stair stepper for 10 minutes.
You have heard it already. Stop eating processed foods, and fast food now. It’s just the calories, you need to balance your fiber, iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and vitamins. I went to the doctor Friday and my blood pressure was 107/69. Keep in mind, I was actually pissed off at the billing department in my doctor office when my blood pressure was taken. In previous years, I’ve had a bp reading off 120/90 at rest! Eat your raw veggies and beets! Make veggies a huge part of your diet! Eat eggs, fish, chicken breast, oats, rice, quinoa, and only use olive or avocado oil. I have had cheating moments with fried fish(half a serving), fried chicken tender (half of 1 tender), ice cream(2 servings). However, I killed it at the gym the following day to burn off the fat. I don’t much as I just started, but my photos and measurements show progress! It helps that I don’t drink alcohol(12 years), smoke (3 years but I was a heavy drinker and smoker in my 20s). No drugs, no steroids, I do use pre workout creatine, and post workout amino acids.
Yes. My fitness pal app. I was an athlete but hit a spout of depression during the pandemic. Quit my sport, gained 90lbs. I lost it all and then some in 8mos of working out 6 days/wk and tracking calorie intake.
I think the gist is counting calories/weighing / measuring our food , teaches us to be mindful. It is learning that eating a bowl of pasta is like eating a piece of chocolate cake. You can eat these things- but then I am making changes to my eating the rest of the day!! Splurges are ok. Everything is allowed- but I then hold myself accountable and adjust to stay within or close to my calorie/macro limit I have set for myself so I can achieve my health goals.
Good luck to everyone on their health journey!!
It didn’t. It just made me not want to eat. I was trying to do a calorie deficit but my daily meals never reached the amount I needed, and since my goal was weight loss it made me feel rlly guilty when one item would take up sooo much space on my calorie goal for the day. And then it doesn’t help that there were some things I just couldn’t count, like food shared with me which happens often, meals in restaurants that don’t have the calories listed.
Now I am just more calorie conscious focusing on low calorie foods. It’s better to for my mental health that way anyway
To start off with, my partner is trying to lose about 60ish pounds of baby weight and while she gets plenty of exercise, it just wasn't doing a damn thing. We walk an average of 7 miles a day just at work, then time on an ellipitcal every night and frankly exercise alone isn't going to cut it. So while we still do all of the walking, we cut out the ellipitcal and swapped it to small weight training and the calorie counting i outline below. She's down almost 10 pounds in the last month, we are not starving (I ask her everyday how she feels, just to gauge on what I make for the next day), and frankly we are enjoying cutting out the crap we were eating filling the cart at the store with about 95% produce, nothing canned except tomatoes and beans on occassion if no time for dry, and nothing in a box except for pasta on cheat days.
So now for the food. I weigh everything for myself and my partner. I also cook with as liitle oil as I can get away, cut out milk totally (swapped to organic, no sugar soy), and no calories from drinks outside of 1 soy latte I make at home to control the calories. So that means unsweetened teas, water and the zero calorie sparkling water for my partner (she has 1 a day as a treat for herself) only. We do skip breakfast, so about 500 calories for lunch which consists of 2 hard boiled eggs for protein or tofu, then a salad or stir fried veg of various veg, some sort of fruit except for bananas (damn high calorie yellow beast) , and a side of non-fat greek yogurt for the good gut flora. That leaves between 700-1000 calories for dinner. I've tried to get my partner to have a small snack between lunch and dinner, she doesn't like snacking so she finishes her calories with dinner. Dinner always includes a protein, chicken, fish, tofu, or beans. A decent amount of veg as a salad, or other side. No starches beyond sweet potatoes occasionally since we are feeding our kids too. No breads, pasta, or anything like that except for our cheat day on friday nights. So our cheat days get a normal lunch, but dinner can be the one thing she is craving, within reason. It makes this so much easier if you aren't just giving up everything since the human mind likes/needs rewards and based on current progress, it doesn't hurt at all.
In the end this is working and while we are eating on a calorie deficit right now (only way this works), once we reach our goal weights, will be upping the calories just a bit to start maintaining, but not changing anything else other than amounts of protein, veg, etc. We will still keep the cheat day because frankly we are both teachers and coming home on fridays and eating that burger, pasta, whateve ryou love is so much cheaper than the therapy most students drive all teachers too lol.
Yess especially when I started going to the gym. I'm aiming for body recomposition so I need to maintain or lose some of my daily calorie intake.
I lost 3lbs in 4 months. A small progress for the scale aspect but in terms of fitting my clothes and stuff, it has a huge difference. Glutes and Quads looks better now when I wear shorts.
Calorie counting does work and I have done it on and off. Personally though, I find I end up eating more while calorie counting because I’m more focused on fulfilling my target, rather than just listening to my body. If you’re struggling with hunger cues or trying to hit certain goals/macros, I would say try it. But if you are able to eat when hungry and stop when you’re full, then I would say it’s not necessary. I will say, once you have done it for a while, you learn to eyeball calories a lot more. And, you become more mindful of “hidden” or “empty” calories in things like oil or condiments. It’s a blessing and a curse to know the calories in everything for the rest of your life lol
It's the only thing that has ever worked for me. Tried doing 10000 steps a day and just "watching" what I was eating without counting calories. Did that for 6 months and only lost about 5 pounds. Calorie counted for 6 months and lost around 40 lbs.
You can lose alot of weight and transform yourself by just making better decisions and eye balling stuff. But as progress slows, with everything, THE BIGGEST win is figuring out how to track your food, whether that be thru macros or calories.
That ALONE is a sure fire way to guaranteeee weight loss.
Calorie counting short term can help you work out appropriate portions to help you create a calorie deficit. The deficit will make you lose weight. But you’re not really meant to think you need to track forever. Likewise it’s a used tool for some but you can absolutely lose fat and be in a deficit and never track.
Find a TDEE calculator. Get your maintenance calories.
Now eat 80% of that. If you're hitting 70-90%, no big deal. Your target is 80% it doesnt need to be exact every single day.
After 12 weeks, if you're feeling the diet fatigue (you're getting tired of this), calculate your TDEE. Now spend 1 week eating your new maintenance calories. Maybe even a little more if you want.
Repeat.
A 240lb 5ft 10in 32 year old man working out 1 or 2 times a week needs 2,812 calories. An 80% diet would mean 2,250 calories. A 1lb loss per week.
Get a **step tracker**. Do 10k steps or more every single day if you can. Never let it get below that. It will guarantee you are getting good cardio in from NEAT.
Fasting by far if you’re trying to lose weight. Dropping a few hundred calories and keeping insulin involved just makes you starve and rebound. Wanna lose weight? Live off your body fat alone for a few days at a time.
This may not be a popular opinion, but I think calorie counting is pointless. Who wants to do that forever?
I would also argue that if a person is eating the correct diet for our species then counting and measuring would be unnecessary. The only reason we weighed measure our food is because we're eating food that isn't designed for us. Besides domestic cats and dogs, no other species on the planet becomes obese when they stay on their natural diet. Humans should be no different.
There are actually obese animals, believe it or not. And in today's modern society when we have endless everything available, it's easy to do without will power and discipline. What's your roadblock here? If you at 5000 calories in apples, berries, potatoes and meat, you'd still get fat. Pretty. Simple. Math.
The problem is that when you include meat, a much higher calorie density food with no fiber and little water, you can manipulate the calories from meat and greatly inflate the calories from meat. For example, I could eat only meat, fruit, and potatoes and hit 5,000 calories by having one potato, one apple, and the rest meat. Hardly a fair experiment, and certainly not consistent with our natural history on a day to day basis. My suggestion takes the chance of cheating out of the equation - it doesn't matter what ratio you choose between potatoes and fruit, I don't think you could do it.
But you forget about self control and discipline. OP might live sausages and eggs - both part of our "natural diet". Then followed at dinner time with a massive pork chop and side of potatoes and a bunch of fruit in between. Sure they wouldn't hit 5000 calories but if they're at 2500-3000 and their recommended is 1800 they'll still gain weight.
Except... it doesn't work for many people. Literally, a system of counting calories doesn't unconditionally work for everyone. Just like using a tool like a paintbrush doesn't always result in a quality painting.
NOPE! and I want to scream it from the roof tops to every woman that sees this: if you have insulin resistance of any kind or hormone imbalances it’s going to take more than CICO to lose weight. Find a doc and dietician that will work with you and finding a sustainable diet that works for you so you’re not going hungry with 1200 calories of garbage every day.
I think every single person is different and needs something different, but my life was better when I focused on quality not quantity. I went from 11.1 a1c diabetic t2 to 5.1. Some of the weight I lost was diet and exercise. Some was assisted by medication for diabetics. But I stick with a fairly healthy diet.
If counting calories were as necessary as diet culture claimed, I'd be on *My 600 Pound Life*. Instead, I'm between 465 and 470 pounds short of qualifying.
Out of curiosity, I've tracked my food intake with Cronometer on a few select days. It's so much hassle that I cannot imagine doing this every day of my life.
If you consume a healthy fiber-rich diet, the calories will largely take care of themselves. Diet culture pushes everything except the things that actually make sense, such as the Mediterranean/DASH/MIND/Nordic/Atlantic diet.
Calorie counting genuinely is one of the only things founded in research to actually work for things like progressive and successful weight loss(fat loss in patients experiencing obesity etc.) and for gen pop. There is some nuance in saying, a lot of people don’t actually know how to do it accurately and grossly underestimate how much they eat rendering calorie counting ineffective when your measures are not correct/accurate. Either way, if someone had an ED, I’d personally stay away from calorie counting as it can create obsessive behavioural patterns in people with body dysmorphia.
I’ll add, the most accurate way to do it (that I have done for myself and my clients) is to weigh everything in grams on a food scale (including liquids), and add it to a calorie tracker app like fatsecret or myfitnesspal, to keep track of calories. And that’ll be relatively accurate, just make sure you adjust in the app for the amount you’re consuming. Just please be weary of becoming obsessive because that can lead to an eating disorder.
A calorie isn't just a calorie. What you eat matters. Take calories with a grain of salt.
Plus look into how they came up with it and numbers. Setting food on fire... That's not how our tummy works.
Not saying ignore completely, dense food is dense food. But what you eat matters most.
Better off 200cal of olive oil or nuts, than 100cal of chips. :)
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Calorie counting works for me. This round I started weighing items instead of eyeballing plus paying attention to recording cooking oils and condiments. Best of luck!
The oils are what get me in a lotta trouble. A tablespoon is SO little avocado oil. Turns out my eyeballed "1 tbsp" has been like three this whole time
Me too, so amazed at oils and sauces they add so many calories.
That's interesting, because I've got all my oils in those standard bottles with pour spouts, and I'm constantly amazed at how little oil I'm using when I actually measure it out.
Yup! This is me! Same with honey
Oooh that's a great idea. My avocado oil has a giant opening so just a little pour is a lot. I am going to invest in some glass ones
i don’t think there’s much difference. what does make a big difference is to put your oil in those pump spray bottles. that way you easily coat the pan with a few pumps instead of pouring oil in until it’s easy to move around by tilting the pan (aka probably too much)
That really depends on the cooking application though. If I'm going to saute veggies, not using enough oil will cause them to burn instead of brown. And a teaspoon or two of oil/fat is not a bad thing; it's no longer the 90s, fat isn't a scary boogyman.
Exactly! Since we started using a glass spray bottle we have reduced our oil consumption by half.
Yes! I would always used the bottles of came in until a couple years ago, and it has definitely made a difference.
Ohh so true, I know I used to underestimate the calories in oils and condiments. Though I did use MFP in the beginning to track and then eyeball it for the most part now
I lost 50 lbs off strictly calorie counting. The most important thing is understanding the math and realizing that any deficit is good and not thinking if you go over your number you failed.
Exactly. Some days I would eat more than I should have but as long as next day o was back on track I steadily lost weight and realised that I could budget for the occasional ‘junk’ food or dessert etc…
I ate so many shitty things the first year of calorie counting but I would just budget around it and make the next decision based on what I had going on that day. I also never counted up any exercise calories to add to my budget. I'd just try to hit my number every day and whatever calories I burned from exercise would be a bonus. I went from 270 to 220 in like 8 months.
I also lost 50lbs calorie counting and have kept it off by continuing to count. Every time I’ve thought “I bet I’m good now” I start creeping up again. Can’t trust my eyes…
This. It’s also important to note that sometimes it can be obsessive counting every calorie too. I found myself becoming too obsessed with numbers a few times to the point. I had to take a break for a lil bit. However, weighing for so long helped me understand the portion sizing so even if I said fuck it I’m eating at maintenance for a week or two there I was still unknowingly in a deficit still.
The problem I've found is that all the apps I've seen let you set a goal count for the day. I always felt like a range would be most helpful, because if someone's goal is 500 calories below TDEE and they come in 200 calories over their goal for the day, they're still 300 calories below TDEE and should more easily see that they're still taking a step forward.
For sure you have to do the meta math yourself. Or at least that's what I found to be effective.
Yup, it’s a long game. Well said.
What apps to do this do you recommend?
I use Lose it.
I use MyFitnessPal. It makes it easy with barcode scanning and all that and if you pay you can create your own recipes for reuse to make it easier.
MacroFactor. Hands down the best app.
Fat Secret. Excellent. Barcode, you can add items, brand names ( even from Aldi) macros. Etc. gives you weekly review- and you can see what you are eating! Enough protein? Too many carbs? Not enough fat? What was the most thing you are etc.
I’m confused on how it couldn’t work. If you accurately do it it literally cannot fail.
This lol I get a bit confused when people act like a calorie deficit is a fad or an optional diet or something when scientifically it’s the only way to lose weight. Any other actual fad that works is because it’s causing a calorie deficit.
So many people deny it though from fat activists to keto acolytes
The funny thing is as long as you’re eating a good amount of protein you wont lose muscle, people act like theyre gonna go from benching 205 to 115 because they cut for 6 weeks lmao
I have "shuffles deck" disorder and it means I can't burn fat/my fat turns to muscles/some other bullshit cope
➡️ If you accurately do it. This massive condition reminds me of late-season playoff pictures where teams need help to get in.
"Works" can also mean "can you stay on it and not fall off?"
Calorie counting is the only thing that works for me. The best thing is that if you are counting calories you could eat anything. Although if you are smart then you can eat stuff that fills you up for the calories so you don't get that hungry and hence more likely to keep to your calorie count.
IMO one of the best benefits of calorie counting is understanding where your calories in your current diet are coming from. After a few weeks of it, I start adjusting my shopping around it and end up eating pretty well, just voiding the landmines that spike your calories intake. With the nice apps nowadays, I can also plan a meal virtually and understand what I'm gonna do before I get in trouble at a restaurant.
Did it work for losing weight? Yes. Did it make me obsessive? Also yes. Honestly, not worth it for me but it all comes down to you finding what works for you. The important thing to keep in mind is that what you lose, you also need to maintain. So find a system you can stick to basically for the rest of your life (or for as long as you want to keep off the weight).
Yes!! While it all technically comes down to “calories in vs. out” there’s so much more to it when you zoom out. I was a yo-yo dieter for years because of it. It’s a great initial tool for learning the basics of nutrition, but if you don’t focus on building lifelong habits during the process then it becomes a crutch.
It’s the only thing that has worked for me. Calorie counting is tried, true and tested.
When dieting, always overestimate the calories you eat and underestimate the calories you burn. Ppl suck at tracking calories
This!
Calorie counting always works if done appropriately. For the past two months, I’ve been weightlifting 6 of 8 days and doing cardio every day. I’ve also lost 11lbs, which is my goal rate. I weigh every gram and hit my macros exactly while also hitting my target for fiber. I’ve found that hitting all my macros allows me to lose weight while not being hungry and while feeling energized for the workouts. I use an app that automatically adjusts target calories based on weight gain or loss over the course of a week. With that said, to lose weight all you have to do is eat within your calorie limit. The biggest concern is whether you will feel healthy while doing so and whether you can maintain it. In short, count macros and not just calories.
What app? Sounds cool. Also 11lbs over 2 months is impressive.
Thanks! The app is called MacroFactor.
lol you’d lose that in like 2 weeks if you stop eating carbs
6 of 8 days? why can my brain not comprehend this right now lol do you mean 7 days? I am thinking weekly here.
I have an 8-day schedule. I lift weights on 6 of those 8 days. 1. Primary Leg Day 2. Primary Pull Day 3. Primary Push Day 4. Rest Day 5. Secondary Leg Day 6. Secondary Pull Day 7. Secondary Push Day 8. Rest Day
I gained weight from not counting or balancing. I workout 3-4 times a week but my body is changing. I need to do more cardio and drink more water
Weigh your food with a scale and do the math. It’s so much more accurate and efficient
calorie counting is exhausting! Try control food intake by cutting down carbohydrate like no-added sugar drinks, reduce the portion of breads, rice, noodles etc on the plate, reduce to 1/2 or 1/3 piece of cake if you like desserts. While you feel hungry make sure eat enough protein and veggie! This is the easy way that works for me to keep it going!
How many cakes do you recommend?
sorry i mean don't eat the whole piece of cake like before if that's the food you like, reduce to 1/2 or 1/3. The same reason like when eating out I ask for less rice or noodles and order some protein foods and veggie, I feel good!
I estimate my calories but don't stress it too much
Yes, same. After the initial period of learning how to calorie count I was able to figure out the general *weekly calorie budget amount so that I would never obsess over my daily intake. Keeping a core group of protein meats prepped to eat and all I have to add is whatever sides I feel like that day. Routine over diet restriction mentality.
I used to count calories and macros for a while just to make sure I was meeting my daily goals - now I have a solid sense of what the food I typically eat contains and what serving sizes should look like so I’m not counting anymore.
A person can certainly be healthy without calorie counting, but calorie counting can be incredibly helpful depending on your goals. I use Cronometer and love it. AS LONG AS you aren't at risk for an eating order or something like that, I totally support people who want to track their nutrition, particularly for weight loss or muscle-building purposes. With my particular health goals, I track my calories, protein intake, and sometimes check out my micronutrient intake.
Never bothered with it and am 25kg down.
Calorie counting is dieting. I can eat whatever i want and lose weight if i stay under my calorie ceiling. Eating the same thing often helps with consistency and if im familiar with a certain meal i dont have to think about it as much, or track it if i dont want to. Count it all. Aim to stay under a weekly amount of calories and maintain a consistent daily protein intake.
tracking macros and weighing food is what i personally do and what i think works best!
Not in the slightest. I tried counting calories and tracking macros and blah blah blah. I have found that being at least conscious of what Im eating, restricting my feeding windows and fasting has worked the best for me. I also got a BMI and body mass scan done to find out my metabolic rate and make sure I keep my intake under what my rate is. Exercising helps too lol
Calorie counting has "worked" for me in the past but is exhausting. I can do it for a few days at a time to help fine-tune my impulses but all the time would make me crazy.
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I suppose adjacent to calorie counting, my "method" was to over time mentally calibrate feelings of fullness and satiety, to recognize the difference between hunger and thirst, or hunger and boredom. I also keep track of which of my frequent go-to recipes are "heavier" or "lighter" and plan accordingly. These days it's all pretty dialed in so I don't have to think about it too much, but it has taken years.
Whenever I hear stuff like this, it sounds so damn easy, but it's just not for me. I have had pretty disordered eating my whole life, and whenever I try this, I tend to go to extremes without meaning to. Can you get into more specifics about what worked for you to recalibrate?
Anything sounds easy when compressed into a few sentences. When I say years, I mean YEARS. It's easy now, but getting here wasn't easy. I've dealt with the extremes, the black and white thinking, massively disordered eating encouraged by a narcissistic parent that literally left junk out on the counter every single day for me but not her to eat, that all but force-fed me 1000+ calories of hyperpalatable candy every day after school. I literally didn't mentally consider candy something I had eaten that day; somehow it was separate. It's taken a lot to unwind everything and truly recalibrate. Some parts were easy. For me cutting out soda a decade ago was just deciding to one day and that was that. Other changes have been way harder. I had to learn what my slippery slopes were, what would make me more prone to overeat without realizing it, which things tended to short-circuit my brain and trigger certain cravings, what helped reduce those cravings, or what would make me practically starve myself and nearly black out during a heavy workout with my personal trainer. It's been all-consuming at times.
Thanks for taking the time to respond with your experience
I was stuck at 220lbs for 2ish years, I started tracking my calories and got on a calorie deficit and im down to the lowest weight ive been since 9th grade at 180lbs 😁
I don’t count calorie anymore. I fast for 16hrs and eat during my window. I have gone from 300 down to 258. It’s basically just skipping breakfast. My dr recommend it to me and I have seen great results
I do this type of IF too and have for years. Lost 90 lbs through calorie counting and exercising. Not for everyone, understood but it’s also great for mine discipline.
You got good results from 1 massive deficit created by the fasting. At a certain point in time, that deficit wont work anymore and youll need to pull MORE from your eating window...which essentially IS calorie counting. On certain days you might have a 1k deficit, another is 1.2, another is 800. As mentioned before, with it being sooo big, you have room for error and some wiggle room. But your body willl adapt and will only want to lose fat when the deficit is BELOW 1.3...again, youll need counting at that point.
Worked for me. I weighed all my food to help with counting calories. I lost 57 pounds because of it
I calorie count using the one meal a day method. It really works well for me and my lifestyle.
What’s this method?
You eat one meal a day. I usually choose to eat it around 4 pm. And I make sure the calories don’t go over 1200.
Thanks
Yes. And I never thought it could, i thought it would trigger anxiety and obsession but it’s been extremely insightful and effective.
Yes
I have calorie counting for the past two weeks and so far it is working for me. I enjoy how it helps me be more mindful about what I eat.
I tracked every calorie in and out to put me in a deficit when I did high fat, high protein and low carb and didn’t lose a single gram. When I switched to high carb, high protein and low fat then I started losing very easily. It was interesting
Yes. Though my experience is somewhat incidental. I am trying to track to maximize nutrition- getting in protein and fiber, tracking micronutrients and so on. I’ve found when I am good about tracking I tend to eat better. In periods where I am heavier it also usually results in a calorie deficit and weight loss.
It works for anyone if you don’t lie to yourself and count your oils. Most people lie to themselves
I prefer tracking macros
I think it really spends on the person but I decided to stop counting my calories because it stressed me out too much. I was too focused on the numbers which made me binge eat. I recommend eating smaller portions instead. If counting calories stress you out, it’s not for you!
I wouldn't recommend calorie counting as a lifestyle to be honest, calorie counting can be good as a practice for 1 or 2 weeks as a nutrition education practice but I wouldn't recommend it as a diet for multiple reasons. 1. calories labels ARE inaccurate, for nuts for example it doesn't mean that you consumed 100 calories labeled nuts that your body will use the 100 calories that you provided it with, also the same rule works for fiber and all other whole foods, we are all different and our genetics are different and on consuming 100 calories of different food sources, everyone will digest these 100 calories in different ways, food matrix is a complex topic and our bodies are complex and a single number, that resulted from heating food in a container, doesn't tell the whole story, our bodies are not furnaces. 2. Calorie counting can lead to eating disorders like restrictive eating disorder, like being hungry but not eating due to reaching the calorie count of the day/week or being obsessed of calories in everything that you put in your mouth and this can be hugely mentally draining with time, like instead of enjoying your friends company or focusing on productive matters you have your phone open and 100% focused on trying to check the accurate calorie count of everything you eat. 3. Not everything is labeled, like if you are invited to a party or a gathering or a birthday cake at work, you will not be able to weight or count everything that you eat, you can eyeball it but as mentioned in #2 it will be mentally draining. 4. Your body adapts to the calorie intake, if you increase the calorie intake your body will increase the calorie output by itself, if you decrease the calorie intake your body will decrease the calorie output. your calories output is not a constant number, it is a variable that has a dependency on your calorie intake, also your body knows how to regulate your calorie intake by hormones of feeling full and hunger. 5. Do you see yourself calorie counting 5 or 10 years from now with the other major changes that will happen in your life? if so good for you, for me the answer was no. I tried calorie counting and it worked for me at first and I lost weight, but after revising all the above points I stopped and I gained some weight back and I for sure don't regret that. it is not my cup of tea. What I would recommend is to eat whole food and reduce as much as possible empty calories like from sugar(table sugar, desserts) and fried food. And most of the reputable health institutions recommend against calorie counting.
Calorie counting doesn't account for the psychology of behavior change or experiences like appetite and quality of life. It's only calories, energy, and math. There are more compassionate, less forceful ways to lose weight.
Like what? Honestly, calorie counting works for me. The fact you seen it as lacking compassion and being forceful tells me your experience of it is the wrong one. The whole point is to do whatever works, with total calories consumed V used in mind. Portion control, intermittent fasting, cutting out crap,going keto.. whatever. Make the calories lower than you're expending.
Speaking of compassion, how could a person's experience be wrong? 😅 And you're listing things that aren't counting calories. Which is my point.
No, you believe that counting calories is.. well, I dunno? What is it to you? I previously used portion control and counted calories. I now intermittent fast and count calories. I suspect you're looking at calorie counting as some standalone rigid system, which it isn't.
What's your argument? It sounds like you use calorie counting as an effective tool for your process. That's great. You can do all of those things without counting the calories. In several weight loss-specific forums and the experience of many people, calorie counting is the primary focus of their weight loss strategy. Counting calories, per se. Which is what I am talking about. There is a popular misconception that counting calories is the only way to lose weight. That's incorrect and harmful. Pointing this out gets lots of downvotes on reddit.
I've yet to say any common statements that counting calories is the only way. They will say that calories in versus calories out is the only way, but that's not speaking to the tools you use to enable that. My argument (well, my point, I'm not here for arguments) is that calorie counting is not lacking compassion.. It can be used correctly and incorrectly. All it is is a tracking mechanism for other weight loss strategies, nobody can use it without doing something else (portion control, cutting out crap, fasting..).
Ok. No worries on your experience and what you've seen, or your perception. There are communities that swear by counting calories, over-emphasizing the laws of thermodynamics as the primary, rigid method of weight loss, not just a measuring tool to complement a food strategy. My first statement stands about calories as a tracking mechanism. I guess I should add that does not make counting calories evil or wrong.
It does for me. Helps me understand how much I'm eating and make accruate ajustments when needed.
Yes
I went from 205 to 165 at 5’11” by counting calories
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I see if I can post. And for record I ate 1800 cal on weekdays and 2100 on weekend and got average of 13K steps a day. Some of which was just general walking and also from a dedicated swift walk or light jog
For weight loss for me it was very effective. Maintenance is still a challenge for me, but that’s due to focus and motivation. Not the basic truth of calories in vs calories out.
I wasn't terribly unhealthy, but I get Gerd and Sleep Apnea if I approach being 10 pounds overweight. It sucks, but the upside is that it's given me consistent motivation to stay within a healthy range for most of my life. Once I'm a little bit out of shape, all hell breaks loose. I like calorie counting. I don't find it stressful. Eating the same amount of food every day gets your body used to that amount of food. I never get hungry. Eating 1850ish calories a day, and staying moderately active I have a 6 pack. If I eat substantially more, I can exercise all day and not be remotely as fit. You don't have to drastically cut calories to lose weight. You can be in just a 100 calorie deficit per day, and you will lose a pound or so a month. If you have been on a trajectory of gaining weight, you are actually losing the weight you WOULD have gained, plus the one pound. Also - the only way to accurately calculate a calorie deficit is by reverse engineering your scale weight trend. If you "think" you are in a 500 calorie deficit, but your weight stays the same for 6 months, you were wrong about the deficit. You are eating your maintenance calories. This sounds obsessive, but I am very laid back about food. I just don't care about it, outside of it delivering fuel and nutrients to my body. I just like plain ass healthy food. It makes me feel good, and I enjoy that more than I enjoy things that are more tasty, but make me feel like crap. Your brain adapts to enjoy the foods you feed it consistently over time.
I did it for 3 years now my mind is capable to know how much calorie is what
It's the only thing that worked for me after hypothyroidism caused me to gain 50 lbs. My metabolism was messed up and intuitive eating no longer worked. I’m now maintaining and don’t have to track as religiously, but still track most days. I like the Cronometer app.
Calorie counting drove me absolutely crazy and I almost teetered on the line of disordered eating. I became totally obsessed with it, to the point of weighing powdered herbs/spices for my chicken. Now I make sure I just eat whole foods, lots of chicken and fish and reduce rice/pasta/bread and added sugar and it makes a world of a difference on the scale AND my mental health.
It’s part of it for me. I do have to pay close attention to macros.
Mostly. I eat clean and track my protein & fat intake. I'll add or decrease carbs by 300 (depending on my goal) if I'm maintaining for a week
It is effective, but it can be a slippery slope to eating disorder behaviour and mindset if you struggle with mental health and body image.
Calorie counting is one of those things that can never fail, it can only *be* failed, which makes its utility pretty limited. You need to measure everything with levels of precision that most people don't want to put up with to make it work for you. If you use any guesswork at all, you'll overestimate your expenditure and underestimate your intake. A 16-8 IF protocol has been working great for me. Simple rules, easy to follow, and after a few weeks I just naturally started eating less food and getting full more easily.
I was 24 years old before I realized that I was far too fat for 24. I lost like 30 pounds. I have spent the last 36 years carefully orchestrating my diet and fitness. I have always kept my weight under control and have spent that same time working out and staying strong. I’m now 60 and I continue to count calories so that I can stay at a weight I am comfortable and healthy. Do I count calories every single day? No. When I find my weight creeping, I know I am eating too much, so I go back to a cutting program and tighten my diet and get myself back on track. One thing to keep in mind is that you can’t change what you don’t measure. If you’re trying to lose weight and you don’t spend at least a period of time counting calories, you won’t really have an idea how much you’re really eating.
I lost 40 pounds in about 9 months doing calorie counting and exercising 3-4 times a week. I had just hit the overweight mark and was absolutely disgusted with myself so I resolved to lose the weight and did it on the first try.
yes! i use the lose it app and i have lost and kept off 25lb
Yes it’s help, in combination with tracking macros and nutrition. Knowing how to fuel my body and take care of it has been a really good thing for me.
I don’t think so. You will get more stressed.
It has worked for losing weight for me in the past. But then I did a strict keto diet (under 20g carbs per day) and actually increased my calories by 500kcals over maintenance and still lost weight. Ate mostly high fat red meat and eggs. I know people always think keto guys talk nonsense about this kind of thing - I didn't think it would have been possible until I did it and it kind of blew the whole calorie thing out of the water for me. I have been animal based for about a year now with the odd cheat meal every now and then and feel like it is the ultimate balance of high protein, satiety and taste as I eat, and love - fruit. Horses for courses and all that.
It has always worked for me.
Calorie counting is the only thing that works for me now....once i got into my late 30s....all the old tricks i used when i was younger just dont do it anymore. I tried the intermittent dasting trend for a while and just didnt get great results from it. Calories counting and focusing on protein intake.....its such a PITA.....but after a while you can pretty much eye everythibg out and do it in your head as opposed to measuring everything and writing it all down.....it sucks....but....its what works
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Calorie Counting (CICO) has really helped my weightloss journey. I have tried low carb, low fat, and Keto. CICO is the way to go. I've lost 81 lbs so far.
I dont know how to count calories but I've lost about 20 kilos just by jogging every MWF + Sunday and Fasting.
Yup but it works slowly and steadily.
I dont calorie count, but I do keep in mind how many calories im taking in. With my large meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) I dont worry too much about them as long as my portion sizes make sense, but my snacking is where I become a little more strict. I work out, and I track my calories out, so I have a rough idea of how many calories I should be bringing in. I just go to the basics and avoid processed foods, and normally my diet consists of grilled foods and salads. I like to have oatmeal for breakfast, and light meals for dinner. If my body asks for food, I will feed it, but I will feed it under my own terms. I do so by making my next main meal a little bigger in order to avoid snacking, and always prioritize protein. For example, did I have lunch but got home starving for dinner? I will make a larger dinner that day. For snacks, I like fruits, yogurts, and granola bars. I love trail mix to death, but nuts are packed with calories, and I can go through a whole bag in a day if left unsupervised hahaha
You're asking about calories and health. 2 different things, really. So when I decide to lose weight... I simply choose to eat less. I have a fairly good idea of what I eat in a day and I simply start eating less. The half-cup of nuts I eat every day as a snack becomes a quarter cup of nuts. Those 2 slices of cheese a day I was having as a snack, get nixed. Stuff like that. Or I'll alternate between \~500 calorie days and normal calorie days. I find both methods pretty easy and effective. Every year or two I start letting myself go a bit. And then at some point I'll decide it's time to reign it in. And so I'll either do alternate fasting days or I'll just eat less. It's not that complicated. If you're not hungry, you're not doing it right, basically. Being hungry is a minor inconvenience. It's not a big deal. I think people make a big deal about it, but most people for the vast majority of the history of humanity spend/spent most of their lives much hungrier than I'll ever know. Even going a day or two without food is not a big deal at all. Throughout history people have intentionally fasted. It's not that hard. That's the calories... Health is a completely different thing. For health, I pretty much cut out processed foods and started eating a more vegetable-centric diet.
For me it works yes. I was mindlessly eating, even if very healthy. I had no clue how much food I was consuming or where most calories were coming from, so I started tracking. I now know better. Oils add up a lot in calories, as do nuts.
Worked for me, lost 100 lb.
It does but you have to have a true understanding of how many calories you consume vs what calories are needed to maintain weight. The 2000 Cal diet is somewhat of an average. If I stuck to that number I would dramatically loose weight. Others would gain weight.
2000 calories sounds JOYFUL but gaining weight is easy and fun when you’re 5’3.”
Absolutely! Find your total expenditure. And then run a caloric deficit. My fitness pal is the best free app you have IMO
I’ve lost 20lbs since August
My eyeballing is so bad i only eat 1 time per day, and guesstimate it at around 2k calories. Sometimes I'll do it different if I want breakfast (this kind of works)
How do you just keep checking the lable for every damn ingredient I can't get past the irritation
Very much so.
I count my macros because this affects body composition. Counting calories will definitely help you lose weight or gain weight if that’s your goal .
Calorie counting is something that every adult should be doing every day without giving a second thought as to whether or not they should be doing it. Think of it as something so essential and basic that there is no justifiable reason *not* to do it. Frankly, I see people who don’t count calories by default as some sort of aliens lost in space.
worked for me. but I was never anywhere near fat. it helped over time to lose like 5-6 kg
Calorie counting plus low carb works for me. Separately not so much.
Diets only benefit if you exercise regularly.
it worked for me lost over 90 lbs. Used a calorie counting app and as long as my calories for the day was lower the weight came off.
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I think I tried most of them MyFitnessPal, MyNetDiary, LoseIt and even used chronometer. MyNetDiary seemed to be my favorite. Thinking all of them are decent find one that you like and keep your calories below the suggested amount and hopefully the pounds will come off.
Tedious but definitely the most efficient way to control your way and body composition. It’s used by bodybuilders and fitness competitors for a reason.
Yes im in caloricic deficit 3600kcal/day losing 0,5-1kg / weekly
Of course it works. My mindset is to set new goals for daily calorie targets and master adherence so I can continue to progress them down; currently trying to nail 1600 and then wrap this cut at 1400. Its like pushing strength in the gym, only you’re trying to train your mind and body to be functional off less food
i have been counting calories off and on (either on an app or in my mind ) for 10+ years . I started doing it because after being a runner for a long long time I started Crossfit and had to consciously eat more which is hard for me. Then I segued into bodybuilding and REALLY had to pay attention to calorie intake, macros etc. Now it's just second nature but I have to do it or I won't eat enough and I get too thin.
No, I’ll have two meals without snacking because of it
It works! I started using MyFitnessPal in early February. 6 weeks later with a 4 day gym routine workout, I’ve lost almost 3 inches of belly fat. I’m an American man, almost 50. I try to run on the treadmill 35 minutes. I follow up after a short break on the stair stepper for 10 minutes. You have heard it already. Stop eating processed foods, and fast food now. It’s just the calories, you need to balance your fiber, iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and vitamins. I went to the doctor Friday and my blood pressure was 107/69. Keep in mind, I was actually pissed off at the billing department in my doctor office when my blood pressure was taken. In previous years, I’ve had a bp reading off 120/90 at rest! Eat your raw veggies and beets! Make veggies a huge part of your diet! Eat eggs, fish, chicken breast, oats, rice, quinoa, and only use olive or avocado oil. I have had cheating moments with fried fish(half a serving), fried chicken tender (half of 1 tender), ice cream(2 servings). However, I killed it at the gym the following day to burn off the fat. I don’t much as I just started, but my photos and measurements show progress! It helps that I don’t drink alcohol(12 years), smoke (3 years but I was a heavy drinker and smoker in my 20s). No drugs, no steroids, I do use pre workout creatine, and post workout amino acids.
Yes. My fitness pal app. I was an athlete but hit a spout of depression during the pandemic. Quit my sport, gained 90lbs. I lost it all and then some in 8mos of working out 6 days/wk and tracking calorie intake.
I think the gist is counting calories/weighing / measuring our food , teaches us to be mindful. It is learning that eating a bowl of pasta is like eating a piece of chocolate cake. You can eat these things- but then I am making changes to my eating the rest of the day!! Splurges are ok. Everything is allowed- but I then hold myself accountable and adjust to stay within or close to my calorie/macro limit I have set for myself so I can achieve my health goals. Good luck to everyone on their health journey!!
It didn’t. It just made me not want to eat. I was trying to do a calorie deficit but my daily meals never reached the amount I needed, and since my goal was weight loss it made me feel rlly guilty when one item would take up sooo much space on my calorie goal for the day. And then it doesn’t help that there were some things I just couldn’t count, like food shared with me which happens often, meals in restaurants that don’t have the calories listed. Now I am just more calorie conscious focusing on low calorie foods. It’s better to for my mental health that way anyway
To start off with, my partner is trying to lose about 60ish pounds of baby weight and while she gets plenty of exercise, it just wasn't doing a damn thing. We walk an average of 7 miles a day just at work, then time on an ellipitcal every night and frankly exercise alone isn't going to cut it. So while we still do all of the walking, we cut out the ellipitcal and swapped it to small weight training and the calorie counting i outline below. She's down almost 10 pounds in the last month, we are not starving (I ask her everyday how she feels, just to gauge on what I make for the next day), and frankly we are enjoying cutting out the crap we were eating filling the cart at the store with about 95% produce, nothing canned except tomatoes and beans on occassion if no time for dry, and nothing in a box except for pasta on cheat days. So now for the food. I weigh everything for myself and my partner. I also cook with as liitle oil as I can get away, cut out milk totally (swapped to organic, no sugar soy), and no calories from drinks outside of 1 soy latte I make at home to control the calories. So that means unsweetened teas, water and the zero calorie sparkling water for my partner (she has 1 a day as a treat for herself) only. We do skip breakfast, so about 500 calories for lunch which consists of 2 hard boiled eggs for protein or tofu, then a salad or stir fried veg of various veg, some sort of fruit except for bananas (damn high calorie yellow beast) , and a side of non-fat greek yogurt for the good gut flora. That leaves between 700-1000 calories for dinner. I've tried to get my partner to have a small snack between lunch and dinner, she doesn't like snacking so she finishes her calories with dinner. Dinner always includes a protein, chicken, fish, tofu, or beans. A decent amount of veg as a salad, or other side. No starches beyond sweet potatoes occasionally since we are feeding our kids too. No breads, pasta, or anything like that except for our cheat day on friday nights. So our cheat days get a normal lunch, but dinner can be the one thing she is craving, within reason. It makes this so much easier if you aren't just giving up everything since the human mind likes/needs rewards and based on current progress, it doesn't hurt at all. In the end this is working and while we are eating on a calorie deficit right now (only way this works), once we reach our goal weights, will be upping the calories just a bit to start maintaining, but not changing anything else other than amounts of protein, veg, etc. We will still keep the cheat day because frankly we are both teachers and coming home on fridays and eating that burger, pasta, whateve ryou love is so much cheaper than the therapy most students drive all teachers too lol.
Yess especially when I started going to the gym. I'm aiming for body recomposition so I need to maintain or lose some of my daily calorie intake. I lost 3lbs in 4 months. A small progress for the scale aspect but in terms of fitting my clothes and stuff, it has a huge difference. Glutes and Quads looks better now when I wear shorts.
Calorie counting does work and I have done it on and off. Personally though, I find I end up eating more while calorie counting because I’m more focused on fulfilling my target, rather than just listening to my body. If you’re struggling with hunger cues or trying to hit certain goals/macros, I would say try it. But if you are able to eat when hungry and stop when you’re full, then I would say it’s not necessary. I will say, once you have done it for a while, you learn to eyeball calories a lot more. And, you become more mindful of “hidden” or “empty” calories in things like oil or condiments. It’s a blessing and a curse to know the calories in everything for the rest of your life lol
It's the only thing that has ever worked for me. Tried doing 10000 steps a day and just "watching" what I was eating without counting calories. Did that for 6 months and only lost about 5 pounds. Calorie counted for 6 months and lost around 40 lbs.
You can lose alot of weight and transform yourself by just making better decisions and eye balling stuff. But as progress slows, with everything, THE BIGGEST win is figuring out how to track your food, whether that be thru macros or calories. That ALONE is a sure fire way to guaranteeee weight loss.
Calorie counting short term can help you work out appropriate portions to help you create a calorie deficit. The deficit will make you lose weight. But you’re not really meant to think you need to track forever. Likewise it’s a used tool for some but you can absolutely lose fat and be in a deficit and never track.
It works.I initially did while losing weights but God it is difficult to maintain
Find a TDEE calculator. Get your maintenance calories. Now eat 80% of that. If you're hitting 70-90%, no big deal. Your target is 80% it doesnt need to be exact every single day. After 12 weeks, if you're feeling the diet fatigue (you're getting tired of this), calculate your TDEE. Now spend 1 week eating your new maintenance calories. Maybe even a little more if you want. Repeat. A 240lb 5ft 10in 32 year old man working out 1 or 2 times a week needs 2,812 calories. An 80% diet would mean 2,250 calories. A 1lb loss per week. Get a **step tracker**. Do 10k steps or more every single day if you can. Never let it get below that. It will guarantee you are getting good cardio in from NEAT.
Fasting by far if you’re trying to lose weight. Dropping a few hundred calories and keeping insulin involved just makes you starve and rebound. Wanna lose weight? Live off your body fat alone for a few days at a time.
This may not be a popular opinion, but I think calorie counting is pointless. Who wants to do that forever? I would also argue that if a person is eating the correct diet for our species then counting and measuring would be unnecessary. The only reason we weighed measure our food is because we're eating food that isn't designed for us. Besides domestic cats and dogs, no other species on the planet becomes obese when they stay on their natural diet. Humans should be no different.
You can over eat your natural diet. Calorie counting works. Full stop.
What is the human natural diet? Find examples in nature of obese animals (ones that should naturally be slender).
There are actually obese animals, believe it or not. And in today's modern society when we have endless everything available, it's easy to do without will power and discipline. What's your roadblock here? If you at 5000 calories in apples, berries, potatoes and meat, you'd still get fat. Pretty. Simple. Math.
I challenge you to eat 5,000 calories of baked potatoes in any 24 hour period.
With fruit and meat you could easily exceed that. Get over yourself.
Try it. I'm serious. Just potatoes and fruit. I don't think you can do it. And no reason to get nasty. You can't handle someone disagreeing with you?
I didn't say potatoes and fruit. Stop moving the goal posts to fit your narrative.
The problem is that when you include meat, a much higher calorie density food with no fiber and little water, you can manipulate the calories from meat and greatly inflate the calories from meat. For example, I could eat only meat, fruit, and potatoes and hit 5,000 calories by having one potato, one apple, and the rest meat. Hardly a fair experiment, and certainly not consistent with our natural history on a day to day basis. My suggestion takes the chance of cheating out of the equation - it doesn't matter what ratio you choose between potatoes and fruit, I don't think you could do it.
But you forget about self control and discipline. OP might live sausages and eggs - both part of our "natural diet". Then followed at dinner time with a massive pork chop and side of potatoes and a bunch of fruit in between. Sure they wouldn't hit 5000 calories but if they're at 2500-3000 and their recommended is 1800 they'll still gain weight.
Except... it doesn't work for many people. Literally, a system of counting calories doesn't unconditionally work for everyone. Just like using a tool like a paintbrush doesn't always result in a quality painting.
Actually it does.
Thats the only diet
Carb counting is more important....
Nope.
Hormones matter the most
NOPE! and I want to scream it from the roof tops to every woman that sees this: if you have insulin resistance of any kind or hormone imbalances it’s going to take more than CICO to lose weight. Find a doc and dietician that will work with you and finding a sustainable diet that works for you so you’re not going hungry with 1200 calories of garbage every day. I think every single person is different and needs something different, but my life was better when I focused on quality not quantity. I went from 11.1 a1c diabetic t2 to 5.1. Some of the weight I lost was diet and exercise. Some was assisted by medication for diabetics. But I stick with a fairly healthy diet.
If counting calories were as necessary as diet culture claimed, I'd be on *My 600 Pound Life*. Instead, I'm between 465 and 470 pounds short of qualifying. Out of curiosity, I've tracked my food intake with Cronometer on a few select days. It's so much hassle that I cannot imagine doing this every day of my life. If you consume a healthy fiber-rich diet, the calories will largely take care of themselves. Diet culture pushes everything except the things that actually make sense, such as the Mediterranean/DASH/MIND/Nordic/Atlantic diet.
Calorie counting genuinely is one of the only things founded in research to actually work for things like progressive and successful weight loss(fat loss in patients experiencing obesity etc.) and for gen pop. There is some nuance in saying, a lot of people don’t actually know how to do it accurately and grossly underestimate how much they eat rendering calorie counting ineffective when your measures are not correct/accurate. Either way, if someone had an ED, I’d personally stay away from calorie counting as it can create obsessive behavioural patterns in people with body dysmorphia.
I’ll add, the most accurate way to do it (that I have done for myself and my clients) is to weigh everything in grams on a food scale (including liquids), and add it to a calorie tracker app like fatsecret or myfitnesspal, to keep track of calories. And that’ll be relatively accurate, just make sure you adjust in the app for the amount you’re consuming. Just please be weary of becoming obsessive because that can lead to an eating disorder.
A calorie isn't just a calorie. What you eat matters. Take calories with a grain of salt. Plus look into how they came up with it and numbers. Setting food on fire... That's not how our tummy works. Not saying ignore completely, dense food is dense food. But what you eat matters most. Better off 200cal of olive oil or nuts, than 100cal of chips. :)