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Old 02-25-2014, 09:48 AM   #1  
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Default Do you do count anything besides calories?

Hi! I'm a newb WW reject. LOL! First I want to say I've been reading these boards for the past three days and it seems to be a great place! Hi everyone!

I've done WW a few times with some success. I also did Atkins for a year but gained it all back. But I did learn quite a bit about myself in the process. With Atkins I discovered you don't have to be hungry to lose weight! Wierd! But I think WW encourages carby eating, which just makes me hungry! So I have decided to compromise and go with calorie counting. But I also track carbs. I'm not crazy with it, but I try to keep my daily carbs under 150. I also make sure if I eat something with carbs I add in something with protien and/or fat to level out my blood sugar. I discovered that on WW my main issue with "will power" was more about blood sugar than emotions. I can say no to the junk unless I'm having a blood sugar low. Then all bets are off!

So far it's working. OK, all of 3 days, but hey you have to start somewhere! LOL!

I try to eat three meals a day, plus two snacks and a dessert. My meals can be a little smaller because I know I have a snack coming soon. My snacks are things like an apple and a low fat cheese stick. Desserts have been sugar free pudding made with skim milk, or a Skinny Cow dessert.

So I'm still eating the same type of stuff I ate on Weight Watchers, but I pay attention to the combination of foods. I guess it's the glycemic index really. It makes a HUGE difference in my happiness level while counting calories.

BTW I use FitDay and it counts all the stuff for me. I just put in my entire plan for the day every morning, and then see if I need to adjust anywhere. Not too difficult!

So does anyone else here count carbs or other things besides calories?

Nice to meet you all!

Edie
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Old 02-25-2014, 12:11 PM   #2  
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I try to eat more protein and less refined carbs but I don't really track it. MFP tallies up your fiber/protein/fat/carbs/sugar so I kind of look at that to generally keep everything in check, butI don't use that really as a primary tracking feature.
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Old 02-25-2014, 12:22 PM   #3  
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I only count calories but I find that the quality of calories matters. For example, if I have a huge salad with grilled chicken for 450 calories (boring, I know!) vs. 450 calories of potato chips, I get way more bang for my buck with the healthier choice. I'm fuller longer and don't get the junk food drag afterwards. That being said, there is always a few calories for junk if/when I choose to.

For me and my diet/lifestyle, it's literally calories in and calories out that took all my pounds off. Never went low carb/low fat except that I eliminated trigger foods that cause me to overeat.
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Old 02-25-2014, 01:55 PM   #4  
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Just calories. I typically find myself reaching for veggies and higher fat/protein stuff because it keeps me full longer (my fat intake is waaaaaaaaay higher than MyFitnessPal thinks it should be), but I have the occasional high-carb day too and have never noticed it hurt anything.
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Old 02-25-2014, 02:06 PM   #5  
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I have done a lot of diets (or ways of eating) over the years but calorie counting is really the most basic thing for me to follow. I also watch my carbs only because the more I eat, the more my cravings kick in and then I tend to overeat. I try to keep them under 200g, but 100g is best.
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Old 02-27-2014, 08:09 AM   #6  
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I just try and get the daily nutritional value of the food groups. Whole grains, meat, and fruit are generally easiest for me. I've been lacking in vegetables and dairy lately. =/ Tsk tsk.
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Old 03-10-2014, 12:51 AM   #7  
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Officially, no but I do limit carbs, fat, sodium and refined sugar as much as possible while increasing protein & general consumption of fruit and vegetables.
I'm lactose sensitive so I don't eat much in the way of dairy, either.

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Old 03-25-2014, 02:20 AM   #8  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by elvislover324 View Post
I only count calories but I find that the quality of calories matters. For example, if I have a huge salad with grilled chicken for 450 calories (boring, I know!) vs. 450 calories of potato chips, I get way more bang for my buck with the healthier choice. I'm fuller longer and don't get the junk food drag afterwards. That being said, there is always a few calories for junk if/when I choose to.

For me and my diet/lifestyle, it's literally calories in and calories out that took all my pounds off. Never went low carb/low fat except that I eliminated trigger foods that cause me to overeat.
Me too! There are days when I make poorer choices and run out of calories without getting much food. That's my bad. But for the most part, I make a huge effort to make the calories count, so that I fill up on little. Today wasn't not a good day in that regard, but I am moving on. I do not count anything else, other than calories. I lost 50lbs and 6 sizes that way.
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Old 03-25-2014, 03:39 AM   #9  
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I am a WW member and do follow WW points. However, I also count calories on My Fitness Pal. I have set there certain goals which do include 120 g of carbs. I pay more attention to the calories than I do the carbs. The 120g is just a guideline and I go over it about 1/3 of the time. However, I rarely go above 150 and fairly often am under 100. So, it is something I pay attention to overall but don't really think I have to meet on a daily basis (same for calories - I have a daily goal but what I really care about is my daily average over a period of time).
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Old 03-27-2014, 08:44 PM   #10  
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I use MyFitness Pal as well and I do pay attention to my carbs vs protein vs fat intake, but I don't necessarily track it. I prefer carbs over everything so I try to make sure I get enough protein in my diet, especially since I work out a lot.
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Old 03-27-2014, 08:59 PM   #11  
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I keep a close track of my Sodium intake. As a cardiac bypass patient, my heart doctor labeled me as "SODIUM SENSITIVE". If I have a little too much salt, I retain water like crazy. I have been known to add 25 pounds of water weight in a single day. I search out very low sodium and no salt added foods on the grocery store shelves.
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Old 03-28-2014, 11:10 AM   #12  
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Default re:

I just count calories. Some people are sensitive to other things though so they like to keep track of them.

If you're just starting out, start with just the basics - calories. If you're successful, keep on going. If you find you're struggling, try to keep a watch on what seems to make you go up - sodium, carbs, etc. and if necessary, count them.
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Old 03-28-2014, 11:32 AM   #13  
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It's important to not only track calories that you consume, but also those ones that you burn, since weight loss happens when you burn more calories than you consume. My suggestion: be active, pay attention to your daily activities, try to include as much exercising into your routine as possible (make it fun for yourself ;-)) track it the exact same way you track your food caloric intake! Good luck!
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Old 04-16-2014, 07:20 AM   #14  
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I count carbs too as I'm doing a sort of LCHF/keto thing. I struggled with WW, the points got to me!! I find it easier counting carbs and cals, I know I'm still counting but there you go, I was also hungry on WW, jacked it in after 3 weeks! I find I'm less hungry when I reduce my carbs, makes it more sustainable for me.

Last edited by Sheena82; 04-16-2014 at 07:33 AM.
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Old 04-16-2014, 07:40 AM   #15  
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I don't count calories often but i'im aware of them and try to keep my overall intake to about what it should be to lose weight slowly.

So what do i count:
Because the quality of the food i eat is the most important thing, fresh, varied, fibre rich, vegetable rich, i just know now about how much of different things is acceptable and what the size of a meal should be about.

But some of my rough counts are

2.5 cups of vegetables a day
2 pieces of fruit a day
1 cup of milk a day
some yoghrut and a small amount of preferably hard cheese or cheese for added flavour.
when i add oil to a meal i try to keep to no more than 2 tsp of olive oil max.
I am eating more fish like sardines a week. Generally think 2 times a week.
eggs whatever i feel like but usually no more than one a day.
red and white meat only occasionally because i try to be a vegetarian.
a literal pinch of sugar on cornflakes or in a tomato based sauce and that's it for sugar or sweeteners except on special rare occasions - this rule for me is crucial for keeping my taste for bad carbs under control.
1 glass of wine usually maximum per day
1tsp of mixed seeds and 1tbsp of raw nuts or either

condiments as required.
coffee and tea unlimited

I keep a food diary.

It all works for me. I think i can do this forever. I'm happy.

things like fries and other deep fried foods are not really part of my weightloss diet but if i felt like some i could have it because i am not likely to do it very often.

I eat out at a nice but inexpensive restaurant when i go to the city. Often Japanese or Korean but we don't have a great deal of choice here really. Most of the food places are either really expensive or really bad food or both as far as i can see.

Last edited by Pattience; 04-16-2014 at 07:42 AM.
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