Is counting calories something that you thing you can stick to long term?
I really need to lose weight to be healthy. I don't necessarily want a rockin' hot body (although it would be nice ). I just want to be healthy and not worry about dying too young and leaving my daughter without a mom and my husband without his wife.
So this is an interview to see what you like about counting calories. I have tried every diet under the sun and frankly I am tired of trying "diets". I want something that I can stick with long term and still be able to venture off if we go to a fancy restaurant while on vacation or eat the occasional slice of birthday cake a few times a year, etc... I just want to be happy with my self and be happy with the way that I eat.
For the last 3-4 years I have been fighting with low carb. I keep trying to tell myself that it is fantastic and I can eat all that stuff that I love like steak and bacon, mayo, cheese, veggies with real butter, salad with real salad dressing, etc... But the truth is, it makes me miserable. I would love to have some carbs with my meals. I don't feel good doing low carb. I keep getting the feeling that it is wrong for some reason.
So if you would please answer my questions and give me any other information that you think might be useful in making my decision on how I need to combat this problem I have. I'm at my wits end and I just don't know what to do.
Is it easier than other diets you have tried? ABSOLUTELY
What do you like most about it? NOTHING is off limits - all things in moderation (with PLANNING of course)
What do you not like about it? Nothing
How much weight have you lost? 93 lbs
How long have you been counting calories? I lost the weight in 53 weeks, I have been maintaining since (and don't forget I am POST menopausal - which slowed my loss considerably)
Is counting calories something that you thing you can stick to long term? YES!!!!!!
I LOVE counting calories because I'm not into deprivation. You tell me I can't have bread, I will CRAVE bread. I still each chocolate and drink red wine daily. The rest of my calories are VERY, VERY clean, healthy ones. I absolutely LOVE eating 6 times a day. I love the foods I eat.
I can't say enough about how much counting calories has changed my life
It is free, easy, and something I can do forever
Are you really happy with it? I am because I can have anything that I want, but only a certain amount
Does it make you miserable? not at all- I had half a McFlurry today, but that meant no sweet treat after dinner
Is it easier than other diets you have tried? SO MUCH- most diets are all about depriving yourself or something and I just am not happy when I "can't" have something- it makes me want it more
What do you like most about it? Feeling like I can have whatever I want, but knowing I won't overeat or go out of control because I will have to write it down later
What do you not like about it? I used to write everything I ate after I ate it and it was too much work- I would skip days because I would get behind and not want to do the catch up. Now I write down everything I plan to eat for the day in the early morning- first thing at work. Then I can make changes throughout the day, but it's MUCH easier when the majority is already written down- AND it helps me make better choices
How much weight have you lost? I've been doing it for three weeks and I've lost 3 pounds
How long have you been counting calories? Three weeks, but I did it before I got married last year for about six months and lots about twenty pounds- wish I had kept going instead of letting myself slide back up...
***I would also tell you that if something isn't feeling good - like low carb- then it probably isn't good for you. I'm a strong believer that if a diet tells your to completely cut something out that should be a staple of any diet then it probably isn't healthy.
Is counting calories something that you thing you can stick to long term?
Heyy i love counting calories! i too have tried a million other things but after everything i've realized this is the only thing that works.. its a lifestyle change not a diet!
Are you really happy with it? yes, i plan for what i want to eat when i go shopping and eat everything i used to just in smaller portions.
Does it make you miserable? Not at all, some days are harder than others but so far its been pleasantly easy to stick to.
Is it easier than other diets you have tried? Yep!
What do you like most about it? I like that nothing is off limits, thursday night is pizza night and i can have my 2 sometimes even 3 slices of pizza without feeling guilty because ive planned for it in my calories that day.
What do you not like about it? sometimes it can be a little difficult to figure out the calorie contents of certain items like home cooked meals, ect but for the most part i'm able to come close.
How much weight have you lost? 27 lbs
How long have you been counting calories? december
Is counting calories something that you thing you can stick to long term? yes definately thats the best thing about it
I love calorie counting. I have lost 70 pounds + doing it. I do not feel deprived. I feel very much in control and feel like it's both effective and doable longterm for me. I like that calorie counting is flexible. I also like that it very much educates me about how portions look, what calories are in the items I eat frequently, what fills me up and satiates me and what sends me running back to the pantry.
ETA: I began in late May 2008.
Last edited by Thighs Be Gone; 02-25-2009 at 11:27 PM.
I'm another one on the bandwagon. I love it - it lets me enjoy the foods I want to enjoy. And I think that while some people find the writing down or calculating cumbersome, you have to do that on any diet that works. Calorie counting just gets you back down to the basics of any diet - they are all (if they work) calorie in versus calories out. And for me, I kind of enjoy the writing down - that may just be me though - gives me complete control over something during the day. I started in January (I'm one of those resolutioners) and have lost 25 pounds so far. I will definitely stick to it long term (especially since a lot of the things I eat are now memorized, I'll always know the counts whether I want to or not).
Are you really happy with it?
~It doesn't make me scream with joy or anything, but it's painless and doesn't consume much of my time or thoughts. Second nature.
Does it make you miserable?
~Oh gosh no! It's emotionless, it's mathematics.
Is it easier than other diets you have tried?
~It's very logical and mathematical. There are no special rules or phases. It's black and white.
What do you like most about it?
~That it's simple, under my direct control, free and no harebrained rules.
What do you not like about it?
?? Nothing.
How much weight have you lost?
~146.4 pounds!
How long have you been counting calories?
~422 days!
Is counting calories something that you thing you can stick to long term?
~Yes, I'm pretty sure I can, especially with the aid of technology and TDP. I've done it for over a year now and don't resent it or give it much thought. It's part of my meal, like the food itself, the dish or silverware.
Thanks you all. I really appreciate your comments. I'll look forward to reading more.
I'm really leaning towards counting calories. I need to do some praying about it. I'm just sick and tired of being sick and tired. I don't know what else to do.
Is it easier than other diets you have tried? I haven't really tried anything else.
What do you like most about it? 1) It works! 2) Not having to give up carbs.
What do you not like about it? Guilt that I feel when eating off plan, but I think it's something I would struggle with on any diet.
How much weight have you lost? 30 lbs.
How long have you been counting calories? Three years (it didn't take three years to lose the 30 lbs, I've been maintaining for about two years).
Is counting calories something that you thing you can stick to long term? Yes. I've already been doing it for three years. I have no doubt I could do this for the rest of my life.
The advice I would give you about making a decision is that no decision is permanent. If what you are doing now isn't working for you for whatever reason and you think calorie counting is something that would work, why not give it a try? Commit to it for three months to give it a chance to work and to give yourself a chance to get used to it. If it's not working after three months or if you don't like it, you can switch to something else. This was the exact approach that I used when I first started. What have you got to lose (besides weight )?
Last edited by BlueToBlue; 02-26-2009 at 02:53 AM.
I'm finding that as I get older, I HAVE to count calories to lose weight. I used to count carbs but it's just not working for me anymore. As soon as I started counting calories, I started losing again. I'm very happy about that and know I can live with this.
This is the first time in my life I'm doing a safe , smart diet . I love counting calories, yes I'm just starting out but I feel great. No pills no shakes no heart palpatations just great fresh food.
Are you really happy with it? I LOVE it. It forces set limits on me. Portion control that is. Something I desperately need. My intuitive eating valve is missing. I need SOMETHING to put the brakes on my eating. And calorie counting is it. Wanting to get the most from every precious calorie, it's also taught me to be very *choosy* and pick the highest quality of foods.
Does it make you miserable? No, just the opposite. It was freeing to me. It led me to shed the weight.
Is it easier than other diets you have tried? I don't consider it a diet. I don't consider it hard or easy. I consider it "my way of life". It's just what I do and who I am. I keep track on lots of things in my life. This is just one more of them. One of the most important too. It makes perfect sense to me (now) to keep tabs of what I'm ingesting.
What do you like most about it? See the first question/answer. I also love the order and semblance it gives to my life. It's very logical. It keeps my food, weight and health in check.
What do you not like about it? Nothing really. Sure, I would love to eat what I want, when I want. But I tried that experiment for over 20 years. I certainly wasn't happy with the outcome of that little experiment. Not such a good idea, I DON'T recommend it.
How much weight have you lost? 165 lbs.
How long have you been counting calories? 2 years, 5 months and 22 days.
Is counting calories something that you thing you can stick to long term? Oh yeah. Like I said, it's now a part of me. It makes perfect sense to monitor what I eat to ensure that I eat the proper amount of food. With all things that are important, you just do them. Calorie counting to me is no different.
Last edited by rockinrobin; 02-26-2009 at 08:10 AM.
Are you really happy with it? Yes, counting calories and working out have given me the results I wanted, plus some.
Does it make you miserable? Only when I try to go out to eat at some of my favorite restaurants, and no calorie counts are available. I learned this weekend you can't always trust grilled chicken in a restaurant.
Is it easier than other diets you have tried? Never really tried anything else.
What do you like most about it? Like others have said...I can have pretty much whatever I want, as long as it's within my ranges for the day. I love having pizza and cheeseburgers, and still not gaining.
What do you not like about it? Honestly, and this may just be me because I've got an addictive/obsessive personality, but the strict planning and counting and writing bothers me. It's a necessary evil, but it takes some of the "fun" out of meals for me, if that makes any sense. Really not many spur of the moment choices anymore, which I sometimes miss.
How much weight have you lost? 80 pounds
How long have you been counting calories? Since July 31, 2007
Is counting calories something that you thing you can stick to long term? Absolutely
Just doing a quick reply~I love calorie counting~it was hard for me the first month~I was trying to start out at 1200 calories and felt starved(but I was trying to eat junk food also!!)~ But I upped the amount to approx 1400 to 1500 and Added healthy food also....Fruits & Veggies ect(I think the reason I had it hard the first month was because I was proboly eating 4000 or more calories a day out of Pure Boredom~Plus I had quit smoking and was a total candy addict and those calories for candy add up quickly! LOL and the switch was dramatic at first~but I got use to it quickly when I switched to a more sensible amount and healthier choices & the plus the results was magnificant & kept me motivated)
But The actual counting is extermely easy and When I started eating healthier choices I no longer felt starved I feel overly full actually.Plus I still fit in a homemade personal pizza Daily!
I started in november 2008 and have lost 36.7 Lbs. So far.
I just added my 2 pics for you to see (my before and latest after pics~i know you have been asking about counting calories for a few weeks now And I hope my pics help motivate you ~I also hope you do not mind me placing them on here for you.brown top is before brown/teal top after.~I know you will do well with it.It is so simple and You think why didn't I do this sooner??? GOODLUCK!!!!
Are you happy with Counting Calories?
). I just want to be healthy and not worry about dying too young and leaving my daughter without a mom and my husband without his wife. 
