[Catareta]

Hi there

I am thinking of calorie counting - I have tried low carb, low fat, WW, SW etc and am not losing..

My mum suggested calorie counting but not sure where and how to start..

Do I find out how much I am eating first then knock down in increments or do I start at one level and lower till I lose weight...

Any help is welcome

[makebelieve]

I personally use myfitnesspal to count calories. You could try using it or another app / website, or just make your own food journal in a notebook. I like using the app because it saves the nutritional info too without me having to write it all down.

MFP asks you about your age, weight, height, activity level etc and calculates how many calories you should be eating. For me it recommends 1390 a day. I however just try to stay between 1200 - 1800 and I am losing weight.


To lose weight you just need to burn more calories than you consume. At rest your body still burns calories, how many it burns depends on different things. I'd suggest researching basal metabolic rate and looking up a calculator for that. I don't really know enough about it to feel confidant in giving much advice in regard to it. Plus, exercise burns calories of course. (Though I've found MFP does way over estimate how many you burn, at least when it comes to stationary bikes.)

[CalCounter1003]

I agree with makebelieve's advice. I've done so many diets over the years and one day I thought I know that to lose weight you need to burn more calories than you take in. Why am I doing all these crazy diets where you can't eat fruit but you can eat unlimited meats! I am finding that calorie counting really works. You do have to keep track of it, which bothers some people I think. But with an app or website it is so easy now. I love that you can scan the food item's UPC to get the calorie info.

[DLS1]

HI catereta, and welcome. AFAIK calorie counting is the only sane method for me. Just keep a journal of what you eat, and with the interwebz and a cheap pocket calorie guide, and it's pretty easy to keep track. There are a lot of decent (and one very good) weight loss calculators if you just google it. MyFitnessPal recommends 1200 calories for me, but I find I can't think straight, let alone exercise on so few calories, so I try for 1300-1400 a day. It all depends on the individual, but as long as you're eating clean, and being careful you'll lose weght just fine

[freelancemomma]

You probably won't go wrong if you start with 1,500 calories. It's high enough that you won't feel unduly deprived, but low enough that you should see a steady loss, given your starting weight. It's been my magic number in 6 or 7 bouts of weight loss, the first at age 16 and the last at 54.

F.

[FickleHearts]

My fitness pal says I need 1270 calories a day to lose 2 lbs a week. Calorie Count says 1400. Fitbit says 1600.......

It's very easy to get confused. There are different methods of calculating it.

I started out on my fitness pal's paltry 1200, but lately I try to keep it between 1200 and 1500. Despite the advice of you have to eat so many a day, I see no logic in stuffing myself when I'm full. I do not go below 1000.

Your daily total is based on how active you are as well. I have a desk job and sit on my butt all day. My calories are based off that. I do walk for at least 20 minutes a day now, lately more than that, and that earns me some extra calories if I want to eat them. Most of the time, I don't.

You can use this to see your daily goal if you want:
http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

Everyone is different. Just don't go too low

Some great tracking sites are those mentioned; myfitnesspal, calorie count, fitday, and lose it. They are free and easy to use, and have apps for your smart phone if you have one.