does calorie counting work?
 

i know that this is a dumb question, but ive decided to really buckle down and lose the weight. i started running two months ago and have built muscle as well as seen a significant difference in my figure. however, i have to rest for a week due to an injury and I realized that if i want to lose the weight i need to focus and just do it. i was on 1470 calories a day for a weekly 1 lb loss, but i wasnt losing much on it, so i thought i might cut calories and go down to 1200 for a 2 lb a week loss.

will it work? i am very vigilant about tracking on my fitness pal.

Yes, calorie counting works - I live my life by it. However, I believe 1200 is too low (even with no activity) for someone of your height and weight. Think of it in these terms: how low will you be able to drop your daily caloric intake to continue to see losses? If you weigh 170 now and drop 15 pounds, you might hit a plateau whereby you'll need to be even tighter on calories. Will you drop to 1050? And to get from 140 down to 130, what - 900 calories daily? (I might be exaggerating, and weight loss is neither linear nor a science, but you catch my drift. :))
I would try eating 1350-1400 calories daily and continue at this level when you resume exercise in a week. Congratulations on your amazing success thus far!

thanks for the advice, burner--- i agree that upping my calories would be healthier and more sustainable... i think i need to see the bigger picture.

I've been counting calories the last few months and have found it very succesfull :)

Great job on your weight loss! How exciting. Is 1470 the calorie intake myfitnesspal determined for you? I use the same site and it gives me a certain amount of calories and it changes depending on my weight updates. Maybe re-evaluate your profile on there. See if it's still accurate, based on your activity level and current weight. Maybe it'll give you a different calorie intake. Just a thought.

Calorie counting is really the only plan that I would even consider because it's a plan that I can stick with fairly easily in "real" life. I know I could termporarily cut out most carbs, for example, but I know that I would not stick with it for very long. This time around, I am only committing to behaviors that I know I can do for a lifetime. With calorie counting, you can eat anything, anywhere---even if you have to eat a small portion and/or estimate. I've been doing it since June and am satisfied with the results.

yes, MFP calculated the 1470 based on a 1 lb per week loss. if i up it to 1.5 lb per week, it goes down to 1220... ive been able to sustain the 1470 and its comfortable for me.. i'm not sure what i want to do anymore!

I recently posted this:
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/weig...damentals.html
It is a great run down on calorie counting etc.

If you eat less than you burn, you will lose weight. So I say, yes!

I've only been doing this for a few weeks, but I know it will work. It has to.

Calorie counting works for me!

Calorie counting worked for me before and I'm doing it again! I use Apps on my phone to keep track by searching or scanning barcodes of what I eat and it keeps track of how many calories I've eatin! Love it!

Congrats on your awesome loss so far.

I've lost over 190 pounds counting calories, and have maintained it now for 2 years and 3 months. When I was losing I ate 1200 calories everyday for the first couple months (with no formal excercise, just moving more...sitting less). Then I decided that on Monday thru Thursday I would eat 1200 calories/day (with more structutured excercise, moving much more) and Friday thru Sunday I upped it to 1500. But to be honest, I didn't always eat 1500 on weekends, it was just there if I wanted it.

I never had a plateau and I made sure I ate loads of veggies and lean meats to keep me full and healthy.

I still count calories, and I still normally eat 1200 calories M-F and Sat & Sun I eat pretty much whatever I want within reason...(Within reason being the key words! :))

Good luck on whatever you decide to do.

I've been calorie counting since March, eating about 1200 calories a day (some a bit more, some a bit less), and I've lost 90lbs in that time. I've not only been counting calories, but focusing on eating healthier, more nutrient-dense foods.

Wishing you success!

Calorie Counting works.

Yes, there are lots of us here to confirm that calorie counting works!

I wouldn't change what you're doing just for one week. 1200 would definitely be too low for your weight and height, for starters, and you need good nutrition when you're healing from an injury. Add to this that changing your eating habits that much for one week won't make a noticeable difference to your weight, but it's likely to get you out of your CC routine and mess things up a bit. Keep going as you were, don't fret about your rate of weight loss so far (with all that running, the muscle-building will have slowed down the weight loss), and don't worry if your weight goes up a bit this week, it's normal with injuries due to water retention from the injury itself and also from painkillers.

Once you're over the injury, it may not be a bad idea to double-check that you are actually consuming the number of calories you think you are. A lot of people hugely underestimate their calorie consumption, due to things like assuming that the portion size advertised by the manufacturer is correct (weigh the food if in any doubt).

I would try googling a BMR calculator because I have found this to be more accurate than MyfitnessPal (too low and torturous!) My BMR says that I can eat 1900 calories a day and lose a pound a week, which is working so I'm not gona doubt it, however MyFitnessPal says that I should be eating under 1500 in order to lose a pound a week which is just too low for me!!
I am also running 3 times a week and 1 pound a week is all I want otherwise I will never keep it off!

If you are serious about running and do it many times a week, then I've found from personal experience that 1200 is too low. I mean, it may work for a few weeks or so, but you'll cave eventually.

thanks for the support you guys! i have learned during this sabbatical that diet is definately more important that exercise with regards to weight loss-- even though exercise is more important when it comes to general strength, health, and looks.

i've been showing a loss even with having to change my workout routine for a few days.

i'm excited to go back to training for my 10k on saturday, but at least its raining hard this week, so i dont feel like i'm missing out.

i'm showing a loss even though i am doing low impact workouts, which is exciting. i realized that if i had eaten 1470 every day instead of yoyoing between 1200 and giving up, i would be at goal by now!

Thank you Josey for that post! It is a really awesome website. I have been searching through it! Thank you!! :hug:

When I was obese (no use mincing words, I was obese even though I hate to admit it), I thought I couldn't lose weight unless I followed some strict meal plan that limited foods, etc. I always put off losing weight because "I don't have the time or organization skills to follow a strict plan." Then I don't know...it just clicked one day that it is the conscious choices that a person makes about their food that affects their weight. I know, it seems dumb that I didn't realize that from the first but I just didn't. :dizzy:

I started to make some choices w/o CC and lost another few pounds. Then I started running middle of August - lost a couple of pounds. Finally, I was doing a google search and found this forum. It was here that I finally realized that counting calories was a viable option.

So I started mid-September and have lost 8 pounds. It just works for me and I think it works for most people. Every excuse that I ever had for losing weight is done away with in this "lifestyle change"

"Oh, that diet is too expensive." - You can eat healthy, lo-cal foods for a few cents more...if that. There's nothing fancy to buy, no subscription, etc. Not to discount those other programs/plans but for a poor post-college grad it is nice ;)

"I'm too disorganized" Numerous online programs exist that track everything you eat and/or do

I'm too busy Granted, I do not have kids so I know I don't know what busy really is but for my life I'm fairly busy. It helps that I can eat out, make quick meals, etc. that help me reach my goal.

All that to say is that calorie counting works because it is the exact thing that is the crux of weight loss = our decisions create the number on the scale.

I hope that wasn't too rambling but I really can't advocate CC enough! :D

I most certainly believe calorie counting works. It's easy and it's efficient.

In the past, calorie counting did not work in the long term because I ate too few calories and starved myself. Then I read a book titled Calorie Queens that changed my whole perspective on calorie counting. So I combine aspects of different diets I've read about, including Calorie Queens. But the bottom line is, I count my calories and I lose weight. And I've finally found something I can make a lifestyle, not another diet.

Story of my life!!

Teapot, what's the message of Calorie Queens? I read some info on Amazon, but I can't tell the difference between it and just calorie counting. Some more info would be greatly appreciated.

I want to add a link to something I just posted:
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/weig...ml#post4063705
It is a BBC documentary (60 min.) about losing weight and it is very scientific. Great information on how it works with great tips to try out.

In mid January I decided to make a "life style" change and have lost 85 pounds. I didn't really want to diet because most diets i went on didn't work and I wanted something I could do the rest of my life. So I made a plan that I felt would work for me. I count calories based on my weight, height and goals. I found a calculator on line to help me with that. To the best of my ability I eat low fat, low carb, and low sugar when possible. And, the most important ingredient is keeping a food diary.

Recently I joined a gym and I am doing low impact weight routine. I have bad knees. I also do water aerobics. I love them.

My doctor is so please because I longer need to take diabetes medications.

I still have a long way to go, but I feel so positive about my life today.

Good Luck.

lin, Calorie Queens teaches Eucalorics, which is eating maintenance calories while you are losing weight. You eat the amount of calories you would eat at your goal weight. The best description I found of Calorie Queens is one of the actual reviews. Go back onto amazon and look for the Calorie Queens review titled "Jackie and Diane Scott changed my life!!" November 16, 2005.

That review really explained to me how Calorie Queens worked.

I eat 1800 calories a day, plus I do eat free fruits and vegetables (something I learned from the current Weight Watchers program). And I am losing! Calorie Queens have no recommendation in their book of eating those "freebies", but it's working for me. I have 50 lbs. to lose, and I am slowly losing. With no deprivation. Discipline for sure...but I don't feel deprived.

I guess you could say I'm following a tweaked version of Weight Watchers, only I don't use their Weight Watchers points, and I eat more than they recommend. But I'm really in love with the Weight Watchers concept of not counting fresh fruits and low starch veg.

Calorie Queens is really a wonderful book. You could probably buy it used on amazon for a cheaper price.

p.s. Also, I found if you enter Calorie Queens in the search box above on this site, it will bring up some old threads of folks who were on the plan when the book came out a few years ago.

p.p.s: If you do the search, click on posts, not threads.

I'm guessing that it's not the best method for featherweights, though? If I started eating at maintenance for my goal weight, I would be losing at the most ridiculously slow level ever. What's wrong with eating a sensible calorie deficit for your current weight?

Thanks! I ordered it. Oddly enough, I have always thought to myself, why can't I just eat my goal weight maintenance calories? Shouldn't I shrink down to my goal weight if I do? I was sort of doing this when I first started, but then I figured I could cut down a few hundred more calories and still feel okay, so that's what I did.

Congratulations on your success, by the way!

oops, my reply didn't go through. Oh well, it was too long anyway. I'll keep it short.

Lin, you will love this plan.

Esofia, I've lived a lifetime of diet deprivation, and all it did was make me walk around hungry 24/7 and eventually make me fat. I lived 1200 calorie diets for years. Awful. 1500 calories would probably allow me to lose a bit quicker than I am now, but I'm in no big rush. And I get to eat more.

I love eating this way. I'm in no rush to lose. The way I eat now is the way I'll be eating forever. I can live with that!

This is the way to do it, and it's the way I choose to do it as well. Absolutely no reason to deprive yourself and watch yourself make up for the 'lack' later. I've upped my exercise everyday to burn more calories for my deficit.

Yes, it definitely works. It's all just an equation. I belong to Weight Watchers as the community and weekly weigh-in keep me motivated. But the Points Plus seems to work best for people who are just learning which foods to eat -- and I already know the calorie count of most of my faves. For example, most fruits and veg are 0 points, but if you stuff yourself with fruit and higher-cal veg (dark leafy greens are surprisingly high) you'll soon exceed 1200 cals. But still there's a lot to like about WW, I especially like the little sticky stars you get when reaching a mini-goal lol!! I'm combining the two but counting cals not points.

I am using an app called "Lose It" which is free online. It has the cal counts of most foods and exercises so you can easily keep track, and there's a mobile app too. Another site with lots of foods is Calorie King. If you have the time and inclination to up your exercise, that will speed things up!

Calorie counting works great if you get into the habit of doing so, are serious about it, and are not constantly cheating on the intake.

It works!! You just have to keep doing it. I got bored and gained back over 20lbs of what I had lost.I am back at it now and I feel so much better!!

I've found that calorie counting is the best thing that I ever "discovered." As someone who loves food, I can incorporate it into my life easily!

I've learned SO MUCH about portion control, and listening to my own hunger cues. I've found that 1200 calories a day is perfectly sustainable for me and I don't feel deprived on it. I'm kind of worried about maintenance though, as I know I'll need to eat at least 1600-1700 to maintain if I stop within the next 10 pounds or so (that's my plan...) when taking into account that my metabolism will be slower than a person at 5'3" 130ish pounds who has never been obese.

I've been planning for it, such as looking up ways to bulk up my meals without making me stuff myself. I'm sure that in experimenting I'll find the right formula for me just as I did for weight loss :)

goodmorning and welcome to journey that is tough yet simple but fulfilling.

yes calorie counting does work. i have lost all my weight through calorie counting and a little bit of excercize sparatically. 1200 really is to low though. if you go to mayoclinic.com then you can see on the calorie calculator that 1200 is to low and they tell you why.


when your of a shorter stature. as my best friend calls it "fun size" :) this just means you need to make up for it in excercize. wich really isnt to bad excercize is good. im still working on myself working out lol. but i would say you should stick to somewhere 1400-1600 for now and work off the extra calories.

hope this helps. <3 :hug:

http://mydownwardspiraltothesurface.blogspot.com/


oh yes and a huge thing in the beginning is being overwhelmed. here is an article i wrote on my blog all about taking your baby steps. : ) hope it helps. :hug:

I think Calorie Queens make a lot of sense, I didn't do it because I was almost at goal before I learned of it. For those of you that think eating at a maintenace level is too slow, a slower steadier loss is a more long lasting loss. I am a confirmed calorie counter and I have done all the diets, Calorie Counting is the most reliable and serves me well in maintenace.

I'm missing the part where I was advocating deprivation or hunger...