So I just started my weight loss journey today, and I have decided to go the calorie counting route. I never realized how many calories I was actually eating until I started counting! I found a great app on my phone to help me keep track of everything that I'm eating, so that will help me keep a great food journal. I'm just interested in those of you that have been counting calories for a while, is it hard to do long term? I have a little over 100 pounds to lose, so I'm going to be at this for a while. Any advice would be great!

I've been at it almost three years and it gets easier and easier as time goes by. Calorie counting will get the weight off and keep it off. Most important thing is stick with it. Don't give up and keep count of every calorie.

ive been doing it since july 2012 n it just gets easier as you go! just be sure u account for everything!

Some people will tell you that you need to account for, and record, every bite. Other calorie counters, like me, find that estimating is perfectly fine as long as you're honest with yourself. I managed to lose 55 pounds and maintain the loss for the past 11 months without ever measuring, weighing, or recording anything. I find it easier and more freeing to estimate than to log precisely. You can do some experimenting to find out what level of calorie counting works best for you.

F.

It becomes a habit after while. I count every bite and try to be as precise as possible. I find that when I estimate I am actually eating more calories than I think.

It is a lot easier to count calories using an app. I have tried several and settled on My Fitness Pal because it has the best database. I liked the functionality of Lose It but their database is just not as big as MFP. One other reason I like it because it's synced online so that if your phone dies you don't lose your information.

i agree with this. when it comes to some homemade meals i tend to "guesstimate" by looking up a similar meal. the longer youre at it the easier it gets because youll eventually know what most foods contain.

Welcome to 3fc's and calorie counting! For me it became much easier over time.

It becomes a habit more than anything, I enjoy doing it because like you said you don't realize how many calories you are consuming until you actually count them! I look forward to doing it now to see how I am doing. Oh and welcome to 3FC!

I love calorie counting! It's the only thing that's worked so far.

I count everything. I also use My Fitness Pal and I like it better than Lose It! also, purely for the database.

Welcome to calorie counting! It's free, easy and becomes second nature eventually!

The hardest thing for me is being consistent with exercise, calorie counting is the easy part. x.x

I also calorie count. Long term. . . for me I have to take breaks from it because I become number obsessed. Most poeple probably don't have that issue, but every couple months I'll go a few weeks without counting. I'll still lose weight, but not as much. I get refreshed and re-motivated and start counting again. Calorie counting, to me, is like a friend that I only kind of like. I need a break from that friend sometimes or else we start not getting along.

LockItUp is right. If you estimate for too long things have a way of creeping up on you. I started calorie counting a couple of years ago and gradually changed to estimating. I noticed the loss gradually slowed down and then I hit a big plateau. Once I updated my numbers in my app and resumed religiously tracking, I broke through the plateau.

A nice feature of some apps is that it recalculates your daily target calories as you lose weight. As I was estimating, I don't think I was compensating which may explain the plateau.

Oh i love calorie counting. I do find it gets easier. But i also try to plan out my day ahead of time. Like Ill log in my meals for the next day, and plan my exercises. That way i can plan out my day and eat when appropriate. I just find it easier and then when im making my meal i make sure to stay within the measurements that I picked and i adjust things as i go. I just find it 100 times easier to have it already done and planned out.
but like if something comes up and i cant do on of my exervises i just take it out and readjust everything. If its between meals and im a tad hungry, i just look at my snack and pick one.
makes it a lot easier for me as well because ive started with the calorie cycling/zig zagging. so when some of my days are higher its so much easier to make sure im eatin enough rather than trying to add in whatever calories at the end of the day.

I love calorie counting but I am getting more into portion control... I still have lost a little bit of weight calorie counting..

It does get easier to count as you go along as you get to know the foods you eat most often, however, I still log it all.

There's something mentally powerful about writing (or typing) down what you're eating. Something that actually connects in your brain and says, 'hey, I really ate this' if that makes sense at all.