I was wondering whether to respond to this or not, because I do count calories, but then I don't :-)

I'm of the school of thought that calories do matter, but that it is not the only thing that matters, that it is always going to be only an approximation and that in certain individual cases where people have issues with metabolism or the eating is in either extreme (too little or too much), the calorie counting stops being accurate.

Right now I do count calories, and try to stay on a deficit for most days, except try to eat at maintenance levels once per week to keep the hormones in check (though that still requires counting calories). It is still clear to me though that overall it's more important to focus on what I eat (macronutrient ratio depending on the day's exercise levels and quality of food).

I just know that if I eat according to what my body wants, I'll stall and right now my goal is to lose body fat. Obviously my body doesn't want me to lose body fat, so I need to outsmart it by counting calories and using other tools to consciously manage my energy input and output. My weight gain has always been due to obsessive eating (eating large amounts of foods even when I acknowledge that I am not hungry or even craving anything), so counting calories isn't needed for me to maintain a certain level. If I listen to my body, I pretty much can regulate things with portion control and with the knowledge that I have of nutrition. It's just not enough for my current goal, so I am counting calories.

I count calories because it's a no-brainer. However, I also happen to fall under several other umbrellas because they overlap! I'm gluten free, lower carb, I eat "clean" and I'm an intermittent faster (I just realized that I always eat from 11:00-6:30!). It's not on purpose (except for the gluten) but just happens to be the best way to get the best calorie/nutritional bang for my buck.

I started calorie counting for 2 reasons: It was easy and nothing was off limits.

When I started being aware of the calorie content of things my eating habits gradually changed. I would go home for lunch and think I can have A or B either 1 would be good. Then my mind would switch to - well is it worth the calories? Quite often I would chose the lesser calorie option because it would satisfy me, I wouldn't feel deprived and I still saved lots of calories. On occasion if I want the higher option then I would start to think about the adjustments I would make for dinner to allow me to have this indulgence.

Slowly my grocery shopping changed little by little to again account for the calories in a serving. Was it worth those calories or not? If not I would skip it and find something else.
Now it has just become habit. I have days where I overindulge I just make sure it's 1 day and I'll be super careful the next couple of days to be on track. I just find that this is a lifestyle I will be able to carry on forever without having to dwell on it all the time.

I do it because I don't do other forms of dietary restriction. It just wouldn't be sustainable for me to go gluten/dairy/meat free or low carb. I want to be able to eat whatever I want within moderation.

I've lost 19lbs since Labor Day, so I think it works reasonably well.

I like it because it is easy, I can eat whatever tickles my fancy, and it inspired me to make choices that wouldn't keep me hungry, as low calorie food that is healthy tends to be more filling than high calorie foods. I need to be careful to not get carried away, as I struggled with anorexia as a teen and survived on anywhere from 300-500 calories a day

I agree with everyone who does this method. It's easy ( I use my calculator on my phone to track, no app necessary ), no food has to be off limits, as you progress you become more conscientious of what and how you eat. I'm in it for the long haul. I eat the most calories available at my activity level ( around 1900 ) and I am taking the longest time humanly possible to lose to make sure I get it through my thick skull :-) that I can eat and lose and then eat and maintain for the rest of my life. And definitely don't eat below your RMR, that's what your body needs to just run itself, you don't want to eat into that. Hope that helps.

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This is a misconception. Many women have a RMR (resting metabolic rate) of 1,300 to 1,500 cals. If we eat less than that, our bodies dip into our fat stores, which is exactly what we want to happen. We can eat more than our RMR and still lose weight, as long as we're eating less than our TEE (total energy expenditure). But we'll lose weight faster (to a point) if we eat fewer calories. There's nothing wrong with eating, say, 1,200 cals per day, which is lower than most people's RMR.

F.

I stand corrected :-)

I love calorie counting because it gives me an idea of how much food is enough to keep me full but not stuffed. It's free and once you get used to weighing food and tracking what you eat, you quickly see results.

This pretty much sums it up for me. I think paying for a diet weather a book, food or program is a waste and a rip off. *I know there are nutrition books that are great, but I'm talking about fad diet books*. I've seen many people do fad diets, they lose a ton of weight quick and then gain it all back and then some. I can do the same thing with calorie counting, but at least it's free! LOL
I also honestly notice personally, that when I count my calories and exercise, I lose weight. It's that simple. It's just doing it! It can drive me crazy too, so sometimes I take a break for a couple of days. Especially at the beginning. For example, I'll count for 5 or 10 days straight and then take a day or two off. This seems to reduce the crazy! I try to still be careful about what I eat though.

As far as other programs go though, I know that weight watchers works pretty well. My M&FIL do it and, kinda like calorie counting, as long as they follow it they lose weight. Realistically though, it's the same thing as calorie counting. It just breaks it down into different values and encourages healthy eating through a support network. (Which is why this site is so great! It provides that, for free!)

So I suppose, I should add 3FC to my equation for success to! :)

For me it's because It worked for me 3 years ago-lost 65 pounds. It'll work again yea I gained it back but that was my fault. It won't happen again.

I choose this diet, because I can still go to every restaurant I want and don't feel uncomfortable on family dinners and I don't have to explain myself about what I can and can't eat.

To be honest, before I joined this forum, I thought I was the inventor of the calorie counting diet. :dizzy:

I choose calorie counting because I feel its the most realistic option. There is never a NO food that I can not have because it dont fit the "program". I can eat whatever I want as long as I accept the calories that come with it.

I combine calorie counting with Weight Watchers. I feel that I need both of them.

I like calorie counting because I like to have a lot of information about what I eat. I record it at My Fitness Pal so I can see what I'm eating, not just the calories. I send that data to my Fitbit and then it tells me what kind of calorie deficit I have which is motivating to me.

On the other hand I get benefits from WW also. For me, going to the meetings and weighing in each week is crucial to my success. If I stop going to meetings and stop weighing in each week I tend to start overeating. Calorie counting alone doesn't keep me from that. I think part of it is that it helps give me a short term goal. Follow the calories you want to eat until Friday (when I weigh in). I will think about it at times. Just 3 more days to weigh in or 1 more day. It helps me stay on track.

Simply because it's SO easy to underestimate the calorie count of food and also the belief that if one is clean eating or eating healthy that one is going to lose weight.