Okay...I've been so inspired by so many of the success stories. Calorie counting work!!! I've been on program now since 3/5/2012 refuse to weigh until 3/19 - bc the scale is not my friend (LOL!), besides I prefer to weigh every 2 weeks. However, I do see a definite change in my appetite and definitely feel changes in my body - I feel debloated. I have a waaaaays to go (Hope to lose 70lbs), however, my abs are definitely deflating. Okay - getting to the point of this post...in reading all the successful posts...do you think it is realistic for me to zigzag 10,850 (week's worth of calories) - I plan to do the following ranges: 1675/1400/1650/1300/1475/1800/1550 = 10,850 - without tweaking carbs/protein and fat? Because if I had to micro-manage all that I will GO CRAZY..honestly...I want it to be calories in and calories out...I plan to have an average daily caloric burn of 500 (minimum)...and as my burn increases, I will increase calories slightly to compensate so I dont starve myself...so on average I plan to BURN 3500 by weekend..and with the deficit from my caloric intake of 3000 ... I can expect to lost on average 1.5-1.75 weekly. According to the calorie counter on another site it says I need to eat 1981 to maintain current weight of 225 (size 16/18)...I want to lose at a comfortable rate without starvation..and so far I feel great...NO DEPRIVATION whatsoever..I eat what I want..I just log in my MFP on my iphone APP...and loving it....trust me I make smart choices, however, once a week I will give in to say a egg cheese croissant..just count it and move on...I am dealing with reality...I dont want to forever give those things up..I want to have them once a month ..just not daily like I use to...SO WHAT DO YOU EXPERTS THINK..bc I value all the feedback bc you gals/guys "been there ...done that"...thanks bunches..

Yeah. you don't have to tweak those things but if you have bad cravings or have tempermental blood sugars it can help to get in more protein and less carbs. I feel less hungry with more lean meats and veggies vs. a heavy carb diet but it is different for everyone.

See how things are working for you when you do weigh-in and you'll know what you need to adjust. It took me about a month of calorie counting to figure out I need a little more calories from protein and less from carbs to make things easier on myself. How you feel over time will be your best indicator and as you lose. Best of luck, keep us posted on your progress.

Thanks 4star...I definitely had that in mind for sure. I was definitely diagnosed pre-diabetic, so I definitely feel I need to watch my sugar/carbs. A serious carb-a-holic. With that said, I dont want to give up breads, rice and pasta totally, however, there will no longer be the staple of my diet. I figure I would take it slow, get the accounting under my belt first, so far 12 successful days of calorie tracking. Once I have that mastered then work on tweaking proteins and carbs etc. This past week I seriously watched my carbs/sugar intake. I plan to next conquer reducing the sugar content in my foods, such as yogurts, etc. I always have my tea/coffee black..so that is never a problem. I minimize my lifesavers/nips to 1-2 a day..sometime I will have none at all..so getting away from candies. But definitely concerned with blood sugar spikes. Thanks for your feedback!!! I definitely intend to post with updates. I gotta keep this going bc there is definitely truth in calorie counting..and I plan to post my success story when it is all said and done! thanks!!

I lost approx. 45 lbs. from June 2011 to Nov. 2011 by eating a weekly calorie allotment of 9800 (averages out to 1400 per day). I didn't weigh myself at all, but I estimate that my starting weigh was about 180. I did not count anything but calories. I, too, realized that if I tried to micromanage my intake too much, I would likely give up. That said, I tend to love healthy foods---veggies, fruits, etc. Along with that, though, I also like fattening desserts. Believe me, even while averaging 1400 per day, I did not deprive myself. Once or twice a week, I would have croissants and full-fat cheddar cheese for breakfast. (As a matter of fact, I always ate and still continue to eat full-fat dairy). When my husband and I would go out to eat, I would eat dessert. I would cycle my calories so that I could "afford" that dessert. Sometimes, that meant that I would just eat breakfast and dinner and skip lunch. The point is that just counting calories definitely will work. You'll have to decide how much attention you want to give to the quality of your food. As the other poster indicated, you might find that you can stave off hunger better with certain types of foods than others. As someone else on this site is fond of saying, we are all an experiment of one.

I never paid attention to all that macro junk. I just stuck to my calorie limit, although my calories were usually always good and healthy foods. Heavy on the veggies, low on carbs.

Actually all that zig-zagging you plan on doing looks rather confusing too, and truly it's not necessary. If you know you are going out on Friday evening, you might eat a little less on Thursday and Saturday to compensate, but really, most people start working a major calorie cycling plan only when they are suffering from a plateau or something that you need to shakes things up a bit for. Save all that confusing stuff for if/when you need a plan B.

I think it's perfectly realistic. I've NEVER kept track of macronutrients. I don't like junk food, but I do like carbs and my diet is very carb-heavy. As long as I'm eating a reasonable amount of protein and veggies over the course of a week, I don't worry about the details. I lost 50 pounds with little effort last year by counting calories, and I'm 55. I've been maintaining for 4+ months by loosely keeping track of calories.

F.

i'm a big fan of zigzagging (which reminds me i had intended to start zigging mine today) but i'm heavy on the protein. if i don't get 80g protein a day *minimum*, i'm just not happy.