I know, I know... I should count calories. But I don't have a whole lot of time in my day. I work from 7:30am to 4:30pm, Monday-Friday. I bring my work home with me, too. I'm a teacher, and I have to deal with weekly lesson plans (among other things!). When I do have a little down time, the last thing I want to do is count calories. I'm stressed out enough with work! Besides, the idea of counting calories just saps the joy out of me. With a misaligned knee cap, exercise is painful. And with work and stress and life, counting calories is just not the way I want to spend what little free time I have. Its the reason why I want to do Adipex, but my cardiologist says I shouldn't (I have a Mitral Valve Prolapse). Are there any other options? Cheap options - did I mention I'm broke as a joke? LOL

Many people use various methods to help them lose weight. Counting calories is just one of them. So I wouldn't say you HAVE to do that but you have to keep track of what you are doing somehow. No matter what the method it will take time out of your life. As I heard one person say...either take the time now while relatively health or take the time later when you are hopitalized.
I will say whatever method you use once you do it for a month or two it becomes easier and faster.

Well, with such a busy schedule and all those excuses, oops, I mean "reasons" I bet you'll be the exception and not have to put any effort whatsoever into your weight loss and the pounds will just melt off!

Do you watch TV at all? Why not cut back on that or some other wasted time (we all have it, even someone as busy as you!) and spend some time on Sparkpeople (free, and safe for people with Mitral Valve Prolapse!) planning your meals, figuring out your calories and getting serious about your weight loss.

Would you accept that boatload of excuses from one of your students?

What are some of the other options?

You are aware that there are computer programs and website where you can track calories just by entering foods, yes? So, that's not very hard. As for exercise, you don't have to count exercise. Just count your food. It's very hard to accurately count exercise calories.

You'll need to learn how to measure and weigh portions for awhile as well. Most people who are overweight tend to underestimate how much food they are eating.

This really does not take a lot of time.

You could also join Weight Watchers and learn their points system for tracking food.

I think you'll need to admit that you are going to have to track what you eat in SOME way, because not tracking food has led to you being... well... you don't give your weight, but here you are on 3FC.

Cheers!
Jay

I understand the hesitation, because I'm super busy, too, and yet, I'm a calorie counter. It really doesn't take that long, I promise! Especially once you get set up. I spent maybe 5 minutes a day tracking my calories.

You can try weight loss without following some sort of plan, but it's a lot more difficult, and I imagine that makes it more effort, overall, in the end. I tried, at first, with tons of exercise and "eating healthily", and I didn't understand why I wasn't losing weight...then I finally decided to get a plan and stick with it. Calorie counting was the best option for me, as it gives me the most control. It was only once I started tracking what I put into my mouth that my body started dropping weight. Energy in vs. energy out is what any plan comes down to (though some plans take other things into account, like blood sugar, protein vs. fat vs. carbs, etc.), and unless you give your body reason to burn that fat, it won't.

Some plans, like Weight Watchers, use easy points systems to make it easier to track what you eat...that might be a good option for you if calorie counting seems too intensive.

Good luck!

Nope, there are a lot of other plans that lead to the same place. If counting calories isn't doing it for you, there are other means.

The whole calorie equation, though, is ineluctably true; you must take in fewer calories than you burn to lose weight. Any other means of weight loss simply proceeds from there; Weight Watchers does it with points, Jenny Craig and NutriSystem do it with pre-packaged portion control, low-carb plans do it by downsizing calorie-dense carbohydrates while emphasizing satiating foods. All roads lead to Rome; you've just got to find the one that has the kind of scenery you most enjoy seeing as you walk it.

I went with calorie-counting because to me, it gets at the heart of the issue--no frills, no restrictions, no cost. I worried about the joy-sapping potential of having to count what I ate, let alone writing it down or (heaven forfend) weighing portions. My husband's a trained chef and I live in New Orleans; joyful food is my birthright.

Turns out, there's still plenty of joy to be had. I write everything down in Fitday's journal (there are other similar free programs too, but that's the one I found first). It does all the counting for me, though I have to do my own measuring and weighing. I objected to weighing at first too, but...well, I don't have money to pay Jenny Craig to do my portion control for me, so I'd better learn to do it on my own. Do I love weighing out my breakfast cereal? No, but I love weighing this much even less and I realize that my options are limited by finances and finickiness; I don't do well on restrictive plans, so this is my best choice.

Going back to the joylessness thing: knowing the details of English grammar and spelling doesn't dilute my delight in poetry at all. Knowing that my dinner has 500 calories doesn't make it taste a whit less delicious.

To lose weight you have to count something. Calories, carbs, "points", fat...

The good news is that, as jay said, there are many great sites where this takes very little effort. The other good news is that exercise is not required for weight loss. There are MANY chicks on this site that have lost without any exercise.

You need to make yourself a priority in your life! When you spend time each week preparing lessons for your students, take an hour for yourself and plan your menus for each week.

You can do this!

Well I count calories so I dont' know them all but. Some people here are on weight watchers and count points. some people are more into carbs etc etc etc http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/ Hopefully th link I sent will work. Bu tin the forum area there are sections for all kinds of dieting plans.

I did Spark People for about a month and just didn't want keep up with it, really. Some may call them excuses, but in my life, my students and my work are one of my top priorities. Other priorities include my family and my pets. After all that, I only have so much more to give, and keeping up with what I ate everyday on Spark People (which I found to be a long, tedious process) just went to the back burner. You can call me lazy or unmotivated or what have you, but I'm just being completely truthful, and I doubt I'm the only person to feel that way.

And I'm 5 foot 6, 200 pounds.

you dont HAVE to do anything that you dont want to do, but I ount caloried and dont have much free time either Im a full time student, I am an intern, a mom and a wife it is doable , but if its truly not what you want to do you need to find another option that will fit your lifestyle. When time is short I will eat smart ones frozen dinners and throughout the day i eat fruit veggies low fat cheese and one low fat glass of milk in the mornng try to keep it well balanced and after a while you will knw what the cals are off the top of your head. good luck

You're not the only person to feel that way. But, you are also not displaying the willingness and commitment that it takes to lose weight. It sounds like you aren't ready to make the changes necessary to lose weight.

Until I find a better job, I cannot imagine anything but my work being a top priority. My pay is terrible, but its all I have right now and I'm always walking on eggshells at work. Its a private school, and when the higher ups get upset with people, they fire them. Truthfully, I stay on edge constantly that someone higher than me on the ladder will decide its my time to go. It happened to the teacher before me. With that sort of stress on my plate, I'm surprised I can think straight at all.

That's just me venting, though. I would love to make myself a priority in my life, but right now, I just don't see that happening.

A lot of people here don't count calories.
I have to count them.
If I forget to add in something I go over my limit for the day.

I make it easy. I look in the fridge and in the cupboard every morning to see what foods I have on hand for the day.
Then I figure out the calories in a daily menu plan.

I can't eat frozen dinners or processed food. All the chemicals make me sick.
I make homemade chili, casseroles and spaghetti sauce ...and pancakes, freeze them and figure out the calories in each little container. I can track that easily.

I have fruit trees and berry bushes, so I freeze a lot of juice in small containers.
I keep track in my documents what I can eat that day.
You could pack a lunch based on a daily menu like I plan.

I don't buy snacks, ice cream and pastries.
Calorie counting works for me. I eat 1500-1700 calories per day now.

I have an injured knee too, so I can't exercize. My knee can just barely handle my daily chores. My knee is much happier with less weight to cart around.
I lost over 25 pounds last year, and am aiming to lose another 50 this year.
It seems to be such a slow tedious process.

You can do one of the points programs but it's going to cost you money and end up taking just as much time as counting calories. It may seem like a hassle but if you have an app on your phone it isn't that big of a deal to add up what you eat. Just write down everything you eat for a few days and then go back and tally them up just to get an idea of what sort of calories your consuming at the moment. You'll probably be shocked at how much your consuming. Losing weight takes lots of effort if you expect to keep it off and counting calories is one of the easiest ways to do it.