Has Counting Calories been Fun?

Myself and 2 other members of my church have gotten together over the weekend and decided to start eating healthy.  One of us found this website and decided to share it.  The website has been very helpful to us, but we are already feeling like counting calories is limiting the portions we enjoy eating.  For me counting has been a mental challenge because I know though it limits portion, the results will be healthy eating habits and ultimately loosing weight.  Has counting calories been fun or a hassle?

I dont know that I would call it fun or a hassel.

I've Found it to be a challenge at times to meet my daily goals while still being able to eat and not still feel hungry, but find it rewarding when i do, which makes happier and feeling better at the end of the day.

No, but the results are.  The hardest part is finding the right foods so you can feel like you ate enough without going over your calories.  Stick with it and it will be worth it!

It's been a lot of fun for me. It's almost become like my latest hobby, and hopefully I'll take away a routine of healthy eating when I stop counting. I like learning new things, and I've become a lot more aware about nutrition in general.

I agree a better word choice would actually be "challenge" because it is a challenge to keep track of every single thing I eat.  But also since I've began counting mentally I feel like Im depriving myself of needed food though I know Im not, and like you said at the end of the day Im proud that I didn't go over my required calories which makes me feel good.  Well I've been strong for the last two days so I will stay strong to continue this new challenge of mine.

You said it find the right foods is correct.  How you able to keep variety of foods so not to get bored while also eating healthy and staying within calories.

I want to get where you are.  I do feel like I am learning a new way of eating, but because I just began Im also feeling like Im missing out of all the so called unhealthy foods that I was eating.  I'll get there though

I personally enjoy counting calories. The first few weeks were a little rough... making sure I was staying accountable for everything I ate, and realizing that I did need to decrease my portions. Now I view it as a hobby. Coming to the site everyday and tracking my progress has become something I look forward to, especially because I enter all my calories in before dinner so I can figure out HOW MUCH I can eat for the remainder of the day. I guess you have to approach it with the attitude of this being a tool to help you achieve your goals, not as a chore to help you "diet."

Jennifer 

I find the challenge of fitting my nutrients, and even some of my micro-nutrients, into my daily calorie limit 'fun'! That probably sounds strange, and it may be! But I guess I just enjoy the daily game of trying to plan out my meals in a way that both satisfies me, fuels me, and lets me lose weight while keeping healthy at the same time. It's rewarding! I don't miss my see-food diet at all. ;]

Fun? um no, Interesting and Challenging OH YES! Tracking calories for me has shown me my faults, CHOCOLATE AND FRIED FOODS. I can still eat what I want but when I am out of calories... I am out of calories and that means salad for the rest of the day. YUCK! So, I started working at it. It is interesting how you can take a great tasting food, full of fat, and turn it into something that tastes just as good but with out the fat and calories. That is the fun part to me. The fun part is also weighting weekly and seeing the results of my hard work.

Thats what I would call it. HARD WORD! It is sooo worth it tho. Keep counting, it really opens your eyes to your faults and allows you to make changes for the better.

Counting calories has been alot of fun.  It is a mind set and I'm ready to change the way I eat.  I have a goal to get to my target weight.  The first day is very challenging because I did not know what to eat but I have a lot of support.  Drink alot of water and you will not feel as hungry and get snack under 100 calories.  Research and we are hear to encourage each other

Great advice, thanks Jennifer.  Thats why Im glad that I actually decided to use this forum as a support peace to hear what others are saying and feeling to assist me in my new venture.

Yes K8de, I understand what you are saying.  counting calories does show us our faults.  that was hard for me.  I made food my comfort.  it was hard giving up my oreo cookies and milk at three o'clock in the morning. Now that was very hard.

In a skewed sort of way I think this is fun.  It took me around 4 weeks to find my groove and get used to a new routine.  Then the counting becomes almost game like.  Can I fit this in?  Is it too high in sodium?  Did I drink enough water today?  Am I creating an eating plan that is healthy?   After you have worked on it for a few weeks, you get an ideal of how to configure your daily plan.  It gets easier, so hang in there.   You will be rewarded for your efforts.

Thanks thinkn_thin, because hangin in there is exactly what I plan to do.  Im looking forward to being healthy and sexy for as long as I live.

Original Post by notawan2bee:

I dont know that I would call it fun or a hassel.

I've Found it to be a challenge at times to meet my daily goals while still being able to eat and not still feel hungry, but find it rewarding when i do, which makes happier and feeling better at the end of the day.

the daily logging is making me aware, controlled and precise about my portions.  at first i thought it would be daunting to log every calorie, but now i find myself coming home from having a drink at the bar and being proud to get on the net and log it.  i've gone a step further by creating a daily log of my calorie deficit -- aiming to make that as high a number as possible! 

i'm addicted to logging everything....so for now, CC is fun for me. :)

i can say one thing is for certain...it is deffinetly mind consuming...ha!

there are times when i find it exillerating, and other times i find it to be a chore.

there are days when i  feel like it is second nature, and other days when i have to literally work at it.

I don't know if its fun. I agree it can be mind consuming but in a good way. It is really a habit now, so I whenever I eat, I like knowing how many calories are in it. but if i cant find out then i assume and dont really sweat it.

dont let it consume you and become a obsession.

For me, it's been a blast which is why I'm still doing it.  I may not meticulously log every calorie anymore, but I've been doing this long enough to realise how many calories are in the things I'm eating, know what portion size I should be enjoying, and know how to substitute things to get more food for less calories.

I still enjoy the foods I've always enjoyed.  Big Macs, anything from Taco Bell, pizza, candy and beer, and my regular ol' food.  I may order my burgers without mayonnaise and my pizza with light sauce and cheese, but I still eat it and it tastes just as good, sometimes better, than it used to.

As you go you learn the tricks of the trade.  Instead of having two servings of cereal have one and have a cup of yoghurt and toast with it.  You get the satisfaction of the cereal, a better variety for breakfast, and a little less calories for something that'll keep you full a lot longer.

Made me chuckle when I read here how some  others use CC almost like a game or hobby. So do I. Most definitely the healthiest, worth while, and challenging game or hobby I have ever undertaken. After three weeks it is getting easier to navigate around here and use the site to best advantage. So many, many, inspiring stories to be read here too. Gives me encouragement every time I log on.

I think it's kind of fun...I like that this website gives you grades too.  It makes counting calories more fun than just simply writing them on a piece of paper.