Wake up call! (Why counting really DOES matter)

I've been counting calories for more than a year and have lost both weight and body fat as a result. I didn't have a lot of weight to lose, but it wasn't coming off on its own despite my moderately high activity level and attempts at watching what I was eating.

Having recently gone on a month vacation where I did not count calories and having returned home with just a few pounds of vacation weight to lose, I got busy and mentally tracked what I was eating without logging it into the computer. Partly because I've been busy and  the measuring, counting and logging takes discipline and time. Yet after a month of being home, I've realized that the vacation weight isn't coming off as fast as I think it should and I'm a bit irked.

So today I decided to restart counting by measuring and logging my intake. It's 2.30pm and I've already consumed just under 1000 calories of very good, healthy food. But 1000 calories none the less. What's more, my "mental" calculations would have been much less.

WAKE UP CALL. This is why the vacation weight isn't coming off and this is why keeping tabs on our REAL intake is so important.

Like perhaps some of you, I have varied between being obsessive about counting to being a bit annoyed at the work involved. But this has shown me how quickly an extra piece of turkey, or teaspoon of peanut butter can add up. And to be honest, I feel very lucky that I've figured it out so quickly. Go figure!

When I used to eyeball things, or even use measuring spoons, I thought I was being good but it turned out I was sooo way off. I switched from using tablespoons and cups to just using my scale and measuring out in grams/ounces. A tablespoon is actually a LOT smaller than it appears!

Too true. Eye balling just doesn't work out that well. Glad you realised it. Good luck!

Even when I know the calorie cont. of food I sometimes worry that it's understated. I mean I'm always under my allowance and I have eaten normally. Still not losing a lot of weight, just slowly. Then again, I don't have kitchen scales here. Can't wait to go back to my electric scales in the UK.

Just worry sometimes that I'm consuming more calories than I'm being told, like it's an unwritten rule nobody told me about. Guess I'm just being paranoid.

Yeah no kidding.  I was eating a no processed food, oraganic diet and I lost like 30 lbs right off the bat but then no more.  Then a light bulb went off, duh, calories are still calories.  If I eat 2200 calories of organic, unprocessed food, I am still not going to lose any weight.  Now I am a calorie counting babe and it really isn't as hard as I thought.  You just need to put a little more thought into what you are putting into your mouth.  Just because it is healthy doesn't mean you can go hog wild all the time.

i dont have the patience to use scales and count ounces. i do my best to make sure i'm counting correctly, and if i'm unsure, i overestimate, just in case.

i'm glad you guys have the willpower to do all that work, you're much better off that way. i just know if i started, i'd lose intrest so fast.

yeah...i actually have a scale in my kitchen! i could do it, i could calorie-count despite all the hassle. damn, i could even eat in any position so why couldnt i spare more energy into cc. 

u girls could do it! it's supposed to be do-able for everyone right?? *fired up* do u usually log everything a day before? but i dont really plan my meals...i just stuff the fridge with veggies and when i;m about to cook, that's when i decide what to make.

I started on my weight loss quest about a year ago to help a friend who was trying to lose weight for her wedding.  We made it interesting and put money on the table for a "biggest loser" type contest.  Having struggled my whole life with food and weight, I know what I need to do to get the job done.  I KNOW THAT FOOD/EXERCISE JOURNALS WORK!  It is something that makes you accountable for your intake and your activity.  I am 50 pounds lighter than last year and still have 20 to go to reach my goal weight.  I could not have done it without counting my calories.  It is simple math.... Figure out your maintenance calories and eat less than that.  Add in some exercise and... BONUS!  I have gone through cycles of how strict I have been, but have never done worse than maintain where I am.  The great thing about counting calories is that it does become a mental habit.  After measuring EVERYTHING for a year, you get a pretty good idea of proper portions.  I have had friends tell me they wouldn't be able to keep up with a log or journal, and my response is that I could not afford not to.

Growantree - where are you that they don't have kitchen scales?

I need help.  I have lost 35 lbs on weight watchers but starting to gain it back.  I can't get motivated to stick to the plan and track my food.  I am over eating and know it. It's like I am totally out of control.  I find myself getting depressed about it.  I've gained back about 7 lbs.  I go to the meetings and still i constantly find myself picking. 

To make matters worse I work all day and attend school 3 nights a week for 4 hours each night taking up nurseing.  I find I want to pick all night long. 

PLEASE HELP ME, I'm desperate for motivation.

Charmayne...I've been where you are and it's not easy.  I've lost the same amount of weight as you through WW.  Over the winter I slowly gained about 10 to 12 lbs...you tell yourself, okay that's enough now, but the scale keeps going up.  The key is to not give up and keep going to the meetings and not beat yourself for gaining a little bit of weight.  We learn from each stage of weight loss. 

Having a busy schedule is tough, but as long as you are prepared and armed with a set amount of food for the day, it shouldn't be a problem (I literally carry a small cooler with me all day).  I am slowly losing those 10 pounds and has been MUCH MORE difficult than the first time around.  The way I see it is losing weight is an ongoing lifelong challenge and we need to give ourselves a little room for falling off the wagon.  Just don't give in too much, know when enough is enough and get back on it.  Hell, if you did it the first time, you can do it again.

Don't lose that faith and hope that you had the first time around.  Keep true to yourself, track EVERYTHING, and don't give up.  You got it lady! 

biteyourtongue and lemoneko,

I've struggled with trying to lose weight my whole life - always watching what I ate and exercising. Despite all my efforts I've never reached my goal.  I always used to say "I don't know why I don't lose weight - I'm always sooooo careful, I work out all the time, blah, blah, blah..."  I also used to think I could never be the type of person that would weigh my food and log my calories.

Long story short...I joined CC last December. I begrudgingly decided to log my calories for the first little while "just to see".  I quickly discovered I was eating my maintenance caloriesduh.  Since then I've lowered my calories and guess what?  I'm finally losing - ME! - I can't believe it's actually happening - yay!

Anyway...I'm a believer now - you need some kind of tracking system.  I thought I was being very careful before, but I had no idea I was eating too much to lose weight. I'm glad I found CC to help me with that.

Charmayneanderson, I am where you are. I became a lifetime member of WWs and it seems once I reached my goal weight I started back with my bad habits. How I hated myself for it. I now have 15 lbs to lose! I'm watching all the BLTs (bites licks and tastes), counting points, keeping a tracker and trying to exercise as much as I did before gaining it back. It's a struggle for sure. But I have faith we'll make it!

Time is such an issue for me. I can relate to all. I am at a weight where I can feel somewaht complacent -all of my clothes fit again and it is amazing how easily I can become a cc slacker.

I even took pics of myself in bikini (after losing ten lbs) this weekend and am not happy. But still this week I am not counting so far and I am blaming it on being sick and starting at a new company.

My absolute best success is pre planning my days and eating off the list or the cooler as another poster said.

Its discipline and I am bad at it but it is becoming clearer and clearer to me that it honing that skill is what will bring me success in EVERY area.

Original Post by runyourlife:

Long story short...I joined CC last December. I begrudgingly decided to log my calories for the first little while "just to see".  I quickly discovered I was eating my maintenance caloriesduh.

 

LOL.  My first day at weighing and counting was manual. I wrote everything down and was "really good" at choosing what an Atkins-devotee would have loved (I wasn't following Atkins, but had in my head that if I kept the carbs in check it was a goog thing).  I don't even remember the total calorie intake that day, but it was over 2500 and my normal burn rate with intensive exercise usually doesn't top 2100 calories!  Calorie Counting really IS a wake up call. At least for me it is. And yes, it has changed my life.

I've been following this discussion, and agree; while it's difficult, weighing, measuring, and recording are all important components to weight loss. Journaling helps with mental health -- think of recording as journal for your body like the act of writing in a journal is for your pysche and your soul.

A great feature of CC is the activity log. I know it creates more work, but recording ALL of your activities can be an eye-opener too. I'm often amazed at how many (or how few) calories are burned by day-to-day routine activities such as doing the laundry or watching TV. While keeping an activity log hasn't made me exercise differently (some health issues restrict what type of exercising I can do), I am more mindful of which routine activities burn more calories.

Good luck to all with acheiving their goals

I have seen some posts by people who are saying that they have been eating less calories, but aren't seeing any results. I must say that it is because your body has adjusted to processing a lower amount of calories. You hear about people who lose a bunch of weight by lowering their calories and then they plateau, this is because your body has adjusted. At this point you have to rethink your eating strategy. The issue is not just eating less calories, it is speeding up your metabolism.

I was never an eat a three meal a day type of girl until a few years ago when I had a trainer who told me I need to have 6 meals a day (breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, and snack) and only then would I see a difference in my weight loss. I didn't realize the importance of this until about 6 months ago I reverted back to my old eating habits and gained much of the weight back. I'm back on track now, but keep in mind to eat something every 2 to 3 hours a day (of course something healthy). This coupled with keeping track of your calories will help you immensely in your weight loss. Good luck!

It's a well-publicized fact that MOST people consume FAR MORE than they think they do.  Counting calories and journaling your diet is the single most important thing that anyone can do, to lose weight.

lookingoodin08

****

Congrats on your progress! You have made me motivated to keep going even though I am seeing progress inches-wise, just not the weight like I want. I will keep going!

I have been overweight for about five years now and after losing 18pounds since feb, I KNOW that counting cals (measuring, weighing, journaling) is 100% the way to go.

Last year I worked out for 4 freaking months and lost 0 pounds...I was totally still overeating and just maintaining with exercise...lord knows I was still unhealthy with the workouts.

People, stop with the "I can't motivate myself" talk. YES YOU CAN.  It's so easy.  I keep my scale and notepad in the kitchen (duH), but if i'm out of the house, I jot down everything or make a mental note.  Hello, we're all overweight because we overeat, right (for the most part)? So why wouldn't we keep a closer eye on food consumption...it really is easy! 80% FOOD 20% EXERCISE is what I've always heard regarding weightloss.  I love food, but I also understand it's fuel,  that's why I workout ALOT.  If I want to eat more, I workout since I have the extra "fuel".  This whole process has been very blissful for me....about 15 more to go and I'm ready for it :)

  candacepadgett

Thanks.... I think some people fail because they get too hung up on the scale.  I have averages 1-2 lbs a week, with some plateaus in between.  What I focus on is what I see in the mirror.  I look much better in my clothes and overall just feel better.  I have learned that patience is a virtue and that hard work pays off (just not over night).  I was amazed at what a difference 10 lbs made in my appearance.  Now 50 lbs later I like what I see.  Sure... I still have 20lbs to my goal, but I am not miserable where I am either.

Keep up the good fight...  It will pay off!