Is calorie counting obsessive?

heavenseventeen

heavenseventeen

0
I was thinking of starting to count calories, but I feel like I would be leaning from the "healthy lifestyle" to the "fanatic dieters". I just hate/scared/worry about the idea of counting calories for the rest of my days...it would feel like the "diet" was controlling me.

I don't know what to do. The only reason I'm complaining it because it's taken me 8 months to lose 30lbs, but if I counted calories this would progress faster...I think.

I know that after you're maintaining, or after a while, you might be able to estimate again, but I would be too scared of estimating wrong and seeing the scale start to rise again.

Can anyone give me their personal, honest experience of calorie counting?
 
no calorie counting is not obsessive..here this site will make it much easier for you to keep track of what youre eating if you dont already have one...
 
I think 90% of the people on these forum's count their calories. I know I do. It isn't a matter of being obsessive, it is a matter of a healthy life style. You have a calorie range to hit if you want to lose weight, another number if you wanna gain weight and another if you want to maintain. You have to count them to know where you are at on a daily basis. I think the general concensus on here keep track of their daily calorie count on Fitday.com. Good luck with your fitness goals.
 
I just make a nutrition plan of what I am going to eat with all the calories, proteins, carbs, and fats and eat the same things everyday.
 
Counting calories really helped me when i was trying to cut... I counted calories for a while when i was bulking, but recently gave up. I just eat as much clean food as i can stomach...

Even if you don't count calories to be fanatic, it still helps to familiarize yourself with the macros of the foods you eat. I would suggest using Fitday for a few months, then decide if you think its necessary to use continually...

Also, some people think going to the gym 3-4 times a week, and drinking water instead of soda is obsessive... You need to do what works for you to meet your goals, don't worry what other people think if you're being healthy!
 
heavenseventeen said:
I was thinking of starting to count calories, but I feel like I would be leaning from the "healthy lifestyle" to the "fanatic dieters". I just hate/scared/worry about the idea of counting calories for the rest of my days...it would feel like the "diet" was controlling me.

I don't know what to do. The only reason I'm complaining it because it's taken me 8 months to lose 30lbs, but if I counted calories this would progress faster...I think.

I know that after you're maintaining, or after a while, you might be able to estimate again, but I would be too scared of estimating wrong and seeing the scale start to rise again.

Can anyone give me their personal, honest experience of calorie counting?
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Just because you monitor what you eat does not mean the "diet" is controlling your life. What is wrong with making sure you consume the right amount of calories? Nothing at all. :)
 
After you count for awhile, you soon will just know what to eat and what not to eat. I dont count now, but I have a round about figure that I know I am at.
 
I think im the only one to have this opinion then, but i wish, or at least often wonder what my life would be like if i didn't start counting calories.

It absolutely governs my life now, but i think that depends on your own personality.

That said, having a rough understanding of how many calories you should be having, and how much you are having can only be beneficial :)
 
I think I already do estimate, just not at dinner. I don't get how to weigh/measure rice and other stuff. I think I may have lost another 1-2lbs today, so I'm feeling better. Maybe if I hit another plateau, it would be a great idea to count calories then so I can experiment and see how to get rid of it.

Thanks everybody!:)
 
haha i praise yall that can count calories.. i can barly count how many reps i do.. im always losing count :-s i get distracted by something, i guess its fine cause i end up doing more then i should. but if you can count the calories then go for it.
 
fuelsofar said:
haha i praise yall that can count calories.. i can barly count how many reps i do.. im always losing count :-s i get distracted by something, i guess its fine cause i end up doing more then i should. but if you can count the calories then go for it.
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Fitday makes it very easy, honestly
 
When you know exactly what you're putting into you body and how it will effect your body is when you'll results in the Gym will go into a new stratisphere.
 
i agree...plus tjough if you obsesss over your calories thenyes its obsesssive, but if you are merely making a plan for youself and sticking to it, instead you are being efficient by managing the fuel you are putting in your body and when u think of it that way it only makes sense...i mean you track your workouts (output) why not your intake to get the highest possible performance?
 
Obsessive Software Program

I periodically use a program similiar to what's mentioned in this thread (called "Diet and Exercise Assistant") except that this program is for Palm OS handhelds and/or Pocket PCs and/or Windows PCs.

I love it (not always, but usually) because it makes keeping track of everything much easier so I can know I'm staying on my plan. I used to feel discouraged because of always doing a diet alone (joining this forum today is a great change for that:) ). The software program created a lot of encouragement for me because I could see how everything interconnected (the exercises, food, nutrition, etc.); plus, I felt accountable to a plan I could see every day.

If it wasn't for monitoring calorie intake, I would be deceived by how I could feel. It gets too easy for me to not feel hungry the less I eat, so I would be tempted to under eat whenever on a diet.

I read a lot of reviews written by people using such calorie/exercise software programs. Almost all of them rave over how successful it works for taking the weight off. I did manage to keep my weight off for a long time once I stopped monitoring calories, but they managed to creep back up...so I'm back to using what I know works. I also learned what brought weight back. I became too immoble because of developing a "frozen shoulder" (highly painful and also an insomnia creator).

I recently read a great point someone (I cannot remember who now) made. It went something like this: Lazy people call persistance (or was it "dedication? or commitment?") an obsession.
 
tonymcclellan said:
After you count for awhile, you soon will just know what to eat and what not to eat. I dont count now, but I have a round about figure that I know I am at.
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exactly. your food intake should be consistent, day to day, week to week. so really you'd only need to track a week or two, and then eat teh same way, and you'd know you were within a hundred calories of your target intake.
 
Faith said:
I recently read a great point someone (I cannot remember who now) made. It went something like this: Lazy people call persistance (or was it "dedication? or commitment?") an obsession.
Click to expand...

Ouch.:eek:

I actually agree with the comparison someone made that I already track my exercises. I guess that's where it may come down to laziness- I just pop in the tape, do it and the track it...with the food I'll have to weigh this and that. Yes, once I do it a couple of times, I'll be able to see and know for certain for life.

" did manage to keep my weight off for a long time once I stopped monitoring calories, but they managed to creep back up..."

That would be my fear.:(
 
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