Is calorie counting sustainable over the long term? Would you do it for the rest of your life?

[Emily5577]

I've been counting calories for almost 2 years now. (weighing out and measuring exery gram I eat). I have occasional cheat days a few times a month. Do you think it's sustainable over the long term? Sometimes I feel it's a waste of time, but I'm almost positive I'd be overweight if I wasn't doing it. I'm planning on counting for the rest of my life even though it makes eating out impossible. Is this a bad idea?

Yes

No

[koko124]

Calorie counting is an inherently flawed practice because calories are not the unit of energy that the body uses.

A calorie is the amount of energy that is needed to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius at atmospheric pressure. The calories we talk about in food are actually kilocalories, which just means they're equivalent to 1000 of these calories.

Your body converts glucose from food into ATP, which is the real energy "unit" of life. The relationship between the calories the food contains (combustive energy) and the biological energy it potentially makes available to you is extremely spotty.

Example 1: Many people are known to have lactase non-persistence, meaning that they stop producing the lactase enzyme at some point in life. This means they cannot digest lactose. These people would derive less energy from milk than a person who was able to make the enzyme.

Example 2: Cows, sheep, and other ruminant animals possess bacteria in a specialized stomach called a rumen. These bacteria hydrolyze cellulose, making glucose and fatty acids available in the process. Cows derive far more energy from eating grass than humans do from eating grass, even though they would have the same caloric intake.

Example 3: One cup of gasoline contains 2000 dietary calories.

Calories are an extremely indirect way of gauging energy use by the body, but it will generally be true that you will lose weight by eating fewer calories. This does not mean that it is an optimal way to lose weight, however.

[meatballs21]

I eat fewer calories, drink less booze, indulge on occasion... but most importantly I exercise too. The takeaway (pun not intended, UK peeps) I have is a greater awareness of what I put inside my body, even if I don't slavishly count every calorie every day.

Badmouth it all you like, folks, I was losing a pound a week and I wasn't overweight to begin with. I only have 10lbs left to my goal, and I'm in weight and strength training now.

[olivejuicek]

no, its too taxing for me. What works for me are specific changes in diet. that way idc what I eat. 1.) drink water not juice. 2.) don't eat after 9pm. 3.) boil, not fry 4.) don't eat til you burst. 5.) don't turn to junk food...180 calories in 3 chips ahoy? really? who's gonna eat just 3?

[Anonymous]

I counted calories for many years and tried to stick to a 1200-1300 calorie diet. It worked until my life got extra stressful (breakup, losing a loved one, job issues) and I kinda fell off the deep end. Eating healthy foods is probably more sustainable.

[AidenBlue]

If you eat the right foods then calories aren't as important as you won't be as hungry. Avoid sugar, carbs, dairy, booze. Eat veggies, lean meat and seafood, veggies, fruit, veggies, and nuts. Drink only water.

Look around. Everything loaded with bread and cheese and sugar. It's killing us.

[maiez]

I counted maybe for 2 months, then stopped once I got sick. I would start over again. i was doing it for gaining weight, and once i got from 125-140, i got sick in the hospital for 6 days and couldnt eat. But yeah i would start again if i didn't get stopped

[Ricosuavemente]

You go girl! I do the same thing you do and I have a great body. Other people are going to judge well there's nothing wrong with doing something that will extend your life and is super healthy, be proud!

[Ricosuavemente]

by the way you look amazing, no doubt its because of your healthy lifestyle seems to be working.

[JackKerouac77]

No, how do you count calories at a restaurant? You can't.

I would prefer to just exercise more and eat less (but whatever I want, healthy-wise).

Just seems depressing to me to care than much about my weight.

[sarmac]

i used to count calories a while ago, it was a very bad time for me. i stopped that though.
I count macros now and i've never been happier. i enjoy it, but i don't see myself doing it when I'm older and in my 50s or something

[exoticval]

I used to be in the same position as you. However, ever since I began working out and doing crossfit years ago, I can eat whatever I want. Consider the gym. Eat what you want, just don't overdo it.

[kheserthorpe]

For me it's much easier to 'eat clean' with cheat days. And the frequency/intensity of cheat days depends where my weight is.

That's me. Some people calorie count forever.

[maiez]

i still dont understand cheat days, its kind of like a smoker deciding to smoke 1 day of the week

[kheserthorpe]

@maiez well there are differences. Cigarettes are fundamentally bad for you. Most of what i eat on a cheat day is not. It would be unhealthy as the backbone of my diet because it has high calories relative to protein and other nutrients. But that doesn't make it 'bad'. Pizza isn't bad. Daily pizza probably is.

Instead of chest it might be more accurate to describe it as 'periodic windows of carb loading and eating at caloric surplus for hormonal stabilization'.

[kheserthorpe]

Cheat*

[Jonny_]

I could but I wouldn't... any kind of counting generally slows down any 'progress' in controlling your weight. I don't see why you'd want to count calories...

[CourtJester]

Certainly gotten use to it but I've always believed in "everything in moderation" so I eat whatever #IIFYM

[Anonymous]

It's a disordered eating habit. It's smart in that you have exactly whatever serving, I use a scale too and log everything. And I have an eating disorder. You really should be eating intuitively and not measuring everything down to the gram.

[Opinion Owner]

Also, you should gain and lose... And just tweak based off what's going on.
It's hard to stop. I'm still doing it. But that's how it's supposed to be really

[Solenn]

i think that would be so hard but attainable.. personally i don't count calories cause i don't have to. :)

[SamuelB]

It's the only think that's sustainable over time. You can tell yourself things like "I won't eat sugars, red meat, or drink soda" but that's just a shortcut to eating less calories.

[Invoker]

Not at all. I've been doing it for about 3 years and I like knowing what I'm eating.

[oldtom188]

Yes this is a huge waste of time. Unless you need to psychologically control yourself. I guess if you have a tendency to overeat I can understand this.

[Ghosty]

Doing sport > Calorie counting. More fun and for sure more useful.

[Anonymous]

No, and I think it's ridiculous unless you have a serous weight issue.

[silvernblackattk]

Forget counting calories.. Eat what you want