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When you diet, do you only look at calories?
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 2009-06-11 11:54 AM |
Master 1384    Brooklyn, NY |  Subject: When you diet, do you only look at calories?I'm losing weight and that started only after keeping track at the numbers in my food (cals, carbs, sugar, etc.). Have you simply looked at the calorie intake/restriction or have you taken other numbers into consideration? And has that helped? |
| 2009-06-11 12:08 PM in reply to: #2210619 |
Not a Coach 11473 Media, PA | Subject: RE: When you diet, do you only look at calories? When you are trying to lose weight, calories are king. However, the best "diets" are the ones you can maintain essentially forever. So it pays to look at what you are eating in terms of fats/carbs/protein, as well as making sure you are getting a good mix of other nutrients that your body needs. A balanced, sustainable diet is the best diet. |
| 2009-06-11 1:32 PM in reply to: #2210619 |
Veteran 139 Concord, CA | Subject: RE: When you diet, do you only look at calories? I mostly look at fat, sugar, cholesterol and sodium content (in that order) |
| 2009-06-11 4:09 PM in reply to: #2210619 |
| New user 476 | Subject: RE: When you diet, do you only look at calories? Yes, calories are king when it comes to losing weight, but what is a king with-out a kingdom? I watch protein and carbs too. I can eat 2000 calories of pizza and cake but I guarantee I'm not going to get the protein and carbs my body needs. By making sure you're getting your carbs and protein in it will help you make sure you are eating healthy, not just a deficit in calories. A deficit in calories with-out thought could have a negative impact on your body. |
| 2009-06-11 4:14 PM in reply to: #2210619 |
Extreme Veteran 418 Pittsburgh | Subject: RE: When you diet, do you only look at calories? I try to look at the total balance of carbs, protein, and fat (I find I do best with roughly a 40% - 30% - 30% split). I also try to look at how nutritious overall the foods are (vitamins, minerals, fiber, etc.) Here's an extreme example: If you wanted to eat 1500 calories a day, you could just eat 1500 calories worth of butter. You would be taking the "correct" amount of calories, but you wouldn't be properly nourishing your body. You would probably feel kind of sick immediately, and you would probably get very sick very quickly if you did that. Slightly better: I could eat 600 calories' worth of white rice (almost pure carbs), 450 calories' worth of whey protein, and 450 calories' worth of oil. This way, I would at least be getting the right kinds of nutrients into my body (for both fueling and repairing it). But I still wouldn't be getting the right vitamins and minerals, and there would be no fiber in my diet. It might take me a bit longer to get sick, but I would end up being malnourished and unhealthy. Best way of eating: I could eat 600 calories' worth of fruit, vegetables, and whole-grain stuff (lots of carbs, but also a little protein and tons of fiber), 450 calories' worth of chicken breast, tofu, egg whites, lean beef, and fish (all high-quality protein sources), and another 450 calories' worth of healthy fats (olive oil, avocado, tree nuts). This not only gives you the proper balance of macronutrients (carbs, protein, fats), but it ensures that you're eating enough fiber, getting an adequate supply of vitamins and minerals, and a lot of other beneficial stuff (omega-3 fatty acids, plant pigments that are thought to help prevent cancers, etc.) that processed foods and supplement protein powders just plain don't contain. This approach to eating has helped me a lot. If you eat a lot of veggies and fruits, you're eating a lot of fiber which fills you up and makes it hard to eat too many calories. Plus you feel a lot healthier when you're actually nourishing your body, and it improves your athletic performance when you eat clean. To be honest, I have lost a lot more weight than I ever did when I was counting calories. At this point, even if I make a mistake and eat an unhealthy food, I will just say "Oh well, I ate a couple too many calories today," and make sure to eat my veggies and fruit at dinner -- that way, my body doesn't feel malnourished, and I'm way less likely to overeat the next day. |
| 2009-06-11 4:39 PM in reply to: #2210619 |
Master 1322 Chicago | Subject: RE: When you diet, do you only look at calories? Mostly just calories although I need to look at carbs total percentages, because I'll tend to eat too many otherwise. I might do a good 80 percent if not paying attention. I try and keep it close to 50-60 these days. I don't need to look at fat in general because I tend to eat low-fat by default, although I try and keep saturated to a minimum because of family history. If anything I need to include a bit more healthy fat. In general it's all about the calories though it's just if you make better choices with the calories you get a lot more food for the buck so to speak. |
| 2009-06-12 9:31 AM in reply to: #2210619 |
Champion 10471 Dallas, TX | Subject: RE: When you diet, do you only look at calories? I start with the calorie count of something and work my way from there. First I look for something low calorie that seems filling... then I see how much fat and protein it has. More often than not, just focusing on low calories keeps my fat intake low. I do tend to have a higher percentage of carb intake though, due to being a vegetarian. But most days I keep my carbs around 50%, protein at 25% and fat at 25%. I also learned that my stomach and digestive track does not like more than around 100 grams of protein a day. So I try to keep it at or lower than 25%. |
| 2009-06-12 9:41 AM in reply to: #2213037 |
Extreme Veteran 660 Texas | Subject: RE: When you diet, do you only look at calories? KSH - 2009-06-12 9:31 AM I start with the calorie count of something and work my way from there. First I look for something low calorie that seems filling... then I see how much fat and protein it has. More often than not, just focusing on low calories keeps my fat intake low. I do tend to have a higher percentage of carb intake though, due to being a vegetarian. But most days I keep my carbs around 50%, protein at 25% and fat at 25%. I also learned that my stomach and digestive track does not like more than around 100 grams of protein a day. So I try to keep it at or lower than 25%. x2 I focus on calories first, but then look at protein (keeping it high), sugar and fat (keeping them low). My stomach also cannot handle too much protein, so I generally eat around 90-95 grams per day. I used to stay within my calories, but would eat too much sugar (darn those 100 calorie snack). I've noticed a better weight loss when I keep the sugar down below 90 grams per day. |
| 2009-06-13 7:20 PM in reply to: #2210619 |
Regular 95 Oregon City, Oregon | Subject: RE: When you diet, do you only look at calories? Since you posted this to beginnertriathlete.com, I would assume you are or have aspirations to become a triathlete at some point. If that's the case, then I believe you're better off watching at least protein, carbs and fat along with overall calories. If you are active and you're eating within an appropriate calorie range, you should lose weight. But it may not be the right weight (I'll assume you want to lose fat, not muscle) and it's likely not teaching you good eating habits for life. Add in the rigors of tri training and a good balance becomes essential. I would think of this as going back to school to learn how to fuel your body. You've passed elementary school and now ready to move to the next level. It took me about two years before I felt like I could graduate off of tracking food intake (I grew up eating like crap) and even then I still sometimes need to go back on plan to bring things back in control. |
| 2009-06-14 10:07 AM in reply to: #2215619 |
Member 32 | Subject: RE: When you diet, do you only look at calories? my wife was on weight watchers after our first baby (my daughter is 6 now). i used those parameters to lose weight and have with great results. i went from 320+ to about 275 in probably 4 months. kept that off and stayed within the 270 - 280 range for a year or two. then went back on the diet and dropped to 250. hovered around that for a few years and i have been back on it since april 1st. weighted 262 april 1st and weighted 238 this morning. it is a very well organized diet that uses basically all common sense and if you are true to yourself you will lose weight. its simple mathmatics. trying for 220. |
| 2009-06-14 6:38 PM in reply to: #2211633 |
Master 1915 Hamilton, Victoria | Subject: RE: When you diet, do you only look at calories? kat_astrophe - 2009-06-12 7:14 AM I try to look at the total balance of carbs, protein, and fat (I find I do best with roughly a 40% - 30% - 30% split). I also try to look at how nutritious overall the foods are (vitamins, minerals, fiber, etc.) Here's an extreme example: If you wanted to eat 1500 calories a day, you could just eat 1500 calories worth of butter. You would be taking the "correct" amount of calories, but you wouldn't be properly nourishing your body. You would probably feel kind of sick immediately, and you would probably get very sick very quickly if you did that. Slightly better: I could eat 600 calories' worth of white rice (almost pure carbs), 450 calories' worth of whey protein, and 450 calories' worth of oil. This way, I would at least be getting the right kinds of nutrients into my body (for both fueling and repairing it). But I still wouldn't be getting the right vitamins and minerals, and there would be no fiber in my diet. It might take me a bit longer to get sick, but I would end up being malnourished and unhealthy. Best way of eating: I could eat 600 calories' worth of fruit, vegetables, and whole-grain stuff (lots of carbs, but also a little protein and tons of fiber), 450 calories' worth of chicken breast, tofu, egg whites, lean beef, and fish (all high-quality protein sources), and another 450 calories' worth of healthy fats (olive oil, avocado, tree nuts). This not only gives you the proper balance of macronutrients (carbs, protein, fats), but it ensures that you're eating enough fiber, getting an adequate supply of vitamins and minerals, and a lot of other beneficial stuff (omega-3 fatty acids, plant pigments that are thought to help prevent cancers, etc.) that processed foods and supplement protein powders just plain don't contain. This approach to eating has helped me a lot. If you eat a lot of veggies and fruits, you're eating a lot of fiber which fills you up and makes it hard to eat too many calories. Plus you feel a lot healthier when you're actually nourishing your body, and it improves your athletic performance when you eat clean. To be honest, I have lost a lot more weight than I ever did when I was counting calories. At this point, even if I make a mistake and eat an unhealthy food, I will just say "Oh well, I ate a couple too many calories today," and make sure to eat my veggies and fruit at dinner -- that way, my body doesn't feel malnourished, and I'm way less likely to overeat the next day. I agreee with the above absolutely! Monitoring my dietary intake in this way changed my attitude toward food. I now see it as fuel and I now naturally make better food decisions. |
| 2009-06-14 10:22 PM in reply to: #2210619 |
New user 23 Dry heat AZ | Subject: RE: When you diet, do you only look at calories? I have been using the program loseit for the iphone and ipod touch, and it's a great way to track calories and fat/carb/protein percentages. Their has to be something similar to that out there if you don't have the iphone or ipod. I use it to track net calories, so it tracks calories burned. You set it up with your weight, and how many pounds you want to lose total, and tell it how many pounds you want to lose per week (max is 2 which is safe). While it's not the most accurate, and calories can vary I have used it for 7 weeks, and my plan was to lose 2 pounds a week. Quick math says I should be at 14 lbs lost...well it's 15.4, but close enuf  The other good thing about a food diary is it makes you think before you put stuff in your mouth if you know you have to write it down. |
| 2009-06-15 4:21 PM in reply to: #2217274 |
| 18 | Subject: RE: When you diet, do you only look at calories? sachsr1 - 2009-06-14 11:22 PM I have been using the program loseit for the iphone and ipod touch, and it's a great way to track calories and fat/carb/protein percentages. Their has to be something similar to that out there if you don't have the iphone or ipod. I use it to track net calories, so it tracks calories burned. You set it up with your weight, and how many pounds you want to lose total, and tell it how many pounds you want to lose per week (max is 2 which is safe). While it's not the most accurate, and calories can vary I have used it for 7 weeks, and my plan was to lose 2 pounds a week. Quick math says I should be at 14 lbs lost...well it's 15.4, but close enuf The other good thing about a food diary is it makes you think before you put stuff in your mouth if you know you have to write it down. A really good food diary is www.thedailyplate.com. I think it is now connected with livestrong.com as well. It will track caloric intake and caloric burn, along with percentages of protein carbs etc. It's free and a really good tool. You can also track your weight as well. |
| 2009-06-15 6:40 PM in reply to: #2210619 |
Extreme Veteran 557 | Subject: RE: When you diet, do you only look at calories? No...I look at all macros 35% Carbs 40% Protein 25% Fat Edited by LSU25 2009-06-15 6:44 PM |
| 2009-06-16 5:23 PM in reply to: #2219436 |
Champion 10471 Dallas, TX | Subject: RE: When you diet, do you only look at calories? burtonrider11 - 2009-06-15 4:21 PM sachsr1 - 2009-06-14 11:22 PM I have been using the program loseit for the iphone and ipod touch, and it's a great way to track calories and fat/carb/protein percentages. Their has to be something similar to that out there if you don't have the iphone or ipod. I use it to track net calories, so it tracks calories burned. You set it up with your weight, and how many pounds you want to lose total, and tell it how many pounds you want to lose per week (max is 2 which is safe). While it's not the most accurate, and calories can vary I have used it for 7 weeks, and my plan was to lose 2 pounds a week. Quick math says I should be at 14 lbs lost...well it's 15.4, but close enuf The other good thing about a food diary is it makes you think before you put stuff in your mouth if you know you have to write it down. A really good food diary is www.thedailyplate.com. I think it is now connected with livestrong.com as well. It will track caloric intake and caloric burn, along with percentages of protein carbs etc. It's free and a really good tool. You can also track your weight as well. It is on www.livestrong.com now. And it can be used through Blackberry and the Iphone... they have some sort of app or something. |
| 2009-06-16 7:35 PM in reply to: #2210619 |
Regular 95 Oregon City, Oregon | Subject: RE: When you diet, do you only look at calories? fitday.com is another one. Not sure on mobile support though. |
| 2009-06-17 11:47 AM in reply to: #2210619 |
Expert 1203 | Subject: RE: When you diet, do you only look at calories? I have been low-carbing for about 18 months and this has turned into a permanent way of eating. I had bounced around with weight for years and tried different diets but this is the only one that has given me any level of success. I eat about a 60-30-10 split of Fat/Protien/Carbs. I have dropped 96 lbs so far and feel great. In addition to the weight loss I no longer have hypertension (110/68), resting heart rate is at 48-50, Acid-Reflux is gone, Doc said I was pre-diabetic prior to starting, symptoms are now gone, sleep apnea-gone, cholesterol/tryglicerides down to healthy levels. Basically everything that was wrong before beginning a low carb diet dissappeared within a couple of months of beginning. I now sustain on Meat, Vegi's and some dairy. Sugar in all forms (Raw, Processed Flour and starchy vegitables) is avoided at all cost. |
| 2009-06-17 12:02 PM in reply to: #2210619 |
Expert 1203 | Subject: RE: When you diet, do you only look at calories? Sorry, I started typing and forgot the question. When I started out Low-Carbing I did not worry about calories. Having said that, I absolutely watch them now. I have a pretty specific regimen I follow regarding caloric intake with the intent to create a deficit each week of approximately 7000 calories which will equal roughly 2 lbs of loss. |
| 2009-06-17 3:58 PM in reply to: #2210619 |
Extreme Veteran 608 Iceland | Subject: RE: When you diet, do you only look at calories? BATLOU, just wondering. Do you exercise at all? I tried low carbs for 4 weeks about 2 years ago and after 3 weeks I had no more energy to train on my normal level and I even had weaker performances at work due to the sugar withdrawal. Did you have any different experience? I bet low carbs works great for weightloss but is nothing for Triathletes or for people with jobs where concentration and high performance is essential... |
| 2009-06-17 7:55 PM in reply to: #2225181 |
Master 1322 Chicago | Subject: RE: When you diet, do you only look at calories? Another good one although not free is myfooddiary.com I used this site to lose 115lbs last year. When I stopped recording the food... well we know what happens, so I'm on damage control now. I'm currently using a body bugg which has its own food log while not as nice as some of the online logging sites it's not that bad, but I don't want to log in more then one place so everything goes there these days. I think the important key if you're not watching anything but calories is to make sure your not filling up with "empty" foods. Make what you eat count. Make good choices and you won't go hungry. |
| 2009-06-17 10:06 PM in reply to: #2225181 |
Expert 1203 | Subject: RE: When you diet, do you only look at calories? Joblin - 2009-06-17 3:58 PM BATLOU, just wondering. Do you exercise at all? I tried low carbs for 4 weeks about 2 years ago and after 3 weeks I had no more energy to train on my normal level and I even had weaker performances at work due to the sugar withdrawal. Did you have any different experience? I bet low carbs works great for weightloss but is nothing for Triathletes or for people with jobs where concentration and high performance is essential... My workout routine looks like this... Monday, Weds, Friday - 40 Minutes Running, 20 Minutes Muscle Tuesday, Thursday - 30 Minute Swim, 1 Hour Spinning Class Saturday - Choice, I just go and do whatever I want swim, bike or run I am also the Director of IT Operations for a pretty demanding company and have been quite successful in building a infrastructure that has helped build a small Manufacturer into a Multi-Million dollar Company. So yes I have a job. |
| 2009-06-18 4:10 AM in reply to: #2225778 |
Extreme Veteran 608 Iceland | Subject: RE: When you diet, do you only look at calories? Batlou - 2009-06-18 3:06 AM Joblin - 2009-06-17 3:58 PM BATLOU, just wondering. Do you exercise at all? I tried low carbs for 4 weeks about 2 years ago and after 3 weeks I had no more energy to train on my normal level and I even had weaker performances at work due to the sugar withdrawal. Did you have any different experience? I bet low carbs works great for weightloss but is nothing for Triathletes or for people with jobs where concentration and high performance is essential... My workout routine looks like this... Monday, Weds, Friday - 40 Minutes Running, 20 Minutes Muscle Tuesday, Thursday - 30 Minute Swim, 1 Hour Spinning Class Saturday - Choice, I just go and do whatever I want swim, bike or run I am also the Director of IT Operations for a pretty demanding company and have been quite successful in building a infrastructure that has helped build a small Manufacturer into a Multi-Million dollar Company. So yes I have a job.
Thanks for the reply. I was just curious if it works at all for some people and it seems to agree with you. It did unfortunately not with me (neither with training nor with my job) but I sure would have liked the faster weight-loss that comes with it. And one thing that I am still amazed about is that I never had a single craving during those 4 weeks. Once you are off the sugar everything seemed so easy |
| 2009-06-18 7:21 AM in reply to: #2210619 |
Expert 1203 | Subject: RE: When you diet, do you only look at calories? Most that I have spoken with that have either tried and failed on a Low-Carb diet or had some early success but could sustain it struggled for one of two reasons. |
| 2009-06-18 7:48 AM in reply to: #2226024 |
Extreme Veteran 608 Iceland | Subject: RE: When you diet, do you only look at calories? Batlou - 2009-06-18 12:21 PM Most that I have spoken with that have either tried and failed on a Low-Carb diet or had some early success but could sustain it struggled for one of two reasons. WOW thats a very low calorie intake. Good that it works for you but I know for a fact I could not perform on that. I also create a calorie deficit of about 7000 a week by burning at least 3000 a day and eating around 2000 (some days more and some days less). And I eat at least 50% carbs. I also need the sugar to keep me functioning, low blood sugar NO good for me. I stopped low carb because I knew it was not for me for the future and the 10lbs I lot during those 4 weeks I gained again within about 2 weeks after eating carbs again. Its just nothing I want to do for the rest of my life.
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| 2009-06-18 8:12 AM in reply to: #2210619 |
Expert 1203 | Subject: RE: When you diet, do you only look at calories? I would agree that this is not a lifestyle for everyone. I have lost 97 lbs doing this over the last 1.5 years so it works for me and I feel great. I am also nearing my goal and will begin to slowly introduce limited carbohydrates back into my diet. Since I try hard to eat natural and avoid things with complicated labels (not perfect, see ranch dressing). I will get these carbs from fruits. Right now the only fruits I have are different types of berries. The other carbs from enriched processed flour, raw sugar or high starch vegitables I have no use for.
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