Counting Calories or Not? Weight Loss Works in Many Ways
Tuesday February 8, 2011pic credit
So you say you don't want to count calories or log food & that is actually hinders your weight loss goals. Let's say you are at the beginning of your journey & you know that you plain just eat too much, you eat too large of portions and you eat way too much of the wrong types of food to keep you healthier & slimmer & more fit. This brings back some memories to me!!!!
Start with baby steps:
Success is in the sum of small efforts repeated day in & day out – Robert Collier
I am loving that quote! 
So, just start by substituting one "better thing for one worse thing - like instead of fast food french fries every day, have an apple or side salad (watch that dressing!) or veggie instead every other day. OR switch from the large size to the small size & then to the previous suggestion.
Have water or iced tea rather than soda. Fluids are one of the biggest calorie drains out there so this could be huge for you if you just start reducing down your soda consumption or higher calorie drinks for less of them & eventually to just something healthier long term. In fact, in the Bob Greene book that I will review & have a giveaway for Thursday, it states:
"Sweetened beverages make up about 21% of our daily calories - double in 1965. If you are taking in 1800 calories, that's 378 calories daily from sugary beverages. The average American drinks 222 more beverage calories a day now than in the 1960's, nearly all coming from sugary drinks."
Let that sink in - 378 extra calories a day can lead to almost 40 pounds in a year. Just changing that one thing can get you on the road to major weight loss!
In addition to the above, you can work toward bringing your own healthy lunch a couple times a week. Eventually move away from the fast food over time. Heck, figure out how much you are saving $$ wise by doing this! What an incentive! Save for a new outfit or workout wear or manicure or pedicure or whatever luxurious thing you want to reward yourself with for all your hard work!!!
How about NEAT - Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenisis - to burn more calories each day over & above your workout routine. I wrote about this back in December in THIS POST. A little excerpt below:
Torch Calories With NEAT
Who doesn’t want to be warm and cozy indoors when the weather outside is frightful? At this time of year, it’s easy to become sedentary — and pack on the pounds. But you can choose to stay fit and healthy no matter what the season with intentional, mindful physical activity. Any time you move your body, you burn calories — and unless it’s a planned workout, the calories you burn with this type of physical activity is called NEAT, or non-exercise activity thermogenesis. The fantastic thing about NEAT is that it can account for anywhere from 15% to over 50% of your total daily calorie burn — and you can jack up this amount in a big way with even minor boosts in your daily physical activity. Wearing a pedometer is a great way to track your NEAT — gradually work towards 10,000 steps a day for good health. Whether you’re mopping the kitchen floor, hauling wood, or preparing a Thanksgiving feast, it’s motivating to see the steps add up.
In fact, I just saw a segment on this the other day where a lady tracked her calorie burn one day doing no NEAT & then the next day she did things like stand on 1 foot while brushing her teeth or standing while watching a segment on TV or squatting or lunging in between cooking or just little things like that and she burned 700 more calories that day than the day before!
One pound equals 3500 calories so just by adding in NEAT to your day, you can possibly lose 1 pound in 5 days depending on how much you do (700 x 5=3500) just by adding in a bit here & there. Try NEAT in addition to your exercise routine!
Recall my back injury back in December & how I mentioned that I could not sit most of the time & I was losing weight too... even back then I mentioned the fact that standing all the time probably had something to do with it. I guess a sign to me to stand more! BTW, I am all better & actually at about 2 weeks and a day, I was back to normal.. thank goodness!!!!
All I am saying is that if you are not counting calories or using portion control, take an inventory of what you are doing & then start making baby steps to change things a little at a time. As you & your body & your mind get used to it AND the weight starts coming off, you will feel better & want to take bigger steps & include healthier options even more! A weight loss success story on The Today Show did exactly this!
One caveat - if you find you are not losing or stagnated for way too long or gaining, I always come back to the logging & figuring out exactly what you are doing & eating to be accountable to the truth & reality.... it is hard but people that do this are most likely to lose & maintain long term. I did count calories when I was younger. I have not had to for years BUT I am aware & know the portion sizes vs. the calories of what I eat so I can pretty much figure it out after all these years. BUT if the scale goes up & does not come down and/or the clothes continue to fit tight too many days, I TAKE ACTION! I don't wait more than 5 days or so. In addition, if I add in a new food, I make sure I know the portion size & calories associated with it. I measure it out for a few days till I know it by heart.
Dr. J made a great comment on another blog. He said:
I don't count calories but use portion control. If you are not losing, you are eating too much. That's the simple answer to your own personal math experiment. Really the calorie number means very little, in my opinion. However the effect on you means everything. I'm sorry if that sounds harsh. It's just what is. Too many people don't want to believe that so they keep looking for something else.
From Jody: Of course if you are on medication that causes issues or you have a medical condition, that is a different story & talk to your doc about that. The above is in relation to your average ole person. I used to train people & I can tell you a million things people told me as to why they could not lose weight. Most times is that it comes down to hard work & consistency & many people are still looking for the quicker & easier way.
Success is in the sum of small efforts repeated day in & day out – Robert Collier
Can you do it? YES YOU CAN!
What NEAT exercises are you adding to your day now OR what can you do to start adding that in? Me, I do try to stand more and I am one that as long as it is safe, I park further out when I go places so I walk more. Never ceases to amaze me that people drive around like crazy to get the closest spot at the gym so they can go in & exercise!
Categories: Motivation/Support, Fitness, Weight Loss, Awareness, Exercise, Dieting, Challenges, Nutrition, Food
Tags: accountability awareness calorie counting challenges choices consistency Diets Dr J eating Exercise fitness food healthy eating Nutrition motivation portion control quick weight loss fix Weight Loss
AWESOME!I think NEAT is a great idea that more people should implement. Despite the fact I workout rigorously and am on my feet all day, I might start doing things on one leg
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Joob, you are a workout machine!
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Wow, Jody this was a great post! I don't do anything outside of exercise! I sit at work in front of the computer all day long, but I do walk to the farther bathroom and get water. I need to figure out why I gained 10 pounds. I've been fighting it for months now even with all my exercise that scale won't go down. Drives me insane! I can fit into my skinniest of pants, but the number drives me insane.
Thank you for all your ideas and motivation!
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That scale can drive us nuts! If you are in your skinniest of pants, I would say that you have gained muscle & lowered your body fat.. writing you a separate email.
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I love that quote too!
Instead of using the phone I will walk downstairs and talk to my employees!
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April, sounds like a plan! Every little bit helps!
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Great post, Jody. I have so many little ways I add extra steps to my activity. Although I have several laundry baskets in my laundryroom, I rarely use them. After I fold laundry, I carry up a bunch at a time -- this equals several trips up and down the stairs. Then I carry up all of my husband's items on hangers; the next trip I carry up mine. I started doing this purposely several years ago to get more exercise. Also, while I'm cooking, whenever I'm waiting for something to boil, or onions are sauteeing, or oatmeal is simmering, I circumnavigate the kitchen, livingroom, and dining area -- this can add hundreds of steps daily.
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Marsial, I LOVE how you added in all those extra steps & activities! You go girl! Makes a lot of difference as the numbers show!!! LOVE!!!
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Caught me doing the tuff love thing
"We do not have to count calories, but we do have to ac-count for calories!"
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Dr. J.. got to say - love this comment!
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I have come full circle on calorie counting. I really dont like it, and done want to do it. But i realize the value it adds to my weight loss mission so i do it. If for no other reason it helps me validate that what I am doing is right, effective and working. If i am not losing, and i am counting, every time I can look to the numbers and see why I am not losing. I love simplicity, and counting calories is simple. Doesnt mean I like it, but I do like the value I get from it.
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Patrick, you write a crucial point - it is effective for you & working for you & you can see what is wrong if things are not working. Thx for chiming in!
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great post! Ilove all the tough love approach. Call an apple an apple. I just saw a great quote that I LOVE....Losing weight is hard, being over-weight is hard, choose your hard!
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I saw that quote somewhere too! I think I mentioned it on my blog & where it came from..
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This sounds so simple so why do I have such a hard time holding to it? My intentions are good but I am really good at self sabotage. I need to get back to the basics whether it be counting calories or portion control. I need to make a decision. Thanks for the reminder.
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Rachael, the actual losing weight - what we have to do which is eat less or better foods & do some sort of movement each day is simple & thought but HARD to do otherwise we all would be at the weight we want to be at.... it can be a mental game for sure & it was & still is for me..... we have to learn NOT to sabotage ourselves & don't let others do it either.. a post coming up from me!
As some say, willpower & MizFit says, the willingness to want it.
I saw a great quote somewhere about you have to be willing to love yourself more than the food!
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So funny that I have a totally different take on counting calories in a post all ready to publish next week! I actually wrote it a while ago and it just never got to the top of my list when I wrote other things but it seems to dovetail well with my tracking post of last week.
I get the math. Really I do. But I also think for some of us it is not that simple. If I look at my numbers, calories in vs. calories out, I should be at my goal weight or losing. I think there is a metabolism piece too. And I also feel that, for me at least, not all calories are created equal.
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Hi Karen. I have written before about although I do think calories in/calories out works, I have also found that certain types of food "settle differently" on me. I think when I ate less clean or less whole foods, I looked "squishier or mushier" for lack of better words & when I am less lean, meaning higher body fat, clothes do fit tighter on me even at the saame weight. I am going to write you a separate email on this cause I have some further questions for you on this.. would you expect anything less from me!!!
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PS; On metabolism.. I have worked thru the slowing metabolism due to age & perimenopasue so I do think with HARD work, we can get past that unless there is a medical reason for the prob.... really, I have had to change a lot thru these years to maintain.. it just takes a lot of hard work....
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Metabolism is part of the calories out part. I call it calorie availability versus calorie utilization. Your calculations are not taking your individual self into account. For you, you are eating too much, and exercising too little. Adjust that and see what happens.
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I counted calories throughout my loss phase (I still do, sort of), but it's not just the calories, it's the nutrition as well. I think of it as calorie counting PLUS. It works for me!
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Cammy, great point & I agree!
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