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peterparker
May 14th, 2004, 02:12 PM
Hey all!
I'm trying to lose some weight, do you count calories?
Books I've read says no do not worry about counting calories, I find it hard to believe.

The books mostly say "keep it no or very low fat, and eat as much as you want"

harpy
May 14th, 2004, 04:10 PM
Things like calorie counting and weighing food out apparently work for some people but they would make me obsess about food so I would probably eat more.

I think fat reduction is a better approach, but it is probably not advisable to take the "eat as much as you want" thing too literally when it comes to carbohydrates, especially things like potatoes and products made with white flour, as you can clock up quite a lot of calories with those and (for some people at least) they can upset your blood sugar levels. And of course too much sugar is not a good idea for the same reasons.

It's probably fine to eat as much as you want of things like green vegetables and wholegrains though.

Perhaps you can experiment a bit and see whether you lose weight by just removing some fat from your diet?

webster
May 14th, 2004, 07:21 PM
I don't count calories. I am generally aware of them though, just in that I have a rough idea how many calories are in what, and won't eat much of high calorie things. I do try to stick to a low fat diet, but again it is just by being generally aware rather than counting actual fat grams.

I do rely on certain principles, such as I keep telling myself 'you can't get fat from fruit', so I eat lots of fruit as snacks throughout the day. I used to obsess about the calories in bananas (which at one point I thought were high :-( ) and grapes (ditto), but now I am older and wiser and realise that the penny difference in calories between an apple and a banana do not matter.

I could also add that I have been low-fat for so long that high fat foods just disgust me now. In general I won't eat crisps or things like that just because they make my fingers and lips so greasy - If they do that to my fingers and lips, I hate to think of what they do to my insides! I found that you develop a whole new taste for things too - that veggies taste better without the butter, ditto with bread and so on - Butter covers up the taste of so many wonderful natural flavours.

Artichoke47
May 14th, 2004, 07:58 PM
I have between 1,750 and 2,000 calories per day, sometimes 2,500 but rarely, so yes, I do keep track.

globesetter
May 14th, 2004, 09:25 PM
I have counted my calories on www.fitday.com. Once I got the idea of how much I eat, I can pretty much judge on my own - I eat about 1500 calories a day.

Calories do matter - if we eat more calories than we eat, they get stored - which usually means fat, etc.

Low fat is a bit of a myth, as we need to get enough fat - since I am vegan, I donīt have to worry about bad fat, like in butter. I am aware how much nut or nut butters, avocados, coconut, oils, that I use, just so I am not overdoing it - but I do the same with protein and carbs - I tend to have more carbs than recommended, but they are all in veggies and whole grains, so I donīt worry about it at all.

If you want to lose weight, you just have to burn more calories than you eat, and to be healthy, get the right balance of proteins, carbs and fats.

Diet books and media info just make the issue more complicated than it really is....

regards,
globesetter

cedarblue
May 15th, 2004, 03:59 PM
no i dont.

peterparker
May 16th, 2004, 07:21 AM
Im trying to keep fat as low as possible, but reward myself weekly.
as long as its still vegan. hehe

Im sticking with fruits, veggies, grains and legumes.
I get protein from soy milk & tvp.

Thanks for the responses!

Kiva Dancer
May 18th, 2004, 09:10 PM
I don't count calories and I don't count grams (fat, carb, etc). I eat whole-foods and whole grains, I avoid processed/refined foods, and I snack a few times throught the day to keep my blood sugar steady and everything's in moderation. That, I think helps me more than the omni diets with all their funny rules and odd ideas about things.

foxytina_69
May 19th, 2004, 12:50 AM
i dont count calories. i used to be anorexic so if i did that it would be very bad!

i just dont eat chips and fries and pop and then eat everything else i want, and as much as i want. since i dont get much fat from anything and eat mostly vegetables, i can eat tons of calories during the day but not gain weight.

cast_the_flames
May 22nd, 2004, 09:57 PM
i go through periods of counting every single calorie and then just forgetting it all and eating as healthily as i can. however, i find i tend to gain weight when i'm not counting, as i underestimate the fattening power of vegan desserts and ten servings of rice.

animalsvoice
Jun 10th, 2004, 01:42 PM
I find it very easy to both lose and gain weight and I never counted calories in my whole life.. It just sounds like a wasting of time:S It's NOT necessary, trust me. Try to find another way.

Mystic
Jun 14th, 2004, 12:47 AM
I too, was anorexic, and let me tell you, calorie counting is an obsessive and unnatural means of controlling your weight.

Base your meals on wholegrains (wholemeal pasta, brown rice, grainy breads, whole wheat couscous, wholegrain breakfast cereals like wholewheat or porridge oats etc...) with legumes as a flavouring and source of protein (like hummus or bean dips, dhals, curries like chickpea etc...) and eat as much veggies as your heart desires. Snack on fresh fruit and dried fruit - as much as you want (but your bowels may not like too much dried fruit!) plus veggie sticks and rice cakes. I also eat 100% fruit leather straps and no added sugar canned fruit. I maintain a light weight and I am healthy - no counting, weighing, measuring...

Good luck!

julieruble
Jun 14th, 2004, 03:40 AM
I don't think calorie counting has to be obsessive or unnatural, although it becomes that way for certain people (anorexics sometimes included). I think being aware of (and managing) your intake is just conscientious, and I also think it's good to make sure calories are coming from good sources instead of sugars.

merwen4
Sep 6th, 2004, 09:49 PM
I weigh every morning sans clothing and before eating breakfast. If I'm weighing less than I did the day before, I'm happy and I eat conservatively (basically, however much I want of something, I eat a little less than that). If I'm weighing more than I did yesterday, I eat lighter than usual (so however much I want of something, I take half of that and scowl a lot).

That's now that I've lost all the weight I wanted to lose. Back when I was dieting, I did measure everything I ate and count calories. But I also worked hard at making sure I got a variety of good stuff -- I would reward myself for having more than 10 different kinds of fruits and veggies each day, for example. My reward was usually in the form of ice cream... Tofutti Cuties can't be beat!

I never did worry about the fat content of things... It took me about seven months to lose 25 pounds, but I did it! The main thing is to think of it in terms of respecting your body. Don't punish it too harshly (some days you're just going to mess up, so accept that), but push it gently and insistently in the direction you know it should be going.

slinkyvagabond
Sep 7th, 2004, 09:36 AM
I myself am not an anoretic (although I am *very* weird about food, to the point of obsessiveness) but I know many, and I think veganism might be a good lifestyle to adopt if and when recovery is desired. It allows you to still be picky about your diet, but in a healthy way, and it takes the focus off how what you eat affects you. I've noticed as I became progressively vegan my food obsessiveness has gotten better. I'm still weird, and I won't budge on casein, whey, or "less than 2 percent", but like I said, it's not just about me anymore.

eve
Sep 8th, 2004, 07:02 AM
I wouldn't like to count calories, nor weigh myself every day, in fact the doc told me that it is not the weight measurement that should be of concern, but the waist measurement.

bananafish
Mar 23rd, 2005, 03:17 PM
Not sure if this is the right forum for this... but I was just wanting some estimations of how many calories other vegans are getting on average. It seems hard for me to get enough for some reason, unless I'm totally binging on junk food or something. If a diet consists of about 1,000 calories a day, is that detrimental to health?

celtic rose
Mar 23rd, 2005, 03:21 PM
Unless you're very petite most people need from 1600 up to around 2500.

feline01
Mar 23rd, 2005, 03:25 PM
Not sure if this is the right forum for this... but I was just wanting some estimations of how many calories other vegans are getting on average. It seems hard for me to get enough for some reason, unless I'm totally binging on junk food or something. If a diet consists of about 1,000 calories a day, is that detrimental to health?

I get too much but not from junk food, I overdose on healthy food :( . For example, I bet my lunch (homemade vegan lasagna made w/ whole wheat noodles, kale, tofu ricotta and cheeze sauce) is almost 2 portions probably :o .

1,000 calories is way too low unless you are really trying to lose weight. You can add some nutritious, high calorie foods like avocados, nut butters and nuts to help boost your calories.

foxytina_69
Mar 23rd, 2005, 06:02 PM
anything below 1200 is not recommended as brain damage could occur, amongst other health reasons.

i eat between 1200-1500 calories a day. (only because im watching my calories so i can lose weight)

Artichoke47
Mar 23rd, 2005, 06:23 PM
I get between 1,500 and 2,500 probably. I don't really know, don't keep track. When I was keeping track, it was 1,500 to 2,000.

I also exercise for about an hour daily.

PinkFluffyCloud
Mar 23rd, 2005, 06:26 PM
I find it hard to tell how many calories I eat, but I would imagine it's at least 2,500 or more, no trouble! I have tried to stay below 1,500 before (I have weight to lose) but I was STARVING!!!! :o I cannot imagine living on 1,000 calories or less, what do your meals usually consist of? :confused:

1984
Mar 23rd, 2005, 10:19 PM
I eat a lot probably around 3000 to 4000 , but I am trying to gain some weight, and "bulk up" as they say.

PinkFluffyCloud
Mar 23rd, 2005, 10:20 PM
I eat a lot probably around 3000 to 4000 , but I am trying to gain some weight, and "bulk up" as they say.

I wish that were my problem! :o

FR
Mar 23rd, 2005, 10:44 PM
I'd say anywhere from 1,800 to 2,300.