I'm wondering how many are counting calories, or just portion size of normal foods, or a formal diet like WW or no changes at all except less food. I want to know what's working for everyone.:sad:

I had my surgery on Nov 12,2009. I was told that I need between 700 and 800 cal.

I don't count calories at all. I eat what I want except, of course, much smaller amounts. I never feel deprived and so far it is working for me.

To a certain extent. I am not obsessive about it, nor do I log daily. But I do keep track in my mind.

I don't count calories. I eat what I want and listen to my body when I feel full. So far it seems to be working -slowly, but working. I do follow the band rules tho' (most of the time). My doctor strongly discourages calorie counting-says I've been doing it for years and that's not how healthy people eat. The band is suppose to reteach me how to listen to body signals as to when I am full.

I eat about the same things as I did before, just way less of them.

However, I do choose healthier more often. But if I want something not so healthy, I have it. I have tried very hard to rid myself the good food/bad food diet mentality forever. I dont want to count calories and/or Protein for the rest of my life. I agree, that's not what normal weight people do.

I also exercise like a fiend with running, bootcamp and circuit training. You dont really need to count calories so carefully when you burn so many.

My doctor is strongly against counting calories or measuring food. Every once in a while I check my calorie count for one day just to see if I'm getting enough or if I'm overeating.

I count calories every day i write down every bite that i put in my month. I think it is what has gotten me to almost a 70lb loss. If i wouldn't write down what i eat then i know i would over eat and not loose weight because there is always ways to eat around you band like slider foods. For me the band is just a tool it helps me stay full and i count calories and exercise to help it out too. I think that sometimes you don't realize how many calories add up and before you know it you have overeating. But counting calories isn't for everyone. This is just how i do it but everyone needs to find their own way to keep on track.

I eat pretty much what I want too, but make better choices. The doctor did take me off of pasta, rice and bread before surgery. He wanted me off of potatoes too, but I do have one once in a while, I don't put toppings on. I food journal off and on, so I know exactly how many calories are in everything I eat and how much protein. I am being bad right now and probably will be until new years. However, bad for me now is no where near where bad was before the band.

What good is counting how many calories you are consuming if you have nothing to compare it to?

If you get a Bodybugg, it tells you how many calorie you are burning and then you can find out the ideal calorie intake for yourself and how many calories you should be consuming to lose a specific amount of weight.

What good is counting how many calories you are consuming if you have nothing to compare it to?

If you get a Bodybugg, it tells you how many calorie you are burning and then you can find out the ideal calorie intake for yourself and how many calories you should be consuming to lose a specific amount of weight.

Accountability of food

Goal setting

Being able to tell your doctor/nutrionist/trainer what you daily caloric intake is so they can do their job.

Neither the doctor, nutritionist nor trainer can tell you how many calories you are burning 24 hours a day.

The Bodybugg can and it is a lot cheaper than the 3 alternatives you named.

Neither the doctor, nutritionist nor trainer can tell you how many calories you are burning 24 hours a day.

The Bodybugg can and it is a lot cheaper than the 3 alternatives you named.

Yes, there is a formula that will tell you within a range how many calories you should be eating/burning. My doctor and nutritionist visits are free and my boyfriend is my trainer.

Accountability of food

Goal setting

Being able to tell your doctor/nutrionist/trainer what you daily caloric intake is so they can do their job.

I agree with you minimeme. The bodybugg is nice but you don't need a fancy item to count calories. All i need is a pen a piece of paper. I read the labels off everything i eat and messure all my food.

I agree with you minimeme. The bodybugg is nice but you don't need a fancy item to count calories. All i need is a pen a piece of paper. I read the labels off everything i eat and messure all my food.

And this somehow tells you how many calories you are burning?

The Bodybugg tells you how many calories you are using not how many you are consuming. I can do that without the pen and paper.

And this somehow tells you how many calories you are burning?

The Bodybugg tells you how many calories you are using not how many you are consuming. I can do that without the pen and paper.

This thread was about counting calories not how many calories you burn in a day. I know what the bodybug does i am not dumb. YOu can figure out how many calories you body needs to maintain you weight

BMR Adult female: 655 + (4.3 x weight in lbs.) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years)

Step two: In order to incorporate your activity level into your daily caloric needs, do the following calculation to get your Activity Level Number.

• If you are sedentary : BMR x 20 percent
  
• If you are lightly active: BMR x 30 percent
  
• If you are moderately active (You exercise about 3-4 days per week.): BMR x 40 percent
  
• If you are very active (You exercise intensely 5 or more days per week.): BMR x 50 percent
  
• If you are extra active (You do hard labor or are in athletic training, or exercise intensely 5 or more days per week for 3 or more hours per day ): BMR x 60 percent
  

Add your Activity Level Number to your BMR = Daily Caloric Intake (what you would need to maintain you weight)

Yes the bodybug is nice to know the amount but acording to its website it is only 90% correct

this is from the website "Short periods of time in the day may show calorie values you were not expecting. This may be because the calorie burn for that activity is different to what you were expecting, and the accuracy of the system varies with different activities. Over the whole day the average accuracy remains over 90%."

So weather you do the formula or do the bodybugg nothing is exact. The only way you are really going to know how many calories you body needs to maintain is to get you metabolism tested. High end gyms do it and some doctors do it but it does cost.

Don't think i am trying to argue btrieger. If the bodybugg works for you then thats great. You still have to count calories with the bodybugg because the bodybugg just gives you how many calories you body burned in one day you still have to subtract how many calories you eat to see you deficit. But not everyone can afford the bodybugg. Am i am just saying that you can still figure out how many calories you body needs to maintain.

example of mine

the formula gave me a total of 2426.20 calories to maintain my weight

so if i only eat 1000 calories a day that means i am -1426.20 calories and if there is 3500 calories in a lb then i am burning 2.8 lb per week.

Edited December 4, 200916 yr by reneek