CALORIE COUNTERS VS. PORTION WATCHERS? OR BOTH?

i've been doing a lot of google research since starting my diet, guilty me.. and i read lots of information where some say "COUNT CALORIES!!" and some just say, eat whatever, watch your portions.. for me it's easier to count calories. i like to know when i'm in my zone, and when i'm nearing the end of my intake limit. what about the rest of you?

I have been counting calories for the month of January and I am down 8 pounds. I think portion control is the key but knowing when your portions are over via the calorie count is important. Also lots of water!! Good luck!!

thanks! i've been dieting for ten days now, and i've lost around 8-9 lbs (scale isn't digital, so give or take) which i'm sure some of that is a mixture of water weight, and also a little bit of fat. i know it's a long journey still to go, but i've never felt better about myself! good luck to you, too!

You need both!

I think it's whatever fits your life. For me it's calories and portion control (goes along with calories). the diets don't fit how I eat. Natural foods, lots of whole grains, veggies, homemade bread, beans, and some animal protiens. Atkins cuts my the gains and breads for too long though I lost I gained it back cause I couldn't stick with it. Never have been a junk food eater and I don't do much processed foods. I also have to stick to a really tight budget. I need to pay attention to exercise cause I have a desk job.

As Wholefoodnut is saying is the same for me as well..counting calories and portion control go hand in hand and it has worked for me for over 5 months

BOTH, indeed!

I'm on my 2nd week and I'm hoping that both work for me

I would go by counting calories to lose weight. As you reach your goal you should be seeing what a real portion is. Once the goal is hit move over to portion control and keep an eye on the scales.

I have counted calories for about two years. I have lost all the weight I needed to. Then I started slacking on the calorie counting, and that set me back 20-30 lbs. Definitely count, get a feel of it, learn the portion size based on the calorie counting, so you have a good standing point for when you are "done".
I hope that I can go by portion control when I'm done losing weight again. I hope I won't be needing a calorie counter for life.

I found that when I try portion control on its own, it doesn't work. I end up eating too little first half of the day, then eating too much in the evening, and still not having a clue what the total daily calorie count was. It only works if you do calorie count in parallel, to make sure that it does add up to the number that you like at the end of the day.

I go with both too. I try to measure things out so I know what the calories will be and then I have the right portion size too. I've found that when I try to guess on portions, I'm usually wrong, which in turn ups my calories. If you haven't already, put what you think a serving of something is in a bowl or on a plate (something measured in cups is easiest), then actually measure it out, and you might be surprised, either you're a really good guesser or you may be way off. I found out I was using about 1/2 a cup more cereal than a serving size, that was almost another full serving for me. Yikes! Good luck!

I think the key to using "portion control" is not so much correctly learning the proper portion size. Rather, you have to eat slowly and learn to recognize the point at which you have had enough, and then stop. To use portion control for weight loss or maintenance, you are no longer ever again permitted to "clean your plate" when you are no longer hungry, even if it is just a single bite.

If you are no longer hungry, you can't have another portion. You can't have dessert, either.

If you are not hungry and someone offers you food or tries to pressure you to eat, you have to say "no". Every time, even if it's something you would want if you were hungry.

You have to learn to allow yourself throw away something you shouldn't eat or put it away for later, not tell yourself you may as well finish something when you know you're not hungry anymore.

You guys are amazing losing all that weight! I agree about measuring. Not something that is part of my nature..usually don't measure much when I cook much less eat. Since I've been weighing and meauring portions I'm amazed at what a portion really is. Now I try to measure every thing even when I cook. Hopefully one of these days I won't have to.

Weighing food and recording it in the app has become second nature to me and it only takes a afew seconds to weigh
it and less than a minute to enter it into the app.

It doesn't bother me in the slightest and I have a proper record of what i have eaten not guesswork

If I have to do it for life I'm not bothered its no big deal esp as at the age of 48 I'm practically the same weight I was at 19, sub 10% bf with a 30 inch waist and as fit as a fiddle,.

This time last year I was 3 stone heavier, 37+ waist and god knows what bf!

That's nice that you enjoy obsessively monitoring your food intake, Spacey, considering it is your method of choice for intake control for the rest of your life. But it's not natural to do so, and it's not something that naturally thin people do. It's not the only way, and it's definitely not the most enjoyable way.

Although many of us were trained by our parents to ignore our hunger, and we continue to receive signals from all sides to do that, it is indeed possible to regain the ability to stop eating when no longer hungry.

I think when it becomes a habit to count calories and exercise once you reach your ideal then it borders on ocd. Now before Spacey bites my head off i am not saying he has ocd. My personal choice would be to make correct personal choices based on my past intake and just keep an eye on the scales for fluctuations. Carry on the exercise but that can be an addiction too for endorphines. All said its personal choice but i wouldn't want to be a slave to habit.

There you go again Katherine coming out with another 'emotional' over the top statement

what you call 'Obsessive' i call forming a good 'habit', like flossing or exercising, or having a shower

it takes what 3 minutes a day in total to do hardly a major inconvenience yet it tells me at a glance how i am doing and removes any guess work


If one is not naturally thin ...NOT that i want to be THIN!
I prefer the lean and muscular physique i have attained

then one needs to be be a bit more vigilant the same way that anyone should keep an eye on issues that affect them, this make it a no brainer to manage my food intake and requires literally NO EFFORT on my part so that makes it enjoyable..

Now and then i dont bother to record things if im going out or having a cheat day but its a very good management tool.


I never said that it is the ONLY way did I?

As for hunger signals they are often way off in many people especially the overweight, which is one of the reasons why they are the way they are, why spend the effort guessing AM I FULL? , HAVE I EATEN ENOUGH?
HAVE I EATEN TOO MUCH? When a few minutes a day will tell you with out the stress

thats more enjoyable to me

As i understand it the most common misconception of our feeling hungry is that we are actually thirsty. I have noticed for myself that i now drink a lot more water thru the day and it has stopped me grazing.

Spacey47 you are hilarious!!!