Do other people count calories?

So this "what did you eat today post" really got me thinking. Do most people count calories during their day or is this not just a normal thing to do. My ex boyfriend was a semi pro cyclist and when he was racing was obsessed with everything that he ate. He always said the lighter you are the faster you climb. I feel like it is not abnormal when cycling a lot to be more food calorie conscious and aware of these things. But it's a fine line cause you are also cycling like crazy and after 50 miles it's ok to let go of restricting. Do other cyclist count calories too or is this just a ridiculous thing to do?

I think it's a normal thing for cyclists to do. Even when I wasn't riding, I always kept an number in the back of my head for my total daily intake so I wouldn't gain weight. And I find the best thing about cycling is I can go out and burn 600 calories in an hour or so and then I don't feel guilty about getting to eat more that day (and by that I mean more food that is generally considered to be healthy).

Last night on my ride with the bike shop guys here we discussed the calorie burn of the ride and then figured out how many beers that would translate into at dinner and it was awesome.

I don't, really. There are "wasted calorie" foods that I generally avoid, not necessarily just b/c they are high in calories but because I don't enjoy them as much as the calories are worth, if that makes sense? Like I don't see the value of potato chips, but I have no problem eating a piece of chocolate cake...I don't use much butter, but I love cheese. But I think there are a lot of people here who would be appalled at my diet and thus, I don't post on the "what did you eat today" thread.

(If I'm intent on losing weight, I can avoid desserts and beer and quickly drop a couple pounds. But I'd rather enjoy them)

Yeah....I mean to, but no. Not so much.

Roxy

I never have.

But I'm just a recreational rider.

I don't. I'm too lazy, I don't race, and I'm not actively trying to lose weight. I should probably be ashamed of myself, but I enjoy my chocolate and bacon and cheese and all those things that I "shouldn't" be eating. :D

Not really. Every so often, I'll track what I eat and its calorie count, just to get an idea. I did this recently, and realized that my daily calorie intake was unevenly distributed- too few in the morning, and too many in the evening. So that was helpful, but counting isn't an everyday thing for me.

No, I don't count calories. I just eat healthfully and watch the scale and fit of my clothes. When my morning weight starts creeping up, I cut back on desserts and portion sizes. The more I ride, the more I eat, and I can get away with it this time of year, thankfully. I love my food!

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Originally Posted by Muirenn

IF I did want to lose weight, I'd subtract 500 calories per day to lose one pound per week. (3500 calories ='s 1 pound).

Calories work if you understand what you need to maintain with moderate or low exercise (for women 12 times current weight should maintain, so 150 lb woman needs 150 X 12 = 1800 calories per day to maintain), understand how much to add during strenuous activity (not as much as 'they' say, but almost exactly what the women of TE say:)), what food to eat (high quality whole foods, not diet crap), and what your ideal weight is.

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I know this is a generalization calculation, but I am a bit confused. On days I dont cycle that means if I weight 105 then I should only need 1260 calories a day??? This seems impossible. And if I subtracted 500 I would starve to death! Maybe thats why I feel like I eat more than everyone I know though. LOL.

I just never know how to figure out how many calories I burn on a ride. All those counters just seem way off. I've gotten things from 300 calories on a 2 hour ride to 1000 calories.

I saw hey if you can enjoy your chocolate sandwich without the calories creeping in your mind, what a blessing!! Thanks for the opinions. WESTTEXAS I liked your quote: "Last night on my ride with the bike shop guys here we discussed the calorie burn of the ride and then figured out how many beers that would translate into at dinner and it was awesome." Haha. I wanna be on that ride!

One reason I ride is so I can drink beer :)

I have type 2 diabetes, and I control by strict diet and intense exercise. I try to make certain my body has enough fuel for my activities - I do "count calories" and also try to maintain a tight balance between carbs, fat, and protein that my specialist has given me as a target. Some days I am better than others, but it is working. My blood sugar is well under control, my weight is far less than it has been in 25 years, and I've the energy I need for my activities. Plus I can have a few beers a week and, once in a great while, some chocolate outside of a Cliff chocolate brownie bar :)

This inconsistent weather pattern isn't helping in that I've not been able to settle down any anything like a regular riding schedule though, and that does not help.

I don't really count my daily calories. A while back, I tried logging all of my food intake to see how much I actually ate in a day...it didn't go very well, so I just gave up on it after about 2 days.

I just try to be mindful of limiting the junk and empty calories whenever I can. But if I have a craving for candy or cookies...I won't deprive myself of having these treats every so often.

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Originally Posted by Muirenn

Calories work if you understand what you need to maintain with moderate or low exercise (for women 12 times current weight should maintain, so 150 lb woman needs 150 X 12 = 1800 calories per day to maintain), understand how much to add during strenuous activity (not as much as 'they' say, but almost exactly what the women of TE say:)), what food to eat (high quality whole foods, not diet crap), and what your ideal weight is.

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I've been wondering where you got this formula. It seems simplistic and inaccurate. It fails to take into account different metabolic rates. And then tacking on that vigorous activity allows you extra calories makes it even more misleading. I'd pork out if I ate that much and I'm pretty sure I exercise vigorously. :p



Veronica

I should, but I don't because it's one more thing to do, and I'm already crazy time crunched. Most of my workouts run about 90 minutes to two hours, and I finish just in time to leave for work. I'm a highly organized and efficient person, so time management isn't an issue, I just don't have time. I'm going to start taking the train to work, so maybe if I have some down time, I'll give it a shot. I also do most of my cooking, and hate the time it takes to figure out all the recipes. I need a personal assistant.

I tracked my calories on livestrong for two weeks some time ago, just because I was curious.
Now I know that when I eat "just by feel" - when I'm hungry - I pretty much exactly meet my "calorie goal" (which makes sense doesn't it ;)).

I do watch what I eat and don't eat empty calories or crap and do eat lot of vegetables - I guess that's part of the secret why this works for me, it's simply hard to overeat on meals that contain mostly vegetables.

I don't plan on tracking my calories again.

One reason losing weight is difficult is that you burn anywhere for 20 to 100 fewer calories a day for every 10 pounds lost (not considering exercise). I have lost 22 pounds. I now have less body to maintain. :) So, my weight loss has slowed because I have less slop in my diet that I can cut out. However, I can exercise more. I have to do more weight bearing exercises to build muscle. Yuck. I hate that kind of exercise. :)

I count calories. It keeps me honest.

For the calorie counters, how many weigh their food? I am a poor judge of portion size and found that I have to weigh a number of foods to get close to an accurate count.

I'd be lost without my food scale! I also use a program called Diet Power (dietpower.com) to keep track of my calories. On weekdays my menu doesn't vary all that much and that makes things easy. I've lost 31 pounds since the end of January (lots more to go, though)!

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Originally Posted by Muirenn

So how many calories per day do you eat? ;)

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I haven't kept track in a few months - not since I got down to race weight. Now it's more important to fuel for my activity level.

The Monday after my last race I probably ate around 2500! I was starving all day. Of course I didn't eat a whole lot on race day.

In general - breakfast comes in around 600 - 800, morning snack 200, lunch 400, dinner 400 - 500. So between 1600 - 1900, which is in line with your base. I just don't add more 'cause I worked out. :p Honestly my weekly workouts don't require any extra calories to fuel the workout. They are only an hour apiece. Weekends when I'm doing bricks and long runs I'll eat gels and electrolyte drinks during the workout, but I don't up my "regular" food amount.

Veronica

I keep track of my calories, but I have a history of not being able to regulate my weight by just 'winging' it.

I've lost 95lb since the spring of 09 and have kept it off by keeping track of my calories. Not really difficult to do. At night, I plan out what I will have the next day. I have my food logging program on my phone or web based during the day if I need to make changes 'on the fly'.

I don't count calories as I don't weigh my food and I don't see how you could count calories without weighing. I suspect I eat around 2,000 calories a day. I pretty much maintain on this, but that's figuring in my exercise. I also know I probably eat more than 2000 calories on some days. Maybe I am wrong.
I've changed my eating a lot in the last 10 years. I eat a lot more protein. I eat no junk and don't have it in the house.
But, I like to eat and I like to cook. I tend to increase or change up my exercise when my weight goes up, rather than cut calories. The truth is, I am hungry all of the time unless I eat huge amounts of food, so I just try and control it by eating lots of fruits, veggies, cheese, and nuts. I could live on bread, so this is not easy for me. It's getting pretty hard to maintain my weight (107 at 5' 1"), so I am about to maybe join a gym again, although I have been successful working out at home to supplement my riding. The rain in the last two weeks has made me yearn for a class to go to, though and I think it might help me with my weight control. When I was in my early thirties I weighed about 92 and that wasn't good, either.

I just have no interest in counting calories or weighing my food. I just look at portion size, and ask myself if my pants fit. This time of year I'm eating almost nothing but fruit and veggies, so it's harder to gain unless I really pig out - and if I do, I just eat less next time or go walk a dog.

Okay, here's a question for those of you in know - I've been using myfitnesspal.com to track my calories and riding. It works on the principle of your basal metabolic rate and assigning you a caloric amount for the day (assuming no exercise). Mine is 1350 - I'm 5'6" and 130lbs (give or take a pound or two depending on hydration status). Then you can log your exercise to essentially "earn" more calories for the day.

Now, 1350 is pretty normal for me even if I'm not counting calories. But, in the past few days I've really starting riding with a new group and based on both myfitnesspal and their cycling computers, we're burning close to 1800 calories riding 37 miles (and this is not factoring in the 20mph headwinds we ride into at ~14 mph). This morning the computer said 800 calories for a 17 mile ride at an average speed of 15mph. I'm "earning" anywhere from 2000-2500 "extra" calories a day by exercising. I'm not trying to lose weight, just get fit and see what my body can do.

So, do I need to be eating those extra earned calories? I'm afraid I won't be able to eat that much and I'm either going to get really skinny or really weak because my body has no fuel. How do you manage this incredible disproportionate calories out to calories in ratio?

I would not eat those "extra" calories.

How do you feel during and after those rides at your current caloric level? If you're hungry or feeling wasted, eat more. If you feel great - don't! :D

Veronica

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Originally Posted by Muirenn

So how many calories per day do you eat? ;)

But you can see even in this thread that a majority of people do not count calories. And that is best if they can maintain a healthy weight without doing that. I cannot.

When I was a ballet dancer, I weighed about 110 pounds at 5'7''. And I'm big-boned. Yes, I was underweight. I always tried for about 1000 calories per day, or less. And I often missed that goal. And got talked to for being overweight. It was hard. Weight was the main reason I quit. It was unhealthy.

I'm 150 lbs, and according to that formula, I need 1800 to maintain. And that's what I generally get. And I do maintain, and have for years. If I don't do much activity and don't feel like eating, I may eat 1500 per day. (And I lose very quickly, but I don't want to do that). 1850 is optimal, I've noticed. I feel very good then. Add another 500 in fuel if I go for a good bike ride, including food during and after. 2200 or so if I over-eat on a non-cycling day, so then I eat less for a couple of days, say around 1600 or so. The times I've gained weight and had to go on a real diet was because I stopped counting calories. Probably in part because I started 'dieting' at too young an age.

I have to stay on track. I literally write down everything I eat every day, calculate the calories, and make sure I get adequate amounts of protein, carbs, veggies, and fruit. I've done this for years and years. My physique isn't perfect. But I like my diet. I get to eat.

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Also what about age. I have to say, that when I am not cycling I need 1800 calories to maintain my current weight of 105. I am 25. If I were 40 this would be totally different. I originally asked this question because I am having trouble figuring out how many calories I need for my cycling. It is crazy how much food I eat lately and it was all starting to mess with my head. I am riding about 150-200 miles a week and on some days I think I eat as much as 2500-3000 calories. That seems LIKE SO MUCH, and it kind of was freaking me out, but I have not really gained any weight, just more muscle. So I guess that is OK. I am also vegan. Perhaps that makes a difference. I dont know? I never weigh my food, just have pages and pages full of counted calories. It's annoying, but I cant stop counting.

A few years ago, I wanted to loose 10 pounds, so I started measuring/weighing everything I ate and counting calories. I was shocked to find out that many of my days were well below 1000 (I've never really had a huge appetite). I also had a lot of days when I didn't feel well. Guess what? Those were the days when I didn't eat enough.

So now I track calories to make sure that I eat enough. Riding 60 - 80 mpw and maintaining a generally active lifestyle (read: very little TV and no personal car) I've found that I need about 2200 calories/day to feel good and maintain my weight. At this point I've measured enough food that I can eyeball portions pretty well, but every so often I go back to measuring and recording everything for a week or two just to check in with myself.

FWIW I find that I feel better and have an easier time making my calorie counts if I eat the same number each day. Adding more calories on days that I took long rides just didn't work for me; I didn't have energy when I needed it, and I absolutely starved on rest days. When I've used software or online trackers like MyPlate, this means that I set my base activity level to be higher and don't record exercise at all.

At 150-200 mpw, 3000 calories sounds just about right to me, but I'm sure that a nutritionist would have a more informative opinion.

oh Lord I have spent my whole entire life well since the age of 12 counting calories and it has drove me pretty insane iveliterally spent hours trying to work out what I need ie how many carbs on a ride. I am meeting with a dietician in the next few weeks and going to try and do the exchange system ie portion sies 2 starch, 2 protein 1 fat etc as I am sick to death of the numbers and want to focus more on quality food rather than calories:cool: