Do other people count calories?

[aquamoose32]

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?

[westtexas]

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.

[jessmarimba]

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)

[channlluv]

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

Roxy

[KnottedYet]

I never have.

But I'm just a recreational rider.

[Owlie]

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.

[Becky]

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.

[emily_in_nc]

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!

[aquamoose32]

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.

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!

[Catrin]

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.

[nscrbug]

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.

[Veronica]

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.

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.



Veronica

[Karma007]

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.

[Susan]

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.

[goldfinch]

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.