Hi all,

I am just wondering if anyone here counts their calorie intake or at least records what is eaten through out the day? If so has this helped you to not over eat or make sure that you are eating enough?
Thanks!

I eat what ever I want..not gluten though...And I dont gain weight at all. i want to because I only weigh 118 but the dr says that is a healthy weight so that is fine with me.

Msmini, when I first went gluten free, I was dieting and counting calories. Since gluten free, I have done the same as I still have got weight to loose. As well as counting, I make notes of what I eat, as it has been more than gluten that upsets me, and cataloguing what I eat has enabled me to find the other culprits.

Your answer as to whether this helps is a yes and a no. My weight has stabilised, and has not gone down anymore. But I think it keeps me honest in what I eat and also when I have annoying symptoms I can go back and say, ah that was the problem. I think if I have an obsession, it is this. I'd like to think I average about 1500 calories, but often it goes up to 2000.

Cathy

When you log the food you have eaten do you also write down any issues your body is having like cramps, etc?
I have been gluten-free for over a year but I fall in this pattern of over eating, well I at least feel like I do. So I am back to writing down everything that I eat so I know if I am under eating or over eating. Which like you said also helps out if there are any symptoms.
Just curious if others do this to keep themselves in check, either for weight concern or an elimination diet, etc.

I don't right now, but have at times (sometimes for a number of months in a row).

My average would vary. Around 1800, but the variance was significant, and that's why I tracked. It helped me keep track of when I was creeping up too high out of habit, or late eating (one thing that gets me eating too much), or if it got too low, out of habit as well.

I feel better if I keep it around 1600-1800 (I'm 5'3" and 118ish), but my brain often entices me to overeat.

FitDay and LoseIt (iPhone app) are the tools I've used for tracking that have been most efficient for me.

Yes Jennifer, when I come across any adverse re-actions, I write them down too, some re-actions happen pretty quick, others the next day, but I can look back and wonder if it was this or that that caused it. It has been a long drawn out process, and for me different things give me different symptoms, so it has been invaluable to working out things. Sometimes I feel I have gone crazy and am taking things too far, but I feel comfortable with this, and I know the times I don't write things down, I tend to overindulge. What worries me now, is that once I start eating too much, I will get to the stage where I will give up on the weight battle and succumb to the inevitable. It seems I cannot train myself to be vigilant without writing it down.

Cathy

I am doing Weight Watchers and gluten free and have no trouble at all. I think that is the same as watching my calories. I just seem to always do better on WW, doing the online version now, more convenient. As I have been doing cooking gluten-free for about five years now and don't find it too hard. I used Bob's Red Mill Bread Mix and make it in four small pans. If you cut each loaf into eight pieces, they are two points each. Barbara

I tend to do the same, over eat so that is another reason why I have started to track my food again. It isnt ever consistent lol. I dont consume enough calories or I consume way to many. Then like you said, you over eat then give up.

I don't count calories...I count carbs (and I also write down everything I eat). I started putting on weight quickly once gluten free (probably b/c I love rice...and that became a huge part of my diet). I just make sure I eat between 40 to 50 carbs a day and am losing weight...been doing it for a week and have lost 5 lbs so far....(water weight I am sure), but will stay at 50 carbs max until I reach the weight I want...then up 10 carbs a week until I stop losing....then I will know my limit....as long as I feel good...this is what I am doing....

Whatever you choose to do...I wish you well.

HI
Used to count calories all the time as part of a tops group I was in
https://www.tops.org/default.aspx

The system worked well for me 25 years ago when to maintain 190 lbs (6'3" male)
I would eat 1900 calories or less. To loose when I started at 295 lbs i ate 1200 to 1500 calories
Wrote down and counted everyone for 8 months ( hersheys kiss had 16 calories and I'd slice them up to get my last 8 calories of the day!)
lost 100 pounds and kept it off for 20 years until my back went out and again when I got celiac and finally figured out what I could eat.

Calorie counting is great if you have accurate calorie books
write everything down and dont cheat

good luck

I try to eat 1700 to 1800 per day to lose weight. I try to eat more like 2200 on days that I do long (8 or more mile) runs.

I eat about 1600 calories a day... but I also work out vigerously 6 days a week... and I am only 4'10'' and about 105lbs... so I need less calories. I eat about 1300-1400 on days I don't work out. This has helped me maintain my weight. If I wanted to lose I would probably keep my work outs the same and eat about 1200 a day.

I hate calorie counting
What I do instead is listen to my body. I eat when I'm hungry, and stop when I feel satisfied. I don't read/watch TV while eating, so I am aware of how much I'm eating. I also serve myself small helpings (like on a salad plate), then go back for more if I feel the need. I don't eat much junk food. I never eat out anymore. I eat lots of grain, veggies, lean meat and fiber. I take a fiber supplement, and because of that, I drink about 12 cups of water a day (or 10 cups, and 2 cups of tea). I believe what you eat is just as important as how much you eat.
That's my two cents

For about 5 months I was able to maintain between 1200-1500 calories at day but lately I think the starches are making me hungrier than usual and I don't know what the deal is but I've been consuming close to 3000 without feeling full.

For about 5 months I was able to maintain between 1200-1500 calories at day but lately I think the starches are making me hungrier than usual and I don't know what the deal is but I've been consuming close to 3000 without feeling full.



And this happens to me too, but not to often. I notice this when I consume a lot of carbs, I crave more. Are you consuming enough calories for your size? I was around 1000-1200 calories a day and I was always light headed which I thought was from anxiety. So I have been bringing good little snacks to eat during the day to keep me going. It seems like I am eating a lot but I am not. I was pretty much starving myself during the day but not on purpose.

Are you consuming enough calories for your size? I was around 1000-1200 calories a day and I was always light headed which I thought was from anxiety. So I have been bringing good little snacks to eat during the day to keep me going. It seems like I am eating a lot but I am not. I was pretty much starving myself during the day but not on purpose.
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I read a great article about how many calories we should eat in Runner's World. When you are not dieting, count your calories for a week or so. Then, if you want to start losing weight, just reduce your calories by 400 per day. If you are not losing fast enough, you can reduce the calories a little more. This makes more sense to me than to say that all people should eat the same number of calories a day. There are too many things that affect our metabolism -- age, activity level, etc. This is a good way to match your calories to your individual metabolism level. I now keep my calories below 1500 per day, and I am losing about 1-2 pounds per week. It is a slow loss, but I love my food. For me it is a great balance.