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Does anyone count calorie intake?

MattR82

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Been using a free app called easy diet. Not really counting calories in a big way but more so trying to track macros which it also does.

It's interesting but I don't go overboard with it.
 

gryfny

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I use myfitnesspal. It's really great for counting calories and macros. But since I eat the same meals all the time, I don't use it on a dialy basis. I have different types of meals (all either 1000 or 1500 calories) that I repeat all the time, so I just know by heart what my daily calories are (when I don't eat out, or binge eat all the cheese that is in my fridge).
 

MattR82

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I use myfitnesspal. It's really great for counting calories and macros. But since I eat the same meals all the time, I don't use it on a dialy basis. I have different types of meals (all either 1000 or 1500 calories) that I repeat all the time, so I just know by heart what my daily calories are (when I don't eat out, or binge eat all the cheese that is in my fridge).
I tried myfitnesspal but found it really clunky in comparison. At least when I was searching for foods (doesn't come up as you type). But before long I was similar to you and repeating a lot of meals so it wasn't that necessary.

It was interesting to use these calorie counters for about six weeks as it makes you think twice about what you are about to eat lol. Definitely led to making better choices.
 
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Devilery

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I do! I was really skinny some time ago, so it was necessary for bulking. I've got great results, but I'm still bulking, so I count everything.
In beginning I used myfitnesspal. Works really well. Now, I know every product's macros by memory, and eating the same things every day also helps!
 

GigMistress

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Out of curiosity, does any of you count your daily calorie intake?

Not currently, but when I was working out how to get my cholesterol down without drugs (which enraged my doctor so much that he turned purple yelling at me and I had to find a new doctor), I tracked everything: calories, fiber, sugar, each type of fat, carbs, protein, etc and calculated percentages every day.

I used MyFitnessPal to do it, but it was kind of a hassle, as I had to create listings for all of the foods I cooked that contained multiple ingredients and do all the math myself the first time.

Upside: I lowered my cholesterol by about 80 points in less than six weeks doing my own research and experimentation and monitoring my own cholesterol.
 

ecommercewolf

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Yes every single day, down to every single food item. it is 2nd nature at this point. Probably takes a total of a few minutes.

I prefer to log it in my notebook vs a phone for some reason.

Calories and protein are logged daily to make sure I hit my daily targets as I am currently bulking.
 

simplymoto

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Finally did my counting.

Since I live in Singapore I use an app that has more local food - Healthy 365.

Monday ~1900 Kcal
Tuesday ~1700 KCal
Wednesday ~4000 KCal (lost it, Christmas party)
Thursday ~ 1700 KCal
Friday ~ Counting....
 

Defection

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I did, and it honestly changed my life.

SZruseR.jpg


Apologies for the UK weight methods! To put it in perspective, the upper part of this (where I started tracking in MFP) was 242lbs (110kg), and the lower part is 180lbs (81.5kg). At my heaviest (before I began using MFP, I was 287lbs (130kg).

Although my weight loss was also macro-focused, a calorific deficit is the only real way to shed fat (backed by science).

MFP gave me a HUGE amount of knowledge with regards to what I was consuming, and understanding how good/terrible for you some surprising foods genuinely are!

Although I don't track currently, I'm maintaining my weight. After a couple of years with understanding what I'm consuming and keeping a pretty basic diet, I've finally learned how to control this. If I gain a little, I know how to lose it again without needing to calorie-count religiously.

Even if you don't plan to track calories forever, I guarantee it'll be eye-opening to learn what you're consuming daily. Always track every single crumb, drop, or 'treat' that enters your mouth. I'm willing to bet you'll be surprised at how quickly it all adds up!
 
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simplymoto

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I did, and it honestly changed my life.

SZruseR.jpg


Apologies for the UK weight methods! To put it in perspective, the upper part of this (where I started tracking in MFP) was 242lbs (110kg), and the lower part is 180lbs (81.5kg). At my heaviest (before I began using MFP, I was 287lbs (130kg).

Although my weight loss was also macro-focused, a calorific deficit is the only real way to shed fat (backed by science).

MFP gave me a HUGE amount of knowledge with regards to what I was consuming, and understanding how good/terrible for you some surprising foods genuinely are!

Although I don't track currently, I'm maintaining my weight. After a couple of years with understanding what I'm consuming and keeping a pretty basic diet, I've finally learned how to control this. If I gain a little, I know how to lose it again without needing to calorie-count religiously.

Even if you don't plan to track calories forever, I guarantee it'll be eye-opening to learn what you're consuming daily. Always track every single crumb, drop, or 'treat' that enters your mouth. I'm willing to bet you'll be surprised at how quickly it all adds up!
Yes, I am amazed (appalled) how this all adds up. A fried egg is 110 KCal compared to soft boiled of 70 Kcal. Same egg with oil added makes such difference.

I changed from white rice to brown rice thinking it is healthier, but it actually has more Calories! I still eat brown rice for the nutrition, but cut down on the portion. Another thing is milk. I am big on milk - calcium, builds muscle what sort but it can also be high in Calorie.

Ah, counting Calories is so fun!
 

simplymoto

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@Defection, realise you have a huge drop from late 2018 till April 2019! That’s a huge waterfall curve!
 

gryfny

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For those that are interested in weight loss. Read up on keto and (intermittent) fasting. Those are great tools to lose weight fast. After that I still recommend/use just countin calories to keep a healthy weight, because not eating or not eating carbs can be difficult in social situations.
 
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Beerbread

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Absolutely I count calories. I lost 13lbs so far because of it (I got another 40lbs to go.) If I want to eat bad things, I try to plan it out by eating light and then eating whatever I want, but even then, I notice that I'm not stuffing my food down like a garbage disposal anymore.

I use intermittent fasting along with weight lifting every 4-5 days. So far, I'm enjoying the process and I love going to the gym. It jump starts my day, my mind is clearer, and I feel happier.
 

Defection

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@Defection, realise you have a huge drop from late 2018 till April 2019! That’s a huge waterfall curve!

Sorry for the late reply to this, things were a little hectic at the time!

I was 100% focused during this time. I was working a job which meant I was away for months on end eating whatever food was given to me, with no other options.

When I got home, flabby, and feeling like cr*p, I decided it was time for a change. I was working out every day, 16:8 intermittent fasting and eating a protein-based Keto diet.

I can honestly say it has changed my life and given me a HUGE understanding of what I'm consuming. I've been overweight since my early teens and I'm now in my early 30's and not classed as 'overweight' or 'obese' for the first time since!

Yes, I am amazed (appalled) how this all adds up. A fried egg is 110 KCal compared to soft boiled of 70 Kcal. Same egg with oil added makes such difference.

I changed from white rice to brown rice thinking it is healthier, but it actually has more Calories! I still eat brown rice for the nutrition, but cut down on the portion. Another thing is milk. I am big on milk - calcium, builds muscle what sort but it can also be high in Calorie.

Ah, counting Calories is so fun!

Try giving cauliflower rice a try. It sounds crazy, but I learned to really enjoy it, especially mixed with some herbs and spices. We can buy it frozen in the UK so I'm sure it'll be the same there.

For milk, give almond milk a try and see if it still fills your void.
 

Defection

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For those that are interested in weight loss. Read up on keto and (intermittent) fasting. Those are great tools to lose weight fast. After that I still recommend/use just countin calories to keep a healthy weight, because not eating or not eating carbs can be difficult in social situations.

I definitely agree with this. Keto is a game-changer if you're willing to put the effort in. I won't ever listen to anyone who says that they 'can't' lose weight anymore.
 
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BellaPippin

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I use Lose It, but at this point I mostly ignore the notifications. Half because logging gets old pretty fast and half because I tend to eat the same stuff on rotation so I already have an idea of how I do each meal. I'm always somewhere between 1200-1500 which is either deficit or maintenance.
 

AgainstAllOdds

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MyFitnessPal + This:

29323

MyFitnessPal isn't enough for counting calories. You need to weigh and record exactly how much of something you're putting in. For example, 50 grams of peanut butter looks almost the same as 100 grams. That's why you need to scale.

For me, counting "calories" (protein, carbs, fats, etc), is the absolute easiest to hit fitness goals. Nothing else comes close.
 

BellaPippin

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I used MyFitnessPal to do it, but it was kind of a hassle, as I had to create listings for all of the foods I cooked that contained multiple ingredients and do all the math myself the first time.

This is what drives me crazy because I cook my own meals and it's so time consuming, I wonder if most of the people just scan barcodes for their hot pockets lol. Most of the time I'll just list the recipe ingredients on the log, if I log at all... Lose It came up with a photo feature that tries to identify what's in the plate but it still has a long way to go.
 
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AgainstAllOdds

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This is what drives me crazy because I cook my own meals and it's so time consuming, I wonder if most of the people just scan barcodes for their hot pockets lol. Most of the time I'll just list the recipe ingredients on the log, if I log at all... Lose It came up with a photo feature that tries to identify what's in the plate but it still has a long way to go.

Weigh each ingredient on a scale. Put it into the system Toss it into whatever you're making. Then when you're done making whatever you're cooking, weigh it to figure out how many calories/macros are there per gram.

You can then create a recipe in Myfitnesspal. Instead of weighing each ingredient next time, you just weigh the end product to see how much of it you're eating. Makes it 10x easier.
 

simplymoto

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MyFitnessPal + This:

View attachment 29323

MyFitnessPal isn't enough for counting calories. You need to weigh and record exactly how much of something you're putting in. For example, 50 grams of peanut butter looks almost the same as 100 grams. That's why you need to scale.

For me, counting "calories" (protein, carbs, fats, etc), is the absolute easiest to hit fitness goals. Nothing else comes close.
Weighing the food! That’s detail to the king. I’ve only gotten to looking at nutrition facts, getting there.
 

simplymoto

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I use Lose It, but at this point I mostly ignore the notifications. Half because logging gets old pretty fast and half because I tend to eat the same stuff on rotation so I already have an idea of how I do each meal. I'm always somewhere between 1200-1500 which is either deficit or maintenance.

I’ve been recording for two weeks now and this is what my calories intake look like, according to Fitbit I am burning about 3000 calories daily. The watch says I easily walk >10,000 steps a day, probably factoring the 30 minute cardio and gym, almost daily.

== daily calorie intake ==
1700, 2200, 2000, 1800, 2100, 2200, 1100, 1400, 2000, 1600, 2500, 1600, 4000, 1600, 1800, today.....
 
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Defection

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I’ve been recording for two weeks now and this is what my calories intake look like, according to Fitbit I am burning about 3000 calories daily. The watch says I easily walk >10,000 steps a day, probably factoring the 30 minute cardio daily.

== daily calorie intake ==
1700, 2200, 2000, 1800, 2100, 2200, 1100, 1400, 2000, 1600, 2500, 1600, 4000, 1600, 1800, today.....

If you're looking at weight loss, I'd recommend ignoring how many calories it says you're burning a day. These apps are known for over-reporting and other than a rough idea from step/cardio tracking, I'd never use them as a guide.

When I lost the bulk of my weight, I did weights and/or cardio every day, I restricted myself to around 1600 calories if I remember rightly.

If you're looking to lose weight, then fire me a message and we'll try and figure out what your daily calorie intake should be. Any additional exercise you do is just an added benefit that'll undoubtedly help in the long run! :somber:

Note: I have nothing to sell, nor do I claim to be an expert. I just did a LOT of research and did what worked for me, and I'm happy to share the knowledge I spent months researching with anyone who's interested!
 
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I do not. April of 2019 I was at 230lbs with high cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, wore 40/32 jeans (I'm 5' 9" tall) all of the things that a person would call "unhealthy". Today (December 24, 2019), I am 178lbs with perfect blood work and wear 32/32 slim fit jeans. How? I got rid of the carbs. Pretty much keto and intermittent fasting. I don't count calories, so I'm not a strict ketogenist (Is that a word?). I follow Dr. Ken Berry on YouTube. After my weight got to 185lbs, I started working out at the gym because I wanted some nice muscle form. The wife, and friends, are amazed. BTW, I'm 53 years old and co-workers at work are jealous.

It's my opinion that calorie counting is a waste of time and calories in versus calories out is a myth. It's WHAT you eat that determines your body weight and body fat. But, like I said, that's my opinion. My results speak louder than words.
 

simplymoto

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I do not. April of 2019 I was at 230lbs with high cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, wore 40/32 jeans (I'm 5' 9" tall) all of the things that a person would call "unhealthy". Today (December 24, 2019), I am 178lbs with perfect blood work and wear 32/32 slim fit jeans. How? I got rid of the carbs. Pretty much keto and intermittent fasting. I don't count calories, so I'm not a strict ketogenist (Is that a word?). I follow Dr. Ken Berry on YouTube. After my weight got to 185lbs, I started working out at the gym because I wanted some nice muscle form. The wife, and friends, are amazed. BTW, I'm 53 years old and co-workers at work are jealous.

It's my opinion that calorie counting is a waste of time and calories in versus calories out is a myth. It's WHAT you eat that determines your body weight and body fat. But, like I said, that's my opinion. My results speak louder than words.

I've always tried to do keto-ish diet or do intermitten-ish fasting, but I think due to my indiscipline it never really got anywhere. Congrats to you for being able to do it with micro counting! To each his own :)
 

simplymoto

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I've been recording my calories burnt via Fitbit, it looks tad strange. Without doing any exercise I've already burnt 1600 by 5pm today. Today I am in the office, granted I pace a lot during meeting, discussion etc, but 1600 seems to be high as my daily BMR (173cm, 72kg, 37yo) is 1600.

Often by end of the night I clock about 3000 calories burnt, granted I walk home ~30 minutes, and when home I do 40 minutes of workout.
 
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simplymoto

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2020 goal

My personal goal is to reduce total body fat. I don't know where I am, but guessing 22-24% range body fat, 70kg weight. My goalssssssssssss are

Reduce calorie intake for 60 days
my daily intake is 2000~ Calories and I plan to stick with to this range for 60 days, while my total burn is 2200-2600, sometimes going to 3000 based on FitBit.

Challenges:
Work travel, hence eating differently and losing count
Logistics eating more with colleagues dinner especially traveling it's hard to order salad or keto cos have to stick with the crowd.

Work out in gym five times a week for 60 days
I am now exercising 5 - 6 times weekly for over a month focusing in weights, I plan to continue working out so that I don't lose muscle as I lose weight. If I can't make it to gym due to travels I will supplement with no gear hotel room workout and jogging.

Challenges:
No gym when traveling sometimes company check us into places with no gym
Occupied at night. I prefer to exercise at night as my adrenaline continues for a few hours and sometimes my heart beats fast during work which I don't enjoy, working out at night allows me to rest in sleep and feels refreshed, but sometimes you can tied down to after work drinks especially when traveling.

Eat Keto
Eat half a bowl of rice, instead of one bowl

I did a simple keto diet calculator and told to take 25g of carbs daily. That's really hard, if not impossible as I eat about 150g carbs per meal at least, due to rice and noodle culture. For this I am not gonna stress out, so I'll just reduce it to half a bowl, a 50% reduction.
 
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PapaGang

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Out of curiosity, does any of you count your daily calorie intake?
When I do, I notice all the dumb stuff I eat, and my habits change for the better. It's a pain in the a$$ though, so I usually track them when I know I need to. Otherwise, I find I'm wasting my time counting after a couple of weeks.

Here's the truth: you know whether what you are eating is healthy or not. Make sensible decisions. That's my mantra.

I track calories for 2 weeks or so, notice my dumb mistakes, change my habits, and then set a menu of healthy eating that becomes a routine for awhile.

Fall off the wagon, repeat.

I'm never going to eat 100% healthy all year long, the key is knowing when I get off track and use the tools I have to get back on.

It's helped me lose 60 lbs. and keep it off for over 15 years.

Also, I'm not a diet fanatic. I don't do paleo, Adkins, Keto, watermelon, cabbage, or any other fad.

Why?
I love bread, I love rice, I love wine. I love variety in my diet. I'm not going to spend a half hour determining whether or not a plum is keto.

Life is so great with those things that I refuse to give them up.

So I don't restrict myself too much, I work on exercising my discipline.
I eat clean 85% of the time, and enjoy myself the rest of the time. I'm in my forties and I feel better right now than I did when I was 23.

It's because I stay away from gross shit like frosting and greasy meats.
 
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