I’ve calorie counted on and off for years although there are people on here who are way better and more successful than me at doing it. However it has given me a better understanding of food. I would look at a piece of cake and think it’s 150 calories but with CC I’d understand it’s more like 250! I was eating a tea cake thinking it was about 100 cals and checked and it was 180!
TDEE calculators are the best way to start with to give you an idea of what you should be aiming for but even CC is a best estimate. Without working to all out in a lab it’s impossible to log everything accurately or even know exactly how much energy you burn each day but it’s a good estimate which does work if you stick to it (my main problem).
You could just start by logging your food and understanding what you eat without eating in a deficit.
There are some very lovely people on here who I am
sure can give better advice than me, but even not doing it strictly I’ve found it useful as I generally underestimate cals in food which I am more aware of now.
TDEE calculators are the best way to start with to give you an idea of what you should be aiming for but even CC is a best estimate. Without working to all out in a lab it’s impossible to log everything accurately or even know exactly how much energy you burn each day but it’s a good estimate which does work if you stick to it (my main problem).
You could just start by logging your food and understanding what you eat without eating in a deficit.
There are some very lovely people on here who I am
sure can give better advice than me, but even not doing it strictly I’ve found it useful as I generally underestimate cals in food which I am more aware of now.
Sounds like a good idea to me.
had a bit of a wake up call this afternoon with how shocking my diet is and how much weight I've gained. Currently going through a pregnancy loss so comfort eating is rife right now and I need to sort it before it gets out of control. Downloaded the trackers again on my phone along with workout apps. My Samsung Watch seems to need charging every evening, surely that's not right? Also, what does everyone think of BMI calculators? 
I need to try really hard now. I’m aiming to lose 1kg a week, which would mean I would have lost a stone by Xmas. I’m going to keep up the exercise and try and eat better. I mentioned before I am in a mental health hospital so the food is cooked for me, but I spoke to the OT and she said I can use the patient kitchen to make my meals which is brilliant. I’ve got chilli planned for tomorrow and am cooking on Friday too. The dietician here recommended I eat a low GI diet as I have polycystic ovarian syndrome but I’m not quite sure what that means. I’ve bought a couple of cookbooks but you need a lot of ingredients for most of the recipes. It’s like slimming world all over again!
we will get there
)
