Agreed. I started counting calories a couple weeks ago. Once you get the hang of it, you can estimate pretty well. In most cases, you don't need to know _exactly_ how many calories you take in. Ballpark works just as well. If you're coming close to the limits you set for yourself, stop eating.

I did that too. The problem is, this system does not work "just as well". Certainly did not for me or anyone else I've spoken to. The "rough calorie intake" thing breaks down because our lives are not as regular as you imply. There are times when you will pig out, go on a bender and eat a load of food while drunk, and that's very natural and normal in today's society. At that point you need a feedback system that works whether you're sober or not.

Sadly, a general resolution to "watch your calories" just doesn't do it.

In order to work, a weight-loss system has to remind you each day of where you're at (in perspective with where you've come from). Ultimately there's only two measurements that count: your weight and your body fat percentage. Measure those every day and you'll be much further on the way to weight loss than by calorie counting. Sure, being aware of your rough calorie intake is useful supporting data, but you need to measure the end result to get the "proper" feedback.

The end result of weight loss is not calorie intake, it's loss of weight. If you want to achieve that end result, you need to measure it. Sounds simple enough, no?

The suggestion isn't for calorie counting to supplant regular weighings, but to supplement it.

Also, the end result is fat loss, not weight. Which is why I think weight is not the best metric, but performance in physical tasks. (As most people can't get their bodyfat percentage checked regularly, and performing various physical tasks is what allows you to keep or increase muscle mass while losing body fat.)

A good scale which uses impedance to give a reasonably accurate measure of body fat % is fairly cheap nowadays, fyi. I got mine for about £25 in the UK. It's accurate enough to tell you whether your fat is dropping overall, week after week - just make sure you measure at the same time each day (ideally, just after waking up, before having breakfast).

I used one once, and I was skeptical about its accuracy, since it required gender and activity level as input. I still prefer performance as a metric, because it measures fitness.