DOES CALORIE COUNTING HELPS YOU LOSE WEIGHT?

When it comes to weight loss, there are plenty of plans around. What many will tell you, though, is that dieting is all about ‘calories in vs. calories out’. While this is true, it’s a bit more complicated than that for several reasons.

Calorie counting can certainly help you lose weight, but it might not be the most sustainable method for everyone, and there are definitely viable options out there! Just read on.

Basics of calorie counting

So again, the basic principle behind weight loss is that you need to expend more calories than you are taking in. When you do this, your body turns to your fat stores to get energy. So, people who count calories find out about how many calories their body expends during the day, then try to eat less than that amount daily in order to maintain a calorie deficit.

Is calorie counting the best idea for everyone?

Simply put: No. Calorie counting can be very tedious for some. People often go to extremes and measure or weigh out every single thing that they eat. For those on a very strict diet (due to any underlying clinical condition) this may be necessary. But, for the average person, they can burn out really quick by doing this. And when people go over their calorie allotment for the day even by a little, they often feel as if they have “cheated” or failed that day, which is an unhealthy mindset to have. This causes a disordered relationship with food and is also accounted to increased incidence of eating disorders among teenagers.

It’s worth mentioning that counting calories only allows you to evaluate your diet from a quantity perspective. It says very little about the quality of what you eat. Let me put it this way, 100 calories from apples will affect your health differently than 100 calories from a piece of cake.

So, it is important to avoid picking foods solely based on their calorie content. Instead, make sure you also consider their vitamin and mineral content as well which helps you shed weight without having to count calories when you choose whole foods over processed ones.

Therefore, Instead of obsessing on restrictive diets or time-consuming weighing, measuring and recording, you can try using the visual guidelines to estimate your portion sizes.

Take away: If you find counting your calories or tracking your food intake leads to feeling of guilt, shame, or anxiety, it is better to discontinue this habit. Practicing intuitive eating, which involves listening to your body and eating when you feel hungry, and stop when satiated helps you improve your overall health and well-being in ways you probably didn’t even realize could happen just from diet alone.