To Count or Not to Count? The Calorie Counting Debate (part 1)

This article was written by Varsha Aditya, a writer for the online calorie counter CaloriesAndMore.com. If you interest to write in Proutamas.Info, please read the provisions in the page Guest Blogger.

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Nutrition Facts Label - photo by Chelsea Baldock

When you talk about weight loss, you’re likely to find that people fall into two distinct camps: the Counters and the Uncounters. The Uncounters maintain that calorie counting is an obsessive chore that takes all the fun out of eating.  The Counters say that calorie counting is the only thing that’s really effective in order to lose weight.  Here are some tips to help you find what works for you.

First of all, you should never do something that takes all the fun out of eating. Losing interest in your food is a danger sign that your body is not functioning as it should.  And in case you hadn’t thought about it, being underweight is every bit as serious and unhealthy as being overweight and often harder to treat.

That said, obsessing about anything is a mental choice and a question of personality. Calorie counting can be an extremely effective tool in weight loss, as long as you do it correctly.  I’m going to address some popular complaints about calorie counting as a weight loss tool.

Complaint #1: It’s impossible to be accurate enough to see results

It’s true that it can be very hard to correctly estimate calorie counts when eating out.  (This may change as policy makers introduce dietary regulations requiring restaurants to make calorie information easily accessible to the consumer.) However, this will only affect your long-term results if you eat out on a regular basis, for example 3 or 4 times a week.   Everyone except the minority of people who travel for work constantly can take steps to eat out much less.  This is a basic tip for better health. Of course you will also get inaccurate results if you miscalculate your portion sizes or lie to yourself about how much you ate.

An error of 5, 10, or even 20 calories isn’t going to make or break your weight loss goals.  You would have to underestimate your intake by hundreds of calories daily in order to really mess up your calculations.  As long as you avoid the most common calorie counting mistakes, you’ll be fine.

Complaint #2: It’s Too Stressful

If you’ve ever made a budget and tried to stick to it, you’ll know that your initial attempts can be stressful.  You start thinking of everything in terms of how much you will spend or save, sometimes to the point that you can’t enjoy a small treat, in case it “throws off your budget.”  Nevertheless, no one would claim that making a budget is a bad idea (except maybe credit card companies who would love for you to get in debt)! The important thing is to find a balance so you can live well within the limits of your salary.

Calorie counting is exactly the same.  You can’t obsess about every spoonful. Nor can you eat all you want and hope everything turns out okay. Calorie counting is a tool to help us learn where our limits are.  It may be that you have to reteach your stomach not to overeat.  Or maybe your metabolism changed with age and you need to change how much you eat. Calorie counting, just like a budget, is a tool to help us recognize our limits. And just like managing your finances wisely, it shouldn’t affect your ability to enjoy the good things life has to offer.

What is the next complaints? May be the next ones are also yours. So, don’t miss the second part of this article, keep stay tune and don’t forget to subscribe to this blog in order to receive the updates. To be continued…

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