In today’s lesson…
Ever found yourself asking… “Do I have to count calories?”… Then read below for our quick run down on what you need to know – without the fluff!
Take care…
For a more detailed answer see Ross’s written response below.
Calorie counting can be an effective strategy for eating healthy and losing fat, but it isn’t something you necessarily have to do in order to be successful. Some people really like keeping track of every calorie they put into their body, while others find it frustrating and time consuming.
One of the most important aspects of calorie counting is simply that it helps people learn how many calories they actually consume in a day. People often have no idea about how many calories they consume each day and it can be a very useful thing to know.
For instance, a common recommendation for weight loss is to consume 300 – 500 fewer calories per day, but if you don’t know how many calories are in the foods you eat and drink, it is hard to decrease calories by the right amount.
Another common problem occurs when people start a new weight loss program and try to change their entire eating routine. Many weight loss programs have low calorie eating plans (~1200 calories per day or less) and if the person starting this plan is used to eating 3000 calories per day or more (not uncommon), their body will be in for a real shock. These drastic calorie reductions often do more harm than good, so it is better to decrease calories by a reasonable amount.
Fortunately, counting calories is not as difficult as it used to be, since there are a lot of books, computer programs, and websites that can help you figure out how many calories are in the foods you consume. You may still have to estimate, because food quantities or serving sizes can be difficult to figure out (unless you measure everything) and knowing the calories of meals when you eat out is almost impossible at some restaurants.
Action Step: If you have never counted calories and are having a difficult time reaching your goals, I recommend trying it out for a week. Most people find it very informative and they are often surprised by the results. If nothing else, it will give you a baseline for your daily caloric intake and help you decide what changes to make from there.
If you are content with your weight/nutrition or are aware of the calories you consume every day, you probably don’t need to count calories. People who consistently eat healthy and listen to their body’s signals can often figure out how much they should eat (to avoid gaining weight) without keeping track of their caloric intake.
Some of this awareness comes from paying attention to your body’s hunger signals and knowing how much to eat based on the intensity of the feeling(s). This is something that is learned through experience over time.
Calorie counting is really only necessary if you are having problems and either need to learn more about how much you should eat or want to use it as a way to hold yourself accountable with your nutrition. If you think you might benefit from counting calories, but are resistant due to the amount of time/effort it takes, just know that you probably won’t have to do it permanently.
Many people use calorie counting to get their nutrition off to a good start by figuring out how much they currently eat and should eat every day. When you feel like you know how much food you should consume every day, you can start keeping less detailed records or possibly stop altogether. It all depends on how well you stick to your program when you stop counting calories.
Some people get into a good routine and are able to maintain their nutrition very well, while other start taking minor steps backwards that don’t seem bad at the time, but end up having a significant impact on their results. The important thing is to be aware of any changes that happen with your nutrition and if you notice that you do significantly better when counting calories, then that is what you should do.
Slipping from your good habits can even be a problem if you have eaten healthy for years, especially when something happens to affect your routine, such as a major life change or stressful event. Good habits can start fading without realizing it at first and calorie counting can be helpful for getting things back on track.
After our baby was born, my eating habits were worse than they had been in over 20 years. It went on this way for a couple months, but I eventually became fed up and decided to do something to take control of my eating again. I started keeping a simple calorie counting/food journal and in less than a week I was back to my regular eating habits and able to continue them without continuing the journal.
In this case, calorie counting was more of a way to remind me about my eating than anything, because already had good eating habits, I just wasn’t following them. Once I was back on my routine it was easy to maintain, but if you are working to develop better eating habits it will almost certainly take longer than a week to eat healthy on your own.
Action Step: You don’t have to count calories, but it is important to either have some idea of how many calories you eat per day or keep track of what you eat and drink with a food journal. Long-term nutritional success happens as a result of making the right changes to your everyday eating and drinking habits and if you don’t know where you are, it is hard to determine the steps you need to take to achieve your goals.
By Ross Harrison
VFT “Awesome” Fitness Expert 
VirtualFitnessTrainer.com
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