Should I Be Counting Calories?
Calorie counting can be a useful tool in getting very lean, as long as you don’t become obsessive about it.
All foods have a caloric value. By law, packages, bags, cans, jars and containers of foods and beverages must list calories for a designated “serving size.” These days, the Internet provides calorie counts for all the foods in just about every restaurant and fast food establishment. Recipe books include calories, and so do magazines featuring recipes.
A very common ploy by food makers can trick consumers into believing they’re taking in far fewer calories than they actually are. This trick is designed to make the consumer buy more of the product.
As mentioned, food labels list a specific “serving size,” to which the corresponding calorie total is attributed. Often, to see how many calories an item has, the consumer will look at the number where it says “calories” on the label, without checking the corresponding serving size. So if the calories for that giant chocolate chip cookie say 230, the consumer will think, “Hey, not bad for this big ‘ol cookie. I’m buying it!”
However, the hasty consumer didn’t take into account the serving size for that single cookie in that plastic wrap: “One half package”! or, it might be listed as “Half a cookie” or half the ounces of the total package. This means that the entire cookie isn’t 230 calories; it’s double that: 460!
This is the classic formula for fat loss: the law of thermodynamics or energy balance. You need food (calories) for basic sustenance, even if you’re in a coma. If you ingest about the same number of calories as your body requires for sustenance and activity, you’ll be at body weight maintenance.
Take in more calories (calorie surplus) than you burn, and those calories will get stored as excess fat. Take in fewer calories (calorie deficit or negative) than your body needs, and your body will plunge into fat stores to the point where there’s a low level of fat, and if the daily caloric total is low enough, the body will start raiding muscle tissue for energy.
Most modern-day signals of when to eat are related to anything but hunger or energy restoration, and thus, our intuition of when to eat at the right times, in the right amounts, is skewered. The result is overeating as well as under-eating. In fact, too much calorie deficit can sabotage fat loss goals.
Too much deficit results in a “starvation mode” response by the body—an adaptation response to accommodate the lack of nourishment. This includes decreased fat burning, increased hunger, catabolism (muscle breakdown) and stunted metabolism. Nobody can live this way forever unless they are forced to in an underdeveloped country where food is scarce.
At the other extreme, not knowing calorie counts can lead to eating much more than one realizes, making excess fat loss impossible, or, preventing the lean, ripped look that one so desires.
Knowing how many calories are going into your body is a viable solution. Calorie total trumps macronutrient content when it comes to fat loss. The three major macronutrients are protein, fat and carbohydrate. To the body, a calorie is a calorie: a unit of fuel to be either used or stored, whether it’s from butter or juice.
This doesn’t mean if you can lose body fat by eating nothing but controlled amounts of butter, bacon grease and sugary soda, then go for it. This is harmful and will impede physique development goals, not to mention damage health.
However, pay attention to the principle: The bottom line is creating a caloric deficit, but not overdoing it. Negative calorie balance, which is created by cutting back on unnecessary foods and quantities, and increasing the right kinds of exercise, will result in fat loss.
The body responds predictably to a given environment. A negative calorie environment will cause fat loss. Counting calories will guide you in determining how much of a caloric deficit you have—or don’t have.
For ectomorphs (skinny, very fast metabolism) who struggle to gain mass, these principles apply equally. Loading up on fattening, unhealthy foods, which tend to be very high in calories, is not the answer.
The caloric surplus can be created with healthy foods. Plus, loading up on junk food will not promote the energy and recovery needed for physique development. Keeping track of calories will come in mighty handy.
Time and time again, studies demonstrate that overweight people underestimate how much they eat, and underweight people overestimate how much they eat. Counting calories will put things into perspective for both groups.
Another method is to determine a daily calorie range, then create daily menus (creating either on a daily basis or weekly) that add up to within this range. Then simply eat according to the menu.
A third technique is to print out a daily list of rounded-off whole numbers, such as 50, 100, 150, 200, 20, 10, etc., that add up to the desired calorie total. Every time you eat something, circle the numbers that correspond to the calories (rounded off to the nearest 10 calories).
You can then visibly see where you’re at as the day progresses. A few small uncircled numbers remaining means you’re almost at the daily calorie allotment.
Calorie counting can become obsessive, nevertheless, and get out of hand, with people brooding for hours if they went 100 calories over the daily limit. Plus, forgetting to bring along the calorie counter can send someone into a tizzy at the business luncheon.
At the start of a fat loss program, it’s smart to know incoming calories. Over time, as one masters memory of calorie values, intuitive eating may begin developing. Part of this is relying upon portion control.
Portions relate to calories. In general, an “in the cup of the palm” sized portion of anything doesn’t have too many calories. This includes ice cream.
Okay, a palm sized portion of butter or olive oil is loaded with calories, but who eats this much of these items all at once? Certainly someone who’s not serious about fat loss.
In general, acceptable portions are the size of a deck of cards or computer mouse for protein, half a cup (or a cupful for ectomorphs) for carbohydrates, and one ping pong ball for fatty high calorie foods like peanut butter or pine nuts.
In general, keeping track of calories is smart, puts things into perspective, and has guided many people to their fat loss and muscle gain goals.
What is calorie counting?
Calorie counting is precisely that: counting calories, either per food item, per meal or as a daily tally by bedtime. If one counts calories enough, he or she will eventually know food calories by heart.All foods have a caloric value. By law, packages, bags, cans, jars and containers of foods and beverages must list calories for a designated “serving size.” These days, the Internet provides calorie counts for all the foods in just about every restaurant and fast food establishment. Recipe books include calories, and so do magazines featuring recipes.
A very common ploy by food makers can trick consumers into believing they’re taking in far fewer calories than they actually are. This trick is designed to make the consumer buy more of the product.
As mentioned, food labels list a specific “serving size,” to which the corresponding calorie total is attributed. Often, to see how many calories an item has, the consumer will look at the number where it says “calories” on the label, without checking the corresponding serving size. So if the calories for that giant chocolate chip cookie say 230, the consumer will think, “Hey, not bad for this big ‘ol cookie. I’m buying it!”
However, the hasty consumer didn’t take into account the serving size for that single cookie in that plastic wrap: “One half package”! or, it might be listed as “Half a cookie” or half the ounces of the total package. This means that the entire cookie isn’t 230 calories; it’s double that: 460!
Calories in vs. Calories out
This is the classic formula for fat loss: the law of thermodynamics or energy balance. You need food (calories) for basic sustenance, even if you’re in a coma. If you ingest about the same number of calories as your body requires for sustenance and activity, you’ll be at body weight maintenance.
Take in more calories (calorie surplus) than you burn, and those calories will get stored as excess fat. Take in fewer calories (calorie deficit or negative) than your body needs, and your body will plunge into fat stores to the point where there’s a low level of fat, and if the daily caloric total is low enough, the body will start raiding muscle tissue for energy.
Should You Count Calories?
For some people, “intuitive eating” is rather difficult to pull off. We live in a world based more on conditioning and learned behavior, rather than instinct as our primitive ancestors functioned.Most modern-day signals of when to eat are related to anything but hunger or energy restoration, and thus, our intuition of when to eat at the right times, in the right amounts, is skewered. The result is overeating as well as under-eating. In fact, too much calorie deficit can sabotage fat loss goals.
Too much deficit results in a “starvation mode” response by the body—an adaptation response to accommodate the lack of nourishment. This includes decreased fat burning, increased hunger, catabolism (muscle breakdown) and stunted metabolism. Nobody can live this way forever unless they are forced to in an underdeveloped country where food is scarce.
At the other extreme, not knowing calorie counts can lead to eating much more than one realizes, making excess fat loss impossible, or, preventing the lean, ripped look that one so desires.
Knowing how many calories are going into your body is a viable solution. Calorie total trumps macronutrient content when it comes to fat loss. The three major macronutrients are protein, fat and carbohydrate. To the body, a calorie is a calorie: a unit of fuel to be either used or stored, whether it’s from butter or juice.
This doesn’t mean if you can lose body fat by eating nothing but controlled amounts of butter, bacon grease and sugary soda, then go for it. This is harmful and will impede physique development goals, not to mention damage health.
However, pay attention to the principle: The bottom line is creating a caloric deficit, but not overdoing it. Negative calorie balance, which is created by cutting back on unnecessary foods and quantities, and increasing the right kinds of exercise, will result in fat loss.
The body responds predictably to a given environment. A negative calorie environment will cause fat loss. Counting calories will guide you in determining how much of a caloric deficit you have—or don’t have.
For ectomorphs (skinny, very fast metabolism) who struggle to gain mass, these principles apply equally. Loading up on fattening, unhealthy foods, which tend to be very high in calories, is not the answer.
The caloric surplus can be created with healthy foods. Plus, loading up on junk food will not promote the energy and recovery needed for physique development. Keeping track of calories will come in mighty handy.
Time and time again, studies demonstrate that overweight people underestimate how much they eat, and underweight people overestimate how much they eat. Counting calories will put things into perspective for both groups.
How to Count Calories
One way is to simply record every bite that goes into your mouth. Some people feel in control this way, even if it means never parting with the electronic calorie counter. At any given part of the day, they know where they stand.Another method is to determine a daily calorie range, then create daily menus (creating either on a daily basis or weekly) that add up to within this range. Then simply eat according to the menu.
A third technique is to print out a daily list of rounded-off whole numbers, such as 50, 100, 150, 200, 20, 10, etc., that add up to the desired calorie total. Every time you eat something, circle the numbers that correspond to the calories (rounded off to the nearest 10 calories).
You can then visibly see where you’re at as the day progresses. A few small uncircled numbers remaining means you’re almost at the daily calorie allotment.
Pros and Cons of Counting Calories
A person who’s very number-oriented, highly organized and meticulous, and enjoys keeping charts, graphs and records, etc., of what happens in their life, won’t have any issues tracking every calorie. To others, this will be overwhelming, and thus, the menu planning or number-printout method are more viable alternatives.Calorie counting can become obsessive, nevertheless, and get out of hand, with people brooding for hours if they went 100 calories over the daily limit. Plus, forgetting to bring along the calorie counter can send someone into a tizzy at the business luncheon.
At the start of a fat loss program, it’s smart to know incoming calories. Over time, as one masters memory of calorie values, intuitive eating may begin developing. Part of this is relying upon portion control.
Portions relate to calories. In general, an “in the cup of the palm” sized portion of anything doesn’t have too many calories. This includes ice cream.
Okay, a palm sized portion of butter or olive oil is loaded with calories, but who eats this much of these items all at once? Certainly someone who’s not serious about fat loss.
In general, acceptable portions are the size of a deck of cards or computer mouse for protein, half a cup (or a cupful for ectomorphs) for carbohydrates, and one ping pong ball for fatty high calorie foods like peanut butter or pine nuts.
In general, keeping track of calories is smart, puts things into perspective, and has guided many people to their fat loss and muscle gain goals.
