Medically reviewed by Dr. Shunmukha Priya, Ph.D. in Food Science and Nutrition
Google is probably flooded with searches related to calorie counting diet and other terms like how to burn calories to lose weight.
We are not just aware of the calorie counting diet concept but are also obsessed with it. But is it the right way to lose weight?
Is knowing how to lose weight by calorie counting is the appropriate approach? Let me enlighten it to you here.
Have you been asking any of these questions:
- How many calories do you need to eat to gain weight?
- How many calories do you need to burn to lose 10 pounds?
- How many calories should you eat in a day?
- How many calories should be eaten at each meal?
If yes, then you should know that a calorie counting diet is counterproductive as it takes the focus away from building eating habits that are healthy and contain foods we can actually enjoy.
To know all about healthy ways to eat right and still lose weight, you can always drop by to any of the Possible Centres and ask our Nutrition experts themselves about calorie counting diet. All for FREE! Just click and get started!
Whenever you are looking for how to burn calories, the usual answers would be:
1. Regular exercises
2. Go for strength building workouts
3. Eat low-fat products
4. Go for low-calorie foods
But the real catch is to not weigh your foods only on the basis of calories. And here’s why!
HERE ARE SOME OF THE MOST POPULAR QUESTIONS AND MISCONCEPTIONS AROUND CALORIE COUNTING DIET:
Calories determine your weight:
It is partially true. More than calories, it is hormones in your body which determine your weight. Diet coke has 0 calories but compared to normal coke, diet coke increases your chance of being obese by 50%. It is because diet coke releases more fat storing hormones.
Eat fewer calories to lose weight:
This is a sure shot way to lose weight and then gain it back. The common element in all yo-yo diets is that it asks people to eat fewer calories.
Eating fewer calories lowers your metabolism and in the long term, you will gain back more weight than you have lost. Key is to eat right and to eat enough food as food does not just mean calories.
Food is the basis of life and it gives you all the needed nutrients, minerals, vitamins, etc.
Do not, I repeat, do not select your diet plan basing on the calorie count. Not sure why? Check out the video and figure out yourself why calorie counting cannot be beneficial for weight loss.
Some foods have a negative calorie:
No food comes with a negative calorie. Calories in food is a must. Some foods, however, contain calories that are more difficult for the body to use.
This means that the body burns more calories than it has. In other words, the body burns more calories processing these foods than the foods actually contains.
In actual fact, some foods are low in calorie count, but there aren’t any foods with a negative calorie count.
Are all calories equal?
No two calories in foods are the same because of the oxidation rate or rate of burning calories are different for different food types—fats, carbs, and proteins.
Along with your calorific intake, also check out your food’s glycemic index.
Eating two big meals each day is fine:
By eating small meals through the day, you expedite your metabolism which helps you lose weight. But if you have two large meals a day, your metabolism will be slow and end up in the storage of fat.
Eat fat-free foods because they are low-calorie:
It’s good to eat fat foods sparingly, but sometimes fat-free foods have as many calories as regular foods, so it’s good to know what you’re eating and its calorific value.
You need fat for a healthy body, and any excess of it is detrimental to one’s overall health. So, check that you get the optimum amount of fats in your daily diet.
If you exercise, you can eat anything:
The more you exercise, the better your body becomes in terms of burning calories. This helps in burning all your calories in food, up to a limit.
On the other hand, the more you eat will always be stored as fat in your body. So, both exercise and proper diet are essential to weight loss. You cannot just think of how to burn calories and eat less to lose weight. You have to use both of them together.
Do you have any questions about diet and exercise? Feel free to post a comment below and we’ll have our dietitian respond to you!