{"id":537,"date":"2018-06-15T17:26:55","date_gmt":"2018-06-15T17:26:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/trainfit.com\/blog\/?p=537"},"modified":"2018-06-15T17:26:55","modified_gmt":"2018-06-15T17:26:55","slug":"pros-cons-calorie-counting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trainfit.com\/blog\/pros-cons-calorie-counting\/","title":{"rendered":"The Pros and Cons of Calorie Counting"},"content":{"rendered":"

Calorie counting is not a new weight loss\/weight management technique. Most everyone has heard that you must eat less calories than you expend in order to lose weight. There\u2019s no debating this fact, but does it mean that counting calories is the way to go? Hopefully by the end of this post, you\u2019ll have a good understanding of the pros and cons of calorie counting so that you can decide whether or not it\u2019s the right technique for you.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cBut didn\u2019t I just see an article a few weeks ago that said that the quality of your food matters and that a calorie isn\u2019t just a calorie? Doesn’t that mean that calories don’t matter?\u201d Not exactly. Recent publications have explained that people who eat nutrient-dense foods tend to naturally eat less calories<\/em> because they are more satiated than the comparison groups eating processed foods. The main takeaway is that eating non-processed, whole foods can help you feel more satisfied so that you eat less without feeling like you\u2019re \u201cdieting\u201d. This makes it much easier to stay within your calorie goal and stick with your personalized nutrition plan. Whether you eat all processed food or zero processed foods, calories still count.<\/p>\n

A successful weight loss technique is one that you can integrate into your lifestyle and continue to use it as long as is necessary or desired. It\u2019s all about consistency, my friends! If a certain weight loss program or product makes you think \u201cI can do anything for 2 weeks, 21 days, 30 days, etc.\u201d then the plan might be too short-term to reap long-term benefits. We\u2019re looking for something that you can turn into a lifestyle. While I don\u2019t think anyone should count calories forever and ever (read the end of the article for my recommendation for how to use this tool without having to obsess over the numbers), I think that it can be a very valuable tool for some people. Let me \u2018splain:<\/p>\n

Pros of Calorie Counting:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Increases awareness.<\/strong> The first time I counted calories using My Fitness Pal, I was truly surprised at how many calories I was actually eating, and which items were the biggest calorie bombs. That awareness alone can help you figure out where you can make some small changes to reap large rewards!<\/li>\n
  2. Offers accountability.<\/strong> Many calorie tracking apps will shoot out reminders if you haven\u2019t logged that day. Plus, you can add your friends to keep eachother accountable. The good news is, you don\u2019t have to share your food diary with them, the app just lets them know that you\u2019ve logged consistently and will even congratulate you when you log in a workout! If you do want extra accountability, you can allow your trainer, nutritionist, or another person to have access to your diary so that they can give you feedback.<\/li>\n
  3. It works.<\/strong> If you measure out what you\u2019re having, log honestly, and stick to the recommended daily intake, you will see results. That doesn\u2019t mean you won\u2019t plateau eventually (the body is an adaptation machine!), but the app will give you recommendations for how to change your numbers if your weight changes.<\/li>\n
  4. The app does the math for you.<\/strong> Not sure how many calories you should be eating daily? No problem. Just answer some questions about your height, weight, gender, goal weight, and daily physical activity level in order to get your recommended calorie intake.<\/li>\n
  5. Measure progress based on the behavior of logging consistently, not just by the number on the scale.<\/strong> The app will congratulate you when you successfully log your foods consistently. I love this because it gives you another measurement of success besides just weight. Focusing on reaching your goal of logging daily and staying within your calorie range will lead to success without the stress of fighting the scale.<\/li>\n
  6. Learning proper portion sizes.<\/strong> Having to log and measure food is a great way for you to actively learn what portion sizes look like, and how they measure up in your daily\/weekly nutrition.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Cons of Calorie Counting:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Having to log everything you eat.<\/strong> This really can be a deal breaker for people because it can be inconvenient to try to log a meal at a restaurant when you\u2019re out with friends on the weekend. This is where it might help to look at the menu ahead of time and see if you can find the menu item in the app\u2019s data base (you might be surprised at all that they DO have in there!).<\/li>\n
    2. Lack of accuracy.<\/strong> Because we can\u2019t always find the exact restaurant meal in the database, this leads to having to guesstimate how many calories were in your meal by searching for each individual item. This usually leads to under-reporting how many calories you\u2019ve eaten and can give a false sense of success if the number in the app shows you\u2019ve met your calorie goal, when really you\u2019re over by a few hundred calories. Additionally, many people don\u2019t log every lick, sip, taste that they have. The truth is, these calories add up and can be the difference between losing or gaining 5-10 pounds in a year.<\/li>\n
    3. Logging can be time consuming.<\/strong> Especially when you\u2019re first learning how to use the app. The good news is, the more you do it, the easier it gets. Plus, most apps can memorize your favorites so that you don\u2019t have to do as much work to log them in.<\/li>\n
    4. Individual variances in calorie absorption.<\/strong> It\u2019s true! If you and I each eat the same 500 calorie meal, I may absorb different amounts of each nutrient than you do. Since none of us live in a lab hooked up to machines to measure this, it\u2019s impossible to know exactly what our bodies absorb. Logging and calorie counting is about as good as we can do without becoming lab rats.<\/li>\n
    5. Becoming obsessed with the numbers.<\/strong> After logging for a while, it\u2019s easy to stress over the numbers and worry about whether or not x food will throw off your goal for the day, or feel bad because you ate a snack that was over your calorie count, etc. If logging leads to negative thoughts and feelings, it might not be the best option for you. Stress is weight loss\u2019s mortal enemy!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      These lists are not exhaustive, but they should give you a good look at some of the pros and cons of calorie counting. Read through both lists and decide whether the pros outweigh the cons in your life. If you decide that it\u2019s worth a try, here are some of my recommendations for successful calorie counting.<\/p>\n

      Tips for success:<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

      Find the calorie counting app that speaks to you. <\/em><\/strong>My Fitness Pal and LoseIt! are the OG\u2019s* of calorie counting programs, but there are many out there! Go to your app store and search \u201ccalorie counting app\u201d to browse the results, take a look at the design of each app (visual appeal matters! If you think it\u2019s ugly, you probably won\u2019t be inclined to use it), consider the ease of use, and read reviews. These can all help you decide which ones are worth your precious free download :D. When in doubt, narrow it down to 2-3 and test them out for a few days. By then you should have a feel for which one is your favorite to use.<\/p>\n

      *(OG = Original Gangster, in case you are unfamiliar with that pop culture reference)<\/p>\n

      Be conservative with your weight loss goal numbers.<\/em><\/strong> Start with an initial weight loss of 5-10% \u00a0of your total body weight for the first 3-6 months (depending on how much you have to lose). After that, see if you can maintain this weight loss for another 3-6 months (that\u2019s the hard part!). Whatever you do, don\u2019t set the weight loss goal for a 2 lb\/week weight loss<\/u>. Faster weight loss is not better! Instead, that will set you up for failure fast. Set the app to have you lose weight at a rate of .5-1 lb\/week maximum<\/em> to generate a daily calorie goal that is sustainable. Remember, just because you can<\/em> eat lower calorie for 2 weeks straight doesn\u2019t mean that you should<\/em>, nor will it will lead to sustainable weight loss. If you set a daily calorie goal that is too low, you\u2019re more likely to binge on weekends or drop the plan entirely and not see the success you want. Take a more even-keel approach with a slow, steady weight loss goal so that you can continue to see your weight decrease over time. Plus, you won\u2019t feel like you\u2019re starving yourself!!<\/p>\n

      Log for at least an entire 1-2 weeks to get the hang of it and increase your awareness, then reserve logging for spot-checks.<\/em><\/strong> I often recommend that clients start out by logging to get a feel for how they need to portion their meals\/snacks in order to meet their calorie goal. Log for as long as you feel you need to in order to keep yourself honest, but the ultimate goal is to get to the point where you have the knowledge and the freedom to eat healthy portion sizes without being chained to your phone. If you feel like you\u2019re stalling out or not seeing success, try logging for 3 consecutive days (including 2 weekend days) to see where you stand. That will give you a good look at what\u2019s going right, and what might need some adjusting to help you continue to make progress.<\/p>\n

      Log everything.<\/em><\/strong> I mean EVERYTHING! Take a sip of your friend\u2019s wine at dinner to try it? Log it. Lick the knife after spreading your measured peanut butter? Log it. Why? Because you might look back at your log and realize that these behaviors are a daily practice and are adding 300-500 calories to your diet per week. Every bite counts, for better or for worse.<\/p>\n

      Update your weight in the app for an accurate calorie goal.<\/strong> As you lose weight, your calorie requirements will get lower because your body doesn\u2019t need as much energy for your normal tasks. The good news is that if you increase and maintain lean muscle mass, you will see your body fat percentage drop (giving you the slimmer, toned look you\u2019re going for), but your weight on the scale might not change significantly (simply because muscle is more dense than body fat). When this occurs, you won\u2019t necessarily have to cut back in calories as you see success. Gotta fuel those muscles, baby!<\/p>\n

      Get your friends in on the action. <\/em><\/strong>You might feel less intimidated or embarrassed about logging if your friends want to do it too. That way you can share tips and tricks and talk about restaurant choices and recipes that have helped you stay on track! Healthy living is better together. You could even plan a spa day or girls night out to celebrate a full 2-4 weeks of tracking consistently. It never hurts to have some fun rewards along the way!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Calorie counting is not a new weight loss\/weight management technique. Most everyone has heard that you must eat less calories than you expend in order to lose weight. There\u2019s no debating this fact, but does it mean that counting calories is the way to go? Hopefully by the end of this post, you\u2019ll have a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mbp_gutenberg_autopost":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[116,120,2,14,45,62,46,12,118,117,13,47,15,122,21,119,73,17,121],"yoast_head":"\nThe Pros and Cons of Calorie Counting - The Train Station Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/trainfit.com\/blog\/pros-cons-calorie-counting\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Pros and Cons of Calorie Counting - The Train Station Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Calorie counting is not a new weight loss\/weight management technique. 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