Counting Calories

Everyone in this world has one thing in common and it doesn't matter where you're from or how you were raised. We all need calories to survive. But that doesn't meant that everyone counts their calories. Growing obesity rates are evidence of this unwanted fact. As painful a process as it seems, counting calories is still a very good way to keep waistlines in check.

Significance

In life, it is always a good idea to have a game plan or schematic to follow. If you don't know where you're going, then how are you going to find out how to get there? This is the same way with calorie counting. Setting up a well thought out plan of attack is the best way to go. This can be done by keeping a food journal. It can be as simple as writing everything in a pocket notebook or as elaborate as setting up a spreadsheet on the computer. The underlying fact is it will be a good resource and reference point for always knowing your caloric intake. It might be a little arduous at first, but as time goes on it will become easier and easier.

Function

When you hear calorie counting, you often think of weight reduction. But that is not always the case. It can also be for weight gain. This especially holds true for bodybuilders and "hard gainers." These are the people that are very lean and are trying to bulk up. There is actually a surprisingly high number of people that fall into this category. In this case, the objective is to track calories and gradually increase the amount.

Time Frame

The best approach to take in calorie counting is to set up time related goals. This can be done in increments of four, eight or 12 weeks to make it easy. If you were to reduce your calories by 250 a day, then in four weeks you can expect to lose two pounds. Here's how it works. It takes a 3500 calorie deficit to lose one pound. If you reduced your caloric intake by 250 a day, this would equal 1750 or a half a pound per week; ultimately leading to two pounds in a month. If you decided to exercise every day and burn an additional 250 calories then you can double the weight loss number.

Effects

The effects of calorie counting are not only physical, but also mental. You basically train yourself to be disciplined and you hold yourself accountable. This is a big reason why a lot of diet plans fail. Because people don't have the discipline to stay on track and stay focused. When you always have something to look at to log your progress, you are more apt to stay the course. This will in turn bleed into other aspects of your life where accountability is an issue such as balancing a checkbook or doing reports at work. So in essence, you will be strengthening your mind as well as your body.

Misconceptions

A lot of people fear calorie counting because they think it is too hard. It is not. The fear that they are experiencing is change. It is not easy to change a long time habit, especially a bad one. For some, counting calories is as daunting as stepping on a scale, but it doesn't need to be. All you need to do is make one simple little step every day. Make it as simple as tracking one meal a day for a week, then add one more each consecutive week, and voila, you're doing it. It doesn't take but a mere 30 seconds to log calories. Unless you're behind the wheel of a car drinking a smoothie, you can log while you eat.

Expert Insight

Know the caloric breakdown of macronutrients for quick reference. Macronutrients are protein, carbohydrates and fat. Protein and carbs weigh in at 4 calories per gram and fat weighs in at 9 calories per gram. So if you know how many grams you are eating, then you can figure out the calories.
Weigh and measure everything so you know exactly, or at least as close as possible, how many calories you are eating. Again, this can be utilized if you are cutting or adding calories to the diet. You will experience this with items such as chicken, ground turkey/beef, grains, nuts, seeds and certain vegetables.