subject: The Dangers Of Calorie Counting [print this page] Being aware of what different food groups provide you with and what the food you eat each day contains is definitely a good thing but calorie counting is not something which will help you to eat healthily and lose weight. The thing with calorie counting is that it focuses your entire day around food, which means food is always on the brain and rather than working healthy food into your lifestyle, its all you can think about. This causes your brain to convince your stomach that its hungry and needs food and will probably result in tempting you into a quick and sugary snack which you dont need and which may cause a sugar high and an energy low.
If you need to lose weight, start by writing a food diary for a week and from this youll see exactly where youre going wrong and where you need to cut back or make some changes. There are some great websites which give you the calorie and fat content of most foods and allow you to work out how much of each youre consuming per day. Bear in mind that the average adult woman should be consuming around 2,000 calories and 45 grams of fat per day with men slightly higher at 2,500 calories and 60 grams of fat but remember to limit your intake of saturated fats which are found in things like cakes and biscuits and dont offer the body any health benefits.
Regular snacking even on things like cereal bars and yoghurts which are marketed as healthy can in fact be detrimental to a successful weight loss programme because your body will never experience hunger and it is hunger which causes the body to break down excess fats and sugars and helps you to lose weight. Instead try to eat three healthy meals per day and if you really need something to keep you going, stick to small pieces of fruit, low fat or fat free yoghurts and things like oat and rice cakes which are filling but low calorie.
The point of the food diary is to show you what you eat and drink every day because its amazing what you eat without even really registering it, especially if youre particularly busy at work and you tend to eat on the move or at your desk. If you dont snack but you do eat meals that are particularly large or you rely on coffee, tea and other drinks that are high in caffeine, this could be where youre putting on the weight without even realising it. Portion control is one of the most important things when it comes to healthy eating and its one that can be difficult to start with but you soon become accustomed to when your stomach adjusts. So, try to plan a menu for the week and shop for this when youve just eaten (and youre not hungry) and then only cook the amount of healthy food you actually need for that meal or youll be tempted to have a larger portion or go back for seconds.
