As anyone who has studied dieting will testify, there are seemingly millions to choose from.
Some are more famous than others. Some have grabbed international attention for good and bad reasons over the years, and one only has to look at the likes of the Atkins diet to see this in its full flow.
Others are regarded as steady and effective ways to manage your weight. There’s no doubt that calorie counting falls into such a category.
While this technique isn’t necessarily a specific diet (it’s more of a “method”), it has survived the test of time and can work for most people who use it properly. Doctors, health experts, insurers and most others in the industry swear by calorie counting – and there’s an excellent resource over here to showcase its full benefits. Sure, there are caveats, and like all methods, it should be regarded as a short-term method, but it has been proven to work in terms of weight loss.
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Of course, like any method of weight management, there are right and wrong ways to approach it. Through today, we’ll make sure that you stick to the former.
Know your body
This is vital. Not everyone is the same, and not everyone will require the same number of calories to maintain their weight.
There are several ways to determine how many calories you need, but a BMR calculator is the most accurate. This will consider your height, weight, age and activity level to give you a personalised calorie allowance.
Don’t go too low
When trying to lose weight, going as low as possible with your calorie intake can be tempting. After all, the lower you go, the faster the weight will come off, right?
Wrong. If you go too low, you’ll find it harder to stick to your diet and more likely to put the weight back on when you come off it. That’s because when you starve your body of calories, it goes into “starvation mode” and starts to hold on to fat stores more tightly.
A good rule of thumb is never to exceed 1,200 calories per day, preferably closer to 1,500 if you can. However, always check with your doctor – everyone has different needs.
Download a calorie-counting app
Many calorie-counting apps are available on iOS and Android, which can be a fantastic way to get started. Why? Because they make the process of calorie counting much, much easier.
You don’t need to be a math whiz to use them; all you need to do is enter what you’re eating and drinking throughout the day. The app will do the rest and will even provide you with a daily calorie allowance that you can work towards.
Don’t cut out food groups
If you’re cutting calories, it can be tempting to cut out entire food groups to reduce your intake further. However, this is a mistake.
Not only will it make your diet harder to stick to, but it could also lead to deficiencies in certain nutrients. Make sure you’re still eating a balanced diet, even when cutting calories.
Don’t get too obsessed
Calorie counting can quickly become an obsession, and that’s when it becomes unhealthy.
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If you fixate on numbers and worry about every little thing you eat, it’s time to take a step back. Remember, this is meant to be a healthy way to lose weight, not an unhealthy obsession.