According to experts, calorie counting is one of the methods that can help you lose your weight. The process is complicated because you need to find the right combination of foods that can keep your calories low. According to experts, the trend f counting calories is not new. People started counting calories many years ago. However, the idea was popularized by the turn of 20th century.
That aside, there are other reasons for choosing what you eat by not basing your choices on calorie content. Food that is rich in fiber will keep you feeling full for long hours. This is a strategy you must employ if you want to keep off from eating extra calories because you will always remain full. Vegetable fruits and other lower fat foods will certainly give you more value for every dollar spent.
In your calorie counting strategy, you must remember that protein and carbohydrates have four calories in every gram that is consumed. Fats have about nine calories per gram and alcohol has seven calories per gram. This means that when you are counting calories to lose weight, you must be very careful with what you consume. Eating foods like bacon, cheese gives you more than a half the number of calories you need in a day. This is made worse if you eat all this in a single breakfast meal. Meals such as white omelet, an egg, mushrooms, green peppers, onions and a small amount of low-fat cheese leaves you with more space for the calories you get from the snacks you grab during the day.
The Dos And Don’ts of Counting calories
When you are on a calorie counting program, there are things you can do and others you must avoid. This is what constitutes the right way and the wrong ways of counting calories. Here are the things you must do.
Eating smaller portions- it should be remembered that bigger portions have more calories. Studies have shown that the more amounts we serve on our plates the more the calories we consume because we tend to finish all the food served on the plate. This does not mean that we should serve fewer vegetables. Vegetables are low in calories and the more we eat, the better.
Eating foods that require more energy to digest- there are foods whose thermic effect is high. Bread made from whole grain is better than that made from refined flour. The refined flour digests fast giving you the full four calories per gram. If you choose to eat foods that are rich in fiber and which take long to digest, you will save 12 to 15 calories per day.
Consume the right kind of foods. Foods such as deserts, sweets, soft drinks, alcohol beverages, fruit flavored drinks, and snacks are high-calorie content. Such food should be avoided. Instead, you should buy and consume nutrient-rich, whole grain vegetables and fruits. Such nutrient –dense choices can also prevent a number of diseases ranging from cancer to diabetes. Foods such as soft drinks, white bread will certainly increase the health problems.
Keeping track of what you eat
According to medical studies, the best way to lose weight is to keep track of the foods you eat. With the advent of the internet, there are plenty of free mobile and website apps which make calorie counting easy. For instance if you log into your iPhone app every day, you will not only be able to count your calories but you will meet friends from the community who may help you succeed in walking this journey.
MyFitnessPal is one of the tools that will help you check and keep you on track. Just a click of a button and you will be done. You will be able to monitor your calorie intake be able to set realistic goals and work towards achieving them. A huge database will help you find the right kind of food that you eat.
Counting calories outside the lab is difficult. This is why you must pursue other methods that will help you police a number of calories you take every day. Workouts and exercises will help you burn the extra calories you may have consumed.
