Don't count calories, but be aware of them
There are many apps and digital tools available today to help count calories. But should you count calories if you want to lose weight?
Calorie awareness over calorie counting
Experts say that consum¬ing fewer calories than you burn leads to weight loss. But there's no need to obsess about counting them. Instead, it can be more useful to have a general idea of how many calories you require to reach your goal—and which foods are more likely to help you get there. Think of it as calorie awareness versus calorie counting.
How many calories do you need? Every individ¬ual is different, and caloric needs differ depending on many factors, including age, body size, activity level, and metabolism. Most women need 1,600 to 2,000 calories per day to maintain their weight, while most men require 2,000 to 2,400 calories per day. Your number may be more or less.
Limit calories
Another approach is to simply limit your portions, which automatically has the effect of limiting calories. Standard servings are generally much smaller than those dished out in restaurants or even what you're used to at home.
Measure your food
Measuring servings can also help you keep portions in check. However, unless you're paying attention, your portions may creep up over time. After a month or so, measure your food again as a refresher course on standard serving sizes and to make sure you're staying on track. Note that there is no need to reduce your vegetable portions.
Lower carb intake
Finally, there is some evidence that not all calories are equal. A Harvard-led study found that people who were trying to maintain recent weight loss burned more calories each day if they adopted a diet that was relatively low in carbohydrates.
Many experts recommend eliminating all simple sugars as the first step to achieving weight loss and stopping those pounds from coming back. This will likely lower your carb intake and limit total calories at the same time.
In general, calorie counting is not the best approach to weight control. When you rely solely on counting calories, you never learn to listen to your body's hun¬ger and satiety signals. This can be a powerful tool in helping to keep off unwanted pounds.
To learn how to create week-by-week action plans, and to get our weight control tips and recipes, buy the 6-Week Plan for Healthy Eating, a Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School.
Image: asiandelight/Getty Images
Disclaimer:
As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles.
No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
