Saturday, August 31, 2013

Calorie Counting. Is it necessary?

I have a friend who was a calorie counter extremist.  She counted calories to the point where she was obsessed and it became a sickness.  This is something that is rare, but must be kept in mind as a personal trainer guiding people to better health through fitness and nutrition.

Let's face it, nobody wants to be chained to calorie counting for the rest of their life.  It is annoying trying to estimate, or weigh all your food, plus It is a real downer to see exactly how many calories you have taken in, compared to how many your body actually burned.

For the person who follows the government recommendations for how many cups of fruits, whole grains, lean meats etc.,  to-the-letter, and gets at least 30 minutes a day of moderate exercise, then calorie counting is not necessary.

For the person who eats mostly vegetables, fruits, lean meats, and whole grains, ONLY when they are hungry and gets at least 30 minutes a day of moderate exercise, calorie counting is not necessary.

For the rest of us sedentary, emotional eaters, who cringe at the thought of keeping track of what they eat, and are afraid of vegetables.  Calorie counting IS necessary.

The Why 

You may find it interesting to know that most of our calories are burned simply by being alive.  Then there is an equation based on how active you are that will give an estimated allowance of daily calorie intake.  Subtract 500 of that number each day to receive the amount of calories needed a day to lose a pound.  One pound equals 3,500 calories.  This is a two way street.  I have another friend who found that she was not eating enough calories.  So why was she gaining weight?  

If your body senses that it is not getting enough food to sustain itself, it will hang on tight to whatever you give it.  The reason it does not take from your fat stores if it does not have to, is because it prefers to take from the carbohydrates, protein, and fat you take in.  The fat burning comes after a bout of intense exercise, or during rest when the muscles you worked through resistance training are working to repair themselves. That is a subject for a different post.  

In Conclusion

The beauty of calorie counting is that it does not take long before one can eyeball a plate and give a pretty accurate estimate of how many calories it contains.  It doesn't have to be done for a persons whole life either.  For the most part I do not do it consistently, but when I notice I am getting off track or have gained a pound, it is an excellent portion control reset button.

There are many online sources that will tell you how many calories you need to count.  A nutritionist, dietician, or personal trainer will also include this information in their services.

Thanks for the read, and if you have any questions feel free to post in the comments section, or shoot me an email.  mysinsareforgiven@me.com
May God bless your health.

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