When it comes to losing weight, calorie counting certainly seems to make perfect sense.
Keep track of the amount of food you eat and keep the numbers low — simple enough, right?
But guess what? Calorie counting is probably sabotaging your diet. In fact, it’s more lethal to your dieting plans than you think!
Here are 8 essential reasons why counting calories may actually be helping you pile on the pounds:
Reason #1: Thin, but not toned
The problem with the calorie counting method of dieting is that it doesn’t take into account the types of foods you eat.
It also doesn’t account for the timing of nutrient absorption. These are two points that are extremely important when it comes to achieving that sexy, sculpted body.
It’s true that some popular diet programs rely just on counting calories…
Yet have you ever noticed the people who lose weight on these programs are only a smaller version of their original size but rarely achieve a sculpted, toned, fit silhouette?
Reason #2: Overeating
The type of calories you ingest is vital. Eating junk foods that are high in sugar can make you tired, hungry and moody due to unstable blood sugar levels.
This will make you more inclined to overeat.
Good, nutritious foods such as lean proteins, some complex carbohydrates, fruit and good fats, and plenty of vegetables is what you should be focusing on. Avoid boxed and packaged foods.
Reason #3: Slow metabolism
If you are eating the same low calories day in and day out, your body will start conserving calories, slowing down your metabolism.
This is because your body reacts the same way it would if you were experiencing a real-life famine…
As if its very survival is in danger!
This means that you will need to consume fewer and fewer calories just to maintain the same weight.
The good news is, by incorporating a free or “cheat” meal — the additional load in calories when strategically planned can actually work to your advantage.
Reason #4: Working out and eating too few calories
If you’re working out (and you should be) you need enough calories to sustain your training sessions, and to facilitate recovery.
Many people simply try to keep calories as low as possible, often with disastrous results!
Reason #5: Misinformation
There’s been a lot of media coverage about how many foods are deliberately mislabeled lately. There are more calories in them than you think.
Why is this important?
If your calorie counting is even one or two hundred calories off because of the misleading food labels, then you’ll gradually gain pounds — not lose them!
Reason #6: Miscalculation
Unless you’re very, very precise about tracking the amount of calories you’re burning, chances are you’re consuming at least as much, if not more, than you’re burning.
The result?
Extra weight that you don’t want or need.
Reason #7: Sinful foods
Sometimes, it’s easy to forget to count foods that ultimately put us over our daily calorie limit. It’s tough to keep track of everything.
A bite of a brownie here, a sip of a coke there and a lick of a Popsicle are all neglected to be recorded as calories. But recorded or not, these add up over the course of a day and worse…
Add up to pounds over time!
Reason #8: Personal guilt
If we happen to go over our calorie limit that we set for ourselves, we end up feeling guilty and ashamed.
This is normally the cause for many people to start on an all-out binge fest. After all, you may as well make the most of your mistake, right?
This is a surefire way to start (or continue) yo-yo dieting, which will ultimately damage your metabolism and make you fat very quickly.
What’s worse is that yo-yo dieting will make it very difficult for you to maintain a healthy weight in the long term.
As you can see, the calo
rie counting approach to fat burning is full of holes.
It’s important to keep tabs on what you put in your body, but if you’re constantly counting calories you can end up hurting your results.
Now that it seems that calorie counting alone isn’t the most effective way to lose those extra calories…just what can you do to get that sexy, toned, silhouette?
Check out my eye-opening video presentation that unveils the secret to a gorgeous, sculpted body, minus the hassle of counting calories.
About the Author:
Sue Heintze is a top Australian personal trainer and Body Transformation Specialist who has coached and mentored thousands of women to healthy, fit and firm figures.
Sue has a regular Body Transformation column in Australian Oxygen Magazine and has written for Women’s Health & Fitness Magazine and Shape Magazine.
Which wonderful women in your life would love to achieve a fit, toned, sexy body?
Please share these important calorie myth-busters with each of them using any of the social media buttons and email buttons below.
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