Why Calorie Counting Doesn’t Work

October 28 2013

Why Calorie Counting Doesn’t Work

Are you still methodically counting the calories of each and every food you consume throughout the day? Many people assume that reducing their daily caloric intake will help them lose weight. We’ve all heard that healthy adults should consume 2,000-2,500 calories per day, so common sense should tell you that consuming less than 2,000 calories per day will help you lose weight. The cold hard truth, however, is that calorie counting does not work; here’s why:

To understand why calorie counting doesn’t work, you first have to understand how the body uses them. Calories are a measurement of energy. More precisely, one calorie is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius.

Calories Are Not All Created Equal

The body burns calories in several different ways, some of which are good and others not-so good. It’s a common assumption among people looking to lose weight that all calories are burned equally. Whether you’re jogging, lifting weights, doing situps, playing tennis, swimming or just walking around the house, your body is going to burn calories from one of three different sources: stored fat, stored protein (AKA muscle mass), or stored carbohydrates.

If your goal is to lose weight while maintaining muscle mass, you’ll want to burn calories from stored fat and not protein. Many people struggle to lose weight (and keep it off) because their bodies are naturally burning calories from stored protein and carbs rather than fat.

Digestion Burns Calories

Yep, you’ll end up burning calories simply by eating food and allowing our digestive system to do the rest. The amount of calories burned through digestion varies depending on the particular type of food. A study performed by researchers at North Carolina University found that 40 calories were burned during the digestion of a one-ounce serving of almonds. So instead of consuming 170 calories, you’re actually consuming just 130 per serving.

Metabolism Affects Calories

Of course, the body’s own metabolism also plays a key role in its ability, and speed, to burn calories. If you’re lucky enough to have a high metabolism, your body will burn a greater amount of calories than someone with a low metabolism.

The bottom line is that we need to change our way of thinking when it comes to diet, nutrition and weight loss. Constantly crunching your daily calorie consumption isn’t going to work. Instead, work to create a lasting, sustainable diet focused around lean meats, fresh vegetables and whole grains. When combined with a physical fitness routine, you’ll find the weight comes off in no time at all.