The Dangers of Counting Calories

Counting calories has several benefits, but it can also be harmful. If you are strict about calorie intake, you may feel deprived and uncomfortable. You may also refrain from eating socially, which can lead to confusion about what foods to choose. Moreover, calories alone do not tell you how much a food is nutritious. Therefore, you may end up eating 2,000 calories of something and have no idea if it is nutritious or not.

In addition to counting calories, you can also track the food that you eat by keeping a food diary. There are many online tools and apps that help you record the food you eat. Some of the restaurants and fast food chains have a tendency to increase portion sizes, which means that one meal can contain double or triple the amount of calories an average person requires. This condition is known as ‘portion distortion,’ and it can contribute to weight gain. Counting calories can help you to avoid this condition and keep yourself from overeating.

Despite the popularity of calorie counting as a weight loss tool, it can lead to an unhealthy obsession. This can result in weight gain and muscle loss. The key to losing weight is to match your intake and output of energy. A 400-calorie deficit per day is a good target, but remember to stick to your diet, hydration, and exercise to maintain the results. If you don’t lose weight at this rate, try increasing your calorie deficit by 200 calories a day. In this way, you can achieve your goal of losing at least one pound of weight each week.