If you've ever tried to lose weight, the most common way is by counting calories. It seems quick and foolproof, burn more calories then you take in. Track everything you eat and make sure you are either burning more than you eat or eat less than you're burning. While this mentality works for some people, usually it becomes harmful and obsessive. Even most people who think they understand the calorie method, do not.
The first common mistake people make about calorie burning is that they only burn them when they are working out. This isn't true, your body is always burning calories. It burns them at rest, when your body is simply sitting reading this article. Your body has a certain amount of calories it needs at rest just to maintain bodily functions. So depriving yourself of nutrition does not just burn fat, but inhibits bodily functions. If you want to find how many calories your body needs just for maintenance, Fitnessblender.com gives the equation for both men and women.
The second mistake that people make about dieting with calories is the idea that all calories are created equally. The idea that 1,000 calories of broccoli and 1,000 calories of soda both have the same effect on the body, is simply not true. Drhyman.com explains this in comparison in great detail, but the simple breakdown of nutrients in the foods are completely different. Soda is comprised of mostly sugar which spikes blood sugar and also leads to weight gain whereas broccoli contains nutrients that are slow to digest, which keep you full longer. In conclusion, these two different foods have two very different effects on the body.
Why do we want to know this? Basically, if you are eating foods that keep you full for longer, then you are less likely to overeat. If you're drinking a cup of soda or eating a bunch of chocolate chip cookies, you are essentially eating empty calories.
An article in The New York Times discussed the difference in the way the body uses different foods. Vegetables and nuts only use a portion of the calories that they contain, the rest of them are excreted from the body. That means those calories in the food are not needed in the body, which means those on the nutrition label are not the amount the body actually uses.
Why do people want to know this information? Bottom line, if you want to lose weight, just try to eat better. Try to eat foods with high levels of nutrients, and specifically, less sugar. If you make better choices, you will be less hungry. Since it's a lot harder to eat mass amounts of fruits and veggies, you are less likely to overeat. Never deprive your body. Make sure to always eat when you are hungry. Listen to your body, it tells you what it needs.
What people don't realize about counting calories is how obsessive it soon becomes. Before you know it you're depriving yourself of nutrients trying to pick the lowest calorie food. You can easily become obsessed with trying to eat under a certain amount of calories, which soon leads to an eating disorder. Intuitively eating is the better solution.
If you're interested in more information on this issue, and particularly the effects of sugar, check out the film "Fed Up" available on Netflix.
