Should you count calories to lose weight?

[Article updated on 19/09/2023]

All people who want to lose weight have already asked themselves this question: should we count calories or should we rely on his instinct?

HAS In my opinion, both methods can be effective. Nevertheless, it is important to take into account some criteria when choosing informed.

THE The purpose of this article is precisely to help you make the choice.

Eat intuitively

A most of the articles you find on the web will tell you eat intuitively and listen to your body. Of only eat when you feel hungry and stop at when you are full.

It is indeed the most natural method of eating.

But There you go, in life, nothing is ever that simple. We forget sometimes the foods we eat every day are often very caloric. Chocolate, biscuits, prepared meals are calorie bombs. Even when eaten “to satiety”, these clearly do not help you lose weight.

Eat intuitively is probably a good idea, but in this case, perhaps it is necessary to say goodbye to certain foods to focus solely on a natural diet.

This is why many diets exist.

Modern diets

Atkins, Dukan, Weight Watchers…there are hundreds of diets today, all based on the same model, namely:

• there calorie restriction (essential point for losing weight)
• there deprivation of certain foods

So, it is not surprising that most people who follow a diet quickly feel frustrated and give up afterwards a few weeks. In certain extreme cases, we can even notice a yo-yo effect for several years. That’s to say, a more or less rapid weight gain after a diet.

Unfortunately, today, many people find themselves in this situation. So much so that it has become the norm for 90% of population.

SO how to lose weight without saying goodbye to your favorite foods or feel the frustration?

Counting calories, an interesting option in the 21st century

When I recommend a person to count their calories, the objections main ones are:

• There constraint
• THE counter-intuitive side

I admit that I completely agree with these arguments. But Is depriving yourself of these favorite foods more pleasant? Clearly, I do not think. The frustration this causes is not an option interesting.

When on the counterintuitive side, I can only agree with this opinion. However, in my opinion, eating chocolate bars, biting into a croissant or swallowing slices of pizza is not something not natural either.

He you should know that our diet has changed a lot over the 50 last years. Fruits, vegetables and plants left instead of fatty and highly processed foods. If my rear grandmother was still in this world and entered a supermarket, I’m not sure she would recognize much of anything.

So, if our diet has changed, why not admit that our How we eat should also evolve?

In the 21st century, counting your calories is therefore an interesting alternative to guarantee results and lose weight without frustration.

Conclusion

I am a sports coach and nutrition advisor and not a magician. As such, I must be honest and tell you that whatever solution you choose, it will bring you some constraints that you must accept. Depending on your preferences, here are the options available to you:

1. Eat intuitively (or diet) and agree to give up certain foods. These include tasty and high-calorie foods such as chocolate, sweets, pastries, prepared meals and biscuits.
   
   Instead of these, choose fruits, vegetables, fish and poultry.
   
2. Count your calories every day. Of course, this means taking 5 minutes a day to enter your meals in an application (Fatsecret for example), but this ensures that you do not exceed your daily needs. Also, you won’t have to say goodbye to your favorite foods.

None no solution is better than another, depending on your preferences, you are the only person who knows which of the two will be the most suitable for you. The important thing being above all that it suits you and allows you to maintain your efforts on the long term.