A calorie deficit is the most important principle of successful weight loss. It would seem that there is nothing difficult: you reduce the daily quota, count what you eat, and the dream figure is in your pocket. But it’s not! Let’s find out about the top calorie-conscious mistakes made not only by beginners, but also by professionals.
Does It Make Sense to Count Calories
As a general, very approximate system of coordinates, the indicator of calories is working at best. The rule of “eating less and moving more means you lose weight.
But there are a lot of nuances. Once again, let me remind you that the underlying all of today’s caloric labeling of foods, the Atwater system was developed almost a century and a half ago. But in that time, much of our knowledge of the world has moved on. For example, in Atwater’s time, science knew nothing about vitamins, dietary fiber, beneficial minerals, and other micronutrients – that is, that our weight and well-being are affected not only by the quantity but also by the quality of our food.
Since then, humanity has consumed far more “empty calories,” that is, refined sugar, oil, and flour. This, of course, could not have been anticipated by Atwater. Today, many scientists believe that to maintain and adjust weight, it isn’t so important to know the calories, but rather the glycemic index of a product, which means the rate at which it increases blood glucose levels. Refined foods, which are rapidly processed and absorbed into the bloodstream almost immediately, have a much higher glycemic index than the same foods in their natural state. For example, the glycemic index of purified white rice is almost 1.5 times higher than that of brown rice, which has preserved the grain’s shell, while their caloric content is approximately the same.
You Don’t Weigh Your Food
Many people rely on their keen eye and savings to buy a kitchen scale to weigh their food. Quite presumptuous, because with a purely visual approach, we most often greatly underestimate the amount of food. Do you want to lose weight quickly and efficiently? Then always double-check your gaze by weighing your food on the scale.
You Measure Calories in Portions
Even one person’s perception of portion size can vary. Today he measured a portion of the product at 40 grams, and tomorrow unnoticed to himself increased it almost twice. This is why you need a kitchen scale!
You Write Down the Cooked Meals
For the convenience of calorie counting, many fit people keep a diary, but the records in it aren’t always correct. For example, girls like to indicate their already cooked meals instead of laying out all the components. If you ate an omelet for breakfast, be sure to write down exactly what it consisted of: 100 grams of eggs, 15 grams of onions, 25 grams of cheese and 55 grams of milk. That’s the only way you’ll calculate the actual number of calories in a serving.
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You’re Not Counting Everything
Not including seemingly insignificant little things like coffee creamer, chewing gum, non-starchy vegetables and lettuce leaves in your food journal? That’s where you get caught. All those unaccounted-for calories then subtly add up to extra inches on your waistline that seem to come out of nowhere.
You Don’t Count Butter or Oil
Even a spoonful of oil for frying or dressing in a salad should be factored into the calculations. Even if it’s the highest grade of oil and incredibly healthy, it still has calories in it.
You Blindly Trust Fitness Trackers
Accustomed to having your calories counted for you perfectly by fitness bracelets or smart watches? They, too, are wrong. And sometimes this error is critically high, so that the process of counting calories loses its meaning. Alas, no one will monitor your diet better than you. So trust gadgets, but check them twice.
