Counting Calories For Better Health

Counting Calories For Better Health

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In the struggle to lose weight, countless individuals take cues from popular television shows and end up making such drastic changes to their diet, that they end up starving themselves, which later leads to binging. Fad diets and programs that promise rapid weight loss trap people into believing that there is a magic solution to becoming fit and lean. However, the solution that is not only healthy and effective but can also be maintained throughout a lifetime is counting calories.

Men are often able to drop a significant amount of weight just by making small changes to their diet, such as cutting out sweets or chips. Men tend to eat out of hunger and for pleasure, while women have been shown to be emotional eaters who turn to these very foods to help them deal with stress or emotions that they are unable to manage in other ways. Weight management is an important component in women's health, but so many females struggle with their weight and often turn to these get-thin-quick programs that never seem to work.

Counting calories not only will help you stay within an ideal range for safe and effective weight loss, but tracking every piece of food that passes your lips can help to pinpoint those moments of emotional eating and stop the cycle.

Begin by writing down everything you eat and drink for a week as well as the calorie content of each item. Keep a daily total, and at the end of the week, add those daily totals to find out how many calories you are consuming each week. Subtracting 3500 calories per week, or 500 per day will result in a healthy .04 kilograms per week of weight loss. Experts recommend keeping weight loss between .04 and 1.33 kilograms per week to maintain muscle, so you can adjust your calorie content accordingly.

Often, just choosing more nutritious foods or even meal supplements can help keep calories in check. Supplements which most often come in the form of protein bars and shakes provide portion and calorie controlled meals that can be ideal for those with a busy schedule, or those who do not like to cook.

Switching out unhealthy foods for healthy alternatives can take the guesswork out of creating a new menu designed to promote weight loss. Choose whole grain, high fibre breads, pasta and rice over those made with regular white flour. Drink water with lemon instead of soda, or use a little olive oil with salt and pepper over a salad instead of high-fat, high-calorie, cream-based dressings. Small switches can mean huge calorie savings.

The weight loss equation is simple. Eat less calories than you need to maintain your current weight, and you will lose unwanted fat.

About the Author:
Chelsi Woolz enjoys writing about beauty, beauty tips and products; and womens health. She also likes digging up interesting little beauty and health facts, such as weight management and sharing them with others.



Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com


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