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Recently, I was Googling the number of calories in an apple. I don’t care, but apples are in season, so I’ve been eating them fast (and using them to make my favorite apple and crumble recipes). Since I’m always amazed at how filling an apple is, I thought I’d look into the recipe to satisfy my curiosity. The top Google results were different, from 95 calories to 104 calories to 116 calories in one fruit. After analyzing more than 10 different articles on nutrition, I just stopped finding a solid answer.
For years, I was a firm believer that weight loss and good health were just a story eating fewer calories than you burn. While browsing the internet last night, I realized that it is not that simple.
Calorie counting is often seen as a good way to measure your food intake. Programs like MyFitnessPal and Noom designed their models around the number of calories in a Starbucks Grande Vanilla Latte (250) or the banana you had in the morning (105) in order to help users lose weight or change their body shape by maintaining a calorie deficit. . But is counting calories a good idea?
As with most events that appear in the health and wellness space, we need to carefully evaluate both the promised benefits and potential risks. Self-proclaimed health experts on social media sites like Instagram and TikTok say (in words that mean “duh”) that losing weight is just about calories in compared to calories out. Depending on where you look, research can disprove or prove the effectiveness of calorie counting. To find out the truth, I spoke to an expert, David Gaviriadoctoral student in the nutrition department at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
What is calorie counting?
Calories indicate the nutritional value of a food or drink, but simply, a calorie is a unit of energy. Calories are units of measurement used to describe the amount of energy used per day (energy burned) or consumed. It is necessary for us to live and for our organs to function. Calories give the body energy to work and move, whether it’s breathing, running a mile or digesting food.
It is true that in order to lose weight you need to burn more calories than you consume, and you can do this by changing your diet and increasing your exercise. For many on a weight loss journey, the habit of keeping track of every calorie eaten and burned for the day is a great way to keep track of your calorie intake to reach your health or weight goals.
Gaviria said calorie counting has become popular because of the nature of food. While some people, like athletes, may need to rely on calorie counting to make sure they’re consuming enough energy to power through their workouts, it’s mostly been a distraction from losing weight.
“Counting calories is not natural,” Gaviria said. “We eat food, not calories. And yes, our bodies convert food into calories that they use every day, but it’s actually a way to increase, number, to help people to maintain their diet or maintain their weight. .”
The size of the products released can change the number of calories, making it difficult to accurately track calories.
What are the potential dangers of calorie counting?
Even if tracking the calories of the day can be a tool to lose weight or to ensure that your body fat is correct, it is not a suitable practice for everyone. For others, it has been linked to support eating disorders and disordered eating.
This does not mean counting calories I can’t be useful, but it depends on the person – including the history of their health and the relationship between food and their body. Dangers can come with calorie counting, so it’s important to know the potential dangers and what warning signs to look for.
Accuracy is next to impossible
Tracking your calories accurately is very difficult. At first, it’s hard to know how many calories are in the foods you’re eating. Although there are several online calorie lists for foods, finding the exact numbers is not straightforward. For example, if you are looking at the calories in half a cup of rice, that number will be different if the rice is cooked or uncooked. It’s very difficult for fruits and vegetables – if there are 105 calories in a banana, how big is that banana? With different sizes, everyone will have a different amount of calories.
“You have to know exactly what’s in the food you’re eating and that’s hard to do without being very careful about measuring and testing things,” Gaviria said. “Not to mention that it’s just a waste of time, it takes a lot of brain space to be like, ‘Okay, if I have to eat this meal, I only have 500 calories left, what meal can I make that’s going to be 500 calories?'”
Accurate measurement and measurement are essential for calorie tracking.
Besides trying to estimate the calories in a given portion and plan your daily meals to the right amount of calories, it can also be overwhelming to remember to track every calorie.
Many forget to track the oil or butter used in cooking, or the seasonings added to sandwiches or salad dressings. It’s easy to skip tracking whole foods if you’re eating on the go. Even simple omissions can add 500 to 700 unaccounted calories.
Associated with eating disorders and compulsive eating
Although many use calorie counting carefully, this practice has been linked to leads to restricting foods beyond what is healthy or incentives disordered eating. Calorie tracking is not recommended for people who have a history of eating disorders and weight or body image disorders, as it can exacerbate symptoms and promote a negative relationship with food.
One lesson a 2017 study found that of 105 people diagnosed with an eating disorder, 75% disclosed that they had used an app (MyFitnessPal) to count calories and 73% said they felt the app helped them manage their illness. Although not everyone who uses calorie trackers has negative results, there is research that shows that they can have unhealthy, unhealthy or unhealthy foods. diabetes mellitus.
“Some people believe that calorie tracking research shows that it can put people at risk for eating disorders or compulsive tracking, but there are other people who believe that research shows that it doesn’t,” Gaviria said. “I think it comes back to the individual and their circumstances. People have to take the time to figure out if it’s the best plan for them or not. The best plan for them.”
Feeling guilty, ashamed or anxious is a sign that calorie tracking is harmful.
When should one stop counting calories?
It seems that at some point, you may try to count calories either out of curiosity or to lose weight. If you choose to use calorie tracking regularly, as Gaviria said, it’s important to know when to stop.
Feeling guilty, ashamed or anxious is a sign that calorie tracking is hurting you and you should stop immediately. If you find yourself thinking about food often or worrying all day about your future meals and how to meet your calorie quota, you should consider giving up. If you feel compelled to track calories when you cook or eat, then this could be a sign that you are compulsively tracking.
Gaviria said the biggest sign you should stop following is when you are asked to eat and the first thing that crosses your mind is your calorie window.
“When you start denying yourself the way you used to hang out with the people you used to go to because it doesn’t match your energy levels, that’s a big sign that you need to rethink what you’re doing,” Gaviria said.
Symptoms can also appear in the body, not in the mind. If you suddenly have no appetite during the day or feel hungry, it could be a sign that you’re not listening to your body, Gaviria explained. Lack of energy, insomnia, fatigue and menstrual cramps are the main withdrawal symptoms. Sometimes it’s easier to notice physical symptoms before you notice what’s going on mentally.
If you want to keep calories, etc. healthy, it is important to have a healthy relationship with diet and exercise.
Is there a safe way to count calories?
Many people find that counting calories is the best way to cut calories and lose weight. CNET already said that a guide to expert-backed methods for safe calorie counting if you choose to do so, but it is important to remember that body weight and appearance are not the only indicators of your health. In fact, there are many other metrics that are important to your overall health than weight, including genetics, access to medical care and good health.
If you choose to track calories, it would be wise to understand that it is not your last resort. Any change to your body takes time and patience. If you’re following it carefully, you’ll still eat the foods you love even if it means going over the calorie limit — and you won’t feel ashamed. Instead of denying yourself, you can be careful what you choose to eat.
“There are better ways to do this,” Gaviria said. “But I think the moral of the story would be to use calorie tracking and allow yourself to enjoy the things that are important in life instead of avoiding the things that are important to you because of the calories.”
Remember that health does not have to be difficult. A healthy, nutritious diet can be obtained by eating lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and drinking water, exercising, reducing stress and getting sunlight. This important change can make you healthier and you will start to notice a complete difference.
