How calorie counting sets you up for weight loss failure

AtlantaSara

While I do agree with the benefits of calorie counting - and tracking what you put into your body - here is a very interesting perspective and reminder

http://www.x3msoftware.com/calorie-counter.htm

AtlantaSara

While I do agree with the benefits of calorie counting - and tracking what you put into your body - here is a very interesting perspective and reminder

http://www.x3msoftware.com/calorie-counter.htm

AtlantaSara

These 5 Crucial Mistakes Devastate Your Weight Control Success

Mistake #1: Fixed calorie diets don't work
Have you ever tried a fixed calorie plan just to find out that it leads to diminishing weight loss results?

Typically, a calorie counter will tell you to eat a fixed calorie diet plan (examples: 1200, 1500 or 1800 calorie diets).

Fixed calorie diet plans don't work because as you lose weight, your metabolic rate drops. While you may burn 3000 calories at the start of a diet, after a week or two of dieting, you are no longer burning 3000 calories. Now, you will be burning 2800 calories. A couple of weeks later, you will be burning just 2200 calories.

Settle for a fixed calorie diet and you are not going to achieve the expected results.

In addition, fixed calorie plans don't work because they are built around this wrong assumption...

Mistake #2: Your Calorie Counter wrongly assumes that one pound of lost weight is equal to a loss of 3500 calories
It is true that one pound of fat equals 3500 calories, but while dieting you are going to lose both fat and muscle mass as well as water (water losses account for 40-50% of the weight loss during the first two weeks on a diet).

After the first two weeks, the most typical ratio of weight loss consists of 25% lean body mass (muscles and organs) and 75% fat mass.

To lose one pound of lean body mass, you need to lose only 500 calories! Do you now see the difference between 500 and 3500 calories?

Your calorie counter ignores this fact and gives you the old 3500 calories-a-pound myth.

FACT: Every person will need to undereat a different number of calories to lose one pound of bodyweight! It will take anywhere from 2000 to 3200 calories. Obese people might be able to lose 100% fat mass and in their case it would take 3500 calories per pound.

Look at the table below.

How to express the typical gains and losses of one pound of bodyweight in calories?
Type of Person Fat/Muscle Mass Ratio Calories per lb of bodyweight
normal weight range 75:25 (3:1) 2750 calories
overweight & obese 90:10 3200 calories
lean & very lean 50:50 to 20:80 2000 calories

I am not aware of any calorie counter that takes into account this vital information. Obviously, a calorie plan built around a wrong premise will never work out as you expected.

Mistake #3: Your Calorie Counter uses *average person* calorie estimations
Have you seen those standard calorie tables that show how many calories you burn while performing various activities?

These tables assume an average calorie burn rate of 1 calorie per minute at rest. Are you an average person with a Resting Metabolic Rate of 1440 calories?

No, You are unique and so is your calorie burn rate, but your calorie counter is ignorant.

Read on, and I will show to you how to calculate how many calories you burn while you exercise.

Mistake #4: Your Calorie Counter ignores the calorie overlap with normal activities
Imagine this scenario: you burn 300 calories by walking on the treadmill instead of your usual activity (watching TV). While watching TV, you would have burned 80 calories.

Did you burn 300 additional calories?

No. Although you spent 300 calories exercising, only 220 (300-80) of them are "extra" calories. You raised your calorie output by 220 calories compared to your usual daily routine.

How many calories is your calorie counter going to add? You guessed it right - 300 instead of 220.

If you exercise 4 times a week, your calorie counter is going to overreport your calorie output by 4 * 80 = 320 calories a week. Add to that all other calorie mistakes, and you are on your way for weight loss failure.

When you exercise, the lower the intensity, the higher the calorie overlap with your daily routine. Most dieters perform low intensity cardio, which has a calorie overlap of 20% to 50% with normal activities. Typically a calorie counter will overreport your calorie expenditure by 20% to 50%.

Mistake #5: Your Calorie Counter doesn't know how many calories you burn a day
The fundamental law that governs bodyweight is the energy balance equation - "Calories In vs Calories Out".

If you want to lose weight, you have to burn more calories than you eat
If you want to maintain your weight, you have to eat as much as you burn
How are you going to build a successful weight loss plan if you don't know how many calories you burn a day (the "Calories Out" part of the equation)? Your calorie counter doesn't know it either. It simply can't. It is impossible.

A calorie counter can only guess your calorie expenditure.

Try 5 different calorie counters and they will all show you a different number.

In summary, calorie counters compromise your success because:
Calorie counters don't know how many calories you burn a day and only try to guess it (btw. most of them are quite lame at guessing)
Calorie counters base their dieting plans on incorrect assumptions (fixed calorie plans, the 3500 calories per pound myth, not accounting for water losses and metabolic adaptations...)
Calorie counters don't consider the fact that your metabolic rate drops in response to dieting, calorie restriction, weight loss, fat loss, very low calorie diets to name some
Calorie counters miscalculate how many calories you spend exercising
Yet, in spite of these calorie blunders, many people succeed in losing weight. However, dieters always lose less weight than predicted.

By following your calorie counter's plan, you will never get to your target weight on the target date.

What can you do to get to your target weight on the target date?
To achieve your goals on time you must have an accurate calorie plan built around sound scientific facts. Period.

When you start counting calories the accurate way, you cannot fail.

Now, I will show you the no nonsense approach to getting results. In the next few minutes I will let you freely download a software calorie counter and see the difference between accurate and inaccurate calorie counting.

After you download the calorie counter (Fitness Assistant), install it on your Windows PC and go on reading this article.

Go to the site in my initial post for the fitness assistant.

jessneill

I have read many articles and heath plans that agree with this. You should not count calories, that you should eat what is healthy and in moderation and you will see the results.

I know the biggest reason I count calories, is that after a lifetime of abusing food it's a way to retrain my mind and my body as to what a "moderate" amount of food is and really what you should be consuming in a day.

I completely plan to stop counting calories on a daily basis once this is ingrained in my thought process. I also think this may take a couple years.

I think we've seen many cases of how caloric intake gives varying results from people on this site alone. My calorie limit is supposed to be 1200 a day but I have found through experimentation that I actually lose my 2lbs a week at a much steadier rate if I eat around 1500 a day.

I think this is just a good reminder that we are all unique and our bodies will react in unique ways. We should always look at our weight loss as a learning journey and adjust according to our results.

lifesaver

This coming from a website wanting money. Obviously things differ between people but an estimate is always helpful.. I just downloaded it to see and it looks just as helpful, if not less (no food data already entered!) than this website...

nightangelstars

This is all too true. You're absolutely right. That being said, most people use calorie counting sites such as this one because it's easy to work into a daily routine. The average person does not have the time, energy, or motivation to really work hard at this, they want something easy that's not time-consuming. Something like this site. And while it's not perfect, it's a heck of a lot better than nothing at all. That's my view of it.

nightangelstars

I also noticed that this site wants something like $50 for a 'lifetime license'. Sounds like a money-making scam to me. Not to mention this software could easily have spyware embedded in it. Buyer beware!

AtlantaSara

I was not promoting the calorie counter or fitness assistant. Its up to you. People pay to loose weight all the time... Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, How many Slim Fast diets have you been on? HOw many diet pills or diet tea did you buy?

What my focus was on was the concept that everyone is differnent the calorie counters at the gym or online are estimates and not accurate. I bought a heart monitor that measures my calorie output - based on my height, weight, resting heart rate, age, gender etc. That is going to be the most accurate calculation of calories burned. If you can point me to a machine at the gym that asks all those questions, great.... but they dont. And I can tell you - my experiment in monitoring my heart rate vs what the machine says is about 30% off. Thats a large margin for error.. and if I were to eat all my calories burned as alloted - then I would not be meeting the goals I set for myself and I would get frustrated.

How many frustrated posts are there on here? I read them every day - and my heart goes out to everyone.. we all get frustrated when we work hard and don't see the results expected.

How many starvation mode questions are posted on hear daily? 1200 calories is a guideline. Some people will require more others less. One must also consider how long they have been overweight and/or out of shape.

For me, I have been fit all my life - until the last two years. 20 pounds crept on me due to stress, long hours at a desk job, decreased activity, and love of fine wine and fine food. But one month into reclaiming myself - its nothing for me to jump on a treadmill and run for 90 minutes - or go on a 25 mile bike ride- because while I am carrying a little extra flab, my cardio and muscle tone is still there and it was well trained for 25 plus years. Now, could someone who has been overweight and not fit for 25 plus years do that? Probably not. They are going to need to find their own level of endurance over time. They will also loose weight more rapidly than I will... but again, thats a guideline.

I only wish the best of luck to everyone --

ohthatbambi

I count calories mainly to just keep up with what I have consumed. I don't always eat the exact same amount everyday. On days I exercise alot (like today I was at the gym for over three hours) I eat more. My body requires it. Tomorrow I only have time for yoga class so I will eat less b/c I won't need as much. I know that nothing is foolproof and it is alway interesting to see other perspectives!

Gats

Whilst in principle all said there is true , I'm sure .........


The fact is of course calorie counting works ......

it's just knowing ......

" how " to count them ! :drinker: