Calorie counting is a method of weight loss, which traditionally raises many questions. On our website there is a separate article about counting calories, where sufficient detail reveal all the details of calorie counting and the correct method of calculating calories in foods.
You have any questions on the method of counting calories and its effectiveness slimming? Then answer the most popular questions for weight loss counting method KBZHU that will help you to decide for yourself whether you like this way of getting rid of excess weight.
See also: NUTRITION: where to START
Questions on weight loss and the method of counting calories
1. How effective is counting calories? Lose weight I?
Calorie counting for weight loss is based on a simple principle: consume less food than the body needs for energy. When the arrival of calories less than their consumption, the body begins to break down fat cells. This process is achieved by cutting daily calories, or in other words the calorie deficit. By the method of counting calories, we assume a reasonable deficit within 15-20% of the daily caloric intake, as well as compliance with standards of proteins, carbohydrates and fats.
2. Why do you recommend counting calories for weight loss?
There are several reasons:
- Versatility: the calorie counting to suit everyone.
- Security method: a small caloric deficit is not harmful to your health.
- The method is gentle, therefore suitable for active people and sport lovers.
- The body gets proteins, carbohydrates and fats in the right quantities, which minimizes the risk of disease development due to the lack of nutrients.
- There are no restrictions on food: you can enable the menu even meals.
- The method is very variable and flexible, which will help regulate the power when you stop the weight and plateau, pregnancy, breastfeeding.
3. Can I lose weight without counting calories?
Millions of people regularly loosing excess weight. In different ways, and it’s not just counting calories. We recommend counting calories, because it is a universal method that fits everyone. If you find this method unacceptable/complicated/unclear, then you can choose for yourself another way to lose weight.
4. Maybe you will recommend some effective diet?
Most low-calorie and mono-diets are a lot of limitations and side effects, so we do not advise to experiment on your body. If you have a proven diet that has approached you and gave a result, you can use it.
5. Is it enough to just eat right (no flour, fat, sweet) without counting calories?
Even eating “right”, you can sort out your calorie intake, creating a surplus. With surplus calories not the body will consume the fat, as it will be enough incoming energy from the outside. And it does not matter what products you’ve created a surplus, wholesome or unwholesome.
There is also the flip side of the coin. Trying to eat properly, a cut diet to a minimum and create an excessive caloric deficit. In this case, the body slows down the metabolism, so not only will you lose weight with difficulty, but will gain weight as soon as a little slack in the diet.
It pomatomus effective weight loss it is important to strike a balance and eat within a reasonable deficit. Of course, someone’s body is very malleable, so even a small adjustment of food helps to lose weight and bring the body back to normal. But, alas, it doesn’t always work. Often have to count calories, to eat its normal and not to overeat excess.
6. How to calculate my calorie allowance?
The article about counting calories we have examined in detail the formula for calculating daily calorie intake. This figure is easy to calculate if you know your height, weight, age and activity level.
7. Do I need to consider proteins, carbs and fats or just enough to count calories?
For weight loss enough to count calories, but we recommend you also keep a record of PFC. The shortage or surplus of each of these components could have a negative impact not only on health but also on the process of losing weight. Read more about this in the article: How to calculate BDIM and what does it do.
8. Is there any special sites to maintain diaries of food with calculation of calories and BDIM?
View mobile review applications for the conduct of food diaries. I can also advise the most popular sites for these purposes: calorizator.ru, dietadiary.com.
9. How to distribute proteins, carbohydrates and fats during the day?
You can distribute PFC during the day on your own, the important thing is to stay within the given corridors. But if you need a reference point in the menu, it is possible to take note of the following schedule:
- Breakfast: Complex carbohydrates
- Second Breakfast: Simple carbohydrates
- Lunch: Protein + Carbs + Fats. Be sure to fiber.
- Afternoon snack: Carbohydrates, fats can be a bit
- Dinner: Protein + fiber preferably
Example menu:
- Breakfast: porridge with fruit/dried fruit
- Second Breakfast: fruit
- Lunch: soup, side dish, meat, vegetables
- Afternoon snack: fruit, nuts, cheese
- Dinner: meat with vegetables
- Second dinner: cottage cheese, yogurt
We also recommend you to look at an example of our readers: food, in the training with Jillian Michaels: personal experience losing weight. You can have your routine depending on your food habits.
10. Be sure to adhere to the correct order (carbohydrates in the morning, proteins in the evening) or you can eat anything as long as within the designed corridors?
No, not necessarily. To lose weight you will be in any calorie deficit. However, with a little weight, when every inch and kilo goes with great difficulty, become important factors such as distribution of protein, carbohydrates and fats throughout the day. But the first time it is possible not to pay attention.
11. I want to count calories, but how to choose a menu?
Once you’ve got your corridor of calories and BDIM, you can start to feed within a given caloric content. There are two options:
- You are an exemplary food schedulegiven above. If necessary adapt your diet to fit your capabilities and needs. Gradually introduce changes to the set of products depending on personal preference.
- You can not start on any examples, to analyze their own diet. Make a list of foods that you normally eat during the day, and record them in a table. Depending on the shortfall or busting some indicators KBZHU adjust menu (replace one product with another, etc.). Usually the first time is too much of fats and carbohydrates and the shortfall in protein. Proteins are meat, eggs, cheese, legumes.
See also: Menu of proper nutrition for weight loss – how to diet.
12. What if I don’t have kitchen scales?
For calorie counting it is very desirable to have a kitchen scale. Although, of course, for weighing you can use measuring cups/spoons, count the weight of the product on the basis of data on the packaging, take the approximate weight of fruit/vegetables from ready-made tables, etc. But the accuracy of such measurements would be significantly lower than using kitchen scales. Of course, if you approach the process with the utmost care, the resulting data will be in error, but in the future it is better to plan the purchase of kitchen scales.
13. Do I need to count calories your whole life?
Usually enough 2-3 months to build up menu, to adapt and to understand about your daily diet. Therefore, as a rule, after two months of regular calculations further power is “inertia”. Return to the calculations KBZHU usually occurs due to significant changes in diet or change in daily energy intake. Once you reach the desired shape, you can increase the corridor of calories going to food to maintain weight.
14. I just gave up sweets and lost 2 pounds in a week, even nothing.
This is true, it is enough to remove sweets from my diet to lose 1.5-2 kg for a week or two. But this is not fat loss. Carbs retain water, so while reducing their consumption, the body will lose water. However, it is not getting rid of fat, it’s just a change in the water balance. So do not jump to conclusions that to lose weight you need to reduce the consumption of sweets.
It is not necessary to give importance to the weight changes within the framework of 1-2 kg. Most often it is delayed or, on the contrary, left the water. About the reasons for such weight fluctuations read here: 10 reasons why can increase weight for weight loss.
15. Calorie counting in General is not important, I lost a ton of weight with regular fitness and a more or less normal diet.
It is very good that you have achieved the desired result without additional calculations. But it is important to understand that each person has their own individual characteristics, different ages, different history, different genetics, different ideas about the normality of power and a different attitude to fitness. The rule of “eat normally and regularly engaged in fitness” has many nuances.
To come to a normal diet, very often you need to have some experience (and well, if this experience will not be bitter, like, for example, starvation diets and various diet pills). Therefore, clear criteria, such as values KBZHU is still needed. At least for the first time as a guide.
16. What can you say about the system of containers from Autumn Calabrese?
The system of containers from Autumn Calabrese has become quite popular in the United States. It’s all the same method of counting calories, but in an adapted version. The food is not weighed, and fixed in special containers, which replace the scales. Any calculations and calculators, filled containers and the necessary food for the day ready.
But in this power system there are a number of nuances: you need to have these containers or something substituting food for the day will have to prepare in advance of the evening, a number of products are prohibited. If you look, the usual calorie counting is even easier and more affordable.
17. If I lose weight if I regularly do fitness?
Workout give additional calorie consumption, muscle tone, improve body, improve strength and endurance. The average half-hour of intense exercise burns 250-400 calories.
But weight loss can be achieved only if calorie deficit. No matter how you reached this deficit, diet or an intense fitness. Of course, training is a major brick in building a toned body. But without restrictions in the diet, the weight loss impossible.
Read more about training at home:
- Workout for beginners at home for weight loss
- Top 50 coaches on YouTube: a selection of the best workouts at home
- TABATA training: 10 ready-made exercises for weight loss
- Ready training home for girls for 30-45 minutes without equipment