Whether at the beginning of the year, before the onset of spring or during the hot summer months; a subject accompanies us almost everywhere and always: calories, weight loss, food. It doesn’t matter that the advertisements want to lure us to the nearest fitness studio, we should take various shakes and other “wonderful remedies” or wear certain stones because jewelry makes the pounds drop in no time. There are many ways to get rid of excess weight, but not all of them promise the results we want. Counting calories is a method known to many but also rejected by many at the same time.

In order to finally create some clarity on the subject, the question about the meaning of calorie counting should finally find an answer.

What does counting calories mean anyway?

Before judging the purpose and success of this method, it is worth discussing what calorie counting actually entails. Of course, the name already says what it is about at first sight. However, if you want to get up, grab a pen and paper, and write down what you’ve already eaten today, you can do that, but it makes it unnecessarily difficult for you.

It is true that in order to count calories, you must first record all the foods already consumed.

The best application for this is available for free for every smartphone. As the selection here is nearly endless, there should be something for everyone. With the help of the app, information about foods, their quantity and time of day, etc. can now be entered. In the evening or the next day, it is, therefore, possible to follow how many calories have been consumed and what foods they come from.

What’s the best way to count my calories?

To get a particularly accurate overview of the calories already consumed, the food should be weighed before preparing it. With a bowl of muesli, for example, you first weigh the flakes in the bowl, enter the value into an app of your choice, then add the milk, and now also enter the exact amount of it. All foods can be handled this way without hesitation.

If weighing is taking too long, you can measure your portions using cups, glasses, or (with a little practice) by eye.

What is the purpose of counting?

If you’ve now taken the trouble to properly count your calories and enter them into an app or something similar, the question arises, what’s the point behind it all? Counting calories can monitor whether you’re staying below your calorie burn, about the same as it is, or maybe even consuming more calories than you burned that day.

The number of calories you consume daily can be measured using a fitness meter (like a smartwatch) or calculated using various offers on the Internet.

How does calorie counting cause weight loss?

So the last question is how to lose weight by counting calories. This question can be answered quickly and easily with one simple word: calorie deficit.

This means that any healthy person will lose weight by maintaining a calorie deficit.

This means that more calories must be consumed than are supplied to the body. Unlike most advertising promises, it does not require Sports nor special shakes, or expensive weight loss programs to lose fat. The fact that sport in particular increases our calorie consumption and thus a higher calorie deficit can be achieved can be taken into account but is not decisive for a successful diet.

So why are there so many different diet programs?

If you keep in mind the knowledge you have just learned, you will quickly understand why, despite the simple method of calorie counting (also called “tracking”), it is not often referred to as a weight loss method. par excellence. On the one hand, there is hardly any money to be made with this, on the other hand, most miracle diets and shakes are based on the same principle, but in a simplified form. Replacing one meal a day with a drink or the like also creates a calorie deficit.

If we enroll in a fitness studio and attend classes, our caloric consumption increases due to the increase in physical activity, which creates another deficit (provided that we do not relativize it by adding more calories ).

Is counting calories enough to successfully lose weight?

The answer is a resounding yes. It takes nothing more than discipline, a scale, and application to lose weight consistently and successfully.

If you consistently “track” and ensure that you are eating fewer calories than you are taking in, you may soon see the first successes.