Should you count calories for fat loss?

If you want to lose fat you need to be in a calorie deficit.

Your body needs to burn more calories than it consumes.

It's a universally accepted truth.

But do you need to count calories to do this? In fact, how do you do this without counting calories?

For the vast majority of people we work with we do not recommend they start with counting calories.

And a guesstimate would say we get a maximum of 20% of people to do this at some point.

Why?

Because for most people, it wasn't a conscious choice to overeat their calories that brought them to the party.

Most people gain weight or struggle to lose it because they've under eaten during the day, as a reaction to internal thoughts (often triggered by external stressors), or they eat high-calorie food mindlessly.

Often it's a pie chart of all 3 with a variety of ratios to blame.

Either way, counting calories does not fix any of these problems.

The answers lie in the problems.

Eat an adequate amount of nutritious food.
Manage internal thoughts (and external stress)
Eat mindfully.

We all have a finite amount of time and brainpower to give to each problem in our life.

Doing the above things will have a cascade of positive impacts on your life. Especially those of you who have children who watch your actions.

What does weighing your ketchup show your children?

Hey, each to their own and I'm not saying it's traumatic but I think there is a better way.

Most people struggle to manage their emotions, even those who know what to do. And children and family don't care how much you know, they care about how you act.

Just because you know meditation, journaling and deep breathing helps keep you calm if you throw a hissy fit when the socks aren't turned the right way round in the wash basket, what good is that knowledge?

If you'd like to listen to this week's podcast on the pros and cons of calorie counting you can listen to our podcast here: The Calorie Myth.

Or if you'd like access to the mindset training I created to help you change the way you look at life stresses, take control of your thoughts and feelings to lose weight for good, then email me ([email protected]) with the word "Mindset" and I'll send out the application form for this exclusive training.