Do you need to count Calories to lose weight?
Absolutely not! However, Calorie counting, and using something like MyFitnessPal, can be a very effective tool to manage your intake and induce weight loss.
Prefer to watch than read? Then please check out the video below:
When to track your Calories
When people start working with me, I'll usually recommend they track their intake for at least a couple of weeks because the information this provides us with is invaluable moving forward.
Why tracking your Calories can help you lose weight
We can see the Calorie density of the foods you choose and portion sizes and can shine the light on calorific foods we are less aware of, such as the copious amounts of butter used on our toast or how calorific that Starbucks caramel waffle latte was. We can see the protein, fibre and overall nutrient density of your diet. If your diet's not conducive to your goals, we'll be able to catch this early and adjust accordingly. For example, suppose we find that on most days, that Starbucks caramel waffle latte takes you out of a deficit and more into maintenance or surplus Calories. In that case, we can simply change that to a flat white and that alone could be enough to tilt energy balance in our favour and induce weight loss.
You don’t always need to count your Calories!
If you'd like to continue tracking after a few weeks as you find it's the easiest way to manage your intake, then happy days. If not, you might find it's more of a tool to use when/if needed. Personally, I use it when I make big changes to my goals or intake. For example, post-Christmas and New Year, I decided to do a mini cut (a short period in a deficit), so I tracked for a few days just to ensure my Calories were, in fact, low enough to induce weight loss. Think of it like tracking your monies – tracking your income and outcome; it's not something you always need to track, but if you're trying to spend less and save more, then it might be something worth keeping an eye on.
Is Calorie counting accurate?
Calorie counting is not the be-all and end-all. It is simply a tool which should, among other tools, aid you in your weight loss and body composition endeavours. Calorie counting is not the reason we lose weight. The reason and the principle is the energy deficit; counting calories is simply a method to help abide by that principle. It is not without its flaws or inaccuracies. It's not an infallible tool, but it's an effective one and much more accurate than guesstimating!
Summary
If you’re trying to lose weight, and the scales aren’t budging, then maybe jump back into tracking for a few days, or a week (to see averages) and find out where those extra Calories are creeping in from. My money is on that caramel waffle latte!