5 Reasons to Count Calories

photo credit: trekkyandy

Counting calories is relatively easy and simple once you get used to it. I have been counting calories for a few years now, and it has since become very easy and ingrained in my brain. It’s simply second nature and I don’t even think about it most of the time. I feel as a fitness enthusiast, it is of utter importance to consistently keep track of my calories to ensure that I have control over what is going on with my physique. Eventually, you may reach a point in which you can eyeball your portions.

Some may complain that tracking calories is a pain, but in my opinion, the advantages of tracking your intake greatly outweigh the tedious effort it takes. So here are my 5 reasons to count calories.

1. Maintain Your Physique

For some who have lost a lot of weight and want to keep it off, counting calories is the only way to keep them honest. When I say honest, I mean that watching their intake keeps them in check. For instance, if they want to indulge in some sweets, the should have a daily limit of calories to “spend” on these particular foods. Using this approach, they are much more likely to succeed in eating a handful of chocolate pieces, as opposed to a whole bag of chocolate treats. Knowing your maintenance intake, and then making sure to eat that same amount daily is a great way to maintain with ease. This also applies to those who have achieved their aesthetic goals, and simply want to maintain what they have worked so hard for. I cover my favorite approach to maintenance in my Carb Cycling for Maintenance Article.

2. Lose Fat

In order to lose fat, one must create a caloric deficit. Tracking your intake, and counting calories can make this process very easy. Simply eat a certain amount below your maintenance caloric intake and you WILL lose weight. People tend to “diet” without counting calories, and while it may work for some, it usually fails for most. When you are dieting, you are hungry. What do you do when you are hungry? You eat. Therefore it is very easy to eat at maintenance or above maintenance intake when not keeping track of your caloric intake.

3. Build Muscle

Building muscle efficiently and effectively requires calories, lots of calories. In order to build muscle, one must gain bodyweight. To gain bodyweight, it’s important to eat above maintenance intake. I usually go for about 400-600 above maintenance calories daily to ensure I am gaining weight. Couple a caloric surplus with a sensible training program and you magically get muscle growth.

4. Ensure Sufficient Nutrients

I will emphasize protein and EFA’s here. Regardless of what one chooses for their energy calories, I like to make sure one gets adequate amounts of Essential Fatty Acids, and baseline of 1 gram per pound of bodyweight. In my personal experience, I find that I tend to under eat protein when I am not tracking calories. I tend to fill up on carbs and fats, therefore I must make sure I hit a certain minimum of protein daily to support my lean body mass.

5. Limit Overeating

Lets face it, overeating is very easy to do and while its perfectly fine to pig out every once in a while, making a habit of it will only make a person fat over time. Tracking calories is an easy way to prevent oneself from overeating. You simply make sure to only eat the amount you have planned for the day; once you hit your caloric amount, you are done eating.

How many of you count calories regularly?