Should I Be Counting Calories?

By Author: Ben Basos
Total Articles: 14
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If you thought about losing weight, exercising, a diet plan or anything remotely similar to these subjects, the one word that constantly shows up is calories. This then follows with the phrase of calorie counting and enough information to make anyone confused. Increasing your understanding about calories is an important tool in becoming lean and muscular. I was quite surprised about how simple it really does become when you understand the basics. If you want to maximise your training results you will need to know how many calories you will need.

Every food product has a caloric value. They are displayed on the packets, jars and bags of food items you purchase. Next time you are out shopping take a look at the calorie rates of different products. Those observant will also notice many of these listings show calories and other nutritional information for a 'serving' size only. This is a clever technique used by companies to disguise the true serving information for larger food products.

There is a well known formula for fat loss and that is the law of energy balance with calories. The classic methodology of calories ...
... in versus calories out, is a way at looking at food consumption that aids training. If you ingest more calories than you burn in a typical day fat is stored. Too little calorie intake forces the body to raid muscle tissue for energy. I've learnt it has become a balancing act of consuming the right kind of calories, which feeds my muscles, yet keeps me at weight maintenance.

So should you count calories? There are pluses and negatives at both sides of this spectrum. If one becomes obsessed with calorie counting, it certainly can be detrimental to the overall process. Those prone to obsessive compulsions must be clear that calories are just one aspect in a greater goal. On the other hand, if there is no watching in what you eat, this will also be a problem. Even with rigorous exercise, overeating your calorie intake and not paying attention to what goes in your mouth will only weaken results.

Really to simply break it down, it's about compromise between the two. There are ways you can calculate your recommended daily calorie intake. Have a good look at the calories listed on the food items you buy. By law every product must have it labelled. Mixing up your diet for balanced calories is the key to success. I have found there are three major macronutrients compounds of protein, fats and carbohydrates. Using these components I can construct meals that are ideal for my personal calorie level. By training and eating the right foods, my metabolism does the job as I'm at a great balance.

I've found the best advice of calorie counting is be sensible. Have an idea of how many calories you are eating because it's a required skill in losing weight. Depending on your own fitness goals and your current physique, you need to make sure you are taking the right calories in. This balance keeps your muscles fed for exercise and allows you to burn away the remaining calories to be ripped.

Ben Basos is the writer of the extremely popular Mission to Muscle blog which documented his 12 week transformation from flabby to fit. Ben also holds a Bachelor of Science degree majoring in Human Movement studies and dedicates his time to keeping lean, fit and healthy. Read the full article on Should I Be Counting Calories?