Is Calorie Counting The Easiest Way To Lose Weight?

The net balance between calorie intake and output determines weight gain and loss. When caloric intake exceeds the output, body weight gain results. When caloric output exceeds the input, weight loss occurs. This fundamental principle of body weight control is simple and clear, but its application is difficult for most dieters. Most dieters focus attention on the caloric input and essentially ignore the caloric output. Consequently, calorie counting is not the easiest way to lose weight because most dieters do not apply it properly.

Energy Expenditure

When caloric output is normal or better than normal, calorie counting is very effective for weight reduction for most dieters. Numerous factors, including hormones such as insulin and thyroxine, effect the caloric output. Some of these factors can impair energy output, and some can accelerate it. The underlying assumption of most dieters is that most people are overweight because they consume too many calories. The point that your body may not be burning calories effectively is ignored, and nutritional measures to boost metabolism are not taken.

Reason for Overweight

The easiest and most effective approaches for reducing body fat involve the identification of the specific factor or factors that are responsible for the overweight condition. Assuming that the overweight is due to overeating is a weak approach. Numerous factors can cause excessive body fat. They range from hypothyroidism to impairment of insulin sensitivity, and from consumption of trans fats to consumption of obesogens. Obesogens are environmental chemicals such as atrazine, an herbicide, that can promote obesity.

Diet Foods

Some of the foods calorie counters consume are processed and refined foods. Processed foods are generally bad for body fat reduction and good health. In some cases, nutrients and dietary fibers are removed form processed foods. Dietary fibers are indispensable for good health and body fat reduction. Some processed foods contain chemicals such as bisphenol-A, an obesogen found in the lining of some canned foods, and other additives such as hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated fats. Therefore, these diet foods have additives that can undermine your dietary goal. Calorie counting is very effective when you exclude trans fats and obesogens from your diet.

Diet Drinks

Calorie counting is more effective if artificial sweeteners are excluded from the diet. Consumption of diet drinks is a habit of some calorie-balancing dieters. Most of these diet drinks are sweetened with artificial sweeteners. Artificial sweeteners disrupt the appetite control mechanism, making it difficult to control the appetite. There is no evidence that this problem with artificial sweeteners has been rectified. Data showing that an artificial sweetener produces less body fat than ordinary sugar would support the consumption of that artificial sweetener for weight reduction.