50% of people plan to lose weight this year. A healthy low-cal diet is one of the most popular ways to try and meet your weight loss goals.
Counting your calories offers a straightforward and effective way to shed pounds. It even does this without any unhealthy crash diet techniques.
It works by determining a set number of calories that you can consume daily. Then sticking to your calorie plan to see weight loss results.
Yet, some people have trouble managing their caloric intake, resulting in diet failure. So, read on to learn how to lose weight counting calories the right way.
How to Lose Weight Counting Calories
To be successful in calorie counting, it’s important to find the right balance. Cutting too many calories can create health issues, like malnutrition. It can also lead to low energy levels and poor diet choices.
People who do not eat enough during meals are also more likely to cheat on their diet. In reality, 40% of diets don’t make it past a week. This is often due to hunger and food cravings.
Determine Your Body’s Caloric Intake
Learning how to count calories the right way is essential to meeting your weight loss goals. The key is to determine how much energy your body needs to function each day.
This gets based on your current weight and your weight loss goal. With weight loss goals, you should also take your sex, height, and age into consideration. As well as your current fitness activity levels.
You can determine all this using an online calculator or by talking to your doctor. This allows you to figure out how many calories you need to cut from your diet each day. It also gives you an estimated amount of weight that you will lose each week.
It’s most helpful to log all your daily calories. You can do this by hand or use an app to keep track. Tracking should include all the foods and drinks that you consume every day.
You also want to keep track of portion sizes, including meals and snacks. It helps to pay attention to the balance of calories, fat, protein, and carbs in each meal.
Make the Right Meal Choices
When counting calories, it’s also important to be realistic about how long it takes to see results. Depending on your body type, it can take a few months for you to begin noticing changes.
When learning how to count calories in food, what you eat matters. Try to focus on foods high in nutrition and low in fat. Foods rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants will offer you more nutrition.
Select whole foods, like fruits and veggies. You also want to fill up on lean proteins, whole grains, and low-fat dairy. Try to avoid saturated fats, sugar, and junk food.
Legumes, chia seeds, and avocados are also great sources of fiber. This works to help you stay fuller, longer. Eating fiber can also increase the amount of belly fat that you shed.
Consider using a point system for your daily meals. This will help you to fill up on foods low in calories. You’ll also limit the amount of higher calorie foods you consume.
Cook with Calories in Mind
When calorie counting, your cooking techniques matter. Opt for grilling, steaming, and roasting instead of frying or sauteeing. Steaming keeps in the most amount of nutrients without using fat to cook your vegetables.
Salads are often a go-to meal when counting calories. Yet, be sure to pay attention to the number of calories in your dressings as many of these are high in oil and sugar. It’s better to make your own dressings and marinades when able to.
Meal prepping can also help you keep track of calorie intake. This way you can make healthy meals ahead of time and practice portion control. It also makes you less likely to order takeout for lunch.
Other Natural Methods for Weight Loss
It may take you a bit to get into the hang of how to count calories to lose weight. In some cases, cutting calories may not always get you to your ideal goal weight. Some people struggle or find that they hit a plateau in their weight loss.
If this happens, you have the option of combining your diet plan with other weight loss solutions. This includes safe non-surgical methods that produce fast and noticeable results.
Many people are turning to the Orbera Balloon for a non-invasive weight loss plan. It can even offer three times more weight loss than only diet and exercise alone.
Obera works by making your stomach less hungry. This way you feel more full and satisfied with smaller portions.
Keeping off the Weight with a Healthy Lifestyle
Living a healthy lifestyle is the easiest way to shed pounds and keep them off. Yet, it’s important to continue these healthy habits for further results.
This includes making smart food choices with proper portion control. You also want to limit your alcohol intake. Too many alcoholic drinks can rack up tons of empty calories.
A proper diet should also go hand in hand with an exercise routine. The idea is to aim for 30 minutes of physical activity a day to keep pounds off. This should be a combination of cardio, conditioning, and strength training.
Some people also reach their weight loss goals through mindful activities. These include yoga and meditation. These exercises and breathing techniques can improve balance, muscle tone, and self-control.
Ready to Reach Your Weight Loss Goals?
Learning how to lose weight counting calories can be a self-taught process. It involves logging your daily calorie intake and making healthy meal choices.
This is also a lifestyle change that you’ll need to stay conscious of every day. Yet, you’ll notice the weight begin to stop at a slow and steady rate.
Those looking for an even quicker and more effective result may want to consider Orbera. This non-surgical weight loss solution can start showing results within days. It also teaches the body about smaller meal sizes and filling up on the right foods for energy.