Why Counting Calories is Better

After trying a program that touts  a "no calorie counting" method to healthy eating and weight loss I have determined that for me counting calories is so much easier and allows me so much more freedom in food choice. In the 21 day fix you use the cups provided to measure out food portions. There is a guide that tells you what types of foods should be measured in each cup. It is a helpful way to see appropriate portion sizes, however it s not a long term solution in my opinion and here is why....

There are many foods and beverages that are not included in the guide, that leaves you wondering what color cup it should fit into. You risk throwing yourself off by eating/ drinking too much, or getting  discouraged if you do happen to have something that isn't on the guide because you worry you aren't really staying on track. I love soy chai, I don't have it all the time, but when I do what cup does that go in?? If I want an Odowala Bar is that a fruit? A grain? Is it a mix? What about Naked Smoothies.. are those a fruit, a veggie? Both? How do I measure that? What if I want a latte? The possibilities are endless honestly there are many foods that don't fit this profile. If I was committed to eating completely clean, no processed foods at all I can see how this would possibly be the best solution, but thats isn't real for me and I am guessing that isn't real for many of you. You are making changes, but still eating some of the foods you used too.

If you are counting calories you can easily see where you are all all times in the day. the My Fitness pal app has literally every food you can imagine. People add to it all the time, the database is immense. You can also add your own foods, which allows you freedom to be creative and make up recipes. You can eat out and quickly see the calorie content.

You can't carry those cups everywhere. I mean you could, but where is the practicality in that? You can track calories on the go on your phone. You can even scan in barcodes and it will add the food for you right away. You also can't dissect foods you eat at a restaurant and start measuring them out at the table.

The cups are great for teaching yourself portion control, and for teaching you the right foods to eat, and how much of each food group you should eat in a day. I was eating way too many grains. I still use the cups to measure out meats because I don't have a scale, but the red cup is 1/2 cup which ends up being 3-4 oz of meat, that is a serving size. It is a helpful guide. It is also helpful to see what bracket you should be in for your weight loss goals, however the My Fitness Pal app gives you rough calculation on that as well. It has worked very well for me so far.

After a while you start to know how many calories are in all the foods you eat, you become super educated and prepared to make choices on the run. Counting calories trains you to really see the food for what it is, and allows freedom in choosing foods. If you find yourself struggling with the cups, maybe switch it up, use them as a measuring guide, but start counting those caloires. I think you will find it's actually easier in the long run. Give the fix a chance for 21 days at least. Especially if you have really been struggling to lose. You paid for it, use it! But don't try to live on it forever.