The Futility of Counting Calories

This was a comforting read for me as I always look at the ladies in the magazines who are always on about calorie consumption and was wondering how I will ever get to that level.. Fear not, reading the below will make you feel better about it is as well and give you a more reachable target when it comes to healthy food/diet.

It is often amazing to me how much thought and effort women put into the calories in the food they eat.  I’m sure you’ve seen them, shopping in the grocery store juggling a calorie calculator, pen and paper, and even one of those popular diet guides, trying to determine how many calories each item of food has and determining how many meals each piece of food will supply.  I’ve even had the privilege of visiting a friend’s home and witnessing each food item being weighed and expertly calculated before it goes into the frying pan.  Does this sound like you?  While female fitness does mean you must concentrate on what you eat and what you don’t, these extreme calorie calculating measures are not always required.
How does your diet work?  Perhaps you eat one meal a day that takes up all of your daily calories and simply drink water the rest of the day.  Or may you eat small meals five or six times a day and spread your daily calories out.  Even though each diet plan contains the same amount of calories, the results may be different.  Why is this and what can you do about it?

Female Fitness Does Not Completely Depend on Calorie Intake

While setting a daily calorie limit is important, as long as the intake is reasonable and healthy, this limit is not the only thing to keep in mind.  The place where your calories come from is just as vital to whether you are able to remain healthy and fit.  For instance, the calories obtained from a platter of fruits and veggies will be much different than the calories obtained from a piece of fried chicken.
Even if the calorie intake is the same for both, you will most likely gain more from the platter of fruits and veggies than you would the piece of fried chicken.  You will feel fuller, gain energy from the natural sugars in the fruit, and obtain valuable vitamins and nutrients.  A piece of fried chicken may be tasty for a little bit, but instead of giving you the energy you need to get through the day, the grease will most likely weigh you down.  You will also miss out on many of the vitamins and nutrients you need for a healthy body.

Other Factors You Should Think About

As stated previously, the calories in your food should not be the only thing you consider when you are choosing which foods to eat and when to eat them.

• Eat fresh foods.  These are most often more healthy than processed foods, which contain ingredients you may not be able to even pronounce.
• Make sure there is enough protein in your diet.  Protein strengthens and refuels muscles, and these are important factors for any female fitness routine.
• Don’t skimp on the starchy carbs, like yams, brown rice, and red potatoes, especially if you are going to be doing strength training or any kind of workout.  These carbs are converted to glucose in the body, which provides the extra fuel you need for your workouts.  Limit these kinds of carbs to days you will be training, though.  They should not be eaten ever day all day.
• Each meal should consist of grams of protein, like chicken or fish, and fibrous carbohydrates, like vegetables.  Instead of counting calories, count grams of proteins and fibrous carbs instead.  This will help maintain a healthy fitness routine.
• Your metabolism will work much faster if you eat several small meals a day.  Try eating small portions every three hours instead of eating one big meal a day.  Before you know it, your waistline will be much slimmer.

Counting calories is cumbersome and unnecessary.  With the right food, you will have no problem sticking to your daily calorie limit and losing weight with your female fitness routine.  Try it out.  You know you want to.