Calorie counting for weight loss is certainly important, as consuming too many calories every day and not burning enough calories can certainly lead to excessive weight gain. However, the following strategies should also be implemented into your life so that you can attain healthy results sooner.
Control Your Portions
According to WebMD, calorie counting is just one piece of the weight loss puzzle. Another important component to a healthy weight loss strategy is portion control. And, as it turns out, controlling your portions will help you control your calorie intake, so it’s a win-win! After all, it could be easy to neglect the fact that, the bigger the portion, the more calories you will ingest.
Don’t fill your plate as much, as packing the food on your dish will make you more likely to eat it all. Just keep in mind that you don’t need to cut your veggie intake, as they’ll have fewer calories in every gram, and they’re packed with beneficial nutrients.
Get Your Calories from the Right Sources
In addition to reducing your calorie intake with strategies like portion control, you should also focus on getting your calories from the right sources. After all, soda and alcohol will have calories, too, but you might not be factoring these into your weight loss strategy.
If you want to take calorie counting for weight loss to the next level, consider where the calories are derived from. Stick with foods that are rich in nutrients and can contribute to your calorie count. After all, a calorie is a calorie, no matter where it comes from. Rather than consuming calories from foods that aren’t high in vital nutrients, create a meal plan that contains plenty of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.
Choose Foods That Require More Energy to Digest
Another ways way to cut calories while you are dieting is by choosing foods that require a lot of energy to be digested. Foods that are high in fiber and protein are great choices. They’ll not only keep you fuller for longer, but they’ll also require more calories for your body to metabolize them.
As you can see, even though calorie counting for weight loss is great, there are better ways to go about reducing your calorie intake, and they include upping your nutrient intake.