FitClick explores the question: "Is calorie counting an effective weight loss strategy?" here.

1. Is Calorie Counting an Effective Weight
Loss Strategy?

2. Seeking an effective weight loss solution?
• While there are many approaches to weight
loss, the basic formula for ensuring weight
loss goes something like this:
– Expend more energy than you consume.
• This formula is why calorie counting has
remained one of the most popular
approaches to weight loss over the years.
A Weight Loss Solution

3. What exactly is a calorie? If we’re going to debate its importance, we should at least know
what it is.
• Simply put: a calorie is a unit of energy. Calories tell us how much energy is stored
within an item of food. The more energy (derived from fat, protein, sugar, etc.), the more
calories.
• Calories are essential to our health; without calories to provide our body with energy, we
wouldn’t be able to function.
What is a Calorie?

4. If you thought counting calories was a weight loss approach of the past, consider this:
• It’s the simplest way to determine if you’re taking in more energy than your body needs.
• By counting calories, you can determine an appropriate food allowance for your body
and ultimately lose weight.
Reasons to Count Calories

5. Counting calories is also one of the more convenient ways to
lose weight.
• Calorie totals are found on practically every food consumed,
with the exception of fresh fruits and vegetables (of which
you should be eating lots). There’s always the opportunity to
track what you eat.
• Diet tracking mobile apps are also making calorie counting
incredibly convenient and motivating.
– FitClick’s Talk-to-Track Mobile app allows users to simply state the
foods they eat for daily calorie tracking.
Convenience with Mobile Apps

6. It can be easy to overeat.
• When we don’t count calories, we can misjudge the actual amount of
food we consume and eat for reasons other than hunger.
• Many individuals eat because they’re:
– Stressed
– Sad
– Bored
– Upset
It’s Easy to Overeat

7. Foods can also be deceptive.
• Think a “natural” granola bar won’t disrupt your weight loss goals? You may want to
think again.
• Often the foods that we assume are healthy—because they’re marketed as such—are
packed with fat, sugar, and, you guessed it, calories.
• Granola is actually one of the most caloric snacks out there, and while it may be more
nutritious than a bag of chips, don’t be fooled into thinking it will help you lose
weight.
Deceptive Nutrition

8. It’s important to set the right daily calorie goal.
Recommended calorie totals are different for men
and women, and can vary further depending upon
your height, weight, and age. If you are more
physically active than most, you may also be able
to consume more calories than recommended.
How can you determine the correct calorie intake
for you?
As a general guide:
• Women: 1,600 to 2,400 calories per day
• Men: 2,000 to 3,000 calories per day
Counting Calories Correctly

9. When counting calories to lose weight, consider that:
Some calorie-rich foods are healthy and some are not.
A handful of walnuts, which comes in at around 200 calories, is a much better
choice than 200 calories of potato chips. Why? Walnuts contain nutritious
antioxidants and Omega-3 acids that aid brain development and are easily
processed by the body. Conversely, potato chips are high in fat and salt and have
less nutritional value. Most importantly, they are less satiating, which means
you’ll be ready for more before your body has time to tell you you’re full.
Counting Calories Correctly

10. • Focus on Eating Smaller Portions
In general, the larger your portion, the more calories you consume. Given that
we tend to eat all of what’s on our plate or in our bowl, the smaller our plates and
bowls, the less we’ll end up eating.
• Be Realistic about Weight Loss Goals
Remember that weight loss doesn’t happen overnight. Limiting calories too
severely in the hopes of losing weight fast can negatively affect your health and
is not a sustainable solution to weight loss.
Counting Calories Correctly

11. Counting calories is made easy with FitClick’s Talk-to-
Track mobile app.
For more information about the Talk-to-Track app, visit:
www.fitclick.com/iPhone_app.
FitClick Talk-to-Track