{"id":43921,"date":"2022-06-19T20:25:16","date_gmt":"2022-06-19T20:25:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/?p=43921"},"modified":"2024-12-16T08:35:01","modified_gmt":"2024-12-16T08:35:01","slug":"does-counting-calories-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/does-counting-calories-work\/","title":{"rendered":"Does Counting Calories Work? A FAQ Backed Up By Science"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_75 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/does-counting-calories-work\/#FAQ_1_The_Terms_Calorie_Metabolism_Whats_And_Hows\" >FAQ #1: The Terms (Calorie, Metabolism, Whats And Hows)<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/does-counting-calories-work\/#What_Is_A_Calorie\" >What Is A Calorie?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/does-counting-calories-work\/#How_Do_Calories_Work\" >How Do Calories Work?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/does-counting-calories-work\/#Digestion\" >Digestion<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/does-counting-calories-work\/#Basic_Metabolism\" >Basic Metabolism<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/does-counting-calories-work\/#Physical_Activity\" >Physical Activity<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/does-counting-calories-work\/#What_Is_Metabolism_And_Why_Is_It_Important\" >What Is Metabolism And Why Is It Important?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/does-counting-calories-work\/#FAQ_2_Calories_And_Weight_Loss_Deficit_Calorie_Quality_Etc\" >FAQ #2: Calories And Weight Loss (Deficit, Calorie Quality, Etc.)<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/does-counting-calories-work\/#Do_You_Need_A_Calorie_Deficit_For_Weight_Loss\" >Do You Need A Calorie Deficit For Weight Loss?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/does-counting-calories-work\/#Are_All_Calories_The_Same\" >Are All Calories The Same?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/does-counting-calories-work\/#What_Affects_Your_Bodys_Ability_To_Process_Calories\" >What Affects Your Body\u2019s Ability To Process Calories?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/does-counting-calories-work\/#Gut_Microbiome\" >Gut Microbiome<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/does-counting-calories-work\/#Metabolism\" >Metabolism<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/does-counting-calories-work\/#What_You_Eat\" >What You Eat<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/does-counting-calories-work\/#FAQ_3_The_Pros_And_Cons_Of_Counting_Calories\" >FAQ #3: The Pros And Cons Of Counting Calories<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/does-counting-calories-work\/#Why_Does_Counting_Calories_Work_In_General\" >Why Does Counting Calories Work In General?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/does-counting-calories-work\/#Why_Do_Some_People_Think_Calories_Dont_Matter_At_All\" >Why Do Some People Think Calories Don\u2019t Matter At All?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/does-counting-calories-work\/#Were_Bad_At_Eye-Measuring_Our_Portions\" >We\u2019re Bad At Eye-Measuring Our Portions<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-19\" href=\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/does-counting-calories-work\/#Many_Studies_Measure_Total_Weight_Loss_Instead_Of_Fat_Loss\" >Many Studies Measure Total Weight Loss Instead Of Fat Loss<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-20\" href=\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/does-counting-calories-work\/#What_Are_The_Drawbacks_Of_Counting_Calories_For_Weight_Loss\" >What Are The Drawbacks Of Counting Calories For Weight Loss?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-21\" href=\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/does-counting-calories-work\/#Its_Not_Always_Practical\" >It\u2019s Not Always Practical<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-22\" href=\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/does-counting-calories-work\/#You_Ignore_The_Needs_Of_Your_Body\" >You Ignore The Needs Of Your Body<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-23\" href=\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/does-counting-calories-work\/#This_Doesnt_Resolve_The_Initial_Issue\" >This Doesn\u2019t Resolve The Initial Issue<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-24\" href=\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/does-counting-calories-work\/#You_Ignore_The_Nutritional_Value_Of_The_Food\" >You Ignore The Nutritional Value Of The Food<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-25\" href=\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/does-counting-calories-work\/#FAQ_4_The_Right_Ways_To_Measure_Food_And_Lose_Weight\" >FAQ #4: The Right Ways To Measure Food And Lose Weight<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-26\" href=\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/does-counting-calories-work\/#I_Want_To_Measure_How_Much_I_Eat_What_Should_I_Do\" >I Want To Measure How Much I Eat. What Should I Do?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-27\" href=\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/does-counting-calories-work\/#What_Are_Some_Other_Weight_Loss_And_Management_Recommendations\" >What Are Some Other Weight Loss And Management Recommendations?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-28\" href=\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/does-counting-calories-work\/#Summary\" >Summary<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-29\" href=\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/does-counting-calories-work\/#Get_your_personalized\" >Get your personalized<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Counting calories to lose weight. Does it work? Some people say it works alone 100%, others say it\u2019s useless and that you should only focus on the quality of the food. Many people say it all works in a complicated way.<\/span><\/p>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/quiz.betterme.world\/en\/first-page-generated-gender?flow=2273&amp;utm_source=Blog&amp;utm_medium=Blog&amp;utm_campaign=Does_Counting_Calories_Work\" target=\"_blank\"><video autoplay=\"autoplay\" loop=\"loop\" muted=\"muted\" playsinline=\"playsinline\" width=\"777\"><source src=\"https:\/\/cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/ezgif.com-gif-to-mp4-2.mp4\" type=\"video\/mp4\" \/><\/video><\/a>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are many <a href=\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/bok-choy\/\">answers<\/a>. I tend to choose the most well-informed ones.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You see, to understand the answer to the question \u201cDoes <a href=\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/spirulina-calories\/\">counting calories<\/a> work?\u201d, you should know the whole background of information.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Besides, the topic is pretty controversial, as so many people swear that counting kcals is THE way to a slimmer body. What they don\u2019t think about is the quality of the body they will get.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, the BetterMe team has decided to create a FAQ on the topic of calories, how they work, calorie deficit, whether you can lose weight by counting calories only, and more.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s pretty long and divided into 4 parts for your convenience. So, get a notepad ready.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ_1_The_Terms_Calorie_Metabolism_Whats_And_Hows\"><\/span><strong>FAQ #1: The Terms (Calorie, Metabolism, Whats And Hows)<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Is_A_Calorie\"><\/span><strong>What Is A Calorie?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><b>1 calorie = the amount of energy needed to warm up 1 gram of water by 1\u00b0C.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In easier terms, this is the measure of the amount of energy you get with the foods and beverages you consume. It\u2019s also the energy your body needs to live or, more precisely, to:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Breathe<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keep the heart beating<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Think, etc.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why do you see <\/span><b>kcal<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> rather than <\/span><b>cal<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kcal is a kilocalorie \u2013 a thousand calories (or one Calorie with an uppercase \u201cC\u201d). Most people use the word \u2018calorie\u2019 instead just because it\u2019s more convenient, but when anyone is talking about calories in food, they are actually referring to kilocalories.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Read More:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/calories-burned-chewing-gum\/\">Calories Burned While Chewing Gum: Facts And Myths<\/a><\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/quiz.betterme.world\/en\/first-page-generated-gender?flow=2273&amp;utm_source=Blog&amp;utm_medium=Blog&amp;utm_campaign=Does_Counting_Calories_Work\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-43751 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Frame-207486-1024x576.png\" alt=\"does counting calories work\" width=\"770\" height=\"433\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dev.cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Frame-207486.png 1024w, https:\/\/dev.cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Frame-207486-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/dev.cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Frame-207486.png 768w, https:\/\/dev.cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Frame-207486-1636x920.png 1636w, https:\/\/dev.cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Frame-207486.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 770px) 100vw, 770px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Do_Calories_Work\"><\/span><strong>How Do Calories Work?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s try to understand why calories are important and how they work.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most foods and drinks contain calories, except for water. The rest contains one or more of the following <\/span><b>macronutrients<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Protein<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fat<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Carbohydrates (or carbs)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Each contains a certain amount of calories:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1 gram of protein \u2013 4 calories<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1 gram of fat \u2013 9 calories<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1 gram of carbs \u2013 4 calories<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bonus: 1 gram of alcohol contains 7 calories<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When your body digests the food and drinks you\u2019ve consumed, it breaks it down, using the calories it contains to either build tissue or fulfill its needs at the moment.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The final amount of calories you consume is spent on the following (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6125254\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">9<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC5325830\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">7<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">):<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Digestion\"><\/span><b>Digestion<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Digesting the food you eat also requires calories. Protein needs more energy to be processed, while fat needs less (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/27792142\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">19<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">). The two differ in TEF (thermic effect of food), hence the difference.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/quiz.betterme.world\/en\/first-page-generated-gender?flow=2273&amp;utm_source=Blog&amp;utm_medium=Blog&amp;utm_campaign=Does_Counting_Calories_Work\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-43327 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Frame-5948-1024x576.png\" alt=\"BetterMe\" width=\"770\" height=\"433\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dev.cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Frame-5948.png 1024w, https:\/\/dev.cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Frame-5948-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/dev.cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Frame-5948.png 768w, https:\/\/dev.cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Frame-5948.png 1152w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 770px) 100vw, 770px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Basic_Metabolism\"><\/span><b>Basic Metabolism<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The largest amount of calories is used to enable your body to function, providing the brain, heart, lungs, and kidneys with sufficient energy (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC4535334\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">). You may be familiar with a thing called basal metabolic rate (BMR) or resting metabolic rate (RMR). This is the amount of energy your body needs to remain alive and maintain all the complex processes.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Physical_Activity\"><\/span><b>Physical Activity<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The rest of the calories energize your physical activity, including workouts and daily routines (basically every move of yours throughout the day). This number is individual for everyone because people have different body compositions, daily activities, workout routines, more or less physical jobs, etc.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Is_Metabolism_And_Why_Is_It_Important\"><\/span><strong>What Is Metabolism And Why Is It Important?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In brief, metabolism is the amount of <a href=\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/health-benefits-of-hemp-seeds\/\">calories<\/a> your body spends while resting. This depends on many factors, including your body composition. Muscle tissue burns more energy than fat even at rest. That\u2019s why it\u2019s important to include at least a bit of strength training into your life to increase or maintain the amount of muscles you have.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thus, you can burn more calories by just sitting on the couch!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In terms of calorie restriction, the news isn&#8217;t that bright. Traditional weight loss is a stress for your body, so it tries to compensate by slowing some processes in your body to spend less energy and have you regain the weight you lost (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC5639963\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">15<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That means it\u2019s a good idea to only reduce your intake by 250 kcal instead of 500 to make sure your body doesn\u2019t feel so stressed out. You can add more calories to the deficit by slightly increasing physical activity. It might take longer to lose weight this way, but you are more likely to keep it off.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Whether you\u2019re looking to simply pep up your fitness routine, jazz up your diet with mouth-watering low-calorie recipes or want to get your act together and significantly drop that number on your scale \u2013 BetterMe app has got you covered! <a href=\"https:\/\/quiz.betterme.world\/en\/first-page-generated-gender?flow=2273&amp;utm_source=Blog&amp;utm_medium=Blog&amp;utm_campaign=Does_Counting_Calories_Work\">Improve your body<\/a> and revamp your life with us!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/quiz.betterme.world\/en\/first-page-generated-gender?flow=2273&amp;utm_source=Blog&amp;utm_medium=Blog&amp;utm_campaign=Does_Counting_Calories_Work\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-42169 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Frame-5866.png\" alt=\"does counting calories work\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dev.cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Frame-5866.png 960w, https:\/\/dev.cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Frame-5866-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/dev.cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Frame-5866.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ_2_Calories_And_Weight_Loss_Deficit_Calorie_Quality_Etc\"><\/span><strong>FAQ #2: Calories And Weight Loss (Deficit, Calorie Quality, Etc.)<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_You_Need_A_Calorie_Deficit_For_Weight_Loss\"><\/span><strong>Do You Need A Calorie Deficit For Weight Loss?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><b>A calorie deficit<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> occurs when you consume fewer kcal than you lose.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once your body fulfills all its needs, including your daily physical activity, it stores the remainder of the energy for the future as:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Glycogen (a type of carb) in liver and muscles<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As fat on your hips, belly, cheeks, and other places throughout the body<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This brings us to the well-known point that if you consume more than you burn, you gain weight (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/32515127\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">16<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Logically, if you get less energy than needed, your body will have to use those deposits to maintain normal function. When you lose weight wisely, the fat storage will decrease, making you look slimmer. That said, if you get too dramatic with your approach and restrict food heavily while engaging in heavy physical activity, your body will also use protein to compensate, which will cause muscle loss (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/books\/NBK499909\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This means that calorie balance is important, no matter if you eat protein, fat, or carbs (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/28765272\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/27519132\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">20<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Are_All_Calories_The_Same\"><\/span><strong>Are All Calories The Same?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In general, 100 kcal remains 100 kcal, no matter if you eat sweets or strawberries. Calories are a measure, after all.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, when we\u2019re talking about your health, not all calories are the same. This is where quality comes in, often becoming more important than quantity. Many foods contain the same amount of energy, but their nutritional value may be vastly different.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That\u2019s why fruits and veggies, which are more nutritious than doughnuts and croissants, are connected to a lower risk of mortality (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC4578962\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/27127938\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">6<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Besides, various foods affect your hormone levels, appetite, hunger, and metabolism differently (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6179508\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">11<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/29621669\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">14<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">). For example, if you eat 300 calories of doughnuts, you may feel hungry within an hour because there\u2019s a lot of sugar and carbs there. Substitute it with a 300-calorie nutritious meal, and you\u2019ll feel full for hours due to the protein and fiber content.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/quiz.betterme.world\/en\/first-page-generated-gender?flow=2273&amp;utm_source=Blog&amp;utm_medium=Blog&amp;utm_campaign=Does_Counting_Calories_Work\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-42108 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Frame-5806.png\" alt=\"does counting calories work\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dev.cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Frame-5806.png 960w, https:\/\/dev.cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Frame-5806-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/dev.cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Frame-5806.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Affects_Your_Bodys_Ability_To_Process_Calories\"><\/span><strong>What Affects Your Body\u2019s Ability To Process Calories?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are 3 main factors influencing how your body processes calories:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Gut_Microbiome\"><\/span><b>Gut Microbiome<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are trillions of various microorganisms in your intestines. A certain predominance of some bacteria may impact the amount of calories and nutrients you can absorb from food. That\u2019s why it\u2019s crucial to feed your beneficial bacteria with prebiotic fiber.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Metabolism\"><\/span><b>Metabolism<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Genetic predispositions, environment, and behaviors all impact the rate of metabolism.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_You_Eat\"><\/span><b>What You Eat<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The quality of food you eat makes a difference. For example, highly processed meals may lead to excess calorie intake (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/31105044\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">22<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Read More:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/dog-workouts\/\">Dog Workouts: How To Burn Calories With Your Pup Every Day<\/a><\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/quiz.betterme.world\/en\/first-page-generated-gender?flow=2273&amp;utm_source=Blog&amp;utm_medium=Blog&amp;utm_campaign=Does_Counting_Calories_Work\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-42105 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Frame-5814-1024x576.png\" alt=\"does counting calories work\" width=\"770\" height=\"433\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dev.cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Frame-5814.png 1024w, https:\/\/dev.cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Frame-5814-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/dev.cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Frame-5814.png 768w, https:\/\/dev.cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Frame-5814-1636x920.png 1636w, https:\/\/dev.cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Frame-5814.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 770px) 100vw, 770px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ_3_The_Pros_And_Cons_Of_Counting_Calories\"><\/span><strong>FAQ #3: The Pros And Cons Of Counting Calories<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_Does_Counting_Calories_Work_In_General\"><\/span><strong>Why Does Counting Calories Work In General?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How does counting calories work? Why does it work?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Basically, this approach helps you track the amount of food you consume to keep the balance between how much you eat and spend in a day. Tracking these measures has proven to help people <a href=\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/grapes-calories\/\">lose weight<\/a> (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC5446667\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">23<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC5568610\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">17<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here\u2019s why counting calories works in general:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By getting a real picture of what\u2019s going on, you can understand your eating behaviors better and see where you have to be more cautious. That said, you don\u2019t need an exact number to become aware of potential behavioral issues.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The data you get (if you\u2019re consistent) gives you a starting point. From there, you can calculate how many calories you have to adjust by to start losing weight.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Daily monitoring can help you see the progress and adjust your eating behavior at all times.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nevertheless, counting calories isn\u2019t mandatory for successful <a href=\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/collard-greens-calories\/\">weight loss<\/a> (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC4018593\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>So, counting calories can be a useful approach, but it doesn\u2019t have to be the major one.<\/b><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_Do_Some_People_Think_Calories_Dont_Matter_At_All\"><\/span><strong>Why Do Some People Think Calories Don\u2019t Matter At All?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Trends change all the time. It\u2019s understood that you need to create a certain energy deficit to <a href=\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/acai-berries-calories-benefits-side-effects\/\">lose weight<\/a>. Despite this, some people still think that how much you eat is unimportant compared to what you eat.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Studies which show that low-carb diets make people shed more pounds fuel this opposition (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/25527677\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">). But using studies focusing on weight loss only doesn\u2019t help. <a href=\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/sesame-seeds-calories-benefits-side-effects\/\">Low-carb diets<\/a> are more difficult to be consistent with, so there\u2019s room for debate.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes, the quality of food you eat is crucial.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But here\u2019s why tracking how much you eat is also important:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/quiz.betterme.world\/en\/first-page-generated-gender?flow=2273&amp;utm_source=Blog&amp;utm_medium=Blog&amp;utm_campaign=Does_Counting_Calories_Work\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-42101 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Frame-5673.png\" alt=\"BetterMe\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dev.cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Frame-5673.png 960w, https:\/\/dev.cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Frame-5673-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/dev.cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Frame-5673.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Were_Bad_At_Eye-Measuring_Our_Portions\"><\/span><strong>We\u2019re Bad At Eye-Measuring Our Portions<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Seeing a doughnut and thinking that it\u2019s probably about 100 kcal may leave 200+ calories out of your sight. In addition, we tend to think we move more than we do (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/29259338\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">21<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, we may think we spend 500 calories more every day than we do, while in reality, we may eat 500 kcal more than we think.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Many_Studies_Measure_Total_Weight_Loss_Instead_Of_Fat_Loss\"><\/span><strong>Many Studies Measure Total Weight Loss Instead Of Fat Loss<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Continuing the topic of low-carb diets, the <a href=\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/canola-oil-vs-vegetable-oil-calories-benefits-side-effects\/\">total weight loss<\/a> may consist mostly of water. When you don\u2019t eat carbs, you burn stored carbs first, and they are stored together with water in your body (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6019055\/\">10<\/a>).<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Low-Carb Diets Are Higher In Protein And Fat<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Protein and fat make you feel full for a longer time. This theoretically means you can eat less in a day, which limits your calorie intake (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/26803589\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">18<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">). This, again gets us back to the point that the amount of calories consumed in a day is important.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>If you struggle to even flirt with the idea of giving up your favorite foods or working out till your legs give way \u2013 BetterMe app is here to breathe a fresh perspective into the way you view the weight loss process! Check out the app and <a href=\"https:\/\/quiz.betterme.world\/en\/first-page-generated-gender?flow=2273&amp;utm_source=Blog&amp;utm_medium=Blog&amp;utm_campaign=Does_Counting_Calories_Work\">experience the fun side of fitness and dieting<\/a> with BetterMe!<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Are_The_Drawbacks_Of_Counting_Calories_For_Weight_Loss\"><\/span><strong>What Are The Drawbacks Of Counting Calories For Weight Loss?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Does counting calories work for weight loss? Yes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Is it for everyone? No.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The approach may trigger an eating disorder in people with a history of such conditions due to building an unhealthy relationship with food. Many people with different types of EDs reported using an online calorie calculator; many think it was a contributor to their condition (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC5700836\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">13<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, if you count calories and feel guilty about eating slightly more or think you could even eat less, it\u2019s better to choose another option.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, intuitive eating. It takes some time to learn to listen to your body, but studies show it works, becoming a great alternative for people with a history of ED (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6360478\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">12<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are more drawbacks, including:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Its_Not_Always_Practical\"><\/span><b>It\u2019s Not Always Practical<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Imagine you go to a friend\u2019s birthday party, to a dinner with family, or on a date. How will you count calories properly if you don\u2019t know how much of each ingredient there\u2019s exactly in what you eat and drink?<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thinking about it will remove the elements of relaxation and joy from your evening.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/quiz.betterme.world\/en\/first-page-generated-gender?flow=2273&amp;utm_source=Blog&amp;utm_medium=Blog&amp;utm_campaign=Does_Counting_Calories_Work\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-42018 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Frame-5878-1024x576.png\" alt=\"does counting calories work\" width=\"770\" height=\"433\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dev.cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Frame-5878.png 1024w, https:\/\/dev.cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Frame-5878-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/dev.cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Frame-5878.png 768w, https:\/\/dev.cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Frame-5878-1636x920.png 1636w, https:\/\/dev.cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Frame-5878.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 770px) 100vw, 770px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"You_Ignore_The_Needs_Of_Your_Body\"><\/span><strong>You Ignore The Needs Of Your Body<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ignoring when your body is telling you that it requires (or doesn\u2019t require) food is one of the worst things we learn as children. Parents tell us to eat everything or we can\u2019t go out with friends, for example. Later on, we may make the relationships worse by diminishing what our body needs. Yet, we want it to look and behave a certain way.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is an issue many of us still haven\u2019t fixed.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"This_Doesnt_Resolve_The_Initial_Issue\"><\/span><strong>This Doesn\u2019t Resolve The Initial Issue<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You may count calories for some time to get temporary results, not realizing they are temporary. Plus, many people don\u2019t go deeper and try to understand why they are at an uncomfortable weight. It may be a physical or mental health concern. So, by finding relief in counting every calorie, you may just sabotage the resolution of a major health issue.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"You_Ignore_The_Nutritional_Value_Of_The_Food\"><\/span><strong>You Ignore The Nutritional Value Of The Food<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Choosing to eat an apple instead of a whole meal will reduce a lot of the needed nutrients from that day. As a result, you may overeat later and feel guilty, plus you might cause your body quality to deteriorate.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ_4_The_Right_Ways_To_Measure_Food_And_Lose_Weight\"><\/span><strong>FAQ #4: The Right Ways To Measure Food And Lose Weight<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"I_Want_To_Measure_How_Much_I_Eat_What_Should_I_Do\"><\/span><b>I Want To Measure How Much I Eat. What Should I Do?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can use:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mobile apps<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kitchen scales<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Portion size estimates<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Using the latter, you can measure what you eat in:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cups<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ounces<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tablespoons<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Teaspoons<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But please, remember that quality of food also matters and nothing terrible will happen if you eat a little bit more. Maintain a healthy ratio between the amount of calories you eat and spend.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can choose to eat smaller portions, choose foods that require your body to spend more calories while digesting, and fill your diet with healthy nutrients (micro and macro), as well as fiber, to feel full longer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/quiz.betterme.world\/en\/first-page-generated-gender?flow=2273&amp;utm_source=Blog&amp;utm_medium=Blog&amp;utm_campaign=Does_Counting_Calories_Work\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-42008 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Frame-5796.png\" alt=\"does counting calories work\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dev.cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Frame-5796.png 960w, https:\/\/dev.cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Frame-5796-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/dev.cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Frame-5796.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Are_Some_Other_Weight_Loss_And_Management_Recommendations\"><\/span><strong>What Are Some Other Weight Loss And Management Recommendations?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are some more weight loss and management tips for you:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Exercise<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 engage in physical activities you enjoy. It can be a walk in a park every day where you have a goal of, say, 10,000 steps. It can also be a full workout or dancing.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Sleep well<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 sleep for 8 hours at night in a dark cool room. Try not to use gadgets an hour before going to sleep. Consider meditating before sleep to improve the quality of your nighttime snooze.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Read about your medication<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 if you take medication, talk to your doctor about whether it causes weight gain or appetite increase.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Manage your stress<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 daily routines, meditation, breathing practices, etc. will help you keep your stress levels lower.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Consult with professionals<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 if you feel you can\u2019t do it yourself, consult a registered dietitian. Make sure it\u2019s someone who will address all of your goals.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Summary\"><\/span><strong>Summary<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, does counting calories work to lose weight? Yes, but maybe not for everyone.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You have to also learn:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">About the difference between protein, fat, and carbs and how much you need.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To listen to your body and its needs.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To find a practical way to measure your food.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To create a plan you can stay consistent with.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I wouldn\u2019t recommend taking calorie-counting as the basis for your weight loss journey. Learn about calorie deficit, don\u2019t take too much off your daily intake, throw in some good sleep and effective (not too strenuous) workouts, and find a way that is comfortable for you.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If it\u2019s measuring cups, fine. If it\u2019s limiting sweets and \u2018empty\u2019 calories, please! Just make sure that you don\u2019t focus on it too much, making it the main focus of your life. There will be a time when you\u2019re out with friends and asking the waiter how many cups of each ingredient they use for a dish you order won\u2019t be the best thing to do.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Find a way to implement the knowledge and recommendations presented above to become and remain healthy. A beautiful, lean body will be a sweet bonus result.<\/span><\/p>\n\n    <section class=\"ad-single-wrapper\">\n        <div class=\"ad-single-text ad-title-wrapper\">\n            <h3 class=\"ad-single-title\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Get_your_personalized\"><\/span>Get your personalized<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n            <span class=\"ad-single-sub-title color-green\">\n                <svg class=\"icon-sparkle\" width=\"36\" height=\"21\" viewBox=\"0 0 36 21\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n                    <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\"\n                          d=\"M34.6837 0.515943C34.8247 0.835947 34.9421 1.16291 34.9891 1.48987C35.1417 2.64466 35.3179 6.51949 35.2592 7.29863C35.2592 7.53515 35.1887 7.7995 35.0243 8.01516C34.7307 8.39777 33.9791 8.4256 33.5681 8.07081C33.4154 7.94559 33.3215 7.77863 33.2745 7.61863C33.1453 7.15254 33.0396 6.68645 32.9809 6.22035C32.8165 4.81512 32.6638 3.40293 32.5581 1.9977C32.5229 1.53161 32.6051 1.05856 32.6991 0.592466C32.7695 0.244637 33.251 -0.0197144 33.6973 0.00115537C34.2257 0.0289818 34.5546 0.230723 34.6837 0.515943ZM18.6184 9.78225C18.5734 9.67557 18.5344 9.57528 18.4971 9.47956C18.4178 9.27568 18.3465 9.09257 18.2426 8.91267C16.7159 6.24133 14.2615 3.86217 11.4665 1.60128C11.1377 1.33693 10.7267 1.08649 10.2687 0.919531C10.0221 0.829095 9.52885 0.843009 9.247 0.933445C9.03562 1.00301 8.88295 1.27432 8.92992 1.42736C9.01213 1.71954 9.18828 2.01868 9.4349 2.28303C11.0555 4.02913 12.6879 5.76829 14.3437 7.50048C14.8308 8.0068 15.3395 8.50887 15.8473 9.01L15.8473 9.01001C15.9883 9.14921 16.1293 9.28833 16.2697 9.42746C16.4811 9.64311 16.7159 9.85181 16.9626 10.0466C17.2327 10.2692 17.6437 10.4014 18.0547 10.2553C18.0691 10.2501 18.0836 10.245 18.0981 10.2399C18.1097 10.2358 18.1213 10.2318 18.1329 10.2278C18.3785 10.1424 18.6184 10.0589 18.6184 9.78225ZM1.98942 20.1407C2.17783 20.1221 2.37674 20.105 2.58175 20.0875C2.99012 20.0525 3.42272 20.0154 3.84492 19.9598C6.34632 19.6259 8.84771 19.292 11.3374 18.9442C11.8776 18.8676 12.406 18.7355 12.8875 18.5824C13.5334 18.3807 13.7566 18.0954 13.6509 17.7824C13.5452 17.4694 13.1224 17.2746 12.3826 17.2676C11.8776 17.2607 11.3374 17.2676 10.8559 17.3372C7.69683 17.8102 4.5378 18.2972 1.3905 18.7911C1.03819 18.8468 0.674137 18.9442 0.404034 19.0833C-0.2771 19.4242 -0.065712 19.9598 0.803314 20.092C1.01858 20.1228 1.25262 20.1258 1.51135 20.1291C1.66195 20.131 1.82092 20.133 1.98942 20.1407Z\"\n                          fill=\"#17B991\"\/>\n                <\/svg>\n               meal plan!\n            <\/span>\n        <\/div>\n    \n        <div class=\"ad-single-text ad-desc-wrapper\">\n            <p class=\"ad-single-desc\">What's your main health goal?<\/p>\n            <a href=\"https:\/\/quiz.betterme.world\/en\/first-page-generated-gender?flow=2273&amp;utm_source=Blog&amp;utm_medium=Blog&amp;utm_campaign=Does_Counting_Calories_Work\" class=\"btn-ad btn-green\">Lose weight<\/a>\n            <a href=\"https:\/\/quiz.betterme.world\/en\/first-page-generated-gender?flow=2273&amp;utm_source=Blog&amp;utm_medium=Blog&amp;utm_campaign=Does_Counting_Calories_Work\" class=\"btn-ad btn-green\">Feel great<\/a>\n        <\/div>\n        <img class=\"ad-single-img\" alt=\"health-food\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"395\" height=\"383\" src=\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/themes\/gridlove-child\/assets\/img\/ad\/health-food.webp\">\n    <\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Counting calories to lose weight. Does it work? Some people say it works alone 100%, others say it\u2019s useless and that you should only focus on the quality of the food. Many people say it all works in a complicated way. There are many answers. I tend to choose the most well-informed ones. You see, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":52,"featured_media":43922,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[75],"tags":[],"coauthors":[163,87],"class_list":["post-43921","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-weight-loss"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v20.2.1 (Yoast SEO v25.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Does Counting Calories Work? A FAQ Backed Up By Science - BetterMe<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"\u2605 DOES COUNTING CALORIES WORK \u27a4 for weight loss? Or is it a thing of the past? Here, you can find all the calorie-themed answers and adjust your approach.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, nofollow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Does Counting Calories Work? A FAQ Backed Up By Science\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u2605 DOES COUNTING CALORIES WORK \u27a4 for weight loss? Or is it a thing of the past? Here, you can find all the calorie-themed answers and adjust your approach.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/does-counting-calories-work\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"BetterMe Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/betterme.health.coaching\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-12-16T08:35:01+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/shutterstock_1635395872.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"667\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Mary Nosel, Kristen Fleming, RD\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@betterme\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@betterme\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Mary Nosel, Kristen Fleming, RD\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"14 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/does-counting-calories-work\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/does-counting-calories-work\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Mary Nosel\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/#\/schema\/person\/481e9d5e485034a338546b56be7a1fb4\"},\"headline\":\"Does Counting Calories Work? A FAQ Backed Up By Science\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-12-16T08:35:01+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/does-counting-calories-work\/\"},\"wordCount\":2644,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/does-counting-calories-work\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/dev.cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/shutterstock_1635395872.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Weight Loss\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"articleBody\":\"<span style=\\\"font-weight: 400;\\\">Counting calories to lose weight. Does it work? Some people say it works alone 100%, others say it\u2019s useless and that you should only focus on the quality of the food. Many people say it all works in a complicated way.<\/span>\\r\\n\\r\\n\\r\\n\\r\\n<span style=\\\"font-weight: 400;\\\">There are many <a href=\\\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/bok-choy\/\\\">answers<\/a>. I tend to choose the most well-informed ones.<\/span>\\r\\n\\r\\n<span style=\\\"font-weight: 400;\\\">You see, to understand the answer to the question \u201cDoes <a href=\\\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/spirulina-calories\/\\\">counting calories<\/a> work?\u201d, you should know the whole background of information.\u00a0<\/span>\\r\\n\\r\\n<span style=\\\"font-weight: 400;\\\">Besides, the topic is pretty controversial, as so many people swear that counting kcals is THE way to a slimmer body. What they don\u2019t think about is the quality of the body they will get.<\/span>\\r\\n\\r\\n<span style=\\\"font-weight: 400;\\\">So, the BetterMe team has decided to create a FAQ on the topic of calories, how they work, calorie deficit, whether you can lose weight by counting calories only, and more.<\/span>\\r\\n\\r\\n<span style=\\\"font-weight: 400;\\\">It\u2019s pretty long and divided into 4 parts for your convenience. So, get a notepad ready.<\/span>\\r\\n<h2 style=\\\"text-align: center;\\\"><strong>FAQ #1: The Terms (Calorie, Metabolism, Whats And Hows)<\/strong><\/h2>\\r\\n<h3><strong>What Is A Calorie?<\/strong><\/h3>\\r\\n<b>1 calorie = the amount of energy needed to warm up 1 gram of water by 1\u00b0C.<\/b>\\r\\n\\r\\n<span style=\\\"font-weight: 400;\\\">In easier terms, this is the measure of the amount of energy you get with the foods and beverages you consume. It\u2019s also the energy your body needs to live or, more precisely, to:<\/span>\\r\\n<ul>\\r\\n \\t<li style=\\\"font-weight: 400;\\\" aria-level=\\\"1\\\"><span style=\\\"font-weight: 400;\\\">Breathe<\/span><\/li>\\r\\n \\t<li style=\\\"font-weight: 400;\\\" aria-level=\\\"1\\\"><span style=\\\"font-weight: 400;\\\">Keep the heart beating<\/span><\/li>\\r\\n \\t<li style=\\\"font-weight: 400;\\\" aria-level=\\\"1\\\"><span ...\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/does-counting-calories-work\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/does-counting-calories-work\/\",\"name\":\"Does Counting Calories Work? 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A FAQ Backed Up By Science\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/\",\"name\":\"BetterMe Blog\",\"description\":\"Health &amp; Fitness\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/#organization\",\"name\":\"BetterMe\",\"alternateName\":\"Betterme Limited\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/BetterMe.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/BetterMe.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"BetterMe\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/betterme.health.coaching\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/betterme\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/betterme\/\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/betterme-apps\",\"https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/bettermetips\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UC0svgcjc3jSgcryqo83spPQ\",\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@betterme.health.coaching\",\"https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/app\/betterme-health-coaching\/id1264546236\",\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.gen.workoutme&amp;amp;amp;amp;hl=en_US&amp;amp;amp;amp;gl=US\",\"https:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/wiki\/Q114895798\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/#\/schema\/person\/481e9d5e485034a338546b56be7a1fb4\",\"name\":\"Mary Nosel\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/e09e54429ae4e7a6bffeea70a724e45a\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dev.cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/image-1-150x150.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/dev.cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/image-1-150x150.png\",\"caption\":\"Mary Nosel\"},\"description\":\"Mary is a writer with an amazing ten-year experience. She has a strong passion and the right skills for relaying hard-to-process information easily. Moreover, she finds joy in helping others understand their bodies and be connected to them, which involves a lot of stereotype breaking. During her teenage years, she was caught in a cage \u2013 like many others \u2013 with all kinds of diets that break your stomach and only provide temporary results and mindless hours-long cardio that doesn\u2019t bear the best fruits of labor. Soon enough, she realized that something was off, and \u201cthin but dull\u201d wasn't what she wanted to be. From then on, Mary started learning. Now, she's a stereotype-free, healthy woman trying to inspire others to establish a connection with their bodies and improve physical and mental health. She shows that meal planning, exercising, stretching, and meditating don't have to be restricting and dull. Mary\u2019s three keywords for healthy weight loss and maintenance are diversity, consistency, and joy. Furthermore, her three keywords for a good article are research, structure, and entertainment.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/author\/mariianosel\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Does Counting Calories Work? A FAQ Backed Up By Science - BetterMe","description":"\u2605 DOES COUNTING CALORIES WORK \u27a4 for weight loss? Or is it a thing of the past? Here, you can find all the calorie-themed answers and adjust your approach.","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"nofollow"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Does Counting Calories Work? A FAQ Backed Up By Science","og_description":"\u2605 DOES COUNTING CALORIES WORK \u27a4 for weight loss? Or is it a thing of the past? Here, you can find all the calorie-themed answers and adjust your approach.","og_url":"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/does-counting-calories-work\/","og_site_name":"BetterMe Blog","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/betterme.health.coaching","article_modified_time":"2024-12-16T08:35:01+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1000,"height":667,"url":"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/shutterstock_1635395872.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Mary Nosel, Kristen Fleming, RD","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@betterme","twitter_site":"@betterme","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Mary Nosel, Kristen Fleming, RD","Est. reading time":"14 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/does-counting-calories-work\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/does-counting-calories-work\/"},"author":{"name":"Mary Nosel","@id":"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/#\/schema\/person\/481e9d5e485034a338546b56be7a1fb4"},"headline":"Does Counting Calories Work? A FAQ Backed Up By Science","dateModified":"2024-12-16T08:35:01+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/does-counting-calories-work\/"},"wordCount":2644,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/does-counting-calories-work\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/dev.cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/shutterstock_1635395872.jpg","articleSection":["Weight Loss"],"inLanguage":"en-US","articleBody":"<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Counting calories to lose weight. Does it work? Some people say it works alone 100%, others say it\u2019s useless and that you should only focus on the quality of the food. Many people say it all works in a complicated way.<\/span>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are many <a href=\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/bok-choy\/\">answers<\/a>. I tend to choose the most well-informed ones.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You see, to understand the answer to the question \u201cDoes <a href=\"https:\/\/betterme.world\/articles\/spirulina-calories\/\">counting calories<\/a> work?\u201d, you should know the whole background of information.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Besides, the topic is pretty controversial, as so many people swear that counting kcals is THE way to a slimmer body. What they don\u2019t think about is the quality of the body they will get.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, the BetterMe team has decided to create a FAQ on the topic of calories, how they work, calorie deficit, whether you can lose weight by counting calories only, and more.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s pretty long and divided into 4 parts for your convenience. So, get a notepad ready.<\/span>\r\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>FAQ #1: The Terms (Calorie, Metabolism, Whats And Hows)<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n<h3><strong>What Is A Calorie?<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<b>1 calorie = the amount of energy needed to warm up 1 gram of water by 1\u00b0C.<\/b>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In easier terms, this is the measure of the amount of energy you get with the foods and beverages you consume. It\u2019s also the energy your body needs to live or, more precisely, to:<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Breathe<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keep the heart beating<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span ..."},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/does-counting-calories-work\/","url":"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/does-counting-calories-work\/","name":"Does Counting Calories Work? 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A FAQ Backed Up By Science"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/#website","url":"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/","name":"BetterMe Blog","description":"Health &amp; Fitness","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/#organization","name":"BetterMe","alternateName":"Betterme Limited","url":"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/BetterMe.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/BetterMe.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"BetterMe"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/betterme.health.coaching","https:\/\/x.com\/betterme","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/betterme\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/betterme-apps","https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/bettermetips\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UC0svgcjc3jSgcryqo83spPQ","https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@betterme.health.coaching","https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/app\/betterme-health-coaching\/id1264546236","https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.gen.workoutme&amp;amp;amp;amp;hl=en_US&amp;amp;amp;amp;gl=US","https:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/wiki\/Q114895798"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/#\/schema\/person\/481e9d5e485034a338546b56be7a1fb4","name":"Mary Nosel","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/e09e54429ae4e7a6bffeea70a724e45a","url":"https:\/\/dev.cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/image-1-150x150.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/dev.cdn.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/image-1-150x150.png","caption":"Mary Nosel"},"description":"Mary is a writer with an amazing ten-year experience. She has a strong passion and the right skills for relaying hard-to-process information easily. Moreover, she finds joy in helping others understand their bodies and be connected to them, which involves a lot of stereotype breaking. During her teenage years, she was caught in a cage \u2013 like many others \u2013 with all kinds of diets that break your stomach and only provide temporary results and mindless hours-long cardio that doesn\u2019t bear the best fruits of labor. Soon enough, she realized that something was off, and \u201cthin but dull\u201d wasn't what she wanted to be. From then on, Mary started learning. Now, she's a stereotype-free, healthy woman trying to inspire others to establish a connection with their bodies and improve physical and mental health. She shows that meal planning, exercising, stretching, and meditating don't have to be restricting and dull. Mary\u2019s three keywords for healthy weight loss and maintenance are diversity, consistency, and joy. Furthermore, her three keywords for a good article are research, structure, and entertainment.","url":"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/author\/mariianosel\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43921","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/52"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43921"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43921\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43922"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43921"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43921"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43921"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.betterme.world\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=43921"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}