When people think of calorie counting, they cringe, and while all of us wish we could eat whatever we want without gaining weight, for most of us this is simply not reality and not how it works.

While there are some people who can eat what they want and not gain weight, most of us have to watch our diet closely and pay close attention to the food we consume.

Counting calories is one way people have decided to take charge of their fitness and lead a healthier lifestyle. Along with counting calories, they may decide to go on a low-carb diet in an effort to lose weight.

There may be some confusion about calorie counting and what it actually entails and how it can benefit you, but also if it is necessary when you are on a low-carb diet. To figure out the answer to this question, it is important to understand what each entails and their purposes.

Why People Count Calories

 The idea behind calorie counting is the basic formula of calories in and calories out. The goal is to burn more than you eat so to create a calorie deficit that results in either weight loss or healthy weight management.

Typically, tracking calorie intake and being mindful of physical activity you are performing is key to maintaining a healthy weight and staving off overweight and obesity that cause serious health problems for the body.

The calorie formula takes into account your height, weight, activity levels and age in order to determine the correct number for you. For those who workout every day can eat much more food and still lose weight, while those who are sedentary will have to lower their daily intake.

Use an online calorie calculator and plug in your data and then play around with the activity settings and you will see the big differences in allowed calories between sedentary and active lifestyles.

Does Counting Calories Help With Weight Loss?

Since calorie counting keeps people on track of their weight loss goals, it may actually be beneficial for people to do so while they are trying to lose weight.

Yes, you are consuming fewer calories, but it is still important for you to know how many calories are in the foods you are eating because the calorie deficit is important for your weight loss journey. Therefore, even if you do exercise for weight loss, if you are consuming too many calories, you may not see any results.

Bottom Line

 Everyone is different. The decision to count or not really depends on you and your results, if you find that you are eating more calories than you should and not seeing your weight loss goals realized, you may need to determine your requirements and start monitoring caloric intake.