For those who want to lose weight - and this, according to numerous studies, wants up to 80% of women - calorie ready-made dishes and products is crucial. Counting calories - a simple and effective way to lose weight: you just have to try not to exceed certain standards, the weight began to decline. But such a calculation and may cause difficulties.
Without calculation can not do
Today, many are choosing a weight loss calorie counting. This is useful, if only because there is no need to indulge in their favorite dishes and, on the contrary, there is unloved, but recommended by the developers of the diet. Complete freedom in the choice of dishes can not not like: only need to monitor the amount of calories, do not exceed a certain limit. And, if earlier it was believed that the less calories in the food, the better, modern nutritionists prefer to use the term as a "corridor calorie." This means that depending on the initial weight and the period for which you need to lose weight, calorie intake should be no more and no less than certain figures. As a rule, the maximum caloric content can vary, the minimum is always one - 1200 kcal. If the energy value of the diet is lower, the metabolism slows down and becomes more difficult to lose weight.
Naturally, when counting calories is especially important to have correct information about how many calories are in a particular product or a platter. There are many tables of caloric content, but the data they sometimes differ. Many people prefer to use special software for your computer or phone, allowing to quickly and easily calculate the number of calories eaten. But these programs do not always work correctly.
Caloric theory
Calorie - a unit of measurement of energy. That is, one calorie - the amount of energy required for heating one gram of water by 1 degree at a certain atmospheric pressure. Initially, the calories used to account for the heat transfer of different types of fuel.
What does this have to do with food? The most direct. Products are burned in special devices - calorimeters and measure the heat which is released at the same time.
And then everything is simple: data is entered into tables, and millions of dieters around the world use these tables in the preparation of the diet. Man spends energy (table to calculate the energy spent there too) and fills it with food. This balance can be positive (the energy the body receives more than it spends, as a result of the weight increases) or negative (so cute hearts slimming weight reduction if the energy the body spends more than it receives).
Theory suggests calorie counting calories and just. At the same time it does not matter where those calories come. One and the same number of calories can be obtained by eating a small piece of butter or a few kilos of cucumbers.
From the point of view of the theory of caloric, it does not matter, so to lose weight if desired, and on the chocolates - most importantly, do not eat them daily for more than two - two and a half tiles (standard calorie chocolate - from 500 to 600 calories per 100 grams) .
In practice
No need to be a dietician to understand that a kilogram of cucumbers and a small piece of butter, although they have the same calorie content, the differences are even greater. These differences include volume, weight and nutritional value. The nutritional value of many confuse with the energy, but it is not the same thing. The nutritional value - the content of protein, fat, carbohydrate, water and various mineral substances and vitamins.
Man still has a bit more complicated than a car engine. Therefore, calorie counting does not always yield such a result, as needed. No less important, such as the glycemic index. The higher it is, the more likely the body puts "surplus" in the form of fat. The presence in foods of various nutrients can significantly affect both the weight and the overall health. Also important is the balance of fats, proteins and carbohydrates.
Do not forget about the speed of metabolism: metabolism
Improves metabolism and losing weight without dieting
I tend to slow with age, and in addition, it depends on the condition of the organism. Therefore, to reduce everything to counting calories would be too easy: the weight of influence has a lot of reasons.
Moreover, the caloric content of food specified in the table - often just a convention. The fact that in humans the food is not burnt just as in the calorimeter, and is absorbed by certain rules. In some diseases, with the assimilation of calories there are difficulties, and the person loses weight quickly (which is rare for someone happy, however, for the price of harmony in such a case is too high). In other situations, on the contrary, it increases weight even with low-calorie diet. The high fiber content of the diet difficult digestion, respectively, a person can lose weight even on a fairly high-calorie diet.
It is necessary to take into account the fact that, depending on the method of preparation may vary calorie foods. Therefore, when calculating the energy value of ready meals is very easy to make mistakes, and in any direction. For example, when frying oil product gets new calories from added oils when baking lose water (i.e., weight changes and calorific remains the same), when cooked, in contrast, saturate with water (weight increases and calorie - no).
Terms counting
Counting calories, no matter what, remains the most popular method of weight loss. But count the energy value of the diet should be all the same with the mind. No wonder there is such a thing as "empty calories" - so they say, if the high energy content of product combined with its low nutritional value. For example, in sugar nearly 400 kcal per 100 grams, but absolutely no vitamins or minerals.
Therefore, we should not forget that the diet should be primarily balanced, rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber. Preference should be given plant, not animal foods and choose the optimum cooking methods that preserve all the valuable substances.
