Calorie Counting: Good or Bad?

If you have already tried a wide array of diets in order to lose weight, you have most probably heard for a thousand times already about counting calories. On health forums, this seems to be quite a much debated issue, as they are plenty of people that claim to be of great help to count your calories in order to lose weight, and many others that say that calorie counting only leads to obsession and bad results. What is the truth? The following pros and cons of calorie counting may help shed some light on the matter.

Pro: Counting Calories makes you more responsible

Those that support the idea of calorie counting say that you are bound to become more responsible about what you eat if you start eating your calories. Because a major source of gaining weight is eating more calories than needed on a regular basis, this sounds like a valid argument. As long as you keep an eye on how many calories you eat, you will have more chances to lose weight.

Cons: It makes you obsessed

People that are striving to lose weight already have a love and hate affair with food. Counting calories, say those that are against such diets, does nothing but create a veritable neurosis in the mind of the person trying to lose weight in this manner. Creating an obsession is a nasty habit, and, in the long run, it cannot be sustained without taking its toll on a person's mental health.

Pro: Calorie counting teaches you about good and bad foods

Another argument brought forward by the supporters of calorie counting is that this habit serves as a great guide for learning about good foods and bad foods. Good foods are those that are low in calories, while still having great nutritious value, while bad foods are those that increase cholesterol levels and add fat to your diet. By learning about such foods, you are helped to make the right choices in your diet.

Cons: It prevents you from enjoying your food

Again, those against calorie counting, have their own arguments. Counting each and every calorie you put on your plate makes you think of nothing but numbers, and you end up not enjoying your food at all. There are plenty of people that claim to have become victims of this system and making an enemy out of food.

Depending on the type of person you are, you can include or not calorie counting in your dietary habits. As long as you keep a positive attitude and you do not grow obsessed over each and every detail, you will be able to lose weight in a healthy manner.

Susan is a full-time freelance writer. She is an avid traveler and reader and enjoys writing on health & fitness, travel, parenting, relationships and personal development.

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What Are Calories Made Of?

Introduction 

The actual question, and therefore the answer to "what are calories made of" is rather multi faceted, however; the calories that we are concerned with are the ones that add the pounds to our backsides. Knowing exactly what they are will give us a greater understanding of how to dispense with them, or rather their packaging, which we know more intimately as fat.

What are calories? 

Calories, are units of energy (more about energy later) and as such do not have mass, they are weightless; however, the method we have evolved to store that energy, fat, has a great deal of both weight and bulk. What at one time would have been essential to our very survival has now become our nemesis. We in the developed world no longer experience famine and has such no longer require the ability to store several months supply of energy.

Calories, joules and energy 

To do anything requires energy. In fact energy is often quoted as being the ability to move, lift, warm or light something. Typically; the units of energy are joules, however; prior to joules being defined, it was noted that to heat 1 gram of water by 1 Celsius requires a specific amount of energy. this amount of energy was termed a calorie. If you check the labeling on food packaging you will see the energy content shown in both calories and joules. A simple equation will show that one calorie is equal to approximately 4.2 joules.

What are food calories? 

Where the calories in food are concerned the culinary and scientific interpretations differ; whether out of laziness or ignorance the reason is unclear. A calorie is a relatively tiny amount of energy and although our dietary requirements are often quoted as being between 1,500 - 2,500 calories, what they really mean 1,500 - 2,500 kilo calories (kilo meaning thousand).

A calorie defined 

food, as with all molecules, are held together by energy. When we metabolize our food the energy is released for our use. Carbohydrates, starch and simple sugars all contain 4 kilo calories per gram, while a single gram of fat contains 9 kilo calories. Where the actual amount of work in one calorie is concerned; to lift an object weighing 1 lb to a height of 9 inches uses 1 joule. We can convert that into calories in two ways;

1 calorie = the energy used to lift 4.2 lb to a height of 9 inches 

1 calorie = the energy used to lift 1 lb to a height of 36.8 inches

Conclusion 

While energy, the ability to make things, is measured in joules, calories are the more commonly used units of food energy. Where our health is concerned; the problem is not with calories themselves, but with the highly visible way in which we store them for use later. Unfortunately we have developed the ability to store almost unlimited amounts which, as the medical world is keen to tell us, ultimately leads to a whole host of health problems unless we take it upon ourselves to control our calorie consumption and usage.

David G. Is the person behind DavidHealth Membership; a free membership which provides regular health news, tips, free books and access to software concerning fitness and weight loss. To join DavidHealth Membership, and receive your first free gift, visit David Health Membership

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