CALORIE COUNTING? IS IT NECESSARY FOR FAT LOSS?

YES

WHY? Because we grossly underestimate the quantity AND caloric values of what we eat.

Try a test. Write down every single thing you eat. (Better still - if you can remember - write down what you ate yesterday-everything including condiments and particularly beverages). Guess at how many calories you ate. Then look it up and being honest with the amounts/volumes you ate list the ACTUAL number of calories.

I'll bet you ate double the calories you estimated.

Measuring calories when we first try to get fit gives us the knowledge about the fat, carb, protein and caloric content of the foods we eat as well as the huge amount of 'empty' calories most of us consume. It helps us to make much healthier choices.

Is it exact? Certainly not. You would have to weigh and micromeasure to be certain. The most important thing is you get a good 'ballpark' idea of what you are eating. Most of all you will acknowlege THAT you are eating. How many times have you said 'I hardly eat a thing and I still gained weight" ? Until we write things down or follow a food plan we often eat without even thinking and have no idea what we have consumed.

Once you have things under control and you are maintaining a healthy weight, unless you are doing serious competition training, you should be able to more accurately estimate your intake without micromanaging it.