Do I have to count calories?
Like most things about nutrition, the answer is simultaneously simple and complicated. It is a cliche but true that "you don't have to count calories but calories do count."
In order to lose weight you must be in a calorie deficit - you must be taking in fewer calories than you are burning. This is hard to achieve if you have no idea how many calories you are consuming in the first place or how many calories you need to consume on a daily basis in order to reach your target weight.
If you do want to count calories things are much easier than they were a decade ago. Then you need to buy a calorie counter book with pictures of all the most common foodstuffs and their calorie breakdown.You could then record this information in your food diary and work out your calculations from there.
Now apps like MyFitnessPal make recording your calories so much easier. Your most frequent foods are stored and you can store meals and record them with one click. MFP also has lots of meal ideas and food tips (this is all within the free version).
Just be aware that calorie trackers are not particularly accurate but that is not where their value lies. What they are great for is keeping you accountable. When you are tracking your calorie consumption this way you are more likely to stop and consider what you are eating and how it will impact your calorie target in a way that we tend not to do otherwise.
Some people are just not interested in numbers and find recording the calorie content of each meal too tedious. If you are one of these people, what can you do? An effective option to consider is the Hand Size Method (this is something that I have used successfully as a Precision Nutrition coach). This tracking style gives you a number of cupped handfuls of carbohydrates, palm size amounts of protein and thumb size amounts of fat to have at each meal (yes everyone has different sized hands but, with the notable exception of Donald Trump, your hands are usually in proportion to your frame). Unlike prescriptive meal plans, this is quite easy to use as it takes into account your individual food preferences.
Also, the more you track calories the better you get at it. The aim is to get to the stage where you can "eyeball it" - roughly estimate a meal's calorie content just by looking at it. Once you get to this stage you won't need to track - unless you stop getting the results you want (then a short period of tracking will be enough to reset).
In conclusion, if you are looking to lose weight it makes sense to use some method of tracking what you are eating. What method you use is down to your own personal preference - remember, the one you can stick to for long enough to work is the right one for you.
