Counting calories – useful or overrated?

Counting calories is very popular with many people. Especially when there is a desire to lose weight, people often resort to counting calories. Because the calculation is apparently quite easy – if you eat fewer calories than you burn, you lose weight at the same time. But this is not always the whole truth. Calories are not all the same. So does counting calories make sense or is it overrated? We will get to the bottom of these and other questions in today’s blog post!

What does calorie counting actually mean?

Calorie counting is the process of documenting the calories you consume. In other words, counting the calories you eat with different meals.

One way to count calories is with an app, for example. This is definitely the easiest way to count calories. The app should have a food database to give you accurate results. So you simply type in the different meals and let it calculate how many calories you eat every day.

Another method is the food diary. This is more or less the analogue method to the app. It takes a lot of time and dedication because you have to calculate everything yourself. But you also reflect much more on the food you have eaten.

Also, avoid lying to yourself. Counting calories only really works if you are extremely honest with yourself. Write down everything you eat. Including drinks, because with the exception of water and unsweetened tea, every drink, no matter how small, also contains calories. This is the only way to make counting calories meaningful.

How to calculate your calorie needs

The question of how many calories someone needs can be answered in different ways. It depends on your body type, gender, age and, above all, how much exercise and sport you do each week. An athletic person has a much higher caloric basal metabolic rate than a person who does not exercise.

If you want to lose weight, you should eat fewer calories than you need. This creates what is called a calorie deficit. However, if you want to build muscle, you need to consume more energy – but this does not mean that you only need to consume more calories to build muscle. The basal metabolic rate is also an important part of this calculation.

It also matters what calories you eat. 1000 calories from pulses, vegetables or nuts are far healthier and better for your body than 1000 calories from junk food. That’s why counting calories is not always easy, because calories are not always really the same thing.

Calculate your calorie needs easily here

If you’re not quite sure how many calories you can and should eat, we have the remedy for you. With our free calorie calculator, you can quickly and easily work out how many calories you need every day.

Especially in nutrition, variety is the key to success. The same goes for calories – for weight loss or muscle building, you should really make sure to follow a balanced diet.

Does counting calories make sense?

Counting calories has some advantages – although it often takes a lot of effort, for some people it is worth counting calories.

Counting calories as a weight loss aid

Counting calories can help you lose weight. With the right energy intake and the right calorie intake, you can achieve your desired goals very well. You should definitely make sure that you eat good and high-quality food.

Exercise and sport is also very important for you to achieve your weight loss goals. Especially in everyday life, you should make sure you get some exercise. Long walks, cycling to work and many other things can indirectly help you lose weight.

Conscious eating – conscious body

By counting calories, you get a great feeling for what you are really eating. You become more aware of what you eat and how many calories you eat.

Calorie information on products is also misleading. Junk food often has fewer calories than, for example, a healthy vegetable dish. So is it better to take the junk food alternative? Of course not. Nutrients are just as important and junk food is probably really not good for the body.

These are the risks of counting calories

We have explained in detail that counting calories can be responsible for your weight loss success. However, not all that glitters is gold – because there are also some hidden risks behind calorie counting.

Calorie counting is one-sided

It’s true that if you count calories accurately, for example: With the help of an app, you always know exactly how much energy you are consuming. However, only the calories are taken into account. But not the nutrients and your well-being in general. So counting calories is certainly reflected in your weight, but the most important part is often missing.

What exactly does your body need? Do you have deficiencies in certain nutrients or do you simply not feel well with a certain dish? All these things are often left out in the frenzy for the calorie deficit.

Highly addictive, stressful and busy

Counting calories can lead to incredible stress. You need to be very meticulous with your record keeping if you want the results you want to see to happen. Everyone has their own stress levels – for some people, counting calories may cause far too much stress.

So eating is perceived as more stressful than it actually is. And who wants to be stressed while eating? If stress reigns instead of well-being when eating, your weight loss plan is already doomed to failure.

Your mental state affects your whole body – anyone who has ever been really stressed knows how easily you tend to get sick. The same goes for losing weight – if you are in a bad mental state, it will have a huge impact on your weight.

The addictiveness of counting calories should not be underestimated. If you only think about how your food will look on the scale, your quality of life will be massively reduced. The permanent conflict with yourself is simply not healthy in the long run.

Calorie counting makes a lot of sense for athletes

Athletes are probably the group for whom calorie counting makes the most sense. Because athletes often have certain goals – such as: Muscle building. Calorie counting is especially useful for building muscle. This makes counting calories really useful.

For muscle building, you should pay extreme attention to how much calorie surplus you need. It should definitely not be more than 300-500 calories too much, because otherwise the excess energy will not be converted into muscles, but into fat deposits.

Make sure you get the right dose of calories at breakfast.

Already at breakfast you can lay the perfect foundation for the rest of the day. Our sports porridges are perfect for athletes – high protein content, superfood oats and lots of nutrients help you start the day healthy and energetic.

For muscle building and body shape, calorie counting is your best helper. With our breakfast from Verival you can already watch your calorie intake in the morning and lay the foundation for a balanced and nutrient-rich diet.