It is important for everyone to be in a good state of health. Personal trainers and dietitians often say that you should burn more calories to burn fat and maintain a healthy weight. People try the keto diet, paleo diet, vegan diet, low carb diet, Dukan diet, ultra-low-fat diet, Atkins diet and intermittent fasting to stay healthy. Before you subscribe to a meal plan delivery such as a keto plan, you often try to calculate the number of calories you consume and burn. Does calculating real work?
Not All Calories are Equal
People often relate low calories with good health. Many believe that calorie is the only important factor involved in your health goal. Don't see food as a number. Pay more attention to the nutritional value of your diet. You should consider the sugar content, fat content, chemical additions and overall nutrient profile. Don't judge food on the basis of taste or how you feel. Don't reduce your diet to one number. Let’s understand this with an example. You go to a cafe and order salad. When it comes to dressing, you can choose from bottled Italian at 50 calories or olive oil at 100 calories. If you count calories, you will choose 50 calories. However, loads of sugar, oils and chemical preservatives make it a wrong choice. On the other hand, olive oil at 100 calories has many health benefits. Those 100 calories are healthier than 50 calories.
It May Make You Hungrier at first
You may end up eating more which is not healthy. This restrictive diet makes you expect hunger. This is the reason why dieting fails in many cases. In a study, non-restrained dieters and restrained dieters were given high calorie and low calorie drinks before a meal. Some drinks had correct labels and others had incorrect labels. Even after consuming high calorie drinks that were labelled low calorie, dieters felt hungrier. So, stop counting calories and start making healthy food choices.
It May Lead to More Stress
If you are on a keto diet plan or some other diet plan that aids weight loss. No doubt that diet plans work when tailored according to your medical history, current health and goals. However, it is difficult to execute on your own. It is not always possible to calculate calories when you eat out. Calorie counting can increase both physical and psychological stress. If you are counting calories but not getting expected results you may be counting incorrectly. In a study, women with no psychological stress were given a restricted diet. Researchers found that they had increased cortisol levels. Cortisol is not good for gut health, weight management and skin health. Counting calories may give you stress. Cortisol also increases appetite. You are more likely to overeat.
May not be sustainable Long-Term
Considering the nutrient content of your meal plan and to get long term results you need to stick to your keto diet plan. A healthier lifestyle may benefit your health more than counting calories.
What Can You Do
- Use olive oil or coconut oil instead of crap oil.
- Replace packaged food with real, healthy food.
- Start eating sweet potato instead of white potato.
- Drink more water and reduce soft drink intake.
- Avoid foods with preservatives, chemicals and added sugar. Never forget to read the ingredients.
Conclusion
Quality matters more than quantity. Check the nutrient profile of your food. Avoid eating processed foods. The health benefits of your diet depend on quality calories and your lifestyle, however you can rely on a keto meal delivery service for healthy, calorie controlled meals.
