I get asked a lot "Do you count calories? How many calories do you eat each day?" The short answer is that I don't count calories anymore, but it's not as simple as that.
When I first started working out, I counted calories like crazy. I very methodically and very carefully measured out all of my food and counted every single calorie that went in my body. I used a BodyMedia armband to accurately measure my calorie expenditure and I input my food each and every day as I ate it into the armband's software. That way, I knew how my calories in compared to my calories out. I like this armband because it's accurate. Some of the activity trackers out there simply give you a best guess of your calorie expenditure, but this one actually has sensors attached to your body and takes readings every couple seconds to give you real and accurate info. The more info you have, the better off you'll be.
I used to sync my armband in the evenings around 9pm or so and analyze my data. My goal was always to have a 500-1000 calorie deficit each and every day. That would give you a 1-2 pound per week weight loss, which is the healthy way to lose weight. If my numbers weren't where they needed to be, I'd use the time between when I got that info and bedtime to make up the calories I needed to burn. So, I'd do jumping jacks, or burpees, run in place in my living room, put in a quick exercise video, do push ups, etc. Anything I could do to burn those extra calories at the last minute, I was going to do it. After all, I was determined. I had a goal. I'd armed myself with the knowledge and tools I needed to succeed, and I wasn't going to let anything get in my way. And it didn't.
I meticulously counted my calories for about a year or so. After that, I found I had learned enough about how my body worked that I could guesstimate pretty accurately what my calorie burn was on any given day, and I knew I wasn't eating junk or overeating, so I stopped counting. For me, it was just one less thing to have to worry about in my day. Every now and then, if I feel like I need a recheck, I'll count my calories for a few days just to make sure I'm staying on track. But I no longer obsess about it anymore.
Everyone is different. Everyone has different personalities and dietary needs. For me, I found myself becoming too obsessive and controlling about my calorie intake and expenditure and it drove me bananas at one point. That's not a healthy way, for me at least, to operate. So, I stopped doing it. That's not to say that you shouldn't count calories. Just, for me, I got the info I needed and took it as far as I could for my sanity.
I do think you need to log your meals and snacks and count calories at least in the beginning. Most people think they know how many calories they consume, but most people are wrong. It's shocking how many calories we actually eat in a day. If you are a person who eats a lot of processed food, I think it's a safe bet to say you have no clue how many calories you are really consuming. Those types of things add up quicker than you could even imagine. So, educate yourself. Log your meals, track your portions, learn what you're eating and what's in the foods you're eating. Learn how your body deals with certain foods. Learn how many calories you are burning (each individual body is different, don't believe the random number the treadmill at the gym tells you). And, make your decisions about calorie counting from there.
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