I got this in the Eat Clean Diet Newsletter and thought it would be a great one to pass on to my readers. If I could have written it this well, I would have! LOL

Tosca’s Tips:
Calorie-Counting Confusion

With the ever-expanding library of diet books on the market it’s easy to get caught up in the latest trends. One of these is calorie counting. It seems to be something we just can’t drop. You all know my opinion on calorie counting – it’s a no no! Some of you may be wondering why this is. I’m here to clear up the confusion and set the record straight:

1. Calories are not created equal. While the calories in a handful of almonds are the same as the calories in a handful of M & Ms, the nutrition is absolutely different. The more nutritious almonds are loaded with vitamins, minerals and fiber that will keep your blood-sugar levels stable. Sugary chocolate will do just the opposite, leaving you sluggish and hungry in a matter of minutes.

2. Inaccuracy is high when counting calories. Buying the latest counters and signing up at the best websites is no different. The only way to truly know what you’re putting in and out is in a science lab. And there are even errors with this method.

3. Eating all of your calories at one time will kill your metabolism. Spreading your meals throughout the day by eating every 2 – 3 hours will keep your metabolic furnace burning at a steady rate. Skipping meals puts your metabolism in starvation mode = fat-storing mode = very little caloric output. While your calories may be the same each day, how you use those calories is very different.

4. Burning calories is different for everyone. The treadmill may tell you that you are burning 250 calories per half hour, but this depends on numerous factors, including your weight, your age, your percentage of lean body mass, the effort you are putting forth, etc. Again, unless you are in a science lab every time you work out, you are just using generalized estimations.

5. Calorie counting inspires food disorders. An obsession with numbers is not only time consuming, it also fuels our obsession with food and the scale. This is not a natural relationship with food, and can lead to a lifetime of eating disorders.