Calorie counting can be a very helpful tool for any dieter.
However, it can also be very challenging.
Finding the right balance between your goals and the calories you consume can provide you with great results-as long as you're smart about it.
Here are a few tips on how to keep calorie counting both healthy and rewarding.
Set Realistic Goals One of the most important parts of keeping yourself sane while living on a set caloric intake is to keep your goals realistic.
If you're not working out frequently, it's going to be difficult to lose weight rapidly without starving yourself-and you do not want to do that! Eating too few calories actually puts your body into starvation mode and causes it to retain and gain as much fat as it can because your body thinks a food shortage is coming.
So, be reasonable about the amount you eat along with the weight you want to lose.
You don't want to accidentally sabotage yourself with unrealistic goals.
Smart Phone Apps Adding an app on your smart phone to help you keep track of the foods and calories you eat in a day can be one of the best moves you can make.
There are a wide selection of calorie counting apps available on every platform, so download a few, try them out, and find the one you like the best.
Certain features can be very useful, so look for helpful additions, like daily reminders, exercise tracking, and social features so that friends can keep you on track.
If you don't have a smart phone, try to find an online tracking program to keep your life easy.
Most app counters also have online counterparts, and they offer many of the same features for their online versions as they do for their app versions.
Additional Help If your ultimate goal is weight loss, calorie counting is a great start, but by itself it will only offer you so much in the way of results.
The best way to get the results you want is to combine a sensible diet with regular exercise.
Exercising will cause you to need to increase your caloric count, so be mindful of that if your tracking method doesn't account for calories burned during exercise.
If you still aren't seeing the results you want while maintaining a reasonable caloric intake and a regular exercise routine, you might want to consider adding a natural weight loss supplement to your weight loss regimen.
Adding a natural weight loss supplement can often kick start your weight loss or help you to continue losing weight if you've reached a plateau.