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Calorie counting can help you gain weight

 
, medical expert
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
 
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12 September 2012, 17:13

Calorie counting was invented in the last century and is still considered necessary for those who want to lose extra pounds. In addition, it is a sure way, according to many losing weight, to get rid of excess weight naturally without completely abandoning your favorite foods.

However, scientists are convinced that the more people count calories, the less chances they have to lose weight, and even more - such counts risk only adding to everything. Not only is the number of calories on the product labels not always correct, they can still affect the body in different ways, depending on the food consumed by the person.

In fact, more attention should be paid not to the calorie content of the product, but to its texture. For example, to digest protein-rich chicken meat, our body needs 15-20 times more energy than digesting fats. This is very good, because the body draws energy from the calories eaten. You can not say this about a bun or cheesecake, for processing of which there are few calories, but the body receives deposits of subcutaneous fat.

The difference in the "energy consumption" of products is very significant. For example, in whole wheat bread with peanut butter, the calories are the same as in a sandwich made from plain white bread. However, in order to "destroy" the first sandwich, the body will need more energy (calories) for processing, which means that the first dish is more useful than the second, despite the same calorie content.

Therefore, pay less attention to the labels, and remember how much energy the organism must spend on processing a particular product. Usually the most useful products are those containing more fibers, as well as raw food.

One of the problems with "counting" is that a person pays close attention to the amount of food, and not to its quality. According to the research company Mintel, UK residents eat 30% more semi-finished products than in European countries and 16% more than in France.

And the recently-known British organization Weight Watchers, which provides services for those who want to lose weight, revised its system evaluating, and included in it a new item - accounting not only for calorie content, but also for the type of food. Chocolate and steak will no longer be able to stand in one position, although they are equal in calorie content. To digest the steak, the body will spend more energy.

If you decide on a diet with a calorie count, then watch out for the balance of the products when making a daily diet, eat more fresh and fiber-containing foods.

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