How to Successfully Diet with Calories

Any weight loss diet plan requires you to reduce your food intake in order to lose weight. To be successful, it's important to consistently stay within your calorie/kcal limit and be aware of the type of foods that you eat.

This is why I recommend counting your calories if you're struggling with weight loss, so you can get an idea of how much food is going into your body and also what types of food are most beneficial for your goals. This way, when it comes time to making better food choices, there won't be as much confusion about what kind of foods you should be eating. Remember: knowledge is power!

The fundamentals of weight loss

Weight loss is tough but the principles are not, which is why if you have a solid plan in place it's a definite possibility if you're willing to put in the work.

A weight loss diet that works reduces your food intake in order to lose weight, whether it be using portion control, limiting food groups, calorie counting or simply being mindful of what you're eating.

To be successful when attempting to lose weight, it's important to stay within your calorie limit over the week. It also means develop an understanding of foods are healthy, that keep you full, give you energy, ones that you enjoy and that help you stay within your targets when planning meals

What is kcal counting is and why it's helpful for weight loss

The unit kcals (kilocalories) often used interchangeably with calories, is the scientific term for the energy provided by food. Kcal counting attempts to calculate the amount of energy you eat per day. If you can also estimate how many kcals you're burning through movement, then you can get an idea about how much to eat to lose weight.

That's where knowing your kcals comes in handy.

Monitoring how many kcals you're consuming not only helps control how much you eat, but also helps improve your awareness of foods/meal patterns that might be hindering or helping with your progress. For example, by seeing how calorific certain foods are like oils and nut butters can really help with mindful eating

How much should you be eating

To calculate how many kcals you should be eating, you can use can use any calculator online, or through metabolic testing you can actually measure how many kcals you are burning, making it easier to provide you with an accurate set of kcals and macros.

Or, another way is by counting the calories in your regular meals and tracking what you eat for a few days using an app like Myfitnesspal to get a better idea of how much food is going into your body.

You can test this out for yourself by tracking how much you eat over 7 days and taking the average kcals. Then by weighing yourself over the same 7 days and taking the average gives you an understanding of how much you should be eating.

Start making adjustments to you plan

By planning out your meals for the week , you won't fall into the trap of making hasty food choices throughout the day. Take time to write out what healthy meals you'll be having and make sure they fit within your daily kcal limit.

If you find this overwhelming, just eat normally and focus on improving one meal per week. One easy trick is to simply reduce your portions of either carbs (like sugar, bread or pasta) or fat (oils, butter, fried food). This automatically reduces how much you're eating.

Track your progress

Track progress using a method of your choice. Ideally we want something objective that you can measure like your weight, changes in measurements, photos, clothes sizes, as well as some subjective measurements like energy and how you feel.

If you're able to track your food over a couple of weeks and your progress, you'll begin to get an idea of what foods are beneficial for your weight loss journey.

Final thought

For a diet to be successful, it is important to consistently stay within your kcals. Weight loss is tough, but by understanding the principles of weight loss, then it's possible if you have the right plan in place. Kcal counting is one method to become aware of how many calories you take in each day as well as developing a better understanding of the foods that you eat, which can help you become successful with your weight loss plan. With these tips, there shouldn't be any surprises!

Need some help?

Ignite By Box Nutrition and Performance is a weight loss programme that provides you with a plan based on you as an individual. If you're sick of trying to figure this puzzle out by yourself, then find out how we can help. You can also use our macro calculator created by a sports nutritionist to calculate your kcal and macro needs.