X
theAsianparent Logo
theAsianparent Logo
Product GuideSign in
  • Awards
    • Parents' Choice Awards 2023
  • Pregnancy
    • Due date calculator
    • I'm pregnant
    • Trying To Conceive
    • Labour
    • After birth
    • Baby loss
  • Parenting
    • Parent's Guide
    • Relationship & Sex
  • Child
    • Newborn
    • Baby
    • Toddler
    • Pre-Schooler
    • Kid
    • Pre-Teen & Teen
  • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diseases-Injuries
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Meal Planner
    • Health
    • Allergies & Conditions
    • Vaccinations
  • Education
    • Pre-School
    • Primary School
    • Secondary School
    • Primary School Directory
  • Lifestyle
    • Money
    • Travel & Leisure
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Fitness
    • Contests & promotions
  • News
    • International
    • Health
    • Celebrity
    • Singapore
  • TAP Recommends
  • Shopping
  • Press Releases
  • Project Sidekicks
  • Community
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Become A Contributor
  • VIP

5 Things You Must Know About The Calorie Counting Myth

3 min read

As someone on a weight loss journey, the first thing you probably check when you grab a package of food is the number of calories. You’ve probably heard that you should consume fewer calories than you consume – and that’s true. However, as much as you want to calorie count to lose weight, it’s not always as straightforward as it seems.

Confused? Don’t worry — we’ve got you covered. Today, Evolve Daily shares the things you must know about calorie counting myths.

5 Things You Need To Know About The Calorie Counting Myth:

1) What is a calorie? 

Calories are a measurement of energy. The calories you see on the nutrition label on a box of food show the amount of energy needed to heat up a gram of water by one degree Celsius.

Unfortunately, whatever you’re eating doesn’t heat up water. Instead, it provides the fuel for the energy needed by your body to breathe, metabolise food, and other processes.

2) How are calories measured?

Calorie Counting

Image courtesy: Pixabay

Let’s say we want to measure the calories of a banana. Scientists measure calories using a piece of scientific equipment called a bomb calorimeter. This device incinerates the banana and measures the heat produced when it is burned. This measurement represents the total amount of energy or gross energy of the banana.

However, the human body isn’t a bomb calorimeter and our digestive system is not as efficient. The digestive system can’t completely break down all foods. The body turns this into waste instead.

Thus, calorie counts on nutritional labels are not gross energy. Instead, it is energy that can be metabolised and you can measure it only in estimates. 

3) The Atwater factor 

The Atwater system was developed in the 19th century to approximately measure the energy per gram of protein, fat, carbohydrates, and alcohol.

To calculate the number of calories our banana has, food companies count the grams of fat, protein, carbohydrates, and alcohol, multiply each by its respective factor (nine calories per gram of protein, etc) then add up the totals.

Today, research shows that the Atwater factor isn’t as accurate as we believe it to be. In fact, it sometimes overestimates or underestimates the number of calories a certain food has.

4) Measuring calorie expenditure

Although there are many accurate ways to measure calorie expenditure, or caloric output, these are very expensive and impractical for daily use.

Typically, the Mifflin St.Jeor equation is used but it is also inaccurate because it is based on a guess of how many calories a person expends on a daily basis.

5) So what should I do instead of calorie counting?

Calorie Counting

Image courtesy: Pixabay

If you’re eating healthy, balanced meals rich with lean proteins, green leafy vegetables, and good carbs, you probably don’t have to count calories. Keep on giving your body what it needs for nourishment and it will take care of the rest, including keeping you at an ideal weight for your body type.

Although the calories in and calories out equation works, it is too flawed to measure exactly what you’re eating and expending. You don’t need a nutrition label to tell you what and what not to eat. If you want to lose weight, get rid of all the unhealthy, processed foods in your diet and aim for whole, nutritious foods. Your body (and your sanity) will thank you in the end.

This article was first published on EVOLVE-MMA and republished on theAsianparent with permission. 

ALSO READ:

New Technique For Cooking Rice Cuts 50 Percent Of Calories

You Burn 50,000 Calories Per Month Through Parenting

5 Things You Must Know About The Calorie Counting Myth

Partner Stories
Great ideas for gifts for Chinese New Year 2023!
Great ideas for gifts for Chinese New Year 2023!
Learn Tech and Media Skills, Gain Industry Exposure and Build a Portfolio. Here’s How Your Child Can Benefit from an Infocomm or Media CCA!
Learn Tech and Media Skills, Gain Industry Exposure and Build a Portfolio. Here’s How Your Child Can Benefit from an Infocomm or Media CCA!
Korean Stars Take Center Stage at Disney Content Showcase in Singapore
Korean Stars Take Center Stage at Disney Content Showcase in Singapore
Health is Your Greatest Wealth. Learn How Your CPF Savings Can Safeguard Your Healthcare Needs and Provide Peace of Mind
Health is Your Greatest Wealth. Learn How Your CPF Savings Can Safeguard Your Healthcare Needs and Provide Peace of Mind

Got a parenting concern? Read articles or ask away and get instant answers on our app. Download theAsianparent Community on iOS or Android now!

img
Written by

Evolve MMA

  • Home
  • /
  • Lifestyle
  • /
  • 5 Things You Must Know About The Calorie Counting Myth
Share:
  • A Father's Take on Calorie-Counting for Kids

    A Father's Take on Calorie-Counting for Kids

  • Counting calories

    Counting calories

  • Melissa Faith Yeo Claims Andie Chen Accused Her of Cheating to Get Pity Votes for Star Awards

    Melissa Faith Yeo Claims Andie Chen Accused Her of Cheating to Get Pity Votes for Star Awards

  • A Father's Take on Calorie-Counting for Kids

    A Father's Take on Calorie-Counting for Kids

  • Counting calories

    Counting calories

  • Melissa Faith Yeo Claims Andie Chen Accused Her of Cheating to Get Pity Votes for Star Awards

    Melissa Faith Yeo Claims Andie Chen Accused Her of Cheating to Get Pity Votes for Star Awards

Get advice on your pregnancy and growing baby. Sign up for our newsletter
  • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Education
    • Events
    • Allergies & Conditions
  • Family Occasions
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Child Safety
    • Health
    • Diseases-Injuries
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Money
    • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diet & Weightloss
  • Normal Delivery
    • Cesarean Delivery
    • Behaviour
    • Secondary School
    • Formula Feeding
  • Ages & Stages
    • Latching & Concerns
    • Festivals & Holidays
    • Education
    • Pre-teen & Teen
  • More
    • TAP Community
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact Us
    • Become a Contributor


  • Singapore flag Singapore
  • Thailand flag Thailand
  • Indonesia flag Indonesia
  • Philippines flag Philippines
  • Malaysia flag Malaysia
  • Sri-Lanka flag Sri Lanka
  • India flag India
  • Vietnam flag Vietnam
  • Australia flag Australia
  • Japan flag Japan
  • Nigeria flag Nigeria
  • Kenya flag Kenya
© Copyright theAsianparent 2023. All rights reserved
About Us|Team|Privacy Policy|Terms of Use |Sitemap HTML
  • Tools
  • Articles
  • Feed
  • Poll

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

theAsianparent heart icon
We’d like to send you notifications for the latest news and lifestyle updates.