by EraPhernalia Vintage (here . . . every now & then)

Many people think that to lose belly fat you automatically have to start counting the calories- well if you’re a calorie counter then it seems that the figures you’re relying on for your calories in food may be misleading.

A new report in New Scientist (The Calorie Delusion) explains that because the method used for measuring calories in a food (literally burning them) is not the same way as we use calories in the body, the calorie figures quoted on food labels could be over or underestimating by as much as 25 per cent.

Which is scary if you’re on a strict regime, however, personally speaking I find that strict regimes are scary!
Of course it’s true that you have to regulate your food portion sizes and keep it healthy, but it seems to me that if you

• exercise every day,
• eat small meals frequently (like every 3 hours),
• never miss breakfast,
• eat plenty of vegetables and whole grains and
• drink water

then you can dispense with the minutely, obsessive counting of calories.

I’m mathematically minded but even I was unable to super-accurately keep track of even one day’s worth of food. However if it’s something that appeals to you then I’d recommend a free trial over at www.weightlossresources.co.uk.

Personally I’d rather look at the calories I’m expending- I have a Heart Rate Monitor and I love seeing how many calories I “burn” when exercising- it’s a great motivator and it can keep you honest on those days when you might be tempted to take it easy…

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