What do I count?

Over the years diets have relied on counting various components (fats, carbohydrates, protein, etc.). This gives the person dieting goals and something to focus on but frequently does not get to the real needs of weight loss. Also, in our increasingly complex world, companies trying to catch on to a given trend will reduce one component only to add to another equally as harmful. When the low fat diet trend became entrenched many of the food companies began to decrease the fat only to increase the sugar. Also advertisements would lead one to believe that if it was low fat it was ok. You will even find huge “NO FAT” banners on candy like jellybeans etc.

The next trend in advertising is in full swing. That is by labeling foods as low carbohydrate. Frequently this is done through the addition of fat to the product or through labeling practices of a disclaimer that certain carbohydrate sources were not counted.

So – what should you do? I suggest that you don’t count anything. Look at the foods you are allowed on the diet and ensure that you stick to the amounts carefully. However, I know that many people need to count something. To meet this, if you must count something, I strongly suggest that you count CALORIES. Calories are a measure of how much energy that the food provides. It will take into account fats, sugars, protein, etc. and ensure that you are not fooling yourself that you are doing well.