Counting Calories for Weight Loss: Should You Do It?

Who knew weight loss involved so much math? Counting calories can be a useful tool to help you lose weight and keep it off. But you don’t have to count calories to lose weight — and there are even some drawbacks to consider.

We’ll dive into whether you should be counting calories to lose weight, how to do it if you decide it’s for you, and some alternatives for those who want weight loss with less math (yes, please).

As the name suggests, calorie counting is tracking the calories you consume each day.

Calories are a measure of the amount of energy in food and beverages. (Specifically, a single calorie is the amount of energy it would take to increase one milliliter of water by one degree Celsius.)

In terms of food, calories give your body the fuel it needs to survive and do all its daily functions. Your body breaks down the food you eat to release this energy to be used straight away or stored for later.

When trying to lose weight, you’d calculate how many calories you need to consume to stay in a calorie deficit. This is when you eat fewer calories than your body burns each day. When your body doesn’t get energy intake from consumed calories, it taps into fat stores, leading to weight loss.

You can learn more about how weight loss works in our blog.

Counting calories works for some people. The keyword here is some.

Some folks may find calorie counting a useful way to stay in a calorie deficit, whereas others might find it does more harm than good. You could also try it and decide it’s not all that helpful and just takes up precious lunch break time.

Whether you choose to count calories or not ultimately comes down to what’s best for you. Just know there’s plenty of research showing you can lose weight without tracking anything at all, so only count if you find it genuinely valuable.

Pros of counting calories:

• Counting calories can help you stay in a calorie deficit. It might be especially helpful if you find you eat too many calories to achieve weight loss when you don’t track or underestimate the amount of calories in foods or how much you’re eating.

• Tracking calories can give you a sense of accountability. It’s easy to forget to underestimate what you ate throughout the day. Similar to keeping a food diary, counting calories can make you more accountable during a weight loss journey.

• Counting calories can help you eat in moderation. It can give you a sense of what portion sizes you should be aiming for and avoid overeating.

• Calorie counting can help you choose more nutrient-dense foods. It can make you more aware of high-calorie food choices and lower-calorie, nutritious swaps.

Cons of counting calories:  

• It’s time-consuming. Counting every calorie in every meal, snack, and drink can take up substantial time. It can make weight loss feel like a chore and become unsustainable, meaning you might give up on your weight loss journey entirely.

• It could be harmful to mental health. Research shows using an app to count calories may contribute to eating disorder symptoms (like food noise, all-or-nothing thinking around food, or purging behaviors). It’s linked to dietary restraint (which may lead to overeating, not fueling your body properly, or restricting too many foods). Even if it works for weight loss, you might find tracking calories gives you anxiety or an unhealthy relationship with food.

• Weight loss isn’t all about calories. Many high-calorie foods are nutritious (hello, avocados), and lots of low-calorie foods aren’t (looking at you, diet cookies). You can also have two foods with the same amount of calories but totally different nutritional properties (empty calories in cheese puffs versus protein-rich calories in salmon, for example). Calories aren’t a measure of nutrition, so you could be hitting your calorie goal but not fueling your body properly.

• Weight loss isn’t all about food. Movement, stress, and sleep all play a role in weight loss. What’s more, factors like hormones, metabolism, and genetics can impact your body weight. The point is, it’s not always a calories-in-calories-out situation.

Everyone needs a different amount of calories each day — and, therefore, a different number of calories for weight loss.

If you’d rather not do the math (who does?!), you can use online tools like calorie-counter apps or our calorie deficit calculator.

Our calculator can estimate how many calories you should consume to lose weight at a rate of one pound a week or two pounds a week (the recommended rate for healthy weight loss). It can also tell you how long it’ll take to reach your goal weight.

In general, you’ll want to be in a calorie deficit of:

• About 500 calories a day to lose one pound a week

• Roughly 1,000 calories a day to lose two pounds a week (suitable for some)

It’s different for everyone, though.

We also have a total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) calculator. This estimates how many calories you burn in a day based on factors like your age and activity level.

Your TDEE can give you an idea of the number of calories you’d need to eat to maintain your current weight. Then you can aim for slightly lower than that number to promote weight loss.

There are a few ways to count calories. Here are the steps to take if you want to try it:

1. Figure out how many calories you need to consume daily to lose weight. You can use a calorie deficit calculator for that.

2. Every time you eat or drink something (meals, snacks, drinks), add up the calorie content. Look at the nutrition label if it’s available. Some calorie trackers come preloaded with the calories of whole foods to make things easier. You can also Google the calories in a particular food — just keep portions in mind.

3. Make a note of your calorie intake in a fitness app, calorie-tracker app, your phone, or a notebook.

4. Don’t panic if you go over your daily calorie goal. Make some nutritious swaps going forward to stick to it as best you can.

5. Keep an eye on your mental health and reach out for support if you experience any symptoms of eating disorders or mental health issues. Your emotional well-being matters, too.

One more thing — it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. If you find it useful, you could track your calories for a week or so to get an idea of what portion sizes to aim for and the different foods and snacks that can make up a balanced day of eating.

Once you’ve built some healthy eating habits, you could stop tracking and focus on making those nutritious choices.

And we just have to stress this again: You don’t need to count calories for weight loss. Only do so if it’s useful for you.

If you’re looking to lose weight but don’t want to count calories (or don’t want to count long-term), here’s what to focus on instead.

Prioritize Whole Foods 

When planning meals and snacks, prioritize whole foods that give your body the fuel it needs to get through the day (and power you through your workouts if you’re exercising).

Whole foods tend to be higher in nutrition and lower in calories than packaged and ultra-processed foods — it varies, though.

Focus on macronutrients (protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats), plus fiber. This will nourish your body and help you feel full between meals.

Aim to eat:

• A range of fresh fruits and vegetables

• Complex carbs and whole grains, like brown rice, whole-grain bread, oats, and quinoa

• Lean protein, like fish, chicken, turkey, tempeh, and tofu

• Healthy fats, like avocados, seeds, nuts, and olive oil

And don’t forget about water. Staying hydrated is great for overall health, and it can keep your appetite in check.

We’ve got a weight loss meal plan to give you some inspo, including snacks and desserts. A healthcare professional or a registered dietitian nutritionist can give you personalized advice, too.

Make Healthy Swaps 

Swapping out certain foods and drinks for more nutritious options can naturally lead to consuming fewer calories without the need to count them.

You can make these swaps gradually, too, focusing on one new substitution a week (or whatever speed works for you).

Try switching out:

• White bread for whole-grain bread

• Sugary breakfast cereal for oatmeal topped with fruit

• Potato chips for air-popped popcorn

• Fried chicken for grilled chicken breast 

• Sugary soda for sparkling water

Need more ideas? Check out these 10 healthy snacks for weight loss.

Keep a Food Diary

If calorie counting is useful for you, you might find that tracking your food in general helps with weight loss. You can jot down what you’ve eaten each day without the burden and obsessiveness that can come with counting individual calories.

Again, you don’t have to track anything if you don’t find it helpful or if it’s harmful in any way. That said, writing everything down could help you notice any mindless eating, late-night snacking, or larger portion sizes you weren’t aware of. It can also serve as accountability.

Keep an Eye on Portion Sizes

It’s easy to consume too many calories by eating larger portion sizes than your body needs. Eating the right portion sizes for you can help you cut down on calories.

To help, you can:

• Use smaller plates, bowls, and utensils

• Use measuring cups and spoons to get the right serving size

• Eat enough protein and fiber to keep you fuller for longer

• Eat more slowly, thoroughly chewing each bite, to help you notice when you’re getting full

We’ve got more advice on portion control in our blog.

Make Other Lifestyle Changes 

Besides building healthy eating habits, don’t forget about the other pieces of the puzzle for weight loss (and preventing weight gain after losing weight).

Here’s what to focus on:

• Do more movement. That includes cardio and strength-training workouts, as well as general physical activity throughout the day (like walking, stretching, yardwork, and chores around the house).

• Get seven to nine hours of sleep. To do that, keep a regular sleep schedule, limit caffeine to the mornings and early afternoons, and keep your bedroom cool and dark.

• Find ways to manage your stress levels. That could be meditating, journaling, or spending time in nature with your dog. If tracking calories is stressful, that’s another reason to skip it.

Consider Weight Loss Medication

For some, lifestyle changes (whether that includes counting calories or not) aren’t enough. For people with excess weight or obesity, weight loss medication might help jumpstart a journey toward a healthier weight.

Weight loss drugs can help by:

• Suppressing your appetite

• Helping you feel fuller

• Curbing cravings or emotional eating

• Reducing food noise

All this can help you eat fewer calories and stay in a calorie deficit, without the need to track each and every calorie.

Options include injections (like Ozempic®, Wegovy®, and compounded semaglutide) and pills (like Rybelsus®, metformin, and topiramate). 

A healthcare provider can let you know if you’re a good candidate for weight loss drugs and which ones could work for you.

Counting calories can be a valuable tool for weight loss and weight management. However, it’s not necessary for losing weight, and for some, crunching the numbers isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. 

Here are the key takeaways:

• Calorie counting for weight loss has some benefits. It can help you stay in a calorie deficit, build an awareness of what portion sizes and food options to go for, and give you some accountability. Some people might count calories temporarily when starting a weight loss journey, then go without it.

• But it has a lot of drawbacks. Is counting calories bad for you? It can be. Besides being tedious and time-consuming, counting calories is linked to eating disorder symptoms. You might find it triggers anxiety, disordered eating, or leads to giving up on weight loss altogether.

• Calories aren’t king of the weight loss world. Calories don’t measure nutrition, and many high-calorie foods can (and should) be a part of a balanced diet. Not only that, but weight loss requires a holistic approach far beyond those calorie numbers.

To sum it up: Does calorie counting work? It does for some. But calories are just one aspect of weight loss. If counting calories is helpful for you, go for it. If not, no worries. You don’t need to count calories (or anything else) to hit your weight loss goals.

Focus on eating nutrient-dense foods, listening to your body, doing more movement, getting enough sleep, and managing your stress levels.

If you’re considering adding weight loss medication to your toolkit, you can take our free online weight loss assessment to learn more about your options.