Why you don't have to track calories every day to lose weight

New research says we've got it wrong

Research says strict calorie counting is not entirely necessary for weight loss. Image: Pexels

Calorie counting to ensure a calorie deficit has long been a proven way to lose weight, but according to a new study, this traditional formula may now be less relevant.

When I was in high school, calorie counting was all the rage. Girls would limit themselves to 500-800 calories a day in pursuit of thinness, while the boys would incessantly count their intake to ensure they’d remain in a deficit to keep up their fitness ahead of the footy season.

These days, popular diets are still entrenched in this foundation of consuming fewer calories than you can burn off.

However, a new study released this month says otherwise, revealing that strict limitations on our calorie consumption aren’t necessary to achieve weight-related goals.

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Weight loss company WW, formerly known as Weight Watchers, conducted a study into the effectiveness of calorie tracking, alongside researchers from the University of Connecticut, the University of Florida and the University of Pennsylvania, to find out if this traditional measurement of weight fluctuations in an accurate approach to health and wellbeing.

The study acknowledged that the majority of weight loss programs in operation today require participants to track their calorie intake down to the last crumb, seven days a week, in order to see results. However, according to the research, participants can get away with tracking their consumption only 40 per cent of the time and still see positive changes in their weight.

“It turns out, you don’t need to track 100 per cent each day to be successful,” Ran Xu, an assistant professor in UConn’s Department of Allied Health Sciences said in a press release.

“Specifically in this trial, we find that people only need to track around 30 per cent of the days to lose more than three per cent weight and 40 per cent of the days to lose more than five per cent weight, or almost 70 per cent of days to lose more than 10 per cent weight.”

So while the study – which was published in the medical journal Obesity – acknowledges that yes, accurately tracking calorie intake 100% of the time will result in weight loss, it brings to light the fact that even just being casually aware of your intake can also bring about results.

The researchers of the study noted the key takeaway is that “perfect food-tracking adherence is not necessary to achieve clinically significant weight loss.”

Is calorie counting really that necessary? Image: Pexels

The study

The American study assessed over 150 participants, all of whom took part in a six-month weight loss program whereby each subject used a digital tracking system to keep tabs on their food intake over the research period.

The participants were divided into three categories, based on their patterns of tracking their food intake and how often they recorded their figures. This included how detailed participants were with their food recording and the frequency at which they recorded it.

The results showed that those who tracked their intake 70 per cent of the time across the six-month period saw an average loss of 10 per cent of their body weight.

Those who recorded their intake regularly for the majority of the experimental period, but had lulls in tracking, were found to still see a loss of an average of five per cent of their body weight, while those who only tracked their intake less than 50 per cent of the time saw a two per cent drop in their weight.

Turns out we don't need to keep track of every calorie we consume to lose weight. Image: Getty

While these percentages may sound low, Sherry Pagoto, co-author of the study and Professor of allied health sciences, shared that these amounts are enough to encourage changes in weight-related health concerns.

“A lot of times people feel like they need to lose 50 pounds [22 kilograms] to get healthier, but actually we start to see changes in things like blood pressure, lipids, cardiovascular disease risk and diabetes risk when people lose about five to 10 per cent of their weight,” Pagoto said. “That can be accomplished if participants lose about one to two pounds a week, which is considered a healthy pace of weight loss.”

Part of the study included the experts’ own take on the validity of calorie counting, with many agreeing that it’s not considered an effective method of weight loss in the long term.

“Counting calories can help you lose weight, but it has pros and cons, and it isn’t right for everyone,” the University of Pittsburgh article noted. “Long-term weight loss is about learning what’s in your food and making lasting behaviour changes that promote healthy choices.”

Originally published as Why you don't have to track calories every day to lose weight