When selecting the right diet for yourself, it’s essential to find one that you can stick with long-term.
Some diets simply aren’t realistic for people, and this can depend on age, weight, and lifestyle. For example, someone who’s considerably overweight is unlikely to stick to a diet that suddenly restricts them to 1200 calories per day, resulting in them dropping off and returning to their bad habits.
Keto and calorie counting are two of the most popular ways to lose weight.
But is keto better than counting calories? And which one works best?
Let’s examine this question further.
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Keto vs. Calorie Counting
The simple answer is that keto and calorie counting are both effective weight loss solutions, but other than that, there are no more similarities between them.
So what’s the difference between the two? And which one is better?
Calorie Counting
People who choose calorie counting for weight loss will usually determine how many calories they should be consuming per day based on their current weight, activity levels, and personal goals. This can differ vastly from person to person.
Some studies state that you can work out your calorie intake by multiplying your weight by 15. For example, if you weigh 100 lbs, you would consume 1500 calories.
However, there are some questions surrounding the accuracy of this method because people’s activity levels and food consumption differ quite significantly, meaning that what works for one person might not work for another.
Calorie counting can be an extremely effective way to lose weight. However, it requires a lot of willpower, and if you’re not eating the right foods, it can result in periods of extreme hunger, which lead to binge eating.
The best way to lose weight, where you’ll see the best results, is to remain in a calorie deficit of around 500 or more. For example, if you burn 2000 calories overall in one day, you should consume 1500.
You can easily track how many calories you are burning using smart devices such as Fitbit and logging your food into apps like MyFitness Pal.
The plus side to calorie counting is that you can eat what you like in moderation if you stick to your calorie goal and remain in a deficit.
The Keto Diet
While it’s perfectly acceptable to count calories on keto, the diet works pretty well without the need to do so as long as it’s practiced correctly.
Keto works by cutting out carbs, which leads to the body burning fat for fuel.
To achieve this, you need to consume some quite high-calorie foods, such as oily fish, olive oil, avocado, and fatty meats. This makes calorie counting a bit of a challenge.
However, dieticians still advise that it’s beneficial to keep an eye on your calorie intake while following a keto diet; this is to prevent overeating.
The keto diet is, of course, much more restrictive when it comes to what you can eat. You will have to give up foods such as potatoes, bread, and pasta and replace them with leafy greens and high-protein foods like meat, dairy, and eggs; you will also have to quit sugary snacks.
You can learn more here about foods you should be eating on a keto diet.
Summary
So, is keto better than calorie counting?
The answer is that this really depends on the person’s circumstances. While calorie counting might be the perfect way to lose some fat for some people, others might find it fits better with their lifestyle to simply cut out the carbs.
If the thought of cutting out some of your favorite foods concerns you too much, then the chances of you sticking to a low-carb keto diet for a long period of time are low. This will impact your end goal.
On the other hand, if you have strong willpower and a clear goal in mind, there are things you can do to help you stick to a keto diet and stay in ketosis, such as removing tempting food products from your home, like bread, pasta, sugar, and potatoes, and replacing them with keto-friendly foods.
If you’re still uncertain about what diet will work for you, consider starting a keto diet and incorporating calorie counting into your daily routine.
