To count or not to count: JB & Ryan talk calories

By John Berardi, PhD, CSCS

On the web, there’s a lot of interesting debate going on right now about the relative value of calorie counting vs. intuitive eating. Which is better? Come listen to this interview to find out.

Some say calorie counting is better. Others say intuitive eating is better. Well, who’s right?

Our take? Neither.

You see, in the end, weight and fat loss (or weight and fat gain) is related to energy balance. In other words, if you’re in a negative energy balance (you’re eating less than you burn), you’ll lose weight and fat. And vice-versa for gaining.

So there’s no skirting the energy balance issue.

However, that doesn’t mean the logical conclusion is to join Fit Day, fire up the digital scale, and start weighing all our food. There are other ways to control energy balance.

With this said, we believe that there’s likely a time and a place for counting calories. Just as there’s likely a time and a place for intuitive eating. When’s the right time for each?

Well, come listen to this discussion between Ryan Andrews and me. In it we talk all about what conditions are right for using calorie counting to improve our physiques. And what conditions are right for using a more intuitive approach.