When it comes to losing weight, people swear by counting calories. It makes sense right? If you know that you are supposed to eat a certain amount of calories per day than obviously eating less than that amount will help you to lose weight. But when it comes to building muscles, counting calories is not the way to go. You should be focused on getting energy and putting that energy into your workouts. Your workouts will be what builds your muscles and helps you to burn the fat.
If you are still on the fence about counting calories, consider these facts:
What's in Your Body NOW?
Did you know that the more calories you put into your body means the more calories that will go into your bloodstream? This means that you could take two people and give them the same amount of calories and get two completely different results in return.
Remember, the body is designed to take what it needs and discard the rest. So let's say that both you and a friend ate a large steak that was 1500 calories and your daily caloric intake should be 2200 calories.
Your friend could lose weight after that meal while you gain weight. Why?Because your bodies are different.
Your friend's body might be used to eating high levels of protein and nutritious foods, so that body will not feel a need to store anything and it will get rid of the meat much quicker. But if you eat a low protein diet, then your body will want to hold onto every part of that steak simply because it knows that you need the protein and it doesn't know when you will get it again. Other factors, like how much you exercise and how many vitamins and minerals your body needs will also affect how your body stores food. In other words, calorie counting is never an exact science.
Food Quality is More Important than Calories
What is more important than staying within your daily caloric range? The types of food that you are eating.
Building muscle and shedding fat are centered around your body's ability to digest foods. Even if you stay in the range of your daily caloric intake, if you are still eating a lot of fried foods, fatty meats, and sugar then you will not shed any real fat or build any real muscle. Make sure that you diet consists of a good amount of protein, good fats, and a lot of water. These are the things that will keep your body flushed and turn your body into a muscle building machine.
Remember, it's not about how much you put into your body, it is about what you put into your body. When you plan your meals, be conscious of how those meals will not only affect your muscle building, but also how those meals will affect your overall health. And remember, because you are trying to build muscle, you need more energy than most people. So don't worry if you feel like you are eating a lot of food. As long as that food is going to feed your body in a good way, you will reach your muscle building goals in no time.