Calorie Counting or Intuitive Eating?

Although tedious and occasionally upsetting, calorie counting is probably the most popular dieting method in the United States. The foods its adherents eat may range widely, but the basic concept is quite simple. Those who count calories seek to reduce their daily caloric intake to a level where they will burn more energy than they take in.

Many dieters swear by it, but some believe it to be an unnatural way to lose weight. Their primary complaint is that it encourages an unhealthy relationship with food that may last a lifetime. These are the people, critics maintain, that seem to always be on a diet. Is there another way?

Intuitive eating is known by many names including wisdom eating, non-dieting, and normal eating, but the concept is the same. Based on the premise that we can become more attuned to our natural hunger signals if we try, it teaches users to eat when they’re hungry, rather than on a schedule or out of habit.

At present, it is impossible to say for certain which method is more effective; both have proven helpful to dieters the world over. They can also be tailored to fit nearly any weight loss plan.

Author

Dr. Charles Goldsmith Dr. Charles Goldsmith started his career as an OB/GYN over 30 years ago. He ran a successful practice but noticed his clients consistently requesting assistance with weight loss. After countless hours of research and studying the numerous aspects of weight loss, Dr. Goldsmith determined that weight loss is very complex and needed to be supervised by a physician.