While it’s a well-known fact that maintaining a calorie deficit and exercising are the ticket to losing weight, this is easier said than done. In a recent post shared via Instagram on September 10, 2024, Dr. Rhonda Patrick, a revered cell biologist, revealed that individuals who don’t track their calories and activity can grossly underestimate how much they eat and overestimate how much they move.
Having earned her degree in biomedical science with an emphasis on mitochondrial metabolism, Dr. Rhonda Patrick has done ample research on health and fitness and their link to longevity. Dr. Patrick has found that exercise and proper diet contribute to overall vitality.
Dr. Rhonda Patrick Breaks Down Why You Should Track Your Calories Daily
In regards to losing weight, Dr. Rhonda Patrick has previously debunked the misconceptions surrounding intermittent fasting, explaining why it isn’t a miracle diet. During her breakdown, she elaborated on the best way to shed unwanted body fat, which is through maintaining a strict calorie deficit.
A calorie deficit is essentially burning more calories than you consume. The reason why maintaining a deficit is beneficial for weight loss is because it forces your body to burn stored fats. However, Dr. Rhonda Patrick recently revealed that many individuals underestimate how many calories they consume due to not tracking them, leading to a difficult time losing weight.
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“If you don’t track your calorie intake, you are probably underestimating the amount you consume. It’s a lot. Studies show people underestimate by up to 1,000 calories a day.”
She also expressed that most people are under the impression that they exercise more than they do.
“Also, people tend to overestimate how much they move. It’s a great idea to track calories.”
Getting a solid understanding of how much you are eating and burning in a day could help pinpoint why you are struggling to shed unwanted weight.
“You don’t have to do it forever. Just three days of rigorous and a good self-scientist may reveal a lot if you are having trouble losing weight. You may not have a slow metabolism.”
“It’s a powerful combination to explain why so many struggle to lose weight, even when working hard at it.”
Unfortunately, it can be rather easy to mistake how much you are eating due to inaccurate packaging and not properly measuring portions.
“This isn’t about being lazy or lying to ourselves; it’s tough to accurately gauge what we’re eating. The calorie count on packaged foods can be off by as much as 25%. And unless you’re weighing your meals, eyeballing portion sizes is basically guesswork.”
Dr. Rhonda Patrick explains that gaining or losing weight all comes down to calories consumed and energy burned.
“But calories don’t care whether you count them or not” Dr. Rhonda Patrick explained.
“Your energy balance—how much you consume versus how much you burn—is the biggest factor in determining if you’ll lose or gain weight.”
However, the simple solution is tracking calories, even if it’s only for a short period of time.
“That’s why tracking your calories—even just for a week, or a few days—can be helpful. It’s not necessarily a lifetime commitment. A few days of rigor and being a good self-scientist can provide insight that studies show directly result in weight loss.”
“Long-term trackers benefit even more: People who tracked their diets for one year (more than 66% of the time) lost an average of nearly 10 pounds.”
Dr. Rhonda Patrick emphasized that tracking calories can help keep you on track while losing weight.
“While calorie tracking isn’t mandatory for weight loss, it’s a powerful tool to help keep you on track for consistent long-term weight loss success.”
Dr. Rhonda Patrick isn’t the only one to emphasize why maintaining a calorie deficit is important. Nutrition coach Stan Efferding previously shared that staying within a calorie deficit not only causes weight loss but also a decrease in biomarkers across the board, including cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure.
Exercise scientist Dr. Mike Israetel also addressed calorie deficits and how to build muscle. He explained that prioritizing protein and doing resistance training allows you to gain muscle mass while losing weight.
If you want to lose weight, there is no way around maintaining a calorie deficit. To ensure that you are burning more calories than you are consuming, Dr. Rhonda Patrick highly recommends tracking your calorie intake and movement to provide a bigger picture regarding your overall health and weight loss goals.
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