Is Counting Calories Bad? Why Food Quality Matters More for Most People

Counting calories (or kilojoules) can work for some people, such as bodybuilders, elite athletes and some people managing their weight with professional support. There are times in my practice when I recommend it. But for most people I suggest focusing on food quality instead. Here's why.

Does counting calories work?

It can. Keeping track of what you eat is a core part of most weight loss programs. A systematic review of 39 trials found that people who tracked their food, activity or weight more often through apps and websites tended to lose more weight.¹

The catch is that it's hard to keep up. In those trials, few people tracked on most days. And it works best when it's part of a wider plan, not a number you chase on your own.

Are all calories equal?

On paper, yes. In your body, they don't all behave the same. In a tightly controlled trial, 20 adults lived in a research centre and ate either an ultra-processed diet or an unprocessed diet for two weeks each. The meals offered were matched for calories, sugar, fat, fibre and salt, and people could eat as much as they liked. On the ultra-processed diet they ate about 500 Calories (2,100 kJ) more a day and gained about 0.9 kg. On the unprocessed diet they lost about 0.9 kg.²

In other words, the type of food you eat affects how much you end up eating, without any counting at all.

What are the downsides of counting calories?

The biggest risk is what it can do to your relationship with food. A study of 493 university students found that those who used calorie-tracking apps reported more eating concern and more dietary restraint.³ That study can't show the apps caused it, but it fits what many dietitians see: for some people, counting becomes an obsession with numbers and "good" and "bad" foods.

At worst, this kind of restrictive thinking can feed into eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia, or orthorexia (an unhealthy fixation on eating only foods you consider healthy).

Can you lose weight without counting calories?

Yes. In a 12-month trial of 609 adults, people taught to follow either a healthy low-fat or a healthy low-carb diet, with the emphasis on diet quality, lost a similar amount of weight: about 5–6 kg on average.⁴

Fibre and wholegrains are a good place to start. A large series of meta-analyses found that people who eat more fibre have a 15–30% lower risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer, and trials showed lower body weight with higher fibre intakes. The biggest benefits were seen at 25–29 g of fibre a day.⁵

How do you focus on nutrients instead of calories?

Instead of counting numbers, focus on what's on your plate:

• Use the five food groups: vegetables and legumes; fruit; grain foods, mostly wholegrain; lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts, seeds and legumes; and milk, yoghurt, cheese or alternatives.⁶
• Eat a rainbow: different-coloured fruit and vegetables give you a wider range of vitamins, minerals and other plant compounds.
• Choose more whole and minimally processed foods: fresh produce, legumes, oats, wholegrains, nuts and tinned fish are all good choices, wherever they sit in the supermarket.
• Build up your fibre: swap refined grains for wholegrains and add legumes, vegetables and fruit.
• Listen to your body: eat slowly and notice when you're comfortably full.

Frequently asked questions

Is counting calories bad for you?

Not for everyone. Tracking can help with weight loss, but for some people it leads to food preoccupation and restrictive eating.

Are all calories the same?

Not in how they affect your eating. In a controlled trial, people ate about 500 Calories a day more on an ultra-processed diet than an unprocessed one.

Can you lose weight without counting calories?

Yes. In a 12-month trial focused on diet quality, people lost about 5–6 kg on average without a strict calorie target.

What should I focus on instead of calories?

Food quality: the five food groups, plenty of fibre and wholegrains, and mostly whole or minimally processed foods.

Can calorie counting lead to an eating disorder?

Calorie-tracker use is linked with more eating concern and restriction. If counting feels like it's taking over, talk to your practitioner or the Butterfly Foundation.

References

Research (PubMed)

1. Patel ML, Wakayama LN, Bennett GG. Self-monitoring via digital health in weight loss interventions: a systematic review among adults with overweight or obesity. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2021;29(3):478–499. PubMed 33624440
2. Hall KD, Ayuketah A, Brychta R, et al. Ultra-processed diets cause excess calorie intake and weight gain: an inpatient randomized controlled trial of ad libitum food intake. Cell Metab. 2019;30(1):67–77.e3. PubMed 31105044
3. Simpson CC, Mazzeo SE. Calorie counting and fitness tracking technology: associations with eating disorder symptomatology. Eat Behav. 2017;26:89–92. PubMed 28214452
4. Gardner CD, Trepanowski JF, Del Gobbo LC, et al. Effect of low-fat vs low-carbohydrate diet on 12-month weight loss in overweight adults and the association with genotype pattern or insulin secretion: the DIETFITS randomized clinical trial. JAMA. 2018;319(7):667–679. PubMed 29466592
5. Reynolds A, Mann J, Cummings J, et al. Carbohydrate quality and human health: a series of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Lancet. 2019;393(10170):434–445. PubMed 30638909

Australian guidelines

6. National Health and Medical Research Council. Eat for Health: the five food groups. View source
7. Butterfly Foundation. National Helpline. View source

This article is general information and isn't a substitute for personalised advice. Speak to your practitioner about your situation.