Why do People Underestimate the Number of Calories They Consume?

It is evident that many people underestimate the number of calories they consume, which is why there are more individuals finding themselves obese. It isn't difficult to do, as you may not pay that much attention to what you eat and conveniently forget all those calorific snacks you consume during the day. If you're not bothered about getting fat or you do a lot of exercise and burn off most the extra calories you consume, this shouldn't be a problem. However, if you're fed up with gaining weight and want to lose a few pounds, you obviously have to pay more attention to what you eat.

First of all, you have to consider portion sizes. If you serve large portions at meal times, you could quite easily consume more calories than you realise. Unfortunately, what you consider to be a normal sized meal may have expanded over the years, so that you end up with much more on your plate than you actually need. Your plates may have become bigger and you feel you have to pile on the food until it is completely full. This won't help you keep your calorie intake under control, though, which is why you have to be mindful of portion sizes.

You also need to be aware of the calories you get from snacking. You may only have an odd biscuit here and the occasional slice of cake there, but they still contribute to your calorie intake. Even if you only have a couple of medium sized chocolate bars a day, this could amount to 500 or 600 calories. Taken on top of your meals, you could quite easily exceed your calorie intake, especially if you lead a sedentary lifestyle. You therefore have to remain conscious of the number of snacks you eat during the day, because you don't want to graze on food all day when this will add up to quite a lot of calories.

It is also important to consider what food you're eating and beverages you're drinking. Clearly, some foods are more calorific than others. You may think you're eating something healthy, when in actual fact it could still contain a considerable number of calories. Perhaps you're well aware that what you're eating is bad for you, but even then you could still underestimate just how bad it is for you. You shouldn't forget that beverages contain calories, too, especially those of the alcoholic kind. If you drink large quantities of alcohol, you will merely consume a lot of empty calories.

Many people underestimate the number of calories they consume, because they don't really give it too much thought. It is only when they decide they want to lose weight that they realise they have to do something about their calorie consumption and try to reduce their calorie intake. Even then, it is easy to ignore where those extra calories come from, especially if it means they have to give up eating and drinking the way they used to in order to bring their calorie intake down.