Misconceptions

• Don't assume all calories are created equal. A dieter on a 2,000-calorie diet would see poor results if he consumed all of those calories from ice cream instead of eating a balanced diet containing lean protein, fruits and vegetables. Ice cream and other snacks are mostly sugar and processed food, which the body does not burn as quickly as it does other types of food. Stick to natural, unprocessed foods for the fastest results.
  
  

Considerations

• Keep a daily food log of what you eat and your total calories. If your weight loss goals go off kilter for any reason, you can make subtle adjustments by changing what you're eating and cut out more calories. Without a food log, it's hard to know where you might have gone wrong and what you should change.
  
  

Benefits

• The main benefit to a calorie-counting diet is that you have a clearly defined goal to work toward. By setting a concrete caloric limit, you know instantly whether you succeeded at the end of each day. Furthermore, rigorously counting calories will instill in you the discipline you need to succeed in the battle of weight loss.
  
  

Drawbacks

• A calorie-counting diet will almost always be inferior to a macronutrient counting diet such as a low-carb plan because the latter regulates food choices as well as calories. In contrast, a calorie-counting dieter will often be tempted to "use up" his remaining daily calories on unhealthy items that will, in the long run, keep him from his goal.