Are Negative Calorie Foods Too Good to Be True?

Negative Calorie Superfoods

In general, certain plant-based foods that are rich in nutrients, fiber, and water content are thought to have negative calories. Some are veggies like celery, broccoli, lettuce, carrots, and cauliflower.  Apples, beans, oatmeal, and grapefruit are also thought to be in the negative. They are all low-calorie, and have been diet staples for as long as anyone can remember.

So can you eat as much as you want of these foods and actually lose weight? These are all very healthy, low-calorie choices, but what does your body really do with these calories after you eat and drink them? Understanding how digestion really works can provide some insight.

Information to Digest

Each day about five to 10 percent of your body’s energy expenditure is used to digest and store food that you consume, according to The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Foods like celery and other non-starchy vegetables provide a low number of calories, but they still require energy to digest. These facts led to the term “negative-calories” and its theory that consuming them create caloric deficits that your body must work to compensate for.

For now, there are no reliable scientific studies or clinical trials to back this up; it is not the magic weight loss solution you might have been hoping for. There are books and weight loss plans that focus on the concept, but you’re better off to think of them as low-calorie, not negative.

Calorie-counting is the most surefire way to aid in weight loss. Everyone knows that healthy food choices can be more filling and can lead you to eat less, but maintaining this lifestyle is not easy. This is where a calorie-counter can help.

Calorie-Counters are Dependable Weight Loss Tools

You know that if you always consume more calories than you expend, you will gain weight. But you might not be attuned to all of the different low-calorie options that are available. Keeping track of your calories can be time-consuming and inaccurate if you are inputting the wrong information. Tracking and analyzing them on a calorie-counter app makes you aware, plus gives you the motivation to stick with it. The first few times you use one, you will likely be surprised–even shocked at how many calories you take in daily.

Lifesum’s calorie and carb counter is an efficient, educational and easy-to-use app that tracks food and nutrition intake. Plus, it’s simple to use. Instead of writing everything down, this app provides portion size recommendations and nutritional info, which allows you to accurately compare different foods and make healthier choices. Determine your weight loss goals, and it plans a flexible daily calorie intake for you. Using this calorie-counter app helps balance your diet, boosts your metabolism and leads you down the road to sustained weight loss.