Why Tracking Your Calorie Burn Could Help You Lose More Weight

When it comes to weight loss, most people focus on counting calories in, but paying more attention to calories burned might be the key to better results. A new study suggests that increasing awareness of your energy expenditure could boost fat loss and help you avoid regaining weight.

The challenge with losing weight is that as you shed pounds, your metabolism slows down, and your hunger increases, making it harder to continue losing fat. Many people think that smaller bodies have faster metabolisms, but the opposite is true. The more weight you lose, the more your body resists further changes.

In the study, participants were split into two groups: one received detailed feedback on how many calories they were burning daily, while the other group followed diet and exercise advice without that feedback. Those who tracked their calorie burn not only lost more weight and body fat but also had smaller waist sizes. Even better, 42 percent of them achieved at least 5 percent weight loss, compared to just 8 percent in the control group. They were also more likely to maintain their weight loss after 24 weeks.

This research highlights that knowing how your body burns calories can be a helpful tool for achieving better results, but it’s not a must for everyone. Instead, understanding that your body adapts as you lose weight can help you avoid the frustration of plateaus. Small, consistent adjustments to your diet and exercise can make a big difference, and knowing your energy expenditure helps you avoid overeating as your metabolism changes.

While tracking calorie burn isn't perfectly accurate without a metabolic chamber, it offers useful insights to keep your weight loss on track. And, most importantly, it can help you avoid the common pitfall of weight regain.