Food labels are still incredibly valuable - they have been for me at least since taking a real nutrition class.
For one thing, if you're calculating calories to that sort of margin, you're doing it wrong, and are more likely to get yourself into an eating disorder than anything.
Labels help you avoid high-fat and high-sodium foods, and steer you towards high-fiber choices. Above anything these three factors are the most important in your diet. I've tried the calorie-restricting diets, I've read about Atkins where you can glutton yourself on greasy meat patties all day... none of those things work.
Even if you eat moderately, if what you're eating is crap, you will not get the results you want. 500 calories in the form of a Big Mac is not the same as 500 calories of balanced vegetables, fiber, and meat.
I find the primary problem with average diet is too little fruit. when you increase fruit intake the craving for processed high sugar high fat foods diminishes significantly.
I consider myself lucky then, I've never been a big fan of fruit, nor high-sugar foods. Sure I get the occasional craving for a cookie or something, but I never binge on sugar.
For one thing, if you're calculating calories to that sort of margin, you're doing it wrong, and are more likely to get yourself into an eating disorder than anything.
Labels help you avoid high-fat and high-sodium foods, and steer you towards high-fiber choices. Above anything these three factors are the most important in your diet. I've tried the calorie-restricting diets, I've read about Atkins where you can glutton yourself on greasy meat patties all day... none of those things work.
Even if you eat moderately, if what you're eating is crap, you will not get the results you want. 500 calories in the form of a Big Mac is not the same as 500 calories of balanced vegetables, fiber, and meat.