It's not "the" question, but it's "a" question. What I don't understand is why people balk at counting calories as part of a successful plan to change body composition, but plan everything else. Should you only go to the gym intuitively, or is it useful to count sets, weights, plan a certain time of day, maybe measure heart rates, plan rest periods and so on?

Why is food different? We know the human body is adaptable to an incredible variance of conditions, including the fact that we know that if anything, prolonged caloric restriction seems to cause adaptations that _increase_ lifespan. So what's the objection to counting and measuring?