Don’t count calories

I’ve been emphasizing so far that calories should not be our concern, numbers aren’t going to add anything to our overall health, neither the weight nor calories. what we so what should we do then??

Let me explain first what is calorie first

What is calorie?

Calories are unit of measurement. They used some sort of machine that determines each food item and how much calories or energy is produced out of it.

In reality, our body doesn’t work as the machine. It is different. It is just an assumption. By the way, it can be useful, but this isn’t going to be for long run, and won’t help you to fix the problem that your suffering from… it might worsen it 😉

here are some reasons why you should not count calories

Why I should not care about calories?!

1. It’s not practical

I just can’t imagine myself calculating each and everything I eat. I tried to do it once but I never followed it neither stick to it. By the way, I didn’t do it again. I feel it is just a waste of time more than really making a change toward healthy life. Yet people continue to do it. I know when knowing that fact if the calories in > calories out is weight loss strategy; you want to give it a try. However, there is hiiiiggghh potential to regain more. (will be mentioned down)

I do believe that keeping track with what you eat is important, but don’t look at calories. Plan what you are going to eat next day, go to the grocery, buy things yourself, choose natural and avoid packaged…Think more about the quality of food you will consume, cook your own food… there are a lot of dishes are quick, easy and healthy…

2. Calories are only an estimate

I have read this saying and I thought of quoting it… it sums everything 😉

“If you’re just looking at whether you’ll lose weight, a calorie is a calorie, and you’ll need to consume fewer calories than you burn. But in terms of health, there are other factors that affect weight management. Such as hormones and appetite, not all calories are created equal.”

Calories will be burned if you need energy. And it won’t if you don’t need energy. Conversely, will store the excess. So whatever you calculate not necessarily going to be exactly what you are going to take neither what you need neither what you will burn. IT IS ONLY AN ESTIMATE that is not necessarily true.

 That why understanding your signals will help a lot in responding right and not gaining weight (read more in Are You Really Hungry?). These signal are originally the availability and the dominance of certain hormones that are responsible of whether burning or storing calories.

3. It can lead to a disordered eating behavior

It not necessarily extreme. Food should be joyful and seen as a pleasure. You shouldn’t see food as a worry. If losing weight will make me worry, I’ll rather enjoy food and stay with my current weight. I think it is a problem if I am going to think with every bite if I am exceeding the calorie requirement or not. It is not healthy at all !!!

If I and you learned, from the first place, how to smartly eat, with balance and moderation. Responding right to my hunger and satiety signals (read more in are you really hungry?). Having a positive look to my body and its shape, then neither me and you will be obsessed over calories anymore.

4. It will make you ignore the nutritional value

I remember my cousin was happy to find an oil spray with no calories, saying “I can add how much I want without worrying”. At first, I was like…how?!!

Then when I think about it, even before I look at the label, it is spray…it will add a little fat, that will barely add any calories. And it was true when I looked at the label, the serving size was ½ second!!! That is less than ½ g!!! and by the way, you will never add this much in your pan. it won’t be exactly zero calories…it will have some 😉

This is an example of one thing, but I believe that happen to any item that says the same. Most of these items are misleading, making you focus on this fact that captures the eye. Without you feeling, you will ignore other factors that are much more important, like does it have any trans fats, does it contains chemical that are difficult to pronounce…etc.

5. It will make you ignore your own needs

Since all you will care is calories, that will make you neglect nutrients. I know that we need calories to function but what about other nutrients??? The moment you shift to counting calories, you will eventually be discarding nutritious food. You will avoid avocados, or nuts, as example, since they are high in calories … rather than adding them to your diet as they are filling.

This is shouldn’t be your relationship with food…

6. There is a high potential to regain the weight you lost and more

Many has agreed that restricted diet, that is lower than our requirements have short-term effect. The lost weight have a high potential to be regained and more. And that because this approach makes long term changes in our body. In a review that I read says “diet-induced weight loss results in long-term changes in appetite gut hormones, postulated to favor increased appetite and weight regain”.

I can’t forget to mention the cravings that you will have, if you are following a restricted diet. As you are reducing your calorie intake, your body understands it differently. I mean it will understand that you are in hunger state and there is a need to save what you have already. Meaning, reducing your metabolic rate, stimulate your appetite, and increase the calorie intake…leading to gaining weight.

There is a concept called weight cycling or yo-yo dieting. It is basically when you follow a diet and lose weight and then regain it, then again you follow a diet and regain weight… studies have concluded that during dieting the muscles expenditure is reduced. So when food is available, the body will store the excess as fat!!!!

That’s why you shouldn’t count calories… your goal should always be an overall health and not only losing weight… because this lose will be temporary. I am reading recently a book. The author explained how we are being super abscessed with calories and nutrients, and yet still develop diseases. Back-then, there were no calorie counting, no nutrition labels on food items. And they didn’t suffer at all from the diseases we are suffering from nowadays.

I think they used to eat joyfully, worrisome-free, with pleasure. And we, including myself, need to learn how 🙂

References:

• Benton, D., & Young, H. A. (2017). Reducing calorie intake may not help you lose body weight. Perspectives on Psychological Science.
• https://nutritionstripped.com/counting-calories/
• https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/does-calorie-counting-work