Why We Don’t Calorie Count
They say to cut the calories and you will lose weight. Seem simple enough?
In reality, achieving your health goals is not that simple. If it were, there would not be millions of people visiting healthcare providers every day. Whatever your health goals are, counting and cutting calories are not the answers. It may appear as the answer, and it may pretend to temporarily solve your problems. But when it comes down to it, your body does not appreciate calorie counting. This behavior can negatively impact your physiological and psychological health in a myriad of ways. Because of this, we don’t believe in calorie counting. Abandoning this method can be difficult if you are used to it, so It can be helpful to keep the following ideas in mind.
1. All bodies are different.
This may sound obvious to you at first. Your body is unique in so many ways whether it is your eye color, height, or shoe size. Your body is also unique in its functioning. Your body’s metabolism may be faster or slower than another person’s. Additionally, your gut is home to a number of microorganisms. It is unlikely that the number and types of microorganisms living in your gut are exactly the same as your friend’s. Because of these factors, your body processes food differently than the people around you. You can count all your calories and eat the exact same number of calories as someone else, yet have very different health outcomes. Counting calories is far from foolproof.
2. It’s not practical.
Whether you prefer to home-cook your meals or order in, these foods are not coming with calorie labels. If you do try to count calories in these situations, it will be extremely difficult to get an accurate estimate and it will take up a lot of your time. It will also hinder your improvisation when cooking and enjoyment when eating. Furthermore, asking for calorie facts at a restaurant can be uncomfortable for you and those around you by interrupting the natural flow of events. Most concerningly, the desire to strictly count calories can prevent you from engaging in social activities altogether.
3. Calories are not indicators of health.
Technically speaking, calories are a unit of measure to determine how much energy can be obtained from food. Your body needs this energy for everyday functioning. Calories are only one aspect of food that contributes to its nutrition profile. While some foods have better nutrition profiles than others, calories are not the determining factor. Your body also requires nutrients: chemical substances that are necessary for growth, maintenance, and survival. Focusing on adding nutrients to your diet and not removing calories is a great way to manage your health.
4. Calorie counting goes against the principles of intuitive eating.
Instead of calorie counting, the intuitive eating approach prioritizes your health through gentle nutrition. You have the freedom to decide what gentle nutrition means to you and how it fits into your life. This can include eating a wide variety of foods, aiming for food balance, and noticing how you feel after eating. Simply counting the numbers will not tell you if you are hungry, full, or somewhere in between.
5. It’s detrimental to our relationship with food and our bodies.
Even if calorie counting allowed you to achieve your physical goals (which it usually doesn’t), calorie counting can be extremely detrimental to your mental health. Intuitive eating, on the other hand, is associated with decreased disordered eating behaviors, improved self-esteem, body satisfaction, and general well-being. Intuitive eating allows you to heal your relationship with food and your body by giving you the opportunity to practice self-care. Aim to eat some nutrient-dense foods because you care about your body, not because you think you “should.”
What Should You Do?
Calorie counting is not a sound method of achieving your health goals. Managing your health can be quite complex, and this simple method ignores your body’s preferences, your personality, and the important role that food plays in our lives. Calorie counting is disrespectful to your body and takes the joy out of food and social experiences. However, ditching the calorie counting method does not mean abandoning your health. Leaving this method behind will actually allow you to explore new satisfying ways of building a positive relationship with food while honoring your health.
Sources:
Kooienga, McKel. “Why You Shouldn’t Count Calories (And What To Do Instead).” Nutrition Stripped. 12 January 2022. https://nutritionstripped.com/counting-calories/
“Stop counting calories.” Harvard Health Publishing. 1 October 2020. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/stop-counting-calories