Before I blogged on WordPress, I used Tumblr (and still do, just not the same way as this blog). Before that, I used Blogger, but that is a complete different story!
Anyway, back when Tumblr was my focus, I re-blogged a post that some clever girl wrote about calorie counting, because I was very close to completely in agreement with her! I also reblogged a set of infographics that shared other insight against calorie counting that I completely agreed with! (Infographics from ThankYourBody.com)
Today, because it is an important message that needs to be spread, and because I know it is going to come up in my Mandie.tv video I will be posting, I am going to combine the posts into one here, and sprinkle in my own thoughts! Let me say now that the images are not my own, and at some times, I am using the words of the original poster, whose blog you can read here!
Okay so let’s start with the basics. What are calories?
- Calories are a measure of the amount of energy in food/drinks.
Are calories bad for you?
- Calories are not bad for you. Your body needs fuel, calories are the measure of the amount of energy you get from your food.
- If you’re eating too many calories and not burning enough of them through exercise then it can lead to weight gain.
- If you’re not eating enough then your body doesn’t have the energy to do normal day to day activities.
Additionally, calorie counting is also done on the assumption that it is FAT and FAT ONLY that will be disappearing as a result of a deficit. While this is more than likely the case for someone who has a lot of fat to lose, for many people who have been counting calories and losing weight for a long time, they actually lose other important things they wouldn’t want to – like muscle tissue, bone density, organ tissue… That’s no good!
It also just makes an unhealthy relationship with food, which should be seen both as fuel, as well as enjoyed! Flavor, when natural, is often a sign of nutrition (same as color)! And it could be argued that stressing about a number of calories consumed could be less healthy than going overboard occasionally.
Another thing that I did not see mentioned in the infographics or original blog is that sometimes when people are counting calories, if they noticed they have not eaten a lot in a given day, they might make poor choices at the end of the day with their extra wiggle room. Then they are feeding their body sugar or starches instead of what it needs.
So what should you do instead? Well, of course I have some suggestions on nutrition and resources for you!
I would start by cutting processed food – JERF (Just Eat Real Food)! Mark’s Daily Apple has some great recipes and articles to use as resources, and I post healthy recipes here every Friday!
If you are looking to ditch some cravings for unhealthy foods, I have found that this three-day cleanse is SUPER helpful for that! I am actually hosting a group to do it together starting the 5th of October, so that we can start the holiday season off with good habits (and take advantage of the fact that it is on sale)! Click here to join the group!
I also have a general fitness and nutrition accountability group starting on Monday. Click here to join!
If you are reading this after October 2nd or so, send me a message and we can chat about upcoming groups! If I don’t have one I am hosting coming up personally, I almost always know someone who does!
xoxo,
Mandie
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2 Comments
I will admit that I use to count calories when I first started my weight loss journey.
That is all I knew and it was what I was taught. EAT LESS, MOVE MORE.
I know better now.
I don’t even bother counting calories anymore either. Because it’s about the quality of food I’m putting in my body.
The turning point for me was discover the SANE podcast by Jonathan Bailor. His book the smarter science of slim and the calorie myth were real eye openers for me.
Now I JERF (just eat real food).
It’s amazing how impactful intuitive eating can be! When we give our bodies real food, our bodies know how much of what we need. =)