Want To Stop Calorie Counting? Do This Instead.
Nov 17, 2022
Our bodies perform incredible tasks every day to keep us breathing, sleeping, and functioning at our finest abilities. Therefore, we need to treat them with the kindness they deserve.
Counting calories is a tiresome cycle that is way too easy to be swept up in. Most people share the common misconception that they must obsessively count calories in order to lose weight and see their desired progress. However, this process does more harm than good for our beautiful bodies. Our bodies learn to adapt to the change in your calorie intake. So, what does this mean? When you reduce your intake to an amount below your maintenance calories, your metabolism over time will slow down to accommodate the decrease in energy. As a result, your caloric intake would need to keep decreasing to an amount that’s unsustainable for any person.
Let me share with you why it is toxic to our minds. There is a mentality that is created where lower calorie foods are prioritized over nutrient-rich foods. If you are more likely to choose a 60-calorie rice cake over a higher calorie meal that contains healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals, then it is important for you to read this. I understand how easy it is to fall into the traps of lower calorie foods. But, lower calorie does not always mean healthier. It’s time that we start thinking about what our bodies can gain from food rather than how many calories are in it.
Apart from the unhealthy physical and mental toll calorie counting creates, the process is ultimately ineffective. Losing weight is not as black and white as it is made out to be, and neither is calorie tracking. The truth is that it is extremely difficult to know the exact number of calories going in and out of your body. Every body is different and burns calories in different amounts and in different ways. In addition to this, companies are allowed by law to disclose the calorie amounts of their products as 20% under the real calorie amount. This goes to show how unknown the number of calories you are eating really is.
If you are struggling with putting a halt to counting calories, then here are some helpful tips and steps to avoid the urge.
- Take away your accessibility – This means deleting tracking apps like MyFitnessPal and covering labels on foods with tape to ensure the amount cannot be seen.
- Avoid technology - This includes calorie tracking watches and even the scale. Stepping away from this is helpful in removing a stressor.
- Take a break from social media – The media can be grueling when it comes to making people feel bad about how they look or spreading lies about “healthy” (and ineffective) products. Remove this from the equation to avoid temptation.
The important takeaway is that food is fuel, and your body requires it to perform to its greatest abilities. Don’t deprive yourself of what you need. By working with me, we can test for food sensitivities to see what foods to avoid and figure out the best foods that your body needs to improve its functioning. I know the frustration of this cycle, but I am here to work through what YOUR specific body needs so that it can do its job properly.
Ultimately, your body will respond more efficiently when you give it the proper nutrients it needs to thrive, and only then will you see the progress you desire.
By Erin Blake
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