Five Tips To Stop Calorie Counting
THESE ARE THE TOP TIPS THAT HELPED ME QUIT THE HABIT FOR GOOD
Published on: Oct 16, 2024 By: Meera
What exactly are calories? And are they really that bad?
Simply put, calories are the units of energy that are found in the foods we consume.
So, if we say an apple has X amount of calories, that would be the figure that measures the fuel/ energy a person would obtain if they ate the apple.
Are calories bad? Nope. They are not bad. Not even a bit. In fact, they are incredible!
If you put only half a litre of gasoline in a car, that probably won’t take you far enough to where you need to go.
Just like that, we need fuel in order to be functional in our everyday lives – to run errands, go to school or work, do chores, or play with the kids (if you have kids). We need fuel to have fun – to dance, play video games, play our favourite sports, swim in the water at the beach, and dilly-dally with our friends. So, yeah, calories are pretty amazing.
So, Why the Bad Rep?
Calories have been equated to weight gain.
While it is true that fat can be gained by consuming an excessive amount of calories (more than what our bodies expend), it can actually be much more difficult to arrive at that point than people seem to realise.
Weight gain can be a problem for some folks if it compromises their mental and/ or physical health, which adversely affects their quality of life. Whereas for others, gaining weight can be a side effect of achieving peak health.
I once was asked by a relative to check the amount of calories in a pack of cashews he was about to eat. When I told him the amount, he was disappointed as he expected a lower figure. He said “What? And I thought that cashews were healthy!”
I attempted to resurrect his turned feelings towards cashews by explaining that calories aren’t bad at all and cashews are healthy. But, he had already made up his mind.
That made me feel sorry for the way he viewed food, calories, and health because I remember what it was like when I used to have that mindset.
Here’s a helpful video that demonstrates the huge amount of Malteasers a person has to eat to gain just one kilogram of fat:
What’s calorie counting and why can it be bad?
Calorie counting is quite literally counting the calories you intake through food.
It can be a really useful tool for some people to ensure that they are eating enough throughout the day, or that they are eating in a calorie surplus (more than they expend) to gain weight, or that they are in a caloric deficit (eating less than they expend) to lose body fat.
As with weight gain, weight loss can be a healthy or unhealthy thing, depending on certain factors such as adequate nutrition, and how it affects hormones and bodily functions, for example, reproductive health. For some, losing weight can be a side effect of achieving peak health.
So, calorie counting can be a really useful tool.
However, it can be an incorrect or unnecessary tool for others – it can become complicated, obsessive, and mentally taxing. It can interfere with a person’s ability to recognise their hunger and fullness levels and distort the way they look at food.
Their minds function like an overactive calculator from the first meal of the day to when their heads hit the pillow at night.
If it looks like this for you, it is very likely that calorie counting is not the best tool – more harm can be inflicted rather than reaping health benefits.
How my life improved after I stopped calorie counting:
- I had a deeper appreciation for food – they weren’t just numbers to me. Food became nutrients, fuel to go on, suddenly more wholesome and delicious, and knots in togetherness (in social settings). After a long time, a cookie was once again a sweet treat, not horrific numbers.
- I stopped overeating – because I used to opt for lower-calorie foods like huge salads, and oatmeal and smoothies loaded with water, I often felt full yet unsatisfied (because that wasn’t what I truly wanted to eat deep down). And I’d consume the whole thing because it was lower in calories, right?
- I was less bloated and felt less sluggish because I was no longer overeating.
- There was no longer food scarcity – I used to avoid certain foods like nuts and oils because of the higher calorie content. When calories were out of the picture, I reintroduced my favourite foods like Oreos, peanut butter, and all the other things that gave me the will to live. They were no longer “unavailable”.
- No more food noise – my mind was no longer occupied with food thoughts, which was caused by constantly thinking about how many calories “I had left” for the day, and how I’d “spend” it.
- I got my life back – I was relieved of the exhaustion of constantly crunching numbers. I was the happiest I’d been in a really long time!
Note: It took me multiple tries to break the habit of counting my calories. It was impulsive and challenging to stop, mainly because I was afraid of gaining weight if I didn’t keep track.
But, I had to choose: either allow food to consume my mind for the rest of my life, or fight for a change. Both options were difficult, but I had to choose which “difficult” was worth fighting for.
My Top Five Tips To Stop Calorie Counting
If you are struggling to stop calorie counting, I am sharing the five biggest tips that helped me break the habit.
Disclaimer: I am not a dietician or nutritionist. I’m only sharing my experiences and what helped me. Some of these not be helpful to you, but regardless, they are worth sharing as someone may benefit from this information.
1. Look at calories and food another way.
Calories are simply units of energy.
They are vital to the regular functioning of our overall bodies. Lower-calorie foods do not promise health.
In fact, some highly nutritious foods are calorie-dense, and that’s not a bad thing at all. It just means that you’ll have more energy. Instead of saying “I probably shouldn’t eat this food. I know it has a lot of calories” say “This food will energise me.”
Focus on including a variety of foods in your diet. Try to shift your focus from the calorie content to the nutrition, or the satisfaction you get.
For example, if you’re having a slice of pizza, think of how your body is being nourished with energy from the crust, vitamins from the sauce, fats from the cheese, and fibre from the toppings (peppers, mushrooms, etc).
Eat to nourish not only the body, but the soul <3
2. Write down a few reasons why it’s important for you to stop calorie counting.
You can jot down a few reasons in your ‘Notes’ app or keep a little note on a piece of paper handy.
It may feel uncertain at first when taking the leap. Every time you have doubts about your decision, just look at the note for a strong reminder of why it’s important to keep pushing through the mental toughness and uncertainty.
Here is a helpful post I found on Pinterest:
3. Say “No” to the voice in your head.
This is how the cycle played out for me: I made up my mind to stop counting calories >> a few days later I felt as if I made peace with the numbers. A voice in my mind convinced me that it was okay to count the calories for the “sake of curiosity” and “to compare the difference in numbers” when I calorie counted versus when I ate naturally >> I’d count the calories to satisfy the voice >> I’d naturally fall back into the habit with impulse >> repeat.
And that went on for a while. Changes really happened when I started to say “no” and treated the voice as a whole separate person who was trying to sabotage me.
And it gave me control by not giving them what they wanted.
Reviewing the notes (point 2) helps to provide more reasons to not give in.
4. Use your fullness cues to determine how much you eat, instead.
If you’ve relied on the calorie content of your food to determine how much you eat for a while, it may not come naturally to recognise your fullness cues. This one takes a little practice and patience.
The way I describe it is like having played a game for a long time and being fairly good at it, only for the rules to suddenly change. Except, this time the rules have changed to improve the game. It’ll take time to get used to things, but once you do, it’s so worth it.
Tips: Take your time to eat. Ask yourself if your meal feels complete – could it use some sauce or some more seasoning? Pay attention to the way your stomach feels.
If you feel full and satisfied before finishing your meal/ snack, it’s okay to save it for later or have someone else finish it.
If you’ve finished your meal but still feel unsatisfied, ask yourself if you’d feel better if you ate some more food or something else.
5. Lastly, it’s okay if you stumble or fall. Lift yourself back up.
Lots of trial and error happen along the way and the only way through, is through.
It took me many times to break the habit, but I’m glad I never stopped trying or else I wouldn’t have gotten to where I am today.
I advise that you treat yourself the way you would treat your friend – with grace, kindness, and encouragement to try again. Tell that friend that they will be okay.
Because you will be okay.
Final Words
Allow the process to take time. Keep pushing on. Food is so much more than numbers.
There was a time when we were kids and food was not complicated. It was celebrated. It was part of what made the holidays so special – hot chocolate, gingerbread cookies, and smores.
Learning to love food the same without labels or figures can be done again for the second time. It may be difficult but anything that’s difficult is worth doing.
Keep going. You got this!
