Why the “Calories In, Calories Out” Model is Irrelevant and What to Do Instead
You’ve heard some form of the expression of the “calories in, calories out” model to lose weight:
“Eat less, exercise more” is what you’re told if you want to lose weight.
But if your goal is to lose weight, should you be counting calories?
Does how much you eat really matter? And if it doesn’t matter, what matters more?
The answer depends on your goal and how you want to live…
You say that you want to lose weight, that weight loss is your MAIN priority.
But I ask you, is your goal to live a full, vibrant, healthy, active, energized life?
What’s more important to you: weight loss or living a long, healthy life and feeling amazing in your body?
You might say that weight loss will HELP you feel amazing in your body.
You might say that you’ll be more confident and feel better in your skin.
But friend, counting calories is not a sustainable, enjoyable, realistic, joyful, fun way to live the rest of your life.
Which is why I think your MAIN priority is really to live a full, healthy life without being handcuffed to your scale and calorie-tracking apps.
If that’s the case, then weight loss is NOT your main priority, but is rather a “happy side effect.”
It’s a happy side effect of eating and living in a way that makes you feel great.
Restriction, deprivation, and avoidance of certain foods does not make you feel great…
In fact, restriction, deprivation, and avoidance of certain foods ALWAYS backfires. Always.
And as a gentle reminder, the world’s healthiest and longest living people, living in the Blue Zones, do not count calories.
To feel great requires you to release the vice grip on calorie counting and try learning things that are TOTALLY different to what you’re used to.
Yes, this can be scary.
But remember, you’re looking for lasting results.
You want to feel great in the long run.
You don’t want a quick weight-loss scheme that backfires, where you gain more weight than you lost, slow down your metabolism, lack nutrients that your body needs to thrive, and lose trust and confidence in yourself on what, when, and how to eat…
At least I hope not.
The good news is:
There are NUMEROUS ways to approach feeling great.
Today, I wanted to share TWO key ways to feel great and live a full, healthy life (and perhaps lose weight in the process as a “happy side effect”) without ever counting calories.
One of the many ways I work with my clients on feeling great is to focus on the QUALITY of your foods.
Why does the quality of food you eat matter so much?
Quality of food affects your:
Hormones (sugar-sweetened beverages and refined carbs can impact insulin and increase blood sugar levels, raise triglycerides, and raise bad cholesterol, while unsaturated fat reduces risk of heart disease and polyunsaturated fat boosts female fertility)
How you feel (are you full and satisfied or hungry and distracted? Are you focused and productive or ravenous and suffering serious food cravings?)
Metabolism (some food requires your body to work harder to break down and use, like protein, which can mildly boost your metabolism, while other foods boost the health of your gut, which also helps boost your metabolism)
Life expectancy and overall health (more vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals reduce your risk of disease and help you live longer)
You can see WHY the quality of your food choices matter.
But what about the quantity of food? How do you know how much of the quality food to eat?
I answer that in detail in this article>>
And the second way I work with my clients on feeling great is to OPTIMIZE their blood sugar.
Blood sugar? Isn’t that just for people who have diabetes?
The answer is no!
Whether you’re diabetic or not, you can learn how to best stabilize your blood sugar throughout the day so that you:
Have fewer mood swings
Minimize cravings
Prevent yourself from feeling ravenous and bingeing on whatever is in sight
And lose fat
If you have too much sugar running through your body, insulin tells your body to store the excess sugar as fat!
That’s why it’s so important to NOT have blood sugar spikes or blood sugar crashes.
This is something my clients and I discuss in detail so they can understand whether they are optimizing their blood sugar or not and how to stabilize it throughout the day.
Fiber-rich carbs, paired with protein and healthy fats, provide enough sugar for your body to produce serotonin, the feel-good hormone, without causing blood sugar spikes and crashes.
Your brain, and the feel-good chemicals regulated by serotonin, rely on a slow and steady stream of blood sugar.
This is what helps you feel energized, focused, and well, great overall!
If you need inspiration or a place to get started, you can download your FREE guide, The Busy Person’s Ultimate Guide to Quick and Easy Meals & Snacks.
It’s packed with specific balanced meals and snacks that can help you optimize your blood sugar (these 21 balanced meals and snacks take less than 15 minutes to make using only a handful of ingredients!).
Click HERE to download to download your free guide>>
When you focus on QUALITY, optimize your BLOOD SUGAR, and eat like the BLUE ZONES, you’re able to eat in a way that improves your health and helps you feel good.
Calories are overrated. In fact, they’re irrelevant. When you eat in a way that nourishes your cells AND your soul, calories don’t matter.
What matters more?
How you FEEL.
If you need extra support, accountability, and personalized strategies to feel your best, I’d love to help!
I’m offering a FREE 30-minute initial nutrition consult call, where we can discuss your goals and come up with your personalized game plan to help you see lasting results. You can schedule your free initial consult here>>
