Before we learn why counting calories might not be in our best interest, let’s reflect on why we starting doing it in the first place:
Sometime around 2004, Kraft launched the first 100-calorie pack in response to their predictions for a shift in consumer demands. (Not because it was good for our health). They guessed right---raking in somewhere in the ballpark of $100 million in the first launch year. Seeing this trend, the other giant food groups jumped aboard. Over a decade later, this business move has created a consumer culture obsessed with low-calorie options.
We sought products that were more convenient for “on-the-go” as our lives got busier and technology had us moving more quickly, and more places each day. The industry also saw a rising interest in healthier food options, and they feared for the prosperity of their sugary, salty, processed snacks. They took those same snacks, made them bite size and packaged them individually to win back the more health conscious consumers. Somehow, they duped the American public into thinking Oreos are unhealthy, but a 100-calorie pack of Oreos will help to lose weight. Pure marketing genius.
Why we shouldn’t be counting them:
The simplest reason: if we are eating healthy, whole, natural foods…we don’t need to count calories.The nutrients we get from lean protein sources, unprocessed grains and dairy, natural fats, moderate intake of fruits and plentiful vegetables balance our systems for us. If we fuel ourselves with clean sources, our appetite and energy find their natural equilibrium in a much more efficient way than counting every calorie we consume. Focus on quality before worrying about quantity.
All calories are not created equal.
Attempting to justify food choices based on “calorie-math” won’t serve us in the short or long run. Skipping 100 calories of spinach at lunch doesn’t equate to being able to have 100 calories of M&Ms later in the day. When we make choices this way, we sacrifice the quality of our nutrition just to balance out a relatively arbitrary number by the end of the day.
Everything has calories, but calories are not everything.
After years of this conversation topic, our nutrition seems to be overly simplified into “calories in vs. calories out.” For so many reasons, this is NOT the simple answer to sustainable weight loss or long-term health. Knowing that all calories are not created equal, it’s important to recognize the need for a variety of macro and micro-nutrients when considering our nutrition. Protein, Carbohydrates, Fats, Vitamins and Minerals are the key building blocks of healthy, whole foods. If we blindly consider the calorie content, we end up disregarding nutrient balance. Nutrients are far superior to calories. Aside from our food intake, there are numerous factors that affect our body composition and energy balance—including hormones, GI tract health and baseline metabolism.
Low-calorie is not the same as fat loss.
With all this talk about calories, I’ve discovered that many of us aren’t even quite sure what a calorie is. This common, everyday word related to our food is actually just a measure of heat energy—a calorie is the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water by 1 degree Celsius. The value is estimated as the energy released by a food as it’s digested by the human body.
So, think about it this way…when we choose to pursue a “low-calorie” diet, we are actually forcing ourselves into a “low-energy” diet. We are convinced that if we eat less, we will lose weight. It’s not that simple—especially in the long-term. If the amount of calories we take in is consistently lower than our energy demands, our metabolism will incrementally slow down to require less energy. This means that we become less efficient at burning fuel, and more efficient at storing that energy to supplement our energy demands that are not being met by regular nutrient intake. (Simple terms: we store fat for energy, rather than burning it)
Humans require energy, for everything.
Therefore, we require adequate calorie intake.
Every food has calories.
Not every food is nutritionally valuable for us.
So, let’s forget about calories (because that’s just energy, which we need to survive and promote healthy body composition), and shift our focus to simply eating an appropriate amount of good stuff.
Let’s not complicate it by trying to measure every unit of heat energy we consume.
Solutions:
-Instead of focusing on calories, focus on energy/nutrient density.
-Rather than getting caught up in weighing or measuring foods, use this guide to get an idea of your ideal portion sizes.
-Think about whole-foods and long-term habits, rather than limiting meal plans or short-term diets.
-Get to know your internal physiological cues by eating slowly & mindfully, as well as practicing self-care through proper exercise, sleep and stress management.
Next time you find yourself stressing out about your calorie count for the day, ask yourself what truly matters for your health before you start restricting yourself, feeling guilty or doing something that doesn't serve you in a positive way. It can be a challenging mindset shift to make if you're used to focusing on "calorie-math," but I can assure you it is a shift worth making.
-Coach Cassie
____________________________________________________________
Interested in spending the next 12 months gaining all the tools you need for a lifetime of healthy choices?
Join the team for my year long Nutrition Coaching program and you'll never get stuck with a short-term, lackluster diet or workout program again.
Sometime around 2004, Kraft launched the first 100-calorie pack in response to their predictions for a shift in consumer demands. (Not because it was good for our health). They guessed right---raking in somewhere in the ballpark of $100 million in the first launch year. Seeing this trend, the other giant food groups jumped aboard. Over a decade later, this business move has created a consumer culture obsessed with low-calorie options.
We sought products that were more convenient for “on-the-go” as our lives got busier and technology had us moving more quickly, and more places each day. The industry also saw a rising interest in healthier food options, and they feared for the prosperity of their sugary, salty, processed snacks. They took those same snacks, made them bite size and packaged them individually to win back the more health conscious consumers. Somehow, they duped the American public into thinking Oreos are unhealthy, but a 100-calorie pack of Oreos will help to lose weight. Pure marketing genius.
Why we shouldn’t be counting them:
The simplest reason: if we are eating healthy, whole, natural foods…we don’t need to count calories.The nutrients we get from lean protein sources, unprocessed grains and dairy, natural fats, moderate intake of fruits and plentiful vegetables balance our systems for us. If we fuel ourselves with clean sources, our appetite and energy find their natural equilibrium in a much more efficient way than counting every calorie we consume. Focus on quality before worrying about quantity.
All calories are not created equal.
Attempting to justify food choices based on “calorie-math” won’t serve us in the short or long run. Skipping 100 calories of spinach at lunch doesn’t equate to being able to have 100 calories of M&Ms later in the day. When we make choices this way, we sacrifice the quality of our nutrition just to balance out a relatively arbitrary number by the end of the day.
Everything has calories, but calories are not everything.
After years of this conversation topic, our nutrition seems to be overly simplified into “calories in vs. calories out.” For so many reasons, this is NOT the simple answer to sustainable weight loss or long-term health. Knowing that all calories are not created equal, it’s important to recognize the need for a variety of macro and micro-nutrients when considering our nutrition. Protein, Carbohydrates, Fats, Vitamins and Minerals are the key building blocks of healthy, whole foods. If we blindly consider the calorie content, we end up disregarding nutrient balance. Nutrients are far superior to calories. Aside from our food intake, there are numerous factors that affect our body composition and energy balance—including hormones, GI tract health and baseline metabolism.
Low-calorie is not the same as fat loss.
With all this talk about calories, I’ve discovered that many of us aren’t even quite sure what a calorie is. This common, everyday word related to our food is actually just a measure of heat energy—a calorie is the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water by 1 degree Celsius. The value is estimated as the energy released by a food as it’s digested by the human body.
So, think about it this way…when we choose to pursue a “low-calorie” diet, we are actually forcing ourselves into a “low-energy” diet. We are convinced that if we eat less, we will lose weight. It’s not that simple—especially in the long-term. If the amount of calories we take in is consistently lower than our energy demands, our metabolism will incrementally slow down to require less energy. This means that we become less efficient at burning fuel, and more efficient at storing that energy to supplement our energy demands that are not being met by regular nutrient intake. (Simple terms: we store fat for energy, rather than burning it)
Humans require energy, for everything.
Therefore, we require adequate calorie intake.
Every food has calories.
Not every food is nutritionally valuable for us.
So, let’s forget about calories (because that’s just energy, which we need to survive and promote healthy body composition), and shift our focus to simply eating an appropriate amount of good stuff.
Let’s not complicate it by trying to measure every unit of heat energy we consume.
Solutions:
-Instead of focusing on calories, focus on energy/nutrient density.
-Rather than getting caught up in weighing or measuring foods, use this guide to get an idea of your ideal portion sizes.
-Think about whole-foods and long-term habits, rather than limiting meal plans or short-term diets.
-Get to know your internal physiological cues by eating slowly & mindfully, as well as practicing self-care through proper exercise, sleep and stress management.
Next time you find yourself stressing out about your calorie count for the day, ask yourself what truly matters for your health before you start restricting yourself, feeling guilty or doing something that doesn't serve you in a positive way. It can be a challenging mindset shift to make if you're used to focusing on "calorie-math," but I can assure you it is a shift worth making.
-Coach Cassie
____________________________________________________________
Interested in spending the next 12 months gaining all the tools you need for a lifetime of healthy choices?
Join the team for my year long Nutrition Coaching program and you'll never get stuck with a short-term, lackluster diet or workout program again.
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