Reasons not to count calories

I find myself Obsessively counting each calorie throughout the day. Counting and recounting. Rounding up. Cutting little things out of my meal plan to reach a maximum that I'll "allow" myself to eat. It's a waste of time. Major waste! I should be counting my blessings and all the good things in life instead!!

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Reasons  NOT to count calories

1) Labels can lie.

Seriously. Labeling laws allow a 20% margin of error on the nutrition facts panel. That means your 100 calorie snack pack could be 119 calories. Or that 500 calorie TV dinner could be nearly 600 calories. Legally. Ooops.

“[T]he ratio between the amount obtained by laboratory analysis and the amount declared on the product label in the Nutrition Facts panel must be 120% or less, i.e., the label is considered to be out of compliance if the nutrient content of a composite of the product is greater than 20% above the value declared on the label.” – FDA Guidance for Industry: Nutrition Labeling Manual

2) Nutrients vary by season, variety, ripeness, etc.

While it’s nice to have the nutrient analysis of foods, there is no way food companies or the USDA could analyze every variety of tomato from every region from every season from different growing conditions (i.e organic vs. conventional) and every other variable for nutrients, including calories. That super sweet summer tomato likely has more calories (and valuable nutrients) than that tasteless, pink one from the dead of winter. Which one would you rather eat?

3) “More calories equals weight gain” is not an exact science.

If calorie counting worked long term, America would be the thinnest country in the world. We are a nation of compulsive dieters and you wouldn’t know it looking at us. Turns out the composition of what you’re eating is crucial to how many calories you eat and how many calories you burn. In a study comparing 3 diets: low fat, low glycemic, and low carb, the people on the low carb diet burned 350 calories more than the low fat diet. And yet, our nutrition guidelines recommend a low calorie, low fat diet. If you’re happy eating tasteless food and going hungry and not losing weight, by all means, count calories and cut fat out of your diet.

4) We don’t absorb all calories.

A study on almond consumption in humans found that up to 20% of the calories were not absorbed. The exact reason is unknown, but possibly due to the “cellular structure” of nuts and the way our bodies digest food. I would speculate that we absorb a lot more calories from highly processed foods. Maybe that’s just me.

5) Focusing on calories often means we restrict healthy foods.

This especially happens when it comes to fats. We often omit higher fat foods simply because they are higher in calories without taking into consideration what benefits we might get from them, such as staying fuller for longer or having smooth skin. I fully ignore calorie labels on all foods, but especially real foods high in fat like cheese, olives, nuts, and seeds. My body likes these foods and I don’t need a calorie count to sway me away from eating them.

6) Too much math.

Honestly, I don’t have time or energy to calculate everything that goes into my mouth. That probably sounds odd, since my life’s work is helping people improve their health by eating better, but I firmly believe this can be done and is best done without counting. (And I have satisfied clients to prove it.) Counting calories is especially fruitless when you know #1-5.

So now you might be wondering:

If I think calorie counting is a such waste of time, what do I do instead?

How do I prevent myself from eating too much?

How do I stay at the same weight, year after year?

My answer is simple.

11 things I do instead of counting calories:

1. I listen to my body.
2. I always eat when I’m hungry.
3. I eat foods that I’m actually in the mood to eat.
4. I put my full attention to the meal in front of me.
5. I notice the sensations in my body before, during, and after eating.
6. I sit down when I eat.
7. I chew every bite before taking another.
8. I savor the flavors, texture, mouthfeel, sounds, richness, crunchiness or softness, saltiness or sweetness.
9. I make an effort to eat healthy foods and make an equal effort to eat the healthy foods that taste good to me.
10. I sometimes choose to eat foods purely for the pleasure of eating them, even when they are not “healthy”.
11. I sometimes choose to eat more food than is comfortable, either because the food tastes really good or because I know I wont have time to eat again for a while (such as during a busy work day).

If this sounds like a breath of fresh air, I’m with you. Just putting this down on paper (or rather, in html) feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.