Calorie counting is an activity that involves keeping a record of the amount of calories (also called kilojoule) in every food or drink you consume.
Some people do this via calorie counter apps, or manually keep their records with a spreadsheet.
Calories can be calculated by going through nutritional labels on products and adding up the figures, and it’s a very common practice for health enthusiasts or people trying to lose weight.
Three Reasons To Stop Counting Calories
- You’re Tossing Nutritional Value Into The Bin
Cultivating a balanced eating habit means understanding that your body needs all five main food groups to function at its best.
Carbs are energy givers – you need them.
Fats and oil? Your body requires fat (the good kind) for energy, for your heart, and your entire system (thank you, omega-3 acids!).
Give your body what it needs.
- It’s A Slippery Slope To An Eating Disorder
It’s no longer news that counting calories has been linked to certain eating disorders like Bulimia, and even (ironically) binge eating.
Studies have repeatedly shown that dieters who obsessively focus on numbers tend to skip meals, only eat a fraction of the recommended daily calories intake or eat “just enough” to meet the recommended intake, and this has been shown to not be enough.
- It’s A Short Term Fix That Only Takes Away The Pleasure Of Food
Establishing a healthy relationship with food means finding a balance between eating some of your favourite, not-so-healthy meals every once in a while (discipline is key), and choosing healthy meals more often than not.
Food is meant to be enjoyed without fear, and learning to moderate consumption is what’s most important.
Three Things To Do About Calories Instead
- What Matters (Long-Term) Is The Quality Of Food You Consume, And Not The Quantity.
Eat nourishing meals rather than processed fast food.
Choose filling foods that offer energy and nutrients, and keep in mind that a bowl of chicken salad would do your body more good than two “small-sized” bags of potato chips.
- Address The Root Cause Of Your Food Problem
Eating is what we do when we’re hungry, but statistics have shown that food is what people are most likely to turn to for some ‘comfort’ on days when they’re feeling lonely, bored or stressed.
Keep this in mind the next time you’re turning to food — “am I really hungry or do I just want to chew on something?”
- Listen To Your Body, Then Train Your Body To Listen To You
This means eating when you’re hungry, eating slowly and mindfully, replacing sweet treats with healthier alternatives (soda with lemon-infused water, for example), and pick consistency with these practises over perfection.
In conclusion,
remember to choose sustainable approaches when it comes to diet and nutrition, focus on the long-term & keep your relationship with food as healthy as possible.
