Why Counting Calories Doesn’t Work

For years now, we have been taught to count calories, to balance the ratio of our calories in vs calories out for the most effective way to lose unwanted pounds. But does this system work for the countless number of people around the world who are diligently counting calories?

Well, the simple answer is no. Here’s why the calories model is outdated and what the new research is telling us to do instead!

Not All Calories Are Created Equal

While it seems simpler to try and think of each calorie having the exact same effect on our bodies, this is simply not the case. Not all calories are created equal. For example, the calories from an apple have a very different effect on your body than those from a snickers bar. Food is information for our bodies and every time you eat, every time you make a choice about what types of foods you are going to consume, you are sending messages to your cells and to your hormones that can have varying effects on a whole range of processes within your body.

Our hormones play a major role in the way our bodies process our food. They tell us when we are full and they signal our body to either burn or store fat. For example, your body has two fuel sources to choose from for energy: fat or sugar. If under stress, the body will produce excessive amounts of the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline. These two hormones signal your body to use sugar as an energy source as it is available much faster than fat, which is a slower releasing energy source. This isn’t helpful if your goal is weight loss as it makes it difficult to burn fat regardless of what you are eating.

It’s Impossible To Accurately Count All Calories

If the calorie in calorie out model did actually work, then you would need to make sure that the calories you are counting are really accurate or risk gaining unwanted pounds. Realistically it’s impossible to accurately determine the calories you eat and trying to can create stress or anxiety around eating. Just imagine you are out for dinner with your friends or family and while everyone is choosing what they want to eat, you are trying to figure out how many calories each meal has to fit into your daily target. Not fun!

Labels Can Be Inaccurate

Little do the calorie counters know, there is an allowable margin of error in product labeling. This simply means again that accurately counting the number of calories in different foods is almost impossible.

We Could Potentially Restrict Ourselves From Eating Healthy Foods

Some foods are high in calories but are high in essential nutrients that actually help your body burn fat, for example, foods like avocados, coconut oil, nuts, and seeds. These foods are full of healthy fats that help your cells function optimally. Adding healthy fats to your meal can also help you feel full faster and stay full longer. They can also help in controlling your cravings and your blood sugar levels. If we focus only on calories, we may miss out on the many benefits that we can get from these foods.

Counting Calories Is Not Sustainable Because It Does Not Address The Root Cause of Why People Overeat

There are several reasons why people overeat or become overweight. Emotional eating, eating when bored, food cravings – all can lead to making poor food choices. How many times have you gone for a muffin or a bag of potato crisps while doing menial tasks at work? If these underlying issues are not addressed, then those who are counting calories will quickly run out of calories before they hit dinner. They then have the option of skipping dinner or “cheating” and having dinner anyway. After eating dinner and feeling guilty, many will overeat or snack while vowing to “start again tomorrow”. This is not a sustainable or healthy way of eating.

In Order For Any Weight Loss Program To Be Sustainable, One Has To Focus on Developing Healthy Habits and Lifestyle

So if we are not counting calories, what works instead? The most effective way to make healthy sustainable lifestyle changes is to choose whole foods whenever possible, real foods like fruit and vegetables, healthy fats, whole grains, and organic grass fed or free range meat and dairy products.

All of our bodies are different, so learning to listen to and trust your body can be really life changing. Try to focus on eating only when you are hungry and not when you have nothing to do. Making a conscious effort to eat healthy foods rather than focusing on what you cannot have is an act of self-care, and your body will thank you.

Also, look at other aspects of your lifestyle. Exercise not only helps boost your metabolism, it has a great effect on your mood and energy levels, which makes it easier to make good food choices. Keeping yourself hydrated at all times is also super important as is sleep! Find an activity that will better manage your stress such as meditation, deep breathing, or a restorative practice such as yoga. Don’t get overwhelmed. Just take it one step at a time. The small things you do consistently every day will have a much bigger impact on your health than big changes you only sustain for a week.

Have you tried counting calories in the past as a weight loss method? We would love to hear your experiences in the comments below.

Five Things Healthy People Do Differently

We all know at least one or two people who are super fit and never seem to get sick. They always seem to be really happy, too. But how do they do it? Were they born that way?

The short answer is no! Healthy people have some rules they live by, even if they don’t consciously follow them. So what are these rules?

They Enjoy Exercising

Healthy people love to exercise and have exercises or sports that they really enjoy doing. As a result, they keep doing exercises because they like to, not because they have to. When we try to do exercises we don’t like doing, the lifestyle change never lasts long term. Try to find an exercise or sport that you actually enjoy. That way you will look forward to it rather than dread it.

They Eat Bad Foods In Moderation

Many people think healthy people never eat any “bad” food. While this may be true for some, it’s not true for everyone. But healthy people have a different definition of “bad” food. They don’t drink conventional sodas and eat GMO corn chips, but they may have a sweet snack or a dessert once or twice a week, compared to others who eat junk food or sugary snacks once or twice a day. Try to make sure your meals and your snacks are healthy. Over time, you’ll elevate your definition of junk food, too.

They Eat Healthy Snacks

Snacking on junk food can cause all sorts of damage and contributes to weight gain. Healthy people make sure they eat healthy snacks and prepare them ahead of time. They eat snacks such as raw nuts (unsalted and unroasted), fresh fruit, and cut up vegetables (eg. celery and carrots). Try and plan ahead when it comes to snacks, and the next time you are at the grocery store, shop accordingly.

They Drink Plenty Of Water

Water does so many good things for your body. Keeping hydrated helps your skin and hair look great. It’s no wonder healthy people always seem to look great. They drink plenty of water and don’t drink sodas. Sodas are full of sugar, and don’t think diet sodas are any better. Diet sodas are filled with extra chemicals and terrible artificial sweeteners. Don’t be drinking plenty of fruit drinks such as orange juice either. Why? Have you ever thought of eating 30 oranges in a row? No? Well that’s pretty much what you’re doing when you drink a glass or two of orange juice. It’s a lot of sugar! Some fruit drinks are also full of other nasty ingredients. Try drinking water and herbal teas. Or check out this recipe for cranberry lemonade with stevia.

They Go To Bed Early and Are Early Risers

We all know that sleep is an important part of life. But healthy people know just how important it is to get at very least 7 hours of consistent sleep every night. They go to sleep earlier and get up much earlier even on their days off. And then, they tend to exercise first thing in the morning. Exercising in the morning has great benefits and can make us far more productive during the day.

Have you changed anything in your life that has made you healthier? Whether it is your diet or exercise regime, or a sport you love. Post your changes in the comments below.

Is Your Gut Health Making You Fat?

Did you know that your human cells are actually outnumbered 10 to 1 by the bacteria in your gut?You are actually more bacteria than human being! And that’s why the composition of the bacteria in your gut majorly affects not only your gut health but also the health of your entire body.

Research shows that the health of your gut is linked to a whole range of chronic health conditions as well as how you digest your food and your mental health. It has also been linked to obesity in some really interesting studies that are starting to emerge as scientists are beginning to learn more about exactly how your microbiome affects your immune system, mood, and ability to lose weight.

Did you know that your gut actually has more neurotransmitters than your brain? This is why the health of your gut can affect your mood and mental health and why stress and lack of sleep can affect the health of your gut. An unhealthy gut can cause mood swings and depression, which can lead to emotional eating and can even cause cravings.

The microbiome of a healthy person is vastly different in composition to that of an obese person. It has been found that your gut bacteria can actually influence not only how many calories you absorb from your food, but how much fat you store.

A really interesting study was conducted on mice to show the role that gut bacteria has in contributing to weight gain. The researchers took the gut bacteria from human twins, one healthy and one obese and transferred these into healthy mice. What they found was that the mouse that had been transferred bacteria from the healthy twin stayed a healthy weight, while the mouse that was transferred the bacteria from the obese twin quickly started putting on weight.

So what affects the health of your gut microbiome?

Well, a diet high in processed foods and refined sugars can contribute to an imbalance in gut bacteria as can environmental toxins, stress, and pharmaceutical drugs.

What can I do to improve my gut health?

These are the four most important things you can do to improve the health of your gut.

1. Eat Prebiotics

Confused as to the difference between probiotics and prebiotics? While both are great for your gut health, probiotics are foods, which contain healthy bacteria. Prebiotics, on the other hand, can be explained as an indigestible food source (high fiber foods) for the good bacteria already in your gut. Prebiotics stimulate the growth of good bacteria and can, in doing so, have a whole range of health benefits. Some great prebiotic foods to add to your diet include asparagus, bananas, onions, garlic, cabbage, leeks, and root vegetables.

2. Eat Fermented Foods

Fermented foods are an awesome source of probiotics that along with prebiotics help to restore balance in your gut and develop a healthy composition of bacteria. Some great fermented foods to try include sauerkraut, kimchi, pickled vegetables, organic tempeh, and kefir.

3. Reduce Sugar & Processed Foods & Add in Healthy Fats & Greens

Replacing refined sugars and processed foods that cause havoc in your gut with healthy fats and leafy greens will transform your gut health and help you finally shed the pounds.

4. Stress Less and Sleep More

Stress has a really massive impact on the health of your gut microbiome. So taking the time to do some stress busting activities such as yoga, meditation, or deep breathing can really kick-start your gut healing process. Sleep is also super important to restoring your gut bacteria composition and also has a range of other health benefits.

Could your gut health be what’s stopping you from losing weight? I would love to hear your story in the comments below as well as any of your favorite tips that I may have missed!