STOP COUNTING CALORIES!

Not all calories are created equal, which seems like common sense to some; however many programs continue to emphasize counting calories and convince their followers that they will make and sustain changes by calculating the calories. By doing this they are not taking into account the QUALITY of the calories you are consuming. Why does this matter? Because consuming a lower number of calories could result in not getting the proper nutrients your body needs. Simple calorie goals might help you lose weight, but it will not help you lose fat, and doesn’t necessarily contribute to overall health.

Many people who follow lower calorie programs are eating highly processed foods, which are significantly less satisfying than eating whole foods containing a balance of protein, carbs and fat……

Thus, counting calories essentially requires you to disconnect from your body’s cues of hunger and cravings that are natural and healthy. You have to override those cues to “follow the plan.” People can maintain that for a while but eventually overeat because they feel either physically or mentally and emotionally deprived. Then they go back to calorie counting, and the cycle continues.

The idea that everyone needs 2,000 calories a day is arbitrary. Your body size, age, gender, and genetics all play a role in how many calories you need, and those needs change daily based on sleep, stress levels, and physical activity.

Other issues: Calorie counts on food packaging are also imprecise. We don’t absorb all the calories we consume and how you prepare food changes its calorie load. Furthermore, people absorb calories uniquely and variably and they aren’t really good at estimating portion sizes.

Also the whole concept of “I can work off what I ate.” That’s a Nope. Your body doesn’t burn off food calorie-for-calorie like that. Plus, if you do routinely overindulge then try to work it off in the gym, you’ll be exercising for a very long time, depending on the size of the junky meals you’ve eaten. This, in turn, may cause you to become hungrier…and eat more. Vicious cycle? Definitely.

At The FASTer Way, we focus on eating enough of the right things, at the right times, for the right reasons so that we become fat burners. This leads to a flexible lifestyle, improved moods, increased energy, and better overall health! You can learn more about this in my next round of The FASTer Way starting May 3. Register via this link