Healthy Living • YMCA Health and Fitness
Why you should stop counting calories
08 September 2016 - by Nicole Meredith
Anyone who’s ever tried to lose weight has heard about calorie counting: you’re supposed to consume fewer calories than you burn. But more often than not, calorie counting makes meal time feel like math class, depletes your willpower, and quickly pushes you to indulge in more treats than you otherwise would have.
While calorie counting might help you shed a few pounds initially, most people gain them back quickly. Here’s why:
1. It’s labour-intensive
Trying to figure out how many calories are in what, how large your portions should be, and how far apart you should consume them gives almost everyone a headache. It’s also a tough process to try to cram into your already busy schedule. As soon as life gets hectic, you’re much more likely to scrap your calorie-based diet and turn to fast-food delivery menus.
2. You aren’t getting the nutrients your body needs
Diets that focus on creating a calorie deficit don’t always give you the quality or variety of nutrients you need to exercise, or even just live your day-to-day life. “Healthy” low-calorie foods like cucumbers, for example, are mostly just water, whereas salmon — which has way more calories than cucumbers — will give you a huge boost of energy, protein, and omega-3 fatty acids. These nutrients help you power through a workout (and repair your muscles afterward), and they also keep your hunger satiated so you don’t feel tempted to dive into the cookies.
3. You’re working against neuroscience
If you drastically cut your calorie intake for a prolonged period of time, your body can go into “survival mode” and start clinging to all the calories it can. When this happens, your brain sends signals that make you burn less energy, crave food more intensely, feel lazier, and find eating more satisfying. As a result, you’re likely to eat more and exercise less until you’ve gained back enough weight to convince your own body it’s not starving.
In the end, calorie counting can do more harm than good. Working against your brain’s impulses and denying your body the nutrients it needs increases your chances of regaining any weight you lose, and could lead to an unhealthy relationship with food — one that makes you dread the idea of a healthy lifestyle, instead of being excited about maintaining it. If you’re looking to ditch calorie counting but don’t know where to start, read about the eating habits scientists say you should develop.
While calorie counting might help you shed a few pounds initially, most people gain them back quickly. Here’s why:
1. It’s labour-intensive
Trying to figure out how many calories are in what, how large your portions should be, and how far apart you should consume them gives almost everyone a headache. It’s also a tough process to try to cram into your already busy schedule. As soon as life gets hectic, you’re much more likely to scrap your calorie-based diet and turn to fast-food delivery menus.
2. You aren’t getting the nutrients your body needs
Diets that focus on creating a calorie deficit don’t always give you the quality or variety of nutrients you need to exercise, or even just live your day-to-day life. “Healthy” low-calorie foods like cucumbers, for example, are mostly just water, whereas salmon — which has way more calories than cucumbers — will give you a huge boost of energy, protein, and omega-3 fatty acids. These nutrients help you power through a workout (and repair your muscles afterward), and they also keep your hunger satiated so you don’t feel tempted to dive into the cookies.
3. You’re working against neuroscience
If you drastically cut your calorie intake for a prolonged period of time, your body can go into “survival mode” and start clinging to all the calories it can. When this happens, your brain sends signals that make you burn less energy, crave food more intensely, feel lazier, and find eating more satisfying. As a result, you’re likely to eat more and exercise less until you’ve gained back enough weight to convince your own body it’s not starving.
In the end, calorie counting can do more harm than good. Working against your brain’s impulses and denying your body the nutrients it needs increases your chances of regaining any weight you lose, and could lead to an unhealthy relationship with food — one that makes you dread the idea of a healthy lifestyle, instead of being excited about maintaining it. If you’re looking to ditch calorie counting but don’t know where to start, read about the eating habits scientists say you should develop.
