COUNTING CALORIES WORKS FOR WEIGHT LOSS, NOT FAT LOSS

Not much has changed from when I entered the health and fitness industry back in 1986 to today when it comes to weight loss. We’re still being told that weight loss is a simple math equation. Burn off more calories than you consume and you'll lose weight. Sounds good in theory, except that all calories are not created equally. The truth is, while cutting and/or counting calories will move the number on the scale, they are not the key to fat loss, nor to living a balanced, healthy life.

Focusing on counting calories can actually do more harm than good, leading to disordered eating, poor body image, and an unhealthy relationship with food. Not to mention the weight you lose following that protocol is mostly muscle not fat. Which slows metabolism, disrupts hormones and does nothing to improve your overall health. When you understand how food works in your body, you can enjoy food in a way that creates hormonal balance, stabilizes blood sugar, and promotes overall health and well-being.

The obsession with calorie counting is a major reason why so many people end up with a dysfunctional relationship with food. When we reduce our dietary choices to a numbers game, we ignore the complex and vital role that nutrients play in our health. Calories are a measure of energy, not quality, and certainly not health.

For example, a 100-calorie snack pack of cookies is vastly different from a 100-calorie serving of almonds. The cookies might satisfy a craving temporarily, but they’re high in sugar, low in nutrients, and likely to cause a spike and then crash in your blood sugar. The almonds, on the other hand, are packed with healthy fats, fiber, and protein that will nourish your body and keep you feeling satisfied longer.

Focusing solely on calories encourages us to choose foods based on their energy content rather than their nutrient density. This can lead to disordered eating patterns, where we start to view food as either "good" or "bad" based solely on calorie content, rather than looking at food, not as good or bad, but that it either fuels your body or it fuels your soul, and we need both. Over time, this black-and-white thinking can foster an unhealthy relationship with food, one where guilt, anxiety, and restriction dominate our choices ultimately negatively affecting our physical and mental health.

An important distinction that often gets lost in the calorie-counting conversation is the difference between weight loss and fat loss. Weight loss simply refers to a reduction in your overall body weight, which includes not just fat, but also muscle, water, and even bone density. On the other hand, fat loss is specifically about reducing body fat while preserving lean muscle mass, which is crucial for maintaining a healthy metabolism, bone density, immune function, digestion and energy.

When you focus solely on cutting calories to lose weight, your body may start to break down muscle for energy, especially if you’re not consuming enough protein or engaging in resistance training. Your brain never shuts off and it needs fuel to turn to glucose to send up to the brain. When it doesn't have enough nutrients coming it, your body will take from the muscle to fuel the brain. This process might make the number on the scale go down, but it’s not the kind of weight loss that’s going to improve your health or body composition in the long run.

The key to achieving and maintaining your weight loss goals while optimizing health, lies in eating a protein, fat and carb (yes carbs!) together in a way that creates hormonal balance and stabilizes your blood sugar. When blood sugar is not balanced, your hormones are out of balance, particularly insulin, cortisol, and leptin, sets your body up to burn muscle and store fat, particularly around the midsection.

When you replace calorie counting with focusing on eating balanced nutrient-dense meals, health is increased, inflammation comes down, energy goes up, and the weight takes care of itself. An inflamed and/or unhealthy body won't release the weight. When you get to your optimal health, you'll get to your optimal weight as well.

Foods rich in fiber, healthy fats, and protein, such as vegetables, nuts, seeds, and lean meats, help to slow the absorption of sugar into your bloodstream, preventing spikes and crashes that can lead to cravings and overeating. They also provide the building blocks your body needs to produce hormones, repair tissues, and support your immune system.

When you focus on eating nutrient-dense foods that support your body’s natural functions, you’ll find that you’re able to eat and enjoy your food without the need to constantly count calories or restrict what you put on your plate. This is what food freedom is all about – eating in a way that supports your health physically, mentally and emotionally, and allows you to enjoy food without guilt, anxiety, stress or shame.

Before embarking on any health or wellness program, it’s important to ask yourself three critical questions:

1. Is it based on science? There’s a lot of misinformation out there, and not all health advice is created equal. Make sure that the program you’re following is grounded in solid scientific evidence and has been shown to produce sustainable, long-term results.

2. Does it make sense for life? The right approach should be something you can realistically follow for the rest of your life, not just a few weeks or months. If it feels too restrictive, complicated, or extreme, it’s probably not something that supports health, or something you’ll be able to stick with long-term.

3. Would you let a child or teenager do it? This is perhaps the most telling question of all. If a diet or program isn’t safe or healthy for a young person, it’s probably not right for you either. We still have al the same organs and systems we did when we were born, we're just larger humans. Your health journey should be about nourishing your body, not punishing it.

If you can answer "yes" to all three of these questions, then you’re on the right track. If not, you’re likely dealing with a diet, not a lifestyle change, and you're setting yourself up to fail in the long run.

The bottom line is that counting/cutting calories may help you lose weight, but at what cost? By focusing on eating whole, balanced, nutrient-dense foods you will support hormonal balance, stabilize blood sugar, fire up metabolism, support overall physical and mental health, and help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight for life.

For more information on hormones, blood sugar stabilization and how to live with food freedom, watch Tania's free video.