Are you still counting calories? Do you obsess over how many calories you eat each day? If you answered yes, then this article Why Calories Don’t Matter, is perfect for you!
Don’t worry, I used to spend my days counting calories too because I thought that was what I was supposed to do. But not anymore. As a registered dietitian and nutrition expert, I am here to explain to you Why Calories Don’t Matter, and what actually does.
Catch the LIVE discussion of this post below:
Think of Nutrition Like an Onion
I want you to think of nutrition like an onion. The calories are like the outside papery peel of the onion – the first thing to get thrown away.
Because when it comes down to it, calories consumed are the least important factor when it comes to nutrition.
Yes, eating too little* or too many calories is detrimental to the body in their own respect, but if you’re following a nutrient dense diet approach and learn to fuel your body with quality foods over quantity foods, I promise that you will never need to count calories again.
*And guess what? Eating too little calories is the #1 thing I see women doing that is sabotaging their healthy lifestyle.
If you need help calculating your energy requirements, contact a professional (ahem, a registered dietitian) – but for the love of nutrition, please do not aim for a 1,200 calorie diet!
Now, let’s get one thing straight.
Yes, technically calories in must equal calories out in order to maintain weight loss.
And yes, you must burn off more calories than you consume in order to lose weight.
But when it comes to health and nutrition, understanding what works and what doesn’t for each individual person goes WAY BEYOND calories.
And that’s exactly why I am telling you that calories don’t matter.
Restricting your daily caloric intake to anything less than 1,500 calories per day does much more harm than good and will cause physiological changes that will slow down your metabolism and cause your body to hold onto excess weight. I want you to understand that food should not be used as a form of punishment.
Food should be used as fuel for your body. Everything you eat should be carefully chosen as a means to fuel your body, to provide your body with all of the nutrients that it needs to function properly; happily & healthy on a day-to-day basis.
Macronutrients
The next layer of the ‘nutrition onion’ is what is known as macronutrients: the fats, carbohydrates, and proteins – or as the Instagram world likes to call it ‘macros’.
These are the larger components our food. All food is composed of these three things in different quantities. Ideally, I like to see these macros consumed in an equal one-third ratio meaning that 33% of your intake is from carbohydrates, 33% from fat and 33% from protein, give or take. But that is what works for me, you need to find what works for you.
These macronutrients are the fuel that the body uses to carry out all of our daily activities, build muscle, help the brain function and so much more. Monitoring your intake of these three components is more important than monitoring your intake of calories.
Micronutrients
The inside of the onion, the ‘meat and potatoes’ if you will, is what we know as micronutrients: the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytonutrients and various nutrition compounds that keep our bodies healthy.
Micronutrients are the most important components of good nutrition. These are what the body uses to perform every minuscule operation we need to live and function properly. From hormones to brain signals and function, micronutrients will keep us functioning properly. These micro-nutrients are only found in whole foods, the closer to nature the better.
Why Calories Don’t Matter
The reason that I believe that counting calories is not important is no doubt complicated.
For one, did you know that by law the information listed on a nutrition facts panel are allowed to be up to 20% incorrect?
That’s right, INCORRECT. Why? Because nutrition is a science and it is nearly impossible to get an accurate answer when there are SO many factors involved. Furthermore, it is extremely difficult to estimate the number of calories in, for example, a cup of spinach, because when I measure as one cup may not be the same as when you measure a cup of spinach.
It is extremely difficult to calculate how many calories a person needs each day for a variety of reasons, and it is never the same from day-to-day. The methods used to calculate caloric requirements are nothing more than an educated guess unless you have access to indirect calorimetry – which I have yet to see in my 7 years of in the field of nutrition.
If you follow a 1,200 calorie diet, which is far too low for anybody, your body will not be able to lose weight. I promise you that.
Your body will react as if it were starving – because it is. It will hold onto every last calorie and paste it right onto your hips, ass and thighs. You will feel hungry and deprived and miserable. I don’t ever suggest anyone drop below 1,500 calories per day even if your goal is weight loss.
What I really want you to take away from this is that it is not how many calories you consume, it is what makes up those calories is critically important.
Take this example:
Which diet would you prefer?
The difference between these two diets, while calorically the same, if the quality and a number of nutrients found in the second diet.
The first diet, composed mainly of refined carbohydrates, unhealthy fats and processed foods will not do your body any good. The second diet, full of fruit and vegetables, all natural ingredients and minimally processed foods will provide your body with all of the micro-nutrients needed to not only function properly and make you feel good, but also help you to lose the unwanted weight as well
Your body will not lose weight if you are starving it or feeding it crap.
I promise you will feel happier, look better, achieve your goals quicker and faster when you stop counting calories and start to pay attention to the things that really matter.
But what really matters, you ask? Checkout the free download below, a complete Checklist of 10 Things That Are More Important Than Calories!
I Am Here to Help
I am dedicated to helping you understand how to create a life of health & happiness that you truly love.
Together, I will help you to break free from the diet mentality and calorie trap. I will show you how to choose quality foods over quantity foods, how to enjoy eating again and how to love yourself, mind, body and spirit.
I want to help you learn how to listen to your body and hear what it needs, to trust your natural hunger cues and to trust yourself to make the right choice.
That is why I created The School of Health & Happiness, an online nutrition school that I founded to help you create the happy & healthy lifestyle you’ve always dreamed of. Learning that calories doesn’t matter is just one small lesson you will learn during our 5-week journey together.
Enrollment is opening soon, be sure to get on the wait list to reserve your seat today! You can learn more here.
Now, I would love to know what you think about the concept of Why Calories Don’t Matter, so please feel free to share your thoughts below!
You deserve a life of health and happiness. I can help.
Here’s to staying happy & healthy. Together.
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This is the second post I have read today about focusing on what you give your body, not taking away. I think we tend to get so caught up in what we need to take away from our diet that we lose focus on what our bodies need. I also tend to believe that it’s one of the main reasons we get burnt out on trying to improve nutrition habits. Focusing on what we can’t have is taxing, and takes away from what’s really important when it comes to a healthy diet.
I couldn’t agree more, Tommy! Great points!
Yes!! Love this post! Seriously insane that labels can be up to 20% incorrect – yet another reason not to rely on numbers!
Isn’t it crazy! The more I learn the more I realize that numbers just don’t matter that much!
Thanks for another wonderfully informative post! I totally agree with everything you wrote and really loved your “1500 calorie diet vs 1500 calorie diet” chart/
Thank you so much, Sonali! I even surprised myself with that calorie chart, it becomes more real when you see it written down on paper!
I love this and couldn’t agree more! It’s about so much more than calories and no two people are the same and as you said days aren’t the same. I’m happiest when I eat intuitively and don’t count calories.
I couldn’t agree more, Sarah! I am always amazed at how individual each and every one of us are. Intuitive eating has really helped me to overcome my calorie counting obsession.
Great post Emily! Sounds like a great resource for so many who need it out there.
Thank you, Jessica!
Fantastic post Emily. I couldn’t agree with you more- quality is so much more important than quantity. Sharing this now!
Thank you so much for sharing, Jess!
This is such a great post! So many people will benefit from this post! I loved reading it!
Thank you so much, I appreciate the kind words!
Fist pumping my way through this whole article!! I love how you break it down and really make it possible for people to get that it’s not just calories and WOAH on the package differences
Thank you, Amanda! I will take the fist pumps all day long!
Great post! It’s so important to know the truth when it comes to calories. You’ve taken a topic that can be confusing and explained it so well!
Thank you so much, Taylor, I really appreciate that!
I’ve never actually counted calories but I’ve definitely gone through restrictive phases and just felt blah! Food should be enjoyed!
Yes, exactly! We must resist restriction!
Thank you for the article, there’s a lot of conflicting information out there. I put on a few extra pounds after the holidays and started tracking everything I ate and counting calories to get back on track. After months with no results, and in fact clothes getting tighter (despite working out consistently), I met with an RD and had my basal metabolic rate and thyroid tested. My BMR was 1300 so the RD suggested reducing my 1500 calorie daily limit to 1200- I told her I knew from experience that wasn’t enough to fuel my workouts, so she suggested 1400. After several months at 1400 calories a day and no results I gave up and ate intuitively. After just a month or so my clothes are already fitting better. But it’s so frustrating when a clinical RD at a university system doesn’t have better advice than to reduce to 1200 calories a day for someone working out 5-6 days a week.
UGH I am so Sorry to hear this Emily! That sounds so frustrating, but I am SO glad that you were able to discover Intuitive Eating <3 I hope you are doing well xoxo