For what it’s worth, do you think the title of this article is too serious? I did initially, too. As I continued to incorporate ideas as to why calorie counting may be misleading or even harmful, the title grew on me. So much so that it was too fitting and necessary to not use this title! You can all be the judges of that, but I suggest you read on to find out why…
One current and deeply seeded opinion of caloric manipulation (decrease caloric consumption, increase caloric expenditure) is that it’s considered our best intervention to tackle our obesity epidemic [1]. Unfortunately, the projected rates of obesity are predicted to increase and continue to do so despite this public health strategy to halt this widespread disease. Could this be a sign that the caloric approach may be only one piece of the puzzle (if a piece at all)?
I remember my undergraduate classes in University confirmed this “calories in, calories out” dogma. For as long as I’ve known, counting calories have been a “staple” in individual’s diets that I’ve come in contact with, including myself. Oh my goodness! I actually called it a “staple,” much like an important element to a diet…
Anyway, I remember wanting to be “shredded lettuce” one summer (by this I mean I wanted to lose body fat) and I decided to do so through a caloric deficit – decreasing the amount of calories consumed relative to the amount required for current body weight maintenance and body functioning. This strategy was recommended to me by some of my “fit” friends. As a result, I decided to follow in their footsteps.
So I busted out the calculator and notebook to calculate appropriate macronutrient ratios (fancy terms for carbs, fat and protein) and a daily caloric limit. To no surprise, I lost weight initially! Probably because I jumped right into it and drastically altered my eating habits. This effect wore off relatively quickly as it became a struggle to see results. I then proceeded to cut a bit more calories each time I had plateaued with my weight loss, seeing minuscule results after that initial loss. This struggling restriction took a toll on my body, both physically and mentally. So why was this happening? It was like my body wasn’t responding to further caloric restriction, no matter what else I cut back on. After a while I felt drained all the time, constantly hungry, dizzy, experienced mood swings, I was a mess!
Eventually, I found that I was more preoccupied with my extremely messy number and percentage-filled journal than the actual food sitting in front of me! Why didn’t I use a daily spreadsheet to track my macros? Oh well.
Setting aside the extremely time-consuming task of recording everything, I was getting nowhere close to becoming “shredded lettuce.” It was a constant battle between my body, stomach and calculator. I chose foods solely based on their calorie and macro content, regardless of the food type, what it provided nutritionally (or lack of) and my likeability towards it! After the realization that this wasn’t worth pursuing anymore, I halted the “experiment” altogether – the best decision I had made.
Let’s fast forward to now. With the years of education, scientific research and experience, I now actively encourage my clients to not count calories. Do yourself a favour and delete those macro and calorie-counting applications, below is a list of main reasons why it can be detrimental to your health. Most of us have been through this desirable, gaunt-like aesthetic phase, but is it really worth the consequences experienced? Let’s make this short and sweet just like low-fat, low-calorie strawberry shortcake! I mean, if it fits your macros (IIFYM) right?
The Unhealthy Effects of Calorie-Counting
- Fixating on calories may come at the expense of healthier, nutrient-rich foods.
I found that I was choosing those lower calorie alternatives (sometimes packaged, processed foods) over whole foods because of the caloric content. When we restrict our caloric intake by reducing particular foods in conjunction with increased energy expenditure, our body demands more nutrients as a result. Long term, this caloric manipulation and nutritionally weak way of eating may increase the risk of multi-nutrient deficiencies, leading to more serious problems down the road.
- Chronic caloric restriction can negatively impact our metabolic rate.
As a body’s defense mechanism, caloric restriction can reduce our basal metabolic rate (BMR), which has been well documented. Our BMR is a measure of the amount of energy, in calories, that our body utilizes for proper functioning. As a result, the slowed metabolic rate cause individuals to be cold, tired, hungry and less energetic as the body conserves our energy for critical bodily functions. Thus, making it harder to lose weight and much easier to gain it all back once lost [2].
- Takes away from the enjoyment and overall experience of a meal.
This is lost very quickly, especially for individuals who consume meals based on calories. Like I mentioned before, I followed this way of eating where I wasn’t eating anything enjoyable for me, but it favoured my calorie requirements. The goal here is to completely submerge your consciousness in the act and enjoyment of eating. This won’t happen if you concern yourself with quantity, not quality.
- Constantly feeling hungry and thinking of food!
That constant thought of food always hangs over your head, as you surround your life around those precisely formulated meals. The more you think about it, the more you get hungry! Food is for nourishment, but unfortunately, we all lost touch with our hunger cues and eat for all the wrong reasons. These negative thought patterns are an issue, especially when individuals eat foods that don’t conform to their low-calorie standards. This unhealthy attitude towards food can be a risk factor for compulsive, obsessive eating and in turn, increase the risk of disordered eating.
- Establishes a poor relationship with food.
Quite similarly, counting calories can encourage the categorization of “good” vs. “bad” foods based on their caloric content. The issue with this is that it can distort an individual’s perception of what’s deemed healthy vs. unhealthy. It can also increase guilt and anxiety over less than optimal food choices if they do decide to “cheat.” In the end, an avocado may be considered “bad for you” due to its higher calories, when we all understand the beneficial nutrients they provide. (If not, feel free to come and chat with me about them!)
- Supports the underlying assumption that ‘a calorie is a calorie.’
For those working in the nutrition industry and those that don’t, we can still all agree that a serving worth of salmon in comparison to refined, processed pasta of isocaloric (same amount of calories) value will exert very different effects physiologically [3]. Similarly, this notion also implies that all carbohydrates, fats and proteins are created equal – that’s like saying a head of broccoli and a cup of yogurt of isocaloric value are the same. This method of assumption proves to be flawed, lacking merit.
- Increases stress! The tedious routine of journaling.
In our hustling and bustling society, many seek ways to reduce overall stress, not add more stressors! Although journaling is meant to increase self-awareness and can be useful in determining total food consumption, it may induce more stress upon sensitive individuals and can be burdensome. This includes the use of phone applications to help make calorie counting easy and effective. Studies have demonstrated that people disliked calorie-counting apps due to the sheer amount of user input. Rather, these individuals sought after the motivational support to help them achieve their weight loss goals, something that won’t come from your phone or tablet [4].
- The failure to address the root cause of the individual’s reason to calorie count in the first place.
This is a big one, and I see it all the time. Many don’t stop to question the reason they were led to count calories, but still, go straight to it because they automatically assume “cutting calories will help lose weight.” As a Registered Holistic Nutritionist, I help clients with many of their health concerns including weight loss, which they typically associate to a caloric surplus. Helping them discover and correct the root cause of their weight gain is my first priority, and more often than not doesn’t involve extensively calculating and following specific macros.
- Too restrictive, not sustainable – if it doesn’t make you happy, don’t do it!
When counting calories and macronutrients becomes so draining that it overlaps with other facets of your life – there is a big problem. Having experienced this myself, I was uncontrollably consumed in calorie counting that my social life, relationship with family and friends, and ultimately with myself was placed on the backburner. I don’t believe there is a single reason as to why someone can’t enjoy the company of friends and family for a nice night out just because of the food served at the establishment. If the act of counting calories breeds negativity and unhappiness, immediate action may be warranted. The restrictive nature of eating this way is very difficult to maintain – especially when others are affected.
All in all, there is a silver lining – your willingness to change is there. It may not be the best incorporable practice for fat loss, but the “method to you’re madness” tells me that you want to better yourself; change your eating habits and regain that sense of empowerment and confidence in your health (that pep in your step, so to speak). As an R.H.N., I assess and improve the quality of an individual’s diet specific to their lifestyle and health goal(s). I’d rather not have them calculate the “appropriate macronutrients” required to become shredded, ripped, swole, yolked, cut, built like a brick $#!+ house… you catch my drift?
A lot of you may now be asking, “If I shouldn’t be in a caloric deficit to lose weight, then what should I be doing?” I don’t want to leave you hanging completely in the dark. You’ve taken the time to read this article so I owe you that! If there was one thing I could recommend, it would be to shift your focus to wholesome foods as close to their natural state as possible. Something that stuck with me was a saying by a fellow Nutritionist: “When you start eating food without labels, you no longer have to count calories.”
If that last piece of advice didn’t make sense to you, feel free to call or email Absolute Health Science for any of your questions or concerns. I would be more than happy to help! Visit www.absolutehealthscience.com to book a FREE introductory nutritional consultation with Robbie Bellai, BSc., R.H.N.
Robbie Bellai, BSc., R.H.N.