Why I Don’t Believe In Counting Calories
As you guys know, I love me some reality TV. The Voice, MasterChef, Keeping Up With The Kardashians (don’t judge me), and The Biggest Loser are all part of my guilty viewing repertoire. However, as much as I love watching the transformations on The Biggest Loser (unrealistic as they are) sitting back and watching them all focus so much on calorie restricting really tests my loyalty to the show. Counting and restricting calories is not effective when it comes to wellness or long-term weight-loss.
A ‘calorie’ is simply the term that is used to measure the amount of energy that we receive from food. So why are they considered evil?
Calories have simply become victims of the ‘diet’ and weight loss industry and their ploys to use clever marketing to make us all suckers. And boy, are they succeeding. The amount of people I encounter who won’t eat something because it contains a certain amount of calories blows me away. Many of us have been fooled, but we are not looking any slimmer or feeling any better because of it.
It’s believed that in order to lose weight, one must burn more calories than they consume. Let’s consider why this is a load of crap:
NOT ALL CALORIES ARE CREATED EQUAL!
Too many of us fill our diets with empty calories. This means that we are consuming calories, but not receiving any nutrients. The diet industry leads us to believe that choosing something with fewer calories will lead to weight loss, but they don’t tell us that those calories consist of sugar, preservatives, additives, and chemicals. When this is the case, the food will actually be contributing to weight gain, not weight loss – plus it will rob you of health.
Let’s say we had 100 calories of processed chocolate and 100 calories of broccoli – which one is it best to eat?
Or let’s compare …
A large avocado contains about 350-400 calories
A Coke Classic contains 140 calories
A can of Diet Coke contains 0 calories
Which do you think is the healthiest? Of course, if you’ve been having around here long enough you know that it is the avocado. Avo may be high in fat, but we need fat. Fat is good for us, and fat DOES NOT make us fat.
Coke is an example of something that is an empty calorie – it provides us with short term energy, but makes us feel depleted shortly afterwards because it brings nothing else to the table. Avocado on the other hand contains calories that are loaded with goodness – so many vitamins, minerals and good healthy fats to keep up sustained and add to our health and wellbeing.
It’s also worth noting that one gram of carbohydrate is four calories, while 1 gram of fat is nine calories.
A SENSIBLE SOLUTION
So what is the most effective way to ditch the diet, end our tortured relationship with food, AND find our ideal weight? Eat wholefoods! This is a drum that I will bang until I bang a whole in it. And then I will get a new drum and keep banging. Eating wholefoods is the best, easiest, and tastiest way to lose excess weight, feel amazing, be able to eat as much as you want, and find freedom when it comes to eating.
Do you count calories? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic in the comments below.
Positive affirmation for day: I love every inch of myself.
MAKE PEACE WITH YOUR PLATE: HOW TO END YOUR TORTURED RELATIONSHIP WITH FOOD.
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POSTED IN: calories, counting calories, diet, nutrition, wholefoods
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Love this!! I absolutely don’t count calories…how exhausting!! We are whole foods eaters and maintain our weight with healthy foods, exercise and sound sleep.
I’ve never counted calories – What a waste of time! Plus I’m terrible at maths 
Since i learnt the truth about the foods we eat, i eat as much as i want , fruits, vegetables and soaked nuts.. and have lost 10 kilos since march this year. I feel so much healthier and energetic, clear skin and healthy teeth. I will not buy processed foods again. My body weight is now stablized, Thanks for all your wonderful information Jessica Ainscough 
Beat that drum, Jess; the louder the better!
I think from a weight loss point of view the best thing you can do is understand different foods and when you consume them what they do for your body. I actually think since eating a diet based more around wholefoods, no refined flours, sugars etc I have gained weight, but feel a whole lot healthier on the inside!
I wholly believe that not all calories are created equal. But like Sophie – I have gained weight eating whole foods and cutting out processed foods and artificial sweeteners, etc. Every person’s body is different and how their body manages what is put into is unique. I have come to the realisation that being lighter in weight is not necessarily healthier. Also it is possible to have too much of a good thing so moderation is the key – even with natural whole foods.
I counted calories a few years ago and it was exhausting. Whilst I think it can be an easy way for people to drop weight quickly and therefore reduce health risks, it places no importance on nutrients, can screw with your mind and takes a lot of the enjoyment out of food! xx
Well said Jess. I don’t count calories either. Kind regards, Lyall
I loved reading up there about sleep! Yes Emily Lynne, sleep is part of it. I used to eat healthy and exercise but not sleep enough. I ran for my husband and then ran for my kids till I wa sick beyond repair. Guess what repaired me. I put sleep in the equation. (And meditation and prayer) I do not count calories. All my life ( I am 56 years old) I have been on the thin or healthy weight size. No calorie counting for me. Just following the teachings and advice of those who know better than me.
I’ve never counted calories and certainly do not believe in the concept let alone the practice of it. And I don’t believe in owning scales either! This way my health is determined by how I feel I look and how my body feels internally, and it ends up being the internal that is the gauge of my health!
I remember when I used to use Calorie King. Ugh! Fat’s totally my friend these days, I love it and it satiates me, and I love food- I never want to bring mathematics into my diet ever again. xx
I stopped counting calories years ago. I eat a predominantly raw vegan diet, with the occasional cooked meal that is usually a vegetable stew with legumes and tempeh. Along with regular exercise, I easily manage my weight at a very healthy level, and I never think about the calorie content of anything. As long as it wholesome and vegan then I know I am eating something healthy and i don’t worry that it will make me gain weight.
Well said, Jess! I love that you used an avocado as an example- it seems that lots of people are still confused over the good fat/bad fat issue. Great post! x
I have never believed in counting calories! I am studying my certificate 3 in health and fitness and we have to look at calorie counting and learn about it. I will not being advising my clients to count calories!!
Great post.
Jess, thank you for posting this. I’m glad your are going to keep banging on about this because although what you are saying makes more sense so many people have been brain washed their whole lives by false claims it will take time for others to realise companies were just scaring us so we would by certain products.
This is a great post xx
Great post lovely! I totally agree that calorie counting should be out however portion sizes should not. You can have too much of a good thing and your body will store it. Eating too much of anything will cause you to gain weight, and if you have an ideal number that you’re working towards it won’t happen if you’re eating more than you’re using. So everything in moderation
Couldn’t agree more! We – in the U.S. – have such a distorted view of portion sizes. I would much rather focus on having a little of something I really want and enjoying it vs. seeing my food as numbers entering my body. That and I’ve never been a big fan of math… so counting calories is definitely out as a method. Whole foods, in moderation and keeping the processed junk outta my body is my method!
I don’t even like the idea of calories being defined as “energy”. Although we can’t measure it yet, I really believe whole, natural foods contain vital lifeforce energy, which nourishes us on so many more levels (as well as physical).
I had someone come to me today with a heart condition, who was drinking his third COKE yet his doctor said he can’t eat eggs! It was just absurd and made me quite angry … sorry – a bit of a tangent but it is indicative of something very wrong with our medical establishment, and the way people are being educated! Thank goodness for these wonderful places where we can connect and share knowledge and information.
Thanks, Jess
Simple fact #1- energy is measured in calories.
Simple fact #2 100 calories = 100 calories no matter where you get it from
Simple fact#3 if u eat more calories than ur body requires u will gain weight.
I think the point of this article is supposed to be that eating whole foods will improve your health and reduce cravings due to its low GI rating. However whole foods will not stop you from gaining weight if you eat too much of them.
No, Rachel, this is what we have been lead to believe but it is not true.
A toxic acidic body is ill and stores fat. A healthy alkaline body has all the vitamins and minerals it needs and know is not starved of nutrients, letting excess ‘calories’ go into waste.
Even mainstream nutritionists have recently discovered that not all calories are equal- many of the calories from dense, fibre rich foods pass through the body, whereas refined oils and processed sugars are already so refined ALL the calories are absorbed by the body.
When i was unhealthy, I ate far less calories and weighed about 10kg more. Now I eat a very high fat and sugar diet (from fruit, nuts, seeds, coconut oils, etc) but consume NO processed foods. The weight has fallen off and of course i feel so much healthier. I love being able to eat what i what in any amount and not worry about putting on weight.
We have been misled from the powers that be once again-healthy fats, fruits, veg should make up the MAJORITY of a diet.
Good health to you all x
Some time back I had access to all the avocados that I wanted for a number of weeks. I ate about 6 per day and never gained any weight. Avocados have an alkalising effect on the body. If I ate the equivalent of processed chocolate for that number of weeks I would surely have gained some weight.
That’s right Jade, an alkaline pH for the body is far more important than consideration for calories, or glycemic index.
For too long the ‘powers that be’ have indoctrinated the population with distractions like watching calories.
Even the B.M.I. (body mass index) calculation is mathematically flawed. If anyone is interested I can show why.
Kind regards, Lyall
Great post Jess. I don’t count calories either. For me, as long as your happy with your life and have peace in mind, you will not bother to count how much calories you will eat. Just eat, but not too much. The only thing we should avoid is stress. Because “stress” really kills.
I like you even more now I know that you watch Keeping up with the Kardashians
Yes! I wish people would learn to stop calorie counting! Thanks
No calorie counting over here! in fact, I had no idea (until your post) how many calories were in an avocado (wowzers)! I do have so many friends that count calories and who have successfully met their weight loss goals this way – little do they know, their bodies might look better but they are not any healthier than they were 50 lbs ago! Half of their weight loss was attained through diet cokes and rice cakes (iiiccckkkk)!!!
Thank you for your insight! Love following your blog.
Girlfriend, with your appetite that I saw on the weekend (going back for seconds pretty much every meal!) it’s a good thing you love wholefoods You’re as slim as you are smart. Love ya. xx
Nicola » Ha ha it is very lucky!! This is why I get so excited about wholefoods – I finally found a way to be able to satisfy my huge appetite without blowing out! Love you too! x
YES! Can I join your band, Jess? It might be all drums, but I like the sound of it.
I love this post Jess – as someone who works with people who have clinical eating disorders and so many worries and concerns about their body; giving up the counting of calories is a small but great step to having a more peaceful relationship with food. Food is meant to be nurturing and nourishing – not restrictive and bound by numbers!
Thank you Jess. As someone who suffers from Anorexia, counting calories is something I have always done – and all I can say is how exhausting it is!
Thank you for reminding me that I don’t have to do this and that I can actually have a healthier and peaceful relationship with food – rather than restrictive and damaging. xx
Calorie counting has always intrigued me. How has that industry convinced so many people to concentrate on numbers rather than goodness? I love your example of the Avo v’s the diet coke!
Love this post! My brother and I recently had this discussion as he was starting to count calories until he realized that almonds pack the calories, but also pack a nutritional punch! Thanks Jessica~
lol i just had this conversation with a friend
grrr, if people would stop looking at numbers and just eat WHOLE foods, the stuff mother nature provides (+without the use of chemicals and genetic manipulation), so many problems would be fixed.
like you said, i”ll be banging that drum til the end of time
This is a beautiful post.
In response to the ‘simple facts’ written below, I totally agree with you; weight loss/weight gain = calories in + calories out. However, I believe it’s also important to consider that sometimes it isn’t so simple. The connection between the mind and body is an extremely complex one. For some people, the relief from being given the opportunity to f**ck counting calories and focus on filling their body with wholesome, nutritious food, is exactly what they need to make positive physical and mental changes.
Weightloss is irrelevant if we are doing it by filling our bodies with crap…