Calories in vs calories out is BS (part 4 of 4 blog series)
Calories in vs calories out is BS.
YUP. I said it. Unpopular opinion, I know. But it’s unpopular for a reason. The health industry doesn’t want you to know the truth because then you wouldn’t keep buying into all of their products.
Think about it → have you ever felt like you were doing “all the right things,” consuming less calories than you were expending, but still couldn’t release the weight?
I know it’s a lonely place to be in, but it’s actually way more common than you think. And no, it doesn’t mean something is wrong with you.
Our weight is impacted by numerous factors. Yes, the quantity of what you eat matters, but the quality of what you’re eating also matters. Yes, movement matters, but stress and sleep also play an important role.
It’s pointless to zoom in on only ONE area when there are many factors at play.
So what else can you do?
If we strictly go by calories in-calories out, we are actively choosing to ignore our innate hunger/fullness/energy cues. We’re literally training ourselves to tune out and not listen to what our bodies are telling us.
When we do that, our bodies will retaliate.
More important than the AMOUNT of calories you eat, is the actual NOURISHMENT you’re getting from the calories you’re consuming. This is where our good old friend stress comes into play. On top of all of our daily stressors, it’s super important to look at the role that food plays in our body’s stress response. If you’re not properly fueling your body on the reg, your survival mechanism kicks in and basically says something like, “Attention! Stressful situation over here. This body isn’t getting the nourishment it needs. Danger. Danger. Alright everyone, prepare for survival and hold on to all of the fat you can because you may not be eating again any time soon.”
And if the body is even at a low-level stress state most of the time, then you may lose a few pounds here and there, but ultimately no amount of calorie counting or treadmilling will get you where you want to be.
So rather than focus on calories in/calories out, focus on how what you’re eating/doing does for you in that moment. Why are you eating it in the first place? Does your body need the fuel, and is what you're eating actually going to fuel you? This is the time to get curious about whether or not your food choices are serving you (your mind, your body, your energy levels) throughout the day.
✨ Where to start: Gaining body wisdom.
Here's the thing. Our bodies are much smarter than we give them credit for. They tell us exactly what we want and need in order to feel good. The issue is that somewhere along the way, we’ve become so disconnected from our bodies, we make it impossible to listen to what it’s trying to tell us.
Learning how to connect with your body wisdom and build your intuition brings you to a new level of awareness. You will start to recognize the signals of the body so you know exactly what your body needs and wants at all times to feel its best - no more guesswork over here, just living your ultimate life.
How to start putting this into practice today → Hunger & Fullness Awareness:
✨ The next time lunch or dinner comes rolling around the corner, ask yourself why you are choosing to eat at this time. ➝ Are you actually hungry? Or are you just mentally programmed to eat at that time?
✨ The key here is to approach this through a lens of curiosity over judgment - notice how there is no judgment in curiosity.
I'm so honored to be on this journey with you as you unlock a greater level of awareness with your health and mental well-being.
With new awareness comes clarity. And with clarity comes the ability to take empowered action with ease, peace, and flow. No more second guessing if you're doing the “right” thing, no more shame and guilt involved in the process. Just you, stepping into your highest vibration - mind, body, soul.
PS - If you're wanting some 1:1 support, but you're not sure where to start, you can book a free clarity call with me to see how I may be able to help you or point you in the right direction to set you up for inevitable success.
xo, Em