Calorie Counting For Weight Loss - Not As Effective As You Think

I am going to keep todays post very short! I share many videos with my clients to watch in between our sessions for discussion the following week. Over the next few months I want to share some of these videos with you guys too! 

This post ties in with the discussion of mindful eating we had last week (see here and here). I hear the question so often "how many calories does that have?" and I think we need to shift our focus away from counting calories and seeing food as numbers. Anyone with an extensive history of counting calories will tell you that not only is it exhausting and unsustainable but it also causes a change in the way we view our food. Instead of looking at an egg as a protein source containing B vitamins and healthy fats, instead we see 70 calories. At this point in the thought process it would seem like a logical idea to instead have just an egg white instead of the whole egg. This is a terrible idea, as we would be missing out on so many vitamins and healthy fat that is in the yolk. I discourage calorie counting with my clients and instead we focus on portion sizes, balanced meals and mindful eating. 

I would be lying to you if I said that calories DON'T matter at all. However, do we put too much emphasis on their importance? I think so.