Imagine you’re on an amazing date.
You order your food and can’t wait for the taste. All of a sudden your phone buzzes. It’s your calorie counting notification. You reluctantly reach down and tap away to input your guesstimated calories (because the restaurant didn’t provide calories).
Your food arrives. You no longer have an appetite because you realized you’re far past your calorie limit for the day.
And now your date is staring at you wondering why you’re not eating.
Date ruined. Calories counting IS RUINING YOUR PROGRESS. So what can you do instead?
Weight loss should be easy. Food should be easy. The lifestyle should be easy.
Do you really want to keep counting calories for the rest of your life? Certainly you don’t. Lose weight, not your lifestyle.
If you are overweight then listening to your fullness cues ain't gonna cut it as your bodies cues are off. Calorie count while you're in your weight loss phase 100%. Don't need to do it forever just as a weight loss phase shouldn't last forever. Just my 2cents.
Kind of a crazy example right? Unless you have a lunch and dinner date every day of the week this situation really wouldn’t be a problem. Well, the truth is counting calories do works and it trains you into accountability and knowing what’s in your food. It’s not required for life, but it’s an incredibly useful and necessary tool to help you get on track and to gain discipline for when you need it the most.
The fact still remains that calorie counting, or macro counting, educates people on proper portion sizes. Would also argue it provides a structure and ultimately the flexibility for you to enjoy date nights, special occasions, etc. Calorie Deficit is based on Science regardless of what plan you follow it all comes down to Calorie deficit. Whether you calorie count or macro count or fast, the ultimate deciding factor is having the discipline to properly execute any of those methods.
When calorie counting, just don't go overboard. Calorie counting should help BIG time in understanding where things start to add up. Like people who have done many diets and have never succeeded, Calorie counting has worked out great for them, even better than what they expected actually. You do however still treat yourself and maybe should never count calories if going out for lunch or something, but should eat a very very light breakfast and a light or no dinner.
For me personally, I don't think that as a coach you can ever fully disregard one approach in favour of another. As we are all coaching, supporting and living as humans with real life challenges, barriers and obstacles, we need to go in with an open mind and the flexibility to offer what ever support/use what ever method works for individuals. I've been a Personal Trainer/health coach/business owner in both for years and I still track food, it helps to keep me Accountable and helps me keep a real grasp on the food I eat (I'd be wary of any trainer that doesn't know how to count calories). Do I do it always...no...do I always go back to it, even for a brief period of time, yes! Without that basic knowledge of where I am, what I'm eating, I don't know how or where to make changes. If you or any others don't need to do this, outstanding! But if you do and it helps you with your health goals, also outstanding!
Most people absolutely love calorie counting if they don't do it they know they would go over their calories for the day. Some are terrible with calories and that's why so many people are overweight because they tend to eat over their daily intake with calories. You can be on a 1200/1500 calories diet depending how hungry you are for the day. Sometimes you may go over 1200 calorie, sometimes depending on how snacky you get. However, if you're feeling hungry you should just end up drinking water to keep you full for so long. Yoghurt also helps keep fuller for longer too. For some they avoid pasta and bread from their diet. People say carbs are the enemy but they are not totally evil if you eat right.
Always, Learn what’s in your food, but also learn yourself! I think that's the beauty and frustration of the fitness industry, lots of different ways to achieve an end goal. I won’t push if i see I am counting calories and losing no weight. Clearly counting calories is not going to solve this problem. People sit and count then act like the weekend, family events, dates don’t count.
First of all, you don’t have to take it to the excessive point where you ruin a date even if you’re generally tracking your cals. By tracking, you can allocate and leave a suitable amount of cals so you can enjoy the date guilt free and still lose weight consistently, essentially achieving progress and sustainability at the same time. Secondly, calorie counting is a phenomenal way to teach people about how many calories and nutrients are in the foods they eat and it is a brilliant way to improve education for the individual, providing the trainer creates the right perspective and support with the clients mindset. It’s a strategy that is incredibly effective at achieving sustainable fat loss and results. If you hate calorie tracking, there’s validity in the long run you don’t have to track everything you eat (although this will mean you cannot be specific and guarantee results), but if someone who doesn’t understand food reads this and doesn’t attempt or gives up tracking because of it then that’s a shame. It’s simply data that can be used to achieve results.
People who don't count can equally go crazy at social events and on weekends and slow down progress towards goals. There is so much more to weight loss than just counting or not counting calories - emotions/stress/social occasions/mental health/physical health, exercise and activity....could go on and on... Counting calories can be really an eye opening. But that being said, I wouldn't limit myself completely. You should use your calorie intake more as a guideline or a range. It will definitely helped you become more aware about food.
More reason why most people hate counting calories is because of just poor planning. Also, the date clearly isn't fun enough if you're worried about calories. On your cheat days, you should ask for smaller plate or on your next amazing date. And when you are on an amazing date you either take a yummy taste of the "bad" stuff and move on to healthier dish Or I did eat whatever the heck I want and log it to go towards next day or ... Just get back on track the next Day and be happy you enjoyed your night. Seems like a pretty easy lifestyle... And for alot of other people too.
If your someone who thinks calorie counting is working for them keep at it IT WORKS! It actually is one of the only ways that works.. for MOST people. Don't let some of these silly things fool you. Calorie counting in should no way makes you feel that guilty. If you got a date coming, prepare for it accordingly. If that means you fast all day, then fast all day. We all have to find new habits that work for us.
If you were going on a date, why not just go over your calories before you get there? I’d say prepare ahead of time. Just do what triggers your body to burn fat. If you have a problem with breakfast, you should do something like yoghurt and egg, you can also eat pork chops and mashed potatoes at night, using an app to help calculate the calories will help you still within your calorie allotment for the day. Its literally never been easier to calorie or macros count while maintaining a lifestyle. You gotta ENJOY food as well as logging it!
Exactly. There’s so much context that is needed to make a sweeping generalisation and it could really scare people off learning about foods and tracking properly. I know of most individuals that eat some chocolate, desserts and whatever they want within reason whilst losing body fat because they track and they understand and know about foods.
No need to poo poo on people's methods for losing weight. It's whatever works best for the individual. If there's an event where you know you will indulge, then eat less than normal before the event or get in a run or intensive workout. OR just take the hit and go back to regular diet the next day. If you miss your calories count, you just need to move on and ate it anyways. One day won’t hurt.
Read also: The Best Way To Balance Your Calories
I understand why most people hate counting calories and never counted calories and never wish in the future! Besides, they feel counting calories on a date, can just leads to a conversation and makes them look like they care about their body. You always look at the glass half empty or half full, so counting calories can be ridiculous. Most especially, if your overweight and have a eating disorder, counting calories and making strict calorie meal preps is not the way to go. Respect for those who count, but I do think eating more veggies, healthy fats and proteins is the way to go for sustainable health. Choose a healthy option and you will not have to worry. If it’s a salad, ask for your dressing on the side.
One other reason why most people hate counting calories is some see it such a bad habit which they don't wanna go into. Count calories that can leads to eating disorder for them. They find calorie counting or points systems mentally quite a restrictive way to think about food and it stresses them out.
You necessarily don't have to understand calorie counting... if you're eating clean whole foods like fruits & veggies, lean healthy meats, berries, healthy nuts, healthy complex carbs like oatmeal & brown rice, etc.,...all the things our bodies need...why would we need to count calories?
But, I also know of people who don't lose weight without counting calories. Because people just want to lose fat or weight which requires a calorie deficit, so the best way to make sure of that is by tracking. However, I don’t agree with 1200 cal diets or anything with heavy restrictions. Unfortunately, simply eating healthy doesn’t help most people. Healthy foods can have the same or even more calories than the unhealthy version. That is why people count calories. That’s why people work with experts. An expert should be able to teach you about counting calories also teach you how to not be attached to only counting for weight loss.
Losing weight is also about the mindset. So don't let calories counting deprive you of your comfort. I have seen some people get crazy and develop bad eating habits with calories counting. I don't know what it would be called, but honestly they used to be OBSESSED with the calorie counting. It became a curse.
They didn't even want to see food on their plate anymore, just calories and macros.
You definitely could just go by hand and make sure your veggies take up the most space. Calories counting just does not work for alot of people that want to lose weight. Putting obese people on the strict calories diet is only gonna get them gain more weight because they're gonna start to feel even hungrier and get even more cravings for bad food. Trust me, I know what I'm talking about I go to fitness boot camp everyday we see 100s of new faces every year and about 80% of people were on the strict calories diet and could not maintain the diet for even one month I'm not saying it does not work but what I'm saying if it is for obese people who eat a lot you can't expect them to lose weight and adapt to eating tiny portions. It's all the about exercising and eating clean food cooked at home.
Don't ever think that counting your calories is the only way to go to lose weight, it is not, that type of thinking can only cause more stress to your mind and body. By only working out Monday to Friday and still been able to eat the foods, enjoying things you love like steak Hamburgers tacos, French fries and trust me you'll still lost weight. You don't need street food. Everything should be cook at home without all the preserves and high sodium content they put in street food.
That's the whole thing about calorie counting. It can give you a false sense of what the "healthy lifestyle" looks like on the only end. Especially when it's held in such a high regard by everyone out there who fits your idea of a healthy image. I want you to let know THAT IS NOT THE CASE.
Well, that being said. Remember to always look at menus before you go out to a place to eat anyway. If you are just starting on calorie counting, just look at the nutritional info. Log in EVERYDAY. Takes all of 5 mins to research a place before you go because most people don’t like a person who takes half an hour to look at the menu either.
Focus on the habits that bring you success in weight loss.
These habits include:
>> Eating on smaller plates.
>> Starting off the day with a low calorie nutrient dense meal.
>> Eating slower.
>> Listening to your body for “fullness” cues.
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