Why Counting Calories is a Waste of Time

Many people ask me how many calories they should eat, how many calories they should cut, and often make comments about the calories in what we're eating or drinking. It is common to hear that you should figure out how many calories you're eating, then subtract 500 per day to lose a pound per week. Funny how that never seems to happen to the poor soul who tries it. Dr. John Berardi has a great article about this very topic.

What is a calorie? It is the measurement of the "fuel or energy value of food," according to dictionary.com. How do we know how many calories are in foods? It isn't an exact science at all.

Many people don't understand that this energy value is a measurement outside the body. Once a calorie is in our systems, there are hundreds of variables that can make the calorie act in any given way, including its chances for being used as fuel or stored as fat. Those variables include our age, sex, body fat percentage, sleep deficit, stress level, and any combination of hormones and neurotransmitters that result from the sum total of our state of health and well-being.

Sound complicated? It is. In my humble opinion, we will never figure it out.

What exactly do you need to know if you want to lose fat? A few simple guidelines will help. First, get enough sleep, preferably while it is dark out. Second, find ways to manage your stress level, whether it is yoga, aromatherapy, kickboxing, or talking with a trusted friend - whatever works for you. Those two factors alone will help prevent cravings for the wrong calories.

What are the right calories? They're real food, not edible products, including lots and lots of plant foods (thanks, Michael Pollan). If you see something on an ingredient label that isn't a food, put it back. In fact, avoid foods with ingredient labels, with few exceptions such as natural nut butters with only nuts and salt, or yogurt with milk and cultures.

Every couple of days, fill your refrigerator with leafy greens like spinach, kale, collards, all salad greens, bok choi, tatsoi, mustard greens, beet tops, etc. and eat them with every meal. Make sure you're getting your brassica vegetables every day, including cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and broccoli. Several of the green leafy vegetables are also brassica.

Are there any other vegetables you like, such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, celery, cucumber, radishes and many many others? Every few days, make sure they're accessible and prepared for eating to save time when you need it. A piece of fruit every day is a great idea. The best fruits to keep you on your fat-loss journey are berries of any kind, apples, grapefruit and oranges, and stone fruits such as peaches and plums. Avoid dried fruit because it concentrates sugars and often has sugar added.

Have a bit of meat or fish nearly every day. If you reduce portion sizes, you can save money on the good stuff: grass fed beef and bison, organic chicken, wild caught fish, cage free eggs, nitrate- and nitrate-free sausages or bacon. Read the labels on bacon - you'd be surprised at how many brands add sugar. Whole eggs are fast and delicious, and people like them at all times of day. Fish and seafood are quick, versatile, and a very satisfying food. More on this soon.