Milly Gaines
Counting calories can be stressful and confusing, and it can be hard to eat only when you're hungry and stop when you're full. Instead of focusing on the negative and trying to eat the least amount of calories, it's better to focus on what the food is adding to your diet. For example, leafy greens for colour, fibre and nutrition, and fruit and nuts for a powerful snack combo.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Counting calories can be stressful | It can be stressful to count calories, especially when you have to follow strict rules and numbers |
| It can be restrictive | Counting calories can be restrictive as you may need different amounts of food on different days |
| It can be confusing | Calorie counts on food packages or apps are only estimates, with a 20% margin of error allowed by the FDA |
| It can be hard to listen to your body | Counting calories can make it harder to eat when you're hungry and stop when you're full |
| It can be hard to get the nutrients you need | Focusing only on calories might mean you skip foods with healthy fats, protein and fibre |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
Counting calories can be stressful and confusing
Even if you have an idea of how many calories your body needs, it's fluid. You will need different amounts of food on different days and only allowing yourself to stick to one calorie level may be too restrictive. For example, you might need more energy (food) on days when you've done a workout, or less on days when you're stressed or ill.
Instead of focusing on eating the least amount of calories, it can be helpful to focus on what the food is adding to your diet. For example, leafy greens for colour, fibre and nutrition, or fruit and nuts for a powerful snack combo. Choosing better-for-you options might mean adding walnuts to your oatmeal to help balance out the carbohydrates and give you satisfying healthy fats. If you only cared about calories, you might skip the walnuts, but end up feeling hungry just a little while later.
It's also worth remembering that calorie counts on food packages are at best only an estimate. The FDA allows for a 20% margin of error on calories reported on nutrition labels, so if your crackers say they contain 100 calories they might have 120 calories or they might have 80 calories (or somewhere in between).
Boosting Calories in Toddler Diets: Smart Strategies for Parents
You may want to see also
Explore related products
It's important to listen to your body
Listening to your body is one of the principles of intuitive eating, which is a great way to break up with dieting. It can be hard to start listening to your body, but it's important to try. You can also add healthy fats, protein and fibre to meals and snacks to help keep you full.
Even if you have an idea of how many calories your body needs, it's fluid. A workout, stress, sleep, illness, temperature—the list goes on. You will need different amounts of foods on different days and only allowing yourself to stick to one calorie level may be too restrictive.
iPhone Diet Tracking: Calorie Control at Your Fingertips
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Counting calories can be restrictive
On some days, you might need more energy (food), and on other days, you might need less. Even if you have an idea of how many calories your body needs, it's fluid. Only allowing yourself to stick to one calorie level may be too restrictive. For example, a workout, stress, sleep, illness, and temperature can all impact how many calories your body needs.
Counting calories can also contribute to more stress, confusion, and overwhelm. Instead of focusing on the negative and trying to eat the least amount of calories, it's better to focus on what the food is adding to your diet. For example, leafy greens for colour, fibre, and nutrition, and fruit and nuts for a powerful snack combo. Choosing better-for-you options might mean adding walnuts to your oatmeal to help balance out the carbohydrates and give you satisfying healthy fats. If you only cared about calories, you might skip the walnuts, but end up feeling hungry just a little while later.
It's also worth noting that calorie counts on food packages and apps that track your intake are at best only estimates. The FDA allows for a 20% margin of error on calories reported on nutrition labels, so if your crackers say they contain 100 calories, they might have 120 calories or 80 calories (or somewhere in between).
Calorie Control for Gastric Sleeve Surgery: Why 1000 is the Magic Number
You may want to see also
Explore related products
$11 $17.99
$11.32 $13.95
Calorie counts on food packages are only estimates
Counting calories can be stressful and confusing, and it can be hard to only eat when you're hungry and stop when you're full. Instead, it's important to listen to your body and eat when it's telling you it's hungry. This is one of the principles of intuitive eating, which is a great way to break up with dieting.
The calorie counts are based on 19th-century laboratory experiments, which may not accurately reflect how much energy different people with different bodies derive from many different kinds of food. New research has revealed that this assumption is, at best, far too simplistic.
It can be difficult to get a good grasp on food proportions and the calories they contain. However, if you meticulously measure and track the number of calories in some of your typical meals, it quickly becomes easier to accurately estimate calorie content without having to actually measure or weigh your food each time.
Calorie Counting: How Many Calories Should Your Daily Diet Be?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Focusing on what food adds to your diet
Counting calories can be stressful and confusing, and it can be hard to eat only when you're hungry and stop when you're full. Instead of focusing on the negative and trying to eat the least amount of calories, it's better to focus on what the food is adding to your diet.
For example, leafy greens add colour, fibre and nutrition to your diet. Fruit and nuts are a powerful snack combination, while yoghurt provides protein and probiotics. Choosing better-for-you options might mean adding walnuts to your oatmeal to help balance out the carbohydrates and give you satisfying healthy fats. If you only cared about calories, you might skip the walnuts, but end up feeling hungry just a little while later.
Some days you might need more energy (food), and some days you might need less. It's important to try and listen to your body when it's telling you it's hungry. This might mean adding healthy fats, protein and fibre to meals and snacks to help keep you full (instead of always trying to eat the lowest amount of calories). It takes a while to start listening to your body, and in real life, you might be running around when you get hungry or want to enjoy a delicious meal (and maybe feel a bit overstuffed).
Even if you have an idea of how many calories your body needs, it's fluid. You will need different amounts of food on different days, and only allowing yourself to stick to one calorie level may be too restrictive. Whether you look at calorie counts on food packages or use an app to track your intake, you're at best only getting an estimate. The FDA allows for a 20% margin of error on calories reported on nutrition labels, so if your crackers say they contain 100 calories they might have 120 calories or they might have 80 calories (or somewhere in between).
Dinner Calories: Counting for Weight Loss Success
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Counting calories can be stressful and confusing, and it can be hard to only eat when you're hungry and stop when you're full.
Instead of focusing on calories, focus on what the food is adding to your diet. For example, leafy greens for colour, fibre and nutrition, and fruit and nuts for a powerful snack combo.
Try to listen to your body and eat what you need. You can also add healthy fats, protein and fibre to meals and snacks to help keep you full.
Sticking to one calorie level may be too restrictive. You will need different amounts of food on different days, depending on a range of factors such as your workout, stress, sleep, illness and temperature.
No. The FDA allows for a 20% margin of error on calories reported on nutrition labels, so if your crackers say they contain 100 calories they might have 120 calories or they might have 80 calories (or somewhere in between).
