Stop Obsessing Over Calories

Calorie Restriction and Weight Loss

This is our first installment of our “Myths About Weight Loss” series. We want to inspire you to have a happy belly, balanced body, mind, and spirit, and especially to prioritize your good health. 

Myth #1: Counting calories is the best way for sustainable weight loss.

The theory that calorie reduction will drive sustained weight loss is a huge myth. It’s just physiologically not true. Calories play a small role but are not the whole truth. This myth assumes our metabolism remains constant when actually it’s influenced by our food and our lifestyle choices. 

Calorie counting is also problematic because it makes us use food as a dieting tool. Micro-managing your food intake is not necessary for good health. It takes away from satisfaction and pleasure from eating and socializing. Being at a healthy weight for your unique body is naturally the result of a balanced approach to eating and living.

  • Calories are not created equal. Calories from an apple are metabolized and used far differently than from a sugar-free fudgsicle. 
  • Severe calorie restriction suppresses thyroid hormone which slows our metabolism. Your basal metabolic rate determines how quickly or slowly you burn calories. Severe calorie restriction will lower this. If your metabolism slows down, you will not lose weight.
  • Dieters are reluctant to eat fat. Fat is the very thing that keeps us satisfied between meals. If you don’t eat enough fat, it’s only a matter of time before you crave and eat the foods you were working so hard to restrict.

Calorie counting will not lead to sustained weight loss, but eating a diet that promotes fat burning will. Remember that if you’re satiated, you’ll consume less food naturally. 

If you eat well balanced meals with few indulgences and your clothes aren’t fitting better, I would consider looking into sources of inflammation, stress, and hormonal imbalance. We help people who have tried everything and can’t seem to lose weight.

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“Happy Belly Health has helped me change my entire way of eating and living, I am 5 months in, 30 pounds lighter, and a million times happier!”– Monica U. Vallejo, CA

Weight Loss Tips

  • Put the scale in the closet. Use an article of clothing tried on weekly to assess progress.
  • Try not to be obsessive.Remember this takes time and your body wants to be balanced.
  • Eat good fats from nuts, seeds, grass-fed/wild caught animals. Avoid trans-fats and fried foods.
  • Eat plenty of organic leafy green vegetables.
  • Eat organic and nutrient-dense whole foods, not broken, processed foods.
  • And most importantly, slow the heck down. Savor your food long enough to hear your satiety cues. They’re there, but we usually are too distracted to notice when we don’t need to eat more food.
  • Exercise in a fun way that won’t stress your body out, but will still help you build muscle to increase your basal metabolic rate. Try high intensity interval training to boost your metabolism and ditch the long jogs. Check-out Anjanette Price for Personal Training.

Trying to lose weight? 

Learn to eat for nutrition and enjoyment

Now you can lose weight and feel great with the right supportive tools to finally get long-lasting results while becoming a healthier and more balanced you.

Check out our Curb Your Cravings Program for sustainable weight loss.

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