Mindfulness is better. Why I no longer count calories:

I counted calories because it was a starting point for me to see the affect my food choices had on my weight. It took me a long time and a lot of mindfulness, but I was eventually able to eat again without thinking about the number of calories in every bite of food I was putting into my mouth. 


The obsessiveness of counting calories affected me in a negative way. The biggest problem was instead of satisfying my hunger, I was focusing on the math equation in my head that would get me to my goal weight.

Why you shouldn't over simplify calories:

• The calorie counts are usually drastically low - the one size fits all number they give in magazines isn't applicable to everyone. It's downright dangerous.

• Take one girl who is 5'8, medium build, and highly active. Take another who is 5'1, small build, and moderately active. 

• There is NO way they can both listen to the same calorie count given in the magazine to lose weight. 

• IFYM is better for calculating closer to your caloric needs, but it still promotes an unhealthy relationship with your food. 

• It's not very simple. It requires you to measure and/or weigh your food so that you eat only what is within your set caloric and macronutrients limit for the day. 

• It's tedious and mentally exhausting. 

Now, I understand that listening to your body seems really, really hard. I mean, it kind of feels like that is how you got here in the first place. But.. that's not completely true.
I'll show you listening to your body now versus listening to your body then is completely different.

The key is mindfulness:

• Eat when you're hungry, don't eat when you're not 
• Give up processed foods 
• Stay away from added sugar 
• Focus on nutrient dense, whole foods 
• Stay active and busy (keep yourself occupied so that all of your energy is not focused on your diet) 
• Join a whole food community: Try Whole 9 Life's Whole 30 program or go to Balanced Bites and join their 21 Day Sugar Detox - they're free! 
• Focus on the entire encompassment of a healthy lifestyle, not just the diet 

Check out my Balanced Health and Balanced Recipes pages for great resources to help you through your journey. 

Why you should practice mindfulness instead of counting calories:

Not listening to my body took its toll on my mind.

Calories were all I could think about and it took over a huge part of my day. It felt at times like my entire consciousness was devoted to what I ate, what I was going to eat right now, and what I could eat later.

There was so much thinking about what I was eating because it all had to be planned; the number at the end of the day had to add up to my "limit". I feared all the time that the numbers would tell me I wasn't reaching my goal.

But at the end of the day, just because I got this number I assumed I would be healthier and one step closer to the image I wanted reflected back at me in the mirror. And if it was a little under? Woo! Even better. But how ridiculous is that?

I may have reached my goal for the day, but bluntly speaking I felt like crap. 

Honestly, I did lose the weight I wanted. But, I would never recommend putting yourself through the torment of counting calories.

Knowing what I do now about nutrition, there are much better and healthier ways to lose weight that do far less damage to your psyche.  The recovery of reteaching yourself how to eat normally is a long, slow, and frustrating process.

I would never put myself through this situation again because it simply is not worth it.

Why IIFYM was wrong for me:

1. I was going to bed hungry. Who even says that the calories I was eating would get me to my goal weight? Was my goal weight even an appropriate weight for me to reach for my body type? 
2. I felt exhausted easily. IIFYM tries to accommodate for your activity level, but how did it know how many calories I really burned in a day? I mean there is no possible way I could be content eating the same amount of calories every single day. Days that I worked out to my max I needed to eat more than days that I sat around all day. The energy source should have accommodated my activity level and thus the amount of calories should not be consistent.
3. STRESS. I worried about situations where I didn't know the calories of my food choices. The thing is a calorie isn't just a calorie! Yes, I just said that. The quality of what you're eating matters so much more. Sure you can be larger than you wish on a real food diet, but it is much harder if you have the right information. You can eat 2,000 calories of sugar and be sick or 2,000 of broccoli and be sick. A diet of junk with 1,600 calories may mean you gain weight, while 2,000 may mean you lose weight. Factors like hormones come in to play here, including ones that make you feel full. You also are affected by blood sugar levels and the macronutrient composition of your diet. Under-eating for too long can also cause your body freak out and can hinder weight loss.
4. I was obsessive over my food. The energy I spent planning my meals for the day was energy wasted. The great thing I forgot about my body was that it wanted to maintain itself at one point. Our bodies aren't meant to drastically lose weight, gain weight, and fluctuate between large differences in weight - aka why yo-yo dieting is so bad.  Our bodies want to stay at homeostasis. Your body has an ideal weight, and if you take care of yourself it will stay there without even trying. 

In the end, mindfulness trumps all. 

Listen to your body and it will love you back. 

Don't count calories. Free your mind and body and eat real food.

For ideas on what to eat check out my optimal food choices list here.

Power to the veggies,

Bee

****** I am not certified in any health-related field. I am not giving medical advice, I am only sharing what worked for me!***********