It is never too late to be what you might have been.
~George Eliot
With holidays smack in front of us, the thoughts of over-indulging on our favorite foods and drinks come marching in. Future diets dance in our heads, assuring us we can fix the overeat come January. Does this sound familiar? If so, join the many of us who have jumped on the diet wagon attempting to correct the over eat by counting calories. Don’t do that!!
My first diet, when I was nearly 13, I counted calories. Somewhere I learned 3500 calories equals a pound, so I became obsessed with cutting back on the little energy rascals so I could lose weight.
At first I lost weight, but soon I became starved for food—particularly junk food. I could not get satiated, so I ate and ate, and ate all the weight back on. I followed the calorie gamut for years, with little success. Sure, I would go down but could only hang onto the weight loss for so long before the ravenous self burst forward, and I binged once again.
The Calorie Lie
Later in life, I learned calorie counting never really proved to work. Some Parisian mathematician/physicist, way back in the 1700s, came up with the idea, and everyone went with it—I mean everyone.
An author, Dr. Zoe Harcombe, PhD, who I first heard as a guest on a Podcast (I’m a podcast junky if you don’t already know) I’ve followed for the past few months, sounded almost like she mimics me when she discussed her work and books, regarding calories, food addiction, hypoglycemia, and auto immune deficiencies.
When researching for this very blog you’re reading, I wanted to see if there was someone, besides myself, on the calorie argument. Guess who popped up? Yep, Zoe Harcombe. Pleasantly surprised, I eagerly read more about her.
If you ever want to read some very important information read Dr. Harcombe’s work. It’s very good. She is spot on with just about everything she writes. I now have several of her books, and thus far not one disappoints.
Dr. Zoe Harcombe is a researcher, author, blogger and public speaker in the field of diet and heath, with a PhD in public health nutrition. A few of her books include: Stop Counting Calories Start Losing Weight, The Diet Fix, The Harcombe Diet, Why Do You Overeat?, just to name a few.
Zoe Harcombe admits in her article, Where Does the 3500 Calorie Theory Come From?, that nobody really knows for sure—and sadly, nor do any of the public health bodies/obesity organizations that use it. In my research, I came up with the similar answers as Dr. Harcombe, that nobody really knows about this calorie promise.
The concept of calories, as a unit of heat, was coined sometime between 1787 and 1824 in Paris. What I learned, that was of interest, calorie counting is not proven to work. Magazines, books, weight loss centers, all jumped on board, on the calorie counting train.
And to date, I am sure many still follow calorie counting—maybe even you. I know my young patients for sure do. In fact, they’re terrified of calories and fat, and sometimes even protein, stocking up on carbs. Why carbs, you might ask?
The Processed Carbs Lie
Well, many choose carbs because carbs are low in calories, and often can be low in fat as well. So it seems this might be just the food to eat a lot of and yet reduce weight. Not so true.
Soon after consumption, the dieter wonders why they’re so ravenous and about to eat the kitchen sink. It’s simple, Sam, it’s because they’re so hungry. Why? Because processed carbs do not satiate long term.
And for the record, diets don’t work… but that’s another story for another time.
I woke up from my calorie counting stupor somewhere near my early 40s, and never looked back, and gratefully maintained the same weight, with normal one to two-pound fluctuations all these years.
The reason I stopped going up and down in weight was because I stopped counting calories and started counting healthy foods, in a balanced way, and made sure it was whole and real.
Eat Real Food
I avoided foods in boxes and bags but rather chose from the earth, in the sky, in the sea, and the land—nature’s food, God’s food. The insatiable hunger went away. The cravings went away.
And the weight went away, and I’ve easily maintained my weight since. The only foods I gave up were sugar, flour, and wheat. And-of course, within the sugar, flour and wheat you’ll find processed carbs.
Yes, out the door they went too!
I made sure I ate my foods in a balanced manner for each meal. For example, I might have poached eggs, a cup of cooked grits, a teaspoon or two of butter, an orange, yogurt, and almond milk for my tea.
Any grains I purchase come from a reputable store, like from places such as Whole Foods, gotten from a vat, where it’s safely stored. No matter the meal: lunch, dinner, and half-meals—they are all foods that are actual foods.
Do you follow calorie counting? How is that working for you? If you don’t, why not? If you think calories are a good thing, I’d love to know. Your views are all important to me.
Share your thoughts by simply scrolling down to the comments section…
Thank you for spending time with me and my thoughts throughout these pages. I hope my words lit your excitement to become your best self for you. I look forward to sharing my newest book with you on how to Release Your obsession with YOUR PHONE. God bless you… and your journey through this life and all that awaits beyond…
Thank you for being a part of the reading blog forum of this blog. If you have something you’d like to say, I’d love to hear it. YOU are important and your words need to be heard. I’m here for you.
Stay tuned…you never know where my mind will wander…
Hugs to you, I care!
Counting calories for me was a nightmare. Thanks for writing this Doc.
Thanks for writing this
My pleasure Monica!!
You can count calories by writing down every food or drink that you consume (except water or unsweetened coffee or tea, which don’t contain any calories) and what amounts. Then, look at the nutrition label on the food packaging. It should list how many calories are in a certain serving size. From that, figure how many calories you took in from that food and write it down. For example, if a 1/2 cup serving of corn flakes contains 120 calories and you ate 1 cup of corn flakes, then you ate two servings which equals 240 calories. After you’ve written down the calorie amounts for everything you’ve eaten, add them all together and see how many calories you’ve eaten all day.
It sounds like you count calories Anna! I’m happy it works for you.