Nutrition Nugget of the Week: Calorie Counting
Track Attack
“Calorie Counting” is one of the most polarizing subjects in health and fitness.
Some say it’s necessary to lose weight. Some say you should never do it and you should be able to auto-regulate your diet. Some say calories don’t matter and if you just eat whole foods you’ll lose weight. Some say tracking is too “invasive” of a practice.
I say everyone should track their food - and then try to use that information to never have to track again.
For many, ignorance is indeed bliss. If you don’t know what you’re putting into your body and in what amount, then you can’t take ownership over it, and it’s easier to put the blame on things like thyroid function, slow metabolism, stress, or your parents’ genetic background. These things all can be involved in weight management – but wouldn’t it make sense to start with monitoring the food you’re eating? That's where food tracking is useful.
It would benefit everyone to, at least for a short period, go through the exercise of tracking your food intake. It can be for as little as a few days, but going through the process without any expectations is the only way to realistically gauge where you’re at with your nutrition.
No expectations, no rules, just track.
Then try to address the habits that cause certain food choices. Is it watching a certain TV show? Is it the nightly ritual of wine before bed? Is it that food you always eat when you go out? These things will jump off the page if you actually take the time to track them.
Don't attack the food - attack the habit. Take note of when you eat certain foods, why, and how it made you feel.
Foods are not good or bad but choices can be.
Tracking will give you valuable information. But lasting change will come from how you use that information to create better habits.
Don't just track calories and macros - track your habits.
Your Fitness Pal,
Coach
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