“Calorie counting is boring…”

Yes, well so is keeping track of your spending but you have to do it to make your money last the month without going into debt, or so you can save up for that holiday, etc. It would be nice to not have to do it, but is that realistic?

In my opinion, while calorie counting might not be the most exciting thing about weight loss, when you start to notice and understand what difference it can make to your decision making, and therefore your results, it DOES get exciting.

My client Sarah shared an epiphany moment recently about how helpful simply checking the calories in a bag of crisps was, when she fancied a treat that she hadn’t planned for.  She had found herself running late from a meeting, and was hungry and ended up in the supermarket (sound familiar?)

Here’s what she said:

“I worked out the calories, looked at my plan for the day and realised if I ate the packet I would still be in my calories, so I did! In the past I wouldn’t have counted the calories, thought I’d blown the day, probably got a high calorie sandwich as well (instead I bought some beef slices and had that with salad etc when I got home), and then carried on munching for the rest of the day.
Because I really thought about what I was doing, everything was in control, I stayed within my daily calories“.

How empowering is that?

 

Here are the three biggest objections I hear about calorie counting:

I don’t have the time…

It’s too difficult…

It’s boring…

Read on to find out how you can obliterate all of these objections and make calorie counting work for you*…

Devious little critters!

But what even are calories?

You may have heard that calories are those devious little critters that sneak into your wardrobe at night and stitch your clothes a little bit tighter.

Unfortunately of course, it’s not the calories….it’s how many of them we consume that do that!

Calories are simply a unit of energy (1). It’s a way of measuring the amount of energy that is in our food and how much energy we are burning. Calories are a useful way of counting the amount of energy that we’re consuming the same way you measure anything else; pounds or dollars to count money, kilos or stones to measure weight.

If we didn’t have a means of measurement, it would be very difficult to actually know whether we’re over or under consuming what our bodies need. We need to have some weight loss accountability measures.

If you were to search online how many calories do you need, you would find various different sources, including the NHS website, that a woman needs 2000 calories, and a man needs 2500 calories (1).

However, these are only ballpark figures. They are averages – and nobody is average. So, what does this mean for you?

 

We’re all different 

Everyone’s daily calorie needs are going to be different from the next person. A basic rule is that the bigger the body, the more energy it will need to move and function. Smaller bodies use less energy (2).

Other factors will also influence this, such as body composition. The more muscle tissue we have, the more calories we are able to burn, to a degree (2).

Our fat stores, unfortunately, do not burn anything like as much energy as our muscles do, therefore the more muscle we have, the bigger need for energy, therefore, the more calories we burn.

But how do the calories we eat make us gain weight?

Simply by consuming more than we are burning.

 

How do you know how many calories you need?

You can find out how much energy you need to consume by using an online TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) calculator. There are many of them around.

But to be honest I am not a fan of them as they don’t know the real you and how you like to eat. They also put emphasis on calories burned which can distract from the fact that it’s how much energy we consume that makes by far the biggest difference to weight loss or gain.

In my opinion the best way is to use an online calorie counting app, or even just pen and paper and Google, to write down everything you are currently consuming, based on how you like to normally eat, and monitor how that is impacting on your weight over a period of 2-4 weeks.

Do it in real time if you can as we are not hard-wired to remember everything we ate, so it’s easy to miss things out.

If your weight is stable over that time, you will have the information you need about how much to adjust your intake by to lose weight. Dropping by 200-500 calories from your normal daily average will give you a nice steady and manageable rate of weight loss without having to change too much. Although it’s always a good idea to look at improving the quality of your intake over time as well, and nutrient dense foods will generally go further and fill you up more.

If your weight is going up, and/or you find your eating patterns are chaotic, then you know you have a bit more work to do as the gap is bigger between what you are doing to gain and what you need to do to lose. Aim for maintenance and gaining stability as an intermediate step, otherwise it’s going to feel miserable!

The first time I did this exercise myself I found I was consuming an average of 3500 calories per day, and not much of it was of good quality nutrition. It was therefore a massive penny drop moment as to why I was gaining 1-2 pounds per week! It enabled me to look at where I could make simple changes to reverse the trend and also clean up my diet.

We tend not to track when we’re not trying to lose weight so this can be a very eye-opening exercise. Take a look at the programme Secret Eaters and you will see what I mean.

If your weight is going down then you know you’re already in the right place for weight loss and will understand how many calories you need to continue to make it happen. If it’s going down quickly then you would be wise to eat a bit more, as fast weight loss without following a formal nutritional plan can lead to malnutrition and loss of muscle, making it much harder to keep off.

Doing this exercise will teach you far more than just following a meal plan or an online calculator’s suggestions, and you can apply it to any situation as you will have the knowledge and understanding you need to make more effective decisions. You’ll be able to see where you can make the savings, just like when looking at how you’ve been spending your money when needing to make cut backs.

How can that be boring? 

It also doesn’t take long. Isn’t it worth a few minutes of your day when it can give you so much information to guide your decision-making?

As for being difficult, there are various ways to do it… and once you’ve done the initial searching for the foods and drinks you like to eat you have the information and can rinse and repeat it, saving you time and effort.

If you don’t like technology there are calorie directory books you can buy and accompany with a notepad and pen.

So none of these objections are really valid…

It’s like the old saying goes.. if you want something enough you’ll find a way, and if you don’t you’ll find an excuse. But it has to be worth it to you… When you can see for yourself just how empowering it is, and how much more likely you are to get results, you’ll want to do it.

I’ve been helping clients for 5 years now and one thing I have found to be true… those who calorie count consistently and accurately tend to get better results than those who don’t. For the simple reason that they have the information they need to make their eating decisions, which means they are less vulnerable to emotional eating and more able to stay rational in their choices.

With the right support to understand their nutritional needs and maintaining a constructive mindset calorie counting really is an effective way to manage your weight, just like knowing how much money you are spending an effective way to manage your bank balance.

So why not give it a try?

 

Here’s why calorie counting is so important… 

Our bodies are looking out for us and encouraging us to eat when food is available so we can store the surplus for later. This evolutionary survival process is there to to assist us for times of hardship, but is actually what’s causing us to develop excess fat on our bodies.

Our body fat is just an energy storage facility, like the logs you might store up during the summer to put on the fire in the winter.

The Law of Conservation of Energy, which you may remember from school, states “energy can neither be created nor destroyed – only converted from one form to another” (3).

If we apply this to calories, when our bodies don’t need to use all the energy from the food we’ve eaten, it will store it for later as fat deposits (1). If there’s not been enough going in, then we are in a calorie deficit, and our bodies will draw upon the stored energy from fat cells (4).

This is why a calorie deficit is so important for fat loss. Without one, all our earlier stored energy never gets used, compounding with new unused energy stores, leading to excess fat.

If we don’t know how much we are consuming, how do we know if we are overconsuming?

Weight gain can be insidious, creeping up over time, so we don’t notice it happening. Remember lockdown when everyone was living in tracksuit bottoms? Then when lockdown ended and they went to put their work clothes back on and they didn’t fit?

 

Those damn weak-ends

It’s very easy to forget about trying to lose weight, especially when we’re stressed and caught up with life, to pay attention to how much we’re eating and drinking. And the weekends are for most people the most challenging times. 

It’s very easy to think,  “I’m not eating that much, so I don’t understand why I’m putting on weight.”

We know we need to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight. But perhaps we don’t want to count the calories as we’ll feel like we’re judging ourselves over the amount of calories we see going in, and maybe we don’t really want to know.

The days we’re not trying to lose weight, or the days we overindulge and so decide not to count calories, are where it can get tricky. We don’t want to know.  But by hiding from it, we won’t know how much we’re overdoing it by.

This is when we really need to pay attention to how much energy is going in. Like Sarah did.

Think of it like shopping with a contactless card without checking prices. A little bit here, a little bit there and before you know it, you’ve massively overspent.

The same applies with food and not knowing what you’re eating.

It’s not just about counting calories on specific days when we’re trying to achieve a deficit, but recording what you’re eating on the days you’re not actively trying to lose weight.

This will enable you to see just how much energy is going in.

Once you know your current intake, based on what you normally do, you can make much more informed decisions about how much to eat.

It’s not about ridiculing or judging ourselves but seeing just how many calories we’re consuming. It allows us to be more aware of the reason why we might have put a couple pounds on that week, as on the weekend we might have consumed way more than we thought.

When we are consuming foods that are very energy dense, especially those ultra-tasty, ultra-processed foods, it doesn’t take much  volume of food to hit several thousand calories.

But if we’re not counting calories, how would we even know? It’s so easy to say, ‘well I don’t eat that much’, but eating very energy dense foods, even a small volume can add up to a substantial amount of calories in a very short space of time.

That’s why, if you really want to understand why you’re putting on weight/not losing any, just track exactly what you’re currently doing. Don’t put a limit on it, don’t set yourself a calorie goal, just track what you’re currently eating and get to know how your body works.

 

Get to know how much energy you’re actually taking in

The chances are, you probably end up taking in a bit less if you’re monitoring it simply because you’re paying more attention. And it’s hard for us as humans to not alter our behaviour once we shine a big spotlight on it. But my suggestion would be to just see how much energy you are actually consuming. See what it adds up to.

And make sure you include the days you least want to track, like the weekends, as those are the most important days to track as it brings home just how much is going on in terms of overconsumption.

Now with this, there is a danger of beating ourselves up knowing how much we’re over-consuming.

To avoid this, we can try and step outside of that and tell ourselves that this is to better understand our situation to help achieve our weight loss journey. It’s not a personal judgement. Knowledge is power.

 

Don’t judge, just look at the facts

The same way we wouldn’t tell someone who was really struggling with their money not to watch what they are spending, it’s not helpful to tell someone struggling to lose weight to not to count their calories or not pay attention to how much they are eating.

We would tell them the opposite to see exactly where their money is going; then they can see where they can start making savings. The same principle absolutely applies to calorie counting and weight loss.

Take the judgement out of it and just look at the cold, hard facts. Watch how much energy is going in, figure out where can you start making savings, and use that as the place to start.

Therefore, counting calories is encouraged simply because it raises our awareness, no matter the diet program we follow. If we’re not aware of how much energy is going in, we’re learning nothing about what we’re eating and what our bodies actually need.

Even if you are following a diet programme that has already done the calorie counting for you, maybe spend a few days observing how many calories are going in from the programmed meals.

This will show you the deficit your body needs to lose weight. The more knowledge you have, the more power you have over what you’re going to do. Remove the judgement and look at things objectively because, ultimately, its extremely difficult to manage our weight in the world we live in.

 

Food takes up too big a part of our lives

It’s not surprising it’s so difficult to lose weight or manage our weight with the bombardment of food adverts everywhere.

If you live in a town or city, even villages, you can get takeaways delivered within 20 minutes from whatever food outlet you like. Food is, unfortunately, a far too big a part of our lives than is healthy for us these days.

To succeed with weight loss we need to find a way of living in this world. We need to still be able to enjoy our food and be sociable but without damaging our health in the process. Learning how much energy we’re taking in can really make all the difference. That’s why I suggest you try counting your calorie intake without setting a goal and just see what happens.

Consistency really is the key.

What often happens is we’re really contained during the week, sticking to our calorie goal, say 1500 a day, following it religiously. The weekend hits and here comes a couple takeaways. This completely wipes out the calorie deficit we created in the week. We may have even ended in a surplus for the week.

When we don’t count calories at the weekend, we think it won’t matter, but it really does matter. When we refuse to count our overindulgent weekends, we are self-sabotaging our own success. If we continue doing this, not being consistent with our energy intake, we will consistently overeat without realising it.

 

The perfect balance to aim for 

Another thing to bear in mind is the quality of what we’re eating. We want to make sure we’re getting good, nutritious food. When we’re eating nutrient rich, tasty food, it tend to be lower in calories. It can also help fill us up more, and help to balance our blood sugar reducing the likelihood or severity of cravings. This means we can eat a greater volume of food and be more likely to be within our daily calorie goal.

The ideal to aim for is best value between the amount of energy you’re consuming, the quality of that energy, but also making sure you actually enjoy what you’re eating. There’s no point wasting calories on foods we don’t like!

A very important thing to remember is that we can eat the healthiest diet in the world. But if we’re still eating too many calories, because we’re still eating a lot of it, we’re still not going to lose much, if any, weight. It’s about getting that balance right between those three: the amount, the quality and the enjoyment of your chosen calories.

 

What you can do…

So, to leave you with one thought – try this little exercise on yourself:

Count your calories without setting a limit or a target. Just look at what you normally eat. That includes snacking. That includes late night tasty treats. You think that one biscuit every time you pass the tin doesn’t count, but it really does when you add them up. When we use the monetary comparison again, ‘take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves’ – same applies here. Think about it.

Count your calories, even on the days you really don’t want to – they’re the most important. Keep an eye on the situation with your weight. See if it’s stable, then you know if what your eating is working for your goal. If your weight is going down, you know you’re in a deficit.

If your weight is going up, then you need to look at where you can make some savings in your day.

You may realise you eat more than you think on days you’re not trying to lose weight.

So rather than looking at calorie calculators online, figure out your own body and see what calories help you hit your ideal weight.

Need support in doing it? That’s one of the things I am here for… so get in touch!

 

*Note
Calorie counting is not always the best approach, especially for some people with a history of eating disorders. There are other options that can be more helpful and when I work with my clients together we decide on the most appropriate way of managing food and drink intake which may or may not involve calorie counting. Please get in touch if you need advice and support in this area and I can either help you or signpost you to other services.

 

With thanks to contributing author James Jones, BSc (Hons) Psychology (1st class), PT (L3)

 

About Claire Jones

Claire Jones of YourOneLife Healthy Weight Solutions, is a multi-award-winning Sustainable Weight Loss Coach, Mentor, Therapist, Speaker and Author of the popular book “How To Eat Less”, available on Amazon.

She helps people learn how to confidently manage their weight well for life, after successfully managing her own weight since 2011, following a 25 year yo-yo dieting battle.

With a career background of over 25 years spanning the NHS, HM Prison Service, and the UK Fire Service, she has seen first-hand what happens when people don’t look after their health, and has a natural desire to help and to serve those in need.

However, it was after overcoming decades of yo-yo dieting and learning how to look after her own health, that she found a particularly unique way to be of service.

She realised she had found an effective, unique and sustainable solution to the weight loss and regain cycles that so many go through, that cripples their confidence and holds them back from the lives they really want.

She is known for her relatable, down-to-earth manner and for helping her clients finally crack the code to their healthy weight and happiest selves.

She offers both standard and bespoke packages to work with her intensively on a one-to-one basis, as well as lower cost options to suit more limited budgets.

You can find out more about her services by clicking here.

 

References and Further Reading

 

1) Understanding Calories – NHS website (2019).

• “The amount of energy in an item of food or drink is measured in calories / when we eat and drink more calories than we use up, our bodies store the excess as body fat / the average man needs around 2500kcal (10, 500kJ) a day to maintain a healthy body weight, for an average woman that figure is around 2000kcal (8400kJ)”
• https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/managing-your-weight/understanding-calories/.

2) Control of energy expenditure in humans – Westerterp, K. R. (2016).

• “Energy expenditure in humans is determined by body size and body composition, environment and behavior. A larger body, especially a larger fat-free mass, requires more maintenance and thus induces a higher basal metabolic rate or resting energy expenditure”
• https://www.nature.com/articles/ejcn2016237#:~:text=Energy%20expenditure%20in%20humans%20is,rate%20or%20resting%20energy%20expenditure.

3) Energy Education: Law of conservation of energy – The University of Calgary.

• “the law of conservation of energy states that energycan neither be created nor destroyed – only converted from one form of energy to another”
• https://energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Law_of_conservation_of_energy#:~:text=The%20law%20of%20conservation%20of,it’s%20added%20from%20the%20outside.

4) What is a calorie deficit? – Biddulph, M. (2022).

• “It puts you into a ‘catabolic’ state, when the body is breaking down muscle and fat for energy”
• https://www.livescience.com/what-is-a-calorie-deficit .

5) What are the signs you’re not eating enough? – Kandola, A. (2019)

• “When someone is undereating, they are consuming fewer calories than their body needs to function correctly. This can have a severe impact on energy levels, causing feelings of physical tiredness and mental fatigue, which may impair a person’s daily functioning”
• https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322157#nine-signs-and-symptoms-of-undereating.

6) Comments on metabolic needs for glucose and the role of gluconeogenesis – Brosnan, J. T. (1999).

• “Carbohydrate has two important advantages, over fat, as a metabolic fuel; it is the only fuel that can produce ATP in the absence of oxygen, and more ATP is produced per O2 consumed when glucose is oxidized, compared with when fat is oxidized”
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10365987/#:~:text=Carbohydrate%20has%20two%20important%20advantages,with%20when%20fat%20is%20oxidized.