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How many calories should you eat? There’s no correct answer because everyone’s body responds differently to food and activity, but if you count calories, you could be in big trouble. Counting calories can lead to dangerous health issues like disordered eating and an unhealthy obsession with food and exercise. We will discuss the top 10 reasons to stop calorie counting today!
A brief history of calories in nutrition
The term calorie was coined in the early 19th century. The calorie was not a unit of heat in the original metric system. According to some histories, Favre and Silbermann invented the defined Calorie (modern kcal) in 1852, and Mayer in 1848. However, Nicholas Clément introduced Calories in lectures on heat engines given in Paris between 1819 and 1824.
The calorie was defined in Bescherelle’s 1845 Dictionnaire National. The term first appeared in English in 1863, as a translation of Ganot’s popular French physics text, which defined a Calorie as the heat required to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water from 0 to one degree Celsius. Berthelot distinguished between g- and kg-calories by 1879, and Raymond used the kcal in a discussion of human energy needs in a medical journal in 1894.
Here are the top 10 reasons not to count calories:
1. Calorie counting doesn’t work
Calorie counting is a very inexact science. The calorie counts on food labels are often inaccurate, and it’s impossible to know exactly how many calories you’re eating when you’re not eating pre-packaged food. It can lead to an unhealthy obsession with food and your weight.
If you’re constantly thinking about food and calories, it can take over your life and become an obsession. Counting calories can make you eat less healthy foods. If you’re only concerned with the calorie content of food, you may end up eating more processed foods that are low in calories but high in unhealthy ingredients.
2. Calorie counting robs pleasure from food
Calorie counting can take the pleasure out of eating. If you’re constantly worried about hitting a certain number, you may not be able to enjoy your food as much. It can also lead to an unhealthy relationship with food. If you’re fixated on numbers, you may start to see food as good or bad, rather than as something that nourishes your body.
Measuring and tracking everything you eat takes up a lot of time and energy that could be spent doing other things. The calorie counts on food labels are often estimates, and they don’t take into account how your body processes different foods.
3. Calorie counting can be costly
The process of calorie counting can be very time-consuming. You have to measure and track everything you eat and drink, as well as their corresponding calorie counts. This can quickly become overwhelming, especially if you’re trying to maintain a busy lifestyle.
4. Calorie counting leads to stress eating
Calorie counting can lead to some serious negative consequences, including stress eating. When you’re constantly worried about staying within a certain calorie range, it’s easy to become fixated on food and your weight. This can lead to an unhealthy relationship with food and your body.
And when you’re stressed about food, you’re more likely to turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms like binge eating or purging. So if you’re looking to improve your relationship with food, ditching calorie counting is a good place to start.
5. Calorie counting works against healthy choices
All calories are not created equal. For instance, a calorie from a piece of cake is not the same as a calorie from a banana. And yet, when you’re counting calories, they all get lumped together. It encourages an unhealthy relationship with food.
When you’re constantly focused on numbers, it’s easy to forget that food is fuel for your body and something to be enjoyed. It can lead to disordered eating habits. If you become too obsessed with counting calories, it can lead to an eating disorder like anorexia or bulimia.
6. Calorie counting negatively impacts health
Not only does calorie counting lead to an unhealthy obsession with food, but also constantly thinking about what you’re eating and how many calories you’re consuming can take a toll on your mental health.
Calorie counting can cause you to miss out on important nutrients. When you’re focused on hitting a certain calorie target, you may not be as concerned with getting enough vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. As a result, you could end up lacking in key nutrients that are essential for good health and can cause you to engage in restrictive eating patterns.
7. Calorie counting prevents weight loss
Research has shown that calorie counting can actually lead to weight gain, not weight loss. Calorie counting creates an unhealthy relationship with food and your body. It doesn’t take into account the quality of the food you’re eating. It doesn’t account for individual differences in metabolism or activity level and can be very difficult to stick to long-term.
8. Calorie counting is time-consuming
Calorie counting is time-consuming. It takes valuable time away from other important aspects of your life, like spending time with family and friends or pursuing hobbies and interests.
It can be extremely inaccurate. The calories in food can vary depending on how it was prepared, so unless you’re a professional chef or nutritionist, it’s impossible to know exactly how many calories are in what you’re eating.
9. Calculating calories burns fewer calories than the foods themselves contain
If you’re trying to lose weight, you might think that counting calories is the key to success. But in reality, calorie counting can actually be counterproductive. Here’s why calorie counting takes a lot of time and effort for little payoff. You’ll still need to eat less than your daily calorie intake – even if you’ve calculated it correctly.
And people who count calories are more likely to become obsessed with what they eat, which can lead to unhealthy eating habits and even disordered eating (where people severely restrict their diet). Finally, all of this obsessing over food leads some people to feel guilty about any extra calories they consume – or too hungry because they’re constantly thinking about food!
10. Watching your calorie intake is counterproductive
It’s ineffective. A 2012 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition followed calorie-counters for two years and found that they not only failed to lose weight but also gained weight. It is also unrealistic. The idea that you can accurately measure and track every calorie you consume is laughable.
Calorie counting can quickly become an unhealthy obsession and it is boring. Food should be enjoyed, not tallied like numbers on a spreadsheet. Furthermore, it eliminates entire food groups. When you’re trying to cut calories, you often have to eliminate entire food groups, which isn’t sustainable or healthy in the long run.
Conclusion
Calorie counting is not sustainable nor is it reliable. We have discussed the top 10 reasons why you should avoid calorie counting. Food is meant to be enjoyed, not counted! Instead, you should focus on eating whole, high-quality clean foods that are nourishing your body and provide essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals that are required for optimal function and health. It is also important to move your body, including exercises such as walking, or other physical activities.
Please let me know, in the comments below, what are your thoughts about counting calories?
References:
1. JL;, Hargrove. “History of the Calorie in Nutrition.” The Journal of Nutrition, U.S. National Library of Medicine, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17116702/.
