Today we want to talk about the idea of “Calories In Versus Calories Out”.
By this, we are addressing the belief that if you want to lose weight, you need to burn as many calories as you consume, if not even more. So, since 3500 calories makes up a pound, tracking one’s calories and making sure to burn that many and/or being in a calorie deficit is the only way to lose weight.
Another way to explain this theory is that every calorie you eat and every calorie you burn needs to be tracked for you to reach your goals.
We had a client write into us, “I read that 3,500 calories need to be burned to lose a pound of fat… is that true?”.
This is coming from the belief that you have to be in a calorie deficit each day to lose weight.
This is an interesting topic and a bit complex.
So, let’s talk about it!
First, we do want to acknowledge that 3500 calories do in fact make up one pound.
But, it is important to know what a calorie actually is.
So, we must ask, “What is a calorie?”
A calorie is just a way of measuring energy.
So, you can look at it this way:
Our bodies require energy to do anything. To breathe, to walk, to type, to write, to study, to exercise, for our heart to function, and even to eat!
Our bodies NEED calories to function properly!
But, we have had many clients become obsessed with worrying and counting the calories they consume. They will log every workout in some type of calorie counting app and also meticulously count calories they took in via foods with how many calories they burned by working out.
If you enjoy using those apps as a way to help motivate you to workout and stay active, that can be great!
But, this idea of calorie counting and macro-counting can also be a hindrance as this way of counting and thinking is not taking into account many other elements of overall health.
This mindset can also lead to obsession of counting calories, which we NEVER support as that can lead to all types of disordered eating and thinking. It can consume you and cause you to put your worth in what you eat.
It is also important to recognize that our body metabolizes different types of calories differently. Our bodies are such a beautiful thing, and learning more about it and how it works can helps to debunk the idea that “calories in vs. calories out” is how you lose weight.
We wrote an article titled, “Are All Calories Created Equal?” We recommend reading it for more info!
All that to say, we find that simply trying to “burn” that specific amount of calories in a week or even in a day will not necessarily lead to results and is NOT what we recommend concentrating on.
The scale is not a reliable measure of progress since it cannot differentiate between body fat, muscle, water weight, etc. So that mindset can lead to a “succeed or fail” mentality as you are fixed to see that one pound of weight loss.
It’s common to be losing body fat but also gaining lean muscle mass while following our principles of eating real, one-ingredient foods. Taking progress pictures is always what we most recommend to track progress. We also recommend being aware of some other ways to track progress, such things as: how are you sleeping? How are your energy levels throughout the day? Do you feel stronger? Ect…
We find that the absolute best way to fuel your metabolism (and see results) is to include the foods we most recommend about 80% of the time while you are listening to your hunger cues. These are ONE-INGREDIENT FOODS! By eating real, one-ingredient foods, you avoid processed foods and added sugars.
With this, we then teach Intuitive eating.That means to eat when you are hungry and until you feel satisfied. That is a far more effective approach to fueling your metabolism since it is normal to feel more hungry on some days than others. We have found success and freedom with this way of eating and living, and ALWAYS teach our clients this!
When someone is JUST worried about how many calories they consume, they are more likely to reach for processed foods–as they may be easier. And, foods that are processed oftentimes have a lot of added sugars, which then are addictive–causing the person to eat even more! These types of food are much less nutrient-dense for our bodies and can keep your body from functioning well at a high level.
So that is what we teach! That also allows for flexibility to not have to unnecessarily stress about counting calories or weigh your foods or count macros. We find that ultimately leads to unhealthy thought patterns with food and your body.
You can actually really hurt your metabolism if you undereat. Many times, an easy fix to someone who has chornically dieted is to simply eat more real food! So, actulaly consuming more QUALITY calories can bring better results. Plus like we said above, a certain number on the scale is not an accurate depiction of someone’s health.
Does any of this sound familiar to you? Are you wanting more information or even freedom in not having to count the calories you consume or the calories that you burn?
We run 30-Day Challenges throughout the year and would love for you to join us for it! In the challenge, you will learn to eat intuitively, help you break away from counting calories, counting macros, and feeling any guilt or shame around food or fitness! We give you 30-days worth of workouts, take all the guessing out of what you should eat and when, and you get access to our private Facebook group so you get all the support you need to reach your goals!
Are you interested in learning more and joining us?
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR CHALLENGE!
References:
-https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/debunking-the-calorie-myth
-https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/theres-no-sugar-coating-it-all-calories-are-not-created-equal-2016110410602
-https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/6-reasons-why-a-calorie-is-not-a-calorie
-https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/534-macronutrients