Here at HIITBURN, we do not count macros and we do not count calories. We have a hard stance with this, as we have found that doing either or both of those can lead to many problems.
Counting macros has become a popular thing to do. But, we think there is a better option out there!
So, today we want to share three reasons WHY we don’t count macros and then share what we DO DO and WHY!
1) Not Fueling Your Body Properly.
When you count calories and macros, you are not taking into account your natural hunger cues. Some days, you will be hungrier than others, based on a variety of factors such as your activity level, types of food you are eating, outside stressors going on in your life, and so on.
Many people run into physical issues, when they are still hungry but have already hit their macros goals for the day, so they end up not eating and are tired, grouchy, and starving. If you are hungry, it means your metabolism is working and your body needs more fuel. You should never feel like you have to starve yourself. Our bodies are made to function with hunger cues being a signal that it is TIME TO EAT!
2) Mental and Emotional Distress
Counting calories and macros can often lead to feelings of anxiety, depression, and stress because of the preciseness required for this strategy.
Many people communicate that they feel guilty when they get hungry while counting macros because they aren’t allowed over a certain amount of food and are nervous that they will want more than their allotment. This also rings true for many people who weigh their food (which is often a part of macro counting). Many people feel senses of failure when they go over their calorie or macro allotment by small percentages.
In addition, counting is very time consuming and there is a lot of work required to keep track of the macros and amounts of food that you eat. There is so much unnecessary anxiety, pressure, and stress that comes with counting macros and weighing food.
Stress increases the production of cortisol in your body which is often called the “stress hormone.” Increases in cortisol can lead to your body holding onto fat, weight gain, acne, depression, and high blood pressure. Sometimes stress can initially cause a loss of appetite, but if stress is chronic and ongoing, it can actually boost your hunger and lead to overeating.
It is important to find ways to decrease overall stress in life for overall health and happiness. If counting calories and macros leads to additional stress in your life, it is probably not very helpful for your progress and overall well being.
With all that being said, people easily fall into having their worth be in if they hit their macors or not. So, failing at hitting their allotted macros can make them feel like a failure. Food should never determine one’s worth. We know this first hand. Food should be fun. It is recreational, communal, and literally and figuratively gives us life. We never want guilt or shame to come from eating or not eating food. This is where disordered eating starts to manifest.
3) Over Eating Highly Processed Foods
A trend in the macro counting community is manipulating the macros to be able to eat highly processed foods, simply because the food “fits the macros.”
Similar to ‘calories in, calories out,’ this approach does not tell the full story. As mentioned earlier, different types of food metabolize differently. Often in counting
macros, food quality is disregarded and food choices are reduced down to the types of macronutrients it contains and the amount of calories it has.
A motto frequently used is, “If it fits your macros, you will lose weight.” However, the strategy does not take into account the types of preservatives, artificial sweeteners, fillers, and overall food quality.
A lot of people counting calories and macros eat artificial sweeteners because they don’t add extra calories or count toward their calorie/macro allotment.
It’s important to know that regularly eating artificial sweeteners can actually impact how your body metabolizes and responds to the food. Even though artificial sweeteners typically don’t have calories (or very few calories), they can still cause your blood sugar to spike higher than if you were to just eat regular sugar.
In addition, artificial sweeteners trigger receptors on your tongue that tells your body you are eating something sweet which can affect how your body metabolizes the food, leading to further cravings for sweets.
The point of this is not to say “don’t ever eat sweets or processed foods.” Actually, our point is on the contrary. We want you to be able to enjoy lots of foods freely, without having the stress of tracking and needing to “earn” treats.
People can find early success when counting macros, but it can easily turn into obsessive behaviors and anxiety around food. It can achieve certain fat loss and muscle gain goals for a short amount of time but it can be considered nutrition for “looks” vs. nutrition for health, longevity and for results/looks (which is Intuitive Eating), since macro counting doesn’t take food quality or your body’s hunger cues into account.
Hopefully all of that was helpful and informative to see why you DO NOT have to count macros or calories to get great results.
We have found a WONDERFUL alternative that has changed our lives and given us so much freedom, time, and energy back.
It is called Intuitive Eating.
Intuitive Eating is simply eating when you are hungry and until you are satisfied. As we mentioned earlier, we WANT you to listen to your hunger cue. This can take time to get used to, but it ultimately leads to so much freedom with food and in your life!
We run amazing 30-Day Challenges where we teach more about Intuitive Eating and how to get freedom with any disordered eating you have, confusion on what to eat or when to eat, and help you to break free from counting calories or macros! No more guilt or shame around food!
Are you interested in learning more?
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR CHALLENGE!
