10 Real Life Reasons Not To Count Calories While Losing Weight

The traditional method of weight loss is based on the fact that there are 3,500 calories in one pound. Therefore, in order to lose one pound per week (which, by the way, is totally healthy) you have to eat 500 calories less than you normally would per day. If you want to lose more than that per week, you have to decrease your caloric intake even further.

Before you continue reading you have to understand that I believe the above "traditional" method is based on a lot of truth. You could probably count calories and be wildly successful! However, here are 10 reasons why I personally chose not to count calories as I lost 47 lbs:

1) Counting calories might have worked for you in the past or someone you know, but it doesn't work for me. I know this from experience. You might think that one year ago I decided to lose weight for the first time ever and it just magically happened. Well, it didn't. In fact, call my mom sometime and she'll confirm that this accomplishment has been many years in the making (I've struggled with my weight since I was 11 years old).

2) Counting calories made me care more about the "number" of the item I was putting in my mouth rather than if that thing was actually good for me. If I had 100 calories left at the end of the day, my natural instinct was to choose a chocolate chip cookie or a piece of candy instead of an apple, or celery sticks with almond butter. When you count calories you can choose to eat one of two ways:

Way one is how I ate when I counted calories: tiny portions of high calorie, low-nutrient foods. Things like cookies, pizza, soda, etc. You can definitely eat these foods and stay at or even under a low caloric number. When I counted calories I could eat like this and still see weight loss, but I certainly didn't feel that great. In short, I was under-fed AND under nourished.

The second way to eat while counting calories is a diet filled with high volume, nutrient dense foods---- things like fruits and veggies, whole grains, lean proteins (the things we should all be eating anyways). You can eat a LOT more food on a 1,400 calorie diet built with healthy foods than if you are eating unhealthily. You can also see weight loss results and nourish yourself in the way you should so that your body (though it is consuming less) is never under-nourished.

Unfortunately when I was calorie obsessed and counted them ALL the time I never chose to eat the second way. I had this mindset that I'd rather starve than put a veggie in my mouth.

3) Counting calories became an addictive behavior for me. When I started counting calories at the age of 16 (for the purpose of losing weight) I was tremendously successful, especially at first! The more the number on the scale went down, the more calorie obsessed I became. I cut more and more calories out of my "daily" allowance and I measured everything. Eventually I was consuming less than 500 calories per day (and that isn't including the calories I burned running 4-8+ miles per day).

4) When I counted calories, I hit plateaus more frequently in my weight loss. When you drop the number of calories you eat you'll see weight loss at first but eventually your body gets used to that number and then all of a sudden you can't lose weight as easily. At that point there are healthy things you can do to break through a plateau, but most people just drop their calories down even more and the same thing ends up happening again later. Ive heard people say that the last 10 pounds are the hardest to lose, and that is because of these plateaus! For me the last 10 pounds were the easiest to lose--- the hard part was getting the ball rolling. 

5) Counting calories made me feel deprived. I felt like I couldn't go out to eat with friends, or if I did I felt like I had to know the nutrition facts for every single dish at that establishment.  I felt chained to a number. If I reached that 1200 calorie limit at 2pm I felt the need to starve myself for the rest of the day! Psychologically, I felt very limited which didn't make counting calories a positive experience for me.

6) Counting calories made my body very unforgiving. If I ever exceeded that incredibly low number i was supposed to be staying at or under, I gained weight back super crazy fast. Once while counting calories, I went on vacation and I gained 20 lbs back during a 2 week period of time--- true story.

7) Counting calories helped me develop a very unhealthy relationship with food and with exercise. I wasn't eating how I should have been. I punished myself with exercise if I ate too much. I wasn't exercising because of the mental and physical benefits, rather I was exercising so that I could reward myself with more unhealthy food.

8) Counting calories for me resulted in a diet that was too restrictive. Like 80% of the people who participate in restrictive "diets" I gained all of the weight I lost and more back within the first two years after the weight was lost. Yo-yo dieting is a crappy way to live--- once again, I'm speaking from experience.

9)  When I counted calories it felt like I was going to have to do it for the rest of forever. It's just not maintainable, at least not for me. When you lose weight you should absolutely develop MAINTAINABLE habits. Because, well, weight maintenance is a different ball game than weight loss but its easier if the good habits you've developed are ones you can stick with.

10) Not counting calories has set me free. It has helped me learn how to listen to my body and give it what it actually needs. It has helped me care about what I consume and if it is actually good for me. Not counting calories has made me a more relaxed, less obsessive person with a lot more self control.

Before this post is over I just have to say one more thing. Losing this weight has helped me develop better habits which is why I suspect that I'll be able to maintain this weight loss. I also anticipate having more children, going through hard life experiences, and having periods of time where I don't take care of myself as well as I should. In other words I didn't reach my ultimate health and weight loss goal just to clap my hands, do a dance, and call it good. My work isn't over yet.