Lose Weight Calorie Counting – But Understand The Rules!
Within 3-4 weeks, Dan was able to lose 20lbs, which is an excellent accomplishment on the surface. It was around 6 weeks into the program that he confessed to me how he was really feeling.
He complained of tiredness, lethargy and worst of all, Dan’s weight loss was stalling. It was obvious to people that knew him that he was not looking as vibrant as he did just three weeks into this program.
Not all calories are created equal….
You have no doubt heard this before, but may have still fallen for the fool’s gold that is propagated by conventional wisdom. The problem is, when people beginning a weight loss plan meticulously count calories, they tend to show complete disregard for the nutritional value of the source, just like my buddy Dan. People tend to look for quick fixes, for example granola bars, or other packaged foods with a low calorie message on the box. Unfortunately, the most nutrient dense foods are grown or raised on local farms, and may take more time to prepare than a processed snack. No matter which foods you chose to eat, most people would agree that real food is better for you than processed food.
You can not create and apple in a lab and package it, but you can come dangerously close to producing an “edible food like substance” as Michael Pollan would explain it, with the identical nutritional values to that of an apple.
In his book, “In Defense of Food”, Michael Pollan articulates just how the synergy of nutrients in a real apple can not be duplicated in a lab. He argues that like many things in life, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. This is called the synergy effect.
Choose the synergy advantage
The next time you catch yourself looking at a nutritional label give your head a shake! And just consume the real food! (Hint: real food doesn’t need a label).
If you have been tied to a diet that has you counting calories, make sure you are aware of the source of those calories. When you can honestly say that the source of your calories is from nutrient dense whole foods not doughnuts like Dan, then you can continue with the calorie counting.
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Its very true not all calories are created equal in a weird way. I hate calories counting tried it for a few days and gave up. So excellent point you make don’t worry so much if you can stick to whole natural un processed foods. It makes it very hard then to over eat.
Raymond
Absolutely. I tried calorie counting in the past, but too rigid long term. It is much more difficult to over consume calories when you select natural whole foods.
This is sooo important, the right calories make all the difference. there is a big difference in eating 2 burgers in a day vs eating balanced meals through the whole that account for the same amount of calories.
Great points Healthy Teacher!
I think most people miss this part of the equation, and just look at raw calorie numbers. Low cal diets will usually accomplish their goal of dropping weight, but will not produce healthy bodies if the calorie source is poor.
Thanks Alejandro