Why I Don't Count Calories
When I was younger, I remember my parents doing a restrictive diet and all of us having to suffer through eating mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes. They had to count calories. While the diet worked, it was not very effective long term. I think about this often- why do most diets fail? Why do most people end up gaining weight back after finishing a diet?
I have mulled this over for a couple of months now and I think a lot of it goes back to the toxic load in our bodies. Basically, I don’t necessarily believe that the food is what is making a lot of Americans overweight these days. I think a lot of it is the junk that accompanies our food and the stuff we are putting on our bodies, too.
For instance, just today I was talking to a woman that said she had gained 10 pounds in the past month. No diet changes, no exercise changes- she had no idea why. I had her tell me what she was eating for each meal and, honestly, she was eating well-balanced meals (good fats, adequate protein, etc). Yet, she still gained 10 pounds. As we continued the conversation, I found out more information. She has diet sodas every day and “sugar free” creamer. I didn’t have the heart to tell her what I was truly thinking: “it’s probably toxins built up in your fat cells”.
I spoke about how I believe that toxic burdens can contribute to weight gain in this blog post. That’s not what I am getting in to today. Today I want to talk about why I think counting calories is a load of crap. You will never catch me counting calories. Ever.
“But Christina! How will you ever lose weight in the future?” Let me be clear: I do not think that counting calories is healthy. By any means. Now, let’s talk about why.
“Zero” Calorie Food
If I am reading a nutrition label and it says “0” calories on a packaged food of any kind- I can almost guarantee that it has fake sugar in it. Sucralose. Aspartame. That’s what you might see on the ingredients list. Fake, man-made sugar that is in no way natural or easy for our bodies to break down when we consume them. There’s numerous scientific studies that have been done that prove that these are linked to cancer. Yet, people continue to guzzle down their “diet” sodas because it’s 0 calories. (There’s also studies that have proven that drinking more diet drinks actually leads to MORE weight gain than weight loss, but I digress).
Eventually, the body will not be able to properly detoxify itself of these man-made chemicals and that’s when the body becomes burdened with toxin overload. When the body can’t get rid of toxins, it stores them away to deal with at a later (or potentially never) time. Where does it store it? In the fat cells, of course. So, say hello to cellulite.
Why I Like Calories & Don't Count Calories
Having proper calorie intake from real, nutritious food is what gives us energy to get through the day. Not only that, but it is what gives our body the proper nutrients for our cells to function, organs and brain to detox, bowels to properly flow, hormones to balance, and blah blah blah.
Keep this in mind- I do not mean that I like calories from things like fried chicken or a cheese burger and fries from whatever your favorite fast-food chain is. That’s not what real, nutritious food is. I like calories from vegetables. I like calories from real, grass-fed meat. I like calories from colorful, organic fruits.
I eat all of this food every day and I honestly have no idea how many calories are in any of it. Never looked. I have no idea what caloric count a carrot has. Who cares? That carrot isn’t going to make me fat. Neither is that apple, banana, sweet potato, or chicken breast.
Counting Macros
I once was given a print out of how many macros I should have each day based on my body fat, height and weight. It had a lot of protein (I think 130 grams) and then some carbs and fats that I needed to have too. At that time, I had no idea what I was doing. I had no idea how to properly get those amounts in with my diet. So, ya know what I did? I ate a bunch of fake, processed junk to “meet” those macros every day.
Instead of getting all of my protein from chicken or grassfed steaks, I ate some peanut butter bar that was heavily processed and had a good bit of carbs in it, too. Instead of having healthy fats like avocados, I ate heavily processed cheese and called it a day. To get more protein, I drank protein shakes that were made with things like fake gums and artificial sugars.
At this time, I was also working out very intensely- sometimes 2x a day. The “Then” picture is what I looked like while I was counting my macros and busting my tail in the gym every day while continuing to eat heavily processed food.
The picture beside it is what I look like now- even after having a baby. It doesn’t take a genius to notice that I clearly look heavier in the first picture vs. the second picture. This picture is proof of why I don’t believe in counting calories or trying to follow macros- I do not believe anyone will lose weight and maintain it while eating fake, processed food. No matter how much you might be working out each day. Instead, what I learned to do was balance my blood sugar. I just dropped my Blood Sugar Balancing Online Course that you should check out if you want to learn my method!
What Works?
Honestly, before my husband did the ChiroThin diet I believed that no diet truly worked- not long-term, anyway. However, after seeing his results and lifestyle changes because of that diet- I do believe in that particular diet program.
Erik started at 227 pounds and is now 178 pounds. After his first (and only) round of ChiroThin, he was down to 200 pounds. He lost 27 pounds in 42 days. And now, over 10 months later he not only has kept the weight off, but he has also lost more weight.
ChiroThin changed his relationship with food and now we eat a well-balanced, nutritious diet daily. Yes, sometimes we will be “bad” and have fast food or go out to eat- that’s just a part of life. But for the most part, we eat real food. Even after those “cheat” meals, Erik has still maintained his weight loss.
Erik before and after ChiroThin
What is ChiroThin?
We sell the ChiroThin program at the Chiropractic office I work at. It’s a 42 day weight loss program that utilizes natural drops (mostly made of amino acids and vitamins) and a specific meal plan to lose weight. There’s 2 phases of the program- the loading phase and the losing phase. Here's a video explaining the details of it.
The loading phase is the first 2 days and it is exactly what it sounds like- you’re LOADING. As in, you’re eating at least 5,000 calories each day while taking the drops.
The losing phase is day 3 thru 42. This is the phase where you follow the diet protocol. You fast until lunch time and then you have 4 ounces of a fruit, 4 ounces of a vegetable, and 4 ounces of a protein for lunch and dinner each.
I tell people that this weight loss program is dumby proof. It comes with a very clear list of what foods are approved and it is a long list! It is not restricting like you might think. The beauty behind this program is that there’s no fake, packaged food that you’re required to buy or eat. Instead, you’re able to eat real, nutritious food the entire time. It also provides a recipe book that has great recipes with a ton of flavor! I was eating whatever Erik made because it tasted so good!
This diet allows the body to reset the metabolism, detox from toxic build up, and balance blood sugar levels- all of which contribute to weight loss. This also contributes to the success moving forward in regards to maintaining the weight loss. It changes food cravings and the relationship with food afterward.
There you have it- my real and honest opinion on why a restrictive, caloric intake focused diet is a “no” for me and my family. If you ever want to discuss your weight loss goals or eating habits, I’d love to talk to you! You can schedule a discovery call with me here! I am a firm believer that anyone can meet their weight loss goals with proper nutrient consumption and daily habits!
If you’re interested in losing weight and making lifelong changes in your diet, you should check out the following blog posts: