Should You Trust Calorie Counts on Menus?

Should You Trust Calorie Counts on Menus? This NY Times article poses a great question. Read our response below.

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Calories Schmalories!

A Better System for Losing Weight and Feeling Great

Counting calories is equivalent to fueling a diesel engine with gasoline. It MIGHT get us where we want to go short-term, giving us a false illusion that it’s revving our engine while, under the hood, we are breaking down.

Eliminating processed foods like sugar, flour, and highly processed oils and replacing them with nutrient dense whole foods such as veggies, legumes and organic free-range meats will not only get you where you want to go, but will truly rev your engine and get you there sparkling and happy rather than sputtering on your last wheel.

Start with quality over quantity. Your body will share the rest of the details with you. Each of us is unique and what works for one person may not work for another.

I worked with a couple that exemplified this. Let’s call them Jack and Jill.

Jack was 6’4 over 230 pounds. Jill was a petite 5’2 and starting at 115. Jack had been working out regularly with a trainer and was working with a nutritionist who had him counting calories. Jack would start to lose weight but then would sabotage himself because of extreme cravings. He was caught in this viscous cycle and could not lose weight no matter how hard he tried. In this equation, of course, we would assume that Jack needed significantly more calories than Jill. 

Our programs are based upon fueling with the most nutrient dense foods available and concurrently eliminating everything processed. Often what we think we need is very different than what we actually need. Starting intake on Day 1 is the same for everyone but you will be modifying this very quickly, based upon what your body is sharing with you. We show our clients how to listen to their body. And our bodies will share, loud and clear. There is nothing esoteric about it. Day 1, your body will share with you – too much? Too Little?

Jill was absolutely ravenous and needed significantly more food. Jack was stuffed! No wonder he couldn’t lose weight. He was overfilling himself and with the wrong foods. Jack lost over 30 pounds and has maintained that weight loss, cravings free. He learned not only what to fuel himself with, but how much his body really desired.

- Kim Love