Gabi Meltzer, Registered Dietician, November 2024
Calorie counting may feel like a straightforward solution for managing weight, but, it if you are counting calories (or have tried this), have you considered the bigger picture of nourishment, enjoyment, and overall well-being?
While calorie tracking may offer short-term control, it can create a more restrictive mindset, disconnecting us from our body’s natural cues and the joy of eating.
Instead of fixating on numbers, here are some alternative approaches that I, as a non-diet dietician, use to help my clients build a more positive relationship with food and their bodies:
Counting nutrients!
Focus on Sustaining Power ⚡
Rather than seeing food as just a number, consider how it fuels your body and mind. Nutrients like fibre, protein, and fats provide lasting energy, stabilise blood sugar levels, and keep you feeling satisfied. Ask yourself: Does this meal energise me? How long will this sustain me for?
Shift to a Health Mindset 🌟
Consider how many opportunities you can create in your meal and snack times for the wide diversity of whole foods that our bodies require to not only survive, but to thrive! Each meal or snack is an opportunity to consider getting in fuel, fibre, protein, fats, vitamins, minerals, polyphenols or anti-oxidant rich foods to support our bodies functioning. A plate model can be a helpful tool to think about balancing nutrients at mealtimes (for the most part). By adding more food groups to most meals (and maybe snacks too), you can ensure a wide diversity of all the macro and micronutrients that your body needs :)
True health isn’t about perfection. It’s about habits that support physical and mental well-being over time. Small, sustainable changes count the most in the bigger picture of health.
Consider How Food Makes You Feel 🌈
Calories alone don’t tell the full story. How you feel after eating i.e. satisfied, comfortable and energised or sluggish, stuffed and bloated offers valuable insight into whether your meals are working for you. Noticing these after meal effects can be helpful in adjusting portions or food choices to optimise for foods that leave you feeling nourished and balanced rather than depleted or uncomfortable.
Move Beyond Restriction 🚫
Calorie counting can create a sense of scarcity around food, often leading to guilt or anxiety when exceeding calorie goals. It may even lead to a “what the hell effect” and increase the risk of binge-eating, with an all-or-nothing mindset. Sound familiar? Either on the wagon or totally off it? Instead, adopting a mindset of abundance, focusing on what you can ADD to your meals i.e. colourful vegetables, hearty whole grains, satiating proteins or satisfying fats, is more about self-care than self-control. And what happens when you feel more satisfied, satiated and comfortable from the foods you choose to eat?.... You actually want to continue doing it and it becomes an intrinsic motivation to sustain the healthful practices.
Counting memories!
Prioritise Connection and Memories 🍴
Meals are about more than nutrition—they’re an opportunity to connect with loved ones, celebrate traditions, and create lasting memories. Sharing a meal with friends or enjoying your favourite comfort food has benefits that go far beyond calories, nurturing your emotional and social well-being. In this way, these meals are nourishing another aspect of your health, and there should always be room for this too :)
Food is not just fuel. It’s nourishment, connection, and enjoyment. If you’re ready to discover a more positive, balanced approach to eating, I’d love to help. Together, we can find strategies that work for your unique lifestyle, preferences, and goals. We work together to build habits that nurture both your body and your mind :)
For personalised guidance on finding a more positive relationship with food, exercise, and your body, book a consultation here: https://www.gabimeltzerdietician.com/book-online.
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