“How many calories should I eat?”
That’s a question I get regularly.
Here’s my answer:
1) I don’t know. I can give you a ballpark starting point based on your goals, your activity level, your current health status, your quality of sleep etc…
2) What if it doesn’t matter. What if NOT counting calories was the only way to actually lose weight.
Seriously, if I said to you…
the only way you’re going to lose weight permanently is if you stop counting calories or looking at the calorie count on a nutrition label.
How does that make you feel?
Perhaps it created a positive vibration in your body like a sense of relief or perhaps a negative vibration in your body like a sense of confusion or lack of control.
Just for a second try to go with the positive. How would NOT counting or obsessing about calories be a good thing for YOU?
TRUTH
I’m not big on calories. They are not the first or even the second, actually they’re not even the third thing that I look at when evaluating a food or meal.
I don’t want my clients to obsess about calories. My clients want results. They come to me to learn how to lose weight differently than what hasn’t worked in the past.
Pretty much EVERYONE tries to manage calories in an attempt to lose weight and pretty much everyone lives with yo-yo weight not permanent loss.
I want you to create PERMANENT weight loss.
I want you to believe that ‘dieting’ is a thing from your past.
CALORIES
Calories are a thing but they are not the first thing, only thing or even the best thing to focus on if you truly want to stop ‘dieting’ and enjoy permanent weight loss.
When you put calories first you’ll find that hunger, cravings and a sense of deprivation can be very quick to follow.
Instead, when you focus on eating food that calms your appetite, kills your sugar cravings, increases your energy and settles your anxiety you eat less calories without counting and obsessing.
You create a deficit without making it feel like work.
So, yes, when you have a weight loss/fat loss goal you do need to create a calorie deficit BUT the way you create that deficit is the difference between living on a ‘dieting’ rollercoaster or creating permanent weight loss.
WEIGHT LOSS
It’s a rare person that loves the data – calories, macros, scale weight, all the things. I, personally, LOVE the data but most people don’t.
Most people don’t want to track and weigh their food because they’re already super busy.
Micro-managing food can feel like a whole extra job and no one wants that.
Good news, you can lose weight and improve how you feel in so many ways without micro-managing your food.
Instead of just eating, consider this – learning HOW TO eat for the life and body you want.
That’s it. That’s the big difference.
And it IS a big difference.
Knowing how to support the needs of your body is very different than just ‘thinking’ you’re a ‘healthy’ eater.
BODY TRUTH
What is your body telling you about your current ‘diet’? How would you rate the following (0 bad – 10 awesome):
- Know-how – what will work so that you lose weight permanently
- Quality of Sleep
- Appetite (often hungry vs. hungry a few times a day)
- Cravings (sugar, carbs, snacks)
- Day-Time Energy
- Amount of Daily Exercise/Movement
- Anxiety/Stress
With a quick check-in, HOW DO YOU FEEL?
Do you get a positive or negative overall response?
What thoughts are you now thinking, what’s coming up?
Losing weight and living in the body you want is totally available to you.
If you’re ready to start transforming you body and create permanent weight loss right now click the link below to schedule your free body transformation consult.
Free Body Transformation Consult
I’m Amy a board certified holistic nutritionist, certified functional nutritionist and lifestyle practitioner and certified Life Coach. I help women in midlife understand the changing needs of their body so that they can stop dieting and lose weight permanently. At 56 I live what I teach. Don’t believe the story that your best years are behind you. They are not. Your best years are just starting!