How to be Empowered by Calories Instead of Feared by Them
If you've found yourself turning to the back of a food item you bought from the store to check out the nutrition label and calorie count, you're not alone! We've been told to have this mindset of calories that more is bad and less is always better. But calories are nothing to fear. In fact, they can help you in your journey towards making peace with food if you can understand their potential and can see them for what they are...energy for your body! Let's dive into this more!So...calories.
What do you think of when you hear that word? Maybe you've seen the funny definition of them being "tiny creatures that live in your closet and sew your clothes tighter every night." Not a very happy view of them in my opinion. Nor a very accurate one.Calories are simply energy for your body from food. And our bodies need energy to survive and live and move and do all the things from going to brunch with friends to running a marathon.
I also want to address the fact that the whole mentality of "calories in, calories out" is not an accurate one either. Our bodies are a lot smarter than that. We don't have to count out every calorie spent and taken in to maintain weight, and eating more calories than you spend isn't always going to lead to weight gain.
But, what we do know about calories is that they can lead to fullness and satiety. They can help us feel more energized and awake. They are the fuel for all of the processes in our bodies.We don't have to fear calories.I'll mention that, if you've had a hard time breaking free from dieting and, in particular, calorie counting (or macro or points), then first there's some work to be done with making peace with food and your body. But then, learning to look at calories as something that can help you make satisfying meals and snacks can be so helpful!So, check out the video below to hear how to use calories to help you feel more empowered and more at peace with food.
**Warning: if you're triggered by calorie counts, take caution. I do mention counts of foods just to help you understand and not be as feared by the numbers. But, I realize that you may not be at a place where you can freely look at calorie counts. Here's the gist of what was talked about in the video:
Use calorie counts to help you understand potentially how a meal will satisfy you. Higher calorie amounts are maybe going to fill you up more and be more satisfying than lower calorie foods.
Alongside looking at calories, we can't forget to listen to our fullness cues and satiety cues to help us know how to eat...if you thought that something higher in calories was going to fill you up but it didn't, still honor that hunger and eat something else.
There's no one number of calories that you should be eating every single day. And each person has a different amount of calories they require on the day to day. The best way to know if you're eating enough or eating too many calories is by listening and tuning into your body's cues.
When choosing snacks, sometimes your body tells you that you would do best with a higher calorie snack to help get you to the next meal. And then other times your body will crave something a little lighter and lower in calories. Listen to your body.
Regarding meals, know that lower calorie meals (think diet foods) are not going to be as satisfying or fill you up as well. If you do want to eat something lower in calories, make sure you have other food/snacks and sides to accompany it and make it a more complete meal that leaves you feeling full and satisfied.
Bottom line...calories are not evil. They should not be feared and can be a great way of helping you be prepared for hunger, anticipate wanting more to eat, and understand your body better.
I wanna hear from you!
Do you find yourself fearing calories?