Rethinking calorie counting

“Lose five pounds or more in a week. Never count calories again. Eat these foods and drop pounds without dieting. Eliminate these foods from your diet and drop pounds. Get rid of inches with these exercises and don’t worry about the pounds.”

We have all heard the spills from ads for diet program memberships, supplements and exercise programs, all promising great results, while sparing us from the dreaded and detested  calorie-counting.

I bought the memberships for weight-loss programs, fitness center membership and for a while worked out with a personal trainer in a group setting. For all the money and effort, the most I ever lost was 12 pounds, and the longest I ever kept those pounds off was about six months. Within a few weeks, I would reach a plateau, get discouraged and quit.

Counting calories was the last thing I wanted to do, but it was also my last hope in reaching any kind of substantial weight loss and maintaining it. I wanted something slow and sure. I didn't want to do this for a few months and return to old habits. I wanted to establish new habits.

Once I made the decision to not only record my daily calories but also track certain nutrients, my thinking began to change about the whole process. Instead of considering it a dreaded daily task, I began thinking of my daily allowance of calories as a type of currency—just like time and money. And in the same way, I would budget this daily allowance of calories just as I did my money and time. Just as I watched my bank account and kept track of withdrawals, so I would keep track and budget my calorie allowance. My bank account doesn't have unlimited funds, and neither should I expect my body to process unlimited and unneeded calories, without storing them in fat reserves. 

Accepting the numbers involved, just as so much of life involves numbers, changed my thinking about counting calories.Instead of feeling constricted by tracking daily calories, I actually began to feel freer. I could plan for indulgences and enjoy them without any guilt. I didn't set an end date for counting calories, because there is also the maintenance factor.

And since I like a good return on my money and time, it made sense to also get a good return  on my daily calorie allowance by investing those calories in essential nutrients. It was an eye-opener for me to learn just how many calories are needed to supply the daily requirements for essential nutrients. From my doctor, I got the numbers for these requirements for my age and gender, and to my surprise, I could see that in the past, much of the time I had taken in as much as twice the number.

And just as I used my money to pay bills first, so I would prioritize my daily allowance of calories first for essential daily nutrients.  Starting with breakfast, I aimed for 40 percent of my daily calcium needs and a third of the daily protein requirements. I have had no problem allocating 500-600 calories for breakfast. It means I’m on my way to getting all the nutrient requirements for the day. At the end of the day, I can see where I’m at and where I need to be as far as nutrients.  And when I use some of my daily allotment for treats, I don’t worry about it.

One of the surprises of this journey is learning that I don’t have to use all my daily calorie-allowance to reach my daily essential nutrient requirements. There are usually calories left over for a snack and treat. But that’s not my goal --  trying to eat as much as I possibly can or to try and satisfy an insatiable gut. I want to eat smaller portions and give my body an opportunity to do something besides digest food for me. I want my body to have a break from constantly digesting food, so it can make repairs where they are needed.

As I continued with the daily logging and tracking of nutrients and recording the weekly one-pound losses , I came to another realization: I was finally taking responsibility for my own health and weight-loss. In the past, I had given over this responsibility to whomever I was paying to lead me through an eating and/or exercise program.  They were the ones who kept the “books.” They recorded the numbers. Maybe they knew where I was going and how to get there, but I sure didn't. And the thing is I never got there with any of those programs.

After spending months in several different  weight-loss programs and losing 8-12 pounds, I would come to a place where I couldn't lose any more, even though I was still following the program. All I was ever told was the number from the scales that week. And of course I was told I didn't have to count calories. Just pretend calories are something else or just eat certain foods.

I had the same dismal results working with a personal trainer. He had the numbers and told me not to think about the number on the scales. Just keep doing the exercises and the inches will whittle away. I did lose some inches and went down two sizes, while losing a whopping eight pounds. But my lab reports didn't change—not one number in the direction of improvement. I had no idea where I was going in the program or how long it would take to get there. He kept all the numbers, and he, alone knew what they meant.

But now, I could see where I was going. One week at a time. One pound a week. Now I knew what to expect or to adjust. And finally, I had results. And I was the one keeping the books and recording the numbers. I didn't dread the scales anymore.