6 February 2013 - Counting calories?

If you watched the documentary I posted yesterday "10 Things You Need to Know About Losing Weight" then you would have noticed that the third point made is that in order to lose weight you should "count your calories" Of all the great information and advice about nutrition this documentary had to offer this is the piece of advice I agree with the least.

I am certainly not somebody who needs to lose weight so maybe that affects my viewpoint on this topic but in the past I have attempted calorie counting and found it makes me:

a) obsessive about food
b) rebelliously inclined to eat more food
c) frustrated and confused

Sure there are ways of making the daily count easier going - using Weight Watchers points, the My Fitness Pal App or special journals dedicated to the subject but in the end spending time during my lunch hour googling the calorie count of each ingredient in my salad while I'm eating it feels like time wasted; and not sustainable long-term.

Certainly, however, the way to achieve weight loss is to consume fewer calories than you burn on a daily basis but I think the best way to frame this advice is to suggest that all people, not just those aiming for weight loss, should not necessarily count but just be aware of the calories in their food.

The "ah-ha" moment for me when it came to being aware of food's calorie content was reading the nutritional information that's printed on the menu at Subway. I love a good Vegie Delite sub made on whole wheat bread, with no cheese and a light sauce. One of these baby's supplies me with roughly 859 kilojoules or 205 calories.

But when I'm finished ordering this healthy subway lunch I find it difficult to resist that question you know is coming. "Any cookies with that?" Heck yes I'll have a cookie. It's only small and oh-so-tasty. Well imagine my surprise when I realized that just one of those cookies contains a kilojoule content of 879 or 210 calories. That's actually more than my six inches of healthy eating is worth!

This is the way in which being aware of calories has changed my eating habits. I often catch myself comparing things nutritionally to subway sandwhiches. That bag of lollies I'm working my way through? If I eat the whole thing calorie wise it will be as though I've just eaten a footlong and a six inch of salad subway. Which I could never manage in one sitting.

Puts things into perspective doesn't it?

So, without getting obsessive and having to count the calories of everything you eat, everyday I think everyone can benefit from and learn something by becoming familiar with the kilojoule/calorie column of the nutritional labels on products and on menus.

My favourite example of being aware of calories from this documentary is when he is given a "calorie knowledge" test and asked to put a series of food into order based on their calorie content. The range includes a smoothie, a few pieces of chocolate  a full dinner plate with chicken and vegetables and a small fried pork pie.

The trick to this test? The calorie content of all of the foods is exactly the same. So if you wouldn't sit down to eat a full dinner plate of healthy food because you're not that hungry, put those few pieces of chocolate back. You probably don't need it. And if you are hungry? Fill your belly with some serious goodness, that won't leave you wanting more later.

So if I were to have my way with this documentary the third piece of advice offered would be this:
"You don't need to count your calories. But you do need to know what calories are, and use the nutritional information regarding a foods calorie content to empower you to make better and healthier dietary choices"

It might not be as concise as "count your calories" but I certainly find it more helpful.