One of the primary ways that I used to try and lose weight was to count calories. It worked for the most part. However, I did it while eating 40% of my calories from sweets and by filling my mind with calorie calculations all day, every day.
Calorie counting apps usually calculate how much you should eat based on how many pounds you want to lose in a given week. Of course, I wanted to lose the most pounds possible… but I’ve always been a hungry person so I’d settle for eating what they told me would enable half a pound to one pound a week
Nonetheless, the structure of those apps perpetually shout out the message: YOU MUST EAT LESS TO LOSE WEIGHT.
I remember seeing that red number when I'd enter what I ate for the day and it showed that I went over on calories. I'd then restrict myself for that amount of calories the following day to try and make up for it. My mental approach to it all was very unhealthy.
I’ve checked in on the calories of friends and clients and found that they were eating less than 1200 calories a day. Friends, it doesn’t matter what size you are, that is WAY TOO LITTLE!
I can't tell you how many people I know who started eating more healthy foods and, as a result, started to LOSE the weight they weren't able to lose eating way too little.
Weight loss is NOT as simple as calories in and calories out. The key to everything is NOT a caloric deficit. More than your calorie or your macro intake, it matters WHAT YOU ARE EATING. 100 calories of soda is not the same as 100 calories of broccoli.
Notice how I didn’t title this video “eat more, lose more” or something like that - I thought about it. Why? Because I want people to hear this message, and to be frank, the focus for many is SO much more on weight loss than it is on health. But, honestly, I’m much more interested in supporting people in getting healthy, because that’s when weight loss happens naturally and sustainably.
With that said, health is much more than the scale.
The best thing to do is to focus on adding more of the good stuff.
“Getting healthy” or “dieting” tends to focus a lot on what NOT to eat or what to take out.
While I have opinions on what is healthy to remove from our diet, I find it most supportive for people to focus on what they’re adding in more than what they’re adding out.
Focusing on what you're adding in tends to crowd out the junk you want to eliminate without focusing on restrictions.
Here are 5 things to eat MORE of:
Fibrous green vegetables
Brussel sprouts, asparagus, kale, broccoli, chard, etc.
Antioxidant rich fruits
When you go for fruits, though all have their own benefits, I like to hone in
on berries, cherries, or other deep pigmented options
They are higher in antioxidants and lower in sugar
Quality meat
Meat has gotten a bad rap as of late, but not all meat is the same.
Conventional, non-organic meat is awful. I concur, vegans!
However, grass fed or pasture raised meat is devoid of antibiotics and
hormones as well as GMO’s, pesticides, & herbicides - which actually can’t be
said for fake meats (awful processed “food”).
Slow cooked meats are a fantastic option with tons of nutrients like collagen,
glycine, and choline.
Fermented foods
Sauerkraut
Kemchi
Low sugar kombucha
Coconut yogurt
Healthy fats
Our bodies need fat!
The worst fats are those that come from vegetable oils like canola oil, soybean oil, peanut oil, corn oil, and other vegetable oils. These TERRIBLE for you.
Think avocados, nuts, coconut oil, grass fed butter, and olive oil.
Intentionally add these foods in to your diet and watch how your cravings and overall health begin to change!