My thoughts on calorie counting

​We hear a lot about calorie consumption in the fitness/health industries but what is it all really about?

​Over my time as a nutritionist I have seen many clients counting calories and stressing about how many they consume. From my perspective it is not as simple as calories in and out. It is a much more complex process and counting calories can just put more stress on the individual. Everyone is different and the way our body burns energy can be impacted by stress, thyroid, genes and blood sugar levels to name a few.
 
You may have heard before of the calorie deficit for weight loss. And yes, definitely you will lose weight if you are consuming less calories then you are burning. But how healthy is it? Is it achievable long term? What stress is it putting on your body? Everyone is different, and having a calorie deficit, whilst increasing intensive exercise can pose complications and needs to be monitored carefully.  The same amount of calories from one food to another can have very different biological effects on our bodies, inside and out. Therefore, calories are not made equal.
 
I like to portray to my clients, not to count calories and be more focused on the quality of food they are eating. Our bodies are able to process and burn calories from quality, healthy, wholefoods a lot easier than they do processed foods. However, this does not mean you can eat as much wholefoods as you like, portion control is still important. I like to help my clients find a balance with food as I think it is important to also indulge in foods you love, in moderation.
 
A little bit of everything but not a lot of anything.