Posted on September 2nd, 2017

This is an interesting topic and one that is known to cause some controversy amongst people. Calorie counting has been around for a long time and like everything there are pro’s and con’s that need to be considered beforehand. From my view I see more of the con’s of calorie counting these days, however this is not to say that there is no purpose for it.

PRO’S

• Helps to identify portion sizes (by this I mean it helps people understand how much too eat to some extent). This can be a great start for someone who is trying to learn just how much they should be eating if done correctly.
• Weight loss (reducing portion sizes can aid in weight loss). Naturally if we aren’t consuming more calories than what we can burn off we will lose weight.

CON’S

• People become very restrictive on what/how much they can eat including vegetables.
• People become more weight conscious and sometimes obsessive, leading to distorted eating and disorders.
• When counting calories you can eat processed foods/junk food as long as you meet your intake for the day (which is unhealthy and more dangerous long term).
• Mindsets change if you do it for a long time and you forget why you started it in the first place.
• People suffer with more body image problems as their mindsets change and they become more restrictive.

I often see people counting calories and still eating chocolates, deep fried foods and drinking soft drink on a regular basis. By all means you don’t need to avoid these foods but they should not be making up the majority of your calorie intake for the day.

On the other extreme I see people go too far and suffer from distorted eating, where they are constantly thinking about every calorie that goes into their mouths in fear they will gain weight if they go off track.

Just because a food is high in calories should you eat it?

This depends on the food you are eating. If you are eating wholefoods such as; lean meats, fish, vegetables, legumes, pulses, nuts and seeds than calories really isn’t a huge issue, it more comes down to portions. Fish such as salmon is high in calories along with nuts such as walnuts and almonds but yet are so good for you and should be included in your diet.

Deep fried and takeaway foods on the other hand should be avoided, not just because they are high in calories but because of the oils used and the quality of the ingredients used.

If you need any assistance tailoring a meal plan specific to you please reach out and contact me today 🙂