Being calorie aware - but with no counting
Counting calories is still common practice for many. Struggling with weight is serious, and I can empathise with wanting to be in total control of your calorie intake.
My biggest fear for you as a fellow food lover, is that counting calories will always associate food with thoughts of whether you are gaining, losing or maintaining your weight. And food should be so much more joyful than that, in my opinion. You deserve it, no matter what shape or size you are!
Being calorie aware ≠ avoiding all calories
I know quite a few people reading my blog are on a weight loss journey, or just trying to get healthier. That’s fantastic! Maintaining a healthy weight, and being good to your body by giving it nutritious and clean food, is essential for your well being and a long, happy life. Let me just add though that when I say “a healthy weight”, that doesn’t mean “skinny” or “slim”, “shredded” or “toned”. You can be healthy and strong and look totally different to the person next to you in the street (or the gym). So please, please be kind to yourself and remember that health goes way deeper than looks. I also want to add (I’ve said this before but repeating it for new readers) that The From Scratch Body is not a weight loss blog. It is a place where everyone is welcome to find inspiration so that they can feed themselves in the best way possible and learn to listen to how their body responds.
I have an awareness of calories, because I’ve learnt about nutritional value in different ingredients from cooking so much from scratch. But never in my life have I counted the calories I’ve eaten. I’m very privileged to be naturally slim, but even in periods where I’ve wanted to lose a bit of weight (like when recovering from endometriosis surgery and not being able to move for a while!), I’ve not counted my calorie intake. For me personally, it’s been more than enough work to keep a food diary in the past (to track how I feel after eating ), and I love food so much that I don’t want to take the fun out of cooking and eating.
I want to support and encourage you to do whatever works for you in your life, but just as a gentle suggestion, if you find yourself counting calories for no particular practical reason - may I propose a few other approaches to be calorie aware, that can bring more joy to eating food!
5 ways to be calorie aware with NO counting
Be aware of when calories go out, as well as come in
People who live active lives and work out a lot (or move in whatever way they enjoy) don’t think of calories as the enemy. Without calories, they would be useless at their activity. And that goes for all of us - we need energy to get through work, workouts, travel, looking after others - just… life in general. So look at what days of the week you move the most, or need the most brain power at work (this requires energy too, even if you’re sat down!). Then, if you want to cut down on your calorie intake, try to make that happen on days that are less active. This way you can keep the general calorie count down a bit, without compromising your physical performance, concentration or motivation.
Note down some generic nutritional value info
You can, if you need reminders, take note of what foods you often eat and what the nutritional info of a realistic size portion (for you!) is. Write it down/print it out and hang it up inside one of your kitchen cupboard doors. You can then refer to it when needed, but it’s a quick look instead of plotting in numbers, weighing ingredients or any kind of meticulous work like that. You might not know the calorie count of that exact meal down to the decimals, but… How much of a difference is it going to make?
Portion control
This is always my best advice with anything. Weight loss, weight maintenance, cravings, fear of having too much sugar or similar - just create a habit for yourself of not making too much food, or when you make a large batch, decide that it is meant to last for 2 days. When you plan well, you help yourself in the long run. Make what you know you need and no more (or immediately put the leftovers that are meant for the next day to one side so it’s harder to just go back for seconds). Tip: use a smaller plate - it actually makes your mind see the meal as bigger! God, we are so stupid sometimes, aren’t we. It’s nice to know we can trick ourselves, though.
Eat mindfully
Something that brings so much more joy to eating, stops you overeating and also helps your digestion, is to eat mindfully. Try, whenever possible, to not eat in front of the TV, put your phone away, don’t have any distractions like music or podcasts on in the background - at least not for every meal. You will naturally eat slower, enjoy the flavours more and feel full when you are actually full. This will stop you mindlessly eating out of habit, and keep your calorie count down over time - but in a way that makes you love food more, not less.
Remember that you deserve food
Please, please don’t punish yourself for eating a bit more than you planned one day, or eating something a bit naughty occasionally. It’s the consistency of coming back to good habits that are important, not being perfect all the time. I believe that anyone who allows themselves to enjoy food and physical activity, but who also choose to be forgiving with themselves and recognise when they need a break, will be the healthiest in body and mind in the end. Whoever you are, whatever your story is and whatever you look and feel like - you deserve to enjoy food.
What has your relationship with calories been, and has it changed? Do you count calories, or are you calorie aware in a different way? Share your thoughts in the comments or on Instagram and tag me @TheFromScratchBody and use the hashtag #TheFromScratchBody so I don’t miss it!
